Greetings from frozenland! global ebook, book #3 + winners...

Our downstairs neighbor's dog, the cutest dog ever!

Today I took the neighbor's dog for a walk and it is so cold that I wore TWO HATS. That's right, one hat covering the other. And the dog has to wear these little booties because his paws freeze out there, and he lost one in the three feet of snow, and so I spent a good deal of time sitting in somebody's yard, rooting around in the dog's paw holes where he romped around, trying to find the lost bootie. And it will be in the -20's tonight. Any and all expressions of shocked sympathy are welcome! Please leave them in the comments!

I have much to announce.

English language ebooks of Mind Games and Double Cross: soon available globally! 
Like many authors, I am unhappy when my English language ebooks are not available worldwide for readers who want to buy them. If you are, say, in India or Germany, you can buy the print of Mind Games or Double Cross from Book Depository and even get free shipping, but you can't buy the digital edition legally there, or in most places outside North America.

Winter in Denmark by Nico/Nils Jepsen
where digital versions of my book
will soon be available!

I'm only just learning about this whole complicated business of geographic restrictions and so forth (Courtney Milan did an excellent writeup here). But, it got me looking at my contract and my situation, and discussing things with my agent, and, while some authors don't control the worldwide portion of their digital rights, it became clear that I did, to an extent. At least, outside North America and related territories. So, the trick was to hook up with a strong and nimble digital publisher who could publish and sell the digital editions worldwide, but restrict it from the places where I'd sold the rights to Random House.

Anyway, I'm now working with the awesome Untreed Reads, a publisher who is doing just that. I don't know exactly when my ebooks become available globally, but likely February or March. They put out a lot of awesome books, and they are doing a new cover for this edition and everything. Yay!!

And what about Book #3????
Good things are happening for book #3! It spent some time as a homeless orphan child, and I was FREAKING OUT, as anybody who has read Double Cross might imagine. I know I haven't been talking about that. Frankly, I was quite bummed, and there was all this uncertainty. As an artist, I was simply continuing to write book #3 regardless, because I am super into it, and I believe in it fiercely. But the whole publishing end was up in the air. It's not a good time for a small and quirky series like mine.

Diana's new covers are fabulous.
So is this series. 

But things are looking up. Book #3 is really close to getting a new home with an awesome publisher and a fabulous editor I've been dying to work with. I won't say more until the T's are dotted and the I's are crossed and a release date is firm. Except that I am so happy and relieved. I feel passionate about these characters, and so much happens in that book. Everything happens in that book...including a wedding with Simon as a bridesmaid. *throws confetti* Stay tuned!

Winners! 
I've become a terrible blogger! It seems just yesterday that I did my release day post (below), and promised to give away two books. Well, the winners were chosen by random.org, and they chose their books. I'm happy to announce a certain Cherry Mischievous picked Ava Gray's Skin Heat, and the lovely Dottie will be getting Secrets of the Demon by Diana Rowland.

Crazy Release day ACTION! Plus international contest

I feel like I've been under a holiday snowdrift, and here I pop my little head up and there are awesome new books everywhere! Yes, in this metaphor, I am some sort of woodland animal, I guess. A marmoset, perhaps. Is that a woodland animal? Guess what? I'm too lazy even to look it up on wikipedia. Anyway, some of my favorite authors/friends are releasing books today!! Comment to win one of these fine books. Instructions below.

Tempest's Legacy by Nicole Peeler
Oh, Miss Nicole Peeler and her awesome cabinet of wonders that is the Tempest Series. I am so addicted to this world and these characters, sometimes I just think about them when I'm walking around in my regular life. From what I understand, this is an OMG installment and the best one yet to boot.

From Publisher's Weekly's total rave:
Peeler seamlessly blends snarky pop culture references with emotionally harrowing topics in the third Jane True supernatural adventure....Jane is sure to endear herself to new readers with her charm, sass, and vulnerability, while longtime fans will be thrilled by her magical and emotional growth.

The blurb:

After a peaceful hiatus at home in Rockabill, Jane True thinks that her worst problem is that she still throws like a girl - at least while throwing fireballs. Her peace of mind ends, however, when Anyan arrives one night with terrible news . . . news that will rock Jane's world to its very core.

After demanding to help investigate a series of gruesome attacks on females — supernatural, halfling, and human — Jane quickly finds herself forced to confront her darkest nightmares as well as her deepest desires. And she's not sure which she finds more frightening.

Contest Alert! BE SURE to check out Nicole's big contest, vlog, and more about the book at her author site.

Secrets of the Demon by Diana Rowland
Our saucy and fun ex-cop Diana Rowland totally owns the whole demon CSI thing. This series is awesome! I thought that before I even knew Diana. I love the new cover style, too.

Le blerb:
Homicide detective Kara Gillian has a special talent: she can sense the "arcane" in our world, and there's quite a bit of it, even in Beaulac, Louisiana. She's also a summoner of demons, and works on a task force that deals with supernatural crimes. Her partners are attractive and smart FBI agents, but they're not summoners, and they're not telling Kara why they are on this special force with her.

To make things worse, Kara has pledged herself to one of the most powerful of demons-a Demon Lord-who helped save her partner's life, but now expects things in return. Meanwhile, she's trying to solve a string of murders that are somehow tied together by money, sex, rock music and...mud. But how can she concentrate on the case when she's not even sure who-or what-her partners are?
Read the chapter one excerpt here!

Skin Heat by Ava Gray (aka Ann Aguirre)

I love this series for how risky it is, and how inventive it is, and I think it contains some of Gray's/Aguirre's best work. Smart, solid, tight writing, and a unique niche that's a little paranormal, a little romantic suspense.

Also, these books are full of morally dubious, gray-area characters and you know I love that.  Start with the fabulous Skin Games. Learn more on Gray's website.

The blurb:

Veterinarian Geneva Harper finds herself irresistibly drawn to Zeke Noble, the mysterious young man to whom wild is second nature. When a killer threatens Neva, Zeke's need to protect her is as fierce as his desire to claim her as his mate.

My Immortal Assassin by Carolyn Jewel
A top pick from Book Page, and it got 4.5 stars from Romantic Times! This is another series I love - besides being hugely compelling, Carolyn Jewel writes some of the best heroines. I love her heroines.

From RT: "The lines in the war between Magekind and Fiends continue to blur in the next installment of Jewel's exhilarating My Immortal series. The protagonists in this drama have both suffered terribly, giving them a common ground and enemy. Jewel provides her fans with a terrific tale that has action aplenty and drama to spare. Great stuff!"

The blurb:
Revenge. It's all Grayson Spencer wants. Christophe dit Menart, a human with dark magical powers, destroyed the life she loved. She wants the pleasure of killing him, no matter the cost to her. If not for Durian, a dangerously sexy demon fiend charged with keeping Christophe alive, she would have succeeded, too. Now, she's certain all hope is gone. But he has a plan and an offer she can't resist...

Durian has spent his life as a trained and sanctioned assassin. His duty: to enforce the laws against demons harming humans. He's always prided himself on staying out of the fray, carrying out his orders and honoring his fealty to his warlord, but never getting attached. Never until Grayson, a spunky and determined woman clearly gifted with magic herself. He convinces her to swear fealty to him so he can protect her and teach her to use her magic to taste the revenge she so desperately wants.

They're soon bound together in a forbidden desire--a dangerous passion that calls into question Durian's oath of loyalty to his warlord. When he refuses to return her to Christophe, his disobedience threatens to inflame the tumultuous war between demons and the magekind. Can they--and their love--survive?
Read Chapter one here. More on Carolyn Jewel's site.

And now for something completely different, two books that are not UF, PNR or anything of the sort!  

by Andrew Shaffer
A crazy little number by Shaffer, aka Evil Wylie. Yes, philosophers manage to be far more interesting and imaginative in their romantic screw-ups than actors and athletes ever could be. This is a fun, fascinating, highly readable release.

I just really love the whole human interest angle of history - check the excerpts and you'll see why this is an awesome subject for a book. In addition to a fine addition to the Crane library, this baby's going to make a great gift for some of my friends.

From Publisher's Weekly: “Shaffer’s jaunty compendium of highbrow heartbreak provides proof positive that even the most brilliant of minds can fall afoul of Cupid—and offers some measure of hope to the lovelorn.”
You can get excerpts here. Shaffer's website is here.

Merit Badges by Kevin Fenton
I'm so excited about this book, which has won the AWP award, and is getting great buzz. And it's not just because Kevin is a longtime friend of mine - this book is seriously awesome.

Merit Badges is the kind of book that evokes time and place so precisely that it's LOL funny, yet stunningly poignant all at once. The time and place in question here is small town Minnesota, starting in the 1970's - a time when high schools had "plastic pod chairs in the concourse" and stoner kids got into fights set to the Allman Brothers - and going on up to 2000 or so. At one point, one of my favorite characters says: "The weather was like me, only more so. The weather needed some counseling. The weather had to think about the consequences of its actions."

The characters are vivid and achingly true, sometimes in a touching and highly entertaining way (like the one guy who models himself on the dad from Leave it to Beaver). This tale of their aspirations, their loves, their disappointments is hugely compelling. It leaves a reader with a wonderful, thoughtful feeling about life.

I'm getting this book for the FREAKS in my life who don't like UF or PNR or historicals. LOL. Actually, I would highly recommend it for somebody who enjoys Nick Hornby, or Kazuo Ishiguro. And three of the four main characters are boys, so this is a great guy book. I can't say enough good about it.

Facebook page for Merit Badges here. More on Fenton's site here.

CONTEST PART: Comment for a chance to win one of these fine books anywhere Book Depository will ship.

You don't have to decide what book you want in your comment, just comment. In a week, next Tuesday morning, when I'm having my morning shot of whiskey and foot massage, I'll randomly choose TWO winners and email them, and they'll get to pick one of these books as a gift from Carolyn Crane.

Merry Christmas!

From wiki commons: folk tale depiction of Father Christmas
riding on a goat; perhaps from Swedish Tomte. I'm going to
give Father Christmas the benefit of the doubt and assume
that is a large doll under his arm there. 

Hey, I just wanted to wish everybody out there who celebrates Christmas a very merry one. And if you don't celebrate, I hope you're having a fun day of kicking back.

I'm in Wisconsin visiting my mom and sisters and nieces and nephew. We are a Christmas-morning-present opening family, so soon, there will be mayhem. Though, not so much if the Santa pictured here visited.

Mr. Crane and I drove all yesterday. I downloaded Stephen King's "The Green Mile" for us to listen to in the car. Wow, King is such an amazing writer. How did I forget that? He's a kind of scoundrely puppetmaster, in the way he creates these crazy flights of description and suspense, managing readers' minds. I can also report that it is not the most Christmassy of stories. Oh well! I'm not the most Christmassy of people.

However, sitting here with my coffee and Internet connectivity, which is, in itself, a Christmas miracle, I feel such a warm feeling for all my friends out there - readers, writers, twitter and FB pals, blog buds and everybody else. Just a warm and thankful feeling for everybody I've had the pleasure of crossing paths with this year. Have a great holiday weekend!

xxoo Carolyn

Annual Christmas letter from Little CJ & giveaway

Little CJ is not bitter toward Mr. Crane due to his
forbidding her to be displayed on the living room wall. 

Oh, wow! Little CJ, my childhood portrait painted by an elderly aunt, has written an annual Christmas letter.

And, she's giving away an international gift certificate prize to one commenter!

Come say hi and enter to win over at Wicked Little Pixie's place.

Holiday MAYHEM

The holidays are a very special time, and some of my pals have been very NAUGHTY WRITERS and are now celebrating it with some wild and wacky and, also, plain old romantic book releases:

Stocking Full of Coal  Click here to read about the story behind this totally kinky holiday romp by the notorious  "Amanda Feral". . . rumors abound as to her real identity being none other than Mark Henry. Nicole Peeler has an excellent write-up about the piece here! PLUS A CONTEST!!!    Nicole Peeler sez  "So yeah, it’s dark. But it’s also - considering it’s about a bruise fetishist and it’s written by a flesh-eating zombie - it's bizarrely romantic." OMG somebody pass the egg nog.  Purchase and find excerpt here.


Sweet Inspiration Leave it to Penny Watson to go for the bullseyes - Santa's sons. The first installment, Sweet Inspiration, is a fun and delectable read set in a bakery, where Nick and master baker Lucy have duelling cookie making philosophies.  Read Watson's post on "Sexing up Santa" on Babbling About Books here.  The Romance studio sez: "I'm hooked on this series and cannot wait to read the next installment. It has been a few days since I finished reading this magical tale and I'm still grinning from ear to ear." It's available on Amazon, or for less at Wild Rose Press.

The Christmas Fantasy Somebody has FIREFIGHTERS on the brain. And that person is bloggy pal KT Grant, who pens a smutty tale indeed. As Penelope's Romance Review puts it: "If only all of us could have a glasses-wearing, sexy firefighter hellbent on our sexual pleasure for a Christmas present. It would be a very, merry Christmas indeed." LOL. Well, I don't know how Mr. Crane would feel about it! Info and excerpt here. 

His for the Holidays This star studded M/M antho has been getting awesome reviews! I think it's a fabulous bet for a fun holiday read with some of M/M romance's biggest stars. My pal LB Gregg has a short in it, plus Josh Lanyon, Harper Fox and ZA Maxfield. Mandi at Smexy sez: "I can’t recommend His for the Holidays enough. Four really excellent M/M romance stories." Full review here.  Available here. 

If Walls Could Talk
Check out the really fun interview and CONTEST with Juliet Blackwell, author of If Walls Could Talk, the first in the new Haunted Home Renovation Series...picked by Suspense Magazine for its Best of 2010! It's over at the Biting Edge. 


Where am I? 
I am in holiday mayhem-land myself. But also, visiting some fave blogs this week. 
• On Sunday I was over at Escape Between the Pages talking about my personal holiday disconnect. Lori at Escape has collected a whole bunch of holiday perspectives from people. I'm enjoying keeping up with this series! Find it here. 
•On Tuesday I visited with Larissa on Larissa's Bookish Life this week! We did an interview and there is an International Giveway of a signed copy of Double Cross. It's here. 

Snow day!

Look at our poor car! Buried. Luckily, it's on the side of the street

where it won't get towed. Until Tuesday. 

A million cars kept getting stuck. And still are. This

one was pushed to the side and left running and it CAUGHT ON FIRE! Flames were shooting

out its wheel wells. DH and I just stood at the window and watched. I didn't know at first that it had been left running, and I worried being buried in snow could have some combustion 

effect on cars. DH laughed at me. Well, you're not supposed to bury electrical cords under rugs, right? 

Kitty watching the birds at the feeder. Snowy day with many hungry birds to startle

by rearing up on ones hind legs, paws to window. 

Notable Books & 2011 predictions for Smugglivus!

 

What shocking new innovation will Apple unveil in 2011? What confusing concept will President Obama go on TV to explain to the nation? What are a few of the books that yours truly freaked out on this past year?

It's all at The Book Smugglers today! Those sad, sick, book-obsessed yet lovely bloggers have really been doing it up this year for their fabulous SMUGGLIVUS hoe-down. And I'm honored to be one of today's guests.

Happy Smugglivus!!  Woo-hoo! Come visit.

Roundtable & release day

Character Roundtable: Why does UF have more women readers than men?
As part of her fabulous Spotlight on Urban Fantasy, Stella of Stella Ex Libris has invited the characters of the disillusionists series to discuss gender and Urban Fantasy.

See what Simon, Justine, Jordan, Shelby and Carter have to say about female and male protagonists, sex scenes, storylines and more! Plus, there's a international giveaway of Carrie Vaughn's latest! Visit the UF Roundtable here.

Major release action 

Wow, it's a big release day for the league and pals...er yesterday!

 First, Dakota has a new contemporary series... 

You Dropped a Blonde on Me by Dakota Cassidy

Dakota is definitely one of the funniest and cleverest writers I know. I'm really looking forward to this series! The blurb:

She was the perfect party-planning, haute-to-the max trophy wife. Now Maxine Cambridge is broke, unemployable and living with her mother and teenage son in a retirement village, with her self-esteem kicked to the curb.

Until her geeky former classmate Campbell Barker returns, all grown-up- and off-the-scale smokin' hot. Campbell refuses to believe Max isn't that smart, funny girl he's crushed on since high school. The more Max tries to show him he's wrong, the more she rediscovers her long-retired mojo. Now, she's ready to throw down some payback on her ex-life and fight for what she deserves...   Visit Dakota's site for vlogs and excerpts of fabulousness here

If Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell (Haunted Home Renovation Mystery Series #1)

People are already squeeing about this new series. I love the haunted house mystery angle! Blurb: 

Since she took over her father's construction business, Mel Turner's made quite a name for herself remodeling historic houses in the San Francisco Bay Area. But now her reputation may be on the line.

At her newest renovation project, a run-down Pacific Heights mansion, Mel is visited by the ghost of a colleague who recently met a bad end with power tools. Mel hopes that by tracking down the killer, she can rid herself of the ghostly presence of the murdered man.

Mel's only clue is an odd box she discovers inside a wall at the job site. If she can make sense of its mysterious contents, she might be able to nail a killer—before she herself becomes the next construction casualty...   More at Juliet Blackwell's site

Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy Series #6)

OMG, Richelle! The blurb:

The astonishing final novel in Richelle Mead's epic series!

Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice. Now, with Rose on trial for her life and Lissa first in line for the Royal Throne, nothing will ever be the same between them.

More of Richelle here

Okay, now is the part of the post where I realize all the releases I forgot to mention. Stay tuned.

What is it about UF?

 Julie over at the Yummy Men and Kick-ass Chicks blog has a fun and lively consideration of the urban fantasy genre going on this whole week.

Today, she has gathered a truckload of UF authors to answer one question: Why do you write UF?

I'm there, and like the dork I am, I have the longest and most lugubrious answer. As compared to Illona Andrews, who has a super succinct one! There's also Kelly Meding, Vicki Pettersson, Stacia Kane and a bunch of other authors.

This mondo post is only part of the "What is it about Urban Fantasy?!" Week.

Other happenings for "What is it about Urban Fantasy?!" Week: 

• Go add to the conversation--tell why you think UF is awesome (or not awesome * narrows eyes*) here.  
• Read Julie's TOTALLY INSANE cheerleading journey for Devon Monk's series here. 
• Learn the shocking truth: why Urban fantasy makes Jessica from The Spinecracker into a PILE OF MUSH here
• Author posts here

Miller. Rabbit holes. Writing. Recklessness.

I am working on a guest post for Lori over at Escape Between the Pages tonight. It's about taking walks on holidays, and I remembered that a writer I greatly admire had some quote on walking and thinking, how walking gets the mind rolling. I was pretty sure it was Henry Miller. I googled and promptly went down a Henry Miller rabbit hole. 

Wow, it's been a while since I thought about Henry Miller, who was major favorite of mine in my early twenties. Not for the famous Tropics so much as his personal writings. Sexus, Nexus and Plexus, Black Spring, Collossus of Maroussi. 

Then I went to my bookshelf and pulled down a copy of The Wisdom of the Heart, a book of his essays, and flipped through, wondering how I might feel about Miller now that I'm in my 40's. Gah, sorry Lori! I'll get that post done yet tonight!

Anyway, on my google odyssey, I stumbled on a great Henry Miller blog, which featured Miller's list of writing commandments, which Miller made for himself in 1933; You have to scroll down to get the full list, which is three posts from the end. But of particular interest to me these days are: 

#3. Don't be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand.

#8. Don't be a draught-horse! Work with pleasure only.

This is because I am working on two short stories for anthologies. I've been getting into this way of thinking, like, OMG, these stories have to be amazing because they might be the only thing somebody sees of my work. People will read these stories and decide whether they like Carolyn Crane based on them. Shit! Gotta make this count! 

And of course that is a terrible place for a writer to be. So, I'm looking at this list, and I especially need to emblazon #3 across my wall!! 

Who scarfed all the Christmas cookies?

Mom was up visiting and she brought a plate of Christmas cookies with her. Hey! Who scarfed all of them? Is that the  right use of scarfed? I never know.

Oh, moon & Scottie dog...
how I look forward to EATING YOU! 

Mom has a whole assembly line of cookies and treats going throughout the holidays with the grandkids, and this was the first batch. There was a turkey one, too, in observance of the fact that it IS early. Pictured, the only two left. I will spare the Scottie dog for last. When I was a kid, my fave cookie to decorate was the Scottie dog. If I'd had my way, all cookies would have been in the shape of dogs.

Radio radio
I was over at Write on Radio this past week, a fantastic local community writer interview show that gets local and national names. The week before was Lois McMaster Bujold. Kim Harrison has been on, too! Anyway, it's not a podcast, so you can only listen to it online for two weeks after the actual show. It was a really fun interview. Go here to listen.  Subscribe to the newsletter at writeonradio@yahoo.com

Jennifer Rardin Tribute Month

Don't forget it's Jennifer Rardin Tribute month co-hosted by Not-Really-Southern-Vamp Chick and Strange Candy Reviews. This is an absolutely wonderful event full of fun, thoughtful reflection by writers who knew Jennifer, plus reviews and giveaways. 

Pop Culture Fandom fun

Yesterday I was at CC2K, the nexus of pop culture fandom doing an interview.  This was such an excellent, substantial interview with Book Editor Beth Woodward about how characters take shape, power shifts, Double Cross, Gumby, and who will be the bridesmaids in the big wedding! Visit here. 

Giveaways
Paperback Dolls is having a massive follower giveaway where you can win a Nook or books, and they are also giving to charity. It ends December 12th. Huge! Play here. 

Happy Thanksgiving! 
I hope everybody has a good, cozy, wonderful Thanksgiving. Mr. Crane's birthday falls right on the 25th, so we've decided to stick around. Fires in the fireplace. Friends. Reading. A few video scripts to write for the dayjob. Work on the novel. What are my other US pals doing?

Delving into character names!

I'm over at Dirty Sexy Books chatting with Rebecca, where we go all nerdy and analyze and discuss a whole bunch of character names. Come join us! Oh, and you could win a book, too, if you're in the US and Canada. Come say hi!

Reviews
I wanted to mention a few recent reviews that I was super honored to see:

• Both books discussed over at the pop-culture fandom blog, Cin City - topics include relating to UF characters, and the contrast in Packard and Justine's world views.  
• Ellz Reads takes a look at Double Cross - topics: fave characters, questioning values.
• Bookaholic Zone: "Would it be wrong to beg for hints" on #3?
• Brenda Loves Books Discusses Double Cross, touching on love triangles, UF burnout,  believability and more.

Ten things you didn't know about Carolyn Crane

Why am I wracked with guilt? What is this "stereopticon pact" I entered into--and am I keeping up my end? Do I drain the tri-cock? Repeatedly?

The answers to these and many other things you likely have NOT been wondering about me are over at The fabulous Amber Scott Project, one of my fave blogs.

Amber is approaching publishing and promo in a lot of cool, creative ways, including her "project pay it forward." I love what she's doing over there. This woman thinks out of the box!

Anyway, today I'm there with  a hugely narcissistic post: "Ten things you didn't know about Carolyn Crane." Come say hi!

PS: I just noticed that you can win Mind Games or Halfway to the Grave at the another fabu blog, the Bookaholic Zone...until Midnight tonight! 

Another nomination! And, a podcast!

When you are a writer, sometimes you have Good Book Days, at least that's what I call them in my mind. Good Book Days can happen from a kind tweet or comment about your book, or the feeling that somebody is really engaging with it, or just feeling like, wow, a book is on my shelf that I wrote. Two books!

So far, this week is shaping up to be a very Good Book Week! There was the AAD nomination, and I have now learned Double Cross was nominated for Best Urban Fantasy 2010 by RT Magazine! I'm so happy and excited!!

I have not seen a list to see who else is nominated, but I do understand that several of my pals from around Reluctant Adult and Twitterland are also up for awards: Dakota Cassidy, Michelle Rowen, Michele Bardsley, Megan Hart, Mark Henry, Jeanne Stein, and Molly Harper! Wildest Congrats!


The Functional Nerds Podcast 
Also super cool and flattering: last week I sat down to record a podcast with Internet Gurus Patrick Hester and John Anealio about books, writing, urban fantasy as a genre, social media, querying and more. These guys run such a fun show, and  tend to have really interesting guests - musicians, writers, people with ideas on social media, technology, sci fi and more. And then there's me. LOL.  Download it here! 


I tend to be a bit deer-in-headlightsy when it comes to extemporaneous speaking, but John and Patrick were just so fun and cool. Their series tends to be really excellent. The week before was Jaym Gates & Erika Holt on their Rigor Amortis Collection. And just before that, a great episode with Neil Clarke.  


And then, this one with Fred Kiesche and Mike Ferrante was really really interesting just from a social media point of view. I feel like I learned so much from it. I might actually listen to it twice. 

Image: John Flynn and Virginia Moore; public domain image from Wiki Media

I was nominated! And I'm in the mood for a Druid and more!

Hey everybody! I hope you had a great Halloween. So, a couple items...

The HOUNDED Cover arrives! 

Fellow Leaguer Kevin Hearne has a cover to his new series, which releases in April, May and June. It's about a DRUID. Personally, I like the idea of a Druid, and this series sounds really cool: 

Hearne on the Iron Druid Chronicles:

Atticus O'Sullivan has been running for 2,000 years, and he's a bit tired of it. After he stole a magical sword from the Tuatha Dé Danann (those who became the Sidhe or the Fae) in a first century battle, some of them were furious and gave chase, and some were secretly amused that a Druid had the cheek to defy them. As the centuries passed and Atticus remained a fugitive—an annoyingly long-lived one, at that—those who were furious only grew more so, while others began to aid him in secret.

Now he's living in Tempe, Arizona, the very last of the Druids, far from where the Fae can easily enter this plane and find him. It's a place where many paranormals have decided to hide from the troubles of the old world—from an Icelandic vampire holding a grudge against Thor to a coven of Polish witches who ran from the German Blitzkrieg.

When Atticus hears from the Morrigan that his nemesis, Aenghus Óg, has found him once again, he decides to stay and fight rather than run. In so doing, he becomes the center of a power struggle amongst the Tuatha Dé Danann, where the sword he stole is the key to a plot to overthrow Brighid, First among the Fae. To thwart this determined deity, Atticus will need all the power he can muster to deliver himself from evil.

Read the cover reveal story at Reluctant Adults here! 

Authors After Dark Best Fantasy Book nomination! 

I was just so psyched to see Double Cross was nominated for Best Fantasy Novel on the Authors After Dark site! That is so cool, so huge!!! 

Fantasy Novel:
Shalador's Lady by: Anne Bishop
Born of Ice by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Last Dragon Standing G.A. Aiken
Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh
Catch of a Lifetime - Judi Fennell
The Barbarian Prince by Michelle M Pillow
Enemy Lover, Karin Harlow
Double Cross by Carolyn Crane
Wicked Enchantment Anya Bast
Am I in some amazing company or what? Check out the rest of the categories here.

Dudleytown released! 

Also, my pal LB Gregg has a short being released from Aspen Mountain Press. 

What does Ms. Author have to say for herself??  "It's short. It's sweet. It's nasty. It'll be cheap AND it's a fricken' thrill ride." This is why I adore you, LB!! 

Double Cross out in the wild!

I continue to be SO so grateful to everybody who takes the time to read and review and discuss Double Cross. It means so much to me when people engage with it in their own thoughtful and creative ways. (and if you have a review I seem to be ignoring, let me know. I am far too haphazard in catching and citing them.)

My World...in Words and Pages

Bibliognome

Dirty Sexy Books

Angel Gone Mad

Moonsanity

Paranormal Haven

Book Addict Patti

Spinecracker's shortest review ever

And Vampire Book Club on Mind Games! 

In other news, I am so down on blogger. Why is it so hard to get the layout and fonts and spacing to look right? Look at this! Stupidly big spaces, tiny words. I've spent like an hour fooling around with this thing in two different browsers. ACK.

Great moments from last night's reading: Judith Ivory

Great moments from last night's reading

Book: Untie My Heart by Judith Ivory
Page: 248
Spoiler level: nil

Here's a little moment that totally stuck in my mind from last night's reading. It's slightly random, in the way that true things about a person can be random.

Stuart Aysgarth, this very dark, embattled Viscount, is working on this "caper," let's call it, with Emma, that involves them going to London.

Aysgarth has this sleek black carriage pulled by eight giant black horses, but one of the horses is going a little wild and reckless and almost makes the carriage tip over. So Stuart has to stop the carriage and send the horse and its mate back to the stable and go with six for a while.

When Stuart climbed back into the carriage, he shoved through the doorway like a man who was more than merely frustrated by a wayward horse. He was angry. He sat back heavily into his seat, then glanced at Emma. "Happy?" he asked, as he she'd had something to do with it. "No more wild, whirling rides once we get to Harrogate."

Mystified, she told him, "It's a good decision."

But he didn't like it. Reducing the team to six, removing perhaps the fastest, strongest animal and its harness mate, seemed to mean more to him than giving up "Wild whirling rides." He saw it as giving up something else, something she didn't grasp, though nothing he would speak of. 

I found myself thinking of this little passage a lot today. Nobody in their right mind would ride with a horse messing up the team and endangering everybody, but Stuart hated to have to take the horse off, even temporarily. By this time in the book, a good 2/3 through, Stuart seemed, to me, this known hero, a character I felt I understood and trusted. And suddenly, this note of irrationality.

I loved two things about this moment. One was a a big thing about human nature, you know, people don't behave in their own self interests in a lot of ways--you just have to look at the way our world is right now to see that. And people don't add up so tidily as they frequently do in books, either. It made him feel so real as a character, just this odd resistance to a smart decision, truly a moment.

The smaller thing was what this particular stroke of irrationality said about the character, like, reader beware, there's a little shadowy place here. You don't know him. There are eight horses here, and one of them has a wild streak and isn't with the program.

This book so working for me right now!

ETA/Monday morning update: Okay, after I wrote this I went to bed and finished the book and Ivory did bring this back, and twisted it in the most interesting way for this story. When I read it the night before last, I thought it was a strange little note to add dimension to this character, when in fact, it's a surprising metaphorical key. It was so subtle, I didn't think it would be that important. I like the idea of what I wrongly thought it was, and I also like what Ivory did with it.

Images: Black horse public domain file from wikimedia by V8Jess. Statue public domain file from wikimedia by manvyi

A body in the BED!! & the big HUNGER release.

Did you hear about the hapless honeymooners who arrive in their posh Vegas hotel, ready for romance, only to encounter a horrible smell?

Did their complaints to the front desk get them a new room? What was the smell, anyway?

Justine, Shelby and Simon tell you ALL ABOUT IT over at All Things Urban Fantasy.

HUNGER releases! 

This YA by one of the first UF authors I fell in love with is getting incredible reviews! This looks like such an an amazing book.

"HUNGER is not just a good book. It is a great book. It is funny and sad, brilliant and tragic, and most of all, it speaks truth. I adore it."
—Rachel Caine, author of The Morganville Vampires

"Jackie Morse Kessler hits it out of the park with HUNGER. Although this is a book with anorexia at its heart, there are no hidden lectures or story-slowing asides. Instead, Kessler deftly weaves the heroine Lisa's struggle with food into a beautifully realized mythology, complete with a wisecracking and sexy Death and a new spin on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. An absolute must-read!"
—Julie Kenner, author of Good Ghouls Do

"Powerful, fast-paced, hilarious, heart-wrenching, vivid, sad and most of all real, HUNGER is a breathtaking portrayal of a difficult topic that also deftly ties in with the interesting and scary apocalypse. Though short, this story will grab the reader and never let go."
—RT Magazine, 4.5 stars

More at Jackie Morse Kessler's site.

Have you gone overboard? I'm guessing YES

Pssst: the action tonight is at
the Borders True Romance Blog

What's the latest on the Craaaazy Carolyn Blog tour?

 I'm at Borders True Romance with a krazy little quiz, because how else will you be able to tell if you have finally gone overboard with your crazy-sexy-cool-fun and exciting reading habits?

Well, have you gone overboard? Find out here! 

What can you tell by the content of characters' purses? Plenty!

What do all these mysterious items mean?
The answer is at Supernatural Snark today. 

Hey everybody! I hope you're having a fun Thursday!

So, I'm over at Supernatural Snark posting about the stuff in characters' purses and pockets. Little secrets are revealed. And we're having fun comparing our own purse and pockets contents. We've even turned up a tiara in a certain reader's bag.

Come on over and say hi! 

Classic TV fun & a Dirty Harry-esque review over at Paperback Dolls!

What day is it you ask? Why, it's Carolyn Crane day at the fun and fabulous Paperback Dolls!! There are a couple fun things going on.

First, let me do a little squee dance on the review they just put up:

"I am going to go out on a limb here and say that this may be my favorite new book this year."    

~Paperback Doll Day

Gasp!  Read the rest of Day's review of Double Cross here!

Secondly, we're talking Classic TV and naughty after school snacks! 

I was thinking the other day about what a huge influence Hogan's Heroes and other afterschool classics had on my fiction, so this is a post all about that...and after school yummy snacks, with a prize going to one commenter! A really cool prize. Come tell us what TV shows had tons of influence on you as a kid...and share your fave kid snack "recipe." Drop by and say hi! 

Random and oddball worldbuilding ingredients

...with a giveaway!! Come and comment to enter!!

I love Writtenwyrdd for worldbuilding stuff. For example, this post on police procedural background and resources. Speculative fiction writer D. Lynn Frazier does such a great job mixing handy resources in with stuff about her own life and writing life. There is so much on this blog!

Anyway, I was thrilled she enjoyed Mind Games, and that she invited me over to guest post. So, I'm there today, and I thought I'd post on world building...sort of. I'm talking about things I consciously and unconsciously pulled from my life to make the science and setting for the Disillusionists Trilogy.

Come say hi! Comment to enter!

Vignettes from my total slob life, & Double Cross book club chat p2

This is the last week of my big blog tour, and I'm over at Tynga's today for her series "When I'm not writing."

I decided, for better or worse, to "keep it real" and talk about my struggles with being a slob. There are several little anecdotes that I find personally amusing, but are possible pathetic. And honestly, my husband and I, both horrible slobs, are trying to change! But so far failing. Except the foyer. And there are pictures (that are not as bad as they could be). Come say hi at Tynga's Reviews!

Double Cross book club chat
So, part 2 of Double Cross is under discussion at Melissa's World...in words and pages. Part #2 is up to 166, and there are questions they've thought of, too. It's just getting underway, and anybody is welcome! They have some great discussions over there on all sorts of books, mostly UF.

Who will have a story in Mammoth Book of Ghost Romance? & other items

Who? Me! I'm super excited to have been invited to contribute a story to the Mammoth Book of Ghost Romance! A lot authors I greatly admire are in it: Caridad Pineiro, Sharon Shinn, Annette Blair, Julia London - and I learned on twitter that Jeannie Holmes is doing one, too! 

Ghost romance, people! One of my favorite Kresley Cole books is the one with the dancer ghost. I think ghosts are challenging, yet full of possibilities. It comes out on September 29, 2011 in the UK, and October in the US. 

I haven't been reading many shorts lately, so I want to start reading some. Does anybody have any recommendations? Of entire anthologies, or favorite stories IN those anthologies?

Wassup with book #3 ???
I'm hoping to be able to announce the release date of book three, the final installment in the trilogy, at some point soon here - it will likely be on the shelves in the 2nd half of 2011...more specific info to come!

I can tell you this: The action in book #3 takes place a couple months after the close of Double Cross, Gumby plays a key part, and there WILL be a wedding!

Interview at Open Book Society

Why the bearded symbol? Who is my favorite villain? Am I working on other projects? I'm over at Open Book Society this weekend talking about all this stuff and more!!