I’m hoping everyone enjoyed their Labor Day and actually, you know, relaxed. I did relax, except for thinning out my bookshelves a little and cleaning my desk in preparation for beginning a new manuscript. I always seem to go through this cleaning phase first (or maybe it’s procrastination!), but I digress.

First, Campaign for Seduction, the story of Senator Warner, a presidential candidate, and his untimely affair with a member of his press corps, is on shelves now. Run out and buy a copy! Immediately!

Second, once you come back from the bookstore, please friend me over on Facebook. I finally set up a page, and am still trying to figure the whole thing out…

Oh, and if you’re interested, please leave a comment here (you can tell me how your holiday went or give me a Facebook tip) and I’ll give away a copy of CFS at the end of the day. But be sure to check back to see if you won! The last couple of winners haven’t. Thanks!

After returning from RWA Nationals in D.C., which was GREAT, BTW, taking delivery of my super-cool new Maytag washer (which I got for cheap after the old one died, just as I was washing clothes for the trip), and washing about a hundred and fifty loads of accumulated dirty clothes, it’s now time for me to go into shameless self-promotion mode.

My next Kimani romance, Campaign for Seduction (CFS), hits shelves on September 1. It’s about Senator Jonathan Warner, who’s running for president, and his unexpected and inconvenient passion got Liza Wilson, a member of his press corps. Please read the excerpt here, and then run out and pre-order twenty copies. Yes? No? Ah, well. It never hurts to ask.

Anyway, back to appliances. My new washer weighs the clothes and then decides how much water to add. How cool is that? My life is forever changed!

What about you? What wonderful appliance would revolutionize your life? Leave a comment and you’ll have a chance to win an author copy of CFS at the end of the day …

So … have I mentioned that my new anthology, Tails of Love, hit shelves yesterday? And that it features ten all-new stories about the love of animals and how they change our lives? And that all author proceeds will benefit the Animal Adoption Foundation, a no-kill shelter here in Ohio?

Since I have pets on the brain, let’s run a quick little contest: I’m giving away a fresh-off-the-press author copy to a commenter at the end of the day. All you have to do to enter is answer the following question: what is your dream pet? If you could have any pet you wanted, what would it be?

I’ll start. I’d love a dog–something big, like maybe a lovely Swiss mountain dog, or a Bouvier–but I’m not sure any of us here are mature enough to walk the creature several times daily. Alas.

What about you? Do tell. And don’t forget to check back at the end of the day to see if you’ve won. My last couple of winners never claimed their prizes.

Until later–have a great day!

So… have I mentioned I have this anthology coming out soon?  We’re having a little event to celebrate.  Here’s the announcement:

From May 12 - 26, Michelle Buonfiglio of Romance: B(u)y the Book blog is hosting the purrfect contest—cute animals and fabulous prizes—to celebrate the upcoming release of Tails of Love. This Berkley anthology raises money for a no-kill animal shelter and features ten romantic stories by authors Lori Foster, Stella Cameron, Kate Angell, Dianne Castell, Ann Christopher, Marcia James, Donna MacMeans, Sarah McCarty, Patricia Sargeant and Sue-Ellen Welfonder. To join the extravaganza, simply snap a photo of your pet and visit the Romance: B(u)y the Book blog (http://romancebytheblog.blogspot.com/) during the two-week celebration for instructions on how to submit the photo for the drawing. The winners will be announced on May 27.

So whether your pet is furry, feathered or covered in scales, give it a shot at joining the TAILS OF LOVE Pet Gallery. Don’t miss this chance at barking rights and great prizes!

Fun, right?  So be sure to enter!

In the meantime, Happy Mother’s Day to all!  Commenters describing their ideal Mother’s Day (feel free to fantasize!) will be eligible to win a copy of Tails of Love at the end of the day.

I’m working on my Schedule C.  The filing deadline for Uncle You-Know-Who is coming up on Wednesday, and, as usual, I find myself staring down a bag of receipts.  You’d think I’d know by now not to procrastinate, but no.

Don’t get me wrong.  We live in the greatest country in the world and I’m happy to pay my fair share.

I’m just not happy about the paperwork.

What about you?  Filed already?  Spent your refund check?  Care to grumble with me?

To mark this dubious occasion, I’m giving away a copy of Road to Seduction to a commenter at the end of the day.  RTS, as I’ve mentioned before, is the tale of millionaire Eric Warner, whose tax bracket is way better than mine.

He probably had sense enough not to wait till the last minute …

Okay.  I’m going back in.  Pray for me, okay?

Have I mentioned that I’m participating in the upcoming Lori Foster/Stella Cameron anthology, Tails of Love (Berkley 6/09), with proceeds to benefit the Animal Adoption Foundation, a no-kill animal shelter?

Well, I am.

As part of the fun, we’ll be running a cute pet contest over at Michelle Buonfiglio’s Romance B(u)y the Book. Details to be announced, but we’ll have lots of great giveaways of pet-related items.

In the meantime, in the spirit of cute pets, here’s a picture of Sadie, my shelter cat, guarding my keyboard.  I’ve tried explaining that it’s hard for me to type with her in that position, but her English is very poor.

Another cute pet: Christian the Lion.

And, finally, the not-so-cute but angry cat.

Do you have any favorite cute animal stories or clips?  Leave a comment if you do.  I’m giving away one of my author copies of Tails of Love (as soon as they arrive, that is) to a commenter at the end of the day, so be sure to check back and see if you won.

My latest romance, Road to Seduction, is the story of Eric Warner, who, during the course of a weekend road trip, looks at his best friend, Isabella Stevens, in a whole new light.

I love the idea of friends changing just slightly and realizing there more be more to the relationship than plain old vanilla friendship.

Just this week, I was talking to a friendly acquaintance who’s gotten married since I last saw her.  Who’d she marry?  A close friend of nine years.

“I warned him that he knew what he was getting with me,” she told me, “so he can’t complain later.”

Amen, sister.

What about you?  Anyone out there married to a former friend?  Eyeballing a current friend with whom you’d like to share benefits?  What, if anything changed?  Was it a timing issue?  I’ll randomly choose a commenter to win a copy of RTS and a tote bag at the end of the day.