I’m blogging at Cobblestone Press today. Check out my post about the lure of the vampire.

One of my favorite things about being a writer is getting a cover and a release date. I’m excited to announce I have both for my vampire story, Battle. It will be available as an e-book July 4. Here’s the cover, which I love.

This is the only case where the cover came before the story. In fact, the cover inspired part of the story. You’ll have to read it to find out how.

Here’s the blurb.

When hotel owner Mélanie Laurent receives a black rose from a would-be suitor, she can’t afford to ignore it. Her adversary doesn’t just want her–he wants L’Hôtel Roseraie and the rest of her holdings. To reach his goals, he’s willing to do anything, even involve humans in what should be vampire business. To win, Mélanie must defeat her rival at his own game.

Justin Garvey knows Mélanie isn’t what she seems. That belief is confirmed when he learns she is a vampire. When his assistant is murdered by Mélanie’s adversary, Justin vows to get revenge–a vow that brings him further into the vampire world. Justin and Mélanie discover that they make great partners . . . but to succeed, they must risk everything.

It’s part of Cobblestone Press’s Vampire Oracle series, which will eventually be available in print.

If you’re a writer, consider entering Cobblestone’s Wicked Contest.

Wicked Line

Length: 5 to 10k

Contest : January 2 – 19, 2008

Be wicked for us. We’re looking for short story erotica with a very high level of sexual content within five to ten thousand words. HEA or romantic content not required. First and third person accepted (male or female POV).

First place winner will receive a standard contract, first publication slot for the Wicked Line and $100.

Other entries will be considered for publication.

Contest open to all authors currently unpublished with Cobblestone Press, LLC.

We are interested in the following genres: contemporary, historical, paranormal, BDSM, multicultural, science fiction, and fantasy.

Submissions should be sent to: submissions@cobblestone-press.com.

Formatting

1. Use either Times New Roman or Courier New, 12pt. font

2. All paragraphs should be indented .5 (without tabs-preferred) Double Spaced

3. One inch margins

4. Attach the manuscript as an RTF file (no other format will be opened)Include a cover letter in the body of your email, please put WICKED CONTEST in the subject line

5. On the first page of your manuscript include in the upper left corner the following: Title of Manuscript, Word Count- Calculated by your word processor program, Genre (or Line), Full Name, Pen Name (if applicable), Mailing Address, Phone Number, and Email Address

*** Regular Submissions for this line will open February 14, 2008 ***

I’m pleased to announce that The Greatest Gift is available now!

The Greatest Gift is part of Cobblestone Press’s 12 Days of Christmas series.

Andrew and Sarah have almost everything they could want after four years of marriage–wealth, companionship, and love. What they don’t have is a child. Sarah fears that the one thing she cannot give her husband may destroy their marriage.

The situation escalates at their annual Christmas Eve party, where Andrew sees that Sarah is pulling away. Together, they must decide whether to bridge the gap that divides them . . . or lose the greatest gift of all.

This story developed after I read a romance where the supposedly infertile couple has a miraculous pregnancy by the end of the book. I’ve read a number of these books over the years, and I’ve always wondered about the couple who simply cannot have children. What if they lived in a time when there were no modern infertility treatments? What if they desperately wanted a child, and their situation affected their marriage? How would such a couple find a happy ending?

These questions became the basis of The Greatest Gift. It was an emotional story to write, but it was ultimately a very satisfying one.

Hope you enjoy!

I’m excited about the book trailer for Cobblestone Press’s Twelve Days of Christmas stories. You can check out the trailer here:

My story, The Greatest Gift, comes out December 17. I’ll post an excerpt for it in the next few days.

Cobblestone Press has created a trailer for the Vampire Oracle series. It’s terrific, and it offers a sneak peek of all the covers. Take a look.

I’m thrilled to announce that I sold The Greatest Gift to Cobblestone Press! This is my first historical. Here’s a blurb.

Andrew and Sarah have almost everything they could want after four years of marriage–wealth, companionship, and love. What they don’t have is a child. Sarah fears that the one thing she cannot give her husband may destroy their marriage.

The conflict escalates at their annual Christmas Eve party, where Andrew sees that Sarah is pulling away. Together, they must decide whether to bridge the gap that divides them . . . or lose the greatest gift of all.

The Greatest Gift is part of Cobblestone Press’s 12 Days of Christmas series, so I expect it will be available in December. No cover or specific release date yet, but of course I’ll post them once I know.

I’m thrilled to announce I’ve been selected to write one of the stories in Cobblestone Press’s Vampire Oracle series, which will debut in 2008. Here’s the lineup.

The Moon by Michelle Hasker
Birth by Diana Bold
Innocence by Lia Morgan
Life by AL Debran
Hunger by Sophie Athens
Chalice by Ericka Scott
Power by Ava Rose Johnson
Battle by Lia Sebastian
Fever by Sapphire Blue
Lust by Jade James
Sin by Antonia Pearce
Sacrifice by Leila Brown
Love by L. Shannon
Harmony by MG Braden
Shadow by Karen Erickson
Sunlight by Moira Reid
Ashes by Contessica Ryans
Death by Yolanda Sfetsos
Sleep by Eugenia O’Neal
Tomb by Rebecca Goings
Awaken by Eliza Gayle
Rebirth by Lyric James
New Life by Emma Petersen
Wisdom by Sable Grey
Circle of Life by Deanna Lee

The covers are terrific. I’m thrilled to be part of this wonderful project!

To celebrate Cobblestone Press’s anniversary, many of the authors are doing a giveaway. Contests only run today, Sunday, June 3, so head over to the Contest Parade forum to check out all the contests.

The prize for my contest is a copy of my e-book The Seventh Sense.

If you sign up for my mailing list, you double your chance of winning! Plus, I often hold contests on my mailing list.

Have fun!

I learned about Cobblestone Press in March of last year. I kept my eye on their site, because the professional site impressed me, and I was more than impressed with the covers they created.

When I learned that they would look at short stories, I sent Office Relations. Cobblestone sent me a contract, and Office Relations became my first published story.

It was released the second week of June 2006, the week after Cobblestone Press opened.

Since then, I’ve released two additional books with Cobblestone and I plan to submit more.

Happy anniversary to all the people behind the scenes who make Cobblestone Press a success! Thank you for helping make my dreams of publishing come true.