It’s a Monday!! After a hellacious weekend, I’m now behind on my novella. I’ve also started a new exercise regimen, had a doctor appointment, ran to the grocery store, answered a lot of past due e-mails, etc. None of it is good for my productivity. I’m totally playing catch-up. Besides, you don’t want to hear from me; you want to hear from him…

The winner of the Books, Books, Books contest is Eva S. Contact me via the site and give me your address. I’ll pop your book in the mail.

Have a great week, all!

It’s been an up week…and a down one. First, I want to thank everyone who played the Titletard game. I has so many WONDERFUL suggestions!! You all really blew me away, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I sent many of those titles into my Pocket editor, along with a few I came up with. She chose one of mine, which was FATED. I love the simplicity of it, and it’s right for the story. However, if you’ve read my “News” section, you know there’s a downside to this tale: the anthology has been cancelled.

My novella will make an appearance this year, some way, somehow. I want fans of the Doomsday Brethren to meet one of the new guys before he steps on the stage with the other warriors in book 3, POSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT. To see what it’s like to choose this life, especially when he’s dealing with a potential new mate–and his family isn’t dealing well with it at all. So I’ll beg your patience a bit. I should have definitive answers next week about the fate of FATED.

Since so many of you played the title game and none of those were selected, I’m going to select the person who helped me the most as the winner. Her entry, LONGING, started me thinking of one-word titles, which led me to FATED. So congratulations Ada. You’ve won a copy of the new version of BOUND AND DETERMINED! Contact me with your address to claim your prize.

On another front, I’ve seen sketches for the covers for SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW and POSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT. I think they’re going to be gorgeous when it’s all said and done. For now, Pocket is tweaking, and none of the lettering, etc. is completed on the front. But generally, they are in the vein of TEMPT ME WITH DARKNESS…just a bit more photographic and modern, in keeping with the fact we’re dealing with more modern heroes.

Speaking of POSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT, it’s finally up for pre-order at Amazon. Feels like I’ve been waiting forever… I’m impatient; what can I say? After the pre-order for SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW appeared, I kept thinking…any day now. But it was nearly a full month later. To make things even better, my editor finished reading PMAM yesterday and said it was very good and very strong. It’s my favorite, personally, of the Doomsday Brethren so far. So for anyone who has been curious about Ice…this is the book for you!

The UPS/FedEx dudes have been making regular stops at my house lately. Sometimes wish my office wasn’t so far from the front door, because by the time I get there and open it, the dudes are long gone, so I have no idea if they’re cute. But I digress… They’ve brought me multiple boxes recently. In addition to the copies of SNEAK PEEK I’ve received, which released at the end of January, I’ve also received copies of BOUND AND DETERMINED and A PERFECT MATCH! Now my closet is overflowing. Organizational skills, anyone? So not me…

Anyway, because it’s Friday and I’m in a good mood, I’m going to give away a copy of one of those titles (winner’s choice). Between now and Monday, visit ShelleyBradley.com to read about A PERFECT MATCH or SNEAK PEEK (“Watch Me”) and ShaylaBlack.com to read about BOUND AND DETERMINED. Let me know here which book you’d rather have and why (I’m a why person, I have to know why everything…). I’ll pick a winner Monday evening. Good luck!

Apparently, I suck at titles. Really suck. Sometimes, I get lucky. Often I have to beg help from smart readers. So here’s my current dilemma: I am nearly half done with my recently contracted novella. It will be out in July, along with stories by Kresley Cole, Gena Showalter and Sharie Kohler. As an overall anthology, it’s untitled at the moment…as is my contribution.

What can I tell you? It’s a Doomsday Brethren story about one of the twins. If you’re unfamiliar with them, read about them here. The story is somewhat about one of the twins dealing with the belief that his family has been cursed and, because of it, they have no mating instinct. They will never know the right woman for them. So the twins, until now, have basically been big ol’ man whores.

I suggested BEWITCH ME IN PLEASURE, but my editor found “bewitch” too feminine. So… I’m back to square one. The editor suggested something about instinct or blood, as both are sort of involved. And yes, we’ve already discarded THE MAN WHORE TAKES A BRIDE. Catchy, but…

This is where you come in. Please leave title ideas here. They don’t need to be any particular length or cadence. Probably 4 words or less, however. Other than that, anything goes. The person whose suggestions help most? I have advance copies of BOUND AND DETERMINED and I’ll sign one for the winner by Friday–days before you can buy it.

Ready, set, comment! And thanks for your help!

Yesterday, a very sweet and concerned reader sent me an email to advise me that someone had violated my copyright by using some of my work on a fan fiction board. I clicked the link…and nearly fell out of my chair. There was nearly half of WICKED TIES being posted in chapters by someone who had morphed it into Twilight fan fiction and changed the story to first person. Jack was now Edward and Morgan was now Bella. Deke was Emmett, who had a cousin James, instead of Luc, with whom he shared women. The rest…nearly all the same. The “author” prefaced the first chapter by saying that she didn’t own the characters to Twilight and was basing this fan fic on “something she’d read a few years ago that had the right amount of angst.”

Really?

I read the readers’ review comments. Most people loved the story and thought the “author” was wonderful. Nowhere in her intro did she mention that the “something” she based her story on was actually my story. There were hundreds of comments, and all I could think of was that yeah, imitation is supposed to be the sincerest form of flattery, but this woman stole from me. The readers who liked the story might have liked WICKED TIES just as well…if they’d actually known that was the basis for her fan fic, often word for word.

I contacted the owner of the fan fiction forum and told them this user was violating my copyright. The story came down three minutes later.

The concerned fan who alerted me let me know that she was spreading the word that the woman’s story was actually mine and was referring people to my site. Very sweet. But I clicked around to some other Twilight fan fiction stories and KNOW I’ve read these books elsewhere, under other titles, by authors who write to put food on the table. (Wish like hell I could remember WHOSE books they were.) And while I know these Twilight fans are having fun and think they are giving the Twilight community something back, they are also stealing from authors who, without royalties, might have to leave writing for 8-5 work because they can’t afford to do what they love any longer.

So please, if you see fan fiction that violates an author’s copyright or subscribe to a board that makes available in a trading capacity “used” eBooks, remember file sharing is illegal (Napster, anyone?) and may put your favorite new authors out of the business.

So today is my first day is as a full-time writer. In theory. The reality? RAH (Romance Author Husband) is sick, so I’m playing nurse (not the naughty kind, so get your mind out of the gutter), I’m babysitting a 4 year old for 3 hours, having some folks coming to fix some stuff at my house later today. I’m supposed to write when? It’s frustrating, and I’m on the LAST scene of POSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT. The last! And I’m hard-pressed to get anything done today. This book is past due. *eek* I also have a novella due by the 23rd I need to get started on. Plenty of work…just no time to do it. Wish me luck!

I’ve just returned from my father-in-law’s funeral last night, hubby in tow. We’re getting back into the swing of life. Thanks to everyone who left me a comment or sent me a private email expressing their condolences. I’m very behind on emails now (and deadline too), so if you don’t hear from me, I promise I read the email and so many of you made me want to hug you and smile. I appreciate you!

Since we’re getting on with the business of living, on to funner stuff…

Multi-Author Romance Signing
Just in time for Valentine’s!

When:
This Saturday
February 7th
2 – 4 p.m.

Where:
Legacy Books
7300 Dallas Parkway #A120
Plano, TX

Who’s signing?

Shayla Black
Rachel Caine
Diana Cosby
Gretchen Craig
Jo Davis
Jane DeLeon
Leanna Ellis
Tracy Garrett
Lorraine Heath
Karen Kelley
Misa Ramirez
Kay Thomas

If you can, come on out and bring a friend! I’d love to see a friendly face!

For more information and directions see Legacy Books website: Legacy Books

Sorry I have been largely absent. My father-in-law passed away last Thursday, and I flew to their house the following day. Services are this coming Wednesday and I’m due home Thursday night. It’s been difficult and so very unexpected and sad. My mother-in-law and husband are understandably bereft. I’ve been doing my best to play a supporting role.

If you’ve been waiting for February’s newsletter, it should be coming shortly. I’m hoping to resume regular blogging as soon as possible. I will also resume writing as soon as I’m able, hopefully by this weekend.

I’ve been fortunate; I don’t have a lot of experience with death. I was a bit overwhelmed with all the planning involved, paperwork, red tape, etc. We’re finally through it, and hope the family can resume with storing the good memories and grieving. Honestly, I still can’t believe my FIL is gone, and I know we’ll miss him, especially when we talk to my husband’s family or come back east to see them–and he’s not there. His southern, east-to-get-along-with charm and wry sense of humor made him one of the best people to be around. I feel blessed to have known him for nearly 25 years. I wish there had been more.