Join Elle's Newsletter to Win!

Join my newsletter between now and the end of 2010 for a chance to win your choice of two books from my backlist! I'll post the winner on my blog in January. So join now! Click on the picture to join...............

Roses Contest!

And the winners of the Roses Contest is

....drumroll please....

LuAnn & Desere Steenberg

Congratulations LuAnn & Desere Steenberg!!!

As part of the Roses Colored Glasses contest for December, I'm offering a copy of Killer Body and a copy of Bundle of Trouble to two lucky contestants. All you have to do is leave a comment in my blog naming my November 2010 book. I'll draw two winners on December 13th and post the winner here on my blog then. Check my website for the answer! Thanks for stopping by!







Happy Holidays!


And if you think that this contest is cool, check these other Roses blogs for more chances to win!

Brenna Zinn

Myla Jackson

Shayla Kersten

Delilah Devlin

Cerise Deland

Eve Savage

Desiree Holt

Allie Standifer

Friday Football

It's fall, the weather is cooling, the trees are dropping their leaves and high school football is in full swing! Yay!

I love being at the games, watching the players hussling across the field, putting their all into the sport. I love rooting for the underdogs and yelling until my throat hurts. Most of all, I love getting together with my friends to share the fun and excitement and getting together afterwards for a late night dinner.

Fall is such a wonderful time of year.

I feel GOOD!

The James Brown song comes to mind as I celebrate another major milestone birthday. I count my blessings and tally up all I've accomplised in the past 10 years and thank the powers that be that I've been so fortunate. I'm fairly healthy (a bit on the overweight side), I walk 4 miles every other day, I have beautiful intelligent children and supportive and loving husband and I'm doiong what I love most, WRITING! Life can't get much better than this. My birthday wish is that everyone have as wonderful a day as I plan on having.

Bundle of Trouble is Out

My August Intrigue, BUNDLE OF TROUBLE, is now available at your local bookstores and Wal-Mart! And it made the Bookscan top 100. Help me bring it up above #76 for next week's bookscan by going out and getting it at the bookstore closest to you.

Sylvia Michaels had raised her son for four short months before he was cruelly snatched from her arms. Desperate and alone, her investigation led to Texas and the ranch of multimillionaire Tate Vincent. The ruggedly handsome bachelor was an intriguing man...and the father of a child who looked suspiciously like hers!

But what was supposed to be a joyous reunion was shattered by a hail of gunfire--and an empty cradel. Now both parents were on the hunt for the kidnappers and the child they each claimed as theirs. Tate couldn't deny that Sylvia fought with a mother's passion, and Sylvia couldn't help but notice that the protective man made the perfect father. But would their dream of a family be shattered before it even began?

RWA Nationals 2011 Orlando

It's been over a week since I got back from RWA Nationals in Orlando and I'm finally getting caught up. Next week I jump into writing a new Intrigue. Can't wait!

RWA Nationals was a hoot! I had the pleasure of rooming with my favorite Intrigue author, Delores Fossen. Since I only get to see her maybe once every other year if that often, it was great to catch up on everything happening in each other's lives.

As always, the Harlequin part was to die for. The Harlequin martinis were a hit with me. Loved the flower in it. Think I had one too many. Went to sleep with my head spinning. Or was that a residual effect of the great music and the floor full of dancers?

The literacy booksigning was a success with a ton of authors there signing donated books All proceeds going to improve literacy.

Hope your summer is going well. Enjoy what's left of it!

Baby Bling makes TOP PICK and Waldens-Borders List!

Okay, I'm stoked! Not only did my April Intrigue release BABY BLING get 4.5 stars and TOP PICK from RT Magazine, but it also made the Borders-Walden's bestseller list. Yay! It's so cool when a book you totally enjoyed writing makes it to a list, but this one was even more special because it's in a series called Diamonds and Daddies. A series that four authors came together to create. And it turned out to be a action-packed, fast-paced series we all loved writing. Here are the books in the series if you want to check them out:

Platinum Cowboy by Rita Herron (Feb 2009)
Desert Ice Daddy by Dana Marton ( Mar 2009)
Baby Bling by Elle James (April 2009)
Priceless Newborn Prince by Ann Voss Peterson (May 2009)

All are set in Texas and all of the heros are alpha male rich men targeted by someone out to destroy them and those they love.

Deadly Beauty

Ack! It's an icy winter nightmare out there! Beautiful but deadly is what I'd call it. We got hit by an ice storm yesterday and it's continuing into today and only promises to get worse. I'm typing madly to get this post in before the power goes out, because surely with all the ice on the trees, some poor branches will snap under the pressure, maybe even trunks! Outside the rain falls slow and steady, stealthily accumulating, freezing into ice in the frigid temperatures. The roads are silent, the airport is still, even the dogs in people's yards are shut in the house, their barking muffled by walls and insulation on this Tuesday morning. Anyone crazy enough to be out on the roads will surely wreck. I hope everyone has the good sense to stay home, hunker down and wait for warming temperatures to thaw the icy ground.

Ewwww, I feel a murder mystery coming on, a couple trapped by the ice, a killer willing to risk his neck to terrorize....

Writing Sprints!

I've had a tough time getting focused on writing. I spent all of December remodeling my kitchen. That translates to refinishing cabinets, getting new countertops and tiling my backsplash. Almost done. Had to wait on a backorder of my grout, but I can see the homestretch. But I have a goal of finishing my December Intrigue by the end of January. That's a tough one. I only had 3 chapters written as of last Friday!

So I've been doing writing sprints with my sister Delilah Devlin. We get on an IM chat and shame each other into writing! That is, it's a competitive thing. Write fast and furious for 45 minutes and report in the number of words completed. It's a challenge to see who can write the most words! And it's helped. I've completed four chapters in four days! Now I have to get to work on the next chapter! I'm headed to AIM to log in and start the race! Wish me luck!

Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that you're looking forward to a sparkling new year.

Nick of Time - Top Pick!

I'm excited, NICK OF TIME is a Romantic Times Top Pick! Yay!
Here's what they said:

"Elle James' Nick of Time (4.5) is a terrifically suspenseful holiday tale with lots of action, chills, humor and just the right amount of romance."

—Pat Cooper

It's my Birthday!

Yay! I made it another year! And you couldn't pick a better fall day to have a birthday. It's cool, it's sunny and the leaves are changing. I should be working, but I'm having more fun doing whatever. And I have a new book out next month. I got my author copies today. What a great birthday present!

What do you like to do on your birthday?

Roses Newsletter is up!

Roses Colored Glasses

October Newsletter

http://rosescoloredglasses.com/NewsOct08.htm

What’s inside?

Announcements!
From an Editor's Perspective
Superstitions as Plot Devices
Building Suspense
Fantasy or Paranormal?
Face the Fear
Weather as Setting
It's NaNo Time!
Dear Rose

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Upcoming Workshops

Join us for this fabulous Roses Workshop
Roses Self-Editing Workshop!
October 19-25th
Clean up your manuscript with these tips and tricks

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Back in January to kickstart your writing year!
Roses Plotting Bootcamp
Jan 5 - 31st

No One Heard Her Scream

I just finished a book by a new author I had to share! No One Heard Her Scream is incredible. Jordan Dane has launched herself into a promising career as a suspense novelist with flare and an incredible story. Run, don't walk for your copy of this book. It'll keep you up at night reading into the wee hours with seat-of-your-pants suspense, action and characters to die for. Great job, Jordan! Check out Jordan's scheduled releases back to back. http://jordandane.com/

A relentless detective with the San Antonio Police Department is barred from an investigation into the disappearance and murder of her younger sister and forced to take another assignment. Skeletal remains buried in the wall of an old theatre destroyed by arson make an intriguing new case. But when the bones turn out to be of a woman, close in age to her sister, the hunt for a killer gets personal—a vendetta for justice.

A seductive enforcer to the mob, with secrets of his own, stands between the detective and a powerful man she believes is linked to the murder. Will the reluctant henchman become an ally or betray her to his treacherous 'benefactor'? Drawn into the sinister world of human trafficking, the modern-day slave trade, the detective unravels a grim trail of destroyed lives—leaving her little hope for vindication in the death of her sister and a nameless young woman buried alive.

Fun in NYC!

It's been a week since I returned from the Novelists Inc conference in New York City and I already want to go back! NYC is such an exciting place to be. I started the trip by driving 4.5 hours to where my sister lives, so that we could drive up to Little Rock the next morning at o-dark-thirty to take the red-eye flight to Chicago andfrom there to New York City. Once we arrived, the fun began with our first taxi ride.
OH MY GOD, the taxis!!! I swear they are all kamikazes out to prove who's the bravest or most insane! We took the taxis from our hotel to visit our editors at places like Harlequin down near ground zero and Kensington and Avon Publishing. The traffic was insane. I could never drive there. Oh wait...most normal people don't! I strapped on my seatbelt every time I got into one of the yellow tombs of death and held on for dear life. For the most part, the drivers weren't originally from New York, or from the US for that matter which made giving directions interesting.

On our first day out, we managed to flag a cab to get us to our first visit at Avon. When we left, it was rush hour and we couldn't flag a cab to save our lives. So we opted for a ride in a bicycle-powered rickshaw. The entire way we giggled and pretty much felt sorry for the guy pedaling the weight of two hefty women uphill for several blocks. Don't worry, he got a hefty tip for his efforts. Of course if we thought kamikaze taxis were bad from the inside...trying riding in a rickshaw with none of the metal of a car protecting you from those kamikaze taxi drivers! It was fun and dangerous, giving us the same thrill as a dueling-with-death roller coaster ride.
We stayed at the Affinia Manahattan Hotel about 10 blocks from Times Square and basically around the corner from the Empire State building. the photo of the taxis above is a photo taken from our hotel window. When they say NYC is a city that never sleeps, they were right. Taxi drivers not only drive crazy, they think everyone else does and they honk all day and all night. If you're a light sleeper, bring your earplugs! Not only that, but we had a fire department at the base of our hotel and a police department around the corner. It was non-stop noise. Gotta love it! Thank goodness I can sleep with all that going on. I consider it the pulseof the city.
On the second day of our visit, we traveled across town to the Harlequin New York offices. They're located in the old Woolworth Building. The entrance was fabulous with tile mosaic ceilings and beautiful wood molding. The Harlequin offices were newly remodeled and beautiful in pleasant, modern, soft blue-green tones. It was fun to walk down the hallways and peer into the offices of all the editors we've met over the years, to see where they work. Thank goodness the editor we met with walked us down to the subway and showed us how to get to our next stop, Kensington! After the taxi drive there, we were still kinda shaky about getting into another! The subway was an entire new adventure for me. I've been to NYC two other times and never gave it a shot. Let me tell you, I'll do it again! It was easy and fun and the people were helpful. I guess they figured we were pretty lost. One woman yelled across the car, "This is your stop!". If she hadn't, we would have missed our exit!
Other fun things we did while in NYC was to eat hotdogs from street vendors, shop for purses we didn't need and take in a show on Broadway. We couldn't get tickets for Wicked or Spamalot, but based on a recommendation from a friend, Sylvia Day, Delilah and I went to the Saturday matinée to see David Hyde Pierce in Curtains. Talk about a hoot! I loved it! NYC is the best! But the most fun we had was visiting with other writers and talking the language of writing. A lot of us writers live a solitary world in our offices and don't get out much so the hustle and bustle of the big city can be overwhelming. But if you take along a friend or meet up with some, it makes it an adventure worth traveling half way across the country. Like I said, I'm ready to go back for another visit!

Love Those Cowboys!

A Cowboy...is a Cowboy... is a...huh?

I’m excited because the book I have out with Harlequin Intrigue this month Texas-Sized Secrets has a cowboy in it! What’s more sexy than a man in leather and a cowboy hat, rough-ridin’ over your heart?

When I decided to write an entry on cowboys, I went hunting for inspiration. And boy did I find it! I’ve decided to dedicate this blog entry to the different types of cowboys.

Singing Cowboys – Legendary favorite Gene Autry - love the shirt!

Dancin' Cowboys - yum!

Riding Cowboys – yee-freakin-ha! (not me, buddy, never in a million years)

Roping Cowboys - love how he makes it look easy

Drinkin' Cowboys - looks like he was ridden hard and put up wet!

Outlaw Cowboys - I'd go to the dark side with him any day!

Naked Cowboys - NYC's finest!

Dallas Cowboys – uh, well, okay

and last but not least....

Sexy Cowboys – yeah, I saved the best for last

Heath Ledger

Last night I found out Heath Ledger died! He was only 28 and a rising star. I first fell in love with this actor when I saw him in the remake of Taming of the Shrew, 10 Things I hate About You, playing opposite Julia Stiles. That movie became one of my all-time favorite romances. He was equally appealing in A Knights Tale. He was a talented man who will be missed.

Alaskan Fantasy is out. Hurry out to your nearest bookstore or Wal-Mart to get your copy. It'll only be on the shelf for December!

Alaskan FantasyHarlequin IntrigueDecember 2007
ON THE TRAIL OF A KILLER
Grieving for her dead husband, Stealth Operations Specialist, Kat Sikes, returns home to Alaska to vacation. Instead of relaxing in a cozy cabin, she ends up taking her brother's position on the Iditarod dogsled race when her brother's sexy friend is targeted by a crazed killer.
Oil geologist, Sam Russell's participation in the Iditarod race, becomes a struggle for survival. Together, he and Kat race through the Alaskan landscape dodging bullets while fighting their growing respect and love for each other. Will the frigid cold of the Alaskan trail chill the fiery passion building between them or will the killer succeed in eliminating them from the race?

Vivi Anna's DARK LIES is out!

Check out this fantastic book by one of my dear friend!

What dark secret was she hiding? When the Otherworld Crim Unit reconvenes to investigate a ritualistic murder, werewolf Jace Jericho can barely set aside his past—and his hatred of humanity—to work with the team's newest member. As far as Jace is concerned, police rookie Tala Channing has two strikes against her: one, she's human, and two, something about her drives him wild with desire.

Forced to work side by side with Tala, deep into the witching hours, Jace struggles to keep his primal instincts in check. But when they finally succumb to wild passion, Jace realizes Tala has spun a web of lies. And Tala's secret now puts his life—and heart—on the line.

— "If it's a by Vivi Anna, you just know it’s going to be good. DARK LIES is spectacular, even better than the first book in The Valorian Chronicles!"
- Debbie, CK2KWIPSANDKRITIQUES

Blown Away

It's September and my latest Harlequin Intrigue is out! Come meet the Stealth Operations Specialists in Blown Away. If you're wondering whether or not you'll be seeing them again, never fear! My December book Alaskan Fantasy will bring back several of the characters you'll meet in Blown Away. For now, check out this political thriller based in Washington, D.C. I visited a dear friend in February of 2006 to come up with setting and the premise for this story. Thanks to my friends the Leisenrings for showing me around D.C.!

2008 Sales!!

I'm excited to announce I've sold three more Intrigues for 2008!!!
In the first quarter will be Texas Rustler
August 2008 I was invited to be book #4 in the Return to Beacon Manor continuity
November of 2008 I'll have a book tentatively titled Nick of Time, based in North Pole, Alaska!

I've started writing Texas Rustler and hope to complete it by July 15th. It's about cattle rustling in the Texas Panhandle. Nothing like a little murder and mayhem on the prairie. Stay tuned for more excitement.

Back from the Land Down Under and Kiwi Central

Wow! I've been to the other side of the world for the first time in my life and it was fabulous! My husband, daughter and I just spend a week in Australia and two weeks in New Zealand. It was beautiful, informative and fun! I came back with all kinds of ideas for new stories and adventures. The people were warm and friendly in both countries and the scenery to die for. Now, back to work! I have revisions, edits and proposals to get at. My latest release came out in December, Lakota Baby and I've gotten some nice comments from readers. Next out is Cowboy Sanctuary releasing in May. I'm working on Blown Away edits for September and I'm waiting to hear whether my editor likes my December release Alaskan Fantasy. Here's wishing you a Happy New Year. Follow your dreams!

What I'm working on

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I've been busy finishing my Dec 2007 book, Alaskan Fantasy. Don't let the name fool you. It's a Harlequin Intrigue full of well...intrigue! Me, my sister, Delilah Devlin, and Megan Kerans just wrapped up a class on World Building with Roses Colored Glasses. It was fun and a learning experience for us, because we haven't taught that one before. Some things you just do naturally, but how do you tell others how? We figured it out and even provided spreadsheets to track world/species traits! God, I love spreadsheets! It's the former Computer programmer and project manager in me. I'm off to TX to visit family and my sister (oh, wait, she IS family) then I'm gone to Virginia for two weeks of military duty. Ack! Nothing like back-to-back travel and commitment. Not to mention, on Dec 16th, I'm headed to Australia and New Zealand! I can hardly wait! Hope you all have terrific holidays and don't forget, my newest book comes out at the beginning of December, LAKOTA BABY. Just in time for a Christmas read.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Wanted to share a little in the spirit of the day. So here are some awesome pumpkins just for you!

Lakota Baby Cover!

Check out the great cover for Lakota Baby
I love the baby and the colors. It works so well with the book. Can't wait for this one to come out. Set on a Lakota Reservation in South Dakota, this book runs a mother through the ringer to find her missing child.

What I'm working on

Three weeks ago, I sent off Cowboy Sanctuary my May 2007 release. It's the third book in the Bodyguards Unlimited Continuity series with Harlequin Intrigue. I'm one of a great group of authors in the 6-book series to be released between March and August 2007. You'll see the following authors: Joanna Wayne, Ann Voss Peterson, Elle James (me!), Kathleen Long and Cassie Miles. It' pretty exciting to be offered a book when I'm still so new to Harlequin Intrigue.
Anyway, Cowboy Sanctuary is mine and it's on the editor's desk.
I'm working revisions on my Sept 07 book now. Blown Away is a political thriller based in Washington D.C. I have friends who let me come spend a day with them in D.C. taking me around to get a feel for where my characters are working and running from the enemy. What a cool place to live and work. I hope to have it finished by the end of next week.
Then I jump right into my next book. Yow! Talk about deadlines. Dec 2007 book is tentatively titled Alaskan Fantasy and is based along the Iditarod Trail. It should be a lot of fun to write. I have cousins in Alaska helping me with all the technical details of dogsledding and the terrain and weather. I hope to get that one finished by mid November. I have a lot on my plate, so I better get back to writing! Come visit me soon.

September Contest!

Join my Newsletter by Sept 30th for a chance to win these prizes!
The winner will be announced in the October Newsletter.

Join my newsletter for a chance to win!

Join Elle James Newsletter for a chance to win these fun prizes! Winner will be announced in next month's newsletter, so join now!

Dakota Meltdown Cover!

Wow! I'm thrilled with this cover my August Release DAKOTA MELTDOWN!

Win a Book and bookmarks!

Join Elle James's Newsletter by June 15th
and win a copy of
BENEATH THE TEXAS MOON
and this gift set of bookmarks!

Two-book deal!

My editor called yesterday and offered me a two-book deal! Yippee! That's 3 books for 2007! The titles of the three so far are (and subject to change):

Blown Away
Cowboy Sanctuary ( Bodyguards Unlimited continuity)
Trail of Terror

I'm still Snoopy Dancing!

Dreamin' in Dallas Conference

Got back yesterday from the Dreamin' in Dallas Conference. It was a blast. Thanks to all who came to the booksigning on Friday night! Loved seeing you all. It was great seeing my sister Delilah Devlin and all my friends from San Antonio. I had the pleasure of my best friend from high school driving down with me, so the trip was more than just fun! We had a blast!

I've been Invited to a Continuity!

OMG! I was invited to be a part of a continuity with Harlequin Intrigue! I'm so jazzed! It's going to be called Bodyguards Unlimited and it's based in Colorado! I love bodyguars and I LOVE Colorado!! And my hero is a cowboy! I'm sooo jazzed. Can't wait to start writing it! I'll be book #3 of the series and it'll come out in May.

Other news? I turned in LAKOTA BABY - Dec 06 and finished final edits on DAKOTA MELTDOWN - Aug 06. Can't wait to see them in print!

Beneath the Texas Moon is out!

BENEATH THE TEXAS MOON

by

ELLE JAMES

Friends and family are reporting "sightings" of my first Harlequin Intrigue, BENEATH THE TEXAS MOON. It's on the shelves in Wal-Mart, grocery stores and bookstores! I've even received my first fan mail!

For other information on my other Harlequin Intrigues coming out this year, visit www.ellejames.com.

By moving her son to Friendship, Texas, Eve Baxter had hoped to help Joey overcome the trauma of bearing witness to his father’s tragic death. Sworn off men until her son is grown and on his own, Eve resists her attraction to the haunted cowboy, Mac McGuire. But when the town falls victim to bizarre animal mutilations and the death of a teenage girl, Eve realizes she or her son could be the next casualties and reluctantly accepts Mac’s protection.
Plagued by survivor’s guilt, Mac finds an immediate connection with Eve’s little boy and a deep desire to protect the boy’s beautiful mother. With a murderous creature on the loose, Mac fights his own demons of self-doubt the struggle to save the community, the child and the woman he grows to love.

Gearing up!

Hi all!
I'm gearing up for 2006! I have 3 Harlequin Intrigues coming out! Woohooo!!!

Stay tuned for excerpts!

Elle James