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Tuesday, May 24, 2011

You Have Been Compromised



Okay, so I get a phone call yesterday telling me one of my Visa cards has been compromised. I am first and for most a skeptic when people ring me or send me emails telling me there is a virus or I need to send my account details to them, or I have suddenly become the beneficiary of a few billion dollars from someone I never knew.
I said I would contact my branch, but sure enough it was genuine. (yes I was surprised)
But, when I asked the question, since when have you known about this compromise? As I have detected nothing out of the ordinary with my debit cards.
“Oh, for the past two years.”
So it’s taken my bank two years to inform me that my card details may have been skimmed, two years for them knowing about this and contact the possible victims. WTF!!!
Now I have inconvenienced of not being able to easily access my account while I am re-issued with another.
But to make matters ever better (yes, you can hear the sarcastic tone coming through) thirty min later I got a second Phone call from a separate bank telling me that my other Visa Debit card had been compromised!
Yes, it was the same story. Two years for them to inform me of it.
Keep a close check on your bank statements and cards, and rely on your own deduction, because the banks are bloody useless.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Tempting Tara Sneek Peek.



With Ten days left until my second (small) book in the Kelon Warrior series comes out, here is a sneak peak.


Excerpt

“Hello, Pretty.”

Melron’s deep voice startled Tara, making her jump half off the bed. “Cripes, Melon, you scared me half to death!”

He was staring down on her from the foot of the bed. “How do you like my home planet?”

She twisted around to sit up on her knees, sucking in a breath as her eyes swept over him. He was out of his ship’s uniform; wearing a sandy-coloured tunic and black leather-like pants. His black warrior locks were bound back, reminding Tara of a swashbuckling pirate of old Earth. God, he was sexy. Dark, dangerous, that sense of the untamed just barely suppressed below the surface. Those sensual lips twisting up into a killer smile. Tara had trouble breathing let alone getting out a coherent sentence.

“From what I’ve um, seen so far I think it’s um, it’s nice.”

He leaned over the bed to hold out his hand to her. “Come with me.”

She stared at him. “Why?”

His smile never wavered. “Do you fear me?” He withdrew his hand.

“No,” Her chin rose. “But I don’t want you trying to lay claim again, either.”

“I will not do that until you are ready for me to do so, but I am not the only one who will attempt to lay claim. Come see.”

She frowned in confusion. He stepped back from the bed, allowing her space to climb off. He walked to the large glass window looking down into the street. She followed. There seemed to be a gathering of Kelon men outside the gates of the house.

“Who are they?”

“Suitors for you.”

Tara was outraged. “For me? But haven’t they been informed I’m not available.”

“Pretty Tara, the sooner you understand the Kelon way the sooner you will come to realise, you will never be ‘unavailable’ until you are mated.”

Her temper started to simmer. “Kerr said I could go back to Earth. Did he lie?”

“He will keep his promise, but more like he is hoping that you will not. You must know they will not give up until you are taken.”

She refused to look at him; she knew damn well that if he propositioned her again she would have a hard time denying him. She was still trying hard to turn her lust for Melron into outrage.

“This is your entire fault,” she accused, keeping her gaze on the window, not really seeing anything. She was too acutely aware of the man beside her.

“Do you really want your freedom, pretty Tara?”

She felt him shift, his eyes watching her. He gently cupped her chin to turn and tilt her head up. Even the simplest of touches sent races of electric jolts though her body. She had to focus on what he had said, on what he was getting at.

“You are but a prisoner here, Tara; you will not be able to go anywhere without protection, from them.”

“What about protection from you!” she snapped, pulling back from his grasp.

“I do not think you need that. You know as well as I, that you belong with me.”

“The hell I do!” Denial thumped at the back of her head, even if her body was on fire. She couldn’t get past him. His large, muscled frame blocked the path from the window to the door. As she inched backward, he came forward until she hit the wall.

“No, my pretty, hear me. I have a plan for you that will give you freedom while you are here on Kelon.”

She swallowed, her eyes glued to the rippling wall of muscled chest before moving up to his face and fixing on his lips. Her tongue darted out to moisten her own.

“Plan?” Her gaze shifted a little further up to his starlight depths.

“You will spend your time with me.” She frowned at him. “Tell Kerr you are considering me as a mate and want to spend time with me before clarifying your choice. If you still do not desire me after the fourth cycle, then I will make sure you are taken safely back to Earth.”

Tara thought about his words and the implications they carried. Could she spend all that time with Melron and not be affected?

“What would that entail exactly?”

“You would be in my home under my protection. I will take you wherever you wish to go on Kelon, or off world. I have a short range skimmer ship.” His black eyes skimmed down her body in a possessive gesture. “With your implant we could indulge in pleasures without it being a permanent mating.” His voice had dropped into a husky tone. She couldn’t suppress a shudder at the sensual promise of his words.

“So, if I still say no after the four weeks, you’ll just let me go home?”

“You have my oath as a Kelon warrior.”

She nervously licked her lips. “What if someone else takes my fancy other than you?” She knew it was hardly possible, but couldn’t stop herself from asking just to see his reaction.

An angry, dangerous look flashed across his face; his lips pressed into a thin line. Gone were any traces of humour. He drew in a steady breath as if trying to calm himself.

“That is of course your choice.” He spoke the words but she knew from his reaction he wouldn’t allow her to get even near another Kelon male. She would be protected from the gathering outside. Be a prisoner here in Kerr and Alice’s home or get out and about with Melron. Not to mention she’d get to taste of all that brawn and muscle. It was not a bad plan. Tara actually smiled at him for the first time since they had taken her from Earth. Hell yeah, a frigging great plan, hot sex with a hot alien. No strings attached.

“All right, I agree.”

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Inspiration vs. Getting it done



It’s all good to be inspired with an idea or a story, inspiration is only 10% of the equation when it comes down to the crunch, the rest has to be 40% sheer determination and the rest is simple plane hard work. Yes, I know the word “work” is a dirty word to some but it is inescapable.
Sitting down and hammering out every single word, making it flow the plot stay on track, the dialog sound plausible. So on and so forth.
Once you get the elation of writing, right through to the last chapter, then comes the revision, is your spelling, grammar okay? Should I test run the book get it critiqued in order to catch the things I missed?
Critique partners are a gem to be treasured.
Summing it up, if you want to write your book, you have to stick with it until the very nitty gritty end.
So if feel inspired, great! If you have the determination, even better, get out there and write




I’ve borrowed this from Katharine Brandon all credit for this next bit goes to her.




Want to get that manuscript finished before RWA National or another conference so you can pitch it to an agent or editor? Come closer, I'll tell you the secret in five easy steps.



1. Turn off the television and write.



2. Exit out of your email and write.



3. Get off Facebook/Twitter and write.



4. Get out of bed one hour earlier or go to bed one hour later and write.



5. That's it, kids. Just write!

Monday, May 16, 2011

What No Mop?





My old floor mop has seen better day, so as any good house keeper does goes into the big department store to find new one.
I knew what I wanted, and had visions of it dancing in my head as I pushed the trolly towards the cleaning product isle.
Upon arrival I scanned the very limited selections available alas not the mop I wanted. Yet sitting opposite was the desired brand of mop, bucket.
Confused I summoned a store worker to query her on where the mop to the bucket was.
“Oh we don’t stock those kind of mops anymore,” the store worker informed me.
“But you have the mop bucket,” said I, holding the red bucket up.
“Oh they can be used with other mops.”
“Really, which one?”
She scanned the line of shelves, and then said, “I guess we don’t stock those anymore either.”
Needless to say I left without any mop, feeling frustrated. For a huge department store that boast variety. They had nothing to offer.
Why talk about my mop shopping trip? No reason, just miffed. Oh and I did get the mop I wanted, in a tiny little supermarket in my home town. And I do have a very clean floor, Yay.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Funny thing about hero worship



And no, I don't mean the hero's in my books, I mean everyday people out there doing what you admire and wish you were doing yourself.
I had a person I have admired and envied for a long time talk to me last night. I got a giddy thrill from the fact that this wonderful person to want to know me and interact.
I could name throw but my ego is inflated enough as it is.
But it got me thinking about hero worship and how we take or learn from them.

For myself I don't think its good enough to sit back and simply watch what they do, and go, 'oh, yeah, aren't they great'.
You have to become your own hero, instead of wishing, get out there and live your dream.

Turn yourself into someone you admire. Live your dream instead of simply dreaming.
But I can't there are so many things standing in my way, I don't have skills. I've heard so many people say.
I personally lack in so many skills, heck I can't spell, nor is my grammar and punctuation up to scratch, but have I let it stand in my way of becoming a successful writer? Hell no. There is always a way.

So, go on and get out there and do it.
Phew, I feel exhausted from that rant now, time for a cuppa tea and some story writing.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Book Trailer and other news

I've done another book trailer, why? Well, one because they are fun, they premote my book, you get to ogle sexy guys, and it gives you a glimps into what the story is about. i.e. blurb.





Well without further adue here is the link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SncBxhVfj4U&feature=related


Oh, other exciting news is that Whiskey Creek Press have accepted Dragon Down Under. Yippee, always cause for dancing around the house in my skimpies. Shocking the kids and neighbours. Making hubby roll his eyes.


And There will be a Fourth Kelon book. It very different from the last three. I have a friend reading it and already says it's the best one yet. Shurgs, hope so but I guess that is up to the reader.