Wow. Can you believe it’s September? I’m amazed how quickly summer passed, but I’m also looking forward to cooler temperatures (and a smaller electric bill!). I had a terrific summer, though. I spent a ton of time with the kids, I read a lot of great books, and I caught up on some of my favorite television shows. I also finished writing BY MAGIC ALONE (including revisions!), revised my proposal for my first Silhouette Special Edition title, sent one child off to college (cried a whole bunch), and was taken by surprise–not once, but twice–with news from my first publisher, Dorchester Publishing.

Let’s talk about that for a second. It was announced on August 6th that Dorchester was going to cease printing mass market books. Instead, all of their currently scheduled titles (at least for the next 6 to 8 months) will first be released digitally, with a trade paperback following some months later. Eventually, from what I understand, the e-release and the trade release will happen at about the same time. My next release with Dorchester (By Magic Alone) is a December release, and it will not be available in mass market paperback. It WILL be available in e-book form, and sometime later (they tell me 6 to 8 months), in trade paperback. 

I am disappointed by this change. As a reader, I happen to like holding a book in my hands, and I have not yet converted to reading books digitally. Oh, I expect that some day in the not-too-distant future I’ll own a Kindle or another e-reading device, but I’m not there yet. I know there are a lot of folks like me, and I know some of them are my readers and will be disappointed that they have to wait close to a year to get a print copy of By Magic Alone. I’m sorry! I wish I could print them myself to hand out in December. Of course, if you are one of the many who already adore e-books, then you’ll be able to grab a copy of By Magic Alone in December.

All this being said, I am also optimistic that this change will prove beneficial in the long run. I am crossing my fingers that Dorchester will find success with this change, and therefore, that their authors will also find success. 

What does this mean for my backlist? Well, as of now, there are still copies of A Taste of Magic, A Stroke of Magic, and A Breath of Magic available for purchase. However, I’ve noticed that Amazon is currently out-of-stock on one of these titles, and is nearly out of stock on another. The last time I checked, Borders and Barnes and Noble still had copies available to order. I do not know if you’ll be able to find these books in the actual stores. I do not know what will happen once a title is completely sold out. As of now, I have no idea if Dorchester plans on reprinting any of them in trade format. 

Okay. That’s the story there. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments (or email me), and I’ll be happy to answer them to the best of my ability. And in the coming weeks and months, I’ll share more information as I have it.

Now, for something totally awesome, check out this video (which I found thanks to friend and author Sloan Parker):

Isn’t that great? I get a little teary-eyed whenever I watch it.

Finally, I’ll be blogging more regularly again. I’m hoping to be back to my Mon/Wed/Fri schedule. We’ll see how that goes!

Have a great Wednesday, everyone!!!

Okay, we’re back on track! Today is the official end of what has been a terrific month of guests, giveaways, and fun. I hope everyone here enjoyed the five weeks as much as I have.

So…here we go with last week’s winners:

• $10 Borders Gift Card goes to: Jenny S.!
  
• $5 Caribou Coffee Gift Card goes to: Janie!
  
• A signed copy of A Stroke of Magic goes to: Toni Sue!
• A signed copy of A Taste of Magic goes to: Tamibates!
  
• A Breath of Magic mini-gift set (tote bag, key chain, sticky notes, etc.) goes to: Olivia!

Congratulations Jenny, Janie, Toni Sue, Tami, and Olivia!!! Please e-mail tracy@tracymadison.com by Friday, June 4th, with your mailing address.

Now, we also have a couple daily giveaways from my guests last week! They are:

The winner of the signed copy of Seduced by Shadows by Jessa Slade is…misskallie2000!

Congratulations Miss Kallie! Please e-mail me with your address, and I’ll get your book sent out to you!

The winner of a Barnes & Noble $10 Gift Card from Christie Craig is…Amanda W!

Congratulations, Amanda! Please email me and I’ll put you in touch with Christie!

Month of Mysticism Grand Prize Winner

I had so many great spells to choose from that picking a winner wasn’t easy. Not at all. Everyone who entered did an amazing job of creating a spell, and I loved reading all of them.

To pick a winner, I first chose my three favorite spells. I’m going to share those here, in no particular order:

From Kirsten, a Healing Spell:

To curse the writer of a bad book review (as if you’ve ever even received such a thing, but just pretend you might):

1. Clip out the review from your paper or print it off the internet.

2. Shred the review. Place it with one tbsp each of hensbane, forked snake’s tongue, and graveyard dirt into your mortar. Grind to a rough, grainy consistency with your pestle and pour the mixture onto your ritual hand mirror.

3. Stir mixture thrice widershins with your athame while chanting:

Illiterate critic spewing lies,
Watch out for the weight gain on your thighs;
The farther you spread your libelous stew,
The more calories will stick to you.

4. Throw mixture onto your compost pile where it clearly belongs.

5. Listen for the shrieks of horror when that critic steps on their bathroom scale. If you’ve done it right, you’ll probably be able to hear it from your house. You’re welcome =).

From Virgina, part Love Spell part Curse:

So, the above are the three I liked the best, but who won?

I have to tell you all that choosing the winner was tough…really tough, but it came down to the one that made me laugh (I like humor), and that person is…ZITA!!!!

Major Congratulations, Zita! You’re the Grand Prize Winner!

You have won:

• An extra-large customized Magic series tote bag:

Filled with: rose quartz heart-shaped pendant on sterling silver chain, chakra bracelet, heart’s desire jewelry set, Book: Seven Days of Magic, New Age CD: Dreamscapes,  Aventurine Tumbled Stone pendulum, Book: Pendulum Magic for Beginners, Music Dreamer tarot deck and book, rose incense, candles, mood lipstick, lavender aromatherapy body soak, lavender aromatherapy body lotion, lavender aromatherapy scented eye mask, aromatherapy fizzy bath, aromatherapy facial mask, aromatherapy essential oils – green tea, aromatherapy essential oils – jasmine, aromatherapy essential oils – ocean, signed copies of A Taste of Magic, A Stroke of Magic, and A Breath of Magic.

But that’s not all! The grand prize winning bag also includes items from last week’s guests:

• A signed copy of Divorced, Desperate and Delicious by Christie Craig (Tuesday’s Guest!) – Christie has also donated Peace Potion Massage Lotion and some fun promo items (mini-notebook, pen, signed cover flats, chapstick, bookmarks)
• A signed copy of Stroke of Genius by Emily Bryan (Wednesday’s Guest!) – Note: Emily will send the book under separate cover to the winner.
• A signed copy of Seduced by Shadows by Jessa Slade (Thursday’s Guest!)
• And a handmade Native American Choker by Clairvoyant Medium Dakota Lawerence (Friday’s Guest!)

And you have also won:

• A 30-Minute Free Reading with Clairvoyant Medium Dakota Lawrence!
• A name of your choosing (subject to approval from Dorchester editorial) given to a minor character in my December release, By Magic Alone.

I love the spell you wrote, Zita, and I hope you enjoy all of the goodies and your reading from Dakota! Please e-mail me at tracy@tracymadison.com by Friday, June 4th to claim your prize.

Okay, everyone, I loved the past five weeks and I hope you all loved it, too! I’m going silent on the blog until Friday, when I’ll post Dakota’s final Q&A, and then next week, I’ll return to my M/W/F posting schedule.

Thank you for your support in celebrating the release of A Breath of Magic!

Unfortunately, Dakota has had a really busy week and wasn’t able to get the Q&A to me in time to post for today. He promises he’ll get to them as soon as he can, and when he does, I’ll post them. So, since I didn’t have anything else planned for today, I’ve re-posting a post I wrote several months ago on Instinctive Writing. I hope you enjoy it!

Instinctive Writing

Most of the time when someone asks me about my writing process, I blink rapidly while trying to come up with something reasonable and somewhat intelligent to say. You might ask, “Why is this? You must have some sort of a process.” And yes, I do…kind of, sort of, in a way. There are certainly steps I take in the beginning of each book, before even one word is written…but these steps are a lot more about thinking than doing anything specific.

I’ve mentioned before that I don’t fill out characterization sheets. I’ve mentioned before that I don’t (i.e. CAN’T) do a lot of plotting. I’ve mentioned several times that the first three chapters are the hardest chapters of the entire book for me to write, and that often, these chapters are changed throughout the writing of the rest of the book. And, I’m pretty sure I’ve shared that writing the first half of a book is like climbing a very steep mountain uphill with a sprained ankle while being hungover after an entire night of partying. Oh, I haven’t? Well, let me expand…

It’s hard. Breathtaking, sweat-inducing, back breaking hard. Luckily, along the way to the top there are always places to rest, streams to wash the grit away, and shade to unwind a bit. These places are the times when the story flows easily, when the writing pours out of me, and oh I love these places. Unfortunately, in the climb to the top of the mountain, i.e. the middle of the book, these spots are few and far between.

There are always those moments when I’m sure I’m a fake…that there is no way the current book I’m writing will ever be finished, that everything I’ve already written doesn’t just suck, but has entered a whole new level of suckage, and that my fledgling career as a novelist is about to come to an abrupt and nasty end. You know, like falling off said mountain and crashing headfirst into the ground below? Yep, just like that.

These moments ALWAYS occur, so you’d think I’d be used to them. That I could pull up my big girl pants and see my way through with nary a blink of the eye. You’d be wrong. Because these moments are terrifying. So how do I handle them when they come up? Well, I freak out a little…it seems I must have at least some sort of an emotional reaction before I can move past the fear. But then, somehow, I remember the type of writer I am…and when I do that, I can push myself forward toward the next peak.

I am an instinctive writer. Some call it organic, some call it writing by the seat of your pants. Whatever term you use, however, the meaning is the same. I feel the story as I’m writing it. When it’s good, right, the story will flow as easily as running water. When it’s bad, well…those are the moments I’ve already described. I’m learning (slowly) to trust my instincts. If the writing isn’t going smoothly, it’s either because I’ve taken a misstep somewhere OR I’m not yet sure where the story needs to go next.

When I trust my instincts, when I listen to the voice inside of my head, I get through these bad moments quicker, and I find whatever it is I need to pay attention to, so I can continue forward. When I forget to trust my instincts, when I try to do something alien to my process (like detailed plotting, for instance, just saying–as this is what propelled me into the black hole of misery last week), then the story is held up for even longer…until I remember, once again, to trust my instincts.

So, this post is more of a reminder for me to stick with MY process. I’d love to be able to write a paragraph for every scene I plan to have in my book. I’d love to know exactly what I’m *supposed* to be writing when I sit down to write every day. But that’s not the way my brain works. And that’s not what gets me excited about writing. So, the truth is, while the thought of changing my process is often highly evocative, I much prefer to discover the story as I write. Even if sometimes doing so is like free-falling from the steepest height you can imagine.

Once I hit the middle of the book, though, the rest of the story tends to fly out of me. I’m going downhill at breakneck speed at that point, tying together the strands of the story I’ve already introduced, until I reach “The End.”

So, let me repeat this three times:

I’m an instinctive writer. I’m an instinctive writer. I’m an instinctive writer.

There, maybe that will be enough to stop me from freaking out as I climb toward the top of the mountain. Yeah, I know–not likely, but it’s worth the shot. <G>

Now, you tell me: Do you have to remind yourself to trust your instincts in any part of your life? Or are you completely analytical (which is totally fine!) and think “trusting your instincts” is silly? Let me know!

Do you want a chance to win? Create a magic spell to enter to win the Grand Prize package! You can write the spell as a poem, as a short story, as a recipe, or any other way you’d like! E-mail tracy@tracymadison.com with the topic Magic Spell no later than May 28, 2010, to be entered! Which is today! So, if you want a chance to win the thirty-minute free reading from Clairvoyant Medium Dakota Lawrence, the awesomely extra-large filled A Breath of Magic tote bag, and a name of your choosing (subject to approval from Dorchester editorial) given to a minor character in my next release, By Magic Alone, get your spells into me today!

Don’t Forget

Today is your LAST DAY to enter the Grand Prize drawing.

I’ll announce all of the final winners for the Month of Mysticism on Monday!

The Novel Girls are celebrating the release of Not Ready for Mom Jeans by Maureen Lipinski (a Novel Girl sister!). Head on over and join the fun!

A Breath of Magic is available NOW!

Today, join me in welcoming urban fantasy romance author, Jessa Slade!

Despite a grade school career aptitude test that indicated farming would be her best bet, Jessa always knew she wanted to be a writer.  Her early works include “MY POMES,” a poetry chapbook rampant with unicorns and misspellings, and a torrid teen cowboy romance which her editor-mother asked her to revise and resubmit, changing the love scene to “soul mates.”

After close to a million final draft words and nearly triple digit rejections, she sold her first novel, an urban fantasy romance, thanks to the 2007 Rose City Romance Writers’ Golden Rose writing contest.  She still pinches herself daily.

She lives in the Pacific Northwest where the potential for up to 120 days in a row of measurable precipitation keeps her at her computer (well, that and the chains).  Like many writers, she lives often in her head and appreciates interaction with people whose dialogue she doesn’t have to make up and revise for clarity.

Visit Jessa online at http://jessaslade.com.

I Want to Believe

I always loved that poster on Mulder’s wall from “The X Files” TV show. I’m drawn to anything with a woo-woo element: crystals, phrenology, remote viewing, string theory, comparative religions…

Lately, a viral video has been making the rounds. It purportedly shows a group of young men inventing “liquid mountaineering,” i.e. walking on water. The documentary style filming interviews the men, shows their technique for tip-toeing at high speeds across the surface of a lake, and talks about “how you have to think you can do it.”

Now, turns out, the video is actually an elaborate, fairly subtle ad for waterproof sports shoes. But what a fun ad!

Since I work in marketing in my day job, I’m always interested in what attracts attention, and what intrigued me most about this video was the desire people had to believe. In the comments section at YouTube and elsewhere the video was posted, the comments followed a typical pattern:

The first people to see it said some variation on, Wow, that’s so cool, I wish I could walk on water. The next people quickly said, Fake! The first people replied with, Don’t be such a hater troll. The hater trolls protested. The truth came out. But—and this is where things get interesting—a portion of the “want to believe” crowd stuck to their guns. They posted mathematical equations that showed walking on water is possible. They pointed out that Ninjas walk on water all the time. The hater troll/reality sucks crowd just laughed.

But I have to admit, cold hard reality aside (or in the case of the video, cold wet reality), I want to believe too. I love the idea of running across the water, even if I have to pay the small additional fee for special shoes.

At the same time, there’s a big chunk of Scully the skeptic in me, who knows phrenology is just bumps on the head, that rocks—no matter how sparkly—won’t change your future. As technology gets ever better at fooling us (hey, I Photoshop for a living myself) my cynicism deepens. But still, like Mulder, I want to believe.

I think I write urban fantasy romance because it combines my no-nonsense Scully and my pie-tin-in-the-sky Mulder sides so perfectly.  For every oil-slicked street corner in my gritty Chicago, there is a glimmer of magic.  For every slavering monster, there is a moment of pure and simple human love.

Light and dark.  Conviction and doubt.  Wonder and rejection.  The strain between opposites makes for an interesting story and an interesting life.  How about you, do you tend to be a believer or a skeptic?  Have you ever seen something you couldn’t explain?

Comment today and one random winner will receive a signed copy of Seduced by Shadows!

The second book in Jessa Slade’s Marked Souls series, Forged of Shadows, comes out June 1, 2010. Read the first chapters at http://jessaslade.com

I so love that video! Thank you for sharing it, Jessa, and thanks so much for taking the time to be here today.

Remember, the winner of the Magic Spell contest will also receive a signed copy of Seduced by Shadows from Jessa!

Do you want a chance to win? Create a magic spell to enter to win the Grand Prize package! You can write the spell as a poem, as a short story, as a recipe, or any other way you’d like! E-mail tracy@tracymadison.com with the topic Magic Spell no later than May 28, 2010, to be entered! There are only 2 days left to enter to win the thirty-minute free reading from Clairvoyant Medium Dakota Lawrence, the awesomely extra-large filled A Breath of Magic tote bag, and a name of your choosing (subject to approval from Dorchester editorial) given to a minor character in my next release, By Magic Alone!

Don’t Forget

Come back tomorrow for the final Q&A with Clairvoyant Medium Dakota Lawrence!

The Novel Girls are celebrating the release of Not Ready for Mom Jeans by Maureen Lipinski (a Novel Girl sister!). Head on over and join the fun!

A Breath of Magic is available NOW!

Today, join me in welcoming historical and paranormal romance author, Emily Bryan!

Emily Bryan graduated summa cum laude from the University of  Northern Iowa with a degree in Music. She won the District Metropolitan Opera Auditions and went on to debut with the Denver Symphony. She sang at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and created the role of Marianne in the southeastern premier of Kirk Meecham’s Tartuffe.

Emily has lived in 9 different states! Missouri, Iowa, Colorado, Minnesota, North Carolina, Wyoming, Utah, Washington, and Massachusetts! Good thing she loves to travel. She is embarrassed to admit she’s lost track of how many times she’s been to Europe and spent one of the best days of her life in the National Gallery in London.

Visit Emily online at www.emilybryan.com

A Sense of Instant Recognition

When I was a kid, I used to doodle this scruffy little black dog in the margins of my papers. I don’t know where she came from. We never had small dogs when I was growing up, though a few Labs and a German Shepherd crossed my path. But once this little black dog flowed out my pen, she kept popping up, decorating my notebooks and class notes with her melancholy face.

Fastforward many years. I’m grown with a DH and kids of my own. My parents have just lost a dog. I thought I could ease their sorrow by picking up a new one at the pound and housetraining it for them. (I’m a firm believer in rescued pets.)

“Yes,” the lady at the shelter said. “We have one small dog, but she’s been pining so I don’t know if she’s adoptable. We may have to put her down.”

When I came into view of her cage, the little dog that had been unresponsive leaped up and pawed the air like a stallion. The dog seemed to know me and the shelter worker was astonished. “I’ve never seen her act like that,” she said.

“It’s my little black dog!” I said disbelievingly, remembering my doodles of her. The resemblance was as uncanny as her immediate joyful response to me. “I have to take her.”

Susie and I formed an instant bond and needless to say, she did not go live with my parents. Instead, she became my almost constant companion for the next 11 years. She was always ready to go wherever I went. Susie logged so many miles flying under the seat in front of me I wished I could get her a frequent flyer number.

I never forgot that sense of immediate connection when I first saw her. I knew her. I’d been drawing her for years.

So, since nothing is ever wasted on a writer, I decided to use that experience in STROKE OF GENIUS (available May 25th from Leisure Books). My hero Crispin has been plagued by a recurring dream of a woman he’s never met, so to exorcise this ‘ghost’ he sketches a nude portrait of her. Imagine his surprise when he meets her in the flesh. If you’d like to try an excerpt, click here.

Have you ever had a sense of instant recognition for someone whom you haven’t met before?

Wow, Emily, I love this story. I’ve had moments of instant recognition in my life, but nothing like this. More like that sense of “Yes, this person is going to be special in my life.” Thank you so much for being here today!

Remember, the winner of the Magic Spell contest will receive a signed copy of Stroke of Genius from Emily!

Do you want a chance to win? Create a magic spell to enter to win the Grand Prize package! You can write the spell as a poem, as a short story, as a recipe, or any other way you’d like! E-mail tracy@tracymadison.com with the topic Magic Spell no later than May 28, 2010, to be entered! There are only 4 days left to enter to win the thirty-minute free reading from Clairvoyant Medium Dakota Lawrence, the awesomely extra-large filled A Breath of Magic tote bag, and a name of your choosing (subject to approval from Dorchester editorial) given to a minor character in my next release, By Magic Alone!

Don’t Forget

Come back tomorrow to meet paranormal romance author Jessa Slade!

The Novel Girls are celebrating the release of Not Ready for Mom Jeans by Maureen Lipinski (a Novel Girl sister!). Head on over and join the fun!

A Breath of Magic is available NOW!

Today, please join me in welcoming one of the funniest women I know, award-winning author, Christie Craig!

Christie Craig grew up in Alabama, where she caught lightning bugs, ran barefoot, and regularly rescued potential princes, in the form of Alabama bullfrogs, from her brothers. Today, she is still fascinated with lighting bugs, mostly wears shoes, but has turned her focus to rescuing mammals instead of amphibians. She now lives in Texas with her four rescued cats, and a prince of a husband, who for the record, is not a frog. Her non-fiction and photography have appeared in over three thousand national magazines.

After selling four books in one day, she has gained a reputation for writing romance fiction that has both a witty humor and suspenseful, sexy tone. Shut up and Kiss Me, her seventh novel will be released May 25th. Her book, written with her non-fiction writing partner, Faye Hughes, The Everything Guide to Writing a Romance Novel, was a September 08 release and also out in June is their second non-fiction, Wild, Wicked and Wanton: 101 Ways to Love Like You’re in a Romance Novel. Christie has also recently sold a Young Adult Series to St. Martin’s Press titled, Shadow Falls Camp that will be published under the name C.C. Hunter. You can visit Christie online at www.christie-craig.com, catch her blogs on www.killerfiction.net on Tuesdays or check out her writing articles at www.writewithus.net.

Fate, Destiny & Soul Mates:  Real or Not? What Do You Believe?

I remember it as if it were yesterday. It was a stormy night, it was late, and the lights had gone out, I knew because the house had gone pitch dark and dead silent. No hot water heater humming, no background noise of the refrigerator generator keeping things cold. The lightening flashed through the windows and made ghost-like shadows on the walls. I was twelve years old and spending the night at my grandparent’s house. I’d snuggled under a soft quilt on the sofa bed when I heard my grandmother’s house shoes padding into the room. My grandmother was a small woman, her high cheekbones and brown eyes hinted at the “French” ancestry on her grandmother’s side. This great grandmother of mine called herself “French” my grandma once told me, because it wasn’t acceptable to say you were Native American.

That night my grandma thought I’d be scared of the storm, maybe I was, but I’d never admit it. Anyway, she sat down on the edge of the lumpy mattress and started telling me about a stormy night that happened to her when she was young. A bunch of her cousins had gotten together to spend the night, and they all asked the storm angels to give them dreams about the man they would someday marry. They were supposed to fall asleep looking at the four corners of the world, north, east, south, and west, and repeat their request for information. That night my grandmother had a dream , and while it didn’t give her a name it gave her letters: BB. She said she didn’t believe it.

It wasn’t until she met my grandfather years later, Burnett Bankhead Keith, who for obvious reasons went by the nickname, BB, that she recalled the dream. Even after she went to bed that night, her story intrigued me so much that I forgot all about the storm.

Was her dream a premonition? Was her husband/soul mate already written in the stars? Did the storm angels only give her the initials because who would want to marry a man named Burnett Bankhead? Needless to say, it was my grandmother’s story that got me thinking about Fate, Destiny and soul mates. I remember doing just as she told me to do that night, but I didn’t have a dream. I wondered if Fate had not yet decided who I would marry.

Years passed, and then I went and did it. I found my soul mate, tied the knot, started down the happily-ever-after path. (Hey, my grandparents weren’t Romeo and Juliet but they hadn’t gotten a divorce and I saw the way my grandma patted my granddaddy’s thigh as he drove.) Yup, I’d taken the first steps onto the road of marital bliss, but I must have taken a wrong turn, because I ended up on a road called a crappy marriage.

What happened? Had Fate and Destiny let me down? Or had I screwed up? I knew I should have waited for those storm angels to give me a name or at least a couple of initials. But even as I dealt with the big D, swore off love, men, and all forms of thigh patting, any time it would storm, and especially when the lights would go out, I would think about storm angels and soul mates. Had I missed my chance at a soul mate by choosing the wrong guy? Do we get more than one chance? Not that I was interested.

Then it happened. I met a guy. Okay, so I was weak. Not that I was going to let it get serious. And I probably wouldn’t have if he hadn’t started talking about it. Started talking about Fate, and Destiny, and about how many things had to happen for us to meet. If he hadn’t lost his job in Houston, if he hadn’t decided to give California a try, if he hadn’t chosen Pepper Tree Apartments to live, if he hadn’t heard my mom’s southern accent and asked her where she was from.

That was over 25 years ago, and guesses what? We’re not Romeo and Juliet, but darn if I wouldn’t do it all over again, and I still do my share of thigh patting, too. Are we soul mates? I like to think so. Do I really believe in Fate and Destiny? I do. But I also believe that we have to follow the right path for Destiny and Fate to take effect. In other words, you can’t be at the boat dock waiting for your train to come in.

Nevertheless, because of my belief, because of the years of being with my soul mate, and because of my grandmother’s story, I came up with the plot for Shut Up and Kiss Me. My hero’s foster father, Redroot, believes the spirits come to him in dreams and tell him who is whose soul mate. He is determined that Shala Winters, the new tourism specialist/photo journalist coming into town, and his son, the Chief of Police, Sky Gomez, are soul mates. Sky takes one look at Shala and decides he wouldn’t mind the “mating” part, but the “soul” part, meaning the forever kind of love, . . . well, Sky doesn’t do that. He watched love destroy his parents, which ended in a murder suicide. Shala, having taken a wrong turn herself in life, is not too keen on it, either. Unfortunate for Sky, she’s sworn off any thigh patting stuff, as well.

Ahh, but this is Precious, Texas, where you don’t get between Fate and what It wants. Because Fate doesn’t fight fair. It will use whatever it can: skunks, fire ants, and it has a whole pack of whacky town folk to help it, too. But it’s not just Fate stirring up trouble in Precious. It becomes clear to Sky that someone is willing to kill to get Shala’s camera, and it’s Sky’s job to find out why and who. It’s Sky’s job to keep Shala safe. But can he do it? And can he save Shala without losing his heart to the one woman who might be his soul mate?

I had a blast writing Shut Up and Kiss Me and now what I’d love to hear from you guys is—Do you believe in Fate, Destiny and soul mates? Oh, one lucky person will win a $10 gift card to Barnes & Noble, so make sure you leave a comment. And . . . to celebrate the release of Shut Up and Kiss Me which is out today, I’m blogging and giving away prizes all over the place. Today find me at my own blog, http://killerfictionwriters.blogspot.com/ and at http://www.popsyndicate.com/books. Tomorrow I’ll be at http://siamckye.blogspot.com/.

Oh, I have another zany release in June. Check out Wild, Wicked & Wanton:  101 Ways to Love Like You Are in a Romance Novel. It’s a self-help, humorous relationship book that tells a woman what she can learn from a romance novel.

I love this: “You can’t be at the boat dock waiting for your train to come in.” What a terrific post, Christie–and thank you so very much for being here today and for offering up so many great items to the Grand Prize winner. Also, folks, in case you missed it, Christie is giving away a $10 Gift Card to Barnes & Noble, so be sure to leave a comment on today’s blog to be entered to win!

Remember, the winner of the Magic Spell contest will receive a signed copy of Divorced, Desperate and Delicious, Peace Potion Massage Lotion and some fun promo stuff (mini-notebook, pen, signed cover flats, chapstick, bookmarks) from Christie, as well as the rest of the items in the grand prize winning package. Thanks, Christie!

Do you want a chance to win? Create a magic spell to enter to win the Grand Prize package! You can write the spell as a poem, as a short story, as a recipe, or any other way you’d like! E-mail tracy@tracymadison.com with the topic Magic Spell no later than May 28, 2010, to be entered! There are only 4 days left to enter to win the thirty-minute free reading from Clairvoyant Medium Dakota Lawrence, the awesomely extra-large filled A Breath of Magic tote bag, and a name of your choosing (subject to approval from Dorchester editorial) given to a minor character in my next release, By Magic Alone!

Don’t Forget

I have an interview up today at Fang-tastic Books! Stop on by and comment for a chance to win a signed copy of A Taste of Magic.

Come back tomorrow to meet historical and paranormal romance author Emily Bryan!

The Novel Girls are celebrating the release of Not Ready for Mom Jeans by Maureen Lipinski (a Novel Girl sister!). Head on over and join the fun!

A Breath of Magic is available NOW!

This will be quicker (and less pretty than normal) as I’ve had a weekend of birthday celebrations with my kids and am running behind schedule on almost everything. Please forgive me the lack of pictures!

The winners from last week are:

• $10 Borders Gift Card goes to: Kimber-Lee!
  
• $5 Caribou Coffee Gift Card goes to: Kelly T!
  
• A signed copy of A Stroke of Magic goes to: Deanna N!
• A signed copy of A Taste of Magic goes to: Abigail S!
  
• A Breath of Magic mini-gift set (tote bag, key chain, sticky notes, etc.) goes to: Jennifer S!

Congratulations Kimber-Lee, Kelly, Deanna, Abigail, and Jennifer!!! Please e-mail tracy@tracymadison.com by Thursday, May 27th, with your mailing address.

The winner of the filled A Breath of Magic tote bag, as shown HERE, is….Raelena!

Congratulations Raelena! Please e-mail tracy@tracymadison.com by Thursday, May 27th, with your mailing address.

All winning items will be sent out on Friday, May 28th. Congratulations, everyone!

The winner of the signed copy of Ancient Whispers by Marie-Claude Bourque is…Jessica Rabbit!

Congratulations Jessica! Please e-mail me with your address, and I’ll forward that on to Marie-Claude.

And the winner of a simple tarot card reading by paranormal romance author Sharon Ashwood is…Donna S!

Congratulations, Donna! Please e-mail me and I’ll put you in contact with Sharon!

Contest News!

This Week’s Random Giveaways: Comment on my blog each day this week (Monday through Friday, one entry per person per day, for a total of five entries) for a chance to win one of five prizes:

• One $10 Borders Gift Card
• One $5 Caribou Coffee Gift Card
• One Signed Copy of A Taste of Magic
• One Signed Copy of A Stroke of Magic
• One A Breath of Magic mini-gift pack that includes: a tote bag, sticky notes, key chain, bookmark(s), and a signed cover flat

I’ll use random.org to choose five winners, and I will announce their names here (and what they won) on Monday, May 31st! This is the last week of giveaways for the Month of Mysticism.

Grand Prize Information – Only Five Days Left to Enter!

While the weekly Magic Series Contest is now over, you still have a chance at winning an awesome A Breath of Magic tote bag filled with tons of stuff. One Grand Prize winner will win:

• An extra-large customized Magic series tote bag:

What will be in this bag? Check it out: rose quartz heart-shaped pendant on sterling silver chain, chakra bracelet, heart’s desire jewelry set, Book: Seven Days of Magic, New Age CD: Dreamscapes,  Aventurine Tumbled Stone pendulum, Book: Pendulum Magic for Beginners, Music Dreamer tarot deck and book, rose incense, candles, mood lipstick, lavender aromatherapy body soak, lavender aromatherapy body lotion, lavender aromatherapy scented eye mask, aromatherapy fizzy bath, aromatherapy facial mask, aromatherapy essential oils – green tea, aromatherapy essential oils – jasmine, aromatherapy essential oils – ocean, signed copies of A Taste of Magic, A Stroke of Magic, and A Breath of Magic. But that’s not all! The grand prize winning bag also includes items from this week’s guests! The winner will also receive:

• A signed copy of Divorced, Desperate and Delicious by Christie Craig (Tuesday’s Guest!) – Christie has also donated Peace Potion Massage Lotion and some fun promo items (mini-notebook, pen, signed cover flats, chapstick, bookmarks)
• A signed copy of Stroke of Genius by Emily Bryan (Wednesday’s Guest!) – Note: Emily will send the book under separate cover to the winner.
• A signed copy of Seduced by Shadows by Jessa Slade (Thursday’s Guest!)
• And a handmade Native American Choker by Clairvoyant Medium Dakota Lawerence (Friday’s Guest!)

The winner of the grand prize will also receive:

• A 30-Minute Free Reading with Clairvoyant Medium Dakota Lawrence!
• A Name of their Choosing (subject to approval from Dorchester editorial) given to a minor character in my December release, By Magic Alone.

To enter the Month of Mysticism GRAND PRIZE Contest: Have you ever wanted to write your own magic spell? Now is your chance! Whether you decide to bewitch a would-be-lover, hex your arch nemesis, alter the flow of time, create a healing spell, or any other magical charm, spell, or curse you can think of, create a magical enchantment and send it to tracy@tracymadison.com with the topic Magic Spell. You can write the spell in any format you choose (a recipe, a poem, etc), so be creative!

Spells must received no later than May 28 in order to be entered. I’ll pick my favorite and that person will win all the above prizes! The winner’s name will be announced here on May 31, 2010.

Only FIVE more days to get spells in!

The Magic of Birthday Parties

Okay, I know a birthday party isn’t a paranormal activity (at least, not in the real word!), but I thought I’d touch on a little everyday magic today. See, my twins just celebrated their 8th birthday, my eldest son’s birthday is today (he’s 18!), and my brother’s birthday is also today. So I have birthdays on my mind. The twins celebrated with a party at, of all places, Chuck E Cheese. And there were a LOT of people in attendance. I’ll be honest. I dislike planning kids’ birthday parties. It’s always so much work, but it is always worth it at the end of the day. This party was no exception. My little boys, in the middle of the party, looked at me and said “This is the best birthday party ever!” and yep, right there, it’s all worth it. What was even cooler is this happened before cake and before presents. So that got me to thinking: why was it the best party ever (in their eyes).

And the answer, I think, is so much bigger than any one (or a dozen) present a child receives. It’s about feeling special. Being the center of attention for a little while. My boys definitely felt like they were the star attraction at their birthday party, and I’m pretty sure that’s what put the stars in their eyes. So I walked away a happy mom, even though I was mentally worn out by the end.

But I thought about the birthday parties I had as a child, and I instantly remembered the one I deemed the “best party ever.” It was the one and only year my mother went out of her comfort zone and made me a Holly Hobbie cake. Do you remember Holly Hobbie? My mother spent hours upon hours decorating this cake with tiny little stars of frosting in the appropriate colors. Seriously, she spent HOURS. My mom is wonderful in many ways, but she isn’t the most creative of folks, and this was a time-consuming job. But she did it for me, because I wanted it. And I remember how very special I felt on that day. Honestly, I don’t remember much else from that party. I couldn’t tell you what games we played or what presents I got. But I remember that cake.

So, you tell me: What is your favorite birthday party from your childhood and why?

Don’t Forget

Come back tomorrow to meet award-winning romance author Christie Craig!

The Novel Girls are celebrating the release of Not Ready for Mom Jeans by Maureen Lipinski (a Novel Girl sister!). Head on over and join the fun!

A Breath of Magic is available NOW!