Unlike the baseball diamond in the midst of the isolated corn field in FIELD OF DREAMS, just building a website doesn’t guarantee that anyone will come visit. In order for people to know that you are out there on the Internet, there are a number of steps you can take to increase awareness of your website and improve how you are listed in search engine results.

The first step you can take actually happens even before you get your website up and running. When you are designing your website, make sure that you include metatags in your site’s header and web pages.

What is a metatag? A metatag is information inserted in the header (“head”) portion of your website. The header portion of your website is not visible to viewers on your site, but is read by search engine spiders as they comb the Internet for information to include in their search engine results. You can place your title, site description, and keyword metatags in your header to improve how a search engine will list your website in the search.

For example, the keywords to include in your header metatags could be as follows: “caridad, piñeiro, romance, author, romance author, blog, free read, silhouette, harlequin, pocket books, vampire, novel, fiction, author, south beach, chicas, the calling, romantic suspense, paranormal.”

There are no limits to the number of keywords you can place in your metatags, and you should attempt to make a comprehensive list of words that are applicable to the content of your website. The search engine spiders will note these metatags and next time someone searches on one of those keywords, your website should show up if you’ve been spidered.

Also keep in mind that the keywords you use should also be repeated in the content of your web pages. It will improve your relevance in search engine results if your keywords appear often. An excellent article on how to use Metatags can be found at SearchEngineWatch.com (http://searchenginewatch.com/showPage.html?page=2167931).

Once you’ve got your metatags in place, you need to make sure that the search engine spiders visit your site so that you will be included in their search engine results.

How do you get noticed by the search engines? Once your website is up and running, you can take a number of steps to get noticed and listed in search engine results. The first step is to get yourself added on the various search engines. You can do this at the following links:
Google: http://www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurl
Yahoo: https://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/submit
MSN: http://search.msn.com.sg/docs/submit.aspx

You can also use a number of free or paid Search Engine submission programs to make sure the spiders will visit your site. You can do so at the following links:
AddPro: http://www.addpro.com/submit30.htm
SubmitShop:
http://www.submitshop.com/freesubmit/freesubmit.html

You may want to set up a separate email address for search engine submissions, as doing this will generate a number of emails from the various services. There are a number of other free search engine submission sites, but some ask that you place codes on your site in order to use their services. You may also pay for these submissions, but it can get quite costly and using
the manual and free services generally works to get your site submitted.

How often should you submit your website to the search engines? Some people say as often as every month, but too many submissions may get you banned from future submissions. I would recommend that you resubmit your website at least every six months.

Being listed in search engine results will help draw people to your website, but how else can you get people to visit?

The first and easiest way is to get listed on other similar sites. If you’re published, ask your publisher if they have a web page for you at their site and, if so, ask for a link to your personal web page.

Do a search on “romance novel links,” and you will get a long list of romance novel related sites. Visit the various sites and follow their procedures for getting listed on their links and list them on your links page.

Expand your presence on the Internet via social networking sites such as Myspace. Make sure your Myspace page has a link back to your main web page.

Do you have information to share with others, such as articles on writing? Visit Ezinearticles.com and similar sites to post your articles for others to find.

Finally, keep the content on your site fresh and interesting. It’s important not only to draw readers to your site the first time, but to develop a pattern of returning visitors. There is nothing worse than visiting a site where the last update is many months old.

Hope these tips gave you some ideas on what to do with your web presence!

Paul Newman passed away on Saturday. He was 83. According to an AP News story, Newman “was nominated for Oscars 10 times, winning one regular award and two honorary ones, and had major roles in more than 50 motion pictures, including “Exodus,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Verdict,” “The Sting” and “Absence of Malice.”"

One of my favorites of his was BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID. Then there was COOL HAND LUKE, THE VERDICT, THE STING, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF. So many great movies and through it all, Mr. Newman nevers seems to have lost his head to the cult of celebrity. Everyone who knew him, respected him. His philanthropy has helped so many.

It is the end of an era and Mr. Newman will be sorely missed. Here’s one of the many tributes available on Youtube to Paul Newman on a sad Guilty Pleasures Monday.

These all come courtesy of the LA Times, which has an entire section devoted to funny street signs. You can click here to find more of them!

Bayfield, WI - Still Lost?

Warning Taiwan Scooterists

Alaska airstrip conundrum

no No NO !

Watching what’s happening in the markets, I feel like I’m on the edge of a cliff, waiting to lose my grip (and my money). I think many Americans feel the same way.

So today’s Thoughtful Thursday is about this bailout everyone is discussing and my . . . upset with it.

I know we need to do something. But I want whatever is done to not heap yet more burdens on the large majority of Americans. You know, those people who get up every day, go to work, pay their taxes and pay their mortgages on time.

How do so many Americans do that? Fiscal responsibility. A strange idea to some, I know. That means you don’t spend more than you earn and you don’t borrow more than you can pay back.

When I got my first mortgage, I knew the bank would only lend me a certain amount of money based on my salary. The bank also knew that I intended to live in my home and maintain it.

The banks that are stable seem to have stuck to that principle. Homeowners are a good risk in general and when the system works, its good for both the banks and the homeowners. Banks make their money on the interest rates and homeowners build equity in their homes.

Somewhere along the line, some banks forgot this. They started giving loans well in excess of what people could afford to pay. They reduced their standards for credit. They allowed real estate speculators to buy beyond what they could which drove up housing prices, creating a bubble.

Well, at least that’s my take from what I’ve been reading lately.

So then what happened? People couldn’t pay their mortgages. Housing prices dropped and those properties which seemed like gold turned to lead and speculators walked away from the properties without paying their mortgages. Foreclosures skyrocketed, driving down home prices for all of us who have been faithfully paying our mortgages and obviously, threatening the existence of all these mortgage companies and our economy.

Fannie Mae. Freddie Mac. Did they use unsound practices in granting mortgages? If they did, who is responsible and why are you and I footing the bill?

Should we ask the CEO of Freddie Mac? In 2007, the Chairman of Freddie Mac got nearly 19.8 million dollars in compensation. You can click here to read more about it! Of course, nearly 14.3 million of that was in stock options, so maybe now it’s not worth 14.3 million. The article goes on to say “If Syron resigns or is fired with cause, he will owe the company $1.25 million. But if he is fired without cause, he will pocket $19.1 million.”

Do you think there’s cause? Do you think that many Americans have a right to be royally pissed about this bailout?

This inquiring mind wants to know what you think.

For me, I’d like to get the economy stable, restore the market’s balance and get home values stabilized. For many of us, our home is our nest egg. But I’d also like to know that this bailout isn’t going to reward CEOs, speculators and those who are found to have improperly received mortgages. Not to mention that I’d like to make sure that regulations are put in place to prevent this from happening again.

Today’s Wicked Wednesday is something a little different! I’m the featured author at L.M. Gonzalez’s blog! You can click here or cut and paste this link to visit: http://www.myspace.com/lesmora

Anyone who leaves a commentis eligible win an autographed copy of SEX AND THE SOUTH BEACH CHICAS and a CALLING vampire novels T-shirt. A special little addition for those of you who are regular visitors — if you leave the phrase LOCA CHICA at the blog, you’ll also get an autographed copy of the United Kingdom re-release of DEATH CALLS which will be out in October 2008 if you win the contest. DEATH CALLS was the CATAROMANCE selection for Best Nocturne of 2006 and it features our favorites, Diana Reyes and Ryder Latimer. It’s out of print now in the U.S., so this is your chance to get a copY!

That’s the cover for the re-release and also a big WOO HOO to Mills & Boon who is celebrating its 100th Anniversary in the publishing world. Major Congrats!

I’m excited about the re-release because they’ll also be doing DEVOTION CALLS and BLOOD CALLS back-to-back in November and December. Can’t wait to get the copies of those!

So please drop by at my guest blog visit and find out more about me and some of the books I write!

I love the combo of sweet and spicy. Don’t know whether it’s a Cuban thing or not, although Cubans have a tendency to have a lot of sweet/spicy or sweet/salty kinds of combos. The easiest one to do and a staple in my house — pasta de guayaba (which is guava paste) with queso blanco (white cheese which is kind of like a salty more set Farmer’s Cheese). Aged cheddar is always a good substitute.

One of my favoritest combos of sweet/spicy is a pairing of my sister Carmen’s Corn Casserole with chili/taco meat. YUM!!! Actually, the corn casserole is fabulous in and of itself and I could eat a huge bowl of it all by myself. The casserole is a cross between cornbread and Virginia spoonbread and again, YUM!!!

Carmen’s Corn Casserole is much easier to make than the spoonbread. So easy you’ll say, I can make this all the time. My sis serves it topped with monterey jack cheese and we often pair it with chili or taco meat for a tasty lunch/dinner. If you like this basic recipe, you can experiment by chopping and adding red peppers, jalapenos, cheddar cheese or even some finely diced onions to the mix for a change of pace.

So here is today’s Tuesday Tip and Cook’s Treat addition -
Carmen’s Corn Casserole

One 15 ounce can cream corn
One 15 ounce can kernel corn drained
One pint low fat sour cream
One stick melted butter
One package Jiffy corn muffin mix
One cup shredded monterey jack cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine first 5 ingredients. Grease casserole or brownie pan with butter. Pour ingredients into pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes until firm. Sprinkle cheese over top and let melt 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let casserole sit for another 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Hoep you liked this Cook’s Treat and Tuesday Tip!

“No one puts Baby in a corner.”

If you don’t know that quote, please please rush to your nearest store and get your hands on a DIRTY DANCING DVD because you are missing something totally wonderful, which is why today’s Guilty Pleasure Monday is Patrick Swayze! Here’s a copy of the 1987 trailer for the film for you to enjoy and then you can fess up!

Who wasn’t in love with Patrick Swayze that summer. Those moves. That body. The seemingly bad boy with an honorable heart?

When I heard there was going to be a sequel titled DIRTY DANCING HAVANA NIGHTS, I was so dubious about whether the movie could recapture the spirit of the original, but despite that . . .

I had to go. So did a lot of other people since the theater had a nice crowd on opening night. When Swayze came onto the screen, people started cheering and clapping for him. His body and moves were still amazing. I pray for him to get better soon.

Of course, with Swayze’s amazing presence in DIRTY DANCING, it made it a little hard to think about Diego Luna as a romantic lead. But this was a movie — DIRTY DANCING HAVANA NIGHTS — that I had to go see. Why?

Well, when my daughter heard about it, she looked at me and said, “We’re going to go see it, right?”

When my gaze met hers, I realized that it was about more than a movie. I remembered her asking me when she was six, “When are we going to see Cuba?”

I remembered myself at six, nearly thirty years earlier, asking my mom, “When are we going to go back to Cuba?”

My daughter wasn’t really asking about the movie. She was asking for both of us to go see Havana together even though the movie had been filmed in Puerto Rico. It was as close to Cuba as we were going to get. For now, at least . . .

So we went together and enjoyed the music. Savored the recreations of the streets of Havana and the Hotel Nacional. Scenes that both of us had only seen in books or the few family photos that I had. Only from photos because I had been too young when I left to remember much about my birthplace.

It was a great bonding experience and I hope that one day we can bond again by visiting Havana.

But for now, here’s some excerpts from DIRTY DANCING HAVANA NIGHTS. It’s actually pretty good and the music is wonderful. A mix of Latin and hip-hop.

And of course, there’s those few minutes of Patrick Swayze still moving like a god. Definitely worth a trip to the video store!

While I was watching the Mets game the other night, I got to work on a video trailer for my new book, SOLDIER’S SECRET CHILD. Here’s the blurb I came up with for the book, as well as the trailer! Let me know what you think.

18 years earlier she had left him for another man. Will the secrets of the past risk their lives and that of their son? SOLDIER’S SECRET CHILD is filled with action, suspense and touching family emotions. Look for this romantic suspense thriller from USA TODAY and NY TIMES Bestselling author Caridad Pineiro in December 2008. Available everywhere from Silhouette Romantic Suspense.

As I may have mentioned, this is Book 4 in the COLTONS:FAMILY FIRST series from Silhouette Romantic Suspense. Be sure to check out the other books in the series (listed below).

COLTON’S SECRET SERVICE - by Marie Ferrarella Sept 08
RANCHER’S REDEMPTION - by Beth Cornelison Oct 08
SHERIFF’S AMNESIAC BRIDE - by Linda Conrad Nov 08
A SOLDIER’S SECRET CHILD - by Caridad Pineiro Dec 08
BABY’S WATCH - by Justine Davis Jan 08
A HERO OF HER OWN - by Carla Cassidy Feb 08

This is a road map of my brain this morning. If you can figure out where my brain is going, please let me know.

I’m distracted by so many things and suffering from too little sleep. My mind is flipping through so many questions from things that are totally banal (Why was the coffee so strong this morning?) to the amazingly important (Is my money safe in the bank?).

While my brain rambles on occasion, I find that it’s happening a lot more often lately. I’d like to think that it’s because I’ve got too many things on my plate and know that there’s only a couple of things to do to deal with brain drain and get back on the right road.

The first is to get rid of those things bringing negativity into my life. I am a true believer that success comes to those who stay positive. Of course, it’s sometimes impossible to stay positive about some things and when it is . . .

Get rid of what’s causing the negativity because it’ll drag down all other aspects of your life.

What’s the second thing to do? Focus. Concentrate on what needs to get done. Emphasis on NEEDS. NEEDS means, must do. Not, it would be nice to do.

For me that means, family first. Next, obligations to my two jobs, namely dealing with work and writing deadlines. Last, a moment to relax.

Do you ever find yourself with a similar road map of your brain? If you do, what do you to revitalize and refocus yourself?

I’ve been yearning to go down to the South Beach again and since I’ll be setting ARDOR CALLS, Stacia’s book in THE CALLING vampire series in South Beach, it seems like a good time to visit once again.

Luckily, I have a legal conference in November that will be in Miami, so I’ll get to fulfill my desire for a visit to South Beach. I wish I could pack you all up into a trunk and take you with me, but I think I might go over too much on the pounds and with what the airlines are charging now for checked bags . . . OUCH!

So, I decided that this Wicked Wednesday I’d take you to South Beach with an excerpt from SOUTH BEACH CHICAS CATCH THEIR MAN. I so loved writing about Sylvia and Carlos as well as Virginia and Pablo. I hope you’ll enjoy reading about them!

Without further ado, here’s a short scene from SOUTH BEACH CHICAS CATCH THEIR MAN. This scene is shortly after Sylvia decides to let Carlos recuperate in her apartment and she tells her friends about what’s happening (or rather not happening) in their fledgling relationship.

Because she couldn’t imagine Carlos prying himself into her small and rather low Bimmer convertible, she had borrowed Tori’s husband’s Jeep that morning. A wise decision she realized as Carlos carefully eased onto the seat of the SUV barely a couple of hours after she picked up his things from the boat. Carlos settled himself into the passenger seat with few problems and stretched out his injured leg with a grateful sigh.

As she started the short drive from Jackson Memorial to her condo, she shot a glance at him. Beneath the wonderful light caramel color of his skin, he seemed pale. His full lips were pressed into a thin grim line and although he had tried to hide it, she had noticed his limp and the way he favored one side — the side where he also had been shot — as he walked the short distance from the hospital door to the Jeep.

“You okay?” She laid a hand on his thigh as she drove, wishing she could ease the pain he was so stoicly trying to hide.

“I’m okay, it’s just . . . Those small little strolls in the corridor didn’t prepare me for much,” he grudgingly admitted.

With a nod, she stopped at a light and met his gaze. “Once you start to really move around — “

“It’ll get better. I know. I guess I’m just impatient to be 100% again.”

She totally understood. A man like Carlos didn’t like relying on anyone and in that way, they were a lot alike. “I wouldn’t like being dependent on anyone either.”

He cradled her cheek, shifted his thumb and rubbed it across her lips. “Amorcito, I think both of us are going to have to learn to lean on each other little.”

A honk from behind them pulled her attention away and they were silent for the remainder of the ride to her condo. The block was full and although she would normally then pull into the public lot a few blocks away rather than trying to find parking on the street, she didn’t think Carlos could manage it. Instead, she kept on going around the block and lucked out as someone finally pulled out just a few spaces down from the front door of her building.

She struggled with the larger-sized Jeep, but after a few awkward moves — and a slight case of parking by touch — she managed to fit into the tight spot.

With a glance in his direction, she said, “Ready?”

He nodded and opened his door while she grabbed the small bag that contained all the stuff he’d had with him in the hospital. As she stepped to the curb, she watched him struggle out of the car and then lean heavily on the fender as he made his way to the front of the Jeep to wait for her. At the curb, he did an awkward little hop-skip to get up onto the sidewalk.

He teetered for a moment and she rushed to his side and slipped under his shoulder.

“Gracias.”

“No problema,” she said and between the two of them, they slowly walked to her building and took the elevator up to her floor. Once inside, she sneaked a peek at him.

He had grown even paler. Beads of sweat had popped out on his upper lip. “Let’s get you settled in bed.”

That he didn’t argue — or offer any comment drenched with sexual innuendo — was a testament to his pain. They shuffled to her bed and she helped him sit.

“I’m sorry,” she said as she gazed down at him, unable to ignore his discomfort.

Carlos raised his hand to stop her. “Don’t go there. It’s not your fault.”

She kneeled before him and cupped his cheek. “I try to tell myself that it wasn’t. That you’re Mr. Save the World and it was part of your regular job.”

“I guess I am and it was just part of my job.” He laid his hand over hers, then twined his fingers with hers. He applied gentle pressure until she rose up on her knees. Thanks to her height, her lips were almost level with his and he took advantage of that, leaning forward to place a kiss on her lips. Not one of desire, but of thanks. Of caring.

It humbled her, something that wasn’t easily done. Possibly had never been done.

Sinking back onto her buttocks, she laid her hands on his thighs, rubbed them back and forth there nervously, but lightly, conscious of the wound to his one leg. “I got some clothes and stuff from the boat. This way you can be more comfortable. Feel more at home.”

He half-turned and glanced at the large expanse of the king-sized bed. “I will definitely be comfortable here. There’s more than enough room for us — “

“I’ll be sleeping on the couch,” she said, her earlier doubts surging and making her rethink how nice it would be to sleep with him tonight. “Why don’t you lie down and get some rest. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

He schooled the surprise and dismay on his face for all of a second before he said, “You can only run for so long, amor.”

Because she wasn’t normally the kind to back down, she leaned close and whispered, “I think a fast shuffle will suffice for right now.”

He chuckled. “Well, you’ve just given me even more incentive to get better soon.”

It dragged a reluctant laugh from her. “There’s nothing that scares you, is there?”

With a shrug of his too broad shoulders, he said, “Just one thing, actually.”

She considered him carefully but couldn’t figure it out.

“What?” she asked, but wasn’t prepared for his answer.

“You.”

Whether your published or pre-published, one of the ways to get the word out about your work is to enter contests.

For those who are pre-published, contests offer a number of possible benefits. First, look for contests where you get feedback about your writing. That will help you hone your skills as a writer. Next, try to enter contests where the final round judges are editors or agents. That will get your work before people who can either acquire it or represent you so that others may acquire it. One cautionary note, avoid contests where you will be published in an anthology or other publication being printed by the party who is running the contest. You will be a “winner” and then get asked to pay for a copy of the book in which your work will appear.

You may wonder whether contests for pre-published authors ever really lead to publication. Well, one of my friends, Lois Winston, has amassed an amazing number of contest wins, both before she got published and after. The contests helped her get the word out about her work and yes, one of the contests — the American Title contest run by Romantic Times Magazine — led to her getting a publishing contract.

Now that she is published, Lois enters contests to get the word out about her published books as do many authors. The key is to look for contests where the judges are readers, booksellers or book buyers. Why? They are the ones who can influence whether or not your book makes it into a store. Also, look for contests that have established reputations in your genre or the industry in general.

Do these contests work to spread the word about your book? When I attended a convention recently, a bookseller came up to me and said that she had read one of my books as a judge in a contest. She advised that after reading the book she put me on her “To Buy” list. A very nice comment to receive, but it also shows that entering the right contests can help make a difference in your sales.

Of course, along with success in contests comes the possibility of failure and also, of conflicting opinions on your work.

Another friend and fellow author, Carolyn Martin, has recently made the finals in a couple of contests (Way to go, Carolyn!). Here’s what she had to say (FYI - m/s is shorthand for manuscript):

Here’s what I learned from entering contests, based on the
judges’ comments–sometimes in the same contest!

My dialogue is sparkling and witty.
My dialogue is flat and predictable.

My heroine is well drawn, spunky and intelligent.
My heroine is a stereotype and an “idiot.” (And that’s a direct
quote, thank you very much!)

My hero is a cardboard cutout.
My hero is a fully realized, three-dimensional human being.

My POV is too deep–it bogs down the story.
My POV is deep–it provides excellent insight into the character’s
GMC!

My m/s has simmering sexual tension.
There is no spark between my hero and my heroine.

My m/s is well researched and has great period detail.
My m/s has anachronisms that are “jarring.”

There is no sense of place.
Love the setting! So realistic!

My m/s needs work.
My m/s is ready to be published–today!

LOL, Carolyn! You’ve summed up what could happen in any contest. The important thing to remember is that much like the lottery, you can’t win it if you’re not in it. When it comes to publishing, being in the right contest can make a difference in your career.

I have to confess that every time I see Kyle Chandler I think, now that’s a good looking, nicely built man. There’s something very appealing about him that draws me in and yet I have to confess that I only occasionally watched EARLY EDITION and have yet to see a full episode of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS!

If you haven’t caught FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, here’s what’s being said about it:

“Hailed as one of the top ten shows of 2006 by Time magazine and Entertainment Weekly, the critically acclaimed drama “Friday Night Lights” also received 2006 honors from the American Film Institute (AFI) for Television Program of the Year and the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award.” (courtesy NBC website)

I hear everyone buzzing about this is the “best show that no one is watching” and will give it a try this season! Especially since Kyle is in it.

I was even looking forward to seeing him in THE KINGDOM. The movie starts and there’s Kyle. I thought, okay, let me watch and then . . .

I won’t say more, but if you like stories about forensics, espionage and war, well, don’t miss THE KINGDOM.

For all my friends in the Gulf Coast area and Texas, I know you may not be able to read this now as power is down, but know that we are all thinking of you and praying that you are safe and sound.

The English Department at San Jose State University has sponsored the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest since 1982. The contest is a writing competition that challenges writers to create the worst possible opening sentence for a novel. For complete information on the contest, you can click here or visit this link: http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/

I kind of like the Boise Weekly News description of the contest, namely “the only literary contest that matters!” LOL! Well, contests certainly are a crap shot for sure and some more worthwhile than others.

This one is definitely a lot of fun. For this year’s winners, you can click here. So you don’t have to keep on wondering what won the prize, here’s the 2008 winner of the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest!

Theirs was a New York love, a checkered taxi ride burning rubber, and like the city their passion was open 24/7, steam rising from their bodies like slick streets exhaling warm, moist, white breath through manhole covers stamped “Forged by DeLaney Bros., Piscataway, N.J.”
Garrison Spik
Washington, D.C.

Kind of laughed that it mentioned Piscataway, NJ. That’s the next town over from me!

To check out past winners of the contest, click here.

Hope you have a great weekend! For all my friends in the Houston area, I’m praying for your safety and that storm does little damage.

It’s been seven years, but the pain is still fresh, the wounds raw. I wish I could say it was easier to handle for many, but I can’t imagine how it is for the families who lost loved ones that day. If I’m feeling this bad, how must they be feeling? How can they deal with this day and every other one which they face without loved ones taken from them.

It’s cloudy today which makes it a little easier for me to try and forget that day which had a cloudless sky so blue it was if you were staring at a tropical ocean above you. The air was crisp and clean that day, unlike today’s cloying humidity. A little easier, but still . . . raw.

There are reminders everywhere. The big ones you can’t miss like the front pages of the papers or the mobile police command unit and squad cars screaming by as they go to set up shop in areas that might be prime targets for terrorists. The reminders on the newscast about the timeline of events for that day.

Then there are the not so obvious reminders. My sis (who works with me) is wearing a black shirt today. All along the cuffs and down the front of the shirt is a trimming of little black hearts. A beautiful shirt, I told her and then she said to me, “Black hearts for all the people who died. I wear it every 9/11.”

So today, take a moment to think about what happened that day. How innocent people lost their lives. How bravery came in the form of so many different faces – ordinary citizens, firefighters, police, priests, the military.

Think about how a city came together in the aftermath, putting their beloved New York above self as they came to sift through the wreckage and offer their services and their blood.

Think about how a Nation came together to say, NEVER AGAIN.

Think about those who make that NEVER AGAIN a possibility. Ordinary citizens who speak out about something as simple as an abandoned knapsack on a train seat. The law enforcement and national security people at all levels who give of their time as well as their families. The military and their families who sacrifice so much so that we might be safe. Bless them one and all for what they do for us.

Remember this day and pray that our future leaders will also remember it and take the necessary steps to insure that vow.

NEVER AGAIN.

This week’s Wicked Wednesday brings you another installment of my urban fantasy involving a twist to the werewolf mythology, battles with vampires and a struggle for control in a werewolf pack. The tentative title is UNDEAD UPRISING and I hope you like this next free chapter that I’m offering you.

This chapter continues the scene where Catalina’s father, Rafael, has relived Catalina’s nightmarish birth. It offers some additional insight into how Rafael feels about having had to turn away Catalina’s mother, Marina, for the good of the pack he leads. Look for the next chapter shortly which brings us back to Catalina and her human lover, Ramon.

For those of you who may have missed the first ten chapters, you can read them here:

• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10

The beep of his wristwatch dragged him from his half slumber. From the nightmarish recollection of the day Catalina had been delivered to them and Marina had died, but been reborn.

Reborn, but not whole and unscathed. The damage that Catalina had done to Marina’s insides during birth had been so extreme that not even the regenerative powers of the werewolf had been able to repair the injury.

Marina had become barren. Unable to have any more children despite their repeated attempts over the next few years to have another child. A boy who would be strong enough to assume his position as leader of the pack.

He hadn’t wanted to put Marina aside, he thought as he finished his bath since the water had grown tepid.

But he’d had no other choice. His responsibility was to insure the continuance of the pack’s hierarchy. To provide the Villalobos clan with a leader strong enough to keep them safe.

It hadn’t occurred to him that none of his other wives would be able to give him the son he had thought so necessary. Or that Catalina’s birth had been an omen that she was different in a way never seen before. That she would be the strongest of any, whether male or female.

Possibly even stronger than him, he thought as he toweled down and after, headed to his bed for a short rest before the day began. A normal human day of a nine to five existence,
only . . .

He wasn’t human. He was a werewolf. The head of one of the most prosperous packs in the werewolf world. Respected and admired in both spheres for his leadership.

But as he slipped into his cold and empty bed, that brought little consolation.

“We are family. I got all my sisters with me . . .” Come on, everybody. Sing it! You all know that great Pointer Sisters song!

So how does that become a Tuesday Tip? Well, people often ask me about how to do effective promotion as a writer and there’s lots of ideas to discuss. A website, blog, Myspace and Facebook page. Penny for penny, the Internet is probably one of the most effective ways a writer, or any other artist, can meet people and spread the word about what they are doing.

But like anything else, going it alone on the Internet can be a lonely affair, as it can be going it alone at signings and other events.

But if you’ve got family, especially writing family, the world becomes a much smaller place. For me, I got my first writing family at my local RWA chapter in New Jersey. I recently joined the Orange County chapter in California since I have a number of friends in the chapter and like getting out to California.

One thing I’ve recently done is band together with other writers for some new endeavors. A few years ago I went to a conference down in Miami and got to hang out with some old and dear friends, but also got to know some new and really great women. We banded together to form an e-mail loop to share ideas and thoughts and not be so alone. We actually titled the group and our new website NUNCASOLA which means “Never Alone”.

Another thing I’ll be doing next year as part of a group of friends is hosting a mixer at the 2009 RT Convention in Orlando. We’ll be meeting readers, booksellers and other writers and sharing a good time with them. The STREET PARTY mixer was the brainstorm of my friend Kimberly Terry, but the lesson of the story is that together we can do more than we could alone.

When you’re considering promotion, consider not only the things that promote only you, but see if you can’t find a writing family to help support your efforts to get the word out about your writing.

For your enjoyment, courtesy of The Pointer Sisters and Rhino Entertainment, here’s WE ARE FAMILY!

We had a treat this weekend as some old time friends had tickets to the men’s semi-final at the U.S. Open. We watched a good match with Federer and Djokovic, but didn’t get to see the start of the match with Nadal and Murray. Did watch the finish on Sunday afternoon and it was an amazing match. I have to confess I was rooting for Murray who was the underdog, although Rafael Nadal had snared my attention with his appearance on the cover of New York magazine. You can click here for the sexy photos of Rafa and the article that was part of their Fall Fashion spread!

And as I watched the match on Sunday, there was the occasional sigh at the sight of those ripped arms. That whole pirate look with the dark messy locks and sexy Spanish eyes.

Nadal lost, however, and so tonight it will be a Federer-Murray finals match. A Brit hasn’t won since the 1930s, I believe, so I’ll be rooting for the underdog Scot again.

Nevertheless, here’s some more of sexy Rafa courtesy of Julisborelis at Youtube!

Today’s FUN FRIDAY is all about my new covers! I am so excited about them. The cover on the left is for my December romantic suspense release, SOLDIER’S SECRET CHILD (I think the model is hot, do you?). The cover on the right is for the e-book collection of the novels in the CAPTURING THE CROWN series which includes my August 2006 release, MORE THAN A MISSION.

Also for fun, I decided to collect all the different versions of my covers since when the books are re-released overseas, they sometimes change the cover or change the line under which the book is released. For example, in the United Kingdom the romantic suspense stories used to come out in a line called SENSATIONS, but they are now releasing these books as part of the United Kingdom INTRIGUE line. In Japan, the cover says the book is part of the LOVESTREAM line.

I’m trying to track down the Australian covers and hope to have them up soon.

If you check out the DARKNESS CALLS United Kingdom cover, it’s really cool. Of course, my all time favorite is the MANGA cover of MORE THAN A MISSION. It was so-o-o amazing to see the story turned into a cartoon! You can read more about this one by clicking here.

Click here or visit this link (http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2006451&l=1fc77&id=1130005412) to see my collection of covers!

Making any kind of choice can sometimes be rough. Making the difficult choice can alter the course of your life. It’s why I try not to second guess the choices people make in their lives. It’s why I lean toward allowing people to be able choose.

Which I guess is why I’m kind of surprised by some of what I’m hearing about Sarah Palin, the presumptive Republican VP candidate. I’m surprised to hear and read comments which seem to imply that there was something wrong about her choice to bring a Down’s Syndrome baby into this world.

I can’t imagine what it must feel like to be told your child will have special needs. A life altering experience for a mother, a father and a family.

I could understand how some would choose not to undertake such a difficult path, but being pro-choice is also about being able to decide to keep that child.

Some thoughts for today’s Thursday, along with a return to an earlier discussion about SENATOR Hilary Clinton and sexism since it seems we’re back to that now with this candidate. I’ve already heard her described as a soccer mom, beauty queen and the hottest governer in the country.

It’ll be interesting to see what else will be said during the course of the next few months.

Before we get to today’s Wicked Wednesday with Blake, one of my all time favorite characters, I’d like to say CONGRATS to the lucky winners of the Lisa Jackson Blog: RachaelfromNJ and Barbara Elness. I’ll be e-mailing you later today for your postal addresses so I can send the goodies.

I’ve also started reaching out to the lucky winners of an autographed copy of HOLIDAY WITH A VAMPIRE! I should be able to contact all the winners by the end of the week.

Now to today’s Wicked Wednesday! It’s amazing for me to think that we first met Blake in 2005 in TEMPTATION CALLS. I knew back then that he had to return as a hero and of course, eventually settle things with Meghan, the young coed who he turned. Of course, Blake’s route to hero has been circuitous, which makes him even more fascinating. And along that route, he met up with Stacia, the vampire elder who has also become one of my all time favorites because of how deliciously dark and tortured she is!

Oh my . . . Let me not spill too many beans, but you’ll see Stacia next year in ARDOR CALLS which is also doing something fun — taking THE CALLING Vampire novels to Miami!

Back to Blake — FURY CALLS will tell the tale of his efforts to woo Meghan, but for today, I’m giving you a taste of Blake and Stacia’s little interlude from DESIRE CALLS, which is still available as a free e-novella at eharlequin. Just click here for the complete novella.

Okay, so Stacia had basically dissed him. That still didn’t change the fact that she was absolutely stunning. A goddess.

Considering she was an elder, maybe that wasn’t so far from the truth; in the vampire world, the elders were like gods.

From the corner of his eye, Blake took in all of her. The black leather she wore looked as if it were painted on the womanly curves of her body. Her nearly black hair was a shock of dark against the ivory of her skin. Sleek and cropped close to her skull, her hair exposed the perfect shells of her ears, pierced with an assortment of golden earrings.

As she twirled around the rather large Goth, laughing and playing her sexual games, the golden ring at her brow winked enticingly as did the ring through her navel.

She was something to behold, he realized, although nothing like Meghan, who was like the light of the sun to Stacia’s dark night. Fun to Stacia’s fear since, despite his earlier denial, on some level he was afraid of her.

Stacia could take his life with a flick of her finger. He would be foolish not to respect her and yet…

There was something different about her tonight. Something almost…human. He tuned out the young woman next to him and kept an eye on Stacia. Not that she needed protection.

The young man with her might be a mountain of muscle but he was mortal. Blake knew that much from the lack of power that came from the Goth. He was no match for Stacia, even if she was such a little thing.

He liked his women petite, Blake realized, recalling Meghan. Stacia was of similar height, but much more womanly with all those delectable curves.

Not that he was interested, Blake thought. He had enough problems with women in his life, and without a backward glance, abandoned his dance companion.

Unlike Stacia, who seemed to have few problems finding a man, he thought as he stalked back to the bar, wondering why Stacia’s intense dance with the Goth was bothering him so.

Maybe because Stacia’s idea of a dance was…

He gulped, fighting the thrum of power she was releasing as she played with the Goth. He wasn’t the only one feeling it, he realized as a surge of awakening told him that the other vampires in the club were also experiencing it. Tapping into the spill of her elder power like chum for vampires.

Only the price to be paid for fully experiencing a kiss of that power could be lethal if the elder was so inclined.

Tonight Stacia seemed intent on satisfying other needs, Blake thought, sipping his wine as he watched her sway against the young man. Run her hands up his arms and over his exaggerated muscles.

He glanced down at his own arms. Lean and mean, he had nothing to be ashamed of, he thought, and returned his attention to the antics of Stacia and the Goth.

The young man was clearly smitten, unaware that beneath the body he was so eagerly moving his hands all over was destructive power. Strength beyond that of anyone else in the room. Lust and desire that would ensnare you in its grasp, but then drain you dry if you gave into it.

Blake sucked in a shaky breath, feeling the pull of her even across the distance of the club. Feeling himself harden and rise from the spillover of her ardor.

But he was not alone. As Stacia faced the bar, their gazes connected and he realized that she sensed his awakening passion. Passion stronger than that of the puny mortal with her.

While facing him, she raised her hand up to caress the Goth’s face.

Blake felt the sweep of her hand as if against his own cheek. So soft. Cold.

She shifted her hips back and forth, and he had to grip the edge of the bar as that movement transferred itself to him and his erection strained painfully against the tight fabric of his jeans.

All the time, Stacia kept her gaze locked with his, clearly conscious of her effect on him. Increasing her caresses and movements until he was nearly undone and she finally broke free from the Goth, done with his weak mortality.

She began to head his way, well aware that the pleasure of Blake’s body and blood would surpass that of any puny mortal.

And Lord help him, he was ready to give in to her despite knowing it would be a mistake. A major mistake.

Stacia could never love anyone.

But love was highly overrated anyway, wasn’t it? Blake thought as he rose from the stool and walked toward her.

The Goth clearly didn’t like being left behind wanting. He grabbed hold of Stacia’s arm, spun her around so he could voice his displeasure.

With the barest movement of her arm, Stacia broke free from the young man and raised her hand. The Goth dropped to his knees, his face reflecting disbelief at his seeming inability to control his own body.

Blake approached and, despite his better judgment, laid his hand over Stacia’s. Barely half a foot taller than she, it took little for him to bend down and whisper in her ear, “Let the young fool go, luv.”

Stacia shot him a look, but beneath his hand, the hum of power surging outward warmed his palm. The young man was swaying and beginning to turn blue, but Blake couldn’t tell just what Stacia was doing to him until she broadcast the vision she had in her mind.

He saw it then, compliments of Stacia’s power. She was encircling the Goth’s heart, slowly crushing the life from it. If she didn’t release her hold on him, the foolish boy would soon be dead.

“If you finish this—”

“When I finish this,” she corrected, and almost as if for the fun of it, gave the young man a shake.

“Let him go. You’ve proven your point,” he urged, and surprisingly she did as he asked.

“Thank you,” Blake said, but Stacia shook her head at his words.

“Don’t thank me, Blake. If you don’t know by now, I expect payment for that request,” she said, and was about to walk away when the Goth’s friends surrounded them.

As two of them helped their friend back to the booth, another two blocked their way. Their stances were fight ready, their looks surly.

Blake raised his hand. “You don’t want to do this,” he suggested in a low tone.

“That’s right. You don’t want to do this. At least, not here,” Foley, the owner of the bar, said as he approached the group.

The two young men looked at Foley, and one of them nodded and said, “Let’s take it outside.”

Blake was about to protest that there was no need, only Stacia and the two men were already stalking away to a back exit to the alley.

Shit, he thought, following them. He hated being a hero.

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