In fact, the entries were so good that Juliet very generously offered to increase the prizes offered so that she could choose some honorary mentions. The honorary mentions can all pick any book from Juliet’s body of work currently available on Amazon, while the true wiener gets a copy of Dead Bolt from Juliet AND any other book of Juliet’s available on Amazon from me.

Drum roll please! Here’s Juliet!

Nicole *really* knows how to make a woman sweat.  I’m just saying…I’m a Libra, which means I’m decision-making-challenged.  I’m like the anti George W. Bush:  I’m the indecider (or would that be the undecider? I’ll ask George, I’m sure he’ll know)

ANYWAY…the point is, I had one heck of a time deciding which of the entries for Best Erotic Cozy title should win our coveted prizes.  But after much consideration, having checked in with cozy perverts of all stripes, and accepting advice from drunk people in bars and, one memorable evening, at a strip club… I pronounce…

Several Honorable Mentions:

Toni in FL, with her Rub One Out: A Massage-Parlor Mystery (A mafioso’s feckless nephew is found dead, but smiling, in a massage parlor run by a competitor… and new masseuse Touchée Yourbum has oil on her hands. It’s up to her fellow masseuse, amateur detective Happy Ending, to prove there’s no blood on those delicate-but-strong digits, too.)

And Bobbee Gerson, with He Died Smiling (Fanny Ryder’s best employee ends up with a dead John. It happens sometimes. The autopsy, however, points to murder. Fanny must find the killer or her Employee Of The Year will lose everything.) ***Extra points for the title: Arse-Whips and Old Lace, for which the Pensfatales have developed an entire series set in the kinkiest retirement home in Florida, and in which Detective Domme is on the job.

And KL’s Sex Toy Series, especially The Belle of the Ball Gag, will be written by someone soon, I’m sure.  That title is FAR too good to pass up.

But the grand prize, because of her lovely coziness combined with a truly dirty mind, goes to Adrienne Merl!  She had three particularly cozy, yet thoroughly lewd, title ideas:

Summa Cum Loud: To avoid losing his tenure, a college professor will do anything to keep his affair with a student quiet, including commit murder!

Death Doggie Style: When thighs start heating up between a veterinarian and his assistant, murder comes barking!

…and…

Condoms, Corsets, and Coffins: When a Showgirl i na Vegas revue is murdered, a police detective goes undercover to find the killer.  He PULLS OUT all the stops to solve the case, while providing PROTECTION for the other girls in the show.

Yay! Will all four wieners please email me their addresses at iheartselkies(at)gmail(dot)com and we’ll get your prizes sorted ASAP!

Thanks to everyone for, er, entering. I enjoyed the contest immensely and couldn’t believe how funny these things were! I’m also inspired!

And speaking of inspiration (and wieners), I’ve got some big news! Denise Townsend has finally launched her website. It’s got a cover, information, and a pre-order button for Denise’s erotic romance debut, Ocean’s Touch, which comes out December 27th. It’s about selkies and if you like Jane, I really think you’ll like these. Denise is very close to me. Very. Very close.

If you have any questions about Denise, please feel free to email me at iheartselkies.

Thanks again and see you back here soon!

But we’re trying something new.

In spending a lot of time with Juliet and Sophie Littlefield, one of the things Juliet often jokes about is that she’s jealous of us, with our genres’ flexibilities. For example, Sophie gets to write a lot of violence (and does so beautifully). Meanwhile, I get to write a lot of sex.

Juliet and I were joking that one of the reasons her genre–the Cozy Mystery–doesn’t get to do much sex-writing is because of their titles. If you’re at all familiar with the genre of the Cozy, you know they LOVE their puns. Here are some great examples:

The Long Quiche Goodbye (CHEESE SHOP MYSTERY) by Avery Ames

Affairs of Steak (A White House Chef Mystery) by Julie Hyzy

The Gingerbread Bump-Off: A Fresh-Baked Mystery by Livia J. Washburn

Liver Let Die (A Clueless Cook Mystery) by Liz Lipperman

One Foot In The Gravy: A Nashville Katz Mystery (D… by Delia Rosen

Due or Die (A Library Lover’s Mystery) by Jenn McKinlay

The More the Terrier (A Pet Rescue Mystery) by Linda O. Johnston

Shoe Done It (An Accessories Mystery) by Grace Carroll

You Better Knot Die (A Crochet Mystery) by Betty Hechtman

Ghoul Interrupted: A Ghost Hunter Mystery by Victoria Laurie

These are absolutely adorable titles, and they represent everything that’s great about the genre. Cozies are cozy–they’re delightful openings through which readers can escape into a world here nothing too bad is going to happen and where everything will be solved in the end. Juliet and I both love cozies and we both love their punny titles.

But can you imagine the amazing, car-wreck-happening-in-front-of-your-eyes nature of ….

AN EROTIC COZY MYSTERY’S TITLE?????

Just the thought had Juliet and me in absolute stitches, and that’s when we came up with the idea for this contest.

We’ll each be giving away a prize. Juliet will offer a copy of her latest Haunted Home Renovation mystery, Dead Bolt, and I will up the ante by offering to Amazon you a copy of one of Juliet’s other books, of your choice. So you get two books for one pun.

But that’s the catch. We want you to come up with your own Cozy style, punny title . . . but for an EROTIC MYSTERY. The raunchier and more ridiculous, the better. I’ll be facilitating the contest, but Ms. Juliet Blackwell, herself, will be judging. We’ll announce the wiener next Friday, December 9, 2011.

To enter, just tell us your best Cozy Erotic Mystery title or titles (you can enter as many as you come up with) in comments, and Juliet will decide from those.

Best of luck! Or whatever other appropriate word you can think of, that rhymes with “luck.”

First off, I’m sorry that everything about this post is belated. I’m afraid that I am belated, this week. I’m revising revising revising and although it’s going well, my brain is a bit of a scramble.

So first off, let me extended a belated, but heartfelt pimp slap to three of mah favorite ladies, Lee McClain, Sophie Littlefield and Rachael Herron. Sophie’s beautiful new YA, Unforsaken, released last week.  Here’s the cover. Gorgeous.

Rachael also the release of her latest knitting romance, the cover of which I think is precious:

All I can find on the net is this weensy copy of it, but it’s lovely!

Finally there’s Lee McClain’s book. Lee is my colleague at Seton Hill, and one of the people responsible for hiring me. She’s also an amazing lady who I’m so glad I get to know and call friend. I really respect her and care for her, and this book looks adorable. It’s young YA, with tons of heart. It’s Sizzle!

So git to shopping! Sizzle would also make a great edition to your child’s library at school, so you might want to buy an extra to donate.

And, finally, we have a wiener. The contest can has spoken and JESSICA S, you get to email me with your address and any two mass market paperbacks ($7.99 or under) available on Amazon that you’d like me to order for you. Thanks for playing!

Time for me to get back to work. No rest for the wicked!

A week ago saw the release of the newest baby by one of my favorite people, Jeanne C. Stein. If you haven’t gone and gotten your copy of Crossroads, yet, get to steppin’!

C.E. Murphy, one of my fave authors, has released Wayfinder:

Cherie Priest has her second Cheshire Red Reports book out, Hellbent. I blurbed the first and really enjoyed it:

Trent Jamieson, a fellow Orbit writer, will be releasing The Business of Death. I adore this cover:

Keri Arthur‘s Darkness Unbound comes out at the end of the month:

L.A. Banks, who passed away August 2nd, will release Surrender the Dark. If you buy one book this month, buy this one and help this lovely lady’s family pay her medical bills:

Also out at the end of this month is Jennifer Estep’s Spider’s Revenge. I had the chance to meet Jennifer at AAD 2010, and she was lovely. She also made me want to read this series, it sounds great:

Last but certainly not least is Nancy Holzner’s Bloodstone. Nancy’s another author I met at AAD, and another author whom I now very much want to read:

There are also tons of awesome Para Roms on offer in September. Por ejemplo:

My friend and fellow Leaguer, Michele Bardsley, is releasing Must Love Lycans:

Meljean Brook has released her latest Guardian novel, Demon Marked. I’ve read a few of these and really like the series:

One of my all time favorite writers, Nalini Singh, has her latest Guild Hunter novel out, Archangel’s Blade . I may have cooed with delight:

And, finally, another author of whom I’m a fan, Gena Showalter, is releasing The Darkest Surrender:

These are only a few of the awesome books out this September, so enjoy! It’s a bumper crop this month.

This finds me writing from Illinois, for I have been repatriated. I came back from London on Monday, and I only cried a tiny, tiny bit. Mostly because I was too tired to summon the energy for tears, and because after a month of glorious decadence I was actually ready to get back to a routine. And by “routine” I mean fruit smoothies and zumba.

That said, my last week in London couldn’t have been nicer. On Monday, I got back from Whitby, and did absolutely fuck all but recover. Then Tuesday I worked and worked, before making tacos for Dr. Ruth. Wednesday I worked and worked, before going out for delicious tapas with Linda. And then Thursday, I worked and worked before my friend came in for one last visit.

Sometime during All That Working, however, I did IT again. In my third book, something happens at the end that is Very Big. A character we thought was one thing turns out to be another. I think IT works perfectly, and IT was one of those things that, as I was writing IT, suddenly made perfect sense.

The problem was that I hadn’t planned IT to happen. That character had been slated for a totally different role in the rest of the series. Her doing what she did was awesome, but IT totally threw a wrench (a good wrench, I think, but a wrench nonetheless) into the works.

So I was writing either Wednesday or Thursday, and I was finishing the book. I had but a few more pages to write. And then IT hit me. Again. A totally mad, totally awesome, totally book six changing idea. At first, however, I dismissed IT, as IT was SO huge.

But IT stuck with me, like a burr in my hair. My poor friend came in Thursday, and I was totally distracted. I think he thought I was already pining for him, bless, when I told him I couldn’t stop thinking of the end. He reminded me we still had the whole weekend together. I told him I meant the actual ending, of my book. It was one of those deliciously awkward moments I live for, and if I wrote about a writer I’d use it in a novel.

Anyway, I finally had a talk with my marvelous agent, and by that point I’d gone over the scenario a million times in my head and I realized it was the right thing to do. It DID bugger up my plans for book six, but that’s because my plans for book six sucked, quite frankly. The Mad Idea will give book six a great tension, and I’m seeing a whole ‘nother facet of book five that I can now explore, and that might otherwise have been dropped.

So Saturday morning found me frantically writing. My friend popped off to the comic shops to give me some working space. The ending came stark and glorious to my fingertips, flowing into my computer with a relish that was the same as when I wrote the ending of book 3. It just felt right. I had about a paragraph left when my friend came back, and he found it equally glorious to natter at me while I was trying to get out those last lines, giggling when I threatened to end his life. But he did finally leave me alone, and I finished.

And it felt goooooooood.

So book five is in the can! I pretty much immediately sent it off to my critique partner Diana Rowland and to my friend Mary Lois, for them to give it an initial “What Does and Doesn’t Make Any Sense” read. Then I’ll give it a polish based on their feedback, and send it off to the other members of my Alpha Team, James Clawson and Christie Ko, for their input.

Immediately after finishing the book, however, I had to rush to get ready and head out to a signing at Forbidden Planet. I’d gotten an amazing dress from Vivien of Halloway just the day before, although of course I didn’t get any pictures. I’ll be wearing it next week in Denver, at RomCon, so will endeavor to be more organized. But the signing itself was awesome. I got to meet some of my UK fans, some of whom brought me some amazing presents. It was also great to hang out with Philip Palmer again, whom I adore, and it was equally nice to meet Simon Morden and Tim Lebbon. Tim’s last name is pronounced as one would the beginning of Lebanese, but the staff kept pronouncing it Le Bon (like Simon) over the PA, sending us all into fits of laughter.

After the signing, Orbit UK arranged some drinks to be had at a local pub for the authors and some local bloggers and journalists. It was great fun, and I was quite happy to celebrate both finishing book five and a successful signing. Eventually, Dr. Ruth and her friend Russel wandered in, and we all had dinner downstairs at the pub. Then we all went to see a West End show, The 39 Steps, and it was the absolutely perfect end to a perfect day.

It was the kind of day that made me feel very lucky, very loved, and very happy.

The next day we were off to the Steam Museum’s Steampunk exhibit and then to Kew Gardens, which were gorgeous and huge and we walked absolutely miles and miles. Then we had a quiet night at my lovely little rented flat, and the next morning I was off.

The month went way too fast, but it was perfect. And I even managed to dunk my deadline, which felt very good. Also, if any UK folks want signed copies of my first two books, there are TONS at Forbidden Planet in London.

And now that I’ve mostly recovered from my jet lag, I’m off again! Tomorrow I leave for Denver, where I have RomCon and some other fun events planned by the ever-nefarious Mario Acevedo. The night I arrive, in fact, Mario’s arranged an orgy of debauchery he’s entitled Mucho Mojo. If you don’t believe me, he’s making us perform “spicy readings,” and he’s threatening to bring a bull whip. Pervert.

Then it’s off to the equally raucous RomCon, where I’ll be doing loads of events.

Finally, we’ve got another, separate signing that Sunday at the Broadway Book Mall, so if you’re not able to make RomCon please see me there!

Then I come home for a day before leaving for AAD in Philly, but that’s another blog post.

I will leave you now, with some Pimpage. There’s been some great releases this week, from some of my fave people.

First up, we have Rachel Caine’s new book Working Stiff, from her new Revivalist series. It looks awesome! I’m a huge fan of Rachel Caine. I love her writing, and she was so very kind to blurb my first book. This series, meanwhile, looks awesome, and a big departure from her other books. I also adore this cover!

Next up is the ever lovely Kat Richardson, a good friend of mine and someone whose work I greatly admire. She’s got the latest in her Greywalker series out, Downpour! Like all her covers, this one’s a stunner:

In the arena of Romance, I was lucky enough to meet the fabulous Louisa Edwards last year at Romantic Times, and she’s got a release out this week, as well. It looks just as delicious as her other books!

Jennifer Estep’s new book is also getting a lot of buzz. I’ve not yet read or met Jennifer, but this looks awesome and I think I’ll have to read it very soon:

Finally, last but certainly not least, Stacia Kane has a story out in Charlaine Harris’s new Antho, Home Improvement: Undead Edition. I always love these anthologies!

So there’s loads of great stuff out this week, in case you can’t come to Denver and watch Mario torture us. But now I have to go do laundry and pack. Viva new adventures!

]]> http://www.nicolepeeler.com/2011/08/repatriation-more-travels-marios-bullwhip-and-some-pimpage/feed/ 6 http://www.nicolepeeler.com/2011/07/more-pimpage-updates-and-a-london-signing/ http://www.nicolepeeler.com/2011/07/more-pimpage-updates-and-a-london-signing/#comments Fri, 08 Jul 2011 11:21:27 +0000 Nicole Peeler http://www.nicolepeeler.com/?p=2951 Hello darlings,

Things have been glorious here in the UK. I’ve spent loads of time with friends since I got in, and it’s been so nice! Last week found me doing lots of catching up with people, and it’s been lovely to have a chance to do so. Tonight I’m going to my friend Linda’s in Notting Hill, where we’ll hang out till our friend Judith arrives from Belgium. Tomorrow we’re throwing our friend Kristin a baby shower, which is not at all a British thing, so everyone’s quite excited.

I’ve finally gotten some work done on my rough draft, and I’m super inspired for Other Projects from being back here. Jane’s series is wrapping up with book six, but I’ve got loads of other things on various burners, simmering away. Meanwhile, in very exciting news, Orbit UK has relaunched my series with an entirely new look. These covers are totally different from Sharon’s, and I love both looks. Both are so quirky, which I think is great for the series. Here’s the UK cover for Tempest Rising:

And Tracking the Tempest:

And Tempest’s Legacy:

And, finally, Eye of the Tempest:

Release dates for these are as follows:

Tempest Rising and Tracking: Both out August 4, 2011

Tempest’s Legacy: September 1, 2011

Eye of the Tempest: October 7, 2011

Tempest’s Fury: July 5, 2012

So for those of you who have been so patiently waiting for book 3, it will be out soon, with book four shortly thereafter!

In other exciting news, I will be doing a London appearance. It’s gonna be a big event that should be loads of fun, and will include other authors. I’ll let you know as soon as I’ve got official word of everything that’s going on, so watch this space!

In terms of pimpage, there were a few releases I FORGOT to pimp with the last batch. I am horrified at such a slip up, and my pimp hand burns with shame.

First of all, the ever lovely Dakota Cassidy has just released Burning Down the Spouse, which looks adorable:

Dakota’s offering these very cool trading cars, featuring her adorable mug:

For details on how to get the trading card, email her at dakota(at)dakotacassidy(dot)com.

Finally, last but certainly not least of our awesome Month o’ League Releases, Michelle Rowen has released the smexily-covered Bloodlust:

So go forth and read! I am now off to zumba. Yes, I’m so addicted I’m doing zumba in London. YAY FOR ZUMBA.

Sorry I’ve been MIA. I had our June residency for our MFA, and that’s always a ton of work (albeit very fun work). Our MFA in Writing Popular Fiction is what they call a “low-residency” degree, meaning that most of the coursework is done long-distance, through on-line classes and through an individual relationship with a mentor. But twice a year, every January and every June, all of our students converge, en masse, to Seton Hill, where we have an intensive five day Residency, full of critique groups, workshops, and tons of other things.

I had a great time at this residency. As usual, I taught our “2s” (second term students) in a module on close reading. I led three critique groups, all of which had some absolutely fabulous stories. Finally, I taught a workshop on Trends in Mystery. Half of the workshop was on trends, the idea of trends, and specific trends in mystery. But it was the very last day of the residency when I led the workshop, and my goal was to leave everyone inspired. So the second half of the workshop was loads of group and individual work, scoping out the scene in mystery (or whatever other genre the attendee writes) and coming up with some ideas for other, future projects. I think it went well, and I know I was inspired at the end of it!

We also had great speakers visiting! The lovely Heather Osborn, editorial director of Samhain, and equally lovely Lucienne Diver, author and agent with the Knight Agency, came in to speak. They were fabulous: super enthusiastic, excited about the business, and really knowledgeable. I also got to spend some bonding time with both ladies, which was great as they’re awesome.

The day after Residency, I packed up and headed to Chicago. I solved my laundry issue (there was not time to do it during Res) by taping shut my hamper and sticking the whole thing in the car. So I basically turned up at my parents like a college freshmen, laundry in tow. It was like an episode of the Cosbys! I’d like to say I was playing the part of Denise, but realistically I’ve always been a Vanessa.

But in the meantime, much has been happening with my upcoming release, Eye of the Tempest! Publisher’s Weekly says that the fourth book “brings even more sass, snark, and supernatural action.” Meanwhile, Romantic Times gave the book 4 1/2 stars, saying that I “keep the action brisk and the emotions sharp.” Don’t cut yourself!

I’m betting there’ll be Eye spottings in the wild as soon as the middle of this month, but if you need something to read in the meantime, have no fear! First off, Sophie Littlefield’s Bad Day For Scandal came out a few weeks ago. I love this series, and can’t wait to dig into this book!

If you want something in the Urban Fantasy realm, have no fear. K.A. Stewart’s Shot in the Dark is coming July 5th. It looks great! I love these covers:

And speaking of cover love, my critique partner, Diana Rowland, has her ABSOLUTELY AWESOME book My Life as a White Trash Zombie also coming July 5th, although I just saw it yesterday on the shelves of Barnes and Noble:

This cover by Dan Dos Santos absolutely rocks my world, and the book is great. Even if you don’t like zombies I think you’ll like this one, as Diana’s taken the zombie to a whole ‘nother level of trashy-cool.

Kevin Hearne’s Hammered also has a July 5th release. I blurbed the first book of this series and can’t wait to catch up with the rest. These also have great covers, as I greatly enjoy Atticus and his mighty sword.

Releasing from my own publisher, my friend Philip Palmer’s Hell Ship comes out this month, and it looks awesome. I’ll be hanging with Philip in London, and will definitely be digging into this bad boy before I see him. It’s got a skull! And a pirate ship! And I heart it hard:

Last but certainly not least, my other fellow-Orbiter, Gail Carriger, is releasing Heartless today. Happy Book Birthday, Gail! Can’t wait to read it, as I’m a big fan of the series:

So there’s a roundup of some recent/new releases! As for me, I will also be released into the wilds of London tomorrow. I am stupidly excited to get back, as you can imagine. I’ll be there for a whole month, and it’ll be great to see all of my friends, and to finish my fifth book in the country where I wrote my first. It’s all circular, and shit. I can’t wait to see everyone, and to be back in a real city. I’m at a really good place in my life, and it’ll be nice to be in that great place while also being in an actual great place–London’s a fabulous city and it’ll be nice to give it real twirl rather than just being a regular, week-long tourist.

But don’t worry–I’m sure I’ll be blogging, Facebooking, and Tweeting from London, have no fear! In the meantime, feel free to read some good books. There’s a ton coming out over the summer!

What’s also probably ill-reasoned is the fact I’m going to shoot for a 45-minute run today. I’ve been doing 30, but the next step up is the rather improbable jump of 15 minutes. Think I can do it? I don’t, so if you see me tweeting from a hospital bed later, don’t be too shocked. Okay, I probably will just stop running before I actually collapse, but that doesn’t mean I won’t bitch and moan the rest of the day about being stupidly sore and worn out. Now there’s something to look forward to!

Before I go off for the jogging torture, I have some pimpage for you! First of all, my very lovely friend, the incomparable Jeanne C. Stein, has work out in two new anthologies. These anthos look awesome, and I want both! The first release is a novella, in which we meet a new love interest for Anna Strong. Hot!

Jeanne’s other new release is another Anna story in the very awesome looking antho, Chicks Kick Butt, which also features stories by Rachel Caine, L.A. Banks, and Lilith Saintcrow:

Both of these books look great, and I haz a hankering.

Also hanging out in the Southwest, Kevin Hearne’s second novel, Hexed, is already being spotted in the wild. I blurbed Hounded, and really enjoyed it, and I have no doubt this one is even better:

On the northern shores, meanwhile, Kat Richardson has hatched a very cool scheme involving official minions. She’s looking for twenty people to be her official 2011 minions, and you get a host of cool prizes and stuff. Who doesn’t love prizes, or Kat, or being Kat’s minion??

As far as my own work is concerned, Book Five, Tempest’s Fury, is going swimmingly, all of a sudden. I’m just short of 100 pages, and I have no idea how that happened. I’m getting into my zone, basically, which means I’m at that stage where I’m not entirely sure where I left my car keys, as I’m eating, breathing, and living Jane.

I did take a brief moment, however, to think through my thoughts on V. S. Naipaul’s comments regarding women writers, over at Pens Fatales.

So that’s my life in a nutshell. I’m unfocused, slightly barmy, and unable to concentrate on much besides my own imaginary worlds. In other words, fairly normal, for me.

How about you guys? How is your life treating you? And have you read or watched anything really good, with which I can distract myself?

How to Knit a Heart Back Home by Rachael Herron (Cypress Hollow Books #2)

Blurb: Lucy Harrison sells books by day and volunteers with the Cypress Hollow fire department by night. Her life is just the way she likes it—full, even-keeled, and smooth—until bad-boy ex-cop Owen Bancroft comes back to town. Lucy has always been fearless, never scared about diving in to help others. When it comes to risking her heart, however, she realizes she’s absolutely terrified.

In a small town like Cypress Hollow, everyone knows your business—and there is nowhere to hide. Then Lucy and Owen are thrown together by the discovery of the lost work of local legend, knitting guru Eliza Carpenter. Now Owen, adrift and struggling to redefine himself as a civilian without a badge, will have to learn how to open himself up to life’s new possibilities . . . while Lucy decides just how much of herself she’s willing to gamble on love

Accidentally Catty by Dakota Cassidy (The Accidental Series book #5)

Hell to Pay by Jackie Kessler (Hell on Earth #4) 

Available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and probably lots of other places…$2.99!

Iron Crowned by Richelle Mead (Dark Swan #3)

Dead Waters by Anton Strout (Simon Canderous #4) 

Check out Anton online here

Green-Eyed Demon by Jaye Wells (Sabine Kane #3)

Blackout by Rob Thurman (Cal Leandros Book #6)

Inevitable by Michelle Rowen

But is the incredible, mind-blowing sex between them only the result of the potion? Or are Emma and Ryan simply giving in to the inevitable?

“4 Stars! If you’re not afraid to set foot in X-Files/Fringe territory, you’ll enjoy this hot, sexy paranormal romance.” –RT Bookreviews

ANTHOLOGIES!

Those who Fight Monsters

Whedonistas: A Celebration of the Worlds of Joss Whedon by the Women Who Love Them

You can see a conversation about Jane in Italian, here. I have no idea what they’re saying, but it sounds sexy, doesn’t it???

Finally, you can find a contest here, run by the ever lovely and fabulous Carolyn Crane, in which you can win TL.

I am currently gearing up for the January residency of my MFA program. Students will arrive from all over the country (and a few from outside the US), descending on Greensburg to be edumacated in the art of writing popular fiction. I’m running a module on close reading, and one on urban fantasy. Totally looking forward to it! But it’s going to be crazy hectic, and the day after everyone leaves I fly to London! YAY! Let’s hope I have clean pants.

So that’s me! Busy busy busy… so busy in fact, that I’ve been very remiss in my pimpage! My pimp hand is absolutely aching with disuse, so I’d better slap it down old school with…a contest! But first of all, let’s see just what’s in need of a smackin’…

First off, Mark Henry has some fabulous news. Not only is Road Trip of the Living Dead coming out at the end of the month in mass market paper back, with a tweaked cover:

But Mark had another big announcement on his blog. Amanda Feral, my favorite zombie socialite and writer of filth, is coming at you in comic form. I don’t mean she’ll be tripping over banana peels, I mean she’s getting her own comic book, by the same people who brought you Patty Brigg’s Mercy Thompson. I’m so excited, I could spit. Maybe at him, because I’m also jealous. I’ve always “seen” Jane as a cartoon, and would totally flip to have her made into a comic.

And by flip, I mean clean your house and make you many a delicious stewed meat dish. And by “you,” I mean whoever’s out there, reading this. And by “reading,” I mean skimming till you get to the contest details.

Anyway, you know how I adore the Henrys–the dogs, the wife, the man–so I won’t spit at him. But I will covet his comic, and can’t wait to see Amanda ratcheting open those lovely jawbones!

Speaking of comics, I have another good friend with some hot comic action coming to gitcha. Over in the UK, Roger Gibson, along with Vince Danks, the huge brains behind Harker, have gone right ahead and given me a total NERDGASM with their newest Torchwood comic, Hell House. Check out this art:

I had to leave it big, cuz it’s sooo goood. Total. Nerdgasm. There’s more info on where to order the comic, here. And if you’re thinking, who are these British men? And what else have they done? Then you should order some of their  Harker comics. They’re detective stories, and I adore them, although they’re not nearly as respectful to Jessica Fletcher as they should be.

Jessica’s confused by your lack of understanding, Roger! How can you do that to her?

Jesse Petersen, however, is someone who is not confused. Instead, she rocks out with her zombie out. I adore the aesthetic of her covers, and her latest release is no exception:

The truth is, I don’t really know Jesse, as I’ve only interacted with her on social media. That said, I like her style, and hope to get to meet her soon. I also really, really want to read her books, and they’re on my schedule to get to in the next month!

One lady I do know very well, however, is my critique partner, Diana Rowland. I get to read ALL of her books before all y’all and I GLOAT about it. Because they’re so good! And I love the new covers for her Demon Mark series. Secrets of the Demon just released a few days ago, and isn’t it a beaut?

The only thing better than this cover, is the cover for her My Life as a White Trash Zombie. You are going to DIE when you see it, people. I nearly did. I nearly choked on the glory of it’s trashy zombie whiteness.

It’s amazing. And the book is awesome, too. Cuz I’ve already read it! Hoooah!

Meanwhile, there’s another Leaguer who has a story coming out in an anthology that looks hilarious. Anton’s Strout’s “Murfa,” is available in Boondocks Fantasy:

Last, but certainly not least, I feel I never properly pimped Juliet Blackwell’s latest paranormal mystery, If Walls Could Talk:

I adore Juliet, and I love her books. I’ve heard this one is great, and it’s going to be my reading on the plane over to London. So now I’m giving you my official pimp slap, lady, instead of the paltry little half slap I managed before. Cuz you deserve a full-on pimp spank, for being so awesome in so many ways.

*****LATE EDITION ADDITION! I nearly forgot Andrew Shaffer’s Great Philosophers Who Failed At Love:

There’s a quote from my Nietzsche on his website! Now there’s someone who sure did fail at love. Thank lawd for Facebook and people reminding me I suck. Sorry, Andrew!

So now that I’ve pimped, I know you’re wondering what the contest is! Well, I want you to tell me what you think is the most exciting new thing you saw here, today. Post your comment, and on February first, I’ll pick a winner from my contest can. The winner will receive one copy of any TWO books/comics discussed in this blog post, including any of the Harker comics. In other words, you can choose TWO prizes from the following selection:

• The MMPB of Road Trip (The comic won’t be out forever, and by then you’ll have forgotten me *sniffles*)
• Either the Torchwood issue with “Hell House,” OR any of the Harker comics on the Ariel site
• Flip This Zombie
• Secrets of the Demon
  
• Boondocks Fantasy
• If Walls Could Talk
• Great Philosophers Who Failed at Love
  
• And, because I can, you can also choose from my 3 books (Tempest Rising, Tracking the Tempest, or Tempest’s Legacy)

Sound good? If you pimp this contest in any way (Facebook, twitter, blogpost, biplane smoke trail) just give me a linkie-loo and you’ll get extra points, one point per each form of social media. Just let me know in comments.

I’ll post something before I leave for London, but not till after the chaos ends. It’s going to be nuts, but I’m totally looking forward to the Residency, and can’t wait to see my Writing Popular Fiction students!

Until then, be good and read some even better books! And don’t forget my other big release contest, a post below this one.