AARRRRR! Not a pretty sight!

A bit more Madam LaFarge than the intended pirate. With my Goth boots. And my cropped blonde hair covered in a simply awful itchy wig. I’ll scare the kiddies tonight.

Another Giveaway! Gift Certificate!

BECAUSE GHOSTS WERE PEOPLE TOO

Key West Magic

I’ll be back to post some excerpts, but I hope you’ll enter my Ghostly giveaway! The contest closes at 3pm today! All you need to do to enter is to go to the buy link above, click on excerpt, and tell me the name of one of Trent’s brothers! Easy. DO NOT POST YOUR ANSWER HERE! Winner gets a $10 Samhain gift certificate ) EMAIL your answer to ciar at ciarcullen.com (without spaces and using “at” sign).

A haunted-to-the-rafters inn. A haunted heart. A sexy Irish ghostbuster must face both before he can love one woman.

Lauren Murphy, Come on Down!

My pretty! You won a copy of Jeff Rivera’s wonderful new book. Please email me at ciar@ciarcullen.com!

Patricia Bates, Come on Down!

You won a print copy of Key West Magic ) Thanks to everyone who entered!

Print, Baby! Key West Magic, Dead Tree Style ;o)

My book is available in print! Stop by Samhain Publishing, or Amazon to pick up your copy!

A haunted-to-the-rafters inn. A haunted heart. A sexy Irish ghostbuster must face both before he can love one woman.

Key West. An island of green on turquoise waters, populated with poets, artists, drifters, Jimmy Buffet fans—and the most stubborn ghosts imaginable.

When psychic and all-around sexy Irishman Trent Light takes on the challenge to ghost-bust Calloway House, he encounters something more than your normal, haunted-to-the-rafters inn. He butts heads with the spirit of Emily, a flapper with a sordid past and short fuse. Emily’s guardian angel won’t let her cross to the other side until the infamous “Hemingway Mystery” is solved—a mystery Emily caused during her own lifetime.

Trent locks horns with another stubborn woman, inn owner and Key West newcomer Julie Calloway. Frustrated that the sexy Julie isn’t satisfied with being just his lover, yet unable to leave nor to commit to her, Trent is at his wits’ end. And then there’s that sentient Parrot that won’t shut up.

It’s a tough assignment, but Trent and Julie steam up the tropics as they try to solve the mysteries of Key West, of love, and of redemption.

Because I Don’t Like My To Do List and I’m Stalling

Win This Book! Talking to Jeff Rivera…

To win a copy of Jeff Rivera’s debut Warner release, Forever My Lady, just make a comment! I’ve read it, I loved it, and I think you may too. It’s not a traditional “romance,” but it’s a great book. I see a stint on Oprah in Jeff’s future…

How did you come up with the idea for Forever My Lady?
Well, it’s all inspired by true events not only things that happened in my life but in other people’s. Every single character in this book is based on someone I know or some aspect of myself. The story is about a kid, Dio who is discarded by his own mother and finds the one person who becomes his safeguard in his life, the love of his life, Jennifer. She’s the one constant in his life. She’s sticks with him even as a teen he ends up in prison boot camp and promises him she’ll never leave. But Dio finds out from a friend that she’s planning on marrying someone else.

What books influenced you growing up?I grew up reading Amelia Bedelia, hearing my teachers read us Summer of the Monkeys and Where the Red Fern Grows, and of course the Outsiders. Now, I’m a big fan of Nicholas Sparks and Michael Crichton.

How do you think being a male writing about love influenced your characters?That’s a good question. I think women are very interested in knowing how guys process love and they’d be surprised to know that guys have the very same feelings as them. We’re just conditioned to mask our feelings and display them in different ways.

How is your story different than other love stories out there?
I think because although it has the classic elements of a love story it also has the grit of the issues we deal with in every day life.

Where can my readers pick up a copy?
In bookstores everywhere, Amazon.com and my website.

Is This Guy Nicholas Sparks with Grit? Win His Book!

Okay, so if you saw this guy, would you assume he was a romance writer? His name is Jeff Rivera, he seems like a verra interesting guy, and he’s started a viral marketing campaign that’s pretty saavy in my opinion. I’m getting my free copy of his Warner release. And you can have one too! Check back on Tuesday to learn a wee bit more about Jeff and his book. I read an excerpt on his website, and let me tell you, this in not your grandma’s romance. Not a sheik in sight.

Research Cat is Researching Relaxation

Planning a trip. Taking suggestions. We live in New Jersey, and want to go someplace (probably April/May) relatively cheap, relatively warm. We like to walk around, snorkel, don’t care too much about food or shopping, have been to Mexico a bazillion times. I’ve been to Europe a lot, but Moose hasn’t. What’s your best kept secret vacation spot? Have you been on a cruise? I don’t want to get sick, either from the waves or the food or the MRSA. Guh. Help! Research cat is overwhelmed by the choices and the prices.

You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine

Don’t say it. I know you want to. I’m throwing my vote away. There, I said it for you.

Bull. I am voting with my heart, my brain, all my faculties. It is not a strategic vote, of course. “OH NOOOOS!” you shout. It will take a vote away from Obama! (I just got this at work as I found the courage to put up a campaign button on my bulletin board.) If you’re not a liberal democrat on this campus, you’re considered two breaths away from the local mental health facility.

Should I go into the whole “our forefathers fought to give us freedom…” yada yada? These are the same folk who like to “get out” of jury duty. Who don’t vote locally.

Sorry, I don’t like either of the main party candidates, or their running mates. I am actually happy that a Black man will be president, but that’s more of an historical landmark than any faith that he believes he can accomplish anything he promises.

I was born in this country, have voted in every election, and have the right to vote as I see fit. I will defend your right to vote as you see fit.

You go mainstream, I’ll go upstream. Yeah, I know, I don’t have a paddle. But such is life.