***MALEDICTION COVER REVEAL***

There are markers along the road to any great destination, reminders in retrospect of the distance one has traveled and of those who have helped along the way. For me, today ranks high on that list, in part because I get to share it with all of you.

Today, I get to unveil another facet of a project so long in the making that I’d begun to doubt it would ever happen at all.

Today, I finally get to make a proper introduction.

At long last, meet the face that launched a thousand sins, and the start of a new novel series. Staying faithful to the story within, I needed a cover that leaps across genre lines and blurs the boundaries between worlds—one that whispers of mystery while screaming passionate intrigue. I hope I’ve accomplished some of that here.

For now, let’s call her ‘V’—an allusion some readers will instantly recognize. I’d love nothing more than to tell you her story, and how it came to drive my own, but that’s going to have to wait…at least a few days longer. In the meantime, feel free to get acquainted. And be sure to pre-order your copy of Malediction between now and March 20th for a special discounted price.

PRE-ORDER: http://goo.gl/Dko6Jc

 

So what do you think? I’d love to hear from you.

Official Trailer Reveal for MALEDICTION

 

 

March 20: Save the Date

While I’ve teased and taunted, you’ve waited patiently, and now the day is here. Today, I finally get to share a big announcement with you all, one that’s been killing me to hold inside.

In many ways, today marks the start of a new journey while building on the foundation we’ve laid. Time and again, I’ve shown you the “how” through the tales and vignettes I’ve collected. Now it’s time I tell you the “why”.

With the release of my first Crimson Confessions, I started down a road that has delivered me to each and every one of you. It’s brought me new friends, and maybe a few enemies, but more than that it’s opened my eyes to the incredible power of the written word in bonding people across their differences. But then, that’s always been my hope, my catalyzing ambition. On the bridge between these divides, we often find our strongest commonalities—the undeniable truths which make us one and the same, in spite of our tendencies to forget.

Now we reach the next step together, with the unveiling of a new phase that blurs lines and crosses boundaries in ways few others have. Today is about much more for me than the introduction of a new novel. It’s about inviting you deeper into a world of my own reluctant creation, to walk among the shadows from which Confessions take rise and glean firsthand the reason behind their existence.

Jessica Ames, Morgan Parker, Christine Bexley… Each carried secrets like weights around their necks until absolved by the cleansing power of revelation. But have you ever wondered what connects them all, beyond the ultimate submission to temptation? The answer to that stands right before you, and has from the very beginning. I do.

Now I bring you a new class of sinners, their transgressions darker and more wanton than those who came before. But even their disclosures pale to the worst of them all. See, my motivation for liberating these strangers of their chains was never about nobility or goodwill. I chase absolution as well, albeit for an affliction more damning than the rest.

Only one can grant me peace and the second chance I seek. Some day, I must believe, she will. Until then, I carry on as if she won’t. Welcome to my self-imposed curse. Welcome to my blessed damnation. Welcome…to my Malediction.

Coming March 20—the first day of spring. New Season, New Beginnings.

***REVIEW*** Order of the Orchidarion (and a Food Lust appetizer)

Happy Wednesday to all my friends and lascivious Lexxicons. I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything writerly in nature and I apologize profusely. Who knew being an author would require so much juggling?

Fortunately, I woke this morning to a review of Order of the Orchidarion so thoughtful, intensive and genuine that it left me no choice but to get off my lazy backside and share it with everyone. The fact that it comes from an admired colleague and truly talented author makes it the sort of treat that helps fan the flames and fuels a tireless quest to improve. For that, I sincerely thank Ms. L.T. Kelly. See what she has to say below:

September 11, 2001: Remembrance Means More than a Hashtag

Anyone who knows me has to understand that I rarely bring up politics in polite conversation. I just don’t see the point of arguing deep-seated belief systems with someone on the other side of the divide. A lot of words and rhetoric with no definitive purpose, all such bickering serves to achieve is to further entrench both positions behind defensive walls so thick that the truth never stands a chance of shining through.

That said, should any of that matter on a day like today? Do we really feel content posting a picture of a flag and a hashtag, #neverforget, and then immediately carrying on with the insanity that’s become our daily lives? A commemorative post is not communion. It isn’t confession. It doesn’t absolve us of the rampant irresponsibility to which this nation has fallen victim.

Writer and Reader: Still the Greatest Partnership in Publishing

Dear Reader,

While we writerly types love to throw words around at the slightest provocation, there’s one thing we don’t say nearly enough (and yes, the shame is palpable). Thank you.

You, the reader, are the ultimate raison d’être for any fledgling author with hopes of professional and artistic success. While we write to live and live to write, we wouldn’t exist without you. And what fun would it be if we could?

Please keep this in mind if you’re ever approached by a wordsmith in search of your support. If you believe in what we’re doing and the quality of our work, please don’t keep it to yourself. Leave a review that might catch the eye of another who comes after you. Share with like-minded friends this newly discovered jewel in the rough. And revel in the knowledge that you’re making a genuine difference.

We don’t ask it to appease some inflated sense of self, but because a simple gesture from you might help change the course of our career. It may just open new avenues and create connections that would not have existed otherwise.

The Pith of the Pendulum

Ironic, isn’t it, the way the pendulum swings? Most of the time, we barely even notice the back-and-forth rhythm as our days tilt from positive to negative and back again, teasing with blurred glimpses of a “normal” middle ground while dragging us repeatedly to either side. An annoying traffic jam here, a miraculous run of green lights there, when all we really want is a spot in the shade to enjoy a moment of blissful neutrality with a perfectly hot cup of tea.

And then there are those times when the pendulum grows violent, contrasting the bumper crops of summer with the harshest of winters and sunny skies with rolling clouds in the distance. Yin and yang. Balance and counter-balance. Or, as I’ve come to know it, July. It’s been a month now since the publication of my first book breathed to life a dream I never imagined could become reality. But with the weightlessness of elation came an inevitable anchor of darkness to restore my perspective.

I have to believe there is purpose in this balance—a lesson of sorts, buried between the lines. I have my own theories on what it might be, if you’ll indulge me a dive into the diary, but I’d love to hear your thoughts…

A Taste of Amber

I return home to find her sprawled across my bed, as though there’s no place she would rather be. But I know all too well that isn’t true. The trail of clothing shed slowly up the staircase spoils the surprise of her visit long before I reach the threshold, but the view is just as spectacular. She has something new that she’s dying to share; I can smell her excitement from across the room. Why else would she be here?

Petals Under Glass: The Orchid’s Allure

A rare, blood-red Dracula orchid from the cloud forests of Central America.

“Be wary of the man who has mastered the orchid’s secrets because once he masters yours, your body may never again trust one who has not.”

So my new book debuted earlier this week, and with it the usual questions. How do you dream this stuff up? Why orchids, of all things? Hey, when are you going to get a real job?

It probably comes as no surprise that I’m an intensely private person; we who live in our own heads usually are. That being the case, I’ll often find inspiration in nature, where a soul can quiet the noise and focus on the passions of life without distraction. And what better muse for a story of sensual awakening than the intricate seduction of nature’s crown jewel?

When it comes to Order of the Orchidarion, one question I’m asked more than any other is whether I had to do a lot of research into orchids before writing it. My answer, quite honestly, is no. At least not in any conventional sense. I’ve been collecting and cultivating orchids in one form or another for decades. In fact, I can honestly say they’re one of the earliest in a growing list of undying loves. Care to join me for a stroll through the collection and find out why?

Manic Readers Gives “Food Lust” FIVE STARS

I’m thrilled to share Manic Readers’ wonderful five-star review of Food Lust: A Crimson Confession, set for release August 15 (August 22 on Amazon).

One of my more playfully irreverent offerings to date, I’m excited to see Food Lust embraced as the indulgent treat I always hoped it would be. One world-class chef. One food-phobic wallflower. Two insatiable appetites. It’s the ultimate recipe for fun!

A couple highlights:

“Very sexy and draws the reader right into the book.”

“I love the witty repartee and sexual innuendos. Loved the graphic descriptions, word pictures, and erudite vocabulary.”

“…Food Lust was one of the best books I’ve seen in a long time.”

Check out the full review HERE.