First, the winners:

Totebag, swag, and book winner: Deborah Mistry #86
Ebook winner: Margo McCaul #37

Winners, please email me at larissaione AT gmail DOT com. Congrats!

Now for the announcement.

I've had a blog since before I was published. Like, long before I was published. I've loved blogging, but recently I have let my blog fall into this desert-like habitat where words go to die. I've been so busy with deadlines and life that I've fallen behind on email, Facebook, Twitter, and blogging, and all the while, I've given up time with my family as I try to keep up and meet my deadlines. Something has to go before what goes is my sanity.

So…sometime in the next month I'll be shutting down my blog. This page will be replaced by a news page, and I'll be adding a contest page so that I can still offer up giveaways now and then. I'll be posting a few more posts between now and then (I'm hoping to be able to show off Rogue Rider's cover!) and will be sure to post ways you can keep up with me if you want.

So anyway, that's it for now! Happy reading!!!!

I finally have a Translations page put together! I'll keep it up to date as I learn release dates, get covers, etc. The Thailand entry isn't currently right — the book is out, but I can't find a picture of the cover, so once I get that, I'll get it up.

One note on the UK/Commonwealth versions: Right now, some of them link to the US mass market versions, but once there are UK links, I'll put those up. For those asking if the Demonica books will be available for Kindle outside the US, yes! The Kindle versions are available now at Amazon UK. Here is the schedule for the print releases:

Sin Undone: July (out now)
Pleasure Unbound: August
Desire Unchained: Sept.
Passion Unleashed: Nov.
Ecstasy Unveiled: Dec.

And I really want to thank all my overseas readers for all the support! I'm amazed by the response I've gotten from readers all over the world.

Also, today my Sydney Croft parter, Stephanie Tyler, will be chatting at Literal Addiction today from 4PM – 6PM in a live video chat. I'm going to be popping in, and would love to see you there if you get a chance! Here's the link…scroll down to the chat window. Literal Addiction Paranormal Book Club.

First off, I have to say that I have had the best luck with covers, both for the US and foreign editions. My publishers are amazing.

So now my editor and I are discussing the US cover for Immortal Rider, which is the second book in the Lords of Deliverance series about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

As you can see, Eternal Rider features the hero, Ares, alone. The thing that's catching us on Immortal Rider is that the Horseman, Limos, is female, and the hero…is human. Oh, sure, he's a hot, badass demon-slaying military human, but he's not a Horseman. (He so has his work cut out for him with Limos, let me tell you!)

So my question to you is…given that Limos is the Horseman, would it be odd to have just a hunky male on the cover? Would you prefer to see just a female? Or would a steamy couple be more to your liking?

For example, Lore in Ecstasy Unveiled got his own cover, and I think it worked because he was the Seminus demon hero in a series about Seminus demons. But then came Sin. She got a cover with with Con (which I freaking LOVED.)

Okay, so you know the background of this particular issue, but when you're at the store and browsing covers and know nothing about the books, what draws your eye? A cover with just a guy? A couple? Does seeing just a female make you think urban fantasy as opposed to romance?

And just out of curiosity, because I'm nosy that way…what color tends to draw your eye? Me…if a cover is blue, I'm all over it. I love blue covers. With a moon! My favorite cover of all time is Robert Jordan's The Eye of the World
…in fact, I was so enchanted with the cover, which was made into a bookmark, that I bought the book without even knowing what it was about.

That is the power of a good cover! (And, by the way, it's also one of my all-time favorite books, so I'm glad I judged that book by its cover!)

Inquiring minds want to know!

In case you missed it over the weekend, Eternity Embraced, while it might be a couple of months overdue, has released! Here's a repeat of the info:

Right now it's only available in two places — Amazon and Smashwords.

Smashwords will be distributing it to all the major ebook retailers including Barnes & Noble soon, but for now, it can be bought in Kindle format at Amazon and at Smashwords in all formats including Kindle.

So…what is Eternity Embraced? It's the short story originally printed in The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance, but it has been tweaked and expanded for its digital release. For those who prefer to read in print, you can find the added chapters (two of them) here. (But don't read them if you haven't read the print version yet! Spoiler!)

For some reason, I can't adjust the description on Amazon yet, so please be aware that this IS a short story, a little over 13,000 words, so please don't be expecting a novel.

Also, over on my Facebook page, winners of the big contest have been announced. If you missed it, didn't win, or don't have a Facebook page, fear not, because I'll be holding more giveaways here on my blog and on the Writeminded Readers group.

Happy Monday and happy reading, everyone!

1. What's the best promotional item you ever received from an author? (My most used favorites are a cat food can cover I got from Linda Lael Miller and a jar opener from Geri Krotow. My other favorites include a shot glass from Jacquelyn Frank.)

2. Do you enjoy the smaller items like bookmarks and pens? As in, do you use them or toss them?

Thanks, everyone! Hope you're having a nice weekend!!!!

I've had a lot of emails from readers asking why they can't get my Demonica books in ebook format at retailers like Amazon. Well…it should be temporary. I've been told that the books SHOULD be restored by the 3rd, but we'll see.

Apologies…seems that right now there's some upheaval in the publishing and retailing world that's causing problems for a lot of authors.

Oh, and speaking of problems, my blog is having comment issues. I have to moderate all comments for now, so if your comment doesn't show up right away, that's why! I'll approve them when I get a chance!

Making this short…I have a ton of stuff to do today. SO glad it's Friday!

Okay, so Ecstasy Unveiled is one of the DABWAHA tournament picks! Which means I'm going to be pleading for votes now and then. In fact, until noon today, he's up for vote, as well as several other books you might have read!

New covers…no, not mine! But check out Stephanie Tyler's new covers for her upcoming Shadow Force books! OMG, I LOVE them!

News! Sin Undone is being released earlier! Yep, Sin has been moved up, so she's now releasing on August 24th! Woo hoo!

Remember the International Heat Contest in the blog post below? Well, winners have been selected! So if you participated, be sure to check the International Heat blog!

And DH, if you're reading this, I've been researching fences. The SECOND you get home, we're putting something up…

Listen to Diana Pharoah Francis's book promo for her urban fantasy Bitter Night:

Isn't that cool? Kimi made one for Ecstasy Unveiled too…but I can't get two little flash players to work in the same blog post. Instead I have a text link:

Ecstasy Unveiled

So…how is everyone doing? Do you have snow? No snow? We got about 4 inches over the last couple of days…we're freakishly low on snow here in Wisconsin.

But, good news! I turned in Sin Undone to my editor, so fingers crossed that she likes what I've done with the revisions! And hopefully I can share a blurb and/or cover with you soon!

Because, according to the manager, some readers don't like to buy signed books.

Huh? Seriously??? So out of eleven people who will buy those books SEVEN would prefer unsigned books? And who prefers an unsigned book over a signed one?

I'm having trouble with this, because I honestly can't figure out why an unsigned book would be preferable over a signed one.

So…what about you? If you have a choice, do you take the signed copy or the unsigned one? And is there any reason you'd ever prefer an unsigned book?

I've been scrambling on a deadline, and then my son managed to catch the flu, which he gave to me, so now I'm sick after spending the last few days taking care of him. Then there was hubby's high school class reunion (which was actually fun!) and a few other things that have just taken up all my time.

But I should have the latest Demonica book (book 5) turned in by the end of the week, and then I'll be all caught up!

And on a fun note, Bitten By Books is doing 31 Days of Dark Delights at their site – lots of prizes and paranormal fun. They're also doing a favorite paranormal author poll — 4 rounds and a final. Currently, they are on round 3, and I'm in it! So head over and vote (the poll is on the right sidebar,) and then you can look at the long list of authors and leave a comment about who you'd like to see in the 4th poll. Pretty cool! I think commenters are eligible for prizes too!

Ooh, and I have cover copy for Tempting The Fire, the 5th Croft book! I'll share that once I get Sin's book turned in.

Hope all is well with you, and that October is turning out to be a good month! Enjoy!!!