BLEED PURPLE

I'm an unabashed hockey fan. I get it genetically from my dad (who still curses the Flyers every chance he gets) and by association from my husband.

I think it's the only real man's sport. You try to stay upright on a 1/8-inch piece of steel while chasing a 3-inch round, 6-ounce piece of vulcanized rubber on a slick sheet of ice with five guys bearing down on you, one or two of whom will try to knock you into the hard wooden boards.

In my house from October to May, hockey rules. My husband subscribes to a cable TV package that gives him at least two games every night, sometimes five, sometimes 10 or 12 on the weekends. I know the words to the Canadian national anthem. My husband gets a tear in his eye when I recognize the opening music to Hockey Night in Canada. And I love Don Cherry's outrageous getups.

Seven years ago, the ECHL (two steps below the NHL) opened the Reading Royals franchise in Reading, PA, ten minutes from our home. Needless to say, we have season tickets. Tonight, our guys begin a seven-game series at home for the division title. The semi-finals were nail-biting as we battled the Elmira Jackals for every point and we're expecting an even greater challenge against the Cincinnati Cyclones.

So what does this have to do with romance?

Let's start with stats. Most hockey players are six feet tall, weigh a good 200 pounds and are in great physical shape. They have to be. Makes them great hero material. And they're not your typical pretty boys. They let their hair and their beards grow. They're not afraid to fight when they need to and they're not too macho for group hugs. They have to think fast and react even faster. They're pure aggression and innate grace. And they know how to handle their sticks.

My husband and I will be in our seats tonight when the whistle blows, ready to cheer on our team. We never boo our own players (we're not in Philly), though we will boo the ref. I'll gasp when goalie Danny Taylor gives up a rebound and scream when he makes a great save. I'll yell just a little louder for defenseman Steven Later because I have a soft spot for him and I'll cheer on offensive players Joe Zappala and Dany Roussin for the same reason.

Let's Go Royals!!

RT, Speechless and Still Smiling

I'm a huge JR Ward fan (and closet cellie), as anyone who knows me can attest. I love the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and, as a writer, I aspire to write stories that move my readers as much as Ward's entrance me.

So, I'm at the bookfair at the Romantic Times convention in Pittsburgh Saturday. The rest of the week had been pretty interesting, I stockpiled a lot of knowledge for future events and hopefully got to meet a few readers who will pick up my book. As my friend, Jen Blackwell, and I were cruising the aisles, we decided to pay homage to JR. Jen first told me I had to read this book DARK LOVER and we have all her books (I actually have two copies of Lover Revealed, one signed and one that lives by my bed, don't ask).

When we got to her table, we gushed and she looked at my nametag and said she was glad I stopped by, she'd been looking for me. Now, my brain sputtered to a stop and I thought, obviously I'd misheard her. Can't imagine what my expression was because this is a writer I admire so much and await her book releases with baited breath. And she was looking for me.

Turns out someone had directed her to my blog on the romerotica authors blog where I talked about wanting to meet her and Lora Leigh and generally stressing about being a wallflower at RT. She said she had felt the same way and wanted to say hi. We talked for a little...at least, I hope I said something coherent. And then I found my friend Judi Fennell, who had the forethought to bring a camera, and she took the pix. If you look closely, I'm sure you can tell I'm dazed and smiling so hard, my face hurt.

I'm not an outgoing person. RT was interesting and fun but also difficult in a way most people can't understand. The ebook fair and the Ellora's Cave party Wednesday were lessons in facing my fears. I got through both relatively unscathed and I think next year's RT may be less harrowing.

But that five-minute chat with JR Ward, who is so gracious and so freaking nice, made my entire week. Thanks to the WARDen, I'm still smiling.

Stealth Writer and Red Pumps

So, I'm pretty much a wallflower. Always have been, always will be. I don't like to stand out in a crowd, don't like to be the center of attention. I don't wear makeup, except for very formal occasions, and my typical outfit is jeans, t-shirt and Chucks. If I happen to put on mascara or, god-forbid, a dress, my two boys look at me funny and run the other way.

But when it comes to my writing, I want to be NOTICED. I want to be a New York Times best-selling author. I want everyone to know my name and wait anxiously for my next book to arrive on shelves. I want them to pick it up without reading the back cover and run with it to the checkout so they can get home as soon as possible and read it.

Seems like a conflict, doesn't it? Well, try and live it.

I'm heading to the Romantic Times convention Wednesday. That first day, I'm going to do my first-ever signing at the ebook fair and then I'll be at the Ellora's Cave party. Now, the signing makes me nervous only because it's something I've never done before and I don't exactly know what's going to happen.

The EC party makes me grab for my bottle of lorazepam, the one I use to fly. Because for just a few seconds, everyone in the room might be staring at me. What's worse, I have to walk up three stairs and down three stairs in shoes with four-inch heels. What idiot decided I needed screw-me-red pumps with stilettos? Oh yeah, that was me.

So, am I an idiot? I hope not. I just wanted to get into the spirit of the event and, yes, not stick out among the flash and glitter of all the other guests.

And I really hope I don't trip in those heels, thereby ensuring that everyone will look at me.

Check This Out

My good friend, Adele Dubois, has a great story in DREAM TRAVELER, (Ellora's CaveISBN-13: 978-1419914720Genre: Futuristic/RomanceFormat: ebook)

The book was a Stroke of Midnight Award-winner and ParaNormal Romance calls it "HOT HOT HOT!"

Check out this story (if you can tear your eyes away from the cover):

Emily Hopkins has sexy daydreams and secret erotic fantasies that are suddenly coming true. And they're ruining her life.

All she wanted was some zing in her sex life. After twenty-five years of an otherwise happy marriage, her perimenopausal hormones keep her constantly aroused just as her nest empties and her husband naps each night in the family room recliner after supper.

When Emily wins an island getaway she hopes the beach fling with her husband will cure her midlife blues. Trouble is, the prize doesn't include him. There's another tiny entry detail she missed without her reading glasses - the exotic island is a youth-restoring, anything-goes sex theme resort.

Emily faces the choice between her marriage vows and Paradises' wild carnal pleasures. Will she surrender to temptation? Or will Emily discover the secret to renewed marital passion and live happily ever after?

My First Review

SEDUCED BY MAGIC got its first review in Romantic Time's May issue.

4 1/2 stars

"...sparkles with fantasy. Fairies, satyrs, werewolves and deities populate Julian's world, but they're so well crafted that they're completely believable, and smoldering erotic scenes develop the protagonists' relationship...this story is unpredictable and fascinating, setting the stage for what are sure to be highly anticipated sequels."

I'm beyond thrilled and into ecstatic because someone other than my critique partners and my husband likes my baby. And that's a heady feeling.