Talking about the "Supermoon" and Books

A photo I took of the "Supermoon" last night, 6/22/2013.

Last night was the first I heard about the "Supermoon." It's been all over the news and the net for days, but it only just sank in when my husband pointed out to me last night that I needed to look at the moon.

Now this is uncharacteristic of me. I've always been fascinated with the moon ever since my dad bought my brother a telescope and we gazed at the moon, up-close, and saw all those mysterious shadows and craters. Simply awesome!

As the "Supermoon" rose over the treetops last night I snapped several photos. The best of the bunch is the one in this post. My camera is a Sony Cybershot DSC-HX20V. It's a great little camera (purse size and fits in the palm of my hand), but it isn't particularly designed to take moon photos. So I was pleased to get such a clear photo of the "Supermoon."

Now what's so great about this month's full moon? The moon is closer to the earth for this cycle, so the moon appears 14% bigger and 30% brighter than usual. Well, after gazing at the moon last night I have to agree that it looked bigger and brighter and awesome.

Some links to check out:

Supermoon Sunday - NASA.com

Don't fear the Supermoon - Space.com

VIDEO: "It's a 'Supermoon'! - The Weather Channel

My dogs went out into the darkened front yard with me last night while I took photos of the moon. They gave me that funny look of "Why are you taking photos at night?" They didn't even bother to look at the moon. 

Now my dog, Dude, who knows how to howl, didn't even bother to howl at last night's "Supermoon." However, the actual full moon is tonight, so maybe he'll give it at least a little howl as the moon rises over the treetops?

Now all this talk about full moons brings to mind werewolves. Yeah, I have a fascination with werewolves too. In the wee hours last night, just before it started to rain, my dogs and I went out front again to look at the "Supermoon" one more time. The clouds were drifting around the moon, creating an eerie effect. I couldn't help but check over my shoulder for possible werewolves. Any rustle in the bushes caught my immediate attention. But my dogs, Dude and Shani, weren't the least bit alarmed. So I guess we didn't have any werewolves lurking around our house last night? Oh, but the full moon is actually tonight. Oh, my!

My very fav werewolf movie is the 1981 classic, "An American Werewolf in London." I've watched that movie so many times. Absolutely love it!

An American Werewolf in London - Blu-ray Edition

'Moon Over Madness' on my Kindle Fire.

Now it seems to me this is the perfect time to talk about MOON books and particularly those that pertain to werewolves. So in case y'all didn't know, I wrote a paranormal, romantic comedy about, yep, you guessed it, the moon and werewolves. I included witches, vampires, ghosts, dragons and a dog named Jake too.

My mom insists this is her favorite one of my books and thinks it should be made into a movie with actress Shirley MacLaine as one of the witches. What can I say? Thanks, Mom. I loved writing MOON OVER MADNESS and hope y'all will love reading it too.

MOON OVER MADNESS - Amazon/Kindle


MOON OVER MADNESS - Barnes&Noble/Nook


MOON OVER MADNESS - iTunes/iPad



Connie Flynn's 'Shadow on the Moon' on my Kindle.

I thought this would be the perfect time to list some of the MOON fiction reads on my Kindle. Note, some of these reads include werewolves too.

MOON Reads on my Kindle (in no particular order):

Shadow on the Moon (Werewolf Series #1) by Connie Flynn
Dark Moon by Rebecca York
Indian Moon by Carolyn McCray
Mocha, Moonlight and Murder by MaryAnn Kempher
Song of the Orange Moons by Lori Ann Stephens

Marsha Canham's 'Pale Moon Rider' on my Kindle.

Pale Moon Rider by Marsha Canham
Across a Moonlit Sea by Marsha Canham
Moonlight on the Nantahala by Michael Rivers
Irish Moon by Amber Scott
The Light of the Lovers Moon by Marcia Lynn McClure
Sailing Down the Moonbeam by Mary Gottschalk
Three Moons Over Sedona by Sherry Hartzler
Moonlight and Oranges by Elise Stephens

Anne Stuart's 'Moonrise' on my Kindle

Moonrise by Anne Stuart
Under the Desert Moon by Mary Tate Engels
Orchids in Moonlight by Patricia Hagan
Songbird Under a German Moon by Tricia Goyer
Moon in Leo by Kathleen Herbert
Sarah of the Moon by Randy Mixter
Fever Moon by Carolyn Haines
Rustler's Moon by Jim Jones
The Valley of the Moon by Jack London


I hope y'all find some great reads in the list above. Thanks again for stopping by. And don't forget to take a look at the "Supermoon" tonight. Oh, and don't forget to watch out for werewolves too.

Have a Howling Good Halloween!

When I was a kid Halloween was simply spooktacular. I grew up in Southern California in a small college town. It was one of those idyllic towns where you never had to lock your doors.

On Halloween we kids ran wild through the neighborhoods. We didn't walk anywhere. We ran from house to house and probably made a great deal of noise. Most everyone knew who we were and didn't seem to mind too much that we'd trick-or-treat at each house twice.

My usual Halloween costume was a cowgirl. Jeans, cowboy boots and hat, a plaid shirt, a bandanna and my brother's six-shooter cap-guns  with holster was all I needed. My BFFs dressed the same.

My brother would sometimes tag along, but he'd dress like a gorilla or something else that was different from us. I remember my brother's friends dressed as hobos. No one wore store-bought Halloween costumes, just whatever could be thrown together.

I was thirteen the last time I went trick-or-treating. My side-kicks and I were in our usual cowboy dress and we made the rounds of the neighborhoods gathering quite a haul of candy. Then at one house, a woman who didn't know who we were said, "You kids are too big to be trick-or-treating." I remember being shocked at her words. Was there such a thing as being too big to trick-or-treat? Sadly, we never did it again.

In my college days I'd dress up for Halloween. One year I was Elvira and danced away the night. Another time I dressed as a French Maid and that was quite a hit. In later years I'd dress as a witch and trick-or-treat with my daughter, who also dressed as a witch. One Halloween we witches went to New Orleans and went trick-or-treating with my sister-in-law who was also dressed as a witch. I have to say that was a fun night. This year my granddaughters are little twin witches and my grandson is a vampire. I'm sure they'll have a fun Halloween.

These days I'm content with handing out candy to neighborhood trick-or-treaters.  The best part is eating my share of Halloween candy. My favs are Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers, Three Musketeers, Mounds and Almond Joys. Yum!

In celebration of Halloween, here's a list of witch, vampire, ghost, werewolf and other fiction. All of these are available in eBook format. The books are listed in no particular order.

Witchy, Witchy (Spellbound Trilogy #1) by Penelope King
With You In Spirit (The Bassinville Witches #1) by Miranda Stork
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells by Rose Pressey
Witch Anonymous by Misty Evans
Be Witched by H. P. Mallory
Something Witchy This Way Comes by H. P. Mallory
Opal Fire (A Reluctant Witch Mystery) by Barbara Annino
Wicked Witch Murder (Lucy Stone Mystery) by Leslie Meier
Brownies and Broomsticks (A Magical Bakery Mystery) by Bailey Cates
A Modern Witch (Modern Witch Series #1) by Debora Geary
Hexes and Hemlines (A Witchcraft Mystery) by Juliet Blackwell
Witch Weigh by Caroline Mickelson
It's Not The Great Pumpkin, Maxie Duncan by Melissa L. Webb
Haunted Spouse by Heather MacAllister

Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood #1) by Charlaine Harris
Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood #12) by Charlaine Harris
Lord Viper (Infernal Night #1, Ellora's Cave) by Ruth D. Kerce
Craving Lady Star (Infernal Night #2, Ellora's Cave) by Ruth D. Kerce
Come Hell or High Water (Broken Heart Vampires) by Michele Bardsley
Must Love Lycans (Broken Heart Vampires) by Michele Bardsley
My Blood Approves by Amanda Hocking
How to Date a Vampire (Rylie Cruz) by Rose Pressey
Darkness Falls (Darkness Falls #1) by Jessica Sorensen
Vacation with a Vampire (Harlequin Nocturne) by Michele Hauf
Sex, Lies & Vampire Hunters (Night Shift) by Myla Jackson
The Source (A Mountain State Vampire Novel) by J. B. Stillwell
MoonLife (Sadie Jones) by Sherri Ann Smith

Once Upon a Ghost by Day Leclaire
Touch Me in the Dark by Jacqueline Diamond
For Sale: Old Manor House (free ghosts included) by Merabeth James
Lily's Ghosts by Laura Ruby
Trouble in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law Mystertery/Romance Series) by Jana Deleon
What a Ghost Wants (A Ghost Hunters Mystery) by Victoria Laurie
Haunted House for Sale by Jane Monson
Dead Bolt (A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery) by Juliet Blackwell
Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead by Christina Miller
The Ghost Hunter (The Hunter Series) by Lori Brighton
Ghosts (The Complete Series #1-8) by Amy Cross

How to Date a Werewolf (Rylie Cruz) by Rose Pressey
Conner by Miranda Stork
Erin by Miranda Stork
Before the Moon Rises (Ritter Werewolves) by Catherine Bybee
Prince of Wolves (Grey Wolves Series) by Quinn Loftis
The Werewolf's Wife (Harlequin Nocturne) by Michele Hauf
No Remorse (Heart of a Wolf Series #1) by MaryLynn Bast
Dreams of Gray (Marked Clan) by Maurice Lawless
Were Love Blooms (Southern Werewolf Chronicles #1) by J. Morgan
Taken by the Alpha Werewolf  by Bonnie Vanak
Lupine Howl (The Complete Series #1-8) by Amy Cross

Haunted on Bourbon Street (Jade Calhoun) by Deanna Chase
Brazen Moon by Ruth D. Kerce
Wuthering Frights by H. P. Mallory
Ghouls Night Out (Larue Donavan) by Rose Pressey
Hollowland by Amanda Hocking
Elemental Magic byAngela Wallace
Land of Mountains by Jinx Schwartz
Promise (Soul Savers) by Kristie Cook
Pixie Dust (Karli Lane #1) by Laura Lee
The Shifter's Destiny (Harlequin Nocturne) by Anna Leonard
Space Orville by Jeff Whelan
Dragon's Curse (Harlequin Nocturne) by Denise Lynn

I would be remiss if I didn't once again mention my very own witch, vampire, ghost, werewolf, dragon, paranormal romantic comedy, Moon Over Madness.

Chantel Deneuve is a half-witch who doesn't want to acknowledge her witch heritage. Riordan "Rio" Martainn is a hunky vampire who just moved into the neighborhood. Add to the mix a couple of adorable kids, a dog named Jake who only "talks" to kids, a resident ghost, a couple werewolves, some witches from the neighborhood and a very pissed-off dragon, you can't go wrong. I know this sounds a bit crazy, but you're sure to enjoy the read.

My mom insists that Moon Over Madness is her very favorite book and thinks that it should be made into a movie. As we all well know, moms know best. So maybe you need to read this book?




MOON OVER MADNESS - Amazon/Kindle/US

MOON OVER MADNESS - Amazon/Kindle/UK

MOON OVER MADNESS - Barnes&Noble/nook

MOON OVER MADNESS - Apple/iBookStore/iTunes

Thanks so much for reading this post. I had a fun time putting together the list of books above. Please feel free to add comments below. You're welcome to add your own books or favorites by other authors. Now you all go out and have a howling good Halloween!

What are you Reading for Halloween?

Halloween is almost here, again. That means witches, vampires, ghosts, goblins, werewolves and other "spooky" beings are out there waiting for their special night. It also means there is a lot of great Halloween and paranormal fiction that we all ought to be reading.

Well, this is where I point out that you all ought to be reading my paranormal romantic comedy, MOON OVER MADNESS, which is a great Halloween read. If you love witches, vampires, ghosts, werewolves, dragons, oh, and a dog named Jake, then this is just the book for you.

Chantel Deneuve is a half-witch who denied her witch heritage and moved away to the cottage town of East Hill, Florida. She has a quiet life with her two young daughters, Aria and Lucia, until something extraordinary happens. One night, much to her surprise, a vampire, Riordan "Rio" Martainn, comes knocking at her door and invites himself inside.

Rio is hot and Chantel flustered, but he manages to explain to Chantel that King Murdoc and his minions will be coming after her to retrieve the stolen Blue-Star. The Blue-Star? Chantel hasn't a clue. Rio, on the other hand, vows to protect Chantel. But who will protect Chantel from Rio? Together they search for the Blue-Star in order to return it to its true owner, a very pissed off dragon lady named Sabilla. Join Chantel, Rio, a dog named Jake, and an assortment of other-beings in their quest for the missing jewel. In the meantime, will Chantel and Rio fall in love in spite of all the madness?

Now here is where I swear that you'll love MOON OVER MADNESS. Rio is a hunk and Chantel can't resist his charms. Rio's companions, an assortment of vampires and werewolves, are to-die-for hunks too. Then there's Jake the dog who almost steals the show. The action builds and Halloween night is explosive. Then there's the problem with dragons. Sabilla is one dragon you'll not soon forget.

Well, if you're looking for a romantic, lighthearted, fun, action packed, Halloween read, then why don't you give MOON OVER MADNESS a try? This book is novella length and only $1.99.

MOON OVER MADNESS - Amazon/Kindle/US

MOON OVER MADNESS - Amazon/Kindle/UK

MOON OVER MADNESS - Barnes&Noble/Nook

MOON OVER MADNESS is also available at Sony, Apple, Diesel, Kobo and Smashwords.

I've put together a list of fun, romantic, exciting, spooky, haunted reads that are perfect for Halloween. So here's the list, in no particular order. (Note - I slipped in some scary reads too.)

The Corset & The Cowboy (A Sensual Short Story) by Ruth D. Kerce
Livin' Lahaina Loca (Islands of Aloha Mystery) by JoAnn Bassett
Wilder Family Halloween (Darkness Chosen) by Christina Dodd
All Hallow's Moon by S. M. Reine
A Skeleton at Her Door (Halloween/Fall Romance) by E. Ayers
Passion & Pumpkins by Lily Rede
Halloween is for Lovers by Nate Gubin
Dumb White Husband vs. Halloween by Benjamin Wallace
Halloween Romance by Denaya Haymond
Under a Halloween Moon by Beverly Breton-Carroll
The Pumpkin Thief (A Chloe Boston Mystery) by Melanie Jackson
A Catered Halloween (Mystery with Recipes) by Isis Crawford
Halloween Honeymoon by Merline Lovelace
Lady Hilary's Halloween (A Regency Paranormal Romance) by Anne Barbour
The Halloween Collection (Indie Eclective) by M. Edward McNally, et. al.
A Halloween Homicide by David W. Robinson
Uneasy Spirits (A Victorian San Francisco Mystery) by M. Louisa Locke
A Halloween Collection Anthology: Sweet by Charlotte Raby, et. al.
A Halloween Collection Anthology: Stimulating by Rebecca J. Vickery, et. al.
All Hallow's Eve by Carolyn McCray
Hallowe'en Party (Hercule Poirot Mystery) by Agatha Christie
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The October Country by Ray Bradbury

Check out my next post for an assortment of witch, vampire, ghost and werewolf fiction.

(Note - Please feel free to add more Halloween reads in the comments below.)