First, contrats to Julie as the randomly selected comment about HOT days! Email me your snail mail addy (emma AT emmasinclair DOT com) and I’ll have some summer goodies coming your way soon.

Second, am I the only one totally obsessed with the Tour de France? I’ve been watching it for years, and without Lance, there was always the “what the heck is going to happen now” question hanging over the tour. Well, with the rest of the top contenders out in controversy the day before it started, it’s a completely wide open bike race!

Anyway, they’re in the Alps for the next two days, by far the best part of the race. I mean, I think they should just take out the flat stages all together and have to race up hill the whole time, but I don’t think anyone else is going to go for that.

Seriously, if you don’t watch the tour, but are thinking of getting into it, watch today and tomorrow in the Alps. I think there’s 5 major climbs on todays stage.

Here in the states OLN has prime time coverage (not live) starting at 8 EST (9 PST). You should watch.

And lastly, it’s release day!!!

Secret Agent Man is out today from Venus Press (Note: If I remember correctly links go live at about noonish so I’ll be back later to post a direct link. In the meantime, click here to read an excerpt. Warning: It be extra spicy.)

I’m so happy that Sam and Cat are finally going to be available to the world!

Catherine “Cat” Mason has always thought that all of her problems would be solved if she could just find the father she’s never known. Sam O’Neill’s job has one rule - no complications. Unfortunately Cat has “complication” written all over her.

Now, the two of them are on a mission to not only save Cat’s father’s life, but also their own. And then there’s that pesky little lust thing that keeps getting in the way…

Edited to add: It’s out! It’s out!! You can click on the picture above to purchase. You know, if you want to.

So yesterday I had 12 comments (including my original post) about the crappy hot-ass weather.

Now, honestly here, raise your hand if you are the same people who would complain if it were 20 degrees and there were a foot of snow on the ground.

*Raises hand*

Yep, for some of us, mother nature is just never going to win.

Of course, give me 70-75 with a nice breeze blowing and I’m one happy girl! But if I have to put up with this heat, I need a beach with a breeze, a nice umbrella for shade, and a cute guy (or 3) to bring me all the margaritas I want.

They’ll do…

It’s hot out, so how about time for a contest - I’ll find something fun to giveaway (not sure what yet, but something summery for sure).

Leave a comment telling me your ideal hot summer day and I’ll pull a name out of a hat tomorrow morning for a winner.

Oh, and it’s official. I booked the mover this morning - they’re coming a month from yesterday!

No, it’s not a brand new boy band, it’s what the temperature is supposed to be today.

Global warming is a myth, my ass!

So, I will be staying nice and cool inside today. I’m just about out of groceries, but will be scrounging for dinner tonight (and possibly tomorrow) just so I don’t have to leave the house in the horribly hot weather.

On the plus side, hopefully I’ll get lots of writing done.

I only came home to about 60 messages after being gone since Friday - I only suffered minor withdrawl without the computer. And I’ve already taken care of most of those (and by taken care of, I mean trashed without reading the spam). And the rest should only take me a few minutes this morning.

Oh, we found a place to live! We’ll be renting a house. It’s near SUNY Stony Brook, and a Target, which is really the most important thing to me.

So now, for the next month I have to balance moving stuff, new house stuff, and writing. It could be a bit of a juggling act, but hopefully I can leave off the majority of the stress for a few more weeks.

So, how was everyone elses weekend? Anything exciting coming up for the week?

OK, so I’m going to try this again, but this time I’m going to take more initiative.

Do you like free books? Heck, who doesn’t, right!!

Now I bet you’re wondering what you’re going to have to do to get one, right? Well, yes, unfortunatly there is a catch.

What you do: Purchase a copy of Tempting Fate (released by Liquid Silver books). Review it on your website/blog/myspace/etc (if you have none of those things, you can send me the review and I’ll post it here) and then send me the link, along with the receipt from LSB (with all personal info removed if there is any on there).

What I do: Once you send me the link to the review (or the review itself), I send you a brand spanking new copy (in the e format of your choice) of http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/lovingfate.htm”>Loving Fate (also released by Liquid Silver books).

Notes:
* There is no deadline, BUT I will be moving around August 15ish and may have to go wihtout internet for awhile (GASP) so things may be delayed around that time.

*IF you post a link to this post on your blog/website/myspace/etc and send me your address, I’ll send you a small token of my appreciation in the form of an Emma Sinclair promo pack.

*The only requirement that I have is that the review be honest - it doesn’t have to be good (though obviously I hope it is).

*What are people saying about Tempting Fate already? Tracey from JERR says “Tempting Fate is like a fantasy come true… I am so glad I had the chance to review such a great book as Tempting Fate and hope there will be more along the same theme.”

What about Loving Fate? Kerin from Euro-Reviews says “Like Tempting Fate, this book is a must-read…The love shared between Noah and Lacy leaves a warm feeling in your heart and the sexy hot love scenes will leave a warm feeling in other places!”

*Any other questions? Post here or feel free to email me (emma AT emmasinclair DOT com) and I’ll get back to you ASAP (though probably not ’til Sunday at the earliest as I’ll be laptopless for the next few days).

I hope you’ll take advantage of this opportunity. I’m actually quite proud of these books (and still hoping LSB is going to buy the third book in the series!)

Oh, and don’t forget to head on over to Word Flirts on Saturday for my first post there!

I think I mentioned that I’m headed back to Long Island this weekend. Well, I’m taking a big, HUGE, MOMENTOUS step.

I’m not taking my laptop.

OK, so apparently lightening didn’t strike me down. In the probably 5-ish years I’ve had my laptop (ok, 2 laptops) I’ve never gone ANYWHERE overnight without it.

Is this what leaving your children overnight for the first time feels like?

***

I wrote about 8 pages on the new book, but then realized I have to delete it. I’m basically rewriting the book I just turned in. Sucks, but at least I realized it 8 pages in and not half way through.

I was in such a dark mood while writing the 3rd Fate book that I thought writing this dark book would be a piece of cake. Apparently not so much. Damn it!

***

Because we’re moving within the next month, don’t have any idea where we’re moving to. Because the hubster has a new job, and it’s the first “real” job he’ll ever have. Because there’s not enough crap flinging around this world’o'mine, I’ve decided it’s time to update my website.

Obviously this will be a long and on-going project.

Anyway, I was hoping ya’ll could do me some favors. Is there something you particularly like or don’t like about my website (fyi - I’m thinking more of content changes than design changes, but I’m really up for anything).

I especially find my books page difficult to navigate, but I’m not sure what I want to change it to.

Are there any authors websites that you absolutely LOVE (no, I’m not against copying)? Please share.

***

Even though I won’t be here for the weekend, make sure to come back tomorrow to learn how you could get a FREE BOOK!!

Everybody likes FREE BOOKs right?

This is going to be viral marketing attempt, take 2.

***

Also, if I can finagle it, I’m going to try to have an author interview post up on Sunday, but I make no guarentees. As much as I love wordpress, I admit, we don’t always see eye to eye.

***

What’s everybody else got planned for the weekend? Anything good? Not good?

I have errands to run this morning. I hate running errands. It kind of throws my whole day out of whack.

I have a follow up appointment with my eye doctor, and I really should try to pick new glasses, but that’s so damn hard to do.

Then I’ve got a skirt that I need to return to Old Navy to try to get a smaller size. I’m not holding out much hope that they’ll actually have the smaller size though and this one practically falls down which means I don’t really know what I’m going to do.

Lastly is a quick trip to the grocery store. We’re going to Long Island again this weekend so we need snacks and stuff for the trip. We also need dinner for tomorrow night and Sunday night because I don’t want to have to do a BIG grocery shop until Monday (and trust me, I’d put it off much longer if I could).

After that, hopefully I’ll have the rest of the day (it should be most of the afternoon) to write. I wrote 5 pages yesterday. I was pretty impressed with myself considering my output lately has been about less to nothing.

I’m actually trying to write 2 things at the same time. That’s something I’ve never done before, but since I really don’t have anything out there in the big bad world at the moment it’s something that I feel needs to be done.

The two stories are vastly different, so it shouldn’t be too hard getting into the tone of one vs the other (hopefully).

Does you work on more than one thing at a time? What are some pros and cons of doing so?

I think writing a book is like giving birth; it’s painful and it’s messy. (Note: While I’ve never actually given birth myself, I stand by that statement.)

But really, this post is supposed to be how I push through books. I don’t stop for piddly little details like research. That’s why Word has different colors to use.

If I start thinking maybe this scene shouldn’t go where I have it, or maybe it should be cut at all, I push myself through it. I can always take it out later if I’m right.

And I don’t pause to think about little details like craft. I assume that my subconscious knows what it’s doing pretty much, and I let it run like the wind (or like a two year old with too much sugar to continue my child analogy).

If I think this scene is boring, it probably is, but that doesn’t mean I go back and see what was wrong before the scene started - I throw a cougar into the story (have you all seen the preview for the movie Taladaga Nights where the guy is trying to get Will Farrell to drive with a cougar in the car? I think that scene looks worth the price of admission alone).

Then, once I push through the rough draft, the rest is like putting together a giant puzzle. That’s when I research things, move things around a bit if necessary, make sure all the plot threads are tied in a nice little bow at the end.

I always think that part is going to be painful, but you wanna know the truth? It all goes back to my subconscious being pretty smart. I tossed things in there that I didn’t even know why ’til the end. I’ve had entire plot threads that I didn’t even realize when I was writing!

Don’t get me wrong, I think craft is great, and you have to learn craft. But rather than thinking, “I have to do XYZ,” I tend to give my subconscious free reign. I trust that I’m not just using craft, I learned craft.

Works for me.

So there, a writing related post from Emma just because. Now, tell me about your process (if that’s what you can call the above - perhaps I have a lack of process, lol). What are things (especially things that others may think are weird) that work for you?

This is what I was doing two years ago today.

Yep, that’d be me just before I got married. It’s my second anniversary (that’s discounting the fact that we’ve been together for 8 loooong years). Tonight we’ll be celebrating by gorging ourselves on burritos at Chipotle. Mmmmm.

In other news, did everybody see the World Cup final yesterday?

Frankly I think there should be more head butting in sports. I mean, can you imagine the strength of that guys noggin to fell a grown man with one butt?!?!? Everybody’s talking about how disgraceful it is, but I think we should be focusing on how Zidane’s head must be made of iron!

I’ve got another short week ahead of me this week - we’re leaving on Friday to go back to Long Island to look for a place to live. Luckily I don’t have much other stuff going on this week so I should be able to get lots of writing done. Yay!

Anybody have any exciting stories from the weekend? Anybody got anything fun planned for the week?

I’ve been really remiss with posting Author Interviews lately, but in my defense I haven’t really been home the last several Sunday’s.

Anyway, today’s interview is with fabulous Liquid Silver Book author Paige Burns. She was kind enough to answer questions several months ago and I apogolize that I’m just now getting around to posting them.

If you were a pie, what kind of pie would you be?
Chocolate Pudding Pie ~ because it’s my husband’s favorite.

If you were to choose a vegetable most resembling your personality, what veggie would you pick and why? (Note: Tomato is a fruit).
I want to say a carrot. I have good strong roots, I’m versatile, crunchy at times and other times, mushy. And very good on the eyes, er, I mean, for the eyes.

What thought first crosses your mind when you hear, “Once upon a time…”?
Actually Disney. Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella…

Which Disney character are you most like, and why?
This was hard so I Googled a quiz and it came up w/ Princess Aurora, Sleeping Beauty. Why? Because “I’m beautiful, enchanting, and as sweet as ever.”

What is the most attractive trait you could hope for in the opposite sex?
Honesty.

Who was your favorite character in “Star Wars”?
I’m really not much of a SW fan, I’m angry about Anakin. LOL. But I would say, Hans Solo, he was cute and funny.

If you were to grow a mole on your forehead what shape would you want it to be?
Yikes, can I take it off once it’s grown in? Just round, then I could glue a gem to it and pretend I was Indian.

What is the best carnival ride you’ve ever been on?
The best ever? I really like the ferris wheel, and the taller the better.

Have you ever swallowed something you shouldn’t have (coins, etc)?
Not that I know of. Ick.

What does your name mean? Does it fit you?
It’s French in origin, and I’ve found two meanings, assistant/attendant or young child. So, I could say yes, it fits. I still feel young at heart and I do a heck of a lot of assisting!

Thanks Paige and don’t forget to check out her books here.

First, to clear up some leftovers from yesterday, the other trademarked item that Websters lists as a verb is Xerox.

I got another couple of pages done yesterday while watching the Tour de France. Yes, I’m a nerd, so sue me.

I’m pretty sure I’m not starting in the right place, I don’t think the h/H are going to meet until the beginning of Chapter 2, but it’s the place I need to start now. I just have to keep reminding myself that I have to write, I don’t have to write well.

My Dad is visiting this weekend, and both of my sisters (one only lives about 1/2 hour away - in downtown DC, still the only time I see her is when my Dad visits). Last I heard we’ll probably be heading to the Baltimore Inner Harbor tomorrow. Pretty, but being outside when it’s 95 degrees out isn’t really my thing.

God bless air conditioning!

Anyway, minor technical thing, but I apologize if real people are posting here and getting deleted. This blog gets an insane amount of spam so I have it set that I have to approve the first comment anyone makes (after that it should be pretty immediate). Well, when I have hundreds of spams, and one real one, occassionally I miss the one real one. So, I apologize. I swear, it’s nothing personal.

Unless you’re trying to sell me porn or viagra or I admit, I don’t know what half the spam is really for, then it’s personal.

So, what’s everybody up to this weekend? Fun stuff all around I hope!