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A Few Photos from Wedding (More to Come!)

Hi everyone,

I'm now officially a Mrs! :) Hero Material and I got married on January 4th. It was supposed to rain, but the weather was perfect during the ceremony and reception.

I still can't believe that my brother and Hero Material's best friend felt sick before the wedding. They were going to take pictures! My brother was so sick, the hospital gave him an IV the day before the wedding. Thank God he recovered fast.

I'll post more stories and photos as soon as I get them from photographers (studio, bro & Hero Material's best friend), but here are a few:

The hotel lobby —

lobby

This is the Atrium where we got married. This photo was taken when it was still empty. The virgin road is made of ivory faux marble (superbly-polished…!).

atrium

This is my bouquet after the reception. It looked so fresh and dewy earlier in the day, and I wish I'd been able to take a picture of it then, but was too busy.

BTW — Hibiya Kaden created my bouquet and everything else I needed (flower-wise) for the wedding. I highly recommend their service if you ever need a florist in Japan. They worked within my budget, and though they never showed me the bouquet until the day of the wedding, it was just perfect. Their florist (who took my order and worked with my so-so Japanese) came to our reception to make sure that everything was fine and to congratulate us on our happy occasion.

bouquet

Close-up:

bouquet

More to come soon…! :) (I have Kyoto pictures to share as well.)

How was your new year celebration?


Happy 2010!

Thanks for being with me throughout 2009 and I hope you have a great 2010!

I'm going to be away until January 7 or so due to my wedding, etc. I promise to post some pictures of Kyoto later. :)


Author Interview by Heather a.k.a. BookObsessedGrl

Lovely Heather a.k.a. BookObsessedGrl did an author interview with me. We talked about music, writing, HEAs and following your dreams.

Leave a comment or question for me at the end of the interview and you will get an additional entry into both the Heather Long Interview Giveaway, which includes an e-copy of her new book Prime Evil, and the New Year's Eve Zombie Style Bash Giveaway for a Zombie Party Prize Pack from Nancy Holzner (author of Deadtown).


Pictures from Christmas

Peanut and Buttercup were up early.

Peanut and Buttercup

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This is Buttercup saying “Merry Christmas”. Don't ask me why she looks so crabby…maybe she thought she was getting a stocking full of cashew but didn't…?

Buttercup

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Peanut tried to kiss my fingertips but couldn't quite reach them. :)

Peanut

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Kuro says hi!

Kuro

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Awesome dinner with Hero Material (it was doubly awesome because I didn't have to cook):

Appetizer:

appetizer

Our rose champagne:

rose champagne

Garlic toast – salty & garlic-y with lots of olive oil:

garlic toast

Pasta w/ crab & tomato cream sauce. It was very delish!

crab pasta

Broiled tai. Very nicely flavored.

tai

Beef with green sauce. Tender and flavorful:

beef

Christmas cake!!!!!!!!!! The frosting was the best. Super light and fresh white cream with strawberry topping. The sponge cake with super moist and soft. Sublime. Yum!

christmas_cake

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Lovely illuminations:

Carriage:

carriage

Cinderella's pumpkin carriage:

pumpkin carriage

Heart trees!

heart trees

Train:

train

Ship:

ship

Christmas tree with solar-powered lights:

solar Christmas tree

Afterward we watched Avatar in 3D. It was good although some parts were very predictable.

How was your Christmas? :)


THE MADNESS OF LORD IAN MACKENZIE by Jennifer Ashley

THE MADNESS OF LORD IAN MACKENZIE by Jennifer AshleyThis is easily the best historical romance novel I've read in 2009. Go treat yourself!


Guest Blog: “Let’s Tell a Story” by Teresa D’Amario

Today I have a special guest. Please welcome Teresa D'Amario. :) Her paranormal romance Lone Wolf is out in ebook now!

Lone Wolf

LONE WOLF by Teresa D'AmarioOnce the victim of scientific experimentation by the Government Control of Supernatural Activities (GSA), Damon doesn't have a past, and he isn't sure he has a future. He doesn't even know if his ability to change from human to wolf is a virus, or magick. But the instant he lays eyes on the pretty cop from the local police force, he knows he has to learn the secrets of his past before they destroy her future.

Krystal is the best animal cop on the police force, hiding magickal talent beneath layers of excuses and quick thinking. For five years she's tracked Peter Burke, a butcher who steals any form of canine to supplement his dietary needs. The day she saves a wolf from losing his head at the sharp end of an axe, her entire life changes. And then there is Damon, the mysterious, sexy ex-soldier with no memory of his past who awakens fantasies of dark and sensual nights.

But the GSA isn't finished with Damon, and when the shadowy government agency joins forces with Burke, Krystal too finds her life in jeopardy, the target of men and women led by their own desires. Damon and Krystal must work together to stop evil and destroy years of illegal research. But can their budding love survive when experiments distort Damon's shifting skills, creating a monster?

Read An Excerpt Online

Buy: All Romance eBooksKindle

Hi everyone, and thanks for dropping in on Day 2 of Ted's Story. I guess one of my questions today will have to be about a title, cause Ted's Story so does not work for me. :D Anyway, for those who haven't been following, rather than blog about all my childhood secrets, I thought I'd write a little story, but to write it, I'll need your input. :) Chapter 1 of “Ted's Story” can be found at my blog calendar.

So without further ado, I'll introduce you to chapter two of the story and be ready to help guide me in the next step!

*** *** ***

Ted stared for long seconds, feeling her voice as it trickled down his spine like a thousand delicate fingers, caressing and teasing every part of him.

Then, as though she felt him watching, the woman turned to meet his gaze. Bright blue eyes stared back at him. Crisp, like on a cold winter's day, brighter than the afternoon summer sky, they drew him in, piercing him through to his soul. For that single instant in time, he wondered if she could read everything about him. He shrugged, then stepped forward. It was time someone helped this woman, no matter what she looked like, or what secrets it felt those eyes held.

“Sorry for the delay,” he ground out, surprised at the roughness of his voice. He stepped up to the counter and pulled out a citizen complaint form, spinning it to face her and pulled out a pen. “What can I do for you?”

The woman frowned, her mouth tense. “I need to report a missing person.” Her eyes trailed over him, then she stepped back, her face grimacing in distaste. Ted fought the urge to frown in return. Hell, he'd had women not be interested before, usually because they found him intimidating, but none had such a strong reaction as to step away from him.

“Who's missing?”

He scanned her, his gaze trailing over those delicious feminine curves, her hips and breasts just right for a man with large hands, not to big, and not too small. He fought the urge to smile. He'd bet they were nice and soft, too. Just the way he liked his women.

She cleared her throat and he looked up to meet those icy blue eyes.

“Are you finished?” she demanded.

Ted fought the urge to growl the rumble of anger rising in his throat. It was a shame her personality didn't match the rest of her.

“I asked, who's missing?” he said, fighting for that last vestige of southern charm he knew he had tucked in his head somewhere. He tried to offer her his best concerned look. It didn't work. She was busy digging into her purse and didn't even look up.

“My brother.”

At least it wasn't a boyfriend or husband. Now why would he care about that? But he couldn't help himself. He glanced at her finger to confirm it was bare. It was. Ignoring the unusual rush of…. something… in his gut, he jotted down a few notes.

“And when was the last time you saw him, Mrs. —”

“Miss. Sasha Corwin.”

“Well, Miss Sasha Corwin,” he rolled the name over his tongue, “when was the last time you saw your brother?”

“More than twenty years ago.” She finally found what she searched for in her purse, and pulled out a small photograph.

“And you are just now reporting him missing?”

“No, Barney Fife. I didn't say he'd been missing twenty years. You asked how long since I'd seen him, and that's more than twenty years. He's been missing three or four months.”

Ted ignored the derogatory reference. It came with the territory. That territory being a small North Carolina town not far from the Andy Griffith memorial statue in Raleigh. “All right,” he said, through clenched teeth. “So he's been busing three or four months and you are just now reporting it.”

“I didn't know,” she said, her tone filled with exasperation. He wanted to shake this beautiful woman until her teeth rattled. Or kiss her until she quit staring at him like some back woods hick police officer.

He snatched the photo from her fingers, flipping it around to see a skinny boy about six years old. He stood in the woods, petting a dog. He narrowed his eyes and looked closer. No, that was a wolf. “I take it this is him?”

She nodded. “Yes. We had different mothers, so we lived in different cities. While I haven't had contact with him since just after that was taken, everyone always kept me updated on how and where he was. About three months ago, the reports stopped. When I checked with his family, it turned out they hadn't heard from him for some time. The last they heard he was about to end his time in the service and come home. It never happened.”

“And do you have a name for this man?”

“Connell. Damon Connell.”

Ken arched a brow in surprise. He knew a Damon Connell. The guy with the memory problem his partner married. “And you say it's been several months? Do you have any information about where he lived? Have you been to his home?”

“Of course I have,” she scoffed. “It's been cleaned out. All of his stuff is gone. No forwarding address was left with the landlord.”

“I see.” He handed her the picture back. He couldn't tell her he knew where Connell was, until he was sure the man he knew was the right one. He slid the complaint form closer to her and handed her a pen. “Write what you know here. Include any points of contact of who may have seen him last. While you're at it, put the make and model of his vehicle, his age, and a description if you can.” He waved toward the picture she still held. “Something a bit more recent than that.”

Wow, that's a lot, isn't it? Let me give you a little background on the characters just so you know.

Ted is not human. He's not a shifter, but he's not human. Sasha is a shifter (Wolf) who's in from out of state. The next chapter will be in HER POV. As you can tell, she is not from the same pack as her brother, and hasn't seen him since childhood. Her pack is in the hills of Tennessee.

*** *** ***

So, here's your questions:

  1. What IS Ted, if he's not human? (And yes, he can go out in the daytime, so whatever we choose, we have to work around that).
  2. What suggestions do you have for a working title, so far? Ted's Story just doesn't work.
  3. After taking her statement, Ted will escort her to her car. A man will approach. One from Sasha's pack. Who is he to her, and what does Ted think of him?
  4. I haven't described Ted yet, because we have been in his point of view. What do you think Ted looks like? Give stats ladies!!!

Now for prizes:

  • Grand Prize: A $50 gift card at the online bookstore of your choice.
  • Unadvertised prizes will be given on random days. You won’t know when, but I’ll choose them and post on the blog in question once you have won!

LONE WOLF by Teresa D'AmarioThere are two ways to enter:

  1. Leave a response on each blog I'm visiting — one entry for every blog you comment on during my blog tour. Multiple comments a day do not get you additional entries for the small giveaway, but will for the larger one.
  2. Email me at desertpetiri@aol.com with a copy of the receipt for the purchase of any Teresa D'Amario book, so long as it was purchased after 15 December. Older receipts do not count, though I'd love to know you've read one of the books. Five entries for every receipt. If you prefer not to share receipts, simply email me and so long as I'm satisfied, I will provide you with the credits.

So follow along, ladies and gentlemen, to help me write a short story, and to enter for the prizes!

Again, the entire blog schedule is found on my blog in the calendar, which will include links to each blog participating!

The next stop on the blog tour is with Smexy Books on Monday, so don't miss it!