A Gift for Fans of the Diversion Series

What is a series author to do with information that needs to be delivered between books 7 and 8, but that doesn't belong in 8? Why, write a novella! Or better yet, two novellas!

The first takes place after Suspicion (Diversion 7) ends, and introduces Bo's family (finally!) Relation (Diversion 7.1) is now available to all you Bo and Lucky fans, and best of all, it's absolutely free.

Expecting to die while trapped in a Mexican drug tunnel can make a man rethink his life choices.

Bo and Lucky have a home, steady, if dangerous, work, and each other. Maybe even the beginnings of the reconciliation with the Lucklighter clan they promised themselves. The Schollenburgers, though—Bo hasn’t yet opened up that can of worms, near-death experiences or no.

Yet another Thanksgiving approaches with no plans to celebrate with family. Lucky’s willing to wait as long as Bo needs to get up his gumption.

He’s not nearly so patient with the bikers stalking him.

Get your copy today. 

The Me of Today

I had an interesting conversation with a friend recently. We were discussing books we liked, and I mentioned a book I once picked up and didn't finish because it simply wasn't to my tastes. A year later, I tried again, and thought, "What didn't I like about this book? It's fabulous!" The answer?

The book didn't change, I did.

We are all influenced by the world around us, our experiences, and whether we like it or not, the opinions of others, however subtly at times. When I look back over my life, my thoughts, opinions, and worldview changed over time. I learned, I looked at things a different way.

A phrase crept into the conversation with my friend: "the me of today." Instead of saying we didn't like a certain book or genre, we realized how we evolve in our tastes, likes, and dislikes. The me of today is vastly different from the me of ten years ago, twenty years ago, etc. So instead of saying we didn't like something, we said, "the me of today didn't really care for that."

Which brings me to why you won't see low ratings on books on my Goodreads list. The book I didn't like today might be the book I adore three years from now. Wouldn't I feel bad if I'd given the story a low rating or review? Also, I use that site to talk about the books I think those with similar reading tastes might like.

The great part? We're all entitled to our opinions. Isn't free-thought amazing? But my opinions change as I become older, wiser, and my understanding of the world shifts. 

So, the book on my e-reader that I didn't finish five years ago? Maybe it's time for the current me to look again.

Fan Art

A dear reader loved the Diversion series, and created fan art to post to Twitter. Oh, my God! Fan art! And such squee-worthy fan art too!

I love it so much that I contacted them and worked out a deal to use the image for swag and promotion. It's a scene straight from the first book, Diversion 1, and is a fitting representation of Bo and Lucky's relationship.

The art is by super talented artist Ayu Yamane.

Isn't it amazing? And sssooooooo Lucky and Bo!

If you're attending GRL this year, be sure to stop by, see me, and get your Bo and Lucky swag!


Click here to see the artist's other awesome works!

The Passage of Time -- Or Books Don't Always Age Well

I'm currently reviewing the audio file for Settling the Score, one of my earlier books, one I'm quite proud of, and a 2012 Lambda Awards finalist. The narrator is awesome, with a great sense of comic timing, but in listening to this book, I have found a few things cringe-worthy. The book contains elements that mark it as a seven-year-old book.

While the mention of a telephone answering machine isn't really too outdated, especially since lead characters Joey's family lives simply, and don't necessarily keep up with technology, it still stood out for me.

Another statement that shows the story's age is Joey's sister's plucked eyebrows, which are no longer the fashion. Love interest Troy's Jaguar also has a CD player, which would work if it's a classic car. Troy uses an iPod, but seeing as he's technologically challenged, that could still work too.

Who knows? Maybe I'm the only one who'll notice because I know it's there.

Narrator Joseph Morgan brings the characters to awesome life. I'm currently reviewing the completed file, we plan for an early August Audible release.

Outed and dumped on national television by his rising star boyfriend, Joey Nichols must face the bigotry of the locals in his small Southern town alone. His dreams of a happy ever after lie crushed at his feet.

Novelist Troy Steele has an axe to grind against Hollywood heartbreaker types. Transforming Joey into a gorgeous, unobtainable hunk would be payback worthy of Troy’s poison pen. It’s a brilliant way to get back at Joey’s image-obsessed ex-boyfriend and the movie producer who’s mutilating Troy’s novels.

What begins as simple revenge may tangle them together in something far more complicated. Living well may be the best revenge, but Troy and Joey could rewrite that to loving well.

What I've Been Reading: All Souls Near and Nigh (Soulbound #2) by Hailey Turner

Not too long ago I discovered a book on Audible called A Ferry of Bones and Gold by Hailey Turner, and entered a world so different, yet so close to our own.

Vampires, weres, gods, and demons all live among humans, with their own hierarchies, their own agendas, and their own brand of law enforcement, the Supernatural Operations Agency. 

Special Agent Patrick Collins as been through the wringer: a traumatic childhood, raised without love and support, and with a damaged soul. He practiced magic in the mage corp, a supernatural division of the military, until an accident saps his abilities.

He's recovering, getting his feet under him, and trying to find his way in a world suddenly changed for him. Patrick is a complex character, hard to get to know, but worth the effort. An assignment to New York City introduces him to some interesting characters, some who make his life better, others who make it worse.

I gave a review on A Ferry of Bones and Gold a few weeks ago, and couldn't wait to read the second one. All Souls Near and Nigh picks up where the first book left off. In fact, at the end of book 2, only two months have passed since the beginning of the first story.

What impressed me most in this book was love interest Jono, who's really stepping into his role as an alpha godpack werewolf. He's not a part of the NYC godpack, and is in the city at the graces of the pack. He's promised not to create a pack with anyone under their protection, however, he starts finding those not under the pack's protection who need him.

My favorite of the newcomers is a dragon fledgling names Wade, a sulky teenager with an endless capacity for junk food. Sage is back from the last book, and she too shines. While the relationship between Patrick and Jono definitely grows in this installment, Jono shows tremendous personal growth.

I'd hoped he'd challenge the incompetent alpha of the current regime, but that didn't happen yet.

There is some cruelty here, and some disturbing scenes, but this is a book of paranormal creatures who are one step away from full out war.

There is so much going on here, keeping the reader turning the page, or in my case, listening to an audiobook. By the way, excellent narrator.

The story is riveting, well told, so engrossing I couldn't put it down. I really wish the next one was coming out soon, because I'm hooked on this series.

Accidental Pumpkins

This year Bear and I created a container garden on our front porch. Although we have plenty of room for a regular garden, we also share this land with deer, rabbits, goats, and other critters who'd just love fresh produce.

We've been working on mulch pits since last fall, tossing things like vegetable peels, apple cores, etc., into the mix. When spring came, we used the mulch for our container garden. We planted squash, cucumbers, green peppers, tomatoes, and okra.

All came up beautifully, but there was something off with the okra. The blossoms appeared to look more like squash blossoms, and when they fell, a round ball-looking thing form.

It grew. And grew. And grew. Even more confusing, the okra had vine-like characteristics, and then started blooming the more familiar purple and yellow Okra blossoms.

It seems last year's Halloween pumpkin made a comeback, and a volunteer pumpkin vine had infiltrated our okra.

Now our one lone pumpkin is developing and nice orange color, it's way early for Halloween, and I have no idea what to do with an ornamental pumpkin this time of year. If it was a pie pumpkin, it would soon find itself in a pie crust, but for now, I just keep watering the plant and watching it grow.

As a side note, I finally got some okra too.

Getting Ready for GRL!

Even though it's a few months off, I'm trying to get ready for GRL. I've been many times, in fact, I've only missed the one in San Diego, so I'm a veteran of these things. However, I can't think of one single costume for the party, the theme being "My Superpower."

Dang. I just did. Okay. This might work.

Anyway, now I'm stuck for swag. In the past I've prepared tons of swag, and normally brought back too much of it. Usually I offer about ten different items. This year, I'm scaling back, but hopefully what I've chosen will be meaningful. And yes, I didn't have a clue what to do until I started writing this post. Y'all are amazing, you know that?

I'm having to travel light this year, as I'm flying and it seems most airlines don't want you to bring clothes, let alone a suitcase full of books.

Due to those restrictions, I'm afraid I'll be relying on presales, and bringing only the books I need. You can pre-order books here. 

Bear is coming with me this time, and so is one of the cubs! I can't wait for them to experience the whole GRL tribe. My husband looks forward to this event as much as I do, and has many friends among the attendees.

So if you're heading for Albuquerque in October, I'll see you there!

If you want to stop by at GRL and say hello, my author lounges are Thursday from 4:00 PM to 4:45 PM, and Friday, from 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM.

Also, I'll be reading on Friday, from 3:30 PM to 4:20 PM. I'm not sure yet which book I'll be reading from.