Thanks for all the lovely comments about my cover!

So, what do you think?

Up for grabs this week are:

Under Siege by Catherine Mann
The Wrong Child by Patricia Kay
The Cinderella Rules by Donna Kauffmann (an advanced reading copy)

Remember, all you have to do to be in the running to win is comment on one of my blog posts this week.

On to my own book news. My YA editor and I are tossing some ideas about my second book for Razorbill back and forth. While we’re doing that, I started work on a proposal for Harlequin American today. I hope this will be the first book on a new contract. My goal is to write 10 pages a day. At that rate, I should finish the proposal this week and have it polished up and sent to my agent by the middle of next week at the latest.

Okay, on to the latest TV observations. I was disappointed in the Survivor results last night. I was rooting for Amanda and Cirie, and they ended up coming in second and third respectively. While she didn’t win $1 million, Amanda did come away with love in the form of fellow competitor Ozzy. His words to her during the final Tribal Council made my romance writer’s heart melt. I wish them all the best. Cirie’s final words after being voted out about broke my heart. And what was up with Natalie’s weirdo bedroom question for Parvati (the big winner)? I kind of felt sorry for Parv having to answer that out-of-the-blue and totally irrelevant question. Jeff Probst, the jury, and viewers were all confused.  And let me just say here, I really like Erik. Sure, he made a move that really cost him, but he seems like a really genuine nice guy. And I like to see the really nice people do well. I do think this is an experience that he’ll really treasure the rest of his life since he’s been such a fan for so long.

Looks like Survivor is going back to Africa again, this time to Gabon. This will be interesting since the first Africa season is one of three seasons I missed (Hey, it’s when Friends got good, and it was in The Time Before TiVo). I know the beach locations are popular, but I like it when they shake it up a bit like they did by going to China. The only time they’ve gone to what should have perhaps been a more memorable location and the season wasn’t good was Thailand, which goes down as the worst season in Survivor history in my book. Suckola.

Anyone watch Bones tonight? If you didn’t and plan to, SPOILER WARNING. It was a perfectly fine episode until the end when it turned into a great episode. Loved Tempe singing Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” on stage, loved how Booth was really enjoying himself watching her, and gasped when crazy stalker chick shot Booth. Okay, we know Booth has to live because there’d be no show if he didn’t, but I’m so interested in seeing what happens in next week’s season finale. Oh, and Gormagon will be back, and someone in the lab is going to betray the rest. If it’s any of the main characters (as in Angela, Hodgens, Zach, or Tempe), I’m so not going to be happy. I really don’t want it to be Angela or Hodgens because I don’t want them to split up. That leaves only Camille or some minor walk-on character as the culprit. Hmm…

Survivor — Poor Erik. I’m of two minds about his ouster tonight. On the one hand, it really was an incredibly dumb move to give up his immunity necklace to conniving Natalie (Please don’t let her win!), especially after what had happened at Tribal Council in recent weeks. Don’t trust anyone! But on the other hand, I hated that he was trying to do a good thing and, I think, honestly preserve some friendships for after the game was over, and the girls repaid him by not only voting him out but rubbing in how “stupid” he was. I do feel sorry for him. I wonder what the jury members said to him when he joined them.

Supernatural — The clock is ticking down to when Dean’s deal comes due and the hellhounds come for him. How in the world do you think he’s going to get out of this? Or do you think they’re going to have him really die and go to hell in the finale and not bring him back until next season? And do you think we’ll see Bella again? I feel like there’s more story to tell about her.

LOST — Haven’t watched it yet, but there was an interesting link to a theory a fan has in the May 9 issue of Entertainment Weekly. I don’t know if any part of this time loop theory will prove true, but it was interesting reading. Check it out at www.timelooptheory.com.

On the writing front, I finished and turned in a freelance article today and read some interesting articles on promotion. Soon, I need to come up with a master plan for promotion for the weeks surrounding the September release of my first book.

I’m guessing you all have seen the news stories about the horrible devastation left by Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. Author Ann Aguirre is running a contest that encourages everyone to donate to charities helping those affected. When you provide Ann with proof that you’ve donated, your name goes in the running for a prize of 150 free books. Click here for more info.

I mowed the lawn again for Travelin’ Hubby. I’m thinking I just might mow enough this summer to get in some smaller jeans.

So, anyone out there still following along with Survivor? Poor James had to leave the show last week because of injury. That’s two people gone because of injury and one because she quit. Of those left, I’m rooting for Amanda and Eric. The finale is this upcoming Sunday. Who is everyone’s bet for final two?

Up for grabs this upcoming week are:

Night and Day by Anne Stuart and Gayle Wilson
Drive Me Wild by Julie Ortolon
Forever Beloved by Joan Van Nuys

It had action, funny lines, intrigue, kickin’ music (I still have “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath playing in my head), and Robert Downer Jr. was great in the role. He put the necessary snark in Tony Stark.

If you plan to see the movie, a tip — stay until the end of the credits. There’s an extra scene that gives a definite hint that we’ve not see the last of Iron Man.

So, I’m curious — any other superhero movie fans out there? If so, what is your favorite? Superman? Spiderman? Fantastic Four? X-Men? Batman? Iron Man?

We’re also having lots of drawings for prizes ranging from bookstore gift cards to signed books to critiques of first chapters. Be sure to visit every day and comment to be in the running for the prize drawings.

I’m eagerly awaiting the release of Twilight in December, but until then I keep popping over to Stephenie Meyer’s blog (she’s author of the book on which the movie is based) to get updates. There are links to this series of videos about the filming of the movie. Cool!

Got a lovely e-mail back from my Razorbill editor yesterday, thanking me for getting my revisions back early and that hopefully the next time I see the manuscript it’ll just be the copy editor’s  line edits. Yay!