I believe very strongly in appreciating the little things and not taking anything for granted. So my post today is all about my little, simple pleasures. Warm woolen mittens, whiskers on kittens, here are a few of my favorite things.

Hot soup on a cold winter’s day. I simply love winter. It’s my favorite season. I know I’m in the minority on this one, but I prefer cold weather to hot. When autumn arrives with that fresh chill in the air, I rejoice the way others do on the first warm day of spring.

The way my cat Wiggle snuggles into my arms between me and my laptop. He’s got a great purr and he always knows right when I need to hear it. He also drools, but that’s a subject for a different post.

Getting up in the morning, drinking a hot cup of coffee and watching the news. It’s a simple pleasure I enjoy.

A little space. I always have been and continue to be someone who needs time alone.

The first two long drinks of a cold coke on a hot day.

New makeup. I’m not a big shopper. I think I’m missing a girl gene because shoes and purses and clothes shopping doesn’t do much for me. I do love a new shade of lipstick or eye shadow that looks good on me, even though as a harried writer and mom I don’t wear makeup all that often.

Talking and laughing with my daughter. I think my little girl is the smartest, most interesting person I know. I adore her and five minutes in her presence makes everything that’s bad good again.

A nice cheese spread on bread warm from the oven. Yum.

Warm water. I’m a cancer. Give me warm water and room to splash and soak.

The color green. That color is a reminder to me that although everything must die, it always returns in a changed form. It’s such a fresh, lovely color. Looking at anything green makes me feel happy.

Dark chocolate and red wine, preferably together.

Market spice tea, found at Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA.

What are a few of your favorite things?

So it’s December 1st and Holiday Crazy Time is nigh. I already have four events booked in early December for myself and my daughter. She’s three and this will be the first year I think she’ll really *get* Christmas. I’m taking advantage of that and intend to have as much holiday fun this year that we can.

It helps that I just met two crazy deadlines (although I have two more starting as of today). So, while I will have work in December (working never ends), I’ll be able to take time off here and there for festivals and Christmas related charity events. I’m really looking forward to it.

Of course, that means lots of venues packed with stressed parents and children who can feel that stress and are reacting to it. Now that I’m a mom I’m plunged right into lots of events like that. It’s just chaos, pure and simple. What I see a lot of at festivals are moms and dads desperately trying to enjoy the day while also refereeing arguments between siblings, dealing with tantruming toddlers, and trying to wrest objects out of little grasping fingers. Been there, done that, got the badge of honorable conduct in parenting warfare.

I remember this one time (in Band Camp. I can never say this one time without adding in Band Camp to it anymore. *sigh*) a mother wanted to take a picture of her son, who looked miserable, so she basically demanded that he stand up straight, smile, and look like he was having fun, damn it! The little kid looked ready to burst into tears by the time she snapped the photo.

Now, I totally get losing your patience with children, especially if you’re leading around four or five of them. And I’m really not much for crowds. They make me tense. So I get that too. But all day long at these events I look around me and see people looking harassed instead of happy and I keep wondering…if you’re not going to enjoy it, why do it?

I don’t mean to get preachy, but this moment is unique. It’s never going to happen exactly this way ever again. Don’t blink, (you know, metaphorically), or you’ll miss it. Every single event has beauty and, if you’re open to it, you’ll be able to see it. Even if your child is cranky, your feet hurt, and some random lady just halted her stroller in the middle of the pathway right in front of you for the. five. hundredth. time.

Because you never know when your moments are going run out. Don’t take these you’re having right now for granted.

Please, y’all, do me a favor and wallow in at least one moment for me. Do it after you’re done reading this post. Seep into right now. Close your eyes if it makes it easier. Don’t think about the past or the future. Don’t think about what you need to get at the grocery store or how so-and-so just really pissed you off. Just concentrate on being exactly where you are at exactly this moment in time. Concentrate on what you hear, what you smell. Concentrate on your body in your clothes and your feet in your shoes. Note it, let it go, and float. See the beauty in it.

For anyone willing to play, tell me about your experience in the comments.

And, oh!, can’t forget to announce the winner of the contest I posted the last time I blogged here! The winner of my book trailer contest for a copy of Wicked Enchantment when it releases next month is… Fedora! Congrats! Please drop me an email at anyabast (at) gmail.com, Fedora!

Sooooo I got my Christmas present early over the weekend, a pretty blue Toshiba Netbook. I wanted one because they’re so portable. You can literally stick this thing in your purse and go. It’s useful for me because I write a lot on the go, at the coffee shop while waiting for my child’s preschool to end, for example. I also travel a lot, having a husband whose family is overseas.

My laptop is awesome. It’s my third arm, and my constant companion. It’s also somewhat unwieldy. This is my laptop’s “Mini Me”.

Of course, I didn’t want it *this* way, so early and under these circumstances. What circumstances you ask? Well, my cat, my ancient, doddering, toothless, senile cat, knocked over a mug of hot tea on my laptop Saturday night. I acted quick, immediately getting all the liquid I could from the keyboard, using a blow dryer on it, and then setting it over a vent to dry for the night.

I thought the laptop was done for. I also thought I’d lost about 9 thousand words on my current work-in-progress, Jeweled. Not devastating. I know authors who have lost much more than that in computer mishaps, but they were a GOOD 9 thousand words!

I had a sad.

But the computer booted right up in the morning. I backed up my work immediately and thought I was in the clear…and then *crash and burn* it started to act up. So, long story…er, long, I guess, the laptop went off to the Geek Squad for two weeks and I got my Netbook early. I did manage to save my 9k at least!!!

Good thing because I’m under deadline for Jeweled and it’s pressing me. That’s why you’re perhaps not seeing me around as much as usual. That’s also the reason I’m not blogging much lately.

I am, however, participating in a Round Robin Horror Story over at the Witchy Chicks blog, if you care to check it out.

I’ll also be at a booksigning this Saturday in Lexington, KY. Here’s: the info, if you’re planning to attend:

Kentucky Romance Writers Day
featuring — Lora Leigh, Toni Blake, Anya Bast and many more!
Saturday, October 31 at 1:00 pm

Meet some of Kentucky’s best romance writers, including Sheryl Brennan, Teresa Reasor, Jules Bennett, Toni Blake, Dianne Castell, LuAnn McLane, Rosemary Laurey, Patricia Rice, Shiloh Walker, Molly Harper, Anya Bast, and Lora Leigh.

Joseph Beth Booksellers, Lexington, KY

I hope to see you there! We planned the event early so we could all get home and get to the all important trick-or-treating. My daughter is going to be a princess (for the second year in a row).

What are your plans for Halloween (if you have Halloween where you live, that is).

I realize that I’ve not posted a LAID BARE IS NOW AVAILABLE!! post here like the dork that I am. So um:

Laid Bare is now available!!

Unexpected Desire…

It’s been ten years since clean-cut, sexy-as-hell police officer Todd Keenan had a white-hot fling with Erin Brown, the provocative, wild rocker chick next door. Their power exchange in the bedroom got under his skin. But love wasn’t in the cards just yet…

Now, life has thrown the pair back together. But picking up where they left off is tough, in light of a painful event from Erin’s past. As Todd struggles to earn her trust, their relationship takes an unexpected and exciting turn when Todd’s best friend, Ben, ends up in their bed—and all three are quite satisfied in this relationship without a name. As the passion they share transforms Erin, will it be enough to help her face the evil she thought she had left behind?

Now available in bookstores nationwide and via Amazon.com, Books A Million, Barnes and Noble, and in digital via Books On Board, Sony Store, etc!

Thank you to all who’ve sent me notes or commented to me online that you’ve enjoyed Laid Bare! It’s always an awesome thing to see reader comments so I’m thrilled!

Some new Laid Bare Reviews:

Recommended Read from Talia at Joyfully Reviewed: The emotional intensity of Laid Bare is enough to make you bite your nails off. Each and every love scene pushes the boundaries of power exchange and author Lauren Dane has written the characters of Erin and Todd in such a way that the reader feels their every emotion. I was anxious, I cried, I yelled, and I blushed to high heaven. Laid Bare affected me so totally that I went back and reread it again, just to be sure. Consider Laid Bare joyfully recommended – it is just an amazing and satisfying read!

Heather Rae Scott:

This book, however, made me growl at my children when they wanted lunch. It made me stay up til the wee hours of the night when everyone was asleep and my brain begged me to keep reading. It had me on the edge of my computer chair, on the edge of the couch. It had me sobbing my heart out for Erin, laughing and “wiggling”. The gamut of emotions Lauren Dane put me through reaked havoc, but it was worth every sentence. This is an erotic book and I’ll admit there were a few times I was like wow! with the sex scenes and I’m sure I even blushed. But more than anything, this was truly a romance. In all it’s messy glory.

I’d never read Lauren Dane before Laid Bare, but you can bet your sweet patootie that I will most definitely read her again.

Vivian Arend: The story is emotional, rich with imagery and passion. It’s not a cookie cutter book, yet she doesn’t throw things at you to simply to shock or surprise. There are reasons for everything, layers with layers. And they all make sense.

I still feel the flavour of her author’s voice. It’s not like Lauren reinvented herself by changing totally, because I would have missed the things that make her unique. The sense of humour, the sharp wit. The steamy sex. But she’s taken the whole product and added 110 proof shots. There’s more humor– but more subtle, more real. The witticisms are like a family conversation and because you know the background, the cuts are just that much deeper. And the steam?

O.M.G.

Brraddicts: Laid Bare is a stripped back emotionally charged story of second chances between three characters that have each suffered disappointment, heartache and loss. A tender and erotic ménage contemporary with strong and passionate characters, that left me with a heartfelt satisfaction that you only get from truly great romances.

Monday is already over with and it’s already Tuesday. You’re one day closer to the weekend. That’s always a good thing, right?

First order of business. The winner from the contest I hosted on this blog a few weeks ago is…..Heather Brewer! Congrats, Heather! You’ve won a goodie bag of various prizes like surprise paperbacks, candy and bath yumminess! Please drop me an email at anyabast (at) gmail.com with your mailing address.

I recently returned from vacation in France and Belgium. My husband is Belgian, so we try to go over there at least once a year to see the family. It was the longest trip we’ve ever taken and also the best. The weather was great and we had plenty of time to relax and eat really good food.

Even before I met my husband I had one foot in Europe. My first taste came when I was sixteen and my father took me on a trip over there. Later, in between high school and college, I lived in the South of France for a while with a woman who didn’t speak word one of English. I picked up a fair amount of French then because I was forced to (I’d taken Russian in high school). When I went back to the states I decided to continue my French education and minored in it in college.

A couple years later I met my husband and now I have a serious commitment to Europe, specifically Belgium. How odd is it that on that two week trip in Europe with my father that Belgium was my favorite country? Maybe it was a little romantic clairvoyance on my part, huh? Brussels is my favorite city over there, too. Always has been, even before I met my husband. Although Amsterdam vies for a very close second place.

Me in the Fnac in Brussels. I was happy to find the Mammoth Book of Paranormal there (I have a short story in it).

This is one of the twisting cobblestone side streets near the Grand Place in Brussels. The Grand Place is a huge square ringed by ancient buildings with a slightly gothic look. All around the square are these narrow streets crammed tight with shops, strange little statues, and cafes. The Grand Place is the inspiration for Piefferburg Square, a place that will figure prominently in my new Dark Magick series.

Although Paris has its charms, for sure.

Paris is a city that will never bore you. It has an energy that seeps right into your bones.

There’s a shot of Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

My husband and I having breakfast not far from the Louvre.

My favorite place in Paris is the beautiful Basilique du Sacré Coeur (it’s a huge white domed cathedral — beautiful) and nearby Montmartre, home to the Moulin Rouge. This was where many of the bohemian artists of Paris hung out once upon a time. Last time we were in Montmartre we sat outside, sipped warmed wine and watched the artists paint. It’s a good memory.

What places in the world make you happy or inspire you? It could be a different country or somewhere two steps off your back porch.

As much as I enjoy our trips overseas, I’m always happy to get home. I’m lucky to be able to travel, but I’m a homebody at heart. I think that’s a common trait of Cancer, which I am. Being at home nourishes my soul even more than Europe. I love my back porch and our yard even more than the Eiffel Tower.

Unfortunately, the day after we arrived home from this trip…my city flooded. We were not personally affected, but our library was. Shiloh Walker is really pitching in to try and help. See below for the details.

On August 4, heavy rains caused flooding in Louisville, Kentucky and the surrounding areas. The Louisville Free Public Library’s main branch was hit hard and the damages are estimated at $5 million. Three book-mobiles, electronics equipment and 50,000 books were destroyed.

How you can help:

Everybody:

Donations of new books, all genres.
Information about monetary donations can be found at WFPL.

Authors & Publishers:

Donations of both signed and unsigned books. All genres, from children’s books to romance to non-fiction, etc, etc.
Signed books can be used in fundraiser purposes. Unsigned books can be used to help replenish the books that were lost due to the flood.

I have spoken with somebody with the library and at this time, they have no place to store books. However, I’m close and I will keep the books at my house until they are able to take them.

For those wishing to donate books, there are two ways you can send them. I can either receive them my post box address or a friend will receive them at her home.

If you wish to mail them via the USPS, send to:

Shiloh Walker
PO Box 976
Jeffersonville, IN
47131

For those wishing to use Fedex or UPS, send to:
LFPL Book Drive
C/O Jennifer Kennedy
20813 State Rd # 62
Marysville, IN 47141

Feel free to repost this information in its entirety.

Shiloh Walker
http://shilohwalker.com
http://shilohwalker.wordpress.com

It’s summer. Beach season. Well, okay, maybe not so much for those of us in the middle of the country. For us it’s wish-we-were-at-the-beach-instead-of-the-public-pool season. Nonetheless, we tend to read more in the summer than we do the rest of the year due to vacations, lounging poolside, ect.

My reading habits go through phases. Sometimes all I’m in the mood for are historical romances set in Scotland. Other times all I want to read are paranormal romances, or urban fantasy. I become burned out on one genre or sub-genre and need to switch. My To Be Read pile has books of many different genres/sub-genres in it. Some have been there awhile–just haven’t been in the mood for them yet. (This drives my non-reading husband nuts.)

Right now I’m in a heavy historical fantasy reading phase. I want thick books (700 pages, please) of fantasy novel set in some faraway place in some faraway time. I’m glomming all the historical fantasy I can that sounds good to me. Unfortunately, there’s not tons of it. The market for this sub-genre doesn’t seem to be huge. A pity.

I don’t think I’m alone in this. Most readers, I think, tend to go through phases like these. So, how about you? Are you a dedicated romance reader, or do you stray to other genres sometimes?

It’s now ONE week until the release of Witch Fury and I am still amazingly calm about the whole thing. It’s a much nicer change from the anxiety-fests of my earlier mass market releases. I’m actually enjoying this one and that’s a good thing, right? The best thing, in my book. Don’t get me wrong, writing is my job and it is work. I take time out from doing things I want to do all the time in order to get my word counts in. I sacrifice. I toil. I constantly miss movies at night with my husband to get in quiet time to work on my WIP. Sometimes the words come out hard and I have to yank them. Sometimes they come out easy. But it’s always work.

Work that I love. Work that I want to continue to love. Book release anxiety diminishes the joy I take in my writing, and therefore it’s my job to diminish the anxiety. It’s a virus infecting my contentment, but I think I finally found the cure. Whew. It took a couple years.

But as I sit here at my laptop on Monday night, my husband and child asleep in bed and my cats lounging around me, I’m very content with my job. I’m so blessed that I’ve been able to take something I love to do and turn it into a career. I wish everyone could do that.

Right now I’m getting ready to turn my attention to JEWELED, an historical fantasy menage a trois romance that will release from Berkley Heat. This is a very, very hot book. It’s also extremely emotional, probably one of the most emotional stories I’ve written. My voice does come in a range of flavors. I’m very comfortable (probably the most comfortable) writing action-packed paranormal romance that tickles the line of urban fantasy. But I like to branch off into other subgenres once in a while too. I like to challenge myself in my writing and tackle plots that are a little bit out of my normal comfort zone. JEWELED is one example of that.

I DO love my job. And I’m happy to be able to say that with an honest and open heart a week before a mass market release…right before the craziness starts (good craziness, but craziness nonetheless).

I do hope you all love Witch Fury as much I loved writing it. I wrote a free short story that further ties up the tale of one of secondary characters, btw. I’ll try to have it up on my site the week of the release, though I wouldn’t recommend reading it before you finish the series.

Have a fantastic Tuesday, all! I’m having my hair done and will spend the rest of the day working. Luckily, working on something I love. I wish that same thing for all of you.

I can’t believe it’s almost here, the final book of the Elemental Witches series. Witch Fury will release on June 2nd, just three weeks from today.

If you’ve been reading the series, you’re familiar with Theodosius Winters from a short appearance in Witch Blood and a secondary role in Witch Heart. As readers know, Theo is very much in need of love. He’s the kind of hero I love to write–dark, brooding, a bit dangerous, and just a little bit damaged. It’s the kind of damage that only true love can heal.

His childhood was rocky and, then, when he was teen Theo was kidnapped by the Duskoff, along with someone very important to him. Coveting his powerful earth magick, the Duskoff tried to break Theo to their will, but failed. In the process Theo had to watch the murder of the one person in the world he loved. That’s bound to push just about anyone into a world of darkness, huh? As an adult, Theo works for the Chicago Coven and his favorite job is making the Duskoff pay every chance he gets.

Enter Sarafina Connell. Outgoing, vivacious, and with a million friends, Sarafina is Theo’s opposite in just about every way. She’s also had trauma in her life, but with the support of those who love her, she’s weathered the storm much more successfully than loner Theo.

Unfortunately, when she comes home one day to find Stefan Faucheux in her living room, she’s in for a whole new trauma. Stefan nabs her and forces her accept a truth she wants no part of–she’s a fire witch. World turned on end and reality a jumbled mess, the Chicago Coven raids the house where she’s being kept and Theo assumes she’s a warlock–his least favorite thing in the world.

So, you see, they have a few things to overcome.

And the barriers to their relationship are only part of the problem. The Duskoff is back and deadlier than ever. This time they intend to use every resource they have to take down the Chicago Coven for once and for all.

I’m a bit sad to see the end of the Elemental Witches series, but also excited about things to come. I have a new series starting, which will be launched with the novella, Sweet Enchantment, in the Hot for the Holidays anthology that comes out in late September, which also features novellas by Lora Leigh, Angela Knight and Allyson James. Then the first full length novel of the series, Wicked Enchantment, will release in January, 2010. It’s a whole new world and new characters for me to discover and I love that. I hope you will too!

If you want to read the first chapter of Witch Fury, or see the book video, they’re right here.

I haven’t done a contest over here in a long time, so It’s about time I held one. Anyone want an advance copy of What Happens in Vegas…After Dark? It doesn’t release until May 1st.

To enter, tell me about your favorite romantic couple in the comments. They could be from a book, a movie, history. Wherever. Tell me why they’ve captured your imagination.

And if this doesn’t whet your appetite for contests, you can mosey over to my blog. I have a big one going on over there with over $150 in prizes.

Things that suck your brain = things that are frivolous and a time suck. Stuff you just can’t look away from.

Twitter sucks my brain pretty frequently these days. You know how some social networking apps you take to and others you really just don’t? I have taken to Twitter. At least, for now. Myspace and Facebook are not sites I took to easily, although I interact on both because I have readers who communicate with me through them.

For personal use, I like Twitter and Livejournal the best. I spend a lot of time on each.

I think I know why. Unlike Myspace and Facebook, Twitter and Livejournal allow me to talk to others the easiest and the best. People post ideas or anecdotes and I can respond to them as well as post my own. It’s very interactive that way. You can do that on Myspace and Facebook too, but it requires a bit more effort. Myspace and Facebook are more a static type of application. Myspace more so than Facebook. People have to make a point to go to your page to talk to you, or you have to make a point to go to theirs. With Twitter and Livejournal it’s all right there, all the time, no special effort required.

What social networking apps do you like the best and why?

Other things that suck my brain these days….The Celebrity Apprentice. I know, I know. *hangs head in shame* I love watching the train wreck that is this show. I mean, it’s irresistible. Get a bunch of B list celebrities together, separate them into teams and make them compete in tasks that require things like teamwork and a suppression of their egos. It’s like crack.

And Survivor. I probably shouldn’t admit that I’m a Survivor fan from waaaay back. In fact, I’ve never missed a season. I think it appeals to the psychologist-I-would’ve-been if I hadn’t pursued writing. I love watching all those personalities interact. It’s fascinating. Knowing, of course, the show has been edited in a way to slant things for ratings. Still, I love it.

Other shows that suck my brain are Dancing with the Stars and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. If either of these are on, I’m snagged and my eyeballs are glued to the TV. It’s really very sad.

So, tell me, what sucks your brain?