Working on my new study

I am doing a new study, and just finished the accent wall behind the desk.  Rather fitting, I think, for an author who writes Medieval romances.

I have always love Accolades by Leighton, so was very thrilled to find it in a tapestry that just the perfect size to fit the wall.

John Mellencamp speaks out against piracy

John Mellencamp

Musician and Activist

"Tell me where, under today's conditions of de facto indentured servitude, will the new artists come from? If I were a young songwriter today, I would definitely be looking for another way to earn a living. The same would go for the young screenwriter or novelist. And what about the guy who only had one or two hit records 10 or 50 years ago? What happens to this guy who depends on that income to support his family if people are stealing those songs now? Tough luck, right? This is the thread of failure in front of all artists today. Art exclusively as a hobby -- that's the "new model" it seems. And to all you bloggers who have prophesized that this new way is going to somehow provide sustainable careers? Your prophecies did not and will never come true. If there is the occasional sparkle of success, it usually turns out to be nothing more than a novelty, not a new business model. We need to restore intellectual property to its rightful owners and reconstruct the business that has lost thousands and thousands of jobs plus billions of dollars in revenue."


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-mellencamp/online-piracy-search-engines_b_2018332.html

Read the whole article.

Amazon launches new 8.9 Kindle HD

the all-new Kindle Fire HD.

Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G isn't just the best tablet for the price, it's the best tablet. $499 now gets you a large-screen HD tablet with a stunning 8.9" display, exclusive Dolby audio, dual stereo speakers, the fastest Wi-Fi, ultra-fast 4G LTE wireless, plus our new unprecedented $49.99 one-year 4G data package. Customers save hundreds of dollars in the first year compared to other 4G tablets. Kindle Fire HD 8.9" is also available in a Wi-Fi only model for $299.

Kindle Fire HD is the world's most-advanced 7" tablet, with a stunning HD display, plus the same exclusive Dolby audio, dual stereo speakers, the fastest Wi-Fi, and 16 GB of storage. Kindle Fire HD is just $199.

We are also introducing the world's most advanced e-readers,Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Paperwhite 3G.

You'll do a double take when you see Kindle Paperwhite—we've added 62% more pixels and increased contrast by 25%, so whites are whiter, and blacks are blacker. We've also added a revolutionary built-in front light for the perfect reading experience whether you're out at the beach or at home in bed.Kindle Paperwhite starts from just $119. Kindle Paperwhite 3Gis available for $179 with free 3G wireless—never pay for or hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. We've also updated our smallest, lightest Kindle with improved fonts and 15% faster page turns—it now starts at just $69.

Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Paperwhite are each in a class by themselves when it comes to hardware—there's nothing better. But the real magic is that they are also a service. When combined with our enormous content ecosystem, unmatched cross-platform interoperability and standard-setting customer service, we hope people will agree these are the best tablets and e-readers anywhere, at any price.

Amazon owns the rights to the backlist of Dorchester Pub

Amazon Publishing Acquires Publication Contracts to Over 1000 Books from Dorchester Publishing

SEATTLE—August 30, 2012—Amazon Publishing today announced that it has acquired through an auction the publication contracts of over 1000 books from Dorchester Publishing. As part of the process, Dorchester authors were offered the opportunity to join Amazon Publishing and receive the full back royalties that Dorchester indicated were owed.  

“Working with the Dorchester author community during this auction process has been a tremendous experience for all of us,” said Philip Patrick, Business Development Director at Amazon Publishing. “We are happy to be able to pay their back royalties and we’re thrilled to welcome them to the Amazon Publishing family.” 

“Amazon Publishing is breathing new life into my series, and I’m very excited to see what the future holds,” said Tracy Madison, award-winning author of the Gypsy Magic series.

“I am excited beyond words about being offered this chance to join Amazon Publishing.  I cannot thank them enough for stepping in and giving former Dorchester authors the chance to move ahead,” said Deborah MacGillivray, author and agent of the late Dawn Thompson, author of The Ravening. “Dawn literally lived for her writing. Amazon Publishing is helping me safeguard Dawn’s legacy, and to see that new readers can continue to find her books,” said Dawn’s sister, Diane Thompson.

“This new relationship will enable the works of countless talented fiction writers to serve their established readers and reach new ones across the globe,” said Gregg Loomis, author of The Bonaparte Secret.

“The transition from Dorchester to Amazon Publishing means that our authors will now be able to reach so many more readers and markets worldwide than they ever could before.  That truly is something to celebrate,” said Vicky Piekarski and Jon Tuska, co-owners of Golden West Literary Agency, in a joint statement.

Going forward, the acquired Dorchester titles will be published under the appropriate Amazon Publishing imprints: Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror titles to 47North; Romance titles to Montlake Romance; Mystery and Thriller titles to Thomas & Mercer; Westerns and other titles to AmazonEncore. Titles will be available both in print and as Kindle books. Under the terms of Amazon’s bid, any former Dorchester Publishing authors that chose not to work with Amazon Publishing will have their rights revert back to them to pursue other publishing opportunities including self-publishing via the Kindle Direct Publishing platform.

Amazon Publishing is the publishing arm of Amazon.com. Amazon Publishing’s West Coast Group includes imprints AmazonEncore, AmazonCrossing, Montlake Romance, Thomas & Mercer, and 47North. Amazon Publishing’s East Coast Group publishes adult trade, children's and young adult titles. For more information about all imprints of Amazon Publishing, 

visit www.amazon.com/amazonpublishing. Amazon Publishing is a brand used by Amazon Content Services, LLC. 

Court rules in piracy case - very good news!

Rapidshare has been ordered to now monitor the uploading of illegal copies of books to their webhost or face substantial fines.

read the story

The first battle won in this ever growing problem that undermines the ability of authors to support themselves and their families.

Super review for A Wolf In Wolf's Clolthing

A Wolf in Wolf's Clothing
Deborah Macgillivray

Paranormal romance
Available from Dorchester Publishing
ISBN: 0505-52781-2
August 2009

Trevelyn Mershan, vice-president of Mershan International and self-proclaimed big-bad wolf, only has to stand still before women are all over him, vying against each other to end up on his arm and in his bed. He's a man who knows what he wants, and allows nothing to get in his way. And what Trev wants most is Raven Montgomerie, a woman he views as the innocent Little Red Riding Hood, on his arm, in his bed and on her knees. Not only because he desires her, which he does, but because her grandfather's financial dealings killed his father, and Trev is after revenge. Raven Montgomerie neither sought nor desired another man in her life after her first marriage ended so disastrously. Gifted with a magical, fortune-telling gypsy, she is warned to beware the wolf in sheep's clothing. And when a Trevelyn Sinclair mysteriously appears at her side posing as her date to thwart her ex-husband's ridiculing, she instinctively knows he's the wolf of her fortune and her dreams. However, Red Riding Hood also senses her wolf is carrying a deep dark secret and that trusting him will only end in heartbreak. A Wolf in Wolf's Clothing, the third installment in the sisters of Colford Hall series, is a stand alone magical story woven throughout with fairy tale metaphors and mysterious magic. Ms. Macgillivray creates multi-dimensional characters that effortlessly draw the reader into her world of money and power poised against love and vulnerability. Trev Mershan/Sinclair is a hero worthy of the name. Despite his original intentions, he rescues Raven every time she is in desperate need of a knight in shining armor. Raven Montgomerie seeks nothing more than a quiet life free of conflict. She is everything Trev is not. Where he is over-confident, she is unsure; where he is brash she is mellow; where he is boastful she is humble. She surrounds herself with wounded creatures and heals them with love. A Wolf in Wolf's Clothing is a story brimming with love, desire and conflict that makes the reader long for more. This is the first story of Ms. Macgillivray that I've read and I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy stories that have witty dialogue, intelligent characters, and sensuous passion filled with fairy tale-like magic. Overall rating: 4 1/2 hearts Sensuality rating: Very sensual Reviewer: Kathryn February 18, 2010 The ROMANCE STUDIO http://theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/wolfsclothinhmacgillivray.htm

Remembering Dawn....

Today is 2nd Anniversary of the passing of Dawn Thompson. We who loved her quietly keep her memory close to our hearts. It's still very hard to believe she is gone, hard to believe it's two years.

Her last wish was for us not to forget her.

We remember, Dawn. Every day we remember....

"Best Book" review for One Snowy Knight

One Snowy Knight by Deborah MacGillivray

One Snowy Knight by Deborah MacGillivray
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: Historical
Length: Full (378 pages)
Heat: Spicy
Rating: LASR Best Book
Reviewed by Camellia

One Last Hope…Lady Skena MacIain has seen much hardship this year, and she fears worse is to come. For a bloody battle in Dunbar has left her a young widow, and her Scottish fortress without protectors. She wishes she could be as hopeful as her babes, who believe the Cailleach, the Lady of Winter, will send them a miracle in time for Christmas. But life has taught her that things can never be so easy…

One True Love?Until a mysterious warrior is found amid a blinding snowstorm, sick with fever. As Skena nurses the handsome knight back to health, even she begins to believe he might bring salvation to her little keep—and passion to her life, as his body awakens a long sleeping desire within her…a desire her touch stirs in him as well. But his wounds speak of danger, and Skena will soon learn, his past carries a secret that could shake her home—and her heart—to their very core…

ONE SNOWY KNIGHT is a beautiful story. The heroine saves the hero and he saves her right back—again and again.

In 1296, Noel de Servain, wounded and war-weary, seeks peace and a home to call his own at Craigendan Keep in the Northland of Scotland. King Edward gave him the title of baron and Craigendan Keep for his many years of service—years of service fraught with the ugliness of war.

Lady Skena of Craigendan Keep, an Ogilive woman with mild witch power, searches for Andrew and Annis, her twins, who have sneaked out of the gate in search of a mythical character: rather than the mythical character, they find Noel unconscious and almost covered in snow. When Skena finds them, they declare that he is their Christmas Knight, the knight of their wishes. While she long ago gave up on wishes coming true, she puts her own thoughts aside and defenses their Christmas Knight from the wolves until help comes—just one more fearsome task that falls her lot.

Since her husband left to fight against King Edward eight months ago, she has taken on the responsibilities of taking care of the Keep and its people. Being told her husband is dead, Skena knows changes will come but while things are in transition, she fights drought, famine, and defends the Keep with old men, women, and children. Bone weary and struggling with deep-down fear, Skena faces her fears. She even makes a sort of peace with herself as her old nurse Muriel tells her she must forget the past and do what has to be done to ensure their survival. The old woman says, “…men run stag wild locking horns, but women must wage war with their bodies and minds”.

The secondary characters help make ONE SNOWY KNIGHT a story rich with love, full of intrigue, and laced with magic, myths, and superstitions that thrill and chill. The antagonists are so sneaky and warped they make the reader shudder.

Deborah MacGillivray’s magical writing takes the reader to the place where the action is so the cold, hunger, fear, and a myriad other emotions flood the senses. Most of all, she lets the reader vicariously experience the love of Noel and Skena that encompasses the very best soul mates have to offer each other.

Redemption and the ushering in of a new start take away the grayness of life and bring hope along with clear evidence that dreams and wishes really do come true.

ONE SNOWY KNIGHT is magical. It is worth keeping.

http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2010/01/one-snowy-knight-by-deborah.html

NOR Reviewer's Top Pick for One Swowy Knight

Online Link: http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.aspx?daoid=4907

Score: 4.50 / 5 - Reviewer Top Pick

During a time of great hardships and bloody battles between the Scots and English, a miracle is what it will take Lady Skena to keep her Scottish fortress. When her children find a wounded knight out in the snow, she realizes it will take all of her legendary Pictish knowledge to keep this man alive. Unknown to her, her knight is the very one sent by King Edward to lay claim to her keep and while there he also lays claim to her heart. Noel de Servian wishes for a home and family to fill the emptiness in his heart and once his eyes behold Lady Skena he knows that all his wishes are within reach. He owns her home but must earn her love before the secrets he holds takes her from him. During the most magical time of the year, can all of their Christmas wishes come true?

In the time of William Wallace and King Edward Longshanks, Deborah MacGillivray creates a captivating romance between the most unlikely--an Englishman and a Scottish Lady. Where there should be feuding, there is a magical romance that links the hearts of Sir Noel and Lady Skena. One Snowy Knight unfolds into a dark point of Scottish and English history, in which you will find yourself drawn into the battle of will, the battle over land, and the inescapable power of the heart. History will show that some will win and some will suffer, but these extraordinary characters pull you into a heart-warming historical time that you will want to revisit again. Enjoy!

~~Night Owl Romance Reviews

One Snowy Knight - Book of the Week at LASR

Congratulations to our "Book of the Week":

One Snowy Knight by Deborah MacGillivray

5 book review for A Wolf in Wolf's Clothing

A Wolf in Wolf's Clothing by Deborah MacGillivray
Publisher: Dorchester Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full (303 pages)
Heat: Sensual
Rating: 5 Books
Reviewed by Honeysuckle

Revenge—that was Trev’s goal when he first set his sights on Raven. And a delicious revenge it would be. He and his two brothers had each selected a Montgomerie sister to systematically seduce and destroy, and this quiet granddaughter of his enemy was perfect. She lived simply in a cottage in the English countryside, a painter, and socialized only with gypsies and a menagerie of misfits: her fat orange tabby, her one-legged seagull and midget pony. And in addition to beauty, Raven had a delicious vulnerability begging to be exploited. Trev was happy to oblige. In fact, it felt like destiny.

Magic and fate have brought a self-proclaimed wolf to Colford Hall. He’s dressed in a designer suit, drives a Lamborghini Murciélago and apologizes for nothing. And though Trev doesn’t realize it, wolves mate for life.

This is the third book in Deborah MacGillivray's Sisters of Colford Hall Series and it is an enchanting read. The characters are so well depicted they become a part of you as you read this light comedy mixed with emotional drama. You will cry one minute, laugh the next. There is, of course, the usual cat that always graces her books, along with a quirky animal menagerie. A one-legged seagull who is the bane of the hero is just one example.

The story begins with an determined Trevelyn Merchan [disguised as Trevelyn Sinclair] out to destroy the Montgomerie family empire by using Raven, a beautiful and reclusive artist. He finds it easier said than done when he begins to fall in love with the beauty.

Raven, however, is fighting hard to keep her own attraction at bay—a self-protective shield kicking in despite the handsome hero's charms. Charms which even her wary family appear to fall for.

The convoluted but heavenly tale of love and laughter is conveyed with indisputable flair, something I've come to expect from Deborah MacGillivray.

http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2009/12/wolf-in-wolfs-clothing-by-deborah.html

5 book review from Long and Short reviews

One Snowy Knight by Deborah MacGillivray

One Snowy Knight by Deborah MacGillivray
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: Historical, Holiday
Length: Full (378 pages)
Heat: Spicy
Rating: 5 Books
Reviewed by Honeysuckle

One Last Hope…Lady Skena MacIain has seen much hardship this year, and she fears worse is to come. For a bloody battle in Dunbar has left her a young widow, and her Scottish fortress without protectors. She wishes she could be as hopeful as her babes, who believe the Cailleach, the Lady of Winter, will send them a miracle in time for Christmas. But life has taught her that things can never be so easy…

One True Love?
Until a mysterious warrior is found amid a blinding snowstorm, sick with fever. As Skena nurses the handsome knight back to health, even she begins to believe he might bring salvation to her little keep—and passion to her life, as his body awakens a long sleeping desire within her…a desire her touch stirs in him as well. But his wounds speak of danger, and Skena will soon learn, his past carries a secret that could shake her home—and her heart—to their very core…

Deborah MacGillivray has delivered a lovely Christmas story.

Noel de Servian is a man who wants a family, a place to be, peace in his life. He is generous and gentle, as well as a fierce and capable fighter, who does not hesitate to protect those he cares about. While he is searching for one glen, he stumbles onto another during a fierce snowstorm. In doing so he finds all that his heart desires and goes from being lost to being found.

Lady Skena MacIain is a widow whose main goal is holding onto the keep, Craigendan, for her children. She fears the Campbell menace as well as Edward I, who may take away her powers and leave her son without an inheritance. Skena is a smart and beautiful—but not in a conventional way. Skena has an inner beauty and self-assurance as well as valor. She braves the elements and finds a knight in the snow and manages to bring him home and keeps him alive despite the odds.

When it appears that Skena’s husband is not dead, mysterious things begin to happen. Intrigue follows quickly as it becomes apparent that something—or someone is plotting Skena's downfall. With her life in danger, she turns to the one man who can help her. Noel, the stranger whose life she saved.

This story has something for everyone and offers mystery, romance, intrigue and excitement.

The 3rd book in the Dragons of Challon series, this is absolutely a book you will want on your keeper shelf. I've read it twice and will likely read it again soon. One of those 'can't-put-it-down kind of books! Honeysuckle highly recommends this wonderful book.

http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2009/11/one-snowy-knight-by-deborah.html

Kensington is flying high in 2009!

In a year in which many publishers will settle for finishing flat with last year, Kensington Publishing completed its fiscal year ended September 30 ahead of budget and with net sales up about 7%. CEO Steve Zacharius said the increase occurred across all formats and was led by gains in the Zebra mass market and Kensington trade paperback imprints, plus substantial gains in e-book sales.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6707070.html