My Halloween Baby

The little pumpkin.

A close up of Mr. Pumpkin.


A change of costume, with a purple monkey on his back.

The smiling monkey.

Posing with Halloween Barbie.

Upcoming Contest and Interview!

On Monday November 3rd, I'll be hosting a guest author interview and contest. Please stop by next week to win a copy of FOREVER MY LADY and learn more about Jeff Rivera and his compelling novel.

To vist Jeff's website click here

Happy Birthday Viggo Mortensen!

He turned 50 today. Hey, he's my age. I totally want him.

Guilt-Free Halloween Candy

I've lost twenty pounds in the past seven months, and I'm very cautious about what I eat. Sometimes I cheat, but mostly I'm good. Besides dieting (counting points and/or calories), I've been exercising, too.

I've always tried to watch my weight, but the older you get, the tougher it gets. I was very thin when I was in my twenties and thirties. My forties got away from me. I'm trying to get it back in my fifties.

But okay, on to the guilt-free Halloween candy. I found this list on the Hungry Girl column/blog and thought I'd share it with you.

Here goes:

Twizzlers, individually wrapped - 40 calories, 0.25g fat
Individually wrapped vines are KEY here, peeps!

Caramel Apple Pops - 60 calories, 0.5g fat
These are INCREDIBLE. 'Nuf said.

Smarties - 25 calories, 0g fat (per roll)
It's hard to overdo it with Smarties, even if you LOVE 'em.

Dum Dum Pops - 25 calories, 0g fat
These are tiny, yet they last a long time and are super-low in calories. YES!

Mini AirHeads - 45 calories, 0.5g fat
So low in fat, chewy, sweet and satisfying!

Blow Pops - 60 calories, 0g fat
It's a lollipop. It's bubblegum. Fun, fun, fun!

Here's the chocolate list, if you just gotta have chocolate:

Milky Way Minis - 38 calories, 1.4g fat (per Mini, NOT Fun Size!)
Light. Low-fat. Love 'em.

3 Musketeers Minis - 24 calories, 0.7g fat (again, per MINI!)
No, you can't have THREE of 'em for those stats...

Tootsie Roll Midgees - 23 calories, 0.5g fat
Chewy chocolate in bite-sized chunks? Fantastic!

Life on Mars...

...is my favorite new TV show this season. Why? Because I'm fascinated with the premise of a NY City detective from 2008 being thrust back to 1973 and not knowing why. Also, the soundtrack rocks, and the chemistry between the characters is oddly electric. Oh, and you gotta love Michael Imperioli's goofy moustache and sideburns. It's a bit of a switch from the way he looked in the Sopranos, but he still plays a hard ass. Sorry I didn't post a picture, but I couldn't find one of him from Life on Mars. I'll have to keep checking.

Book I'm Reading

I picked DARK NEEDS AT NIGHT'S EDGE by Kresley Cole. Awesome story. I love that the heroine is a ghost and the hero is a vampire. It provides a great twist on paranormal romance.

Here's a blurb about the plot:

A vampire warrior consumed by madness, trapped in the lair of an otherworldly temptress only he can see.

The beauty wants him gone--the warrior can't leave.
Let the games begin…

Néomi Laress, a famous ballerina in the early 1900s, became a phantom the night she was murdered. Imbued with powers, but invisible to the living, she haunts her beloved home, scaring away any trespassers--until she encounters a ruthless immortal even more terrifying than Néomi herself.

To prevent him from harming others, Conrad Wroth's brothers imprison him in an abandoned manor. There only Conrad can see the dancer with wild raven hair--who seems determined to drive him further into madness. The exquisite creature inflames him with desire, leaving his body racked with lust and his soul torn as he finds himself coveting her for his own.

Yet even if Conrad can win Néomi and claim her completely, evil still surrounds her. Once he returns to the brutality of his past to protect her, will he succumb to the dark needs seething inside him?

TBR List

Here are a handful of books from my to-be-read list. Some I bought and other were freebies from the National Romance Writer's of America Conference.

DARK NEEDS AT NIGHT'S EDGE (The Immortals After Dark Series) by Krelsey Cole

NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM by Jordan Dane

DARK HORSE by Tami Hoag

THE ALIBI MAN by Tami Hoag

THE UNDEAD NEXT DOOR by Kerrelyn Sparks

SLAVE (The Cat Star Chronicles) by Cheryl Brooks

SILENT IN THE SANCTUARY (A Lady Julia Grey Mystery) by Deanna Raybourn

I think I'll get started on one of them tonight. I'll be back and let you know which one I chose.

The Art of Desire in Portugal

THE ART OF DESIRE (my first Berkley Heat) sold to Portugal, and I’m thrilled about this sale. My Harlequin/Silhouette books have been published all over the world, and it's exciting to have my first single title going into the foreign market, too.

I’m hoping that THE ART OF DESIRE sells to more countries. It's a special book to me. I would love to see it published all over the globe.

Erotic Romance Interview

I was interviewed by Erotic Romance Writers Website. It's a great author site. Click Here, then scroll down on the home page and you'll see a link to my interview. Once that link is gone, you can find it in the "Interview" section.