New Contest for Newsletter Subscribers!

Deidre has announced a fab new giveaway exclusively for members of her newsletter! To celebrate the release of Book II of the Parallel Series, PARALLEL HEAT, Deidre will be giving away the most exciting prizes. One lucky winner will receive a Masini Gioielli Blue Oval Murano Glass & Sterling Silver Ring on October 4, 2006! Check out this beautiful Rafarian ring!

Valued at $178.00, this sleek and gorgeous ring is part of the new Vanita collection by Masini Gioielli, an Italian brand symbol of quality and prestige since 1946. Tarnish proof Sterling Silver gently enwraps precious blue Murano Glass in an open oval shape. Made in Italy.

Two runner up winners will each be awarded a signed copy of PARALLEL ATTRACTION and PARALLEL HEAT.

Enter today to have a chance at winning this beautiful piece. Of course, by signing up for my newsletter, you'll also get news about The Parallel Series and all the fun events Deidre have going on!

What's the deal with "epic spam"? In other words, it tells some grandiose story? Is it to penetrate the spam filter and do devilish things later on? Is this the intent?

So, I've read this one to no less than three people, each of whom has stared at me like I'm nuts. It's just this: I can picture these people in Eastern European boiler rooms, doing lotto scams off one laptop, then crafting this strange, semi-literate prose on the other. Evil geniuses, the lot of them. See if you agree. This appeared in my mail box last week with the subject line of "Prince Ritually" (Sounds like an Ellora's Cave novel, right there.)

He sounds, said Sir Lawrence, the very man. I thinkits ridiculous his being married so young. Hes on a railway board; hes the figurehead of his countyscricket, and chairman of a big hospital. Hardly that, murmured Sir Lawrence; merely unusual, like mostmembers of really old families. Then, said Michael, with a sigh, theres nothing in this schemethat appeals to you, sir?

Were not going any way, said Fleur, theres only pace.
By the way, have you had your own kitchenelectrified?

And the poorer children are, the more they cling to their gutters,as I was telling you. Blakes New Jerusalem was, surely, based on Keating, and Keating was based on a sensitive skin.

But,you see, Ive tried Foggartism and everybodys too sane to look atit.
There must be direction, my child, underneath. The prevailing colour is that of the Ganges. CHAPTER VMEASLESThe diagnosis of Kits malady was soon verified, and Fleur wentinto purdah. The two Monts looked at each other; the excuse was patent, and theyhad not foreseen it. Ifthere is anything shorter than the publics memory, I am not awareof it. Well, you can take it from me that its nearly all heredity. The two Monts moved slowly towards Mount Street in the last of thetwilight. The butler came back, and, opening a door, said:In here, sir. For better or worse; but thats direction in itself

And, to Michael bending down to kiss her, sheinclined her cheek. We must strike while the strike is on, said the Marquess. Youre for it, as they say inthis Bonzoid age. Youcould fat a slum population, but you cant change their character! If he would give me the market price, whatever that maybe, it might solve the problem.
There was no otherreason why he should ask her.
Good-bye, dear Fleur; with all sympathy,Your affectionate friend,JON.
Dont wake him if hes asleep, said Sir Lawrence. Good-bye, dear Fleur; with all sympathy,Your affectionate friend,JON. Dwellon the slums, mention the names we hope to get, and leave the restto him.

Soames, who was notyet entirely resigned to a spiritual life, was genuinely glad tosee her. Its more like the East than anything else inLondon.
Besides, we dontreally like it in this country, Michael.

All right, if you made it this far, can we just say this--a spammer, tossing Keats and Blake. I say a frustrated intellectual reduced to Russian mafia online scammer. I can think as outlandishly as he/she can. :)

And Another Thing that I Need to Share...

...is that it's almost exactly two months until my next book comes out!! Freaky! Almsot as freaky as realizing that PARALLEL SEDUCTION is already up on all the Amazons around the world! But seriously, for those of you waiting anxiously on PARALLEL HEAT, now could very well be a GOOD time to order that puppy. I mean, what if on October 3rd Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com melt down? Or what if Borders (I love that store!!!) somehow sells out--nationwide. You might just want to secure that purchase TODAY. And now you can tell how truly punchy RWA tiredness has left me. I guess that's what happens when you get 4-5 hours of sleep every night in a row while working 14-15 hour days and then come home and immediately place your mom hat on.

Today was first day of school for my angels. Everything went very smoothly, and as sad as it made me when Riley asked me earlier, "Mama, can I watch STAR WARS in the morning?" (and I realized that now, upon entering Pre-K she has her first brush with lost freedom. Yes, that sounds bleak, but it was this microcosm of what adulthood is like. Until now, she's always been able to do--basically--what she wants in the morning. But she was quite grown up, returned the DVD to the shelf and asked me, "Can I watch it in the afternoon?" Good girl!

Same girl, btw, who told me the other day, "Does Dark Vader wear underwear just like me?" (We were watching RETURN OF THE JEDI, my fave in the SW franchise to this day...they even toned down the hokey ewok music on the newest DVD.) Also, upon seeing her post-RWA she declared that her doll was named Australia, her bear was La Pink, and I am now named, "Tuesday." I think that's a pretty hip super hero agent and writer name. "Call me Tuesday."

Let's toss down a few more RWA pics! Actually, just one, which is at the top. That's Diva Woman Kristen Painter with our fabulous TKA agent, Elaine Spencer. Perhaps I should call her Friday?
:)
Hugs!

A "Can I Just Tell You" Moment

I'm having one. One of those, "Honey, can I just tell you what my day's been like?" (Hear that southern accent!)

So, I came home from RWA to 1100 emails. SEriously. I have spent every day since RWA just trying to get them down to nothing. This may surprise many of you--especially people who believe agents are unresponsive or whatever--but I generally try to live with my emails on zero. I don't sit with a stack of 100 unanswered ones, precisely b/c I get SO FREAKING MANY.

Anyway, ahem. Today I'm typing along and at about 11 am I was hovering at the 34 unanswered mark. Now, flash forward five hours? I'm hovering at the 34 unanswered mark, yet have SENT countless numbers of these things and answered and deleted. But for every one I send, three more come in. It's exhausting at times, like swimming against a very powerful current in the ocean, waves slamming in your face, over and over...

And for that reason, I am posting my special picture of Mel. Because it makes me smile, and feel giddy, and remember that there are other times when I'm not fighting the email waves. :)
D

PARALLEL PARTYING!

Since you never know what I might post where, thought it would be fun to post a few TKA 10th anniversary party pics here. That, and a few others too. Just cause, you know? Because it's fun to be a little secretive, though I'm not sure how secret this blog really is. Maybe I just like to think I'm whispering in the dark.

So here we go! Random pics! These were sent to me by others, mostly, but I have a lot of cool ones to upload!

Above we have Susan Grant on the left, my good friend and the author of an amazing upcoming sci-fi romance novel, YOUR PLANET OR MINE? She's funny and smart--plus, look! She's gorgeous. On right is another gorgeous woman and a client of mine, Diana Peterfreund whose SECRET SOCIETY GIRL just hit shelves recently.



This is a picture of Agent Kristin Nelson with a very hot and sweaty me. (Southern Discomfort?)



Robin Owens and Cassie Miles, both my wonderful and amazing clients!




This is a wonderful friend of mine, my former editor, Louisa Edwards. She also acquired Jacquelin Thomas, Jennifer St Giles, and Shelley Bradley from me while she was with Berkley Publishing Group. We had a ton of fun reconnecting at this RWA!

More tomorrow or later tonight...
Deidre