Thursday, July 02, 2009

Another new release...


Hey all! Forgot today was my day to blog. It's The Boy's birthday today and have all kinds of crazy errands to run before the celebration tonight, one of which is accompanying The Boy as he plans to buy himself a car today.  Should be fun. I'm the third Rider this week with a new release! We're hot in the convertible this month! Mine is out with Silhouette Nocturne, and it's only on shelves for a month, so go get it!

So instead of summarizing the story (you can read the back blurb at my website) or putting an excerpt here (that's at the website too) I'll list a few tidbits about the story that may or not be in the actual book. Oh, and one commenter will win a signed copy!

-- I love lace on a man, but it's not exactly 'hero' stuff. So I restrained myself in this book. But I purposely put a line in there in a flashback about the hero hating lace. (But he doesn't, really.) :-)

-- The heroine started out as a white Persian cat-shifting familiar. Halfway through the book I thought "I so cannot see a fluffy white persian kicking butt" so I switched her to an Abyssinian, which, through research, I learned was a breed that is very chummy with dogs. Worked out perfect because her best friend is a werewolf.

-- This was originally a love triangle story, featuring Max, Aby and Severo. I wanted Aby and Severo to have had a sexual relationship. But, you know, after you've written a good part into the story, you can see the forest for the trees. Or is that the trees for the forest? Anyway, it was best she didn't have that kind of relationship with the wolf.

-- If you've read any number of my paranormal Nocturne stories, you may realize by now that I do love a dance club scene. In fact, I have scenes in clubs so often, I've quit trying to think of great names for the club and just started giving them colors. I think I've done Crimson, Blue, Vert, Silver, and Violet so far. I had a dance club scene in The Highwayman, but I forced myself to take it out. I didn't want to be too redundant and have people start complaining that I never have original scenes. :-)

-- I was going to buy absinthe (for research purposes) but do you know a bottle is like $80? I decided to just imagine, and Google it.

-- Max drives a Mustang because I wanted to somehow work in the image of a highwayman riding a horse (mustang; horse; get it?) I know. Don't complain, just accept it. :-)

-- Harlequin actually made up a nifty little graphic of Aby's tattoo (how it looks at the END of the story) and was going to insert it on the last page. It got missed, and instead it's just depicted using regular text. Here's the actual graphic that should have been in there. The text should have been a sans serif, but still, it looks great.

-- The name of the dude at the beginning who gets wasted... That's my hubby's first and middle name. Hee. I like to use names of people I love for the dead guys. Used my son's name for In The Event Of My Death, a Harlequin Audible read.

-- I was never really sure what kind of demon shadow was living inside my hero. Changed it many times over the course of writing the book. Made the final decision like a week before it was due.

-- Will I ever tire of setting stories in Paris (even if only for part of the story)? Nope.

-- The apartment Max and Aby stay at in Paris is my dream apartment. A chaise, a bed, a fabulous view of the Eiffel Tower. That's all I need.

-- Thanks to the copy editor for catching my huge mistake in Paris. I had the hero and heroine running around on the right bank, but in my mind they were on the left bank, so I got all my landmarks confused. I know, the average reader would have never noticed, but I got it corrected.

Ok, that's good for now. Read the book. Love it or even just like it a little bit. But I hope it takes you on an adventure!
M

24 comments:

Danni T said...

The book sounds really good!! Fantastic cover, really can't wait to read it!

tetewa said...

I've been hearing alot about this one, sounds good!

Unknown said...

I have a friend who always uses her husband's name in her books then kills him off. She swears her husband loves it. Hmmmm.

Tell Bob happy birthday.

kmt1976 said...

I was on a See Doo last week and felt as if I was on a motorcycle (only in water). That is really riding with your top down.

catslady said...

Loved the excerpt and the cover is great - very eye catching!

Unknown said...

Hi Michele!!

Happy Release Day! Happy Birthday to The Boy! And most of all, Congrats!! I'm loving The Highwayman. I just wanted to tell everyone, it's hot, sexy, kick-ass fun!! If you haven't purchased it yet, do it now, before it's too late!

(Lace is good, maybe on those flouncy shirts they used to way back in Victorian days. Although it's hard to image Max in anything flouncy. Love the duster!)

Dottie :)

Helen Brenna said...

Hey, Michele, congrats on the new release! Sounds like a lot of fun and I love the tattoo!

Karin, on a see doo and your bikini top flies off is Riding with the Top down to the max!

ForestJane said...

What I want to know is... when she's a cat, does she feel a compulsion to engage in FRAPping? Frenetic Random Activity Periods, the behaviorists call it, where a cat or puppy will dash around madly for fifteen minutes or so, usually with no outside stimulus.

My cats do it around 2 a.m. - and I could see how it'd be embarassing to get that urge right in the middle of being an otherwise intelligent shapeshifter. :D

CrystalGB said...

Hi Michelle. Congratulations on your new release. Sounds great. :)

Debra Dixon said...

This is a cover I just love. I admire it every time at on the blog!

I love that Harlequin did a graphic for you even it if got lost in translation! That's always fun.

I did a book once, BAD TO THE BONE, in which the epilogue was a letter from the hero to his boss about something. This was an add-on and my editor asked me to do it. I did a lovely little letterhead graphic. It looked great. (g) Time goes on and I get a rushed request from my editor. "Legal says we have to have a permission for this. Can you get it immediately? Like today?"

Um...yeah. This is a ficticious town and I made up the logo from royalty free clip art." ROFL!

Cracked her up. She could wait to go tell legal.

Leslie said...

"I like to use names of people I love for the dead guys."

LOL-Thanks for sharing those tidbits.

I think a Persian would hire out, wouldn't want all that white fur getting dirty. :)

Michele Hauf said...

Never heard of FRAPing, but I do know what it is. My youngest, Maxwell is prone to FRAP sessions all times of the day. He does a run around the main level of the house, and if you're sitting in his way, he runs right over you. Got a few claw marks from those runs.

I was excited they made that graphic for the book, and then didn't even notice it was left out until my editor mentioned it. Ah well.

Just got back from Ford. The Boy bought himself a Mustang for his birthday. Not like the one my hero drives--I think his was a '66--but my son is over the moon right now. Standing out there on the driveway, caressing the hood. Boys and their toys.

:-)

Fedora said...

Michele! Congrats on your latest release! And I love your release notes! ;) I'd better save the link to this post so that I can revisit it when I'm actually reading the book itself! Hope you're having a great day--how funny that your family's celebrating a new Mustang--hee!

Estella said...

I have been reading good things about this book.

Unknown said...

Michele, you minx. . . using the names of people you love for dead folks. Aren't you superstitious at all? I got a shiver just reading that!

Yeah. And I'm the science-lover who prides herself on her logic and reason. Yeah, right.

Anyway. . . this sounds WONDERFUL! I'm heading out to the bookstore this weekend and your Highwayman is tops on my list!
Sell a million, babe!

Anonymous said...

Oh Michele...this sounds wonderful. I have to get my hands on it!

Babyblue22 said...

Hey Michele!!
It must be your son's best birthday ever, I hope he enjoys his car.

The Highwayman Sounds GREAT!!!
I loved the excerpt on your website...Your a new to me author but I don't see that lasting very long after checking out your bookslist.

Congrats On Highwayman's release!

~Afshan

chey said...

All I've read about Highwayman just makes me want to read it more!

Armenia said...

Congrats on your book. I've read reviews and would like a chance to win your giveaway. Thanks.

Caffey said...

Hi Michele!! I get the Nocturnes in the mail from Harlequin every other month! So I should be getting yours soon!! This is going to be great reading!!

Michele Hauf said...

Thanks for stopping by, everybody!

Betina, my mind doesn't even go there with the dead people and the live people. Hmm... Nope, still doesn't. :-)

I'm heading out to buy Make Me Yours and Terms of Attraction! Three great books this month. Get them while you can!

Pamk said...

congrats on the new release. Love the cover and sounds like a great read.

LadyVampire2u said...

Congratulations on this newest release! And I loved the behind the scenes tidbits for this book. Definitely makes me anxious to read this one!
LadyVampire2u(AT)gmail(DOT)com

Eva S said...

Congrats on the release! The book sounds great, I'll add it to my wish list!