I finished DEMON BLOOD, mostly, in that I wrote the last chapter but I still have to go in and fill/fix a few things, so that’s on my plate this week and through the weekend, and then that’ll be a huge relief to get that out. But, yay! I love it, so that’s always good.

I have a new contest up: an Odd Shots pack, which includes a series-opening book from each Odd Shots author that isn’t me, because NEXT month there should be another awesome gift pack that will include my work.

And speaking of Odd Shots and awesome authors, Ilona Andrews has her new cover for Magic Bleeds, which is one of my most-anticipated books for 2010.

I’ve made a few other website changes, including the aforementioned re-numbering of the Guardian series.

The Book Smugglers have kicked off Smugglivus, one of my favorite blogger events. I love this poster that Kmont made up for them. Click and be merry.

Monthly Contest: I’m giving away WILD THING and DEMON MOON, and the last day to enter is Aug 31st. Click on my contest page for the entry form.

Cover contest: Don’t forget to nominate your favorite 2009 covers at the Cover Cafe! They are also running polls on covers that have been nominated.

MUST LOVE HELLHOUNDS releases next week. Will I be back to regular blogging by then, or does the summer not officially end until Labor Day? Hmmmm….

Other news: I have a title for the 10th Guardian book: DEMON BLOOD. No details yet, because the description is kind of a spoiler for DEMON FORGED.

The first of the Iron Seas books will be a novella, “Here There Be Monsters,” (subject to change) in a not-yet-titled anthology releasing August 2010 in mass-market. The novella is a lightly-connected-but-standalone story, as will be all of the books in that series.

We are interrupting the fishing trip for my birthday. It’s all about me today (okay, and maybe a few other people who have also been born today)! We also share a birthday with Punky Brewster, so you know that’s special. So special that Maili made me this! (Seriously. Click on that baby and check out the details. I almost died laughing, which is just about the best way to start off a birthday.)

Holy Crap, Meljean is 32 years old!

Thank you to everyone who has twittered or stopped by my Facebook and offered me birthday wishes and e-mails. Honestly, I’ve had “Happy Birthday” said to me more times today than in the sum total of my life. You guys are awesome.

So of course, this means a contest! In the comments, say anything. Some suggestions: What was the best bday gift you’ve ever received? What do you hope to do for your birthday this year? What do you on days that are all about you (even if it’s not your bday?)

Then mention the one book that you wish you owned, but don’t. It doesn’t have to be one I’ve written. Just the book that you’d really, really love to read right now (and that is either available for sale or pre-order) but don’t have.

Tonight at midnight, I’ll randomly choose a comment and send the winner that book (or pre-order the book for you if it hasn’t been published yet). International readers welcome. Good luck!

Greta at I Do Not Want to Wait, I Want the Book Now is having a demon week, featuring blog posts from five different authors and a give away each day. I’ll be there on Wednesday Thursday, but it kicks off today with Jaci Burton — click here to check it out.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

24
Timestamp: 2009-05-12 23:39:07 UTC

#24 – Paula!

Congratulations, and thank you to everyone who entered!

And to Fulton Crane: I almost died today, laughing while I drove behind one of your cranes, and noticed the tagline* you had painted on the back:

Just like Viagra … we will get it up for you.

I swear, if I ever need a crane service, I’m calling you.

*A tagline which has put you ahead of my former favorite, Beaverton Wood Floors: Just say “no” to rugs!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

8 17 34
Timestamp: 2009-05-07 22:29:30 UTC

#8 – FantasyDreamer
#17 – Kelsey
#34 – Caryle

And since Ilona is in Must Love Hellhounds, now is a good time to give away a book by someone else who is in that anthology: Nalini Singh, and ANGELS’ BLOOD.

Second verse, same as the first: Comment, and I’ll close the contest when it’s over.

(And yes, it’s open to international readers.)

Yes I did.

Ilona Andrews just gets better with every book.

And because I’m a book-buying fool, I’ve got three copies of MAGIC STRIKES to give away.

Comment to enter. I’ll close the contest when it’s over.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

35
Timestamp: 2009-04-20 17:21:03 UTC

#35 = willaful!

I’m now giving away a copy of THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF PARANORMAL ROMANCE, which includes my short story, “In Sheep’s Clothing.” And, yes, it is short. I know — I was shocked, too.

So, just leave a comment that mentions your favorite short story, and I’ll pick a random winner later.

I’m still reading THE TERROR by Dan Simmons. I’m almost at the end. Up until the end, there was much love for this book. Now, I am more in a WTF territory that I thought might be approaching, but I still didn’t want to go there. It is not a happy place.

Yesterday was one of those days when, although you work a lot, you don’t feel like you’ve gotten much done. I did take a couple of hours to catch up on a few TV shows, which was nice (except for the episode of CSI that I quit halfway through because I was bored.)

Part of that feeling comes from not having written any words (or at least, words that will stick.) I’m in the process of writing both the next Guardian novel proposal and the Iron Seas proposal (the steampunk pirates series). The steampunk is further along, just because I’ve been picking at it in bits and pieces for a long time now, but I’m focusing on the next Guardian one first. I know where it will start, how the relationship opens, where I want it to go … but I hate the hero with a burning passion at this moment.

It’s a good thing, actually — over the course of the story, I’m going to make him someone I can respect as a hero, and so I know he’ll have to work his ass off to convince me he’s worth it (not to mention the heroine.) The extra good thing is: the reason I hate him is also what will make his character worth writing; he’s got a long way to go, but I really, really want to get him there.

But that hate makes me struggle a bit, because a part of me just wants to write a car dropping on his head or an arrow going through his eye, instead of moving forward as I need to. And I’ve never started a hero off in such a bad place, so it’s new and I’m tiptoeing just a tiny bit as I go in. It changes the relationship dynamic (what I’m used to writing) so much that it’s a little intimidating (but at the same time, something I’m looking forward to, because I’d hate to feel like I was in a rut.)

Anyway.

Thanks to the power of random.org, we have a winner for the Kate Daniels series and an ugly tote bag from Powell’s bookstore!

#23 – …is Leslie who already has the books. So…

#8 … was my comment.

#18 – Maija P! w00t!

But don’t go away! I’m giving away another book, namely BEYOND HEAVING BOSOMS, by the Smart Bitches. This copy is signed by Candy Tan. And you’ll get a Powell’s tote, too.

Just leave a comment telling us what you’re reading now or next, and you’ll be entered to win. I’ll close the contest … sometime soon. Sunday seems like a good day.

I had intended to read THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH and CLOCKWORK HEART this week, but I’m going to start working on Dan Simmons’s THE TERROR instead, because I can kind of call it research.

If I’m reading a book, and one of the characters winks, I can’t stop myself from winking back.

I don’t know why. I hate it. And it’s not like I can prepare myself for it (unfortunately, books don’t come with winking warnings WATCH OUT FOR PAGE 45, AGH!) and even if I know it’s coming up (like when I’m reading back through my own work) I do it anyway.

(I suppose this would be a really good way to torture me — if someone like, say, Ilona Andrews wanted to torture me to death, she’d write a book where everyone is winking all of the time. And I wouldn’t be able to put the book down, because she’d written it, and her last book has pretty much guaranteed that I’ll read her even if she starts writing books about rainbow unicorn babies. I’d still take it. It’d be like a rape of my eyelid, but I’d secretly want it.)

Speaking of Ilona Andrews: I LOVE THIS BOOK. I got a chance to read MAGIC STRIKES back in an earlier (unfinished) form, and I liked it a lot — but I got the final version, closed the book, and felt happy. Absolutely satisfied in every way. Sometimes you run across good stories, and really good stories, and excellent stories, and think they are wonderful … and then there are the books that are not only excellent, but just hit every single one of your happy buttons. This book did that.

So I’m giving away a set of Kate Daniels books (complete with Powell’s Bookstore tote that is kind of a little ugly, but I saw it at the store last night while I was checking out after going to see Candy Tan’s BEYOND HEAVING BOSOMS reading (which, by the way, was fantastic) and I’m such a sucker for 99cent totes. So, of course, I bought a bunch).

Here are the rules: leave a comment mentioning a book that was both excellent and happy-button pushing for you, and you’ll be entered to win MAGIC BITES, MAGIC BURNS, and MAGIC STRIKES, and an ugly tote bag. I’ll do a random drawing tonight, midnight-ish. Open to everyone, even furreigners.