It's time for vacation. Past time really. I needed to take a vacation months ago but this Saturday I'm leaving for Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard. Since I've never been in that area it should be fun (not to mention loads of inspiration). I'll be driving the loop, stopping at any place that catches my interest and taking lots of pictures. I'll post when I get back to tell you any adventures (or misadventures) that I get into.

In the meantime, check out my current blog at www.jademorrison.com - I'll introduce you to Amber Carlton a good friend and talented writer. Her book, Raven Feathers: The Awakening, will be debuting next week. I've had a sneak preview and its fabulous. I've enclosed links on the blog so you can check out her bio, interview, review and fabulous book trailer.

Exciting things are happening this spring. Check out my hot new website and blog at www.jademorrison.com. ( I think you'll like the eye candy!)

Hope your spring is happy and filled with sunshine and flowers.

Jade

Okay, I'm a complete and utter failure at blogging. Really! And now I'm working on a web site. Train wreck coming down the tracks. I have to do better. The web site is my professional image to the world - it has to be right. I designed a background for the home page, and to my surprise, I love it. The problem is I have absolutely NO IDEA how to get the graphic onto the website. I don't speak HTML. I have a feeling this is going to be a long and painful learning experience. I'd had lots of kind offers to help (thank goodness) - and you can believe, I'm going to need all the help I can get. This project is shelved until I get back from vacation. Then I'm making it my number one priority.

AND GOOD NEWS! Right Bride, Wrong Groom is going to be published by Liquid Silver Books. The editing is finished. (Cover artist April Martinez designed the cover for me and its incredible.) All I'm waiting on is a release date. I'll let you know as soon as I find out. In the meantime, here's a peek at the new cover.

Sorry to have been away so long. Too many irons in the fire and issues with my brain. YES, I do have one (contrary to popular belief). However, it seems to be inflamed (or something). An MRI resulted in good news, not MS and not a tumor.

Actually, its only the brainstem that's inflamed (bad enough). I'll be starting a regime of anti-inflammatory drugs, traction, etc, to try to get the swelling down and the nerves and muscles to relax.

I have so much good news to share. Into the Flame is doing well and getting fantastic reviews. I'm excited about that. I did my first author interview on Glenda's site. (I"ll post all the links below if you'd like to take a peek at them).

I have another novel at Liquid Silver Books, waiting to see if they are going to offer me a contract on it and I'm working on a mainstream ghost story about the Ohio Valley (Silver Bridge and Mothman area). No, my book is not about either. I'm having trouble coming up with a name and may do a contest to see if anyone can help me find the perfect title.

Tomorrow is the first day of summer. Summer Solstice. A magical time!

Relying on magic (and the help of Debbi McBride - a good friend and fellow author), I'm working on a forum for people to discuss writing, get advice from published authors and to be able to purchase books straight from the writers (along with the sites they have published through). I'll give you more details when the site is up and running. I'd like to offer a critique service where unpublished writers could post a short scene and ask for published writers to give their suggestions, advice, and overall judgement of the quality. It's still in the planning stage, but we will get there.

Below are links to my interview and a couple of reviews.

http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/Intotheflame.html

http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/reviews/June07/IntoTheFlame.JM.html

http://www.glendawoodrum.com/reviews/review_intoflame-alice-LSB.php

http://www.glendawoodrum.com/interviews/interview_jade-alice.php

I've been tagged by the fantastic author Lisa Andel (check out her books - you'll love 'em).

Eight things about me.

1. I was once engaged to Clark Kent (but he didn't turn out to be superman).

2. I worked as a photographer for the local newspaper.

3. I love to spelunk and think I could live in a cave (NO! I am not an old bat).

4. I've lived in Orange County, California, Columbus, Ohio, Atlanta, Georgia and Clarksburg, West Virginia.

5. I want to live in an authentic old log cabin with lots of unruly flowers planted everywhere.

6. I once won a state photography contest for a picture of the Twin Towers and the Statute of Liberty.

7. I love ghost stories and haunted houses.

8. I want to sky dive one day (buddy jumping of course with a gorgeous male jumper).

People I've tagged, because they deserve it....no...no...because they're fun and ....well, they deserve it :)  Oh okay!  Because we desperately want to know more about you so we can gossip! 

http://www.myspace.com/CCReina 

http://www.myspace.com/dbrtrry

http://www.myspace.com/alisonesq

http://www.myspace.com/hollyshivel

http://www.myspace.com/pennyash

http://www.myspace.com/jpw1966

http://www.myspace.com/northof48

http://www.myspace.com/romancelivesforever

Rules...umm....we don't need no stinkin' rules...but if you go to Lisa's blog you can read the rules http://lisaandel.blogspot.com/2007/05/ive-been-tagged.html

Last night Into the Flame debuted and I was pretty much on Cloud Nine. I stayed up way too late, drank too much blackberry wine, and did a lot of chatting with friends. So, of course, no surprise, this morning I overslept and had to hurry on my 40 minute drive to work. I've mentioned before that weird things always happen to me. Well, this morning, I got attacked by a goose, two geese actually. They jumped in front of the car and refused to move...then when I tried to get them out of the way, they hissed at me....I swear they sound like vampires...maybe demons if you take into consideration that weird keening sound they make. I think it's a scare tactic on their part...because believe me, its pretty effective when they are chasing you, and hissing, and making that weird hair raising sound. And from this mornings experience, I will personally verify those little suckers can run really fast when they want to bite you.....I don't know where their owners were. Probably cowering in fear behind locked doors, because they left me to fend for myself on a busy public road. Do you know while I was being terrorized by the demon geese not a soul drove by...obviously they had heard the geese was on the prowl and wanted to avoid the winged highwaymen. I was finally able to escape with my legs intact, if not my dignity. Thank goodness I was wearing flat shoes today, otherwise I'd have been mauled by the marauding geese! I'm taking an alternate route home tonight.

The date is finally here. Into the Flame will be released on Monday, April 23. I'm excited, nervous, and feeling like I should have did so much more to promote the book. It's been an exceptionally chaotic time for me in the past few weeks. I work at a CPA firm and we had tax season to survive (which is hours of overtime and lost weekends). I had major car repairs to deal with, my computer decided to die, and numerous other little details that eat up money, time and energy. So....here I am....at a huge moment for me and I'm numb.

I'm sure it's a passing thing, I'll be revived soon and back on form, but for now....I need to recharge!  I need to gather my friends close and just chill for a bit.  Now there's a fantasy in itself, the last time I got to chill it was below zero outside. 

From one extreme to the other. Now it feels like spring. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not complaining. It's 50 degrees outside. No more ice skating for me, but I can't swim either and I now have a river to cross in the alley from the snow that's melted. I have to detour half a block just to find a space I can step across.

I got my contract from Liquid Silver Books and am now working with the art department on the jacket cover. I'm both elated and nervous about this new venture. I just want to do the best I can.

Did I ever mention I have wonderful friends and family? Well, I do. They patiently put up with my anxiety and I pretend not to see the Valium they sneak in my food. NOT REALLY. However, my brother did give me a fifth of whiskey and a carton of 7-Up. I think it was his way of saying "chill out, sis."

The book will be out in about four months. I hope it hits the latter part of May and gets released on my mom's birthday. She's stood patiently behind me all these years while I threatened to write a novel. She and I have shared some wild traveling adventures and plan to travel a lot this summer to find "inspiration."

Inspiration? Hummmm, now where are those fire trucks?

It's Friday again, the day started off with wind chill factors below zero...but the sunrise was incredible. The sun popped up scarlet, looking twice the size it normally does. The birth of the sun painted the barren trees pink and the snow was tinged with a soft rose color. Beautiful! I thought I'd been transformed into a magical realm and then reality hit me when I pulled into the parking lot at the accounting office (in the middle of tax season). Ice still covers the pavement. I got my daily exercise by ice skating my way across the parking lot. I'm quite limber now after cartwheeling my arms around in a circle so that I could maintain balance. I can only imagine in the light colored white and grey coat I must have looked like a deranged sea gull trying to take flight. (Mental note to self...do NOT wear high heels on ice, even if they are boots.)

I haven't heard anything further on Into the Flame. I'm waiting for the contract and revisions. If the publisher is okay with it I may post a couple of excerpts here. In the meantime, I'm working on another story about a bride being stolen from the church during her wedding ceremony. The man who steals her is a former lover, an undercover agent, and a definite bad boy with an attitude. Little does she know that the man she was getting ready to marry is not only a successful lawyer, he's also the head of a major crime syndicate. Lots of action and humor in this one.

Well, its time for lunch...another exciting trip on the ice, lots of laughs for anyone looking out the window...and the inspiration for a possible scene in a novel of being chased by a crazed axe murderer across an icy road in which the axe murderer has the weapon raised ready to strike when his foot hits a huge clump of frozen snow and he goes skidding on the ice, possibly causing his own demise therefore saving the heroine from having to commit murder....oh well, that's a story for another day!