I know.

Bad Jacki.

RT wiped me out (I still haven't uploaded my camera....but I will before this blog is through. I have had so much to tell you about that, the books, my life...but the latter seems to have overwhelmed me at present. (That and recovering from having both laptops crash on me at once!) Thank the universe for the GEEK SQUAD!! I LOVES me some GEEKS!! Now, I am as girl geek as you can get without going to college for it, but they haven't invented the shade of white I was when my primary AND backup data was, for DAYS, irretrievable!! This is the ultimate nightmare for a writer! And yes of course I back up my stories on a USB drive...once every six months or so anyway. And what was I doing to make the primary laptop die? Installing a backup harddrive so just this kind of thing couldn't happen!

*bangs head on desk*

My second mistake was using my Dell P.O.S. as my secondary. I threw that yoke off this time. I bought another Vaio. I now have two, both under a year old. One in red and one in silver. Ahhhhh. The geeks saved all of my work, pix, music (yes at a hefty little fee) and even cut me backup disks. I was without bytes for an entire week. It hurt so much.

And I was so much less distracted by Facebook, MySpace and Email that I spent hours writing for the first time in months, even if it was longhand. So...I have an announcement to make about that. I am going to keep my pages up and all, and I love coming in after 2 or 3 weeks and seeing all your remarks and comments and the sweetness that is ya'll, but if you want to make real live contact with me you can only trust my Email. (Or the occasional Scramble game on Facebook...I am addicted at the moment.) In case the link fails, it's [email protected]. You'll easily see it a thousand times in this blog.

Next on my list of things to tell you...I am going to Lori Foster's Writer/Reader get-together. It's in Cincinnati OH June 6th through 9th. I am so looking forward to this event. If it weren't for Lori Foster, *I* would not be published. I would never have been brave enough to submit, but I was brave enough to enter an obscure contest for something called Brava...never quite understanding that you weren't supposed to whip something up in a week and still manage to catch the eye of Kate Duffy. Now that I am in RWA and have talked to the sea of up and comers out there did I realize just how challenging that was. All I knew was I LOVED Lori Foster. I went to her site to fawn over her. Then, poof! A little blurb about a contest. Go figure!!

You can hate me for ten seconds. You have my permission.

Ready? Good!

Next up, I am going to remind you that Damien is up for imminent release!! June 3rd by my knowledge...May 27th by Amazon's freakish calculations. Go figure. Then a mere three months and Noah arrives!! I am celebrating the release of each with an appearance. Lori Foster and Cincinnati will be the first and RAW in Kentucky with Lora Leigh will be the one for Noah. Also, for those in Michigan, or thereabouts, I promised a bookstore owner named Melissa Bliss at:

Paperbacks n' Things

8044 N Wayne Rd

Westland, MI 48185

734-522-8018

...that I would do an exclusive signing and I hear she is utterly amazing when it comes to gigs like this! Now, the date isn't set...but I was hoping to go in early October 😊 See some foliage and some Northerners. I will also be on the Florida Romance Writer's 'Cruise with Your Muse' in January and that is where I wil celebrate the release of the new series. I know I am being secretive about the Shadowdweller series, but this time it is not my evil intention to torture you. It's just taking some last minute adjustments before it's perfect for ya. Oh! Also...I think we're gonna make a book trailer for Noah!! Cross fingers!!

Okay, enough information for one day. How about some pics??

My party!!!












My STUDS!!!

Studs with me and Susan M!

My best friends Tanya and Laura with studs (left)

Me and the soon-to-be Mr. Romance!















Me and Lori Foster...AT LAST!!! I was so thrilled!