I’m out of blog topics at the moment because I’m actually working on FOOL. I did take a break this weekend to catch up on my DVR backlog. One of the shows I always catch is FLASHPOINT, partly because I like the show and partly because it gets me in Rory’s head space. This was the song at the end of the episode, along with a montage of very romantic clips. The song very much evokes the vibe between Rory and Delaney.

Enjoy while I slave away. Oh, don’t forget the Nook contest on Long and Short of If (click the button under Friends) and comment here for an RWA bag and swag. See y’all in a bit! I’m BICHOK.

Well, if any of you are still speaking to me, Gilles is moving on to the semi-final round of our Mr. Summer contest.

Here is our last entry to Friday Flash. I think our little work of fiction ended well. Next Monday, I’ll post the whole story. This Friday, I’ll have something else. Not sure what, yet, but something.

“As long as you’re with me, Lex, I can do anything.” Then he walked away. Nikita had sent them paper. For all eternity. “You, darling Sara, have captured me completely.”

“Hmm-hmm.”

It was good to know that, in at least one area of my life at least, my choices had been just fine.

“Oh my dear…” he laughed “…when we are together, the world will never, ever be the same.”

So is the hunter. I tucked the firearm into the holster under my left arm even as I rose from the chair to continue doing my job…

I’ve extended the goody bag contest until Friday. Comment to be entered to win a book (or several), and goodies from Samhain Publishing, including a BIG canvas tote bag, tee-shirt, water bottle, and luggage tag.

Today is a run to the post office. I’m finally getting the NRCA awards sent out to those who couldn’t make it to RWA10, the goodies won by the folks when I appeared in the author spotlight on The Write Life, plus some goodies going to Louisiana to go into the registration bags for Writers For New Orleans. For anyone in the area, I’ll be at the WFNO book signing on Sunday, September 5, Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter. Come on down! There will be lots of writers and the proceeds go to help the NOLA library system.

Also, starting at 3:00 p.m. CDT on August 29th, I’ll be hosting a chat to celebrate the Long and Short of It’s Third Anniversary. I’ll get the link for you between now and then. LASR is giving away a Nook, so click on that blue button over in my FRIENDS list and get the 4-1-1.

Iffy will be back Wednesday with a new interview and she tells me there’s a giveaway, too. I…don’t know what she’s talking about. Knowing Iffy, it probably has something to do with chocolate.

Also! Unpublished writers! If any of you have a manuscript that finaled in an RWA writing contest but didn’t win, it’s FINALLY A BRIDE time again! Go HERE FOR INFORMATION. Over half of this year’s finalists received requests for submission. And this year, finalists will be seen by TWO editors! Be sure to pass the word around!!!

In the meantime, I need some hints on how to survive Monday. How do y’all manage it?

Okay, whatever crud was going around the RWA Nationals kicked my butt. Big time. By the time I got home Thursday night, it had progressed from what I thought was sinuses and hay fever to upper respiratory infection and fever. I missed Leslie Parrish’s live blog talk on Saturday afternoon. That makes me very sad but I was flat in bed all day Friday and Saturday. The good news is that I’m on the mend. I actually made it to the grocery store today. Go me. LOL

So, who hasn’t read Leslie’s latest book, COLD SIGHT? I figure by now, if you’re a regular here and if you haven’t read it, you probably won’t. I know a few of you have trouble with the subject matter. The book is dark. REALLY dark. But I love Leslie’s dark side and this book rocks like damn and whoah! If I have any stragglers dropping by looking for the Nook from Long and Short of It’s Third Anniversary Party, and if you happen to like dark romantic suspense with a twist of paranormal, check out this book! And how about a prequel to the series? Check out the FREE READ HERE!

Ready for some fun? FAERIE FIRE comes out in just over a month. I think it’s time to start giving stuff away. (Not to mention that I have a bunch of swag and books from RWA Nationals!) So…Let’s have a contest this week. One lucky commenter between now and Friday will win a Samhain canvas tote bag, tee shirt (size 2X), water bottle, and a book. They’ll have their choice from a title list I’ll post later.

Oh, and Joe won the Mr. Summer semi-finals Saturday. He’ll be moving on to our final round. And he now has a recurring and regular role in TRUE BLOOD. w00t!

Iffy has a question…good guys or bad guys for FAERIE FIRE interviews this week?

Last week, other than a few brief appearances, I was pretty much MIA from the shadows as I dashed through the sunshine of Orlando and RWA. As I type this (on Sunday evening), I feel a bit stunned, slightly hung over and seeking a moment of peace and quiet. Two thousand women in an enclosed space is…like drinking from a fire hose of sparkling wine where all the bubbles shoot up your nose. When you finally pass out, your ears still “hear” the buzz of conversation, and when the conference finally ends, you are left feeling lethargic, slightly headachy, and wondering just what the hell you did! (Of course, if you aren’t careful, EVERYTHING you did will appear on Twitter, Facebook, or somebody’s blog!)

This week, I’ll be posting some of the things that happened last week at RWA. Tomorrow is my regularly scheduled First Tuesday post over at Happy Endings. I’m not home yet–won’t be until last Thursday night because I’m visiting my Tech Guru(tm) and his lovely wife for a few days before heading back to the land of heat and humidity. Oh. Wait. I’m still in Florida. This IS the land of heat and humidity.

Today starts the third anniversary party for Long and Short of It, which runs through Friday, August 27th. The party finishes up with a crazy, wild, and busy two day chat on LASR and WC Yahoo groups and a chat on Sunday with Aurora. I’m scheduled to chat (I’ll give you the times closer to the dates) so please make sure you are already a group member if you want to drop by to chat. During the last hour of each chat on Sunday (9 pm Eastern Time) the winners of the Nook eReaders will be announced. Click on the banner for full details!

And while you’re there, check out their review of FAERIE FATE. Four books!

So…what do you think? Did I do something that will (or has!) appeared on someone’s blog or twitter feed? And which ereader would you like to have? Or do you have one? If so, what kind and do you like it?

Come see me at Chicks of Characterization’s THE WRITE LIFE blog. There are prizes every day, including a .pdf ARC of FAERIE FIRE. Winners are chosen from the commenters.

I’m running around like a mad woman getting last minute stuff done, packed, and finally to drop exhausted into bed tonight for an early start tomorrow to the airport. Looks like three of my RWA Chapter mates will be on the flight with me. That should prove interesting. But…y’all don’t care about that. I know what you’re waiting for. First, the winner of this week’s Mr. Summer “heat-off” is Joe Manganiello. Like big surprise, huh? Erika, once you see him as Alcide in this season of TRUE BLOOD, yeah. You’ll see why!

And now, our chapter of Friday Flash:

She could never focus on it, though; never place the memory. “It does not matter anyway, does it?” she said.

“No need to run little man,” one of the rogues taunted, his voice scrapping like gravel. It took time and effort to shape an effective medical team, and there would be a certain attrition rate. Oh, no, she didn’t want to fall asleep, as welcome as it might have been.

Today they will find her body. Or she has already left for work, but is running late. A.J. Sutherland was captivated by the stallion the first moment she saw him. Everyone else just took up space.

This week’s schedule is going to be a bit hodge-podge due to RWA Nationals. You can find me at THE WRITE LIFE all week, I’ll be tweeting, which will roll-over to Facebook, and if something really cools happens, I’ll blog about it here. Be sure to stop in Friday, though. I’m “pre-posting” our entire Friday Flash story to date. And Saturday, we will definitely have the next round of the Mr. Summer contest!

I’ll see some of y’all in person soon! And the rest of you, catch you round the ‘web!

EDIT: New final paragraph because Paula added some late sentences to our FLASH!

Is it Monday already? Ack! Tempus fugit. I leave for Orlando and RWA Nationals a week from tomorrow and I have a trunk-load of stuff to do between now and then. I have an author spotlight next week, plus being part of the Long and Short Reviews Blog Party starting August 1. That will be a lot of fun with some great prizes. It’s on my list to get the details on both of those out. I also have 170 certificates to create and print, plus all the house duties I have to do in advance of leaving. I need Iffy and her scissors to start slicing up my to-do list!

Well, we have a bit of conundrum, ladies. If you go back to look at the votes for Mr. Blue Jeans, well…we have a three-way tie. Now…I can draw straws or we can go out and drum up some more votes. What would y’all like to do?

In the meantime, here’s this week’s addition of Friday Flash. The last line is my addition, from Leslie Parrish’s COLD SIGHT:

She had never been more embarrassed, felt more rejected, not even when Wilson had left her at the altar. Someone poked her back and she whipped around startled. A slender, stylishly dressed blonde woman opened the door.

It was two hours until dawn, the bulk of my evening having been taken up by Ethan, Nick, and my father, so I took the opportunity to give the library the perusal of a former researcher. “Hello.”

“Good.”

Maybe she was crazy.

And drumroll please….The winner of the .pdf ARC of FAERIE FIRE from the Penumbra commenters over on Sky Purington’s blog is…LIZA! Liza, I’ll be emailing you the ARC as an attachment. (Something to read on your flight to Orlando! )

I have a question for y’all. What sort of “swag” do you like to get from an author marketing a book? I need to get some things done for FIRE’s release and I’d like to hear what readers like! Happy Monday, folks!

First up, the winner of a free digital copy of Sky Purington’s book SYLVAN MIST is….Carol L. Congratulations, Carol. Contact Sky at skypurington @ live.com (minus the spaces–gotta hate those spambots!). I’ll email you to let you know you’ve won.

Second, Saturday’s Mr. Summer winner by ONE vote is Cool James, himself. Yay for LL Cool J. He moves on to the Mr. Summer finals. Next Saturday, we start another round of three weekly winners for our next semi-final. Be sure to come vote.

Third, I’m over at SKY’S BLOG this week. Y’all need to come visit. We’re all about hot, Celtic heroes so drop by to talk about your favorite heroes, and comment to win a prize. I’ll be there all week so drop in when you have a chance. I know how crazy busy we all are.

And, last but not least…Our next installment of our flash story!

Some days are decidedly less peaceful. Silvio Menzano was married in a private legal ceremony in Vermont in September 2009. Brighten up your garden with these colorful, hand-crafted stakes, an arresting combination of fiery, light-capturing glass and warm, smooth stone. To create a garden that emphasized symmetry and geometry, Webster began with a central water feature.

Even the best fall down sometimes. Guest blogger Shiloh Walker and Other Monsters Under the Bed. Reggie Jackson famously said “Blind men come to the park just to hear him pitch.” Welcome back Stephanie Newton.

This is getting just crazy! LOL Do we want another installment Friday? What great plans do y’all have for this week? Or, if you’re doing the same ol’ same ol’, what are you doing to survive Monday?

Our flash story is progressing rather nicely, I think. Here’s our next installment:

So try to calm down, get quiet, breathe, and listen. His strictest rule is not to get into trouble and not to give my mother a big mouth. Whereas Deliverance is about a stranger coming to the rescue, Sojourn is about a stranger coming to visit. Ours is a culture that tells us ‘bigger is always better’ and that ‘more’ is better too. I felt like I might break out in welts from sheer anxiety. The world within him, and the world as he sees it. It also made her feel like an imposter.

Although Dorothy turns back for the time being, powerful forces have been set in motion in her life. The psychological concept of the Shadow archetype is a useful metaphor for understanding villians and antagonists in our stories, as well as grasping the unexpressed, ignored, or deeply hidden aspects of our heroes. They didn’t smoke, or drink, or (if the movie Footloose was to be believed) dance. We point to well-intentioned social programs like battered women’s shelters and “dress-for-success” nonprofit organizations that help women get out from under abuse and wonder, why didn’t she seek help? You can prevent your office from becoming a torture chamber with a few adjustments.

So…uhm…that’s an interesting bit of story we had from Friday! I’m still giggling.

The winner from Saturday’s Brunch is Eduardo. He just squeaked by! And it looks Rafael is gonna be busy for a bit with Dawn and Ban.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for the big reveal of FAIRY TALES CAN COME TRUE’s cover and the blurb! I’ve almost finished with the final galley proof to send back to Ms. Editor 2.0. I should be close to finishing SEASON OF THE WITCH polishing by the end of the week and then…get ready Liza! I’m back to work on FAERIE FOOL. Rory has been simmering all this time and he’s about ready to bust out and tell me his whole story!

In the meantime, The Only is having eye surgery today. Nothing too serious–a second lid lift to help reconstruct the shape of her eye. I’ll check in periodically. I’m also over at best selling author M. J. Rose’s blog today, being interviewed about reincarnation. Have a great day! (Even if it is Monday. )

Well, those of us who love Dennis and Cuba must bow to the majority. Bradley moves into the semi-finals.

In other news, the submission packets for SEASON OF THE WITCH are going in the mail today. Keep your fingers crossed. I will, of course, be sharing any news on that front here.

Tomorrow, we have a guest blogger here, while I’m making an appearance at her blog. Be sure to drop by to welcome Carolyn Clemmons and find out about her new book.

There’s a new contest in the air, coming in August with the chance to win Nooks from Long and Short Reviews. I’ll keep you posted as details become available.

And now, here’s to the real reason you are here. Here’s our flash story from Friday:

Still, she had a way of making the word man sound as if Jessie should, in a complete role reversal, demand her mother wash her mouth out with soap. She was no match for these men. They caught a quick bite at the deli near the hotel before hurriedly–and cautiously– grabbing their remaining belongings from their rooms and catching the 17:20 train to Aswan. The same could not be said for the man who stood staring through the floor-length windows overlooking the half-pipe in the warehouse beyond. Not that she could blame him.

Before this year, she’d fired that weapon only during her bureau training and never removed it from its holster once in the line of duty. He’s been with Luke a couple of years now and hasn’t had a single problem. Something about wanting her Faery back and you dead.

(That last line is my second entry, from Maureen Child’s A FIEND IN NEED.) And I think we have another winner! What do you think? Any suggestions for brunch on Saturday? Who has a busy week planned? Happy Monday.

Okey, dokey karaoke. The results are in. For awhile at least, we’ll do a Friday Flash Fiction feature here in the shadows. Each week, there will be a different page number and sentence. We’ll have some fun for the summer. In the meantime, y’all cracked me up about everyone wanting to use the line from FAERIE FATE. Thanks!

Before we get to the fun, disclaimer time. All sentences are copyrighted by their various authors. Authors names and book titles are attributed HERE. Now, without further ado, here’s our story:

And then she jumped me. She’d been the number one champion for the underdog, always taking up for those too scared or too timid to take up for themselves. Maybe that’s why he’d never allowed himself to fall completely in love.

“So you read about me.”

“Steady, Missy.” Strike had teleported with no training, no guidance. She doesn’t seem to be in any danger at the moment.

The Viking was bigger, stronger, and most intent on breaching the lady’s thighs. Eve was going to dig quickly to learn just how much Towers had tucked away. All she needed to do was open the sluice gates a little, and the quickest way to do that was with some good old-fashioned masturbation–or what her mother had called “naughty fingers” when Tess was growing up.

“Why can’t you just leave me alone?” she demanded.

A complaint to his supervisor resulted in nothing but a lecture about how she was clearly sending mixed signals. And the mystery woman made him want to thrust both hands directly into the black dirt. Once she flew to Seattle to visit with him over a long weekend and three times he flew to Phoenix, also for long weekend, visits that went spectacularly well.

“Why won’t you kill me?”

Well, folks? What do you think? NYT best-selling stuff?