Archive for August, 2009

Fresh Fiction Review of WINTER KISS

Aug 31st, 09 / 5 Comments

Here’s a sneak peek at Tanzey’s review of Delaney’s book. It’ll be posted to the Fresh Fiction site in mid-October, but I knew you’d want to read it sooner than that.

“9780451228437 – WINTER KISS (Dragonfire #4) – Deborah Cooke
– Tanzey Cutter, reviewer – Fresh Fiction

For millennia, the shape-shifting dragon warriors known as the Pyr have lived peacefully as guardians of the earth’s treasures. But now the final reckoning between the Pyr, who count humans among those treasures, and the dreaded Slayers, who are determined to eradicate both the humans and the Pyr, is set to start.

Magnus, the malevolent leader of the nasty Slayers, is manipulating Delaney to help him defeat the Pyr. Delaney was a Pyr until he was killed in battle. Magnus took Delaney’s body and forced him to drink the vile Dragon’s Blood Elixir, an awful concoction that raises the dead and turns them into shadow dragons. However, Delaney was not dead long enough for his soul to abandon his body, and he didn’t willingly drink of the Elixir, so he’s not totally corrupted. There’s still enough good in Delaney that he’s fighting back. Hell-bent on destroying the main source of the Elixir, as well as Magnus, Delaney finally locates the Elixir’s sanctuary in an underground area in the Ohio countryside. Of course, Delaney expects to die during his mission. What he doesn’t expect is that he will experience his “firestorm” before he reaches his final destination.

Craving the company of humans one last time, Delaney stops at a nearby roadhouse. The noisy bar with its music and laughter eases his soul. Then wildfire courses through his body and sparks fly when Ginger Sinclair taps him on the shoulder. It seems apropos that he’s being granted his “firestorm” just when he’s ready to end his life.

Ginger feels the heat between them and is more sexually attracted to this man than anyone she’s ever met. Inviting him back to her farm house for the night, the inevitable occurs. However, their lovemaking does not satisfy the firestorm, as it’s supposed to – the sparks are still flying between them. Of course, the other Pyr are alerted to the firestorm and descend on the vicinity. They also know what Delaney has planned with the Elixir and they want to be involved. They want to support his endeavor, protect his mate – and keep him alive, if at all possible. Let the battle begin!

All the Pyr and their mates from the previous three books in this exciting series are included in this final confrontation with Magnus and his evil Dragon’s Blood Elixir. It’s another stellar addition to this dynamic paranormal saga with the promise of more to come when Niall’s story is released in August 2010.”

What a great first review!

Dragonfire, Promoting

Early Risers

Aug 28th, 09 / 0 Comments

For those of you up bright and early in the morning, I’ll be on CBC Radio One next Tuesday morning, on Andy Barrie’s Metro Morning show.

The spot is about the residency at the Toronto Public Library – it will run on September 1 because that’s the first day that the library is accepting submissions for the manuscript critique part of the residency. It’s scheduled to air at 6:15 AM.

I’ve asked for a hotlink for internet streaming for those of you who aren’t early risers, or who can’t get CBC One wherever you are.

Promoting, Writer In Residence

Fall Book Signings

Aug 27th, 09 / 0 Comments

I’ve told you about one of these, the signing at the Indigo Spirit in the Royal Bank Plaza in Toronto on Thursday November 5 from 12:30 to 1:30.

I’ll also be signing at Bakka Books on Queen Street West in Toronto on Saturday November 7. We’re still settling on the time, but it’ll probably be in the afternoon.

GUARDIAN and WINTER KISS will be available at both of these signings.

Also, I believe the booksigning associated with the Emerald City Writers’ Conference is open to the public. That will be on Saturday October 10 in Bellevue, Washington. GUARDIAN is the only new title that will be available at that signing, although they will have the first three Dragonfire titles and FALLEN as well. Information about the conference is HERE.

You can always check the page called My Booksignings & Workshops on the sidebar for a list of upcoming signings and their locations.

Promoting

Another Fun Movie

Aug 21st, 09 / 0 Comments

Here’s one I had forgotten about, until I saw it in the rental joint the other day. If you’ve never watched COLD COMFORT FARM, then do so ASAP. It’s a wonderful movie, with a big fat HEA.

And I realized this time that the heroine is none other than actress Kate Beckinsale, who starred in two of the UNDERWORLD movies. Huh. No guns in CCF, though, much less vampires or werewolves.

You’ll love it. Watch it and let me know.

Reading/Watching

Lace Happens

Aug 20th, 09 / 3 Comments

I was planning to be so good. I whittled down my knitting projects on the go, and was determined to finish them all before casting on something new.

That lasted one night.

As usual, I can blame it on the book.

I was rolling along, writing REBEL, when all of a sudden, I needed to figure something out. As you know, those angel stories with things not being quite as they seem in the Republic have lots of twists and turns. I just need to know what the twists are before I can write them down. I thought I knew but Max – being Max – threw me a complete curve ball the other day, one that required pondering.

He’s quite the piece of work, that Maximilian Blackstone, but I think he’s on to something here.

The way to think, as always for me, was while knitting. But it had to be the right kind of knitting, neither too boring nor too complicated. A pattern that I could memorize, preferably without any increases or decreases – i.e. a rectangle shape – and one that wouldn’t require me to knit according to the chart. A nice wool, too, neither a solid nor a wild variegation but something in between.

I knew instantly what wool from the stash would be perfect – last year, the LYS had a bin from Fleece Artist of a special purchase. I showed you the Leba that I’ve knit one pair of socks from, but there was also a kid blend called Nyoni. Mine is in shades of green (yes, another GREEN project!). It has no colour number or name on the ball band, but from browsing stashes on Ravelry, I’m thinking it must be called Forest. 750m of light fingering weight for $20C. My only regret is that I didn’t buy two!

As for the pattern, Victorian Lace Today to the rescue! (Can we envision Jane Sowerby in action hero tights or would that be impudent?) I chose the Victoria Shawl, which is all diamonds. It takes a lot more yarn, but that’s probably because of the wide border. I’m knitting the body with one less repeat in the width and will do some knitting math before adding the border. I’d like to do a teeny border, like the one on the red curved shawl – Sharon Miller calls this one the Doris border.

I’ve knit six repeats and it looks really yummy. No pooling! Max’s scheme is coming together, too, so it’s all good.

What do you do when you need to think something through? Do you knit like me? And does it always have to be a new project started for a new bit or thinking – or is that just my excuse for not being disciplined?

Angels, Knitting, Writing