Fab Four, A Fan Letter & Some Elf Humor, Too!

Happy Holidays...my first Christmas wish already came true! Hope your Christmas season is shaping up just as swell.

Of course, I haven't gotten all my shopping, baking, or wrapping done...BUT I did survive the latest cut in the Dorchester contest making me one of the FAB Final Four! Woot!

So, I made this little Christmas tree #4 to celebrate and I want to share a couple of cool things with you as well.

They won't be announcing the Top Three until January 4th so I have 16 more days to sweat out the next cut (sigh) *countdown clocks are the devil*. In the meantime, let me share with you a lovely fan letter that I received this week just out of the blue from a new fan of my story Courting Demons which is still surviving in the Dorchester contest.

Here's what she wrote:

Subject line: OMG!
Message:

Ms. Nelson,

I just want to say that I really hope your story gets published very soon!

It was just such a tease that last chapter..I need to know what happens to this poor woman!

Congrats on being one of the finalists, you deserve it.

Good luck and please have mercy on your readers and upload a few more chapters...if not, then I will be one of the first in line to buy this book when it gets published!

Take care...

This just totally made my day! So, I had to share it with you. I hope I can share the remainder of this book with everyone very soon. In fact, the chapters that are currently posted on TextNovel are really just the first 4 or 5 chapters of the actual book (the completed book has around 50 chapters)! There is a lot more adventure to go for these characters. Stay tuned!

Next up, in celebration of my Final Four status...

For those of you who have read my excerpts on Text Novel, you know that a little elf demon (Zelef) gets assigned to help Paisley in her judge duties. In honor of Zelef and his part in helping bring humor to the novel and boost it to the final four...here's a little "elf humor". Thanks, Z!

Top Ten Elf Pick-Up Lines

1. "I'm down here"
2. "Just because I've got bells on my shoes doesn't mean I'm a sissy"
3. "I was once a lawn ornament"
4. "I can get you off the naughty list"
5. "I have certain needs that can't be satisfied by working on toys"
6. "I'm a magical being. Take off your bra."
7. "No, no. I don't bake cookies. You're thinking of those dorks over at Keebler"
8. "I get a thimbleful of tequila in me and I turn into a wild man"
9. "You'd look great in a Raggedy Ann wig"
10. "I can eat my weight in cocktail wieners"

Funny stuff!

Wrapping Stuff Up...

Well, I may not have my shopping done or my gifts wrapped but I want to follow up on a few unfinished matters for the year.

• Old business: For those of you to whom I still owe prizes, I have them ready and I'm shipping one or two at a time as money and time allows. I appreciate your patience and I promise you will get your stuff (plus bonus goodies for your patience).
• Old/Future business: In the Story Hallow-Win: Ghost in the Water Winners Post I announced that I was going to continue my "add a line" story contest over the holidays but alas time has not permitted. I'm thinking of picking this up as a fabulous Valentine's idea. So, think about what we should add next and we'll continue the story of Dante and Elaine then!
• Current business: Winners from my December Blog Tour are as follows: Julie R. @ Lynn Crain's Blog, Misty @ Roxanne's Realm, Tessa @ Whispers Christmas Bash, Judy C. @ the Book Boost Christmas Blast, TraceyD (Twitter prize) & Fedora (autographed Jan. book) @ the Author's Island Christmas party, Estella @ Author Island Cyber Launch Party **I'll contact each winner individually in the next week or two and we'll settle up! Thanks to all for touring with me!**
• Blog Tour Wraps Up business: I'm still over at Fang-tastic Books and there's still time to win an e-book of your choice (any author/any publisher). We are chatting about a paranormal Christmas! Here's the link: Fang-tastic Books Blog
  
• Deadline business: Twitter contest through January 15th
• More Deadline business: DECEMBER 22nd deadline for my Christmas Wish Contest

Need a last minute Christmas idea?

Need a Holiday pick-me-up for yourself?

Don't forget pick up a copy of one or more of my current releases. I have 7 books now available for your reading pleasure! Here's a recap of what I have available in 2009:

1. Miss Taken
"Some mistakes are worth making."

Now Available from Whispers Publishing. Buy Your Copy Today and meet Tabby & Steele!

2. Soul Searcher
"Sometimes in order to save your soul, you need more than just a little faith."

Now Available from Whispers Publishing. Buy Your Copy Today and meet Faith & Chase!

3. The Saucy Celt
"Sometimes you have to get lost in order to find what you're looking for."

Now Available from Whispers Publishing. Buy Your Copy Today and take a journey to the Emerald Isle with Sasha and Cian!

4. When Ginger Snapped
"Combine a cheating husband and holiday shopping season madness and it's enough to drive a mother straight to jail. Literally."

Now Available from Hearts on Fire Books. Buy Your Copy Today and savor the madness with Ginger & Caston!

5. Vegan Moon
"When a vegetarian werewolf falls for a celebrity chef, will his appetite for her cause him to stray from his vegan ways?"

Now Available from Hearts on Fire Books. Buy Your Copy Today and taste the wolf temptation with Santiago & Gabbi!

6. Eve of the Dragon
"Finding adventure is easy, the real challenge is surviving it."

Now Available from Whispers Publishing. Buy Your Copy Today and live the Japan adventure with Chloe & Masaru!

7. The Mystical Kilt
"Sometimes in order to find true love, you have to travel outside the realm of your own imagination..."

Now Available from Whispers Publishing. Buy Your Copy Today and time travel to ancient Scotland with Brenna & Brogan!

If you pick up a copy of any of these, be sure to let me know what you think for chance to win one of my Reader Review Awards!

A Toot, A Tweet & A Tour!

For those of you who haven't heard (and I can't imagine there is anyone left who hasn't--since I've been shouting it from the rooftops since Friday), I'm one of the proud authors to make it to the Final Five of Dorchester Publishing's America's Next Best Celler Contest that has been ongoing via Text Novel.com since June of 2009!

This is HUGE for me and the other finalists who've toiled through votes, comments, round after round of eliminations, perfecting our cover copy, and waiting and praying and biting our nails and nervously twiddling our hair, and burning out the refresh key on our computers!

Now, the next step for us...MORE WAITING! LOL Yep, we still have another month of weekly eliminations by a carefully selected Dorchester romance reader panel of judges. They will eliminate one finalist per week (not counting the holiday weeks) until we are down to one winner. So, please keep your positive vibes flowing this way and stay tuned to the Dorchester Forum on 12/18 for the next announcement!

A sincere thank you to everyone who has helped me make it this far! Your kindness has meant the world to me! xoxo

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Next up, I'm a newbie at Twitter and I think I have figured out how to use it. So, if you are over there, please follow me!

You can follow me here: http://twitter.com/kerribookwriter

AND

You can follow my author promotion company here:

http://twitter.com/TheBookBoost


As an added bonus, if you follow BOTH me and my author promotion company The Book Boost (to keep up with fabulous announcements on our talented group of authors), you'll be entered to win a gift box of 10 books to start the 2010 New Year off right!

Just post a message here to let me know what your Twitter username is that you are following us under and I'll enter to you in the drawing. I'll announce the winner on or about January 15th 2010! So, there's one month to tweet away!

I'm also giving away a free month of book promotion to one person who retweets about following The Book Boost during the month of December!

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Want To Party Dragon Style?

My Christmas Blog Tour Rocks on Today at the Whispers Publishing Christmas Bash!

I'll be there Today from from 1 to 3 pm (central time) chatting about my newest release Eve of the Dragon! Join the group and comment to win your choice of books from my backlist AND be eligible to win a goodie from the Whispers' Authors Naughty or Nice Prize List!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/whisperyourfantasies/

Last week I appeared at Lynn Crain's Blog and Roxanne's Realm! There's still time to comment and win at those blogs too! Check them out here:

Lynn Crain's Xtraordinary Romance Blog
Roxanne's Realm Twenty Five Naughty Days of X'mas!

The tour continues tomorrow where I'll be at Sharon Donovan's Blog sharing my special Christmas Time To Do List on her Countdown to Christmas! Hope to see you there!

Happy Monday!

Christmas Wishes, Kisses, and a Wolf or Two!

Christmas Wishes, Christmas Kisses, and
a Wolf or Two!

What do you want most for Christmas? Tell me all about it and be eligible to win...12 books of your choice! That's right, you choose 12 books and I'll send them to you (e-books only/any author)! Comments/Entries Accepted on this blog post only until 11:59 pm CST on 12/22/09. Drawing to be held on December 23rd and books delivered via e-mail in time for Christmas!

On my Christmas Wish List this Year...

On the career front, I want to survive the next round of the Dorchester Contest! Thanks to all who came out to comment on my jacket copy (cover blurb) at the Dorchester forum and at Text Novel. I came in second place in the Fan Favorite Contest and I hope this helps push me through to the Final Five!

On the material girl front, I want the latest Karin Slaughter book entitled "Undone" and/or the Complete Series of Ally McBeal on DVD. I've waited forever for both of those to come out but just can't splurge on buying them for myself! Spent all my money on promo for my books and gifts for the kids (not to mention postage on mailing out goodies! LOL)

On the true to my heart front, I want a healthy baby boy to be born to our family in the New Year. I can't wait to meet my little hero-in-training. I'd also love a cure for juvenile diabetes if anyone is listening. That would be a real blessing! If you want to make a donation in someone's honor for the holidays, click here to give to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. My daughter Brooke thanks all of those who give from their hearts!

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My November Contest Winners Announced!

Next up, a special thanks to all who came out to vote for me in the Night Owl Romance Under the Mistletoe Kiss Scene Writing Contest! I lucked out and came in First Place for my hot scene in Miss Taken (the full book is available from Whispers Publishing here)! Woot! Thanks, also, to Tammie King and the folks at Night Owl Romance for a fabulously fun contest!

As promised, I've drawn the three winners who have their choice of any of the following:

1. A Gift card to the bookseller of your choice; or
2. A Collectible set of chocolates from the Twilight/New Moon movie series (These are the best chocolate treats ever and I'm addicted to them!); or
3. Your choice of books from my back list!

The 3 winners are...

• Mary H. Collins
• Steffanie Trowbridge
• Razlover

Winners, please contact me via the CONTACT page at my website HERE. Thanks & Congrats!

I also gave away a bonus Amazon.com gift card to one person who voted/commented for me at Dorchester. That winner is...BJules! Congrats!

In other Contest news: Over at The Book Boost, we are getting together the final details for a special contest for all of our Readers! We plan to launch the fun early next week. So stay tuned for more details and be sure to head over there and check out all the fabulous authors featured at the Boost!

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When a vegetarian werewolf falls for a celebrity chef,
will his appetite for her cause him to stray
from his vegan ways?

My next new release is not Holiday or Christmas related but it promises to keep you warm throughout the season!

If you love werewolves, you must pick up a copy of my sexy werewolf erotic suspense...Vegan Moon!

It is currently available at Hearts on Fire Books (under New Releases tab, scroll down to the bottom) and in the HOF Books EBAY store (click here to view the listing)! How's that for cool? You can buy me on Ebay! Well, not me...you can't actually buy ME...I'm not sure anyone would actually place a bid on big 8 month preggo Kerri BUT you can buy both of my Hearts on Fire December releases there!

Here's a bit more about the book:

Santiago Salazar is a reformed werewolf living in sunny Beverly Hills, California. When he catches sight of celebrity chef Gabrielle Connor on television, he’s soon drooling in his tofu burger.

After they meet at one of Gabbi's book signings, Santiago is thrilled to discover that the attraction is mutual. The two hit it off in a major way but when the night takes a dark turn...Gabbi must decide if she can live with the new world that she's discovered and Santiago must ultimately answer to the werewolf code of conduct.

Take one hungry werewolf and mix it with on lonely chef, stir in some hot sex and Vegan Moon delivers a tasty treat that will keep you coming back for more!


Here are the links to purchase your copy of Vegan Moon:

At HOF Books Website: Click here to purchase!

At Ebay: Click here to purchase!


Now, back to your regularly scheduled program. Hugs and kisses to my peeps! xoxo

Welcome Author Sharon Donovan!

SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCE TODAY!

Romance Author, Sharon Donovan
"Romantic Suspense with a Twist of Faith"

How lucky am I to have such wonderful, talented and truly amazing friends as today's guest? Seriously, this is what life is all about...being blessed with just knowing people like author Sharon Donovan.

Please join me in welcoming her to my blog!

Today, Sharon is discussing her soon to be released romantic suspense novel from The Wild Rose Press entitled Her Biggest Fan.

Here's what she had to say...

Hey Kerri! Thanks for having me on your blog today. It’s time to put a log in the fire and start thinking about the holidays. And to start things off with a bang, I have an announcement. I’ve just signed a contract with The Wild Rose Press for Her Biggest Fan, a romantic suspense novel set in the redwoods of Northern California! And I can’t tell you how thrilled I am.

Ever since Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Night Gallery and the Twilight Zone, I have been a huge fan of suspense. It’s my favorite genre to read and write. My stories deal with the complexity of the mind. To better understand the disturbed psyche, I took psychology classes and could never get enough. The mind fascinates me. It’s a tricky faux. It can ben. It can break. It can snap. If there’s one thing you can be sure of, my suspense stories will always star a demented psychopath.

Here’s a sneak preview of Her Biggest Fan. Enjoy!

From the shadows of the woods, he keeps vigil. The stage is set to drive the pretty little princess insane. He’s coming for her. And when he catches her, he’ll pounce on her like the big bad wolf.

After receiving a disturbing fan letter, New York Times best-selling author Tess Kincaid flees to the Northern California home she’s inherited following her father’s suicide. The manor has been tainted with, every room staged to resemble the way it was in its glory days. But when Tess calls the police, the chilling props vanish into thin air.

Ruggedly handsome Sheriff Mike Andretti is called to investigate the reported burning candles, dancing gargoyles and otherworldly. When he discovers no trace of the eerie setting, he finds himself caught between duty and desire. Is the woman with the bewitching green eyes delusional--or is this a trap of twisted wit set by a demented fan?

Excerpt:

From the grand ballroom, the soft floating of piano keys drifted, louder and louder, faster and faster, reaching a spiking crescendo that shook the chandelier. And then all was quiet as the manor settled from the riveting climax that rattled the windows.

An eerie twine hummed through the corridor. Shocked by the scaling spike of piano keys, Tess’s knees wobbled. Floundering, she leaned against the wall for support.

She gasped for breath, her heartbeat escalating. In barely more than a whisper, she called out. “Daddy?”

Her mind raced. Could her dad be alive? Did he stage his own death? Tears stung her eyes. She had to find out. But still, she proceeded with caution. She sensed evil from deep in her soul.

Camouflaged in the dim lighting, Tess scaled along the walls of the barrel corridor, blending into the dark wood paneling.

Inching her way a bit deeper, she crept, her heart pounding. Beads of sweat trickled down her spine. A door banged, sounding like shutters smacking the house. Then she felt a rush of cool air coming from the grand ballroom, dank with the smell of rain and something else. Burning candles.

Fear clutched her from deep within. As she got closer, the scent of jasmine grew stronger. The sweet smell permeated the air. It was as if her father were still alive, entertaining in the grand ballroom. Just as Tess reached the arched column to the massive hall, a bolt of thunder exploded in the sky, followed by an illuminating flash of lightning. Then all went dark.

Tess stood at the entrance, polarized. Goose bumps prickled her flesh. When the icy instrumental of Moonlight Sonata started all over again, she took a step back and gasped. Peering into the massive hall, she stared in disbelief.

On either side of the mahogany bar, standing candelabras gleamed, long white tapers flickering in the dark. Open terrace doors banged in the wind, bringing in the pouring rain. The air carried the mingled scent of jasmine and stale tobacco. Pleated silk drapes billowed out like wings.

Rain puddled the cherry wood floor that once sparkled beneath the mirrored ceiling and crystal chandelier. The ghostly sound of piano keys escalated as Moonlight Sonata played on the old Victrola. And in the center of the room, looking for all the world like guests of honor at a grand masquerade, two wax gargoyles danced cheek to cheek, costumed in feather masks as bizarre as the setting.

I’d like to share what inspired me to write Her Biggest Fan. My mother is from a small town in rural Pennsylvania. Coal mining was the major industry. In the town of Shamrock, very close to where she lived, a mysterious light would roll down the hill every night at midnight.

As kids, she and her siblings would watch the light with intrigue. Many people, including her brothers, tried to investigate this mysterious light. But as soon as they would get near it, it would disappear and spook them into running off. One day, the mysterious light vanished into thin air, never to return. So what was it?

The mystery was never solved. With so many coal miners having lost their lives, some say perhaps it was the ghost of one miner, warning folks to beware of danger.

In Her Biggest Fan, someone is stalking Tess Kincaid. He sets the scene to make her see, hear and smell things that no one else can. One night at midnight, she sees a burning bush rolling down the mountainside, straight for her century old mansion. She calls the fire department, but when they arrive, there is no sign of the fire.

While my story has nothing whatsoever to do with the coal miners of Shamrock, this mystery light inspired me to write about the tricks the mind can play…

Welcome to the world of intrigue, greed, deception and murder. I hope I have enticed you with this little teaser of Her Biggest Fan.

Stay tuned for coming attractions. Get a big tub of buttered popcorn and get ready to scream!

Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. I offer lots of fun contests and prizes. And I’ll soon be posting a release date for Her Biggest Fan!

Visit Sharon's Website:

www.sharonadonovan.com

Visit Sharon's Blog:

http://sharondonovan.blogspot.com

Or write Sharon here:

sharonad@comcast.net

Thanks for joining us today, Sharon! This book sounds incredible and right up my alley. I'll definitely be checking it out. Here's wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season!

Please leave your comment and/or question for Sharon. Thanks for stopping by!

My Holiday Tale of Madness & Massage!

Happy December everyone!
Welcome to the month of Holiday Madness!

This month will be beyond busy for me as I try to wrap up the year with 4 new releases! Yep, you heard it here...4 new books are coming out this month. Check out my website homepage for details and teasers on each one. In the meantime, my first book up is entitled "When Ginger Snapped" and it is out now from Hearts on Fire Books. This book was awarded the 1st place winning honors in the Browler Books Holiday Short Story Contest! Woot!

Be sure to pick up your copy for a little tale of holiday Madness and sensual Massage! Here's a taste of Ginger:

When Ginger Snapped is a hot romantic comedy about a newly single mom Ginger Lockhart who can’t take anymore of the emotional turmoil of her pending divorce or the holiday madness of the Christmas season. Until she meets sexy massage therapist Caston DeLuca and he works his magical hands on her. Only then, can she begin to let the insanity and complications of life slip away but will he become more than just a one session soother?

Combine a cheating husband and holiday shopping season madness and it’s enough to drive a mother straight to jail. Literally.

Soon, you'll be able to get your taste of Ginger almost anywhere that e-books are sold. It is currently up at Hearts on Fire Books (under New Releases click here and scroll down to purchase) and at Browler Books (under Romance Short Story click here and scroll down to purchase).

I'm also featured as the December Author Spotlight at Browler Books this month! Be sure to check it out here: http://www.browlerbooks.com/default.aspx

What else is happening this week?

• I'll be back to announce another new release (my first werewolf book entitled Vegan Moon)
• We have a special Guest Blogger on Thursday (the fabulous Sharon Donovan)
• We'll talk about the incredible Christmas E-Book Reader Giveaway at the Book Boost launching soon!
  
• On Friday, I'll announce the winners from my November website/blog contest!
  

I'll be back!

Your Kiss is On My List...my Christmas list! xoxo

Today, kicks off my one contest for the month of November! It is all about Kissing...one of my fave things. I've entered one of my fave kissing scenes from my book Miss Taken in the Night Owl Romance Under the Mistletoe Writing Contest.

All you have to do, is click the image above or click the VOTE link below and vote for my excerpt from Miss Taken. Then come back here and leave a comment telling me that you voted for me.

VOTE HERE!

I'm entry #3 but the titles and names appear over in the right hand column in random order (just look for Miss Taken by Kerri Nelson).

Since, I'm #3...I'll draw 3 winners from all the voters and here are the prizes up for grabs:

1. A Gift card to the bookseller of your choice; or
2. A Collectible set of chocolates from the Twilight/New Moon movie series (These are the best chocolate treats ever and I'm addicted to them!); or
3. Your choice of books from my back list!

Better yet, each WINNER will get their choice of any of these prizes! That's right...all 3 of you will choose (even if you all choose the same thing!) So, get your voting fingers poised and ready and be thinking if you want to shop for books, eat sweet treats, or enjoy a tasty story by me!

Hope you like the scene and thanks in advance for your support!

Contest ends at 11pm on 11/30/09! Don't miss out!

The Basket that Keeps on Giving...is Going!

From June of 2009 until November of 2009, I participated in the Text Novel.com contest. After months and months of posting excerpts of my new paranormal romance entitled "Courting Demons" and months and months of contests and begging for votes...I'm proud to announce that I finished the first round in 11th place! This qualified me as one of twenty semi-finalists who will move on to the second round. Woot!

Now that the voting is over, we wait until next week when Dorchester Publishing editors will announce the top 10 finalists selected from the 20 semi-finalists! I await their decision with delirious anticipation. Refusing to give up the hope and dream but terrified of not being on the list at the same time!

While I wait for those results...I want to announce the long awaited winner of my Grand Prize Gift Basket that keeps on Giving Contest held at my website for the past 5 months! This basket has been filled all throughout the months with little goodies, gifts, trinkets, and donations from family members alike. It contains one item for each original vote that I received during the Text Novel Round one of voting. The subscription votes didn't count for this prize...only the original thumbs up votes.

I'm overwhelmed and honored to announce that I received 255 votes! Oh, my!

So, now...I've gathered it all together and I'm ready to ship to one lucky voter! Via random draw from all the registered user names...

The Grand Prize goes to...

MollyP! Congrats and please contact me to claim your prize!

A sincere thanks to everyone who voted, subscribed, commented, and followed my story chapter by chapter. Your support and encouragement was what got me through the long weeks of this contest.

Don't forget to come back to the blog tomorrow for my one and only contest of November! There will be 3 prizes up for grabs including books, chocolate and much much more!