Because they’re coming fast and furious, here’s the list so you can find them!
4/29/08 – ONCE UPON A LEGEND, Wild, Wild Women of the West II (Kensington)
5/06/08 – NEW ORIENTATION, Purple Panties (Zane)
5/13/08 – ARCTIC DRAGON, Royal Bondage (Pocket/EC)
5/27/08 – THE DEMON LORD’S CLOAK, Damned, Delicious and Dangerous (Kensington)
6/25/08 – SIN’S GIFT (EC)
8/11/08 – VIPER’s BITE, The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance (Running Press)
8/19/08 – RIDE A COWBOY, A Hot Man is the Best Revenge (Pocket/EC)
10/28/08 – DOWN IN TEXAS (Kensington)
11/04/08 – INDECENT EXPOSURE, Alluring Tales: Hot Holiday Nights (Avon)

Progress! Obsessed for Zane

This was the view from one of the windows of my hotel room. The conference was held in the Affinia Manhattan on 7th Avenue. The marquee for Madison Square Gardens is on the left. The colorful lights of Times Square are at the end of the street. I loved the hotel. The rooms were spacious and included kitchenettes–great for storing cheesecake and leftovers.

Other than Times Square, I didn’t get pictures of the sights most tourists HAVE to take when they go to New York. Although this was my fourth trip, I still haven’t been to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island or the Empire State Building–and ESB was only four blocks away, and I could see it in the distance pretty much everywhere I walked! Next time, I’ll do the toursist thing, if only to get the pictures everyone’s supposed to take.

My pictures were of friends, an accident that occurred on the street below my hotel room window (more about that later!), and the subway. I even forgot to take pictures of my editors!!

But this first photo of the traffic jam was pretty much a theme. See that sea of yellow cabs? I think I know every driver. Not a one of them is born in New York, but every one of them is certifiably insane. They drive like kamikazes with a death wish. Myla strapped her seat belt on and bleated strangled screams as they dashed in and out of lanes and stomped their brakes to avoid bumpers and bodies. I treated our taxi adventures like amusement park rides and was thrilled with every honk, swear word, and profane gesture. I laughed wildly. Syliva Day’s taxi crashed on her way to see an editor, and I can tell you honestly I was disappointed it wasn’t me. Wierd, I know, and yes, Sylvia is fine–thank God.

But that’s just me. I find adventure in the oddest things. Take the rickshaws. In New York, when you can’t find a “real” taxi, you can take these tiny bicycle-pulled rickshaws. They’re even more fun than the taxis because they weave in and out without all the metal between you and the rest of the motorized traffic.

I convinced Myla to take one. She squealed; we both laughed hilariously, mostly because we felt super-sorry for the skinny dude who had to stand on his pedals to get our fat asses uphill. Don’t worry, he received a very generous tip.

Lastly, there’s the subway. Whoever said that New Yorkers are rude, never travelled with us. After Kate Duffy (an editor at Kensington) kindly showed us where and how to catch one, we had no problems. And when we needed help figuring out where we were and how to get to the next place, there were plenty of natives ready to help. There’s nothing like having a woman shout at the top of her lungs from the end of the next car down, “It’s your stop!!” She was very worried we’d miss our street. We even opened our purses to a man who looked homeless, but who showed us how to buy a subway card and swipe it at the turnstiles. I wish I had a picture of me looking fabulous, but after a day of schlepping it around a windy New York, I look pretty ragged–but doesn’t the subway look cool?

Current WIP: Obsessed for Zane

Because I’ve been to so many writer’s conferences, I’ve become a little jaded about conference offerings. I tend to be very selective of the workshops I attend and end up blowing off most of them.

One thing I truly love and never tire of doing is meeting my friends. It’s a little wierd how well you get to know some folks just on the basis of email and live internet chats, but there’s nothing quite like meeting them in person for a hug and a laugh over a meal or drinks.

Here are the highlights of my recent trip to New York, and I promise they appear in no particular order of preference!

I love this picture! Don’t they all look like they’re having the best time? And aren’t they all lovely?

On the left is my BFF by birth: Myla Jackson/Elle James, my sister! Shouldn’t everyone have someone to share an extraordinary journey with? Myla/Elle and I started writing together and have shared all the frustrations and triumphs together. It’s brought us closer than we could ever have dreamed.

In the middle, is a newer BFF, the very talented Sylvia Day! I loved spending time with her in New York. We attended a play together (more about that another day!) and several meals. She’s super smart and surprisingly goofy–I love that about her!

On the right is Jordan Summers. I had met her a couple of years ago, but didn’t have time to really get to know her then. Since then, I’ve had fun visiting her daily blog to see what she’s up to and thinking about. In person, she’s very, very smart. When she talks, everyone listens. And you should hear the stories she tells about the many jobs she’s held!

Standing with me in Time Square is my friend, Sasha White. I love, love, love her. She’s funny and sweet, with a great big booming voice to match her big heart. We spent a day running through a list of things we needed to do and eat–hot dogs at Nathan’s, cheesecake from Junior’s, and then the purses we let Myla bargain for with the street vendors…LOL!

I was away attending the NINC conference in New York last Wednesday through Monday. I have so many things to talk about that I thought I might spend the next few days doing just that. Be sure to check back in for all the news and plenty of pictures of the sights and many friends I saw! I also downloaded the pics from my Memphis trip with Shayla Kersten and will share some of those, too!

But first, I thought you might like to see the cover for the cowboy book I just wrapped up. Kate Duffy handed it to me when I visited the Kensington offices, and I hope she didn’t notice the drool! I did a quick scan to share it with you, but hope to get the jpeg soon so you can see it better.

I also got a release date for the book–November 2008! So, mark your calendars!

It’s Romantic Times magazine’s highest rating, and the “Tres Amigas” couldn’t be more pleased! Here’s what reviewer Bella March had to say about Wild, Wild Women of the West II, which releases April 29th:

“Sisters Devlin and Jackson team up with Chase to create sizzling stories of delicious, daring men and even wilder women. Make sure you’ve got time to kill, because once you start you’ll want to read this collection in one sitting.”

I promise to post photos soon from my Memphis trip! In the meantime…

Maybe you hadn’t noticed, but the first of the 2008 Jewels of the Nile anthologies from Ellora’s Cave is out!

My story, Making the Madam, is one of the featured novellas in this fun release. The cover didn’t arrive in time for me to get it out there ahead of the release, but that doesn’t matter. The book is out and ready for you to snap up your very own copy. If you’d like to take a peek inside at all the stories, follow this link: Jewels of the Nile I

Here’s an excerpt you won’t see on the website. The West was where men were men and women were every bit as adventurous!

Excerpt

Unedited; may vary from the final.

Note for Readers: You must be of legal age in your country of origin to read this excerpt.

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