If You're Going to Fall...

Meow-hello, Big Beautiful Cats, the Kougar is peeking out from her writing lair. Not for long. The sun and a lovely blue sky with sweet plump floating clouds, greet her. Busy with business of feeding, the birdies and butterflies flit about, completely unhindered by the Kougar's gone-wild lawn.
If you're going to fall, this is the way to do it...
Moi's major laughing fit ensues. For a long and belly-clasping time. Brow-raised why, my curious cats?
Picture it, Big Kitties, you're working diligently, concentrating on your edits -- you're blinking your dry eyeballs, attempting to create the best story possible...when...during a scene on the tangerine pleasure planet of Yemisque, your editor comments: If you're going to fall, this is the way to do it.
Now, the Kougar can't reveal her scene. No fair for those who read Tangerine Carnal Dreams (Aspen Mountain Press), since it would spoil the slippery surprise.
Yes, dear big cat authors and aspiring authors, the editing process can be fun, even hilarity-yowling inspiring.
Okay, synchronicity, or not? On the the word FALL. Today, the Kougaress received her edits for When a Good Angel Falls (Siren-BookStrand). Most tail-swishing happily, the due date for return does not interfere with her current edits. Thank you, a sleek bow to Bast.
Freebie book! On Title Magic today, Mel, our Super Librarian, is giving away a book. And! her topic is how trends are studied on all the different genres out there. Hey, those Tall, Dark and Dead vampires are featured. Prance on over, Big Kitties. Mew-sings below.
Mel, TM's own Super Library Gal or is that Woman? Gee, what you learn. I didn't know that. But it makes sense, in order, to keep track of trends, what's new, what's hot, what's old, what's fading into the far distance of fad.
What I absolutely luv about Vampire novels, other than tall dark and handsome -- are the titles -- like Tall, Dark and Dead. Cracks up my funny bone every time. I'd luv to write a wacky vampire romp one of these days -- maybe in the style of Just One Bite with over-tanned George -- can't think of his last name. He also played a fruit loop Zorro. It was parody hoot!
Quick smooch from the Kougar...

Pow! Bam! Smack it...

Hello, my darling Big Kitties, the Kougar did some paw-improvements to her blog. Now the covers of moi's novels actually link to Siren Publishing, Liquid Silver Books and Siren-BookStrand. A big rolling rumbling purr of satisfaction. For now.

Meow-sigh hopefully, the Kougaress will gain enough time to include the new Siren-BookStrand blog ~ http://blog.sirenbookstrand.com/ ~ and Aspen Mountain Press soon. Moi is tail-twitching working hard on her edits for Tangerine Carnal Dreams. Oh where yowling-where is the Kougar's very own handsome hero, who is a tech wizard, a handy man extraordinaire, who can bring home the bacon...moi will bake him brownies, and other tasty goodies...if he could only install snafu-free editing program...wish, wish...oh a huge heart wish...

Plus ~ no, not the plus size of fashion ~ the Kougar would adore designing a snazzy razzy feline header for her blog...ideas are only in the fuzzy stage of the moi's dreaming mind, however. Perhaps, as Helen suggests in her Title Magic blog today, the Kougaress should be on the prowl for that eye-delicious hunk of man to virile-grace her blog with his sexy I-want-you picture. Cat-woman purring yum - Clark Gable. Does Rhett want Scarlett or what?

Also, happy-roaring news, the Kougar will be participating in Celia Kyle's summer scavenger hunt, which begins the first of June. Pssst...hint, the treasure link for winning a whole bunch o' books is below...way below...

And! All Shades of Blue Paradise, Siren Publishing, will be offered by The Romance Studio as the book giveaway on May 24, 2008. If any Big Cat wants a novel-taste of the Kougar's writing. And an escape into the World of Blue Pearl Moon.

Pow! Bam! Smack it into the next dimension, Big Kitties ~ lope rapidly over to Title Magic. Helen's blog today ~ what the American Title V finalists should know ~ is chock full of vote-getting strategies. And is also a titillating insight into how Helen won with her entry, The Magic Knot ~ sorta like a behind-the-scenes of American Idol for romance writers. Mew-sings below.
Wowza, what you learn! Thanks, everyone, since the advice can be carried over to 'hopefully' a career as an author. And should assist the American Title V finalists.
Now, I'm even definitely more glad I didn't fully know what I was up against. Sometimes ignorance is bliss, or, at least, it keeps you going despite the odds.
Hey, I know I got ONE vote. 'Cause I voted for myself. Who knows? Maybe my entry was the lowest vote getter ever?
I can laugh now, which I'm doing...lol.

Tangerine smooches from the Kougar...

Tangerine Dreams and Marmalade Kisses

Hi, my Big Beautiful Cats, it's spin a cat by the tail day. Once again. Promo demands and opportunities out the ole' kitty wazoo. Meow-Yowl! Which ones work the best? Then, Roar and some time to snore! What about all the missed opportunities? Saturday is Siren Publishing chat day at Two Lips ~ twolipsrevies.com ~ And tomorrow! Ariana Dupre', Cerridwen Author, will be the Kougar's guest blogger on Title Magic.

Kitty time out! For a dandelion-sniffing moment. Although most of moi's yellow bright dandelions have become ephemeral white globes waving in the breezes and among the giant mounds of green grass, which will not know the discipline of a mower for quite some time. A feline smug smile of celebration. Mother Nature wins!

Tangerine Dreams? Whoopee! Great-purring actually, that's Tangerine Carnal Dreams, moi's sci fi stallion shifter novella contracted by Aspen Mountain Press. Tail-twitching happily, the Kougar's editor has been in contact. And! If all goes editing-well, there could be a July release date...*hope, hope*. Rolling-enthusiastically yay. Forget the celebratory caviar, where is the Kougar's champagne and marmalade kisses?

And the Kougar's wolfie shifter novella has been submitted, awaiting approval or non-approval. Prayers to Bast and the Great Wolfen Goddess.

And....shhhhh...big kitties, this is on the downlow until the names have been sorted out -- but Siren-BookStrand has just begun a blog for authors, which is wonderfully cool and where hep-hip-hop romance cats can learn all sorts of juicy meaty tidbits. Psssst...the Kougaress has already posted twice. An Author Intro and a Paranormal entry.

For a sumptuous taste of magic and mist and stone circles, swiftly race on over to Title Magic, where Evonne has brought us a most fabulous peek at the stone circles on her part of the planet, Wales and Great Britain. Mew-sings below:

What a fantastic blog, Evonne. I so wish I could visit those stone circles and those areas of Europe. They feel so compelling to me.
You should use your ending paragraph of the blog for your Stone Circle story. It's beautifully descriptive, IMHO.
Have you considered on one of your visits to the stone circles, doing a bit of daydreaming. I think your story would emerge from the mists.

Sticky marmalade kisses from the Kougar...

The Winds of Cover Art

Big Cats, another whirlwind, spin-the-brain day so far. With storm winds streaking through the Kougar's prairie this morning. The blue splendid sky has just shown itself on the afternoon horizon...reminding ~ *out of the blue* ~ a phrase moi keeps hearing spoken these chaotic, perfect storm days, and time.
The Winds of Cover Art ~ A glorious surprise in the Kougar's e-mail, the the preliminary cover art for When a Good Angel Falls, her 2012 futuristic coming from Siren-BookStrand. Gorgeous, Big Kitties, just gorgeous! Moi had only two requests for changes.
And, in her e-mail David Burton, the incredible cover artist for Red Lioness Tamed, Liquid Silver Books, has redesigned his website with a link to moi's e-novel. In a later blog, the Kougaress will provide David's bio. But why wait? just a quick paw-click on the link below will take you to his site.
Psssst...all Good Kitties...a secret, this year's winner allowed moi and the other American Title IV finalists a peek at her book's cover art. Impressive, especially the font for the title and the way her name appears...the, yum, entwined couple is sexy delicious.
And, meow-continuing the cover art theme, the Kougar received e-confirmation her cover art form for Tangerine Carnal Dreams made it to Aspen Mountain Press. With toesies and claws crossed moi hopes it will follow in the cover prints of her two current releases. O great and lovely Bast, an ear pricked toward the Kougar's plea, please and thank you.
Sigh...a swish of her tail, the news piles up too swiftly for the Kougaress to accomplish all!!!
Purr-another note, Just Another Paranormal Monday with AuthorPromo, a Yahoo group, had it's spectacular debut today, with the Kougar providing her yowling-introduction. Shout-indeed, a good venue to scan out your fave genres and enjoy excerpts.
With her brain like corn mush yesterday, and not on creative paw-penning, the Kougaress stalked her shape-shifter and were-beasties WIPs, collecting them into one resource file, preparing for her next story project.
Rumbling-of, Lovely Big Kitties, moi has changed the series title for, Tangerine Carnal Dreams, her stallion shifter novel, to Her Stallion Prince.
Memory or memories, the song or intimate memories, Beautiful Big Cats, streamline your body over to Title Magic for Evonne's fascinating blog about memory. Mewings below
Evonne, wonderful post on memory. It is a fascinating topic unto itself. Certainly, it is a tricky animal at times. I generally have a good memory, but then when I screw up, I really!!! screw up.
Sometimes I should jot down ideas, phrases more. I have thought of key phrases while I'm driving and I keep repeating them as much as possible -- really need a recorder, but then I have to remember to use it.
Evonne, I'd luv to see the story you're talking about, how six memories shaped the hero's life. As a counterpoint, six memores that shaped the heroine's life, and how they come together, or arrive at the crossroads together???
End of March kisses from the Kougar...

Death by Chlorine

Burning asthmatic lungs, burning filmy eyes, a burning face, lousy balance, a mushy brain ~ and months backwards in moi's healing. The Kougar swears, lovely Big Cats, there is now more chlorine in her shower water than in the average swimming pool ~ meaning days of recovery for the Kougaress. Yoooowwwlll! Help! Bast!
However, to the day's productive accomplishment, mushy brain and all, the Kougar did get her cover art form filled out for Tangerine Carnal Dreams, an exhaustive, if rewarding creative exercise. Not to rumbling mention attempting to create a new file set up the way moi wants -- too bad, computer programs don't care!!! It's the old and endless meow story. When tech works, its great. When it doesn't it's the effing headache from the nastiest hell ever imagined. And you can growl-quote moi on that!
Has moi previously mentioned how much she *tearing-ripping* despises hyperlinks. Why even have a word like 'cancel', if it cannot be applied to this application? Granted, the Kougaress is a mere cub on the plains of these programs, and probably just hasn't figured out to use the various helpful and ridiculously way too many convoluted functions designed (the New World Oder monopoly elite) to cause a complete lack of self esteem -- indeed, a properly applied claw or fang would create a fierce satisfaction currently.
A wowza great discussion on the Liquid Silver forum yesterday, on the hot topic of promo-ing your new e-novel. Happy-roar helpful to the Kougaress, thank you very much all. Especially appreciated is the message to write, instead of wandering in the vast forty years worth of promotional desert.

A grouchy smooch from the Kougar...

Happy Birthday Kiss

When it March Rains – it pours magically, sort of....

Happy Birthday kiss to moi...kisses to all my Big Cats. Here's my Title Magic Blog just for your sphynx eyes...

Today is my birthday, so I’m giving myself permission to let loose on the title of this blog and anything else. I don’t know why I’ve always held birthdays as a sacred event. It wasn’t something I was taught, or even experienced – except that in my ancient fifties’ era, birthday parties for us kids had come into suburban vogue. The fun, silly stuff. Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, playing fish for dime toys, running around, the girls all in skirt-swinging dresses, until the grownups rounded us up for the grand gift opening ceremony, where the birthday princess or prince reigned, and deigned which gifts were their favorites. Then it was the off-key, loudly sung, Happy Birthday, the occasional ‘you belong in a zoo’ version. The great mystical test of blowing out all those candles. Okay, sometimes an uncle would sneak on one of those candles that couldn’t be blown out. And always cake and ice cream afterwards, marshmallow frosting mixed with ice cream, and cake – what could be better?

Fortunately for you, dear Title Magicians and precious readers, I won’t provide a running history of my past birthdays, the good, bad, beautiful and ugly. We’ll leave that to Hollywood, when they come knocking, begging for my autobiographical screen play, perfect for the hi-def silver screen – yeah (is there a bridge I can sell ya?)...just a sarcasm-funny against myself.

No, this is a look back over the past year – before being e-published and now, as a newbie author – a giant whirlwind of a journey. So, I enter American Title IV, and to my disbelief, actually final. In the meantime, I have submitted When a Good Angel Falls to Siren Publishing, which they wanted to contract, but it wasn’t heat-sizzle enough for their line. After that angst of decision, I offer them All Shades of Blue Paradise instead, now e-pubbed, and I’m writing Book II. Also, I’ve written Red Lioness Tamed to enter into a Samhain cat-prowl contest. Which doesn’t make it, however, after several long months, Liquid Silver Books offers a contract, if I make some changes – no problem, will do. And did, and the lioness lives in cyber novel space. Meow-yay!

Exact timeline aside now, but eventually I was facing my first cover art and blurb requests. Okay, basically lots of fun for me, if a highly intense process – but, being an artist type person does have it’s advantages. Then, play the theme for Darth Vader...the edits. My heart-tripping fear is engaged. Edits were not a process I had ever done before. And, at one point, after intensely slaving over the revisions for ‘Blue Paradise’, I thought I’d lost them – hair-pulling time!!! Scream at the universe!

Happily, just my ignorance about all this tech-penning stuff. Okay, being an ancient baby boomer, it’s often been trial by learning-the-computer fire – no! don’t burn up my lovely, desperately needed computer...please, I luv you. How else do I run the gamut of slashing rain and wind toward that perfect promo opportunity, always lurking somewhere up ahead? Yep, my nerves are taking a serious beating, at times, on this side of publishing business. I have made several rookie mistakes. Sheesh, just attempting to figure it all out, is a head-dizzying wild ride. Because, bottom line, how do I connect with those readers who would enjoy my stories?

So, back to the sorta timeline. Now I’m out in the first round of the American Title...and after tons o’ chocolate, and the deep down blues, after the support of my great Title Magician friends, I come up swinging, submitting to other e-pubs. All who shall remain nameless, except for Aspen Mountain Press (contracted Tangerine Carnal Dreams) – because I’ve been writing for years and years, and have full manuscripts available – especially since my health, for the last couple of years, demands I do nothing else, except write.

And then, my release days, the first two mondays of March. Yep, magic pours through me as if I did stand beneath a pounding pouring rain. My gratitude floods through me. Not just because I am officially e-published, but also because the folks at Siren and Liquid Silver have been wonderful to work with, and, gee, I tingly adore my cover art.
The other side of the happy-dance coin. Reviews. The heart trembles with trepidation, and is there a handy rock I can hide under?

Meanwhile, Siren Publishing creates Bookstrand for book distribution and for accepting manuscripts which are not in the erotic romance genre. So now, yay-yay! When a Good Angel Falls has a new home and is due out late in 2008.
Not to mention the up and down, fast and furious winds of my daily blogging efforts at Kougar Kisses, and my forum participation with Passionate Ink, a chapter with RWA – and with the author loops. Plus, all that I have not included...this is not my diary...thank heavens, for you all.

Yep, it’s all good, but time-wise, overwhelming ~ as though constantly caught in a pouring thunderstorm.
Proudly, I will say have an article in the current Passionate Ink newsletter – just really cool to see it presented there, and the pics are incredible (thank you, Francesca).
Yesterday, in the e-mail box. The cover art request form from Aspen Mountain Press for Tangerine Carnal Dreams...yay! And help! Since Pleasures of Blue Lotus Oil, book II is going so well. And who wants to interrupt the writing-flow?
To some of you, this blog may have looked like just a long promo. Nope. This is a snippet of my journey from ATIV finalist to where I am now as a newbie e-author. Offered because, ya know, it’s my birthday, a sacred time for review and a time to look forward to the future. And because it might offer insights to anyone else on this particular journey, or someone who is about to embark on this type of writer’s journey.
Yup, it’s pouring magically...sort of...and I’m standing out in it getting drenched...the good, the bad, the ugly...mostly, the beautiful.
Wowza congrats to Helen for being a Golden Heart finalist with her manuscript, The Magic Knot.

Some of the best birthday presents ever!

Some of the best birthday presents ever!

Siren Publishing

Liquid Silver Books

Anitra, thank you so much. I'm hoping we all just keep on rolling big time!!!
Mel, thank you. May we all just get to have our dreams become bigger and better.

March rain kisses from the Kougar...

The Whirlwind Kisses of March

Oh, Big Kitties! The whirlwinds of March surge and whip around the Kougar, figuratively.
Moi admired her article in the current Passionate Ink e-newsletter with it's accompanying passion-exciting pics. Sign up to enjoy all the writer-helpful articles.
Then. Contracts read, signed and sent to Siren-Bookstrand Publishing. Also, a promo presentation of All Shades of Blue Paradise on the Rites of Romance yahoo group ~ thank you for the opportunity. Plus the cover art request needs to be completed for Pleasures of Blue Lotus Oil. Yes, the Kougaress has her ideas spinning around in her frenzied-wild mind.
Plus, the Kougar has written her March 28 blog, The Red Lioness and Mars, for Ariana Dupre's blog site (click on listed links). Ms. Dupre is a paranormal author with Cerridwen, and her current novel, the Talgorian Prophecy, is receiving outstanding reviews.
And, the silly Kougaress blithely scheduled herself to blog on her birthday, a Sun in Aries yowl. Tomorrow. No blog inspiration, at first, of meowing-course. However, the Kougar roared through, and did a snippet-review of her whirlwind year from aspiring writer to e-published author. Which will be purring-presented tomorrow...Beautiful Big Cats.
And, wowza! In today's e-mail, finally contact from Aspen Mountain Press. A cover art request form. Hey, the Kougar is paw-tap dancing and claw-penning as fast she can. Here, on the gray-sky prairie with her daffodils blooming their gorgeous yellow heads off. And a siberian huskey looking dog digging in her pasture...hope he/she's not lost.
And...there's tons more to get done, and has been done in this e-publishing venture, this business...wowza, powza! Rumble and roar. What a whirlwind ride.
Hey, Big Cats, Helen announces her Golden Heart finalist status on Title Magic. Take a peek and congratulate her.
Helen, Good Luck! And, I've had to learn to get out of that corner too (it's a family dynamic thing). And I'm still learning, as we all do. Since it's a growth process. To toot my own horn. Congrats again. We Title Magicians are doing darn well! And I'm proud of all us.
I checked out the RT e-newsletter. American Title is kaput as a contest. But, like they say, something new on the horizon.
So, we're all the last of a breed, so to speak.
Whirlwind kisses from the Kougar...

Tangerine Dream Kiss

The Kougaress is blinking her eyes in absolute crazed astonishment. Yes, crazed. Her little huntress brain is whirling and foggy. Why? If you care to inquire. She dared to submit one of her smut-naughty stories, Tangerine Carnal Dreams, to Aspen Mountain Press and has been offered a contract.
Yes, yes, yes! It's all true. Rolling, romping, smile-rumbling true.
Oh, and her stallion-shifter hero is so exceptionally stud virile. And her heroine is a kick-the-galaxy's ass enforcer for her world, out to save her father from being wrongly convicted. So much fun to write! Tingle, purr, tingle, yowl. And the yowling is soooo good! Especially on the pleasure recreational planet the heroine finds herself on -- with said hero, a renegade stallion shifter from his home world. His parents don't like her. And her world doesn't allow his kind.
Oh...the Kougar is *soooo* claw-scratching in the autumn earth...excited.

With one sad exception. There will be no purple unicorns for now.

Yes, the Kougaress hopes her world will be filled with tangerine dream kisses.

A tangerine dream kiss...if you dare, Big Kittie Lovers...