into the dark

Or, rather, it's *almost* alive.

My website and email server was hacked last weekend (bastards!) and is in the process of being rebuilt. The site went back online this morning, but I still don't have email. And anything sent to me on Friday or later? Never got it. Never gonna get it. In fact, I have no idea what my email is going to look like once it's resuscitated. I have a feeling it's not going to be pretty.

So, if you've been trying to reach me, please know that I'm not ignoring you. If your emails are bouncing (as some folks who've reached me through MySpace have told me), now you know why. This sucks!

I'll post when everything is back online. At least I'll try to post. Blogger informed me as I logged in today that this will be my last post on the old Blogger. I'll have to switch to New Blogger, and I'm not at all sure this canned template I'm using will be compatible. Sigh. It's always something.

Hope everyone is having a great week. I've missed you all!

p.s. I'm trying to figure out why Blogger can't load my profile image, but I did manage to add a new widget to my sidebar. Anyone who'd like to sign up for my newsletter (privately managed, totally secure) can do so by filling out the sign-up form to the right ---->

Posted by Lara Adrian at 9:35 AM | Permalink | Comments

Sorry for the radio silence over here the past several days. I've been plugging away on Tegan's book, which is [thisclose] to having a title now (I hate working on a book that doesn't have a title), but I also have some breaking news!

I've just signed on with Bantam Dell for three more books in the Midnight Breed series!!!

That said, I sure hope everyone likes KISS OF MIDNIGHT and KISS OF CRIMSON, because I intend to subject you to more of my sexy necksuckers well into next year! The talk right now is to publish books 3 and 4 back-to-back early Spring 2008, and I wouldn't be surprised if the last two come out back-to-back as well. Just speculation on my part, but I'm sensing a pattern here . . . ;-)

Posted by Lara Adrian at 8:39 AM | Permalink | Comments

Yes, I realize the big day is almost over, but I'm still making it in here just under the wire! I had a nice, laid back day with the hubby. He worked from home, since we woke up to a blizzard this morning and travel into Boston would have proved impossible. So, off to our separate offices we went, but I'm about to quit for the night so I can make some pasta and open a nice bottle of pinot noir to enjoy by the fireplace. If we really want to go crazy, I might even whip up a batch of brownies! Ah, the romance, huh?

I've actually been looking forward to Valentine's Day for several weeks. Why, you ask? Because today is the official launch of a verra cool new website, RomanceNovel.tv. They're promising author and reader interviews, book news, video clips, etc. A whole "channel" devoted to romance novels and everything genre-related that goes with it. So far, there are only a few video interviews on the site--Nora Roberts, Eloisa James, Christina Dodd, Mary Jo Putney--with more to come. Go check it out!

ETA: If you're still looking for that perfect V-Day pressie for your honey, click on over for some interactive help from Britney Spears. Enter your name, your honey's name, and a few ancillary details, and voila! Instant audio greeting "Midnight Fantasy" courtesy of Brit. Klassy, Sexxy fun, people! Oh, but make sure you don't use any multi-syllabic names or funky spellings, you know, like Lara. Cuz Britney can't say them. I'm not even kidding.

Posted by Lara Adrian at 5:38 PM | Permalink | Comments

I swear, it seems like I'm always playing catch-up lately.

Good news: I finished the proposal for Tegan's book, which might be getting close to having a title (and a Spring 2008 release date--yay!). Unfortunately, the title I pitched for the book wasn't a winner with my editor, but she did like the proposed title for the fourth book, so that actually gives me something to work with on this one. In fact, I could scavenge the book four title for book three, since it does sort of fit this one, but it's a much better fit for the fourth. You following that logic? It really does make sense . . . somehow.

I also finished judging my RITA books, registered for the RWA Conference, sent out a bunch of promo for KISS OF MIDNIGHT, heard back from a few folks who read the ARC and loved it (yippee!!), and now I'm about to throw myself head-first into Tegan's book because it's due at the end of May. As in, May of this year. As in, three and a half months from now. Yeeeah. All offers of sympathy (and chocolate and Red Bull) will be gratefully accepted.

What's everyone else up to this week?

Posted by Lara Adrian at 6:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

The Nymph King
by Gena Showalter
HQN Books

I've taken a cue from some of my friends ::coughJacicough:: and have begun shamelessly begging ARCs of books I just can't wait until release day to read. This one, Gena Showalter's THE NYMPH KING, was my latest score. Lucky for all of you, it's out now and you don't have to resort to begging in order to read it!

TNK is third in the Atlantis series, and while I read and loved Heart of The Dragon (Book 1), I somehow missed the second title, Jewel of Atlantis--which was, I think, Gena's 100th release. Yes, she's prolific, funny, beautiful, and she writes like a house on fire. If she wasn't so nice, I might have to hate her. You're always assured of a good time with one of Gena's books, and with The Nymph King, she pulls out all the stops.

This book is a vivid, delicious fantasy that starts on the very first page, where we meet the sexy nymph king himself. Valerian is a swaggering, sensual alpha male who's used to having everything he wants with nary a curl of his perfect finger. He's gorgeous, fearless, devastatingly carnal . . . and bored. Enter Shaye Holling.

Queen of the cynics, Shaye is not about to get all wobbly kneed over some stunning Adonis who comes traipsing out of the Florida surf with a cadre of similarly gorgeous warriors. And she's really pissed off when she and several other women are captured like prizes and brought into an underwater realm from out of a fairy tale. Things only get worse when Valerian decides he wants Shaye--wants her, as in, forever. She defies him, challenges him, and basically tries to drive him away even though she also wants him terribly--something she fears because in her experience caring only causes pain.

Favorite Line(s) from The Nymph King:

“You are stubborn,” he said. “And you want to be cold.”
She raised her chin. “I assure you, I am cold. I’m a bitch.”
“Given time,” he added smoothly, “I will heat you. I will make you burn.”

And did he ever! :) Gena's vision of Atlantis is a feast for the senses, with glittering architecture, sumptuous palaces, lush living quarters, and a menagerie of fantastical creatures that enhance the awe and wonderment of the mythical setting. I was totally enchanted!

You can read an excerpt of the book at Gena's website, and find links for purchasing online. Up next in the series is Layel, the king of the vampires. Oh, yeah. I am SO there on that book!

Have you already read The Nymph King? Tell me what you think!

Posted by Lara Adrian at 8:47 AM | Permalink | Comments

Busy week! Copyedits for KISS OF CRIMSON arrived over the weekend (surprise!) and are due back this Thursday. Fortunately for me, the copyeditor on this manuscript *rocked*. Aside from correcting my typos and assorted grammar offenses, she also caught a few sticky plot inconsistencies and helped steer me out of the murk of some rather clumsy prose. Thanks to her immensely helpful line editing, I'm already finished with the queries and fixes, and the ms is heading back to Bantam Dell today.

I'm still trying to wrap up the proposal for Tegan's book this week. So far, this is my favorite of the series. The copyedits and a couple of interviews last week side-tracked me from working on it, but so did the arrival of the prototype design for my new website! Squeee!!! I can't wait for the site to roll out. Hopefully it won't be too much longer before I can unveil it. Of course, I am the bottleneck, since I still have to submit the content to my designer.

In other news, I have just one more RITA entry to read, and then I can get back to Meljean Brooks' thoroughly engrossing DEMON ANGEL, with delectable Hugh and devious Lilith. And recently I also had a chance to read (more like devour in one sitting!) Gena Showalter's new release, THE NYMPH KING. I'll be blogging on that one soon.

What's everyone else up to this week?

Posted by Lara Adrian at 9:26 AM | Permalink | Comments

Maria, Lover of All Things Romance

Congratulations, Maria! Please contact me (lara (at) laraadrian.com) with your mailing info and I will put KISS OF MIDNIGHT in the mail to you right away.

Thank you to all who entered the drawing and requested bookmarks. This was so much fun, I'm going to do it again in a couple of weeks. :)

Happy Friday, all!

Posted by Lara Adrian at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments

Thirteen Songs in my KISS OF MIDNIGHT Soundtrack(all links are audio, so don't get yourself busted at work!) 1. Ten Thousand Fists by Disturbed 2. Power in The Blood by Alabama Three (A3) 3. Predator by Collide 4. Possession by Sarah McLachlan 5. Going Under by Evanescence 6. Cat People by Gosling (Underworld 2 Soundtrack) 7. Falling by Lacuna Coil 8. The Hand That Feeds by Nine Inch Nails 9. Rev 22:20 by Puscifer (Oh. My. God. Awesome!) 10. Running From Me by Trust Company 11. Remedy by Seether 12. My Heartstrings Come Undone by Demon Hunter 13. All of This Past by Sarah Bettens Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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Posted by Lara Adrian at 6:12 AM | Permalink | Comments