Wild Weekend
I had THE best weekend EVER. My birthday was on Saturday, but on Thursday afternoon when I got to the school to pick the boys up, my husband suddenly appeared next to my vehicle. I immediately thought something must be wrong, but he grinned and said, “I got you an early birthday present.”
I got out and who should I find standing on the sidewalk? My best friend and writing idol, Katie Reus. He’d flown her up that afternoon to spend my birthday weekend with me. How amazing is he???
Here’s my reaction. I was so floored and beside myself to see her, I didn’t even notice him filming. He titled the clip “Longest Hug Ever”.
Katie’s never been to Vancouver before and I was super excited to have her stay with us. I took her downtown to see Stanley Park and walk on the sea wall, then to my favorite comfort food restaurant, Burgoo. During her visit we ate a lot of great food, talked about writing and the publishing industry in general, and pretty much hung out all the time.
On my actual birthday, my hubby sent us to the spa in the afternoon. We came home to a surprise Mardi Gras themed party, complete with New Orleans style food and decorations. There was even a murder mystery game. Katie got to meet my closest family members and we had a great time.
I dropped her off at the airport yesterday and was so bummed the rest of the day. I feel a bit better today, but I know it’ll be a long time until I get to see her again. My boys just fell in love with her, but how could they not? She’s a sweetie.
So yes, it’s official: I’m married to the best husband in the world. He’s not the most affectionate or romantic guy, but he does these grand gestures from time to time that just floor me. This birthday he gave me the best gift I’ve ever received!
Alpha Instinct
I’m so excited to announce that Katie Reus’s first Moon Shifter book comes out tomorrow! Alpha Instinct is the first of three books in this hot paranormal romance series from Penguin/NAL, so if you’re a paranormal romance fan who loves sexy shifters, this is the series for you.
Katie’s running a huge contest through her website, so please be sure to check out the details for chances to win books and other prizes, including a Kindle.
Blurb:
Fear has a scent. So does desire…
Ana Cordona has been a strong leader for the lupine shifters who survived after all the males and most of the females in her pack were mysteriously poisoned. As tough as she is, with no Alpha male, the pack is vulnerable to the devious shifter Taggart, who wants to claim both their ranch and Ana as his own. When Connor Armstrong comes back into her life, promising protection, it’s almost enough to make Ana forget how he walked out on her before–and reluctantly accept his offer to mate.
The minute Connor sees Ana again, it reawakens a raw hunger. He must have her for his bondmate–his wolf cries out for it. But his human side knows he must proceed with caution because of their complicated past. If he is to truly have her body and soul, he must go beyond his burning desire and win back her heart. Whatever it takes, he is determined not to leave her side again.
But Taggart and his rival pack are not their only enemies. A human element in town is targeting shifters. Their plan not only threatens Ana and Connor’s future, but the lives of the entire pack…
Home Safe and Sound
I’m back from the Gulf Coast! Had an ugly time getting down there, with three separate mechanical issues on our plane that required our captain to land halfway to Dallas to refuel because one of our fuel tanks wasn’t working. Of course I was convinced our plane would kill us all. You can imagine my relief when we finally landed safely in Dallas/Ft. Worth. I missed my connecting flight to Mississippi by three hours, and by the time I finally got another one, I rolled in six hours late.
Had a great time visiting my pal Katie Reus, and her family. We toured ex-Confederate president Jefferson Davis’s post Civil War summer home, Beauvoir, and ate some really great Southern BBQ.
We took some long walks past beautiful houses like these:
I even spent some time on a white sand beach enjoying the warm sunshine.
The trip back was smooth, though I came home to subfreezing temps and snow–something we don’t get a lot of here in the greater Vancouver area. Snow’s supposed to stay up in the mountains where it belongs!
I didn’t get very much writing done while I was away, but who can blame me? Had a good time and my whole family was ecstatic to see me again. Sometimes it’s good to go away for a bit on my own!
Mississippi Bound
Just found out this weekend that I’m going to Mississippi on Thursday! I’ll be spending a few days down there in the comparatively warm temperatures visiting my pal, author Katie Reus, and I can’t wait! Well, I mean I’m not looking forward to the flights, which is why my hubby didn’t tell me until Saturday afternoon even though he booked the ticket for me in early December. Gives me less time to stress, was his reasoning.
Not sure what we’ll wind up doing down there exactly, but I don’t really care as long as we get to hang out together. At some point she’ll probably wind up tying me to a chair someplace to make me bang out another chapter while I’m there. She’s tough like that 😉 Plus she keeps freaky weird hours and gets more done by 7 am than most people do in an entire business day. I have high hopes she’ll let me sleep in until 7 every morning, but I’m not holding my breath on that one.
I don’t know if I can interest her in doing some Civil War site tours or maybe a day trip into New Orleans, but for sure I’m going to insist we go eat at a BBQ place we ate at last time down there. My man is gonna be so jealous!
So everyone please send good thoughts and flap your arms for me on Thursday. Uh, and when I fly home on the 17th, too. I’d appreciate it!