Winter Wonderland

Not long ago, I read an article in the paper saying we were going to have a dry winter...boy, were they wrong! So far, in the L.A. area, we've had over 5 inches of snow since January 1st. Good thing, too, because we really need it. All that rain and cold has draped the mountains in a blanket of snow. I can see it from my kitchen window. It's a beautiful sight!



This isn't the view from my kitchen window, but these the mountains that I can see.

I hope you all had a wonderful day.

Mandy

Sunday, Sunday

Well, it's a blustery day here in the Inland Empire. The wind started blowing early this morning and hasn't stopped since. I was almost afraid to put my Pom outside for fear she'd blow away!

Not a whole lot happening here. I got a breadmaker for Christmas and used it for the first time last week. I'm afraid I'll be gaining a lot of weight if I'm not careful. Fresh, hot bread, what could be better, except fresh warm chocolate chip cookies.

I'm anxiously awaiting the release of DEAD PERFECT in the next few weeks. So far, the reviews have been great. Here's the latest one....

DEAD PERFECT is a perfect combination of the best of true romance, the mystery of a paranormal and the fun of a contemporary trek from California to New York and back again. It is a thoroughly entertaining glimpse into the world of a romance writer and what she…or he…experiences in the world of marketing, promotion and book signings.

What stood out most for this reviewer in DEAD PERFECT, Amanda Ashley’s latest offering in her vampire tales, is that it is a wonderfully told love story. Ms. Ashley returns readers to sweet and innocent romance. No falling in love at first meeting, no diving into bed at the drop of a hat, but a gradual coming together of two people destined for each other. Ronan’s dilemma becomes the reader’s—how can these two be together if Ronan reveals his secret while at the same time, if he does, he will lose her.

DEAD PERFECT is a fun twist on the world of a romance writer. Becoming so involved in the story the rest of the world just passes on by coupled with the excitement of meeting readers and spice of a book signing. It is refreshing to see the world through Shannah’s eyes. At times she seems younger than her twenty-four years while at the same time Ronan seems much older than his thirty-something, his age at his turning. Ms. Ashley captures old world courtesies and allure through Ronan’s manner and way of life.

If you are looking for a read that combines romance, paranormal, compassion and just plain fun, DEAD PERFECT is…perfect."

Thanks, also, to Anna, for mentioned DEAD PERFECT on her blog at Anna's Book Blog

DEAD PERFECT was fun to write. Since my vampire was a romance writer, I used many of my own experiences in the telling.

Hope you're all having a wonderful Sabbath day.

Mandy

Happy New Year

Wow, it's 2008! Where does the time go? Seems like only yesterday we were all worrying about the year 2000 and whether the world would end or if our computers would all blow up!

I'm looking forward to the publication of my February book, DEAD PERFECT. It's got good reviews, so far, thank goodness! Publishers Weekly said: "When Shannah, dying of an obscure, incurable disease, passes out on the stoop of Ronan, who is a vampire, two birds are killed with one stone: Ronan moonlights as a romance author and needs a woman to pretend to be him on tours (especially during the daylight hours); Shannah needs Ronan’s blood to stay alive. As he coaches her to impersonate him and feeds her, Ronan falls more and more in love. And with each passing day, Shannah’s body grows weaker, but she resists being turned into a vampire because she doesn’t want to lose her humanity entirely. It’s the age-old vampire-human dilemma, given a clever and funny turn by Night’s Touch author Ashley."

I love writing. It's a rather solitary profession, being a writer, just me and my computer, and yet it's very satisfying. I mean, where else can you create worlds and people? It's very satisfying in other ways, as well. I've met a lot of people in person and online that I would never have met otherwise, incluidng a lot of published authors. I met Dean Koontz and Stephen J. Cannell and, best of all, Fabio.

Yes, life is good.

I hope 2008 will be our best year yet, individually and as a nation.

God bless America in this new year.
Mandy