IMMORTALITY BITES

Writing Romance Is Like... A Horror Movie

2010-11-18T02:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks for letting me stop by on my blog tour, Samantha!

Since November is the anniversary month of my first published book, I decided to go on a tour and chat and give stuff away!

The “theme” (I use the term loosely) is Writing Romance Is Like…
And every blog stop has a difference comparison that will give you some insight into who I am, how I write and my slightly weird sense of humor. Oh, and you can win stuff! Every commenter gets entered for a chance at a book from my backlist. And if you really want to have some fun: follow me around to all the stops on the schedule (on my website) get the answers to the questions (on the form on my site) and then e-mail them to me by December 15th to get entered into a drawing for a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com or MyBookstoreandMore.com. Come join the fun!!

And now…
Writing Romance Is Like… A Horror Movie: the worst part is when it looks like it’s all over…

I’ve hated horror movies since I saw Child’s Play as a teen. The idea of toys coming to life still freaks me out (yes, even Toy Story a little. Sorry Pixar). And I really hate that part of the movie where the bad evil whatever-it-is seems to have been bested. He/she/ it lays there apparently dead, so what do the main characters do? They poke him. They don’t run as fast as they can in the other direction. They don’t call for help. They don’t even arm themselves with a chainsaw or ax. They just sidle up and poke him.

And his eyes fly open and he grabs them. And he always has a chainsaw or ax.

I. Hate. That. Part.

I don’t do horror anymore. Ever. Seriously. I’m almost exclusively a romantic—movies and books.

But there is a part in romances I hate too. I hate reading and writing it. The Dark Moment. That moment when all seems lost. The hero and heroine will never be together. Someone screwed up and they’ll be miserable forever. Apart.

Now I say hate, but I don’t really mean it (oh, I mean it about the horror movies!). I totally get that the Dark Moment is key. We have to see them work it out, see what they’re willing to sacrifice, what they’re wiling to do. They have to overcome, forgive, and fight for each other. Totally get it. It makes the resolution—the I’ll-do-anything-for-you moment—rewarding, the Happily Ever After believable. It makes us all give that satisfied sigh.

Have you seen Never Been Kissed with Drew Barrymore? If not, there’s that moment at the end where she’s standing out there in the middle of the baseball field, in front of everyone, waiting as the clock counts down for the guy to walk out there and kiss her. And he doesn’t come. And he doesn’t come. The clock winds down. Her smile fades. Her heart breaks.

Man. Even though I know what happens, I hate that part.

(spoiler alert!) Then he shows up. He runs down the steps, jogs onto the field, strides purposefully toward her and kisses her. Really kisses her.

And I cheer every single time!

So, yeah, I get it. We need the moment of heartbreak to really love the happily ever after.

Still, I hate it. Because it gets to me. Much as that evil-come-back-to-life makes my night sleep deprived, tearing my beloved hero and heroine apart upsets me.

But I guess if it didn’t, that means I didn’t care about them and then I (or the author/ screenwriter/ etc) would have failed.

Hmm. Good point.

Join me at my next stop! November 23rd at JC Wilder’s blog! http://www.jcwilder.com/

Excerpt, Just Like That (one those oh-no-why’d-he-do-that? scenes)
Erin Nicholas
“Good,” he said again, as she reached for him. “Then I think you should call Matt. Tonight.”

She froze with her arm extended toward him. “Matt?”

“Matt Dawson.”

Her arm dropped. “What are you talking about?”

“Matt is the perfect guy for you.”

The pounding of her heart in her ears turned to a strange rushing sound. “You think I should ask Matt Dawson out?”

“Yes. Unless you want him to ask you. I know he’s interested. I’ll tell him—”

“No!” She was almost certain that she was going to vomit.

“He’d be an imbecile to not be interested, Dani. I’ll subtly hint that—”

“God, no,” she said firmly.

She was such an idiot. She’d thought Sam was talking about himself. One more second and she would have said something completely humiliating. “I’ll, um… I’ll take care of it.”

Of course, humiliation would likely be an improvement over the sick to her stomach, tight in the chest, stinging behind the eyes she was feeling now. There was no way she was calling Matt—or any other guy. Ever probably. But she wasn’t going to tell Sam he’d ruined her for other men. He was quite clearly done with whatever it was they’d been doing.

She wanted to bang her head against the side of his car, but thought that would be an obvious sign that she wasn’t okay. Instead, she calmly walked back and got into the car. On the way back to the church, Danika finally processed and admitted into her conscious mind the fact that Sam really was asking her to date another man.

“Do you want his home number?” Sam asked as he pulled up next to her car.

She looked at him quickly. He sounded a little sick himself. “No. I’ll be seeing him.”

“You will?”

Was that a frown she saw on her new matchmaker’s face? She hoped so.

“Yeah.” She held up her right wrist.

“Oh, right.” He did frown this time. “You’re going to ask him out during a checkup?”

“No.”

“Good.”

“I’ll wait until after the checkup.”

Another frown. “Next Thursday, right?”

“Right.” The frown increased. “Oh.”

Was that too soon? Or waiting too long in Sam’s opinion? She couldn’t care less.

She wrenched open her car door and got out, slamming it behind her, but unable to get rid of enough adrenaline.

“Dani are you…okay?”

She whipped around to find him standing beside the car, watching her worriedly.

He was an idiot, she decided. He was an idiot if he thought she could be okay with this. He was an idiot to think that Matt Dawson could replace him for her. He was an idiot if he didn’t want to be with her himself.

“You bet,” she said with forced cheeriness. “I’m fantastic.”

Something softened in his face. “I know.”

And she wanted to smack him.

He knew she was fantastic? Sure. Right. Of course. Because he was pawning her off on another man before she could get needier with him.

She was just fucking fantastic.

She tipped her chin up and met his eyes. “Goodbye, Sam.”

Then she turned and walked away. From Sam Bradford. Something she would never have guessed she’d ever want to do. But in that moment, he was the last person she wanted to be with. It probably wouldn’t last, but she was going to enjoy a few seconds of not wanting to cry, curl into a ball, or smash something.

More on Erin
www.ErinNicholas.com
NineNaughtyNovelists.blogspot.com
ErinNicholas.blogspot.com
http://samhainpublishing.com/authors/erin-nicholasm
http://samhainpublishing.com/authors/erin-nicholas

2010-07-28T16:41:00.000-07:00

July 30, 2010 - Forbidden: The Sacrifice Print Release Party!

Buy Now in eBook

Order in Print

Join us on 7/30 with author Samantha Sommersby for a release party, chat and contest. The event starts at 12:00 pm Central and runs all day and into the evening. The contest portion of the event runs until 11:59 pm Central on 8/6. For those visiting from outside of the US, here is the time conversion link. We are in the Chicago time zone: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/
Samantha will be talking about her newest book release The Sacrifice, book one in the amazing Forbidden series!

CONTEST INFO: Open to readers with US addresses.

Prize: Apple iPod touch 8 GB (2nd Generation)

RSVP and get 25 entries to the when you show up on the day of the event. If you don't show up and mention your RSVP AND ask a question, you won't be entered into the contest.

Be SURE to give your friends this link so they can RSVP too!

RSVP HERE!

Sam

The Sacrifice: #1 Amazon Romance Best Seller

2010-05-04T12:06:00.000-07:00

I admit it freely. When I returned to my hotel room after a long final day at this years Romantic Times Booklovers convention to discover that The Sacrifice was #1 in Romance Books and #1 on the Kindle Bestseller list I squealed. I sent a text to my editor and BFF, then I promptly dialed the phone and shattered by husbands eardrum.

If you've yet to read The Sacrifice, this is the perfect chance. It's book 1 in the Forbidden Series (available in eBook now and print starting in July). Samhain, my publisher, is offering it for FREE this week on the Kindle and Nook. Pre-orders for the first few title in print have been discounted - so if you prefer print now is the time to order.

If you've already read the book, it's a great time to pop over to Amazon and review it. Reader reviews are lasting and will help others make a buying decision long after the book goes off sale.

Now I need to get my head out of the clouds and back to work. I'm having dinner with old friends tonight and really looking forward to it.

Sam

Contest Today - Enter to win iPod Touch & Downloads

2010-03-17T13:18:00.001-07:00

The Samantha Sommersby featured author Hunt contest is still going on
today over atAllRomance.com. You can click on the banner or link on
their home page and scroll to the bottom of the interviews to find
mine along with the special question. Send in the answer to the
question to All Romance and you just might win the day's free
download. Or, better yet, the Grand Prize of an iPod Touch! Pretty
cool.

Sam

2010-03-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited to report that Forbidden: The Temptation is a Top 10 Best Seller over at My BookStore and More and Under Fire just received a 5 star review from A History of Romance. Woo hoo! Since it just released recently, I thought I'd post the summary and link:

There’s a fine line between man and beast…one only the heart can cross.

Buy Here

Forbidden, Book 4

A year ago, Jacob Madison got more than he bargained for during a rock-climbing trip to Yosemite. A freak accident left him badly injured, at the mercy of the elements—and the wolves who rescued him. If it hadn’t been for them, he’d be dead. He’d also still be human. Now he’s back, hoping to find out who he is and what he’s become. Instead, he finds smart, sexy Allison Connelly.

A forensic psychologist, Allison is newly divorced and proudly standing on her own two feet…until an unexpected storm shears off the snow bank she’s standing on. She plunges down an icy ravine, thinking she’s heading for oblivion. Then she lands in the arms of a tall, dark Texan. Jake.

Brought together by circumstance and bound by passion, secrets from their past threaten their future before it can begin. And somewhere in the mountains lurks a rogue Were turned serial killer. Whatever the danger Jake’s inner beast poses to Allison, there’s only one way to protect her—unleash it. Even if it costs him her love.

This book has been previously published and has been revised and expanded from its original release.

Warning: This book contains raging winter storms, truly inspiring sex, a kick-butt heroine, and one very hot, dirty-talking cowboy…who’s sometimes furry.

On a personal note - my son is running in his very first track meet on Thursday. He's really excited about it and I'm excited for him. Track is something I know NOTHING about, so this will be a new experience for me. It sounds like he's going to be running the 300 hurdles and the open 100. We'll see. Regardless, I'll be there cheering him and the team on. He's been training every day after school with the team, which means he can't really start homework most nights until 5:30 or 6:00 pm. For three weeks now he's been burning the candle at both ends, late nights of homework, getting up early for school, and practice. He's holding his own and most importantly seemingly enjoying it.

Go Cavers!

Sam

28 Days of Heart #28 - Sea of Sin

2010-02-28T12:31:00.000-08:00

Read hot romance AND support charity to boot!

This is one of the 28 Days of Heart stories being released through All Romance Ebooks during the month of February. All profits generated from sales of these titles will be donated to the American Heart Association to help combat the number one killer of women.

Only $1.99

In an ocean of lust, they discovered true desire…

For one week every year, Christopher Montgomery sets aside the responsibility that comes with being the commander of Pittsburgh’s Zone Six police district. He gets as far away from home as possible to indulge in a hedonistic vacation on a gay cruise in the Caribbean, where he loses himself in the casualness of encounters with much younger men. Then he meets Kieran.

Kieran Phillips doesn't know what he is looking for except to get away by taking a weeklong cruise friendly to his lifestyle, until he comes across the rugged detective. Then he can't help but throw a wrench into Chris’ plans for a decadent vacation full of casual encounters with younger men by showing him the benefits of age and experience.

28 Days of Heart #27 - Sweets

2010-02-27T12:30:00.000-08:00

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A vacation drizzled in chocolate segues into something much more decadent

In a resort dedicated to the enjoyment of chocolate, all Veronica wants to do is escape a miserable breakup by spoiling herself with the dark confection. Then she finds she’s deliciously receptive to the flirtations of a rugged grad student vacationing there as well.

When she invites an exotic couple to join them for more than dessert, Veronica finds herself indulging in more than the brochure promised.

28 Days of Heart #26 - A Slightly Different Perfect

2010-02-26T12:30:00.000-08:00

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Only $2.99

SEven immortals need a vacation now and then…

When Trisha Gillespie, mousy fifth-grade teacher, is chosen to take Aphrodite's place on Mount Olympus, she thinks she is up to the task. Who wouldn’t want to be the goddess of love, beauty, and physical perfection? But then she does the unthinkable and falls for a mortal. Will the new goddess accept her fate knowing she’ll have to leave love behind?

28 Days of Heart #25 - Love Unleashed

2010-02-25T12:30:00.000-08:00

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SeHis best laid plan…

DJ “Rabid” Ron Hart has a grand scheme to win back the woman he loves. It involves an animal adoption fair, a goofy hairless dog named Charlie, and an offer his dream-girl can’t refuse.

Her hidden desires...

Cara Wilson has fantasies she’s afraid to reveal, and her ex-boyfriend still features in her erotic dreams. If only he didn’t keep his bad-boy urges so tightly leashed.

Tonight they'll learn that winning sometimes takes losing control.

28 Days of Heart #24 - Angels & Genies

2010-02-24T12:29:00.000-08:00

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Between heaven and earth lies temptation

Contractor Match Ramsey has 36 hours to find the portal between the earthly realm and Jinnistan, the land of the jinn from which he comes. He is a genie warrior charged with protecting humans from the trespass of the demon jinni, Iblis. Somewhere beneath his cliffside property lays the doorway. His focus is diverted by the entrancing and determined Angeline Delaire, a sexy realtor who has been directed to buy the property from him at any price.

Angeline is a woman with a fiery temper and independent spirit. She is conflicted by the directive of her client, Mateus Ring, a handsome tycoon who has infiltrated her dreams. Yet, it is Match who inflames Angeline.

She soon realizes that the lustful yearnings ripping through her body come from an evil source. She will have to find clarity between her desire for Match and the overwhelming craving for Mateus. One will redeem her, but the other could destroy her.

28 Days of Heart #23 - Stay with Me

2010-02-23T12:29:00.000-08:00

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Only $1.99

No woman has ever said no to him. Until now.

Dionysos is bored. Bored with partying and easy conquests. Bored with life. After three-thousand years he’s seen everything and done everyone. Perhaps it’s time to call an end to it all. Then she shows up. Sianne is impossibly beautiful, a mortal with the face of a goddess, and he can’t have her…

The hell he can’t.

28 Days of Heart #22 - And She Scores

2010-02-22T12:29:00.000-08:00

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They’ve both taken a time out…

Being a lone woman in a man’s locker room filled with hard-bodied, sweating, football players would normally be the stuff fantasies were made from. For Sarah Winters, it’s called work and today her job is to interview the man who stole her heart and then threw it away.

Recovering from what could have been a career ending injury, Patrick Conway should be focused on getting fit, but he isn’t. Instead, his mind is on the interview he’s about to have with the woman who never came or called to see how he was, despite them having been lovers.

Time for them both to get off the sidelines and back in the game before the clock runs out.

28 Days of Heart #21 - GPS

2010-02-21T12:28:00.000-08:00

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Only $1.99

Which way is up? Cale Durbin is about to find out.

When Cale Durbin receives a GPS system for his birthday, he tests it out on the drive to meet a blind date. The blasted device gets him lost, but Cale doesn't mind so much when he ends up at the door of a hunk named Mike who shares many of his interests.

After the date fails, Cale discovers the GPS possesses a unique feature—it leads him right to Mike again! Can true happiness be found through a global positioning device, or is Cale headed in the wrong direction?

28 Days of Heart #20 - Timeless Voyage

2010-02-20T12:28:00.000-08:00

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Love isn’t bound by the limits of time…

When Roman merchant Kaeso is captured by his wild and beautiful Celtic enemy, he finds he has at last reached the destiny laid out by his past.

Anwen pirates off the Coast of Ireland in 67 AD, but when she takes Kaeso as a captive she discovers it is he who has stolen her heart.

The pair’s voyage of love spans two lifetimes, but all will be lost unless Kaeso and Anwen. both lovers and enemies, face their past life together and discover a way to stop history from repeating.

28 Days of Heart #19 - Private Lies

2010-02-19T12:28:00.000-08:00

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Only $2.99

Sex. Lies. It's all in a day's work.

Jax Monroe is ready to swear off both sex and men forever. Then she meets the new hot bartender Shane Reynolds and the only thing she can think about is sex and him.

Why not have a little fun? After all, she deserves it, and Shane proves he can provide what she needs. Only Jax doesn’t realize something. Shane the sexy barman is far more than just the stud he appears to be.

28 Days of Heart #18 - Protecting Miss Samuels

2010-02-18T12:27:00.000-08:00

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Only $2.99

He was supposed to guard her and ended up loving her.

Kitty Samuels has to do more than hide from her father's workers. She has to accept the ugly truth about the mill he's run. Only with the help of a stranger will she be able to escape her past and face the future.

He thought he'd been hired to protect a mindless chit but when Ned Wallace was forced into action, he had to admit to himself that Miss Samuels is more than a pretty face. Now he must keep her safe from an angry mob…and from himself.

28 Days of Heart #17 - Vanilla with Extra Nuts

2010-02-17T12:27:00.000-08:00

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She was just a vanilla girl until she found her perfect toppings...

Megan was slowly falling in love with Adam and was devastated to hear he was also sleeping with a man behind her back. When she confronts Adam she finds her lust for him over-riding her reticence.

When she makes a secret fantasy come true and goes to bed with both Adam and his lover at the same time, vanilla Megan has to decide. Can she come to terms with this unusual relationship?

28 Days of Heart #16 - Mad About Meg

2010-02-16T12:27:00.000-08:00

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She'd never been lucky in love...'til she met him.

If it weren't for bad luck, Meg Williams wouldn't have any luck at all. As if traveling to a tropical island on Valentine's weekend in a nasty storm isn't bad enough, she's doing it alone after finding her boyfriend in bed with another woman. Enduring the trip from hell, she arrives on Eden Isle only to discover that her hotel reservation has been lost and there are no vacancies anywhere.

Rob Madison is used to being pursued by women for his fortune. When he meets Meg in the bar and realizes she doesn't know who he is, he decides to spend the evening as a regular guy. Discovering she doesn’t have a place to stay, he offers to share his penthouse with her.

As the night progresses, Meg wonders if her luck has turned, while Rob wonders if one weekend in each other's arms will be enough…

28 Days of Heart #15 - Bride of Fire

2010-02-15T12:26:00.000-08:00

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Captive for his pleasure…

Hades, Lord of the Underworld, rules the realm of darkness but his kingdom has no queen. He burns for Persephone who lives in the world above. If he could only lure her below, she would taste the passion he alone can offer and agree to stay and rule by his side.

Persephone falls into Hades’ trap and becomes his captive. He offers her his bed and a throne, but will he offer her what she truly wants—his heart?

28 Days of Heart #14 - Hold onto the Night

2010-02-14T12:26:00.000-08:00

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One night of passion could cost her life…

A single night of unforgettably passionate sex with a stranger, comes back to haunt Caron Sainte weeks later when she finally realizes she can no longer run from her dangerous past.

28 Days of Heart #13 - Tor: Viking Master

2010-02-13T12:26:00.000-08:00

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Sometimes love is sweeter than revenge…

When Tor comes upon the Saxon woman who killed his brother, he takes her as his slave to make her pay for her crime.

Maida is innocent of the murder Tor accuses her of, but until she can convince him of the truth, she must endure his torment.

When the Viking jarl finally realizes his mistake, he also knows he’s fallen deeply in love with Maida. But if he frees her, how can he keep her?

28 Days of Heart #12 - Love is Blindness

2010-02-12T12:25:00.000-08:00

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Love at first sight…

Young, cool, laid back professor Kieran is totally captivated by the blind and beautiful Lucien.

Lucien has been around a long time, but he is equally caught by Kieran's sensuality. He believes Kieran might be the man he wishes to spend the rest of eternity with.

Lucien's blindness doesn't turn Kieran off, but will his secret?

28 Days of Heart #11 - Touch of Fire

2010-02-11T12:25:00.000-08:00

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He'd brave the fires of hell just to hold her...

Firefighter Garrett Flint rescues the beautiful Nicole from a burning building, and then breaks all the rules by taking her into his home and into his heart.

28 Days of Heart #10 - A Shadow's Kiss

2010-02-10T12:25:00.000-08:00

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Can their love overcome a legacy of evil…

Anna Benecia can't escape her destiny. A promise signed in blood binds a Shadow for eternity even if the one bound longs to live in the sunny here and now.

Malcolm Hayes is the new host for the hunger of an evil spirit who has walked the earth for a thousand years. The Darkhaven shade must have the blood of innocents fed upon by the vampires he creates and controls in order to remain manifest. Freshly possessed and cursed to burn with a hunger only his Shadow bride can slake, Malcolm is determined to fight.

Can a young woman destined to marry into darkness bring the light of hope to a man newly cursed to walk the night?

28 Days of Heart #9 - Liberating Lucius

2010-02-09T12:24:00.000-08:00

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Her body may be enslaved, but her spirit finds freedom.

Helena, a noblewoman from Thrace, has been stolen from her home and sold as a slave. She is determined to hate her new master and escape at the first opportunity. She certainly doesn’t expect to be physically attracted to the young Roman who possesses her, let alone to connect with him on a deeper level.

Tribune Lucius Calpurnius is taken aback when he’s presented with a beautiful woman as a gift from a friend, yet he can hardly release her into a camp full of soldiers. He intends to keep her as a servant and return her to her home when he’s able. But it gets more difficult every day to keep away from the woman he desires, first with his body and later with his heart.

As they become lovers and slowly forge a bond, the outside world threatens to tear them from one another. Can Helena rise above her slavery to save herself and the man she has come to love?

28 Days of Heart #8 - Country Loving

2010-02-08T12:24:00.000-08:00

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Country air can work wonders for a woman's libido…

City living has lost its sparkle for Chloe. Eight years after leaving her small hometown, she returns to hide from a crazy stalker and rethink her life. When she runs into her old friend and neighbor Tag Sloan, she discovers her hometown looks better than ever.

The once gangly Tag has evolved into a muscle bound, gorgeous walking ad for sex. Their old friendship picks up with a fiery heat that sends them into each other’s arms and scorches the fields Tag farms.

In the shadows someone watches, someone that doesn’t want them together. When more pictures show up depicting her death, Tag needs to figure out who wants Chloe out of the picture before he loses her forever.

28 Days of Heart #7 - Hell's Angel

2010-02-07T12:24:00.000-08:00

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Where can an angel find comfort?

A lonely banished angel sits outside the gates of Paradise, lamenting the joy she has lost. When she is joined by a fallen archangel, she learns that one doesn't need to be in Heaven to experience bliss.

28 Days of Heart #6 - A Fair Trade

2010-02-06T12:23:00.000-08:00

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The finest treasures aren't always gold…

Sometimes you find magic in the most unexpected places. That's what Cotton Myer discovers when a pair of ravens tries to steal his belt buckle and spurs. When the birds turn into men before his very eyes, he knows his little watering hole in the desert is no ordinary pool.

Kaya and Kasa have been collecting treasures a long time, but Cotton is the finest one they've ever seen.

Can they learn to trust enough to keep him?

28 Days of Heart #5 - Unshuttered

2010-02-05T12:23:00.000-08:00

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Only $2.50

The camera never lies...

A skilled photographer, Ian Jackson relies on talent and experience with just a touch of serendipity to get the perfect shot. Through the camera lens, there is nothing Ian doesn't see. What's in front of his own nose is another matter.

Ian's personal assistant, Josie Guinness, is used to smoothing the ruffled feathers of both her employer and his clients. Stepping up and keeping things running is all part of the job, behind the scenes and well out of the camera's view.

When the model lined up for a big jewelry shoot backs out at the last minute, the two scramble for a solution. What they come up with makes Ian see his assistant with new eyes, more than just from behind the camera. The question is what he can do about it.

28 Days of Heart #4 - Moonlit Watcher

2010-02-04T12:22:00.000-08:00

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He watches her, until watching is no longer enough…

Juliana Van Alder has fled the bright lights of New York, leaving the Broadway stage behind to discover the source of what's been drawing her to the North Carolina woods.

What she discovers is unexpected danger, and a gorgeous, powerful man who just happens to be a wolf. She's found her soulmate, but there's one little problem...Derek Kingston is a wolf determined to protect her, and he can’t be tamed.

28 Days of Heart #3 - Zero-G

2010-02-03T12:22:00.000-08:00

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Their love was out of this world...

Maggie Gates was madly in love with shy Will Hudson in high school, but he never made his move. 

Two decades later, they’re trapped on a lunar space station for eleven days. A relationship between the two should be off limits, but that isn’t stopping Will from setting his sights on Maggie for conquest in the cosmos.  

The shy boy she knew is gone, and this man possesses the will to storm her gates. Now he has the Moon and stars on his side

28 Days of Heart #2 - Wild Child

2010-02-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

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Seize the day...

Zoë Underwood loved Matt Cantrell from the moment her mother married his father. She definitely thinks of him as more than a big brother and even though he moved away from home the moment their parents got married, her feelings for him have grown stronger, bigger. More. No one presses her buttons like the tall, dark and gorgeous Matt. If only he can get over the eight-year age difference.

Now, Zoë is determined to snare her man. She wants one thing—Matt’s love. It’s time for her to make a move, stir things up a little and take a chance on love.

28 Days of Heart - Day #1!

2010-02-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

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Sometimes love hits you when you least expect it…

Exchange student Elia Gianni arrives at the Dayton airport ready to soak up everything American. When the young Italian was offered a placement with the Steele family, he knew he'd been given the chance of a lifetime. What he didn’t anticipate was the Steele’s blond, blue-eyed son, Rick

The instant Rick sets eyes on the fantastic foreigner he falls head over heels. But the big, macho athlete was used to hiding his feelings and desperately wanting things he couldn’t have. Revealing the truth would change everything and throw his family into a tailspin.

Reality, however, becomes harder to deny when Rick is forced to share his bedroom with Elia. The summer immersion experience turns out to be more than anyone was prepared for as the two young men become lost in one another, sharing an exchange...of hearts.

50% off all my books today and new contest!

2010-01-31T11:44:00.000-08:00

Big HUGE news! You can get 50% off all of my titles today over at allromance [dot] com or omnilit [dot] com. Even better? They are giving 50% off all of the titles in their store with a special code you can get from smartbitchestrashybooks [dot] com. But it's TODAY only.

In other news...

In honor of the series release, I’m running a contest!

Enter the Your Heart’s Desire Contest

1. Post a list someplace on the web of the four titles from the series you’d most like to have. Facebook, myspace, twitter, your own blog, one belonging to a friend, this one…all fair game.

2. Using the contact page on my website samanthasommersby [dot] com, email me the URL where I can find your post and your email address

What’s the Fabulous Prize?

At the end of the month I will fulfill the wishes of seven winners for a total of 28 books. Winners will be contacted prior to fulfillment just in case their top four selections has changed.

Why seven winners, four books each? Because I really want to encourage everyone to support this endeavor. With 28 titles to choose from in so many sub-genres, and for a super reasonable price ($1.99-$3.50) you’re sure to find some others that you can’t live without. Right?

Praise for Under Fire at Whipped Cream!

2010-01-23T11:44:00.000-08:00

"If you’re in the mood for a sweeping epic romance with a breathtaking desert backdrop, a sexy British hero and a sultry American heroine, then look no further. Samantha Sommersby’s newest novel, Under Fire, provides all you could possibly desire and more...

the ending is one that is both bittersweet and unfailingly romantic. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and when all is said and done you’ll finish with a happy smile on your face.

Ms. Sommersby has an uncanny talent for creating stories that pull you in and don’t let go, ensuring you are as invested in the story and the events that unfold. The sex is blistering, keeping you writhing in your seat, while the romance and plot move things along and make Under Fire so much more than your average erotic tale. Fans of her Forbidden series will love this story equally as much, and should definitely give her historical side a taste. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed." ~ Whipped Cream Reviews

And...this Saturday Under Fire is up for Best Review over on their site. If you can pop over and cast your vote, I'd appreciate it. In honor of the competition, I'll be giving away a free copy of the book today. If you'd like to enter to win, go to samanthasommersby [dot] com and use the contact form to enter. Add the words "Whipped Cream" and the number listed next to Under Fire in the poll (Is it listed as #1, 2, 3, etc....no need to actually vote to enter).

Sam

Oh - and if you want to purchase Under Fire, it's available now in digital format at redrosepublishing [dot] com. It will be out in print format this spring.

2010-01-18T21:29:00.000-08:00

You may remember some time ago I mentioned that my novella, Touch of Fire, was contracted by AllRomance [dot] com as one of their 28 Days of Fire releases. This is a charity series they are publishing for exclusive release on OmniLit [dot] com and AllRomance [dot] com. Charlaine Harris has written the foreword - what a thrill.

The premise of the series is simple, All Romance will be releasing one novella per day during the month of February, when everyone is normally preoccupied with matters of the heart. The folks are All Romance will be donating the proceeds to the American Heart Association in an effort to fight the #1 killer of women - heart disease.

Touch of Fire is available for pre-order now for $2.50 - this is a great cause. I'm hoping to tempt some of you to support it by including the sexy cover and blurb. If hot, sexy firemen aren't to your liking, I'd like to encourage you to check out some of the other titles in the series. Also, check into some of the other things the folks at ARe are doing to support the AHA. Click on the widget below for more info. Heck, feel free to share the sprout widget with others. One thing I think is especially cool is that ARe is leading a team effort for Wear Red Day on February 5th. I joined their team just yesterday, pledging to wear read on the 5th in support of the American Heart Association. If you join the team and wear red, be sure to post your pic on their myspace page. They are going to be giving away prizes. You can find details by following the more info link in the widget.

Now for the cover and blub for Touch of Fire....

$2.50 - Available for Pre-order @ allromance [dot] com

He'd brave the fires of hell just to hold her...

Firefighter Garrett Flint rescues the beautiful Nicole from a burning building, and then breaks all the rules by taking her into his home and into his heart.

Impromptu Contest Today!

2009-12-24T09:20:00.001-08:00

I woke up this morning to an email from Night Owl Romance letting me know that Forbidden: The Sacrifice received a 5 star review and is a Reviewer Top Pick. Woo Hoo! Very exciting news!

"Forbidden: The Sacrifice is a beautifully written paranormal romance that will astound you and leave you wanting more...fast-paced, unique, and captivating. I am looking forward to the other stories in this series. This book is one that I am definitely adding to my keeper collection."

In honor of this great review AND the Christmas Holiday I'm going to run an impromptu wish list contest today on my Blogger Blog - I'm going to make a readers wishes come true.

To Enter:

List 5 books you'd like to read (browse at omnilit.com or allromance.com), one of them being Forbidden: The Sacrifice. And I'll pick a winner tomorrow morning.

Post your list at immortalitybites [dot] blogspot [dot] com

Happy Holidays!

Sam

I'm a very proud mama today

2009-12-16T07:51:00.001-08:00

I've been pushing really hard for the past week. I've been on writing deadline and I have to admit I've really struggled with this one. This makes the fifth one this year and I know that another edit is waiting in the wings for me. I'm fortunate to be in this position and I'm fortunate to have such a supportive editor - so I'm not complaining. But I am tired and when I become weary I tend to be more introspective.

I just sent my son off to school. Today's a very big day for him, he's presenting a project to the school that he's been working on for months. I'm more nervous about it than he is. He's put so much into this and learned so much in the process. The task was simple - learn a new skill. Max, in his typical fashion, chose something not so simple - blacksmithing. The shaping of raw metal is as much art form as it is anything else. He has the vision, patience, and creativity. But he also has cerebral palsy which makes doing anything requiring dexterity and strength in both hands a challenge.

I'm happy to report he stuck with it and he had a great time. I SO wish I could be a fly on the wall when he presents today. Thanks to createspace, he was able to put his reflections and some diary entries into a book (along with photos) so he could turn in an actual bound copy. He's called it The Blacksmith's Apprentice.

He also created a mini-documentary which I'm sharing below. Take a gander and if you are feeling so inclined, make a comment. I'm a very proud mama today. Link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7D_cpdzb60

Kindle Contest Today!

2009-12-14T08:48:00.001-08:00

Kindle Contest Today!

Kindle Contest today answer this easy peasy question to enter:

http://www [dot] dawnseewer [dot] com/tera/12_14 [dot] html

Sincerely,

Samantha Sommersby

2009-12-01T08:28:00.001-08:00

Rockin' Around the Raven Xmas Tress Contest!

Contest Open Dec 1st - 24th 2009

Prizes include a Sony Ereader, $50 pre-paid

Visa, $25 Amazon Gift Certificate!

Click on the image for details...

Let's Party!

2009-11-30T07:01:00.000-08:00

CyberLaunch Party today for Under Fire - Chance to win a free download

Come Join Me! http://cyberlaunchparty.blogspot.com/

2009-11-27T13:12:00.001-08:00

Release day for UNDER FIRE!

It’s 1917 and Lieutenant Jackson Crawford is in Arabia on an important mission. A seasoned soldier sent to ensure a victory that will secure British interests in the Suez Canal, Crawford was prepared for resistance from the prince; he was prepared for the crude weapons, the hellish sun, and the never-ending sand. What he wasn’t prepared for was Harvard bred archeologist turned spy Lillian Barton Drake.

Weeks after Lilly’s arrival in the desert she found herself in the center of a bloody massacre. Rescued by the prince she travels as part of his entourage, doing her utmost to gain his trust while avoiding becoming a part of his harem. Then into the camp rides an exhausted Jackson.

In a twist of fate Jack fights for Lilly’s honor risking life and limb to claim her as his own. Casting aside common sense the couple begin a passionate affair that sets the desert on fire and is guaranteed to melt your heart. Will their love be strong enough to survive the ravages of war, the duty they’ve sworn to their country, and the secrets of Jackson's past?

FREE BONUS COOKBOOK

If you go to my website, www.samanthasommersby.com and click on the Free Reads section, you'll find a cookbook I contributed to that's been published as a freebie from a bunch of the red rose authors.

14 BONUS FREEBIES FROM RED ROSE AND ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS

Today and tomorrow: Go to AllRomance [dot] com or Omnilit [dot]com

The following Red Rose Titles are 100% FREE.

Even cooler - All Romance and OmniLit have this nifty new gift feature, so you can send these FREE presents to your friends. How's that for an economical early Christmas Gift?

Chateau Despair by Linda Sole

Having Faith: Stweetbrier Series: Book 1, by Nancy O'Berry

Psychotic: SKIU Serial, by Alice de Chevigny

Nutcracker Sweet, by Jennifer Mueller

Desperately Seeking Santa, by Jane Beckenham

The Other Half of Your Heart, by Janic Susan May

Forever Tonight, by Tara Newlands

The Pleasure Cruise - The Misadventures of Raine Matthews: Book 2, by Raven Starr

Infidelity, by Debbie Gould

Ringside - Three Sister Series: Book 1, by LaVerne Thompson and Stephanie Wiliams

Judgement by Fire, by Lydia Grace

The Ballet, by Melissa Glisan

Be with You, by Marie Rochelle

Recovering from Thanksgiving Dinner...

2009-11-26T20:10:00.000-08:00

So, here I sit, trying to recover from semi-Turkey Coma. We're watching Season 1 of Legend of the Seeker. My son is loving it. Hubby and I are curled up on one end of the sofa, finishing a fabulous bottle of red wine my father's girlfriend brought us from Arizona, Max is curled up at the other end. I so enjoy evenings like this. Tomorrow we go to get our tree and decorate the house. I'm looking forward to it. I so love the smell of a free tree in the house during the holidays.

I hope this posting finds everyone as grateful as I am at the moment. I've been remiss with posting lately - so there's a few pieces of bookish news to share:

1. 4 Cherries for Forbidden: The Revolution from Whipped Cream Reviews!

"Are you ready for a revolution? If so, you won’t want to miss Samantha Sommerby’s newest installment in the Forbidden series.... Ensure your seatbelts are fastened and your tray tables are in an upright position, because it’s a bumpy, yet sizzling, ride!... This story is scorching, well written, and fast-paced. You’ll enjoy this one in one sitting, and when you’re done, you’ll ask for seconds. Definitely one for the revered TBR list, don’t miss The Revolution."

2. Interview of Moi was posted today of the blog of D. Renee Bagby. Check it out here:
http://dreneebagby.blogspot.com/2009/11/author-interview-samantha-sommersby.html

3. My short story, Touch of Fire was accepted as one of the short stories for All Romance eBooks' 28 Days of Heart series. I'm seriously excited about his series. I received a comp of my cover in short order and it's spectacular. I'll be sharing it just as soon as I get the final and permission. It's a straight contemporary featuring a San Diego Fire Fighter as the hero. I wrote the story long ago while we were in the midst of some seriously devastating wildfires here in San Diego County. I'm thrilled to have this going to benefit the cause - proceeds are being donated to the American Heart Association.

The basic idea is the All Romance will be releasing one of these a day for 28 days during the month of February. Here's a list of the titles chose in no particular order (actual release dates have yet to be decided).

Exchange of Hearts by G.A. Hauser (Gay, Contemporary)
Tor: Viking Master by Ellen Margret (Historical Ancient)
Timeless Voyage by Cornelia Amiri (Historical Ancient)
Moonlit Watcher by Crystal-Rain Love (Werewolf, Interracial, Contemporary)
A Slightly Different Perfect by Sylvia Shults (Fantasy, Romantic Comedy)
Zero-G by Michele Hart (Sci-Fi)
And She Scores by Tilly Greene (Contemporary)
Wild Child by Shelley Munro (Contemporary)
A Fair Trade by BA Tortuga (Gay, Shape-shifter, Western)
Hell's Angel by Jackie Kessler (Paranormal)
Private Lies by Cat Johnson (Contemporary)
Touch of Fire by Samantha Sommersby (Contemporary)
Bride of Fire by Charlene Teglia (Fantasy)
Protecting Miss Samuels by Summer Devon (Historical)
A Shadow's Kiss by Barbara J. Hancock (Paranormal, Vampire, Contemporary)
Hold Onto the Night by Kari Thomas (Contemporary)
Liberating Lucius by Bonnie Dee (Historical Ancient)
Mad About Meg by Mari Carr (Contemporary)
GPS by Leigh Ellwood (Gay, Contemporary)
Country Loving by Robin Leigh Miller (Thriller, Contemporary)
Unshuttered by Emery Sanborne & Philippa Grey-Gerou (Contemporary)
Vanilla with Extra Nuts by Victoria Blisse (Multipartner, Rubenesque, Contemporary)
Stay with Me by Alisha Steele (Fantasy)
Love is Blindness by Sean Michael (Gay, Vampire, Contemporary)
Angels & Genies by K.F. Zuzulo (Paranormal, Fantasy)
Love Unleashed by Marcia James (Contemporary)
Sea of Sin by India Harper (Gay, Contemporary)
Sweets by E. Cameron Stacy (Contemporary)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sam

The Ascension is up for Best Book - Help by voting

2009-10-31T16:22:00.000-07:00

The gals over at Whipped Cream reviews sent me an email letting me know The Ascension is up for best book this weekend over on their website. If you aren't already out and about chasing down demons, vampires, werewolves and plying them with candy...

Hop on over to the Whipped Cream website and show your love by voting for The Ascension: http://www.longandshortreviews.com/WC/recentrev.htm

Sam

Can I tempt you with a free read?

2009-10-29T12:11:00.001-07:00

In celebration of Halloween AND the release of Forbidden: The Revolution. I've written a free read that's being distributed through my publishers blog. Next month it will also be available on my website and over at All Romance. But why wait? Hope over to http://samhellion.com/?p=245 today!

Here's the blub for the free read - Forbidden: The Union - Spicy!

Secret agent, sexy vampire and sorcerer Dell Renfield is asked to go undercover with his partner Alex Sanchez in order to stop an immortal serial killer. In order to catch their man Dell not only has to take Alex to his bed, he needs to mark her as his. But he won’t be able to do it alone. He’ll need the help of co-worker and guardian angel, Darius.

In the timeline this free read takes place after Forbidden: The Revolution. But you can read it first for a taste of the hero/heroine. And speaking of The Revolution. Here's the spectacular cover by Natalie Winters and the blurb.

Cursed by magic. Betrayed by lies. Bound together by love.

Forbidden, Book 3

Twenty-five years ago Dell Renfield’s father started a revolution, and Dell plans to finish it. Sorcerer, vampire, secret weapon, he’s spent a lifetime training for his fate. The one distraction he isn’t equipped for? Special Agent Alexandria Sanchez. A woman he desires above all others—and a woman he dare not get close to.

Alex’s love life is already cursed. She doesn’t need the added complication of a sexy new partner. Especially one who’s touch is literally magic. Posing as his lover for the sake of their investigation is pure hell—and pure heaven. Now if she can just get him to quit casting spells long enough to prove she’s capable. And keep her hands to herself in the process.
As they infiltrate a dangerous culture, temptation becomes too much to resist. And their torrid affair triggers an epic battle for power that could forever alter the future for them…and their kind.

Read an excerpt here: http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/forbidden-the-revolution

Praise for The Ascension!

2009-10-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

This just in... 4.5 cherries from Whipped Cream Reviews for The Ascension! Thank you Fern and Whipped Cream Reviews!

WARNING: This book contains one fabulously feisty redheaded heroine, one hunky holy-man-turned-rebel vampire, a group of corrupt religious zealots, women in chains and plenty of scorching hot sex.

"When I read the blurb for The Ascension, I was incredibly excited. It sounded like an entirely new take on the vampire genre, and best of all, it was written in a first person a narrative using the hero’s voice. After settling in to read, I knew I’d found something special, and was hooked by the end of the first page...

This is a story that has so many facets, in both the world created and the characters that exist within it. I was fascinated by the concept of a vampire sacrificing his immortality. When Ren claims Violet, she’ll age slowly, but she will not be immortal. In fact, in claiming her, he will become susceptible to harm for the first time in his existence. When she dies, he will too. There are also religious elements that will lure you in. Everyone wants to get to heaven. But how do you do that when Cain, the very man god has cast aside, is the originator of your kind? Not to mention, mating a human as a Dominie is pretty much an instant death sentence?

This book was a thoroughly fascinating read and one I enjoyed very much. There are so many twists and turns, and when they come, you’ll hang on tight and look forward to where the journey takes you."

Buy at allromance [dot] com

2009-10-22T18:14:00.000-07:00

Click on the graphic above for details

PRIZES*
Autographed book Dragons Prefer Blondes by Candace Havens

E-book Ambient Light by Mandy M Roth

Print book Red Light Specialists by Michelle M Pillow & Mandy M Roth (for Raven Happy Hour)

E-book from N.J. Walters’ backlist (winner's choice)

E-book from Bianca D’Arc’s backlist (winner's choice)

E-book from Candice Gilmer’s currently available backlist (winner's choice)

Belong to the Night by Cynthia Eden (print paranormal romance anthology)

Tea for Two by Shelley Munro (print)

November ebook from Cobblestone - THE DEMON NEXT DOOR: ALI by Kate Austin

Forbidden: The Sacrifice (eBook copy) by Samantha Sommersby

Autographed print book from Shiloh Walker’s Backlist

E-book Divinity Warriors 1: Lilith Enraptured by Michelle M. Pillow

Mayan Secrets by Ciar Cullen (print US or Canada), ebook otherwise

E-book of Obsession (romantic suspense) by Sharon Cullen

Selkie Island by Jorrie Spencer

Autographed copy of Tempting Turquoise (print) by Amy Ruttan

Autographed copy of Hard Candy by Amanda Young

Adrienne (print) by D. Renee Bagby

Heart of the Volcano, ebook by Imogen Howson

E-book copy of Private Property by Leah Braemel

Furry, Fluffy & Wild (ebook anthology) by Nina Pierce

Venus In Blue Jeans (print) by Meg Benjamin

E-book copy of Lay Me Down in pfd format by Taige Crenshaw

The Forbidden Chamber (ebook) by Ella Drake

The Ghost Exterminator: A Love Story (ebook) by Vivi Andrews

Angelic Avenger (ebook) by Kaye Chambers

New Release - Forbidden: The Ascension!

2009-10-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

Forbidden: The Ascension
Now Available at All Romance eBooks!

There’s only one way to safeguard the future—fight free of the past.

Byron Renfield is a master of climbing the social ladder. He’s successful, handsome, independently wealthy…and a vampire. As a member of an elite group of immortals, the Dominie, Byron’s spent centuries isolating himself from humanity in order to pursue redemption. It’s a good plan…until Violet Deeds comes along.

Violet is beautiful, sexy, outspoken…and human, which makes her completely off limits. His society’s canon may forbid it, but Byron is rocked by a longing so intense that in one impulsive act of passion, he claims Violet as his mate.

Irrevocably bound together, Byron and Violet enter one another’s worlds, threatening the balance of society and nature. He takes steps to protect them both from the Dominie’s inevitable retribution, but it isn’t enough. Violet is hunted down and kidnapped. If Byron wants a life—any life—with Violet, he must defy the very core of the Dominie itself. And win.

This book has been previously published and has been revised and expanded from its original release.

WARNING: This book contains one fabulously feisty redheaded heroine, one hunky holy-man-turned-rebel vampire, a group of corrupt religious zealots, women in chains and plenty of scorching hot sex.

Paranormal Fiction 101: What does it mean?

2009-10-15T11:12:00.001-07:00

Paranormal Fiction 101: What does it mean?

Halloween is just around the corner and as I sit and ponder what costume I'm going to where to the Authors After Dark masquerade party and trying to organize my ever growing list of bookmarks in my browser, I came across this article by Acquanetta Ferguson, a columnist for Examiner.com which also mentions my forbidden series. I'll link to the full. If you like paranormal, and especially paranormal with erotic elements, follow the link and consider bookmarking Netta's reviews. She's straightforward, loves the genre, and won't steer you wrong.

Paranormal by definition means something other than normal. Pretty simple explanation. But going further into the definition, it also means things that can not be explained by science. Paranormal by itself is such a big concept, that someone has already kindly explained it here.

But when it comes to fiction, paranormal is big business. This particular genre is very popular. Especially in erotic/romance fiction. This category or genre ranges from vampires to were-animals to witches and to everything else not "normal". There are so many authors and books out there, that there is something for everyone. One of the main focuses of these stories is that the main character, whether male or female is either the paranormal person, or is a human in a paranormal world.

But even this is not a simple enough explanation for the genre itself. Why? Because as a whole, the genre paranormal has other sub-genres within it that it makes defining it hard, yet as a reader of the paranormal, I enjoy the new concepts that continue to come out as a result. A good example would be Samantha Sommersby series Forbidden. It is erotica which is heavy on the paranormal, and all told from the point of view of a male.

When it comes to paranormal in erotica or romantica, the two main goals are the sexual journey of the characters and the paranormal world created by the author. The stories are more action filled than a contemporary more like suspenseful romance (non-stop, edge of your seat action) but with a heavy dose of the paranormal. But the sub-genre called urban fantasy which normally takes place in urban, present settings, may or may not have sex, but the main focus is the creatures and the hero/heroine kicking major butt, such as Kim Harrison's series The Hollow's and Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse series.

To read the rest of the article go here: http://www.examiner.com/x-5465-San-Diego-Erotica-Books-Examiner~y2009m7d19-Paranormal-Fiction-101-What-does-it-mean

Sam

Whipped Cream Erotic Poll

2009-10-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

My latest release, Forbidden: The Sacrifice, is up for the Best Book Award this weekend over at Whipped Cream Erotic Reviews. Please pop over, check out the poll, and vote.

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/WC/recentrev.htm

longandshortreviews [dot] com/WC/recentrev [dot] htm
(jic the link doesn't work)

Forbidden: The Sacrifice

There’s a fine line between mysticism and madness…one they must cross to win.

London psychiatrist Wesley Atherton is a man of science. He doesn’t believe in love at first sight…until he finds himself inexplicably drawn to a green-eyed American beauty he bumps into on the Tube. Just his luck, Katherine, a fashion design intern, has an engagement ring on her finger.

Wes knows a thing or two about people, though. Instinct tells him there’s something more than irresistible temptation behind their attraction. She doesn’t love her fiancé, he’s sure of it—now if only he can convince her they’re meant to be together.

Surviving a deadly train wreck is the first sign his intuition is spot on. The second—a psychic who warns them the Reaper doesn’t like to be cheated out of its quarry. The situation defies all logic, but a string of strange and lethal events convinces Wes that he and Katherine are living on borrowed time. Pitted in a battle against death itself, Wes will do anything, make any sacrifice, to protect the woman he loves.

This book has been substantially revised and expanded from its original published version.

Warning: This book contains one bad-ass demon, spectacular shagging, a feisty American heroine, and one very hot, very British, knife-wielding shrink.

"Forbidden: The Sacrifice is a fantastic book." ~ Holly, Whipped Cream Reviews

October Contest

2009-10-03T11:45:00.001-07:00

Want something to die for this Halloween?
Check out Sam’s October Contest!

Samantha Sommersby is giving away a copy of Forbidden: The Sacrifice, book 1 in her Forbidden Series along with a bendable replica of the stories villian, the Grim Reaper himself!

To enter you must (1) be on Sam’s newsletter mailing list and (2) send in your entry via the contact form on Sam’s website. Provide your snail mail address along with the phrase "October Contest".

2009-09-21T18:21:00.000-07:00

The older I get, the longer that road to recovery takes
I went in for some planned abdominal surgery about a week ago. The doctor told me that it would probably be about three weeks until I'd be fully back on my feet. I figured I'd be back to writing in a couple days. Boy was I wrong. Thankfully there were no complications and things went well. But there is no denying that I'm not bouncing back as quickly as I would like to.

I have managed to catch up with my emails from the past week and I have managed to start on a short story that's due in to Samhain next Wednesday. But it's all slow-going. Reading, which is normally a favorite pass-time isn't even holding my interest.

On the bright side, I've discovered Dexter. I should probably say I made time for Dexter. I binged on the first season and I'm seriously considering ordering Showtime so that I can watch season 2 now On-Demand. I may have to check Netflix. Also in the good news arena - Forbidden: The Temptation has officially been released and is available on sale this week at My BookStore and More.

http://www.mybookstoreandmore.com/shop/product.da/forbidden-the-sacrifice

Description

There’s a fine line between mysticism and madness…one they must cross to win.

Forbidden, Book 1

London psychiatrist Wesley Atherton is a man of science. He doesn’t believe in love at first sight…until he finds himself inexplicably drawn to a green-eyed American beauty he bumps into on the Tube. Just his luck, Katherine, a fashion design intern, has an engagement ring on her finger.

Wes knows a thing or two about people, though. Instinct tells him there’s something more than irresistible temptation behind their attraction. She doesn’t love her fiancé, he’s sure of it—now if only he can convince her they’re meant to be together.

Surviving a deadly train wreck is the first sign his intuition is spot on. The second—a psychic who warns them the Reaper doesn’t like to be cheated out of its quarry. The situation defies all logic, but a string of strange and lethal events convinces Wes that he and Katherine are living on borrowed time. Pitted in a battle against death itself, Wes will do anything, make any sacrifice, to protect the woman he loves.

This book has been substantially revised and expanded from its original published version.

Product Warnings
This book contains one bad-ass demon, spectacular shagging, a feisty American heroine, and one very hot, very British, knife-wielding shrink.

September Give-away!

2009-09-04T07:58:00.001-07:00

Have a thing for boys that are bad?
Check out Sam's September Contest!

Samantha Sommersby is giving away a signed copy of Bad Moon Rising, book 14 in Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter Series!

To enter you must (1) be on Sam's newsletter mailing list and (2) send in your entry via the contact form on Sam's website. Provide your snail mail address along with the phrase "September Contest".

The best part of Comic-Con...friends!

2009-08-02T13:47:00.001-07:00

My Comic-Con report is coming late this year. And I have a really, really, good excuse. Although the event started with a bang, for me it ended in a big bust. I ended up with a horrible case of food poisoning Friday night. It was so bad that I not only had to miss my panel, I had to miss my signing. I still feel ill, just thinking about it.

As soon as I came up for air from that, I had an editorial deadline to face. I finished proofing The Sacrifice about an hour ago - so now it's time to catch up with my neglected blog. See how things snowball?

Now that the crummy part of this update is out of the way, on to the fun stuff. Since I'm a local to San Diego, for the past couple years I've tried to schedule an author get-together for friends that come into town. This year we did it at my house. Although it was a bit more work than meeting as a restaurant, it was so much more fun and relaxing. Comic-con is sensory overload to the max. Having an evening of quiet where we can let our hair down, laugh as loud as we want, and gab to our hearts content was a blast.

Jackie Kessler recently became a vegan. Those of you that know me, know how much I enjoy cooking. This gave me the perfect excuse to experiment with some different recipes. I served a great corn salad (recipe courtesy of Cat Johnson), lamb/chicken/and veggie kabobs, a rice pilaf, caesar salad, and then a variety of nuts, fruits, and cheeses for desert. And this gave us the perfect excuse to pull some really nice wines out of the cellar.

I'm including some pics from the evening below. You'll see my son Max showing off the chain mail tunic and steel guantlets that he'll be sporting at DragonCon next month. There are pics of Charlaine Harris, Jeanne C. Stein, Diana Rowland, Jackie Kessler, Caitlyn Kittredge, and moi! A great time was had by all!

Now...I'm off to answer all those emails.

Sam

Come and play with us...after dark. Bwa ha ha ha!

2009-07-21T18:36:00.001-07:00

Save the date! October 23-25, 2009 - The Authors After Dark Paranormal Weekend is filling up fast! Sign up by August 1^st to get the lowest membership rate of $160 for the weekend. (After August 1^st, the membership goes to $175.)

The event is being held at the Suffern, NY Holiday Inn, located conveniently about 1 hour from New York City and most of the area’s major airports. Guest include:

Jacquelyn Frank

Sunny

Joey W. Hill

Stella and Audra Price

Bianca D'Arc

Rosemary Laurey

Jennifer Armintrout

Madeline Oh

Georgia Evans

Mechele Armstrong

Samantha Sommersby

Cat Johnson

Cathy Clamp

Eliza Gayle

Diana Castilleja

Leigh Ellwood

Tilly Greene

Selena Illyria

Adra Steia

Stephanie Julian

Judi Fennell

Kayleigh Jamison

Donna Grant

Robin T. Popp

Linda Mooney

Mima

Area attractions include the phenomenal shopping at Woodbury Common (http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=7) and the Forest of Fear (http://www.theforestoffear.com/home.php), held on the site of the New York State Renaissance Faire at Sterling Forest.

The convention is limited to 200 attendees so your “face time” with your favorite authors is maximized. We’re having loads of panel discussions, parties and a fantabulous dealer’s room. We’ll also be holding a massive charity raffle to benefit the CAN and Pets Alive – a local no kill animal shelter.

Sign up now for the best rates! The conference registration is only $160 until August 1^st ($175 after August 1^st) and the hotel is $99 per night, double occupancy. Lots to do in the area will make this a weekend you will never forget!

So what did Netta have to day?

2009-07-11T19:48:00.001-07:00

Netta is a reviewer for Examiner.com here in San Diego, my home town. She read the first couple of my books, reviewed them, then came to one of my book signings a couple months ago. It was wonderful to meet her in person! I've been on pins and needles wondering what she thought of my latest. Well, the review is out!

"This fourth book from one of my favorite authors, Samantha Sommersby, is a hot, action-filled new read!...This novella packs a punch from the fast loving to the eventual outcome of the crazed rogue wolf...Bottom line, this book gets a resounding 5!"

This little boost came at a wonderful time. The past two days have been spent working like crazy on edits and adding some new scenes to The Ascension for which I have both a cover AND a release date. Release date - 10/16/09. I need to check to see if I can share the cover yet. This will be Byron and Violet's story combined into one novel with additional bonus material consisting of new/added scenes. As soon as I can, I'll post the cover!

Sam

On writing Erotica and body piercings

2009-07-04T10:12:00.001-07:00

On writing Erotica and body piercings

Whipped Cream recently interviewed me on the topic of writing erotic romance. Are you curious about what I write it? How I know how much sex to include? Or what I imagine the difference between erotic romance, erotica or pornography to be? Or you can just skip to the part where they ask me what body part I want to have pierced. Hee hee!

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Sam

Replace the [dot]'s with .'s

http://whippedcream2archives [dot] blogspot [dot] com/2009/07/author-interview-samantha-sommersby [dot] html

My July Contest - A Signed Copy of Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris!

2009-07-03T18:53:00.001-07:00

My July Contest - A Signed Copy of Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris!

How about a hot vampire romance to make this summer even hotter?
Check out my July Contest!

July is one of my favorite months, partially because that's when Comic-Con comes to San Diego every year. I'm not ashamed to admit it. I am a total geek. One reason I'm excited is that this gives me the opportunity to see some of my Buffy Buds - all of us are huge fans of Joss Whedon and Comic-Con gives an opportunity to geek-out together! Embarrassing, I know.

Charlaine Harris took some time off earlier this year due to her daughter's graduation. But she will be attending Comic-Con and promoting her newest release in the Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood Series: Dead and Gone, available now in hard cover. A signed copy could be yours!

To enter you must (1) be on Sam's newsletter mailing list and (2) send in your entry via the contact form on Sam's website. Provide your snail mail address along with the phrase "July Contest".

Website: http://www.samanthasommersby.com

Good luck all!

Sam

News about the future of the Forbidden Series!

2009-06-24T12:23:00.001-07:00

News about the future of the Forbidden Series!

First I want to thank those of you who have written to me about the fate of the Forbidden series lately. I promised that I would post as soon as I knew something solid. Most of those emails and messages were from folks who knew that my publisher, Linden Bay Romance, was purchased by Crissy Brashear, the owner of Samhain Publishing at the beginning of this year.

For the first few months, as Crissy committed, things continued pretty much "business as usual". Upon returning from RT in April we (the former LBR authors) were told that Samhain editors would be going through the current LBR catalog and that decisions would be made to either release authors from contracts OR to offer authors new contract so that titles could be migrated to Samhain. We were also given the option of requesting rights back outright. Fortunately, the series has been picked up. Yippee! Samhain has also picked up Shelter from the Storm.

What does this really mean? One thing it means is that I have my work cut out for me over the next few months. The entire series will be going through edits again and several of the books are going to be lengthened, which I'm excited about. They are also going to all get new covers. The editor who has been working with me on The Sacrifice, Tera, will be sticking with me. This is a big plus. She knows the story and we've worked well together thus far. I've always been blessed with wonderful editors and my luck seems to be holding. Upon reflection I've learned so much from Maria, Stephanie, Barb, Nikki...and now I'm learning new things from Tera (i.e. limiting my use of filter words).

I'm still waiting for new release dates and will keep you posted as to those. I know that The Sacrifice (Book 1) is scheduled for a 9/29 release. I finished my edits and those are with Tera. I may get another round before it goes to line edits. We'll see.

Under Fire, which I've been working on for Red Rose, is almost ready to go back to Lea, my editor there. I don't have a firm release date for it. When I do, I'll post it. I need to let it sit for a bit before going through it one last time.

Meanwhile - it's back to The Summoning. I hope to read what I wrote prior to turning my attention to Under Fire today and tomorrow, then getting back on track with William and Elizabeth's story.

Wish me luck!

Sam

Day 3 – Wine tasting trip report

2009-06-17T09:47:00.001-07:00

Day 3 – Wine tasting trip report

Wow – I can't believe that this is the last day of our trip. We just finished breakfast and I have a short window of opportunity to get this blog posted. So this is going to be an abbreviate report…

We started yesterday at Siduri winery where the winemaker talked to us about blending. They specialize in Pinot's and we spent about an hour playing there. Part chemistry, part art. This was a blast. I've never done any of my own blending before. We ended up leaving with a couple bottles of their Hirsch Vineyard label. Very yummy.

From there we went to Seghesio. We'd fallen in love with their Zin's about a year ago and meeting the family behind the label was a memorable experience. This winery dates back to pre-prohibition and it's a family affair. A bonus – they also make fantastic sausage. The winemaker shared his family sausage recipe, which we got to make. I love to cook, but I'd never made sausage before. After we were through Uncle Nick fried some up. Amazing. Then he threw together a spectacular risotto, which we had with more sausage, Caesar salad, and about 6 different Seghesio wines. We ended up bring home a case of their Barberra (which we hadn't tried before) and a case of their Old Vine (which is a zin). I'm sorry that I didn't get the recipe for the risotto. I may need to email them for it.

Next was Rockpile. I confess, I sat part of this one out. The winemaker was really young and enthusiastic. He wanted to take us out and have us walk the fields. It was 85 and very hilly. Hubby was more than game. I took a breather. He walked through the various blocks, sampling wines as he went.

Last, but not least, was dinner at the Hotel Healdsburg prepared by the Chefs at Dry Creek. This was another 6 course meal – paired with a little over 20 wines. There was absolutely no way that I could taste them all. Memorable ones were a 1986 Heitz Cellars Cabernet, a 1994 BV Latour, and a Syrah that the winemaker, Tyler, brought from Pax. The envelope containing the vintage is packed – but I think is was a 2007. Very, very, nice.

Dinner –

First course: Dry Creek Peach Carpaccio

Second course: Spice Crusted Ahi Nicoise

Third course: House Made Potato Cavatelli Pasta

Fourth course: Butter Braised Alaskan Halibut

Main Course: Pan Roaded New York Strip Steak Entrecote

Dessert: Almond Financier (Roasted Peaches, Lemon Verbena Ice Cream).

Time to run and enjoy the last day!

Sam

Day 2 – Wine tasting trip report

2009-06-16T09:05:00.001-07:00

Day 2 – Wine tasting trip report

We started yesterday's travels at the Palmaz Vineyards. This place was fascinating. The vineyard itself dates back to pre-prohibition. During the prohibition era all of the fines were pulled and replaced by various fruits. Dr. Palmaz purchased the vineyard in the late 90's with the intention of turning it into a family run business. The former radiologist who invented the heart stent funded the venture with money earned during his illustrious medical career. Dr. and Mrs. Palmaz are very involved in the running of the vineyard and making of the wine – as are their children. The facility that they build was designed to support producing wine using a gravity-flow method. It's an 18 story underground building with tons of storage capacity. It's all very high-tech with computers monitoring the various tanks. We were treated to 2 wines, their 2005 Chardonnay and 2005 Cabernet. They were both delicious – but pricey. We left with 2 bottles of the Cab which we intend to cellar.

From there we drove to the Reynolds Family winery. Steve Reynolds assured us that we would have fun at his place, and he wasn't kidding. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The Reynolds winery was a start contract to Palmaz, kind of like the difference between walking into a sterile operating room vs a barn. Okay – maybe not quite that much of a difference. The Reynolds place is run by Steve, who used to be a dentist. He's passionate about wine and for years struggled to balance his career in dentistry with his desire to be a winemaker. This is an organic farm staffed by a handful of friendly and yes, fun, people. We tasted their 2006 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. We were about to move on to the 2005 Estate Cab when Steve interrupted. I'm so glad he did. He led us to the back where the 2007 barrels were being stores and we spent about an hour tasting from the barrels and listening to Steve tell stories. He's an entertaining guy – I could have listened to him chat all afternoon. We sampled the 2007 cabernet, merlot, and zinfandel. I particular liked the zin and will be curious to see you it turns out.

We were then treated to a sorely needed lunch. Shrimp, chicken, and beef tacos served with rice, beans, and his 2005 Estate Cabernet. The food was terrific and we ate outside by the garden. We finished off with a taste of the 2005 Persistence with is a blend of a variety of grapes. Wow. This was something special. We left with a half-case.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect at the next stop – Soda Canyon Caves. This place is currently under construction. The project is approximately 85% completed. There's still a ton of cosmetic work to be done. If enthusiasm is an indicator of success, then theses guys are going to have something spectacular. The short story is that 3 winemakers have joined forces to create this storage and winemaking facility that will be underground-dug into the side of a mountain. They took us through the caves, showed us some beautiful mountain views, and had close to a dozen different wines for us to taste. I tasted about 4. My favorite by far with the Waugh Zinfandel, which we intend to order after we get home.

By the time I left Soda Canyon I was wishing for a hot bath, dinner, and bed. But we had one more stop to make and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. We were handed a glass of chardonnay as soon as we arrived. After brief introductions we were taken out to stroll amongst the wines. We meandered around back to the garden where a Pinot was waiting for us, along with some appetizers. I sampled a spicy tuna cerviche with paired nicely with the wine. The garden was a beautiful place and I would have liked to have stayed longer – but dinner was announced. We were let down into the Rudd caves for dinner. We didn't leave until midnight. What an experience.

Rudd Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Sardines layered with lemon, bread crumbs, pinenuts, and chilies

Rudd Crossroads Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Rabbit braised with fresh figs and ginger

Rudd Oakville Estate Proprietary Red 2005

Bourbon glazed pork belly, pickled peaches, fried green tomato, and wild arugula

Edge Hill Mixed Blacks 2006

Whole roasted baby spring lamb, porcini, guanciale, medjool date, baby swiss chard

Rudd Oakville Estate Proprietary red 2004

Red wine poached beef tenderloin seared foie gras, red onion and mustard chutney, truffle jus.

Edge Hill Vintage Port 2005

Crème Fraiche Panna Cotta, Shortbread, and Silverado Trail Strawberries.

Now you see why we were there until midnight. All of the wines were outstanding. Our favorite was the Edge Hill Mixed Blacks 2006, which we ordered.

This morning were going to start the day at Siduri. Time for breakfast!

Sam

9:04 AM

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Day 1 – Wine tasting trip report

2009-06-15T08:51:00.001-07:00

Day 1 – Wine tasting trip report

I'm happy to report that or first day of this trip was amazing. I can't wait to see what's in store for us today! The flight into Oakland yesterday was fast and painless.

It seemed like I just blinked my eyes and we were landing. That might have had something to do with the fact that I'd downloaded Cat Johnson's newest release, Unridden for the trip. That also explains why I wasn't able to take many pictures and post them from or last destination yesterday. My iPhone ran out of battery.

A chartered bus took us to our first stop. Enroute they serves bloody mary's and we had a light snack which was sorely needed despite the fact that we'd had a substantial breakfast before leaving San Diego. We arrived at Clos Pegase around 1:00. Although it appeared to be a lovely winery and the winemaker greeted us, the attraction there was Peter Thompson of Andrew Geoffrey Vineyards. We were treated to a vertical tasting of his Cabernet Sauvignon 2003-2005. As a bonus we also tried his Cabernet Franc. He spent quite a bit of time talking about the blending of the wines, which I found interesting. He was extremely engaging, inviting lots of questions. We're taking home 3 regular bottles of the 2004, plus a 1.5 liter bottle. They should continue to improve over the next 3-4 years, then hold for 15-18. Definitely something to put in the cellar and forget about for a while.

We then hit Lynmar in the Russian River Valley. This is mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir country. I'm not a big Pinot fan, but I do enjoy and drink quite a bit of Chardonnay. The selections there were a little disappointing. The grounds and gardens were lovely and I spend time meandering in them. That was really the highlight for me. I liked their Sereinite Chardonnay, but in wasn't remarkable enough for me to pay $70.00 per bottle. They also were pouring a Wente clone with was tasty. They had some light food pairings (VERY light).

The last stop of the day was Michel Schlumberger. This was an incredible experience. My only regret was that my iPhone battery died shortly after we arrived, so I was unable to take the photos that I wanted. Winemaker Mike Brunson, who was a fabulous host, greeted us. We began with a 2008 Pinot Blanc which we enjoyed in the garden as his Springer spaniel ran happily around. After a brief introduction, we set out to walk the field. This man knows every inch of the vineyard. Michel Schlumberger is completely organic and the love and dedication that Mike puts into his wine is apparent. This is a man who is passionate about his work. The end of our little hike culminated at the top of a hill overlooking the valley. The view was incredible and he opened a 2004 Merlot for us which we enjoyed before heading back to dinner.

Dinner was served right in the winery and Mike joined us, introducing each of the wines as they were poured. The food was spectacular:

2006 La Brume Chardonnay

Heirloom Tomato Caprese * Cresenza Cheese * Grilled Watermelon * Garlic Croutons

2006 Le Fou Pinot Noir

Paella

2000 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

2004 Deau Terres Cabernet Sauvignon

2005 Coteaux Sauvages

Red Wine Braised Waygu Beef Cheeks * Summer Bean Medley * Tomato Confit

2002 Semillon

Dahman confections Assorted Truffles

We left with a split case – 6 bottles of the 2000 Reserve Cabernet and 6 bottles of the 2004 Deau Terres. The 2000 is drinkable now and will hold for another 6 years, perhaps more. The 2004 is going to continue to age for a few years, then will hold for perhaps 10. These are very big, very delicious reds. Fabulous finds.

We didn't leave until about 9:45. By the time we checked into our hotel we were exhausted. Not I'm up, I've had a good breakfast, and I'm ready to hit the road and enjoy about day.

(P.s. I posted a variety of pictures to my twitter account yesterday and will continue to do so today. If I have time tonight I'll re-edit this post and add some.)

Sam

June Contest-$25.00 Gift Certificate and Burning Alive, signed edition

2009-06-13T16:29:00.001-07:00

June Contest! $25.00 Gift Certificate and Burning Alive signed edition!

First I'd like to congratulate Sandie E. for winning the May contest. Your signed copy of Forbidden: The Temptation and that cute, cuddly werewolf plush is on the way to you. Enjoy!

Now, onto the June Contest!

Summer is right around the corner and school is almost out. Although I equate this time of year with long lazy days filled with scorching hot reads, this summer I'm going to be knee deep in edits and writing.

What am I going to do instead? I'm going to give one lucky reader a $25.00 shopping spree at All Romance eBooks (cause you know I love's my eBooks) AND a signed copy of this month's bookclub pick--Burning Alive by Shannon K. Butcher (see extraordinarily yummy cover below).

To enter you must (1) be on Sam's newsletter mailing list (you can sign up on my website) and (2) send in your entry via the contact form on Sam's website. Provide your snail mail address along with the phrase "June Contest".

What's the website? samanthasommersby [dot] com

Good luck!

Sam

The Temptation is up for Best Book at Long and Short Reviews!

2009-06-13T10:29:00.001-07:00

The Temptation is up for Best Book at Long and Short Reviews!

I can't believe that I completely forgot to mention that The Temptation is up for the honor of Best Book over at Long and Short Reviews. This award is based on reader polling, so if you have a chance to pop over, review entries, and cast your vote, I'd appreciate it.

Wish me luck!

longandshortreviews [dot] com/WC/recentrev [dot] htm

Sam

The best vacation EVER!! Napa - here I come!

2009-06-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

The best vacation EVER!! Napa - here I come!

I just printed up the boarding passes for a little mini vacation that hubby and I are taking. It's been a long while since the two of us have some away on a trip that didn't involve some business. I always enjoy myself at cons, signings, and events - but this time away with him is something I've really been looking forward to. We're heading early tomorrow morning to go to Napa for a wine tasting trip. The best part is that someone set the entire thing up for us - from telling us what flight to take to where we'll eat every meal. I've been really pre-occupied with deadlines, so I'm happily putting our fate in the hands of Chris and his wife Mary - from the Wine Vault & Bistro here in San Diego (winevaultbistro [dot] com). We buy a great deal of our wine from him and he's never steered us wrong. He's also bringing his chefs along, so I know that we'll be eating like Kings and Queens. This is really a dream vacation for me. Who knows - maybe it will inspire a book set in the wine country? I'm hoping to send in reports along the way...so stay tuned for some terrific wine recommendations. Here's a glimpse at the itinerary.

14 June 2009 (Sunday)

10:30 AM Arrive Oakland Airport

11:00 AM Champagne & Bloody Mary brunch

12:30 PM Andrew Geoffrey 3-year vertical tasting with Peter Thompson at the base of Diamond Mountain

01:15 PM Champagne tasting & cave tour at Schramsberg in Napa

04:15 PM Reserve Pinot tasting, light lunch and garden tour at Lynmar in Russian River

06:15 PM Vineyard trek at Michele-Schlumberger Winery in Sonoma

07:45 PM Dinner at Michele-Schlumberger Winery prepared by our chefs Bobby and KC

10:45 PM Check into Hotel

15 June 2009 (Monday)

08:30 AM Breakfast at Hotel

09:30 AM Leave Hotel

10:30 AM Tour and tasting at Palmaz Vineyards Winery in Napa

12:30 PM Lunch, tasting and vineyard trek at Reynolds Family Winery in Napa

03:00 PM Caves-under-construction tour and tasting atop Soda Canyon Road in Napa

05:30 PM Tasting and garden trek at Rudd Winery in Napa

06:45 PM Dinner underground in the caves at Rudd Winery prepared by our chefs Bobby and KC

10:45 PM Check into Hotel

16 June 2009 (Tuesday)

08:30 AM Breakfast at Hotel

09:30 AM Leave Hotel

10:00 AM Pinot blending at Siduri Winery in Santa Rosa

12:00 Noon Sausage making party, tour, tasting and lunch at Seghesio Winery in Sonoma

03:00 PM Rockpile vineyard trek and tasting with Clay Mauritson

06:30 PM Back to Hotel to clean up

07:30 PM Dinner in the Carriage House & Gardens at Hotel prepared by Dry Creek Kitchen

17 June 2009 (Wednesday)

08:30 AM Breakfast at Hotel

09:30 AM Check out of Hotel

11:00 AM Tasting and vineyard tour at Saracina Winery in Hopland

12:30 PM Lunch, tasting and vineyard tour at Ceago Winery in Lake County

03:30 PM Leave Ceago for the Airport

Sam

Comic-Con News!

2009-06-12T20:01:00.001-07:00

Comic-Con News!

I've received an invite to sit on a panel this summer at Comic-Con that I'm very excited about. If you live in the San Diego area or will be coming to the area for the event - mark the date on your calendar! I'd love to see you. Here's the info. There will be a book signing following the panel. More details will come as I hear them.

Saturday, July 253:00-4:00

Monster Mash Room 2Panelists:

Amber Benson (DEATH'S DAUGHTER); Alice Henderson (VORACIOUS), Walter Greatshell (XOMBIES: APOCALYPSE BLUES), S.G. Browne (BREATHERS); Marlene Perez (DEAD IS SO LAST YEAR); Rob Thurman (DEATHWISH); and Samantha Sommersby (FORBIDDEN: THE TEMPTATION).
Sam

Guess who is being featured?

2009-06-08T09:46:00.001-07:00

Guess who is being featured?

Yup!

The video for Forbidden: The Temptation is being featured as the book trailer of the week over on the blog of the wonderful Raina James.

The book has been out for a while now, but that doesn't matter. I never seem to get tired of watching that video. Those little scrap fairies are very talented at putting those videos together.

If you haven't seen it yet, or if you have and like me want another peek at Jake Madison, pop over to: http://rainajames [dot] com/blog/

Now I'm off to dive into my edits for The Sacrifice. I'm hoping to have it back to my editor by Wednesday. Wish me luck!

Sam

Where the heck have I been?!?

2009-06-06T15:45:00.001-07:00

Where the heck have I been?!?

I flew to New York as planned for BEA and despite the fact that I was still feeling icky from the flu, I had a wonderful time. My husband came with me and made sure that I remembered to eat, drink, and get plenty of rest. (Which is hard to do when you're in the city that never sleeps).

We stayed in a room overlooking Times Square, ate in lots of fabulous restaurants, caught up with some friends, and in general had fun. The buzz at BEA this year turned out to be eBooks. Everyone was talking about the explosion of digital. One high-light for me was getting to preview the new Cool-ER. A brand new eReader from the UK which looks suspiciously like the Cybook Gen 3 that I have - only it's available in cool colors and is quite a bit cheaper. If you are wanting an eReader that's the size of a trade paperback, I encourage you to check it out. I'm so happy with my iPhone as an eReader I haven't read off of my Cybook in ages.

Speaking of reading - I've read a couple really good books in the past couple weeks. Two of them were thrillers. Once upon a time I used to read a lot of thrillers. I picked up these two from the Goody Room at RT and I wasn't disappointed.

The first one is Dead Ringer by Mary Burton. I love alpha males and kick-butt heroines, so this book really appealed to me. The sensuality level wasn't quite where I would have liked it to be, but the characters were very well developed and the plot had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing.

Scream for me, the second thriller was even more enjoyable. Special Agent Daniel Vartanian was amazing character. I'm definitely going to go back and read some of the earlier books written by Karen Rose. I started reading this one on the trip back from New York, despite the time difference I found myself reading late into the night when I arrived back in San Diego and picked it up early the following morning to finish it.

Hot Night by Shannon McKenna was by far the best of the three. This book grabbed me right at the beginning and wouldn't let go. I read it on the flight out to NY. What an incredibly satisfying book. The hero was to-die-for (Zan - a delicious bad by who is reallllly good), the plot was fast-paced, and the sex was hot. 10-days later I still want more! If you haven't read this one, pick it up.

Now I'm off to prepare for a chat over at Love Romances Cafe today from 4 pm to 6 pm pst. Come join me if you can! http://groups [dot] yahoo [dot] com/group/LoveRomancesCafe/

Sam

I've literally been in bed all week. Waaah!

2009-05-22T12:37:00.001-07:00

I've literally been in bed all week. Waaah!

Last saturday I want to my monthly RWA meeting. It was superb. Debra Dixon spoke and I picked up a copy of her GMC (Goal Motivation and Conflict) book. Fantastic. If you're a writer I recommend it.

I knew something was wrong when Deb stopped to ask if everyone else was hot and the crowd all nodded. I was freezing. By the time I made it home that afternoon I was well on my way to being sick.

My husband (who never gets sick) had the flu a few months ago and missed almost a week of work. Last week my son got it and was out of school for the week. Not the H1N1 - just the regular old flu. Now it's my turn. I'm so bored I feel like I'm about to lose my mind.

So what do you do when you don't feel well enough to do much of anything? For the first couple days I watched movies. One day I decided to read. I picked up "To Beguile A Beast" by Elizabeth Hoyt and blew through it. I hadn't read a historical in probably close to a decade. It took me back to summers in high school when I would sit on Hampton Beach and read one boddice-ripper after another.

Then I starting tackling edits (between naps) for an upcoming release - Under Fire. Coincidentally, it's a historical. WWI, set in Arabia. The original manuscript was written years ago and was once published under an alternate title. Honestly, in giving it a fresh read, I think it needs a lot of work.

I've put aside The Summoning for now since my submission deadline for it is open ended and Red Rose has been exceedingly patient with me while I finished work on The Sacrifice. They are indulging my desire to do some major rewrites on Under Fire so I'm making that my primary focus for the next few weeks. I hope to have a more polished version into my editor there soon.

Once that's turned in, I'll go back to working on the Forbidden Series. I also need to figure out what to do with three short stories that I have. I'm trying to decide if I should submit them someplace, or release them as free reads. Guess I'll tackle that question another day. For now...it's time to nap.

Sam

Book recommendations!

2009-05-15T12:53:00.001-07:00

Book recommendations!

I hope that everyone has a fantastic weekend! I'm hoping to get in a bit of reading in addition to some writing.

If you haven't read Eve of Darkness yet, Book One of S.J. Day's Marked series, do pick it up. It's excellent. Eve is a fabulous heroine and Cain (yes of Cain and Able fame) is a wonderful bad boy hero. There's plenty of action, plenty of plot, and plenty of hot steamy sex. Although I will warn you - this is a series. When you get to the end of book one, if you're like me you'll let out a scream. Thankfully book 2 will be out soon and I'm a series junkie.

That brings me to my next recommendation. I haven't finished this yet, but it's off to a good start and I've decided to select it for my June Bookclub pick (I pick one book each month). Burning Aliveby Shannon K. Butcher. There's going to be some additional info on this one - which is book 1 in The Sentinel Wars series - in my June newsletter. I'll also be giving away a signed copy. If you aren't receiving my newsletter, you can sign up via the home page of my website: samanthasommersby [dot] com

Lastly, Michelle Pillow let me know of a new release. This one just came out today. I kept trying to include an excerpt, but the words kept melting and sliding right off of my monitor!

Divinity Warriors 2: Fighting Lady Jayne

By Michelle M. Pillow

Jayne Hart has earned her independence by becoming Divinity Corporation's inter-dimensional boxing champion. Life is great, until a dirty fighter knocks her unconscious. Now, abandoned by the corporation in a parallel world, Jayne will use every weapon she has to be free once more. Even if it means running from her sexy new "husband" and spending the rest of her life in a primitive forest.

Ronen of Firewall longs for a woman to warm his bed and his home, but he had no intention of choosing a bride. In an unprecedented move, one chooses him. Never in the history of the breeding ceremony has a woman dared to lay claim. How can he resist the alluring Lady Jayne? She's confident and sure in her decision to be with him—until their wedding night when she's nowhere to be found. But, Ronen is not one to shy from a battle. He will find Jayne and, when he does, he has one particular "weapon" in mind for taming his seductive, wayward wife.

So what are you reading?

Sam

A secret about bad sex

2009-05-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

A secret about bad sex

First let me reveal my bias, I write for an adult audience. My sex scenes are hot and explicit. To me, sex is a normal, healthy part of adult relationships. I can't imagine leaving that part out of the story, or not allowing the reader to experience it fully and completely. I leave the bedroom door wide open so readers can grab a box of popcorn, pick a seat, sit back, and enjoy the entire show.

Although I candidly tell folks that I write erotic romance or urban fantasy with erotic elements. I don't think I write erotica. Why? Because the sex isn't primary, it's not the focus of or the reason for the story. Rather it's something that naturally unfolds as the desire and emotional connection between my cotagonists deepens.

I've seen and read lots of books and articles over the years about how to write a good sex scene, some focusing on the "dos", other on the "don'ts". Today I'm writing about something that I haven't seen a lot of other authors discuss, the importance of a bad sex scene. Now, I'm not talking about poorly written sex, or a specific type of sex that I have judgments about. I'm simply talking about a sex scene in which the outcome is far from ideal.

Personally, I love it when an author inserts a well crafted and strategically placed scene in which the characters fumble, struggle, strike out, or somehow "misfire". I think it makes characters more real, more vulnerable, and most importantly, more relatable. This is particularly the case when the author is able to show that the hero/heroine can get through the situation with finesse and that, as a result, they experience a more profound sense of intimacy.

There are some important key elements to making this sort of scene work for you.

1. Regardless of the failure, your hero/heroine must stay in character. You don't want the reader to suddenly feel as if two entirely different characters are introduced.

2. Remember that you are striving for vulnerability and reality. The situation should be believable. You don't want it to come off as comical and you don't want to make the reader too anxious or afraid. Be subtle.

3. Use humor carefully. No one wants to be laughed at or feel like they are being ridiculed when they're naked. Remember that your characters are bare not only physically during an intimate scene, but emotionally as well.

4. Keep the sexual tension high and the pacing steady. Lead both your characters and the reader down the garden path and then surprise them by inserting an obstacle.

5. Acknowledge the obstacle. It's better when one of the characters is able to do this rather than relying merely on narrative.

6. Have the characters talk through the obstacle to normalize it. This will show the reader that they have the strength to get through those mundane relationship issues that are necessary to conquer if they're going to have a long-lasting relationship.

What's the most important ingredient of all? The thing guaranteed to turn your imperfect encounter into utter magic? Giving the reader the sense that above all else, the characters are in love. To quote Jason Jordan:

"True love does not come by finding the perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly."

Samantha Sommersby is the author of the critically acclaimed Forbidden series, including her newest book "Forbidden: The Temptation." Sam happily spends her days immersed in the world of the Forbidden, a world where vampires, werewolves, and demons are real, where magic is possible, and where love still conquers all. To learn more about Sam's books or to sign up for her monthly newsletter visit

http://www.samanthasommersby [dot] com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles [dot] com/?expert=Samantha_Sommersby

True Confessions: I heart monsters

2009-05-11T09:51:00.001-07:00

True confessions - I heart monsters

I thought I'd share an article that I recently wrote with you this morning. It's a short little piece about one of my fav subjects - monsters and why we love them. Especially those dead sexy vamps!

*****

As little girls we dread the dark and fear the monsters under our beds. Then we grow up and find ourselves wishing they were in them.

Today there are plenty of sexy shapeshifters, demons, and other dark antiheroes living on women's bookshelves and providing fodder for their fantasies. However, the dynamics that make these fringe creatures so attractive seem to be most clearly defined and celebrated by the biggest bad of them all-the vampire.

Modern creatures of the night may be rooted in classic mythology and vampire lore, but they're different, they have to be. In order for authors to set themselves apart in the genre, they must take liberties. They must create something fresh and unique, while at the same time retaining the familiar. That's the balance that keeps old fans of the genre coming back and attracting new ones.

The tremendously successful Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer is a prime example. Other interpretations include Bram Stoker's traditional one depicted with cape, Laurel K. Hamilton's lace and leather-clad version, Charlaine Harris' down-home vamp with his southern charm and pressed khakis, and my personal favorite, Joss Whedon's duster-wearing slayer-loving Spike.

So why do we swoon over Dracula, Jean-Claude, Bill, Spike, and Edward?

First let's cover the obvious. Vampires are immortal. That means they get to stay young and drop-dead (no pun intended) gorgeous forever. Although their youthful appearance is preserved, they become wise as a result of the passage of time and through a collection of worldly experience. Talk about an intensely winning combination.

Then there's the other really compelling paradox, vulnerable but dangerous. In most scenarios, the vampire was once a human who became an unwilling victim. Relegated to an existence not of their choosing, the vampire has to avoid discovery, sunlight, and the pointy end of a stake while searching for and procuring sustenance. We feel just a little bit sorry for them, even if they are evil, blood-sucking fiends. Now it gets a little weird.

Vampires require blood to survive. Humans are a readily available source of blood. Vampires need us. We like to be needed. We know we're taking a huge risk and that in the end the vampire is probably going to lose control and bite us, right? Maybe even kill us? Yes! And that's actually some of the appeal.

It's not so much that we want to die or be bitten, it's that we like to be afraid. Fear causes the release of endorphins in the brain, a natural opiate. Endorphins are also released during orgasm. So let's take this one step further and assume for a minute that the bite is sexual, the encounter erotically charged. Our vampire is getting hotter by the minute, isn't he?

Now let's kick it up one more notch and talk about reformation and transformation. This is the idea that our big bad vampire is capable of changing his big bad ways and that suddenly he wants to. Why? Because of you. Your love has saved and transformed him. And what can your vampire give you in return? Only eternity together.

What an intoxicating happily-ever-after.

Samantha Sommersby is the author of the critically acclaimed Forbidden series, including her newest book "Forbidden - The Temptation." Sam happily spends her days immersed in the world of the Forbidden, a world where vampires, werewolves, and demons are real, where magic is possible, and where love still conquers all. To learn more about Sam's books or to sign up for her monthly newsletter visit http://www [dot] samanthasommersby [dot] com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles [dot] com/?expert=Samantha_Sommersby

New series bible and website updates

2009-05-08T10:11:00.001-07:00

New series bible and website updates

Forgot to mention this important news! Thanks to the Amazing Audrey I now have a series bible for the Forbidden universe that I can share with all of you. It's available on my website (FREE!). There are some spoiler warnings - so beware if you haven't read the entire series.

I think Audrey did a fantastic job. Please check it out along with the other updates.

Sam

samanthasommersby [dot] com

First Person Voices Article

2009-05-08T09:52:00.001-07:00

First Person Voices Article

An article that I wrote for an eZine was released earlier this week. I thought I'd share it here. The source is cited below.

I'll be spending most of today trying to meet my daily word count on The Summoning and obsessing about my book-signing tomorrow afternoon. If you're in the San Diego area - stop buy. I'll have some of my Temptation Blood Bath (Bubble Bath) on hand!

*****

When I first conceived of my book series I knew that I was going to be faced with a challenge selling the idea to my publisher. There are so many wonderful series out there that use vampire mythology. I realized that somehow I would need to make mine different, to set it apart in the readers mind.

Although I planned to use traditional lore, I also planned to create some rules that are unique to the Forbidden universe. For example, traditionally vampires are portrayed as strong, powerful, creatures of seduction. I wanted my vampire hero to be a little more relatable, more accessible to the reader.

Most urban fantasy is written from the point of view of the female protagonist. That first person POV allows for a very immediate, intimate, and intense reading experience. There's no better way to let the reader inside a character's head and heart. That's the reason that I decided to write the series from the point of view of the heroes.

Was it difficult at first? Yes! Up until that time I'd primarily written from the third person perspective. Making the move to writing in first person meant that I, in effect, needed to become more of a conduit or a channel for the hero's voice. The first challenge was finding that voice. The second was holding onto it. My background as a psychotherapist became invaluable. I started out by creating a psychological profile for the hero. This included a family history as well as his personal history.

I realized that in order to be successful I'd have to solidly know my hero and what makes him tic. I'd need to fully understand his motivation, what he wanted, what he feared, and what inspired him. It was my belief that once I knew the hero inside and out, his story would begin to unfold. His responses and reactions would become inevitable. And his voice would just...stick.

People ask me on occasion how I deal with writer's block. When they do I cringe. I've always become easily absorbed in stories, especially my own and now that I write in first person POV that's even more true. It feels more my world, more my narrative than ever before. In addition to my own stream of consciousness I can access Byron's, Dell's, Jake's, and now Wesley's. And sometimes, it's not so much about accessing it as it is about turning it off and coming back to the present.

Just the other night I realized quite suddenly during dinner with some friends that my husband stopped talking mid-sentence. When I looked at him he smiled, then he leaned over and whispered, "You were off plotting, weren't you?" Busted. I was guilty as charged.

"Wesley?" he asked.

I turned bright red and nodded.

See? I'm not psychotic, I just hear this guy's voice in my head.

Samantha Sommersby is the author of the critically acclaimed Forbidden series, including her newest book "Forbidden: The Temptation". Sam happily spends her days immersed in the world of the Forbidden, a world where vampires, werewolves, and demons are real, where magic is possible, and where love still conquers all. To learn more about Sam's books or to sign up for her monthly newsletter visit http://www.samanthasommersby [dot] com

Article Source:http://EzineArticles [dot]com/expert=Samantha_Sommersby

Booksigning this Saturday in San Diego. Join me!

2009-05-07T14:24:00.001-07:00

Join author Samantha Sommersby this Saturday at 3:00 p.m. at Mysterious Galaxy!

Mysterious Galaxy Birthday Bash

Book signing with authors Kage Baker, Alice Henderson, Jeffrey J. Marriotte,

Jim Butcher, Shannon Butcher, S.J. Day, Samantha Sommersby,

P.J. Haarsma, Sina Grace and Kris Saknussemm!
7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Ste #302
San Diego, CA 92111
Time: 3:00 pm

Samantha will be sharing the author spotlight with S.J. Day and then signing her latest release:

Forbidden: The Temptation

Terrific Paranormal Author Contest

2009-05-07T14:19:00.001-07:00

Terrific Paranormal Author Contest

I wanted to post about this for all of you paranormal junkies out there - like me!

This is a great way to learn about new series and was the brain child of author Moira Rogers. Go Moira!

There are a total of 50 books being given away - each of them the first book in a different series. Why? To get readers like us hooked, of course. She's even calling it "Get Hooked on a Series." You also have the opportunity to join the mailing list of the various authors. I have to admit that I've just spent far too much time browsing authors websites and checking out books that were new to me.

You can check the contest out at: http://moirarogers [dot] com/?q=node/348

Now...back to working on The Summoning!

(I hear CAM cracking her whip!)

Sam

So you want your own werewolf? Check out Samantha Sommersby's May Contest!

2009-05-02T08:39:00.001-07:00

This contest is for every girl who wishes she had her very own sexy shapeshifter to take to bed. One lucky winner will receive a signed copy of Forbidden: The Temptation along with their very own werewolf plush. For your own safety I have to tell you, the book comes with a disclaimer...

Warning: This book contains raging winter storms, truly inspiring sex, a kick-butt heroine, and one very hot, dirty-talking cowboy...who's sometimes furry.

To enter you must (1) be on Sam's newsletter mailing list and (2) send in your entry via the contact form on Sam's website. Provide your snail mail address along with the phrase "I want my own Were!".

*Hugs*

Sam

RT 2009 Con Report

2009-04-27T05:15:00.000-07:00

Well - RT is officially over. I'm now recuperating in Tampa with friends. As always, it was a whirlwind. Too much wine and food and not enough sleep.

The eBook Expo went off without a hitch and the Saturday Bookfair was a blast (note truly terrible picture of me at the booksigning). I was able to connect with readers at both events. That's actually one of my very favorite things about the entire RT experience. That, and the chance to connect with authors friends - both old and new. And Booksellers - mustn't forget them!

This year I had a special bookseller gift made and it was a big hit. There were a few left over that I put out at the signing - so you can see them in the pic above - red bubble bath with a Forbidden style label. Instead of "Bubble Bath" I called it "Blood Bath". I also had Forbidden chocolate bars, buttons, bookmarks, and book plates. The promo I had the hardest time parting with? The little vampire plush that I placed in a basket along with copies of each of the books in my series. It was a numbered edition of the Vamp Angel puppet from the Smile Time episode. He was SO CUTE! Here's a picture of him along with the Anne Rice T-shirt (from the 1996 RT - the year Servant of the Bones was released) a bookseller received in her "special bag" and kindly passed on to me (Yippee!).

In other news...a new interview posted while I was gone. This one is by Netta Ferguson, the San Diego Erotica Books Examiner!

*hugs*

Sam

Interview on What's Hot in Romance!

2009-04-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

For those of you that didn't get the chance to listen live!

What's Hot in Romance - 9:30 est

2009-04-20T17:00:00.001-07:00

Tune in tonight! I'll be Cat Johnson's guest on What's Hot in Romance.
www.blogtalkradio.com/Whats-Hot-In-Romance

9:30-10:30 est.

Sam

Tune in tomorrow night!

2009-04-19T08:58:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow night I'm going to be Cat Johnson's guest on What's Hot in Romance and I'm already scared sh*tless. Cat's a wonderful interviewer. I listen to the show all the time. So why am I so freaked out? Who knows. Stuff like this always turns my stomach and makes my knees knock together. I so admire performers. I could never get up on a stage on a regular basis in front of people and act or sing. (Partially because I can neither act nor sing, LOL).

I find that it does help tremendously when there are people that I know in the audience. It seems to create an illusion of intimacy. So if any of you are able to listen in, open the chat application on blogtalkradio, wave, and let me know that you're there. I might not be able to wave back at the time, because I'll be busy listening to Cat, trying to sound um...not completely boring, and breathing into a paper bag so that I don't hyperventilate. Okay - the last part is an exaggeration. I've yet to hyperventilate.

Here's the link. Time is 6:30 EST.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Whats-Hot-In-Romance

Now, I'm off to the airport! I'll be arriving this evening in Tampa and will be driving down to Orlando on Wednesday for the Romantic Times Booklover convention. Wednesday night I'll be signing at their eBook Expo, which is open to the public and Saturday I'll be signing at the BookFair (also open to the public). So if you're in the Orlando area. Please stop by and say hello!

Sam

And the winner is...

2009-04-08T18:50:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Janet W. for winning my special promo pack. I will be taking it to the post office and mailing it along with the couple dozen mini promo packs that were just returned to me from the post office. Apparently when you put a button in the envelope you have to pay more postage because the machine spits it out.

The weird thing is that about 10 envelopes didn't come back and I received a few thank you notes. Did all ten make it through? Who knows. Bottom line. If you requested one and you don't get it with in a week, please write me and we'll try again.

In other news, I started doing some research for the opening scene of The Summoning today. Hubby had the day off so we drove around San Diego looking for just the right setting for the scene and then we spent about an hour at the BMW dealership checking out their Z4 Roadster. I'm convinced that's what Will Carlton drives. What a gorgeous car.

I did feel a bit sorry for the salesman though. After hubby and I were looking at it for a while he came up to us and asked if he could show us anything. Without thinking I said, "I don't think so. This is perfect. It's exactly what I want. I don't need to see anything else." Hubby had to jump in and let the poor man down slowly, telling him I wasn't really there to buy a Z4, I was an author doing research. Oops.

Sam

The Video Interview is up!

2009-04-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

Big hugs to Terry Kate for including me in her new video series! I love having a chance to do readings, but only so many folks have the ability to attend them in person. This new series offers the opportunity for authors to reach out to readers in a really unique way. Take a couple minutes (this is short) and give it a listen. If you go to Terry Kate's site you'll find some other interviews/readings there. Maybe you'll discover someone new!

Sam

Come visit me on the island!

2009-04-03T17:06:00.001-07:00

Author Island, that is! If you haven't entered the Author Island contest, you still have a couple weeks left. While you're over there checking that out, check out the new interview they just posted.

http://www.authorisland [dot] com/index [dot] php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2057&Itemid=602

remove the spaces and replace [dot] with .

I don't mind saying that I'm SO glad it's friday and I'm even more happy that next week is Spring Break for my son. In other fun news, I received my copy of Forbidden: The Temptation today. I'm really pleased with the layout of the book and the cream colored paper. The publisher did a fantastic job IMHO.

I've spent the past 2 days polishing The Sacrifice. I've got about 40 pages left to go and just decided that I need to cut a character. Ack! I was hoping to finish this tonight, but I may end up getting up early in the morning to tackle that. Tomorrow we're supposed to work on taxes. Then in the evening we'll be celebrating out God-daughter's birthday. Did I mention taxes tomorrow? *groan*

Sam

Romance in the Back Seat - Teaser

2009-04-02T09:07:00.001-07:00

Terry Kate sent me a link this morning to a Teaser that she's posted from my Romance in the Back Seat interview. The full interview should be up in a couple days. I have to tell you that I was SO nervous doing this. I'm not very comfortable in front of the camera. Like most writers I'm much more at home sitting in front of my lappy. Terry was fabulous though, she really put me at ease. I've listened to the interview twice and I can't hear my knees knocking together at all!

Hugs

Sam

Thank you to Amazing Audrey and Super Cool Kendra!

2009-04-01T18:53:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to say thank you to Amazing Audrey and Super Cool Kendra! And I can't forget My Emma. Thanks to these wonderful ladies I am resurrecting my newsletter. My database blew up some time ago and the idea of starting from scratch was so daunting I buried my head in the sand.

Audrey is going through hundreds and hundreds of old contest entries and emails in order to try to put a database together and she's going to help me send the newsletter out each month. We've got the content all sorted and we're really excited about some of the columns that I'm going to be routinely including. There will be eco-friendly tips, recipes, contests, and a bookclub pick in addition to author news. We hope to keep things fresh and interesting.

Kendra is working to update all of my social network sites with Sprout so that folks can easily sign up. To sign up copy and paste this URL into your browser:

https://app.e2ma.net/app/view:Join/signupId:56104

Before I go - I also wanted to let everyone know that I was in the spotlight today on the Romance eBooks Blog:

http://romanceebooksspringsummernewsletter.blogspot.com/

Check it out if you have a chance. AFTER you sign up for the shiny new newsletter!

Sam

I Read Romance - do you?

2009-03-31T09:01:00.001-07:00

Ever wonder how I transitioned from working in the psychiatric field to writing about vampires, werewolves, and demons? Why I write from the male point of view? Or what 5 books I'd take with me if I were stranded for 3 months?

Check out my interview today on I Read Romance!

http://www [dot] ireadromance.com/wordpress/?p=672

I've been working hard on writing and reading less for the past few weeks. But I'll be leaving for RT in less than 3 weeks and need a few new eBooks for my iPhone for the plane trip. Recommendations are welcome - non-DRM though.

Sam

Why adults on Benadryl should not play with matches.

2009-03-30T11:12:00.001-07:00

My poor husband has been sick for over a week. He finally is holding up the white flag and is at the doctors. Hubby rarely gets sick. He normally has a pretty sunny disposition. For days now he's just been miserable-- not sleeping, coughing, sputtering, sore throat, fever, AND he's actually had to call in sick at work. Hubby never calls in sick to work.

So while hubby has been sick, my son has been busy working on a huge physics project. A Rube Goldberg machine that will blow out a candle. For those of you not familiar, Rube is a cartoonest (and inventor) who was famous for depicting complex devices that perform simple tasks in really convoluted ways.

So my son's machine - AY YI YI - A marble travels down a tube then hits a cassette tape initiating a domino effect of multiple cassette tapes. The last one knocks a ball off of a platform. The ball is attached to the lid of a music box which then flips open. The music box starts to play. As it does, a string is wound around the music box key. The other end of the string is connected to a roll of quarters. The quarters are positioned on one end of a board. On the other end of the board, which hangs over the edge of the platform, is a heavy ball. As the string winds, the quarters are pulled off of the board, then the ball falls. Of course the ball is hooked to something. Right? It's connected to a cork which is stuffed into the bottom of a funnel. When the cork pulls out, sand starts to pour out of the funnel down a trough and into a coffee filter that is suspended by wire and tied to a lever by a rope. As the filter fills with sand, the lever tilts. On the other side of the lever is a homemade track with a matchbox car on it. The filter with sand goes down, lifting the track. Once it reaches a certain height, the car zooms down the track and hits a mousetrap, setting it off. The mousetrap is hooked up to a string which is wrapped around a fan. The trap goes off, pulling the string and turning the fan blades. In front of the fan is a trough of water with a homemade sailboat in it. On the sailboat is a lighted candle. The fan blows into the sail, moving the boat with the tealight directly under the filter with the sand. The flame burns through the filter, then the sand spills out, extinguishing the candle. Whew!

You can imagine how many hours it took for my 15 year old to put all of this together. HOURS and HOURS and HOURS. Yesterday he was working on trying to shave off a little time. Hubby suggested using an accelerant to speed up the burning process. "We can add a little lamp oil."

OMG! The entire thing went up in flames. The flames were so high that they jumped above the wire that suspended the filter and caught on the rope. From there the cardboard trough caught, then the funnel. I ran out of the garage to grab a nearby hose. By the time I came back and put the fire out, 2/3'rds of the machine was gone.

We stood back, looked at the mess, and started laughing. It was definitely one of those times that if we hadn't laughed, we would have cried. My son worked until late yesterday putting everything back together. This time using more non-flammable material and NO accelerant.

The good news is that he's learned a lot in building this thing. He's learned quite a bit about physics - energy transfers, chemical reactions. He's also learned why you shouldn't let adults on Benadryl play with matches.

Sam

Forbidden: The Temptation is available for Pre-Order!

2009-03-27T06:29:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning to an eMail in my inbox telling me that Forbidden: The Temptation is available for pre-order from Amazon.

And it's 20% off!

*jumps up and down clapping*

Best of all, is ALREADY has a ranking which means that someone ordered it already. It wasn't my mom, because I have told her yet. LOL! If you do happen to buy and read it, please let me know what you think. Amazon reviews are verrrry nice too.

My plans for today are to clear all my emails and do my blogging, drop my son off at school, stop at the gym, then the grocery store, then home to shower, then write until 2:30, then pick up my son, and write until 5:00. That should give me a full day of writing and my goal is to finish draft 1 of The Sacrifice today. That gives me some time to polish. I chatted with my editor yesterday and have a 1-2 week extension. I want to spend that time fine tuning. Now...on to the work!

Sam

Using my blog for something important.

2009-03-26T10:35:00.001-07:00

I normally don't use my blog to discuss anything political, but liberal or conservative, republican or democrat, we can all agree on the need to educate our children. I know that the economy is a train wreck right now, but the budget cuts that we're faced with to our schools here in San Diego have me greatly concerned. If you live in California, especially in San Diego, please don't sit back and remain silent. Lend you voice. Sending an email will only take a few minutes and it could make a HUGE difference.

Then after you are done, ask someone else that you know to do the same. Let's use the power of social networking to send a powerful message.

On March 10th, the Board of Education identified approximately $100 million in budget reductions for the 2009-10 school year. They did so because by State Law they are required to adopt a balanced budget each year based on the available revenues they are given by the State of California. In two short months, they will receive the final funding allocation and the budget will need to be solidified. That gives us two months to push for more school funding from the State of California.

The Obama Administration is sending stimulus money to California for education. It will not fill the $150 million budget deficit hole for the 2009-10 school year, but it may help mitigate some of the cuts. We are already looking at increased class sizes with fewer teachers and principals and less funds for transportation. In the worst case we could be looking at cuts to the arts, athletics and many other programs that we and our cherish.

Here's the problem:

The State may try to hold up sending out the stimulus funds to local school districts because they are worried about the need to make more cuts to the state budget.

San Diego Unified and other urban districts took a disproportionate hit in the last budget cuts and we need to make sure that we get our fair share of the federal stimulus money.

What can you do?

E-mail every legislator from the San Diego area and the Governor.
We need a united San Diego delegation to pressure the Governor to release the money.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger http://gov.ca.gov/interact
Senator Christine Kehoe senator.kehoe@sen.ca.gov
Senator Denise Ducheny senator.ducheny@sen.ca.gov
Senator Dennis Hollingsworth senator.hollingsworth@sen.ca.gov
Assemblymember Marty Block assemblymember.block@assembly.ca.gov
Assemblymember Lori Saldana assemblymember.saldana@assembly.ca.gov
Assemblymember Mary Salas assemblymember.salas@assembly.ca.gov
Assemblymember Nathan Fletcher assemblymember.fletcher@assembly.ca.gov
Assemblymember Joel Anderson assemblymember.anderson@assembly.ca.gov

Sign a petition to support Stimulus Dollars for our schools. You do NOT need to donate anything to the website. Just close the window after signing. Visit http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/School_funds/ to add your name.

What to tell Sacramento:

Don't hold up the stimulus money.
Our schools need the stimulus money now.
San Diego Unified got hit harder in the recent cuts than the average California school district. We want our fair share of the stimulus money.
The winning formula is for the state to allocate the stimulus dollars to schools with "50% to categoricals and 50% to revenue limits."

Thanks for listening!

Sam

You can now download books from All Romance eBooks to your Kindle!

2009-03-24T14:05:00.000-07:00

Bree - the Bree half of the Moira Rogers writing team was one of the first to blog this terrific news this morning. It seems to be all the buzz. Or so my Kindle-using friends are telling me. So, if you have a Kindle - go check out Bree's post!

moirarogers [dot] com/blog/?p=749

I do the vast majority of my eBook reading on my iPhone these days. My only regret about the Stanza application is that it doesn't support DRM...yet. Last month they announced that they've licensed Adobe DRM - so I think it's just a matter of time before I can read virtually any book I want to on my iPhone.

Do any of you read eBooks and if so, what do you use to read eBooks?

Sam

Who's my favorite hero?

2009-03-23T09:42:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Ann Lory for letting me come and visit her blog today. There's a little contest, an interview, and an excerpt from my newest release, "The Temptation", featuring my favorite dirty-talking cowboy. Pop on over and say hello!

While your there, note that Ann's latest book "Bait and Switch" was just released. It's the first in her brand new Frisky Business series. LOL! LOVE that title.

annlory [dot] blogspot [dot] com

Sam

Give-a-way - Mini promo packs!

2009-03-22T09:28:00.001-07:00

Today I'm going to chatting over on the SamhainCafe Yahoo Loop with some of my fellow Linden Bay Paranormal/Urban Fantasy authors. The chat will start at 11:00 am pst and go for 3 hours. I'll be posting about my Forbidden series and I'll be there to answer questions. If you can, please hop on. I think it will be fun. With the print release of Forbidden: The Temptation just a week away (it's already available in eBook), the timing is excellent.

In honor of the print release, I have some really nifty signed bookplates. Anyone that would like one should contact me this week. I'll also include a Forbidden bookmark and button in the envelop. Send me your snail mail via the contact form on my website with the comment "Mini promo pack request" and I'll mail them out throughout the week (as long as my supply lasts). If you want to know what they look like - you can find images of them in the "Fun Stuff" page on the website.

Website: samanthasommersby [dot] com
Address for today's chat: groups [dot] yahoo [dot] com/group/samhaincafe/

Hope to see some of you there!

Sam

Why enter the Spring Into Romance Contest?

2009-03-21T11:43:00.001-07:00

My local RWA chapter is sponsoring the following contest. Check it out!

Sam

__________________________________________

The Spring Into Romance Contest is known for its meaningful feedback.

New score sheets this year include category-specific sections.

The SIRC is one of the best contest values around, at $20 for RWASD members, $25 for non-members, ($35 foreign).

No synopsis required.

Discrepancy judging will be used, as needed.

As many as five finalists per category will be judged by these relevant final judges:

Contemporary Series/Category Romance: Keyren Gerlach, Harlequin
Contemporary Single Title Romance: Frances Jalet-Miller, Grand Central Publishing (formerly Warner Books)
Suspense/Adventure Romance: Diana Ventimiglia, Silhouette
Novel w/Strong Romantic Elements/Mainstream: Adam Wilson, MIRA-Harlequin
Historical Romance: Linda Fildew, Harlequin - Mills & Boon Londonƒn
Paranormal Romance: LaToya Smith, Grand Central Publishing (formerly Warner Books)
Young Adult Romance: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency

Send the first 25 pages of your manuscript.

Postmark Deadline, April 4th, 2009

See www [dot] rwasd [dot] com for full rules and entry information.

Sam

Talk about something totally amazing!

2009-03-20T18:24:00.001-07:00

My husband and I went to an art show the other night. We both fell in love with an incredible pair of paintings created by Mollie Kellogg, featuring Hades and Persephone. The paintings were inspired, of course, by the infamous Greek Gods and their story. But the artists interpretation was also inspired by the following poem "For Persephone" which was written by T. Collins Logan.

I thought I'd share a small thumbnail of the images (which doesn't come close to doing them justice) and the poem. They are being delivered Sunday and we're going to have to make some lighting adjustments before we hang them, but I'm excited none-the-less.

Some weird and wonderful coincidences (which you know I love):
* The artist did a series that inspired by vision for Luna, the succubus in the Forbidden series.
* My son just spent the last month studying the Greek Gods in his English class.
* We found out after purchasing the paintings about the poem by T. Collins Logan and it's significance. I know Mr. Logan. Although I knew of his love of mysticism, I didn't know he wrote poetry. He's also our handyman and I count both he and Mollie as friends.
* The shades of red and gold in the painting exactly matches the pallet of colors in the room we plan to hang them in.

For Persephone
By T. Collins Logan

You might think
that having walked across the eons
without your hand in mine
I could wait just one more day
to see you
and that the promise of tomorrow
and tomorrow, and tomorrow
is enough
and that in this deep winter of my heart
in these still hours
where my soul stays warm
by fickering light of memory
I know you are there
just beyond the borders of my realm
thinking of me
yearning for me
even as you tend your verdant, crowded garden
and I would not add my sorrow
to your own
but this alone I feel
has a different heft than solitude
and as this page is my companion
and these syllables my counselors and friends
I grieve the distance
between your breath and mine
in streaming words
like a slow, persistent warmth of tears
against my cheek
where the cherished promise of winter's end
becomes a trick of jealous gods
who live forever without knowing pain
and however great my power
to shape the comforts of my world
it is your voice, your scent, your smile
your nearness
which ignites from this grim dust
a flame so fierce it dims the sky
lifts up a sacred offering
that love and hope and joy will grow
with soaring possibility
and yet, I know,
that others thrive in the season of my loss
and long untended fields are carefully sown
and fences for a horde of untamed beasts
are mended
and children laugh and play
without a thought
for the weight of shadows
on our parted time
so I will rest in a truth made clear:
it is you, it is you, it is you
that wherever you are
there is life
and love
and light
and I shall steel myself to wait
for night to pass
for the moon to boldly trace her path
and for the slow turning of the seasons
to bring you close to me
once more.

I just love it when things come together...like magic!

*hugs*

Sam

In the mood for some Sinful Chocolate Cake?

2009-03-20T11:47:00.001-07:00

The new issue of the Samhellion Newsletter is out and in it I posted my recipe for Sinful Chocolate Cake. Yum Yum!

You can read the entire issue at: thesamhellion [dot] com/2009/march/index [dot] htm

Here's the recipe:

Sinful Chocolate Cake
(serves eight)

1 box of Devil's Food cake mix
1 box of instant chocolate pudding
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1/4 cup Godiva Chocolate Liquor

Pour the cake mix and pudding mix into a large mixing bowl. Follow the directions on the cake mix box substituting 1/4 cup of Godiva Chocolate Liquor for 1/4 cup of the water called for. Substitute coffee for the remainder of the water called for on the box mix. Add the chocolate chips. Cook in a bunt pan according to the instructions on the box.

And, in other fun news - I just got a new review for Forbidden: The Claim from the Bookwenches. First I have to say that I LOVE that name ... Wish I'd thought of it.

Here's a little excerpt from the full review, which can be found here: bookwenches [dot] com/reviews [dot] htm

"The conflict that arises is written with a flair for the unusual, while keeping the reader enmeshed in the drama that unfolds. I found myself reading as quickly as I could to see what the outcome would be. If you are looking for a wickedly enthralling read, this book is for you. I can't wait to read more by this talented author." --Teagan

Sam

Available March 1, 2009 - Forbidden: The Temptation