Wow! How’s this? Harlequin is celebrating a 6o year anniversary and they are giving away 16 FREE eBooks!! :-) 

I’ve already been in and had a good wallow. A real Ms Piggy, that’s me!

Nancy Warren, Merline Lovelace, Liz Fielding… There’s something for everyone.

Here’s the link to the free eBooks.

Of course, I have a question. *grin*

I provide not only excerpts on my website, but whole free reads - especially Rackety Kate and the Pirates and The Amorous Adventures of Alice, plus some shorter stories. I’m interested in your opinion. Is this a good way of persuading you to pay good money for my books??? Obviously, I invest a lot of time in these freebies.  I’d like to know if you think it’s worth it.

Do free stories encourage you to buy an author’s books?

Win a signed copy of THE FLAME AND THE SHADOW! 

THE QUESTION:

One review referred to “the clever names of the main characters” in THE FLAME AND THE SHADOW. I thought they were pretty clever too, but then you know how I love to play with words!

Tell me what word or words EITHER of the names is derived from or related to and why it’s clever. (You can lie to satisfy my vanity, okay? *grin*)

Remember, you only need to work out the derivation of ONE of the names, not both.

TWO HINTS:

1. Cenda is a FIRE witch.

2. Grayson (Gray), Duke of Ombra is a sorcerer of SHADOWS.

WHAT TO DO:

Email me your answer. deniserossetti @ gmail.com (no spaces, of course!)

CLOSES:

Midnight, Sunday 15th February, 2009

Order from Amazon or Barnes and Noble

Read an Excerpt

It’s newsletter time, which means…

Only problem is, I got a trifle carried away. Yes, I know I always do, but not usually quite so early in the chapter, if you see what I mean. Hence we have a shorter than usual excerpt this time, the rest of it is too hot to post here - even for me. *blush*

Rackety Kate and the Pirates

Chapter 15

The Significance of Surrender

The story so far:
Kate and Jack are locked in a battle of wills, mid-orgy. Who will give way first? And how will surrender change the balance of power?

“Not yet, darlin’” whispered Duka’s dark voice in Kate’s ear. “Don’t disappoint the readers.”

“Nngh,” whimpered Kate, writhing. If only she could shut her eyes, block out the erotic scene in front of her. But she couldn’t, because she’d promised Jack she’d watch his torture. Every twitch of his smooth muscled chest, every drop of sweat that coursed down his neck, or made his strong thighs gleam.

His cheeks were flushed with a deep ruddy hue and the emerald in his ear flashed a dark beautiful green as he tossed his head, groaning. Harley was deep-throating him now, his nose pressing hard into Jack’s pubic curls, the knuckles of his free hand whitening as his fingers dug into Jack’s impossibly taut ass.

Want more? You can read all of Kate and see more pirates on the Rackety Kate page. Want even more than that? Join my newsletter - see below.

Subscribers to my newsletter get to interfere with Kate’s love life. Sign up to join the fun!

I’ve always been fascinated by Murphy’s Law. I’m sure you all know how it works.

It’s generally stated as Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.

You know that perverse way the toast has of falling buttered side down? That’s in itself an immutable law of physics, noted as far back as 1841, in this little verse.

I never had a slice of bread,
Particularly large and wide,
That did not fall upon the floor,
And always on the buttered side.

The general concept has existed since the first humans learned to speak, but it’s only been sixty years since the Law was attributed to Murphy.

What’s even more interesting is that Murphy actually existed. Edward Aloysius Murphy Jr was a successful American pilot who served with distinction during the war. Afterward, he worked as an aerospace engineer, concentrating on safety systems for experimental aircraft like the SR-71 Blackbird and X-15 rocket plane.

In 1949,  Murphy set up a series of experiments to assess the impact of G-forces (gravity) on pilots. He used the “Gee Whiz”, a rocket-powered sled on a railroad track that could reach supersonic speeds and stop in less than a second. Slam!

Murphy’s assistant hooked up the sensors to the volunteer’s (translate: crazy man’s)  body and they were off. Whiz, whoop — THUD! Ouch…

But the sensors failed to pick up any readings. Huh?

When Murphy checked, he discovered the sensors had been installed the wrong way around, invalidating the entire test.

Furious, he was heard to snarl, referring to the hapless assistant,   “If there are two ways to do something, and one of those ways will result in disaster, he’ll do it that way.”

The Press picked it up, simplified it, and Murphy’s Law became part of popular culture. Murphy, by the way, remained profoundly irritated by these simplistic versions, right up to his death in 1990. He saw the Law as a principle of good, defensive design - a willingness to assume the worst and therefore be prepared for it.

It’s a good idea, actually. Be Prepared, just like a Boy scout.

Still, think of the practical applications in your own life. The way the other supermarket queue always moves faster or your grandmother’s precious diamond ring falls just out of reach behind a heavy cupboard. I usually notice it at work with inanimate objects. They seem to have a set against me. *sigh*

What do you think of Murphy’s Law? How does it manifest in your life? And what do you think of O’Toole’s Commentary: Murphy was an optimist ? Oh dear!

I ain’t dead - though you might be forgiven for wondering. I’ve been a busy girl.

First, and most delightfully, I’ve been away at the beach for a Very Important Family Wedding. It’s ages since I’ve attended a wedding and it was such a joyful, happy occasion, full of high hopes for the future of two beautiful young people, very much in love. I can’t show you much detail, because it’s not my story to tell, but I thought you might like to see the setting.

The photographers took the wedding party down to the beach (with the girls minus their high heels). There, they were persuaded into various poses, some romantic, some ridiculous. I can’t wait to see the pictures!

From left, we have the groom and the bride, being very patient and good; photographer one (bossy, but charming with it); bridesmaid (barefoot and giggling); photographer two (doing what he’s told); best man (guffawing). And under the lifeguard tower is an interested spectator. You can’t see all the various passers-by, but I can still see their spontaneous smiles. Everyone loves a wedding.

Secondly, I was also popping in and out of the fabulous Romance Divas’ workshop on the Sexual Journey: Character Development in Erotic Romance. See the previous post for details. Oh, it was simply terrific - I learned so much. The questions actually required activation of brain cells, those Divas are clever! If you’d like to read the posts, here’s the link - http://forums.romancedivas.com/index.php?showtopic=42693&hl= 

But better read my previous post, as you will be asked to register and state you’re over 18.

And THIRDLY, I’m still coping with a big, horrible, looming DEADLINE - Ack! It’s hell I tell you, hell! I don’t do well under pressure.

So cheer me up. What’s the loveliest wedding you’ve attended? And what made it so special?

Interested in the Sexual Journey? Well, let’s face it, most people are!

But how does this journey unfold in erotic romance?

JANUARY 16th and 17th, 2009

Come participate in a Romance Divas workshop with an in depth look at the way successful Erotic authors have created a story that’s not only HOT but also meaningful.

Join myself and fellow authors, Jasmine Haynes, Joey W. Hill, Zane and Tina Burns (publisher, Liquid Silver).

Readers and authors are welcome! And speaking personally, I’d love to see some friendly faces, uh, names!

NOTE: You need to do TWO things to participate.

1. Click the link to the Romance Divas Forum and Register. It’s a teeny tiny link up the top of the page. Huh!

2. Once you have an account,  contact an administrator HERE. Because the workshop will be held in the Diva’s Secrets Steamy section which requires special permission. There are no requirements other than your statement that you are over 18.

I’ve just heard that TAILSPIN is on the Ellora’s Cave print list for the northern Spring!

Yeehah! I’m soooo excited. Can you tell?

That’s about all I know for the moment, but I’m over the moon about it. Finally!

If you click the cover below, you can read the first chapter.  Happy, happy, happy…

From his magnificent tawny wings to his wicked feathery tail, Miriliel the Burnished is masculine perfection.

One glance, and Fledge knows she’s outclassed. After all, she’s a small, ordinary circus girl with no education, no looks and no prospects. Mirry’s not only a warrior of the Aetherii but a scholar of renown. Mesmerized by the power of his personality and her desire to be mastered, Fledge gives herself up for lost.

But she can’t help thinking, if only she had wings, she’d soar with Mirry in a Mating Flight for the ages. If only.
Mirry has lots of things on his oh-so clever mind. An ageless demon’s captured his friend, Janarnavriel the Noir, and it’s using the dark warrior’s beautiful body for a perverted playground.

All Mirry has to do is rescue his friend, finish his encyclopedia and educate Fledge. By the time he’s finished, she’ll know how to read, write and submit for her pleasure-and his. In between, he needs to kill a deathless demon, sort out his complicated feelings for Jan and show Fledge the secret of an Aetherii orgasm.

Not to worry. He’s made a list.

Happy New Year, Dear Ones!

I’m sitting here in 34C (93F) heat, all sweaty and horrible, looking out into the branches of a magnificent Poinciana tree. In fact, the scene is very much like that on the right. It’s stinking hot (we don’t have air-conditioning, let alone a pool). There’s not a breath of air and the animals are sacked out on the bathroom floor, which is tiled. But it’s still a beautiful day - the first day of a whole new year of possibilities and potential.

The older I get, the more convinced I am that a person’s emotional outlook shapes not only their life choices, but their physical health.

And science seems to bear this out. A 2004 study by the University of Texas in aging and attitude concluded that those with an upbeat, optimistic view of life were less likely to show signs of physical frailty than pessimists. A 2003 study showed that people with an energetic, happy and relaxed outlook were less likely to catch the common cold. Interesting, isn’t it?

Now, DON’T DO THIS IF YOU THINK YOU’LL BE SPOOKED, okay? There’s a site called the Death Clock. Yeah, I know, sounds a bit creepy, but it’s obviously designed to encourage people to lose weight and give up smoking.  You enter data about yourself, age, BMI, whether you smoke etc and it computes your date of death.

But here’s the kicker, if you’re game. There’s a variable for attitude - normal, optimistic, pessimistic, sadistic. Go back and change just that one variable. Wow! Going from pessimistic to optimistic garnered me an extra thirty years! I’ll take it, thank you very much.

The mind-body connection is an astonishingly powerful thing.  What will you do with it in this wonderful new year? I know it sounds nuts, but I’m going to try to get to sleep earlier, even if I have to put my bedtime back five minutes at a time for weeks.  I’m a night owl and I often don’t go to sleep until after 1am. Besides, I like talking to you guys Over There.

Unfortunately, the workaday world doesn’t march to my drum. If I could get up earlier I’d have some chance at establishing a routine. My Beloved has achieved an extraordinary weight loss and fitness improvement because he has a routine. That’s what I need and I gotta start somewhere. So…

What changes are you going to make in your life in this brand new 2009? Forget world peace, we all want that. I’m interested in you! And even more to the point, tell us how you’re going to ensure the change ACTUALLY HAPPENS. What steps and strategies will you put in place, hmm?