How, how did I miss this book?  Linda Howard’s Death Angel is available now, and I’ve totally got to get my hands on this book!

I am a huge fan of Linda Howard’s. The first time I read MACKENZIE’S MOUNTAIN, I was hooked. I don’t think I’ve missed a book since then.  (And me missing the release date by a few days does not count as me missing one!)

This book looks great–with a hero and heroine who aren’t really heroic.  Books-a-Million, I’ll see you later!  I’ll add this book to my 4th of July Reward Reading group–and that group includes Larissa Ione’s Pleasure Unbound.  I’ve talked about Pleasure Unbound before, and when I went to Books-a-Million the other day (um, can you tell where I spend a lot of  my time?), they had it in stock! I have some work I have to finish up (page count goals, synopsis writing), but after that, I do plan to hit the Demonica world.

And then I’ll indulge in Death Angel.

Ah, three day weekends, I love you!

With the 4th of July coming, I thought I’d share a recipe with you.  My family LOVES to make homemade ice cream during the summer, and I decided I’d post our super-secret (not so anymore…) vanilla ice cream recipe. So check back in a few hours, I should have the recipe up.

Since my 4th tradition involves ice cream (um, good) and fireworks, I’m wondering…what are your plans?  Fireworks fun and barbecue?  (Sounds great!)

July–sweltering days and hot nights…and the perfect time for some prize fun!

The Christmas In July Contest is here!

My next single title release, MIDNIGHT SINS, is scheduled to be a December 08 release. Ahem, that would be where the “Christmas” part of this contest kicks in–and, since it’s July now, well, I think you can figure out where I’m heading with the contest title…

But, if you want to read MIDNIGHT SINS, you don’t have to wait all those long months–you can win an ARC of MIDNIGHT SINS when you enter my Christmas In July Contest.

The rules:

Well, there aren’t many rules. Simply watch the trailer for MIDNIGHT SINS:

Then answer this question:

According to the trailer, who could become Cara’s next victim?

Email your answer to info@cynthiaeden.com with the subject line of Christmas in July. Entries must be received by July 30, 2008.

Now, you’re probably wondering…what are the fabulous prizes? (Well, other than the ARC…)

First place prize: Advanced Reader’s Copy of MIDNIGHT SINS and $25 Amazon.com gift certificate

Second place prize: Advanced Reader’s Copy of MIDNIGHT SINS and $15 Amazon.com gift certificate

Third place prize: MIDNIGHT SINS T-Shirt (all the cool kids have ‘em!) and any book from my backlist

Sounds easy, huh?

It is.

So, enter, tell all your friends to enter…and I’ll announce the winners on July 31st. Good luck!

Tomorrow, I’ll launch my “Christmas in July” contest–so be sure to tune back in for chance to win some FABulous prizes.  :-)  Woo-hoo, prizes!

In other news, I’ve been reading THE LITTLE BOOK OF HEXES FOR WOMEN in my spare time.  It’s a cute little, tongue-in-cheek book about hexes you can put on folks who um, bug you.

Here are a few of the offered hexes:

Hex for someone who is cruel to animals

Spell for people who steal your parking spot

Spell to “fix” just downright mean people

Spell to curse a liar to tell the truth

Touch-feely hex to keep away space-invading people

Hex for people who talk during movies

A spell to muffle diet queens

Truly, almost anything you can think of–all of those annoyances that get you–this book has a spell or hex for ‘em.  Oh, if only it really was that simple!

You got anyone in your life right now you’d like to hex?

(First, let me say…I’ve been a bad blogger.  Sorry!  Got caught up in copy-edits.  And Magnificent M, they are winging their way to you!)

Today, I’ve been thinking a bit about the dedications that authors place in books. Maybe it’s just me, but I always read dedications.  Sometimes they are funny, sometimes they are sweet, and sometimes they make me a little sniffly. (Sorry–I can be a sniffly gal!!)

Do you read the dedications in books?  Why or why not?  (I’m a curious one, as well as being sniffly.)

I’m guest blogging today over at Something Wicked–if you get a chance, do drop by!  My post is about psychic powers…and I’m giving away a prize, too!

Have a great Friday!

Those are the two places I’m at today–and I’m giving away prizes!

So, if you have a chance, stop by The Bradford Bunch or The Brava Blog.

And on Saturday, I’ll be participating in the  fabulously talented Jacquelyn Frank’s “Marathon Chat.”  Each hour, she’ll have a different author joining her for chat-time fun…and, yes, there will be prizes!  Here is the list of authors currently scheduled to attend:

12:00 - 1:00: Gena Showalter

1:00 - 2:00: JJ Massa

2:00 - 3:00 Lauren Dane

3:00-4:00 HelenKay Dimon

4:00-5:00 Lara Adrian

5:00-6:00: Cynthia Eden

6:00-7:00: TBA

7:00-8:00: Meljean Brook

8:00-9:00: Shelly Laurenston

9:00 - 10:00: Yasmine Galenorn

You can gain access to all the chatting fun by visiting the forum page on Jacquelyn’s website.

Jacquelyn is also raffling some absolutely FANTASTIC baskets to benefit the Animal Compassion Network.  Check out her blog for basket photos and raffle information.  (I want that Fire Demon Barbecue Basket! Oh, the fun I could have with that basket…)

I’m really excited to say I’ll be attending the Heather Graham Writers for New Orleans Workshop from August 29-August 31st.  Not only do I absolutely love New Orleans, but this workshop weekend sounds like it will be fantastic!  I’ll post more specifics about the event a bit closer to date, but right now, I’m certainly planning on participating in the book signing on August 31st!  I’m hoping that I’ll be able to sign EVERLASTING BAD BOYS (since it will be very newly released), and I’ll be sure to have copies of HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT on hand, too.

If you’re planning to attend the workshop, let me know!  I love meeting new folks. 

Now, back to working on the copy-edits for MIDNIGHT SINS…

In my spare time (okay, by that I mean five minute snatches here and there), I’m reading a fortune telling book, a book on hexes, and finally finishing THE ART OF MODERN CONJURING.

Gotta say, I love THE ART OF MODERN CONJURING.  Originally published in 1886, I guess technically the info on the conjuring isn’t “modern” but that just makes the book all the more fun.  It’s full of techniques that allow you to fool others into thinking they are seeing magic, and it also some very interesting sections on mind reading.

Which brings me to my topic today, “Willing.”  According to my lovely book, Willing was a popular game/past-time back in drawing-room days.  The idea being that “the combined will of a number of persons will compel one of the party to do what they desire and will.”

Picture, if you will, a group of people gathered in a circle, all holding hands (in one unbroken chain.)  One person stands in the middle of the circle, wearing a blindfold. She (or he) is told to keep her mind completely blank.  All of the others focus on one task (they all know this task—everyone is in the know, except for Ms. Blindfolded), and if the event goes as planned, Ms. Blindfolded will suddenly break through the circle and complete the task that the others were all mentally shoving on her.  They’ve willed her to complete the task.

Now, when I read the info about Willing, all kinds of story ideas popped into my head.  Oh, the things I could do with this scenario.  Both in a novel that is historical or in a contemporary.  This is definitely gonna go down in my idea file.  :-)  (And it’s gonna be included as a game at my next Halloween party, too!)

What do you think? Do you believe you’d be Willing?

I had to post this link because I find it…fun.

…is a white tiger shifter.

(Photo taken from my last trip to the zoo in New Orleans)

I love white tigers–I’ve always thought they were absolutely beautiful creatures. Strong. Deadly. (Yeah, let’s not forget the deadly part. Sometimes, I see folks on TV playing with ‘em like they are kittens and I have to shake my head.)

I’m about 85 pages into my WIP, should hit that sweet 100 page mark by tomorrow night. I love having the first 100 pages completed. I know I’m in the book at that point. No turning back, I’m a fourth of the way finished. The set-up is complete, I’m deep in my characters and usually the action, too.

I enjoy using different creatures for my shifters. I’ve written about wolves, jaguars, even a dragon (that book will be out in 2009), and now a white tiger. There are some shifters you won’t see me touch–I’m just never going to write a book about a giraffe shifter. No matter how hard I try, I don’t think I could make that sexy.

Are there any shifter stories you’d like to see? Or maybe some others you’d like to add to my “no, please!” list?