Greetings from Tropical Storm Fay-land!
Current mood: restless

I'm ridiculously grateful to have power right now, and when I realized it's my day to blog, I figured I'd publicly celebrate that fact. So … yay, power! Big ups to my electric company—who even though they are boneheaded enough to deny the impending global warming crisis and send me letters against expanding solar or wind power (sigh), have managed to keep my lights on in this storm. And a wet, squishy hug to my newspaper delivery person for managing to drop off my newspaper even in this disgusting weather.

How disgusting is it? School (and my preschoolers' day care) has been closed for the past three days as we waited for the World's Slowest Tropical Storm Evah to stop hovering over Daytona and MOVE already. Fay finally meandered southwest of us, so things are really wet outside. We're not flooding (although I hear the riverbanks are going to soon), but it's quite windy, and the rain comes down in sheets whenever a squall line moves through.

Taking a page from a local newspaper columnist, here are a few things Fay has made me thankful for (besides electricity and Internet access):

• My kids are small enough, that all I have to do is bring out a few toys I've stored away, and they think they're getting presents! This has been enough to keep them from going completely stir-crazy, fortunately.

• I'm happy for a break in the sauna-like weather, even though I can't go out in it. (Well, I guess I COULD, but it wouldn't be too much fun.)

• I'm glad my family and I have the wherewithal to NOT try kite-boarding in a tropical storm. If you haven't seen the video that caused my brother to coin the term "Floridiot," here it is.

• I'm glad the storm made my oldest younger brother Tom call me. Tom is not a phone person and rarely calls, but storms freak him out enough to suspend his lifelong phone embargo to make sure his nieces haven't floated away.

• I'm grateful for take-out restaurants that stay open during tropical storms. Although I'm wicked devastated that my favorite Thai place is across a bridge that is currently closed.

• I'm glad our area hasn't flooded and I haven't seen any alligators swimming by. Or snakes. While neither one squicks me out as much as spiders do, I really don't want to be dealing with a Florida rattler or a wet and crabby gator in my driveway anytime soon.

• I'm glad my Playstation 3 is still working. I have a rather unfortunate addiction to Lego Star Wars at the moment, and the storm has given me an excuse to finish it.

• But what I'm most grateful for (besides the health and safety of my family … and Lego Star Wars for the PS3) is that I have a massive stack of excellent books sitting here, just waiting to entertain. Three cheers for Tracy's book-buying addiction! I knew it would come in handy someday.

How's the weather where you all are? And have you read anything you've really loved lately? (Because I'll probably be between books tomorrow, looking for something else to read….)

Currently listening : Mamma Mia! Release date: 2008-07-08

6:44 AM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

20 Things I Learned at RWA National in San Francisco

1) Continental Airlines has squished seating, but excellent customer service. Three cheers for an airline with check-in personnel, flight attendants, and gate agents with manners, who actually seem happy to treat their customers with kindness. Signing up for a Continental OnePass account TODAY. Take that, Northworst!

2) 12:30 am on Saturday does not mean half an hour after midnight on Saturday, but half an hour after midnight on Friday. I generally know this, but apparently some neurons were misfiring when I made my reservation. Heaps of gratitude to the excellent Continental customer service agent who was able to put me on the exact same flight at 12:30 am on Sunday that I missed by not arriving at the airport at 12:30 am on Saturday. And an extra thank you to her for not pointing and laughing at me for being such a bonehead in the first place--at least, not while I was standing in front of her.

3) Just because someone has a low-key, Sally Kellerman-esque voice and is enviably skinny does not mean she cannot inspire. I was ready to sneak out of the PAN retreat because feeling chubby and squeaky-voiced in comparison was hardly my idea of inspiration, when Gail Blanke figuratively knocked me off my feet with a great speech that made me want to dive for my laptop and start writing. I've already ordered a copy of Between Trapezes....

4) If you plagiarize Nora, she will, and I quote, "go after you with a hammer while you sleep."

5) Nora Roberts actually gets asked by booksellers if she was the one who plagiarized Janet Dailey. Which sucks on so many levels. (For the record, it was totally and repeatedly Janet Dailey who plagiarized Nora.)

6) Harlequin as a whole is actually up 13% in profits for the year! Go, Harlequin!

7) Intrigue is doing quite well in sales. Go, Intrigue!

8) My editor does not hate me for taking a much-needed 7-month hiatus, and my agent is "pleased" that I still exist. Three cheers for Tracy, the Queen of Schmooze!

9) The elegant Francis Ray started a foundation to help abused women--with her own money. I got to meet her, which was a privilege.

10) I should not be on workshop panels sandwiched between two editors. I think I lost my mind from nervousness.... If you listen to the MP3, just fast-forward through any parts where a squeaky, non-Sally-Kellerman-voiced Latina starts talking. I don't remember a thing I said, which is never good....

11) Attendance at the multicultural PAN panels was kinda dismal. Seriously, people (of color), if you have been feeling like RWA doesn't notice your concerns, show up when they DO notice you and put together a workshop or PAN panel to address said concerns. The disappointed coordinators said that they had been told that "if they built it, people would come." People did not come, and if they continue to not come, no one's going to be building much at all. Which would be sad.

12) My usual limit of 2-3 glasses of wine, which has served me well in the past, does not work when I'm running on little sleep and much caffeine. Three small glasses of wine at the Harlequin party, and I was practically wearing a lampshade on my head. My apologies to everyone I talked to, hugged, danced spastically beside, or "love you, man!-ed." And a big thank you to Cathy Yardley for steering me back to the hotel, so I didn't wander around the city at night and try to commune with the other, perhaps less genial street drunks. Next year, I'm totally cutting myself off at one. God.

13) It is evil of Harlequin to put full bowls of Hershey kisses AND platters of cupcakes AND Rice Krispie bars AND little Key lime cakes into one room (the Harlequin Intrigue meet-and-greet) and require one to stay in said room for an hour. I'm going to have to work out for a week to get that mess off my Latina ass. (Mmmm, little Key lime cakes....)

14) Rumor has it that editors are looking for paranormal romantic suspense and YA suspense/romantic suspense.

15) According to at least one industry professional, no publisher has been able to do well across the board with Latina lit.

16) The staff at the downtown Marriott in San Francisco is, to a one, unfailingly polite and incredibly competent. I've never had a more pleasant hotel stay in my life and am making a point to email the manager as soon as I recover from the jet lag and stop feeling like the plane ran over me rather than flew me home.

17) If you are from Central America, just let Enrique at the front desk know about it, and your Central American brother will secretly hook you up with the equivalent of the Presidential Suite, on the floor of your choice. Seriously, that was a SWEET hotel room, so muchas gracias, Señor Enrique!

18) If you're not up for a Rita and you skip the ceremony to hang out with an old friend who lives in the city, you will not feel you missed anything. But a big congratulations for the Rita and GH winners!

19) If you take a 12:30 am red-eye and have a layover after only three hours of flying, you WILL walk like a drunk to your next flight. You will also not be able to fully open your eyes for a good half hour, which results in your walking like a drunk into walls, side rails, other passengers. Fortunately, the gate agents must be used to this kind of behavior at 4 am and so did not breathalyze me.

20) It is really, really great to see old friends. And really, really great to come home and have two little ones who are thrilled beyond measure to see you.

Currently listening : The Police (2CD Anthology) By The Police Release date: 2007-06-05

6:46 AM - 6 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Intrigue Blog Blitz--Free Books!
Current mood: hungry

The Intrigue Authors are doing another Blog Blitz all during the month of July. Stop by for some fun, writing tips, and daily random drawings for free books. (You'll need to comment to enter that day's drawing for a book.)

Yours truly blogged July 4th, and I'll be up again ... sometime soon. I'd check my calendar, but I'm feeling lazy.

Visit www.intrigueauthors.com/blog.asp!

Currently listening : Galway Girl: The Best of Sharon Shannon By Sharon Shannon Release date: 2008-07-22

2:38 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

American Idol Recaps!

My youngest brother Troy and I have been posting American Idol recaps on my Blogger blog: www.tracymontoya.blogspot.com. I thought I'd put our latest one (we're a week behind) here, JIC anyone wants to come over and show Troy some love. We get private, email comments, but few real comments on the blog. So if you're interested in snarking with us, please feel free to join us!

American Idol Recap: Top 6! 

TROY: I think I am Hot Mess of the week due to my lack of inspiration (in fairness to me, I had tech issues, so I couldn't get this out sooner). Next week I will bring my A game. :)

TRACY: I will expect it to be broughten! Although you are funnier this go-round than you think, dear brother.

So. Broadway night.

TROY: Correction: Andrew Lloyd Webber night. It would have been a lot cooler if they opened it up to all Broadway shows. Jason Castro would have been able to sing something from "Reefer Madness!"

TRACY: Ooooh, too bad! Anyway, Paula, Randy, and Simon each have their signature critique chestnuts that they haul out, dust off, and slap on a contestant whenever the judges have gotten a bad case of the mehs over their performances. For Randy, it's "pitchy." Everything's freaking "pitchy," even when multiple rewinds of the Tivo prove otherwise. For Paula, it's "Hey, you LOOK great!"

TROY: (Or something like "The butterfly is bright and on your forehead with the shine of your smile.")

TRACY: And for Simon, it's a toss-up between "That was Broadway." and "That was Cabaret."

Which leaves me questioning the producers' choice of bringing on Andrew Lloyd Weber as the guest mentor, despite his in-your-face British honesty, coated with a dash of lordly stiff-upper-lip-itude. Because you're just ASKING for the most influential judge on the show (that would be Simon) to hate everything.

TROY: Well, this WAS after Mariah Carey week. It's contradiction year on Idol!

TRACY: At least ALW didn't write "Cabaret," or the contestants really might have been in trouble.

But Llord Lloyd Weber was indeed the mentor, and I thought he was rather sweet. I appreciated that he was frank about the contestants, although generally rather pleasantly frank. Except in the case of his critique of Brooke White, which, had I been in the room after his critique, would have caused me to go charging over for a major high five. (Do British Llords do high fives?)

"I don't think that girl had a clue what she was singing." Heh.

TROY: I LOVED that. I also loved his critique of Jason Castro, but we'll get to that later. Weren't you at least a little sketched out by his permanently arched eyebrows and lack of blinking? I thought he was a great guest, but I was having Bobby "Creepy Cabana" Bennett flashbacks (Google him if you can't remember).

TRACY: You'd better get yourself a really good plastic surgeon, Troy, because you're going to have no patience with your aging self otherwise! I didn't get Creepy Cabana vibes, maybe because the British accent automatically adds a sense of highbrow for me.

Anyway, I don't think most of them had a clue what to do with ALW's comprehensive and varied catalog, which is sad. David Cook totally should have rocked something from Jesus Christ Superstar, Jason probably should have done "Everything's All Right," and Brooke should have put a paper bag over her head and apologized to the free world.

TROY: Don't deny Brooke "The Gift" White.

TRACY: Like I said last week, take that gift back to Wal-Mart and demand your money back.

TROY: Didn't you totally think David Archuelta would have done something from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat?

TRACY: Seriously. Oh, and I think they should have all walked in and asked ALW what to sing, because the dude totally made Carly's night. But before she came on stage, we had ....

SYESHA MERCADO, who quite possibly delivered the performance of her life, given that she was the night's standout in front of millions of viewers. I think she came in to early, but the always-professional Ricky Minor and his Fabuloso Band covered her mistake brilliantly. The rest was well sung and delivered with a sass we haven't really seen from her before. Obviously, her real talent lies in musicals, so I think she should probably be voted off with that lovely rendition of "One Rock and Roll Too Many" so she can start her musical stage career and we can think of her fondly when she says goodbye and forget all about all of those bad Whitney imitations. Loved the hair, too, even though it wasn't curly.

TROY: I thought Syesha did a fantastic job, but I really , REALLY hated the song. It was a colossal bore with a monotonous chorus. Oh well. For once, Syesha didn't try to oversing (and we had no one to really compare her to). She was able to showcase not only her voice, but her personality which has been severely lacking. I don't really want her to win because it's definitely a case of "too little, too late," but I think Broadway will definitely suit her well. I actually would have loved to see her get the boot this week, just so she could go out on a high note (and she'll probably go back to being boring next week).

TRACY: Next up was JASON CASTRO, who was a tone-deaf trainwreck of colossal proportions. First of all, it's just odd to see a 20-something singing about withered leaves and how he was beautiful once back in the day and all he has is a memory of what it was like to be young and enjoying life. NO! Just no.

TROY: Do you honestly think Jason picked the song based on lyrics or melody? He probably was busy toking up (it WAS 4/20 this weekend after all), missed the song choice deadline, and then just randomly picked a song on the list. Ugh.

TRACY: Second, Memory is a belter's song, and anything but is going to sound like a pale and slightly unhinged imitation. It suffered in comparison so much, I could hear the sheet music screaming. Or maybe that was ALW in the audience. He was such a ghastly shade of pale when the camera focused on him later, I figured he was still trying to recover from what Jason did to his poor, unsuspecting song.

TROY: I thought Jason was a passive person until this performance. He took "Memory" into a back alley, beat it senseless, and demanded it tell its friends that it "fell down the stairs" (all with a doped out grin on his face).

TRACY: (HA! Troy's A-game is suddenly back. ::::high-five:::)

TROY: I thought this was the worst performance of the season and also one of the most creeptastic. BLECH.

TRACY: Third, he didn't know it was sung by a cat? If it's a musical called Cats, guess what it's probably all about?

Yes, that would be cats.

And if it's about cats, guess who is probably going to be singing the song?

Once again, that would be a cat.

Sheesh.

TROY: However, Webby's reaction toward Jason's idiocracy was fantastic. It was akin to Gwen Stefani's reaction to Sanjaya picking "Bathwater": Something like, "Well he picked it. It's a hard song. Good luck."

TRACY: That's LLORD Webby.

I am STILL playing "I Don't Wanna Cry," Jason's song from Mariah week, so I'm a fan of his unique, oddball voice. But "Memory" was a hot mess. (Not to be confused with the Hot Mess of the Week, though.)

TROY: It was TOTALLY in contention for "Hot Mess of the Week."

TRACY: Someone really needs to take away that boy's bong. His remaining brain cells are crying out for a reprieve. ("Save us! Somebody save us!")

Then we had the trainwreckiest trainwreck of all seven seasons of the show put together, BROOKE WHITE, who cemented my wish for her to take a flying leap off my TV screen with her catastrophic "You Must Love Me."

No. I must not.

TROY: Again don't speak ill of the Idol Gift (not to be confused with Paula, who calls herself "the gift" as well). Brooke was perfection this week.

TRACY: In an alternate universe where everything sucks, maybe! Brooke, the gift that keeps on figuratively kicking you in the face....

First of all, Paula was SO right (I can't believe I just typed that) when she told Brooke you don't stop and start again. You don't. Maybe you do at the Sheboygan County High School Music Competition, but not on a stage in front of millions of viewers. It's insulting to the band and embarrassing/unprofessional for you.

And what was up with the whole bit afterward with Ryan, Simon, and Randy yammering on about how courageous she was? Courageous? Did she go on stage and beat leukemia when I wasn't looking?

TROY: Seriously.

TRACY: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think she flubbed a song, unprofessionally shrilled at the band to stop playing and let her start again, and then croaked her way through it and utterly destroyed any love I had left for "Evita" after Madonna killed most of its song catalog.

TROY: That was just ridiculous. I guess they, heaven forbid, don't want to hurt Princess Brooke's feelings. What Brooke did is not what a professional would do on stage. You brush yourself off and keep going. This is the SECOND time she's done this.

And I thought Madonna totally outsang Brooke, and THAT is scary alone.

TRACY: WHAT DID POOR EVITA EVER DO TO YOU PEOPLE?!

I was hoping Patti LuPone was in the audience and would come out on stage, bitchslap her, and sing the rest of the song the way it was supposed to be done, but alas, it was not meant to be.

I expected Simon to just ROAST Babbling Brooke, but he was uncharacteristically benign--which lends some credence to my whole leukemia theory. Or maybe she had to beat off some of those swaying zombies in the Idol "mosh pit" with her microphone during a commercial break. Swaying zombies have to eat, too.

Hot Mess of the Century award, right here.

TROY: Amazing gift of the year.

TRACY: And then we had DAVID ARCHULETA, who I think didn't get enough credit from Simon for his major reworking of "Think of Me." Like ALW pointed out, that song from Phantom was written for a diva soprano, and for him to make it a believable pop song took a lot of talent. Plus, he actually took ALW's advice (unlike Dr. Dreadlocks) and kept his eyes open during most of his performance, which I think did help him connect more with the camera.

I liked it. That is all. (Sorry, Virginia.)

TROY: I really liked David's cover as well. David is pretty much the King of Schmaltz and this song is pretty schmaltzy, so no surprise that he pulled it off. I didn't love the performance as I think David brings no real personality to his performances (other than always being so happy).

TRACY: But he's So! Cute! I! Could! Just! Squeeze! Him!

CARLY SMITHSON followed through on her potential and delivered another "Come Together" in the form of a brilliant, bombastic "Jesus Christ Superstar." Loved her hippy-chick dress, loved her attitude, loved her singing. Which means she's probably going to get voted off tonight and Syesha and Babbling Brooke will remain to plague us next week. Sigh.

TROY: Carly OWNED the stage. I loved her performance (but hated her dress--it looked like a tablecloth vomited).

TRACY: (The dress was awesome.)

TROY: She finally went out, had fun, and rocked her powerhouse vocals. Plus, how cool was it to see this totally tatted "rocker" chick get out there and belt "Jesus Christ Superstar." I loved it and, to me, it was performance of the night.

TRACY: I think I finally got a taste of the creepy factor you've said DAVID COOK has. "All I Ask of You" is a basically a crazed stalker song, and I was somewhat skeeved out by his version. Is it just me, or did he have the male version of Runaway Bride eyes during that performance?

TROY: He totally had Runaway Bride eyes, but I think Brooke White was rocking the exact same look.

TRACY: She just had Runaway Bride eyes: The Pasty Version.

Back to David.... I have to say, he really did pull it off vocally. I was fetching some juice for Marin while listening (because my entire life is fetching juice for my preschoolers right now), and I realized that when I just paid attention to the singing, it was really good! He could have gone on stage as the Phantom with that one, and I would have totally believed it. It's hard to compete with Michael Crawford, so I have to give him credit for stepping up. It was a bad theme week for David C., and he still pulled it off.

TROY: You know how much I like David Cook

TRACY: Jealous? You want his hair. You know it.

TROY: Anyway, I thought he did a nice, straightforward version of "Music of the Night." It was nice that he just sang the song, rather than have us judge him on a new David Cook-ified version. At the very least, he sounded MUCH better than Gerard Butler's abysmal bass take on the Phantom for the movie version.

TRACY: But Gerard Butler distracted much of his audience from his abysmal bass with sheer hotness. Gotta give him that.

TROY: David Cook is still a capital A Asshat though.

......................RESULTS SHOW.......................

TROY: And your prediction came true. The RESULTS SHOW was a horrifying disaster as we bid adieu to my pick, Carly Smithson. PEOPLE, WHY ARE YOU VOTING FOR JASON CASTRO? HE IS PAINFUL. At least Brooke White is a hilarious disaster.

TRACY: I find nothing hilarious about a woman who sounds like a traffic jam when she speaks.

TROY: Well, next week IS Neil Diamond week. Imagine the possibilities!

TRACY: Trombone fanfares! Hand-claps! Chest hair! This could be fun! Or it could be a whole new level of suckitude....

2:35 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Random Worry: When Galaxies Collide

You all probably already noticed that the Hubble telescope just took some amazing photos of two galaxies colliding. I thought I'd share the intellectually riveting conversation Jose and I had about them. (As an excuse, let me just say that we were both checking email at the time--he on our ancient desktop PC, and I on my laptop. Our conversations usually go a little better than this....)

TRACY: Did you see these Hubble photos?

JOSE: Of what?

TRACY: The two galaxies colliding?

JOSE: No.

TRACY: There are two galaxies colliding.

JOSE: Cool.

TRACY: What if there are aliens living in one of those galaxies?

JOSE: Poor aliens.

TRACY: That would suck, to just be milling about, minding your own business, and this galaxy comes and collides with yours.

JOSE: Mmmm. Yeah.

TRACY: You know, that's really scary!

JOSE: Why?

TRACY: Um, because it's a GALAXY!!! Colliding with one that looks a LOT like ours.

JOSE: Huh.

TRACY: The offending galaxy is just this lumpy little mess, but the other one that's just sitting there is all swirly, like ours.

JOSE: So?

TRACY: SOOOO, what if a galaxy came and collided with us!?

JOSE: I think we'd know if a galaxy was going to collide with us!

TRACY: Yeah, but it's not like we could do anything about it. At least with a meteor, we kind of have a chance. But you can't send the Shuttle up to divert an entire freaking galaxy.

JOSE: Oh. Yeah. ... Guess not.

1:18 PM - 8 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Top Pick for I’ll Be Watching You

I was having a grumpy day today--monster headache, house that won't sell, stress on the job, first sighting of a giant, hairy spider inside said house over the weekend, deadline for idiotically proposed freelance article looming. I guess Somebody Up There must've known I needed a boost today, because I got my RT Book Reviews magazine ridiculously early and ... I got a 4 1/2-star Top Pick!

For the uninitiated, RT BookReviews is THE magazine for romance and women's fiction reviews, with a selection of book reviews from other genres like young adult and mainstream suspense/mystery. Some indie bookstores use RT's Top Picks to stock their shelves, but like most review sources, RT's opinions probably mean jack to most readers. That said, 4 1/2 Top Picks are their second-highest rating (beneath the very, VERY rare 5-star review), so it's awfully lovely to get their stamp of approval.

And here I was, holding my breath as I flipped through the magazine and just hoping they hadn't given me a two-star. Heh.

Here's the text:

****1/2 Top Pick! Tracy Montoya presents the perfect blend of romance, horror, and suspense in this tightly plotted, character-driven study of a young woman terrorized by a monster and the cop who vows to protect her. Yoga instructor Addy Torres is being stalked by a man the police thought was dead--the man who murdered her cop fiance' years before and has turned her life into a horrifying online game. [TRACY SAYS: Actually, that's an open question in the book--whether it's really the Surgeon returned from 2004's Maximum Security, or a copycat. But I'm not complaining here.] Detective Daniel Cardenas' protective detail becomes personal when he falls hard for the woman who's still grieving for the man she loved and who's afraid to love again. Don't read I'll Be Watching You after dark.

Whoo-hoo!

Currently listening : Songs from the Labyrinth (Music by John Dowland) By John Dowland Release date: 10 October, 2006

1:24 PM - 11 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment

Blurb!
Current mood: amused

The lovely PR people at Harlequin responded lightning-fast to my request for the cover blurb for I'll Be Watching You, soooo :::drum roll::: here it is!

WOULD GIVING IN TO THEIR ATTRACTION BRING CLOSURE...
OR COMPLICATE AN UNPREDICTABLE FUTURE?

It might have been four years since Detective Daniel Cardenas had last seen Addy Torres, but she'd never been far from his thoughts...or his fantasies. Then, as a vicious stalker's latest target, the stunning recluse needed the relentless protection only Daniel could provide. But the more Addy turned to his strong arms seeking safety, the more he wanted to ease her pain and give her the release they'd both craved for far too long. As he watched and waited for a killer to make his next move, Daniel fought every urge and kept his hands to himself. Until one fateful night changed everything…

My first impression is that HQ wasn't kidding when they said they were trying to sex up Intrigue a little more. "Give her the release they'd both craved for far too long?" Dude.

8:44 AM - 3 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

New Cover!
Current mood: amused

I just found the cover for my April Intrigue, I'll Be Watching You, up on Amazon, so I thought I'd share it here. It's always such a shock to get these things, because the people never look like they do in my head. Never in my wildest dreams was my hero so ... shiny.

The glistening hero in question would be Daniel Cardenas, a Monterey, CA, police detective and computer genius who is investigating the possible return of the Surgeon, the presumed-dead serial killer from my 2004 Intrigue, Maximum Security. If anyone out there remembers that long-ago book, this is, finally, Adriana Torres's story. I meant to do it ages ago, but I got sidetracked when my editors asked for an unrelated three-book series (the Mission: Family series), and then I went and did two stand-alone spin-offs after that.

Anyway, I requested a sunset, because I LOVE sunset covers, so that's cool. But oddly enough, Danny Boy really never tears his shirt off while he's investigating anything in the book. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing with Mr. Buffster Model here....

What do you all think? I'm just counting my blessings that he doesn't look like one of the Village People....

7:49 AM - 8 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Holiday Short Story
Current mood: accomplished

OK, I tried to post this to the bulletins, but apparently something is malfunctioning. If you all get four or five bulletins from me, I'm REALLY sorry. Blame Tom.

Anyway, as part of the "12 Days of Chica Lit Holiday Blog Tour," today I've posted an original short story that spins off of my search and rescue tracker books for Harlequin Intrigue. It stands on its own, so you don't need to have read Finding His Child or Telling Secrets, but the characters will be familiar if you have.

Visit my Blogger blog, www.tracymontoya.blogspot.com to read "Winter, Fire, and Snow." I've also posted a couple of recipes from Honduras and a question about the story. Answer it correct AND comment in the comments section, and you'll be entered to win a free book from yours truly and some gourmet, Fair Trade chocolate. (Because we all need something else fattening after the holidays....)

Feliz Navidad y un Prospero Año Nuevo.

Currently listening : Christmas Songs By Jars of Clay Release date: 16 October, 2007

10:31 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Three Ways to Win Free Books (and Presents)!

I'm taking part in three holiday promotions that are offering free books to readers. Sooooooo, if you're a bookaholic like me and just went "Oooooh, free books! Where? Where?" here's the scoop on all of them:

1) Did I mention my contest? (Heh.) We've gotten some great entries, but I'm not sending them to my judges (i.e. my brothers and frequent guest-bloggers) until Dec. 23. So you can still enter, as many times as you wish, to win a $25 bookstore gift certificate and a copy of any book from my backlist. Scroll down a few entries on this MySpace blog or visit http://tracymontoya.blogspot.com/2007/12/contest-prizes-enter-today.html for more information.

2) The Intrigue authors are blogging up at storm at http://www.intrigueauthors.com/blog.asp all throughout December, and we're giving out free Intrigues every day to randomly selected people who send us comments. I'll be blogging Dec. 12th and 19th, but you can also visit any day this month for amusing anecdotes, interesting questions, holiday recipes, and random digressions from the likes of Patricia Rosemoor, Julie Miller, Ann Voss Peterson, Dana Marton, Rebecca York, and more.

3) Starting today, a group of today's hottest selling Latina authors (and, er, me) are posting holiday short stories as part of our 12 Days of Christmas Chica Lit Blog Tour.
Every day from December 11th to the 23rd, travel to a new Latina author's blog for an original holiday story, recipe, and prize giveaway!

Avon author Mary Castillo starts us off today. Visit www.marycastillo.com to read her holiday short story.

Here's the blog tour line-up:

TODAY, Dec. 11: Mary Castillo, author of Switchcraft. Visit www.marycastillo.com to win a $15 Amazon.com gift certificate.

Dec, 12: Berta Platas, author of Cinderella Lopez. Visit http://www.myspace.com/bertaplatas to win Bath and Bodyworks Bath Gel and a copy of the Friday Night Chicas anthology.

Dec. 13: Mayra Calvani, author of  Dark Lullaby. Visit http://thedarkphantom.wordpress.com to win a copy of Dark Lullaby.

Dec. 14: Caridad Pineiro, author of Holiday with a Vampire. Visit www.caridad.com/blog to win a copy of Sex & the South Beach Chicas and a Victoria's Secret bag filled with goodies.

Dec. 15: Lara Rios, author of Becoming Americana. Visit www.lararios.blogspot.com to win copies of of Becoming Latina In 10 Easy Steps and Becoming Americana.

Dec. 16: Caridad Ferrer, author of It's Not About the Accent. Visit http://fashionista-35.livejournal.com to win copies of Adiós to My Old Life and It's Not About the Accent and an iTunes gift card.

Dec. 17: Margo Candela, author of Life Over Easy. Visit  www.margocandela.com to win a $25 Bath & Body Works gift.

Dec. 18: Kathy Cano Murillo, author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul. Visit www.craftychica.com to win a surprise.

Dec. 19: Tracy Montoya, author of  Telling Secrets. Visit www.tracymontoya.blogspot.com to win a copy of Telling Secrets and some Fair Trade chocolate.

Dec. 20: Jamie Martinez Wood, author of Latino Writers and Journalists and the upcoming  Rogelia's House of Magic. Visit www.jamiewood.com to win a surprise.

Dec. 21: Misa Ramirez, author of the upcoming Lola PI: Living La Vida Lola. Visit www.misaramirez.com to win a surprise.

Dec. 22: Sofia Quintero, aka Black Artemis, author of Juicy Mangos. Visit www.blackartemis.com to win a bundle of three Black Artemis novels.

Dec. 23: Toni Margarita Plummer, author and editor. Visit www.myspace.com/toniplummer to win a copy of Palabra magazine and $20 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble.

Currently listening : Pytor Illych Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker - Complete Ballet By Valery Gergiev Release date: 20 October, 1998

10:02 AM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment