Category: thurs13

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‘Tis the Season for Vampires!

THE CALLING Vampire Novels‘Tis the season for vampires, but not in the way that you think!

For me, the start of the fall season always gets me into vampire mode and today I’m going to try to share 13 reasons why, although I may digress with some news…

1. It’s dark when I head to the office.
2. It’s dark when I leave the office.
3. There’s a chill in the air, kind of like the temperature of a vampire’s undead skin.
4. Graveyard dampness in the mornings.
5. Fog. Today in particular, big, fat patches of it hugging the ground. Swallowing you up.
6. The leaves are getting wet and stuff is growing, giving the air that faint hint of death and decay.
7. Halloween. What better time for a vamp to go out and party?
8. Harvest moons. I don’t know about you, but whenever I see one of these, I get a chill up and down my spine.

9. The skitter and rustle of animals in the brush. Maybe it’s just a squirrel getting ready for the winter, but heck, I’m such a scaredy cat.

10. This is where I may digress. I’m writing the next Diana and Ryder book.

11. Yes, you read that right. Diana and Ryder from THE CALLING vampire novels will be back in late 2012 because…

12. I’ve signed a contract with Entangled Publishing to relaunch the series with my original vision for THE CALLING vampire novels! Woo Hoo!

13. The revamped series (BIG pun intended) will be called the REBORN series and Diana and Ryder’s first book is BORN TO SERVE.

I’m soooo excited! You may be wondering, why Entangled Publishing? Well, I’ve been hearing lots of good things about them and the books will be released in both print and e-book at the same time. I know many of you love your print books, much like I do, so I wanted to be able to go with a publisher who would do that for you!

I want to thank you all for the many years of supporting THE CALLING vampire novel series and for asking about Diana and Ryder. They are characters of my heart and I am so happy to be writing about them again. It’s wonderful to explore where their relationship is now and where it’s going to go bit by bit as they face a number of momentous life choices. I don’t want to say too much now and spoil it though!

For those who haven’t read THE CALLING vampire novels, there’s a great e-book collection with the first 6 books and the DESIRE CALLS novella. At just over $10, it’s a steal.

Thank you all for stopping by to share this Thursday 13 with me and the joy in my heart over Diana and Ryder. To visit more Thursday 13 participants, you can click here!

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Readers & Writers Unite with Liberty

Today’s Thursday 13 is a mixed bag. First I’m going to share some news about the awesome Create Something Magical Conference being held by the Liberty States Fiction Writers. Second I’m going to share the 13 things I love about conferences!

If you’re looking for a place to attend interesting panels and social events, get editor and agent appointments, network with industry professionals and readers, take a moment to consider the Create Something Magical Conference on March 17, 2012. If you’re either an aspiring or published author, there are a number of excellent panels on craft and business, editor/agent appointments, lunch with keynote speak Larissa Ione, Lady Jane’s Salon readings, a networking reception and an after-conference party all for $120. Plus you can mingle with readers on the brand new readers’ track!

Readers can attend the Lady Jane’s Salon readings (complete with dessert and beverages), panels with some of your favorite authors, a book club with Larissa Ione and the after-conference party complete with hot finger foods, a DJ and Karaoke! Cost for readers: $40. Yep, you read that right – $40. That’s less than a night out with the girls.

Plus there will be a book fair, free books and other swag, basket raffles (tickets are included with conference registration) and an Sony E-reader giveaway for those who register by February 1.

Registration is now open so mark the date in your calendars – March 17, 2012 – and register!

But for now I’m going to list in no particular order the 13 things I love about going to conferences like the Create Something Magical Conference!

1. Meeting readers! It’s always so great to meet people face-to-face, but the other thing is that I’m a reader and love to talking about my favorite books.

2. Meeting other published writers. It’s great to be able to talk to other published writers and here what’s happening with them.

3. Meeting aspiring authors. I love being able to share the knowledge that I have and being able to pay it forward.

4. Going to workshops. No matter what, I always get something useful from the workshops.

5. Positive energy. Just like the Hunters in THE LOST, it’s always amazing to tap into the positive energy that abounds at conferences. I always feel like my creative power has been recharged.

6. Rubber chicken and limp pasta. LOL! NOT. But I do love the finger foods we have at the receptions.

7. Doing face time with the editors and agents. It’s always nice to chat with them socially and see how they are doing.

8. Editor and agent appointments and panels. Way different than the social thing, but also good for pitching new stories and seeing what’s happening.

9. Hanging out at the bar with friends. Not much of a drinker, but nursing a glass of wine (or a Mudslide) while dishing with friends is always fun.

10. Breakfast the morning after. I usually stay overnight and I love breakfast! I could eat breakfast for every meal I love it so much.

11. SWAG. I love checking out the SWAG and seeing what others are doing.

12. Setting up the night before the conference. It’s always great to work to get everything going and share time with all the wonderful volunteers helping out at the conference.

13. Okay – I ran out of steam. Not sure about #13 but maybe something will come to me.

To visit other Thursday 13 participants, please click here!

Disclaimer: Caridad is a member and founder of the Liberty States Fiction Writers and is currently serving as the Secretary for the group.

Create Something Magical Conference

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What turns you on or off?

Today’s Thursday 13 is a list of what turns me on or off and I’d love for you to share on the blog and also come out tonight to share your thoughts and find out more about human sexuality when I host the wonderful Dr. Charley Ferrer.

Dr. Charley is an award-winning Clinical Sexologist and Life Coach who helps individuals and couples reclaim their divine sexuality. Dr. Charley conducts workshops on sexual health, women’s empowerment, men, sex and relationships and I am honored to have her with me tonight at 10 PM EST for a discussion on sex, erotica, erotica romance and what turns you on or off!

You can click on this widget or cut and paste this link to join the video chat tonight: http://t.wbx.me/f8qgs

Also, drop by Sonya Clark today for an interview with yours truly and a giveaway!

So here goes for my 13 turn on/offs:

1. ON: Shoulder Length hair
2. OFF: Frizzy long hair
3. ON: Young men (think Chris Evans)
4. ON: Older elegant men (think Christopher Plummer)
5. OFF: Violence toward women
6. ON: Playful/Intense Sparring a la Diana and Ryder in DARKNESS CALLS
7. ON: Lean muscles and those little V things on guy’s hips
8. OFF: Too much muscle
9. ON: Some bald men (think Patrick Stewart)
10. OFF: Vampires that glitter
11. ON: Spike
12. ON: Playful bondage
13. OFF: Submission

Share your turn on/off now and tonight during our stimulating chat with Dr. Charley!

To visit other Thursday-13 participants, please click here!

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Thursday 13 – Girl Crushes

Girl Crush. Urban Dictionary defines it in various ways. I’ll simplify by saying that it’s fondness and/or affection and/or attraction and/or admiration for another woman, whether sexual or not sexual. I’ve heard many a woman mention girl crushes of one kind or another so today, I’m sharing some of those (and they also include girl crushes on some fictional characters!).

I may not get to 13 on this, so please jump in and leave a comment with any girl crushes you can think of!

1. Eve Dallas from the IN DEATH Series
2. Kate Beckinsale
3. Evangeline Lilly
4. Jennifer Garner
5. Emma Watson
6. Natalie Portman
7. Selene from Underworld (And Yeah, there will be a #4 and Kate Beckinsale will be back!)
8. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
9. Sarah Michelle Gellar
10. Wonder Woman
11. Stephanie Plum
12. Anne Hathaway
13. Sandra Bullock

To visit other Thursday 13 participants, you can click here!

Photo Credit: Copyright 20th Century Fox

On sadder note, Rest In Peace Steve Jobs. You embodied the American Spirit of hard work, determination and innovation. You will be missed.

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In Death-Fest & Upcoming Blog Tours!

I have been on a major J.D. Robb-fest, trying to catch up on all the books I haven’t read so that I can get to my — SQUEEE — autographed copy of FROM NEW YORK TO DALLAS!! I’ve only got about 6 books to go and to be honest, I’m not sure I can wait that long. As it is, I’ve been reading them out of order due to time constraints and so I may just do the same with FROM NEW YORK TO DALLAS. Of course, I’m also tempted that once I do that, I’ll start reading the series all over again in order from book one which when reread rather recently was just as good as I remembered.

Anyway, that’s why today’s Thursday 13 is an In-Death Fest where I’m sharing the 13 characters and/or things that I love about the series in no particular order.

    1. Eve Dallas. Was there ever a more perfect heroine.
    2. Roarke. OMG. Can’t say much more. He melts my bones.
    3. Peabody. Love her as a sidekick. Just too awesome.
    4. McNab. His outfits are burned into my retinas.
    5. Feeney. Great father figure.
    6. Mira. As a substitute mom, she’s the best.
    7. The candy thief. I’m convinced it’s Roarke. There is a scene in CONSPIRACY IN DEATH where the candy bar disappears with only Roarke nearby and he chides her about eating better. In TREACHERY IN DEATH, Eve discovers her stash missing and Roarke admits just seconds later that he had broken into her office. Hmm. Too much coincidence for me.
    8. The love scenes. Soooo soooo hot and romantic.
    9. The murder cases. After an overload of crime-type stories on TV, it’s amazing that these are still interesting.
    10. The world of the NYPSD and Eve’s men and women. Little by little you’ve gotten to know each one and have seen them grow.
    11. NYC in the future with its glide carts and soy dogs. So can related to my favoritest city.
    12. Mavis. What an interesting and outrageous best friend.
    13. Eve’s fear of anything feminine. I can so relate.

Hope you enjoyed today’s Thursday 13. If you’re familiar with the IN DEATH series, please add your own favorite moments.

As for the blog tours, I’ve got two – count them two – coming up in October.

Join me at various sites (list will be up tomorrow!) for the ENTIRE month of October as we chat about THE LOST and share lots of fun things about the book and about me! Leave a comment on any of the blogs for a chance to win a $10 Gift card, a LOST T-shirt and a copy of STRONGER THAN SIN. The more comments you leave, the greater the likelihood of winning.


Starting October 17, all four authors in the anthology A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS are going on a mini blog tour! At each stop on the #VampXmas tour, Michele Hauf, Laurie London, Alexis Morgan and I will be answering questions about our novellas and giving away cool swag, including a signed copy of A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS, one of our other books and an ornament. Please join us.

Here’s the mini-blog tour schedule:

10/17 Vampire Book Club
10/19 The Qwillery
10/25 Tynga’s Reviews
11/4   All Things Urban Fantasy
11/12 Literal Addiction

Feel free to post either of these buttons on Facebook and/or your blog to help spread the word. It’s always more fun when there are a lot of people.

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My Love/Hate About Rainy Days

Today’s Thursday 13 is all about my love/hate relationship with rainy days! Especially considering the last week or so we’ve had in the Northeast.

This morning the rain was so bad, the road to the train station was flooded! Hubby had to drop me off a block earlier so I could traipse through rushing waters in my trusty rain boots. I wish I could send just a little bit of the water to all my friends in Texas who need it so badly.

Anyway, here is my attempt at 13 things I love/hate about rainy days. Feel free to help me out with your comments.

1. Love staying home tucked under the covers.
2. Hate having to commute in this mess.
3. Love curling up with a good book and a cup of tea.
4. Hate wet feet. I must be part cat.
5. Love the thunder and lightning.
6. Hate the thunder and lightning when I am out of doors and know it’s more likely I’ll get hit by the lightning than win the Lottery.
7. Love how the rain makes all the plants perk up.
8. Hate how the rain rots out my tomatoes.
9. Love standing beneath a tree after the rain and having the wind shake loose those last little drops.
10. Hate seeing the big trees with too few roots come down in the rain.
11. Love splashing through the puddles in my rain boots.
12. Hate finding out my rain boots are not as waterproof as I thought.
13. Love snuggling with my hubby in the morning, holding hands and listening to the rain hit the roof.

Thank you for dropping by today! Please share your love/hate relationship with rain. Visit more Thursday 13 participants by clicking here.

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Thursday Thirteen – Last days of summer & giveaways

It’s hard to believe that Labor Day is this weekend, marking the unofficial end of summer.

I LIVE for the summer. It’s my favorite time of year for lots of reasons. I love to be outdoors so I can walk on the boardwalk, garden, dip my toes in the ocean and hang out on the beach beneath the umbrella, catching up on my To-Be-Read pile.

I also love summer because of the different foods that are available and that I prepare for the hotter days!

So today’s Thursday 13 is a list of my favorite summer foods, in reverse because I’m going to share my top 3 today at the Forever Romance Summer Reading Club! Please drop by from 12 to 2 EST today to chat with me, ask some questions and maybe even get a recipe for one of my favorites! We’ll also have a giveaway today during the chat.

Here are today’s Thursday 13 of top favorite summer foods, in reverse! Click here to visit other Thursday 13 bloggers.

13. Kohr Brothers Frozen Custard
12. Cole Slaw
11. Hot dogs
10. Hamburgers
9. Ambrosia
8. Lobster
7. Steamer Clams
6. Sangria
5. Barbequed Chicken
4. Day’s Ice Cream

Please drop by from 12 to 2 EST today at the Forever Romance Summer Reading Club for the top 3 and some recipes. Also, share this tweet for a chance to win a cool LOST polo shirt.

Caridad chats 2day 12-2 EST #4EvrBookClub 2 discuss THE LOST RT 4 chance 2 win a cool LOST polo http://ht.ly/6hAaF

Also, it’s time for the Back to Books Blog hop! I’m offering up a LOST T-shirt, copy of STRONGER THAN SIN and some additional swag. Just leave a comment on any blog this week or at today’s Facebook chat and sign up for my newsletter for a chance to win!

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Check out the other the blogs shown below for additional giveaways!

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