Sourcebooks Casablanca Romance Authors

Witches Rule – Demons Drool Welcome to my launch party! A lot of readers ask if this is a new series. Yes. And no. The witches are still going strong, there’s just a new direction. Now more urban fantasy and even sexier and hotter. Readers first met Maggie at the end of Hex in High Heels when she arrived to pick up an errant troll. Now the team leader for the Hellion Guard is going strong dealing with a Mayan curse and ritual sacrifice meant to return the demon the Destroyer back to the mortal world to take over, Declan, a super sexy half fire demon who runs an underground club, and your typical teenage girl complete with snark, rolling eyes, and sneer. I’ve always said that I don’t want the witches to have it too easy. Good thing that Maggie is badass enough to do it all and more. But she doesn’t do it alone. Her trusty sidekick, Elle, a diamond encrusted black widow spider, is there to watch her back. And Elle has her own quest. She spends her free time in her web surfing the World ...

They say you can tell if a person is positive or negative by whether they see a glass as half full or half empty. We see December as the end of the year and January as the beginning. Why not see this month as that slide into a new beginning? I got married a week before Christmas. A new chapter in my life. And 31 years ago on my wedding anniversary I sold my first two books to Silhouette Romances. The following December, my first book, Dancer in the Shadows, was released. Both new beginnings to my career that took me out of the c orporate world and threw me into publishing. Beginnings are good. Something new. Something that you can look forward to. I even look at that with my writing. The beginning of the book is so much fun. It is for me because I don’t always know what’s going to happen. Sure I’m aware of the story I’ve come up with, but sometimes my characters decide they want to take a different path. There have been times when they’ve even changed the ending for me. And while I fee...

“I don’t know if three turkeys will be enough,” Blair said, surveying the kitchen counters covered with roasting pans, mixing bowls, and various pots and pans on the stove. “Trust me, Jake eats a lot. There are all you can eat buffets that won’t let us come back.” “And you demolishing the desert table doesn’t have something to do with that? The turkeys are twenty-six pounds apiece. We’ll be fine.” Stasi covered the sweet potatoes with marshmallows and popped them into the hot oven so they could brown. She paused long enough to sneak a treat to Bogie who barked his thanks and floated toward his soft and comfy bed. “You did use cream and real butter in the mashed potatoes, didn’t you?” Irma wandered in with Phinneas, her spectral beau, in tow. “It’s what gives them the proper taste.” She heaved a deep sigh. “I miss eating.” She glared at Jazz. “You could let me change my wardrobe, but not allow me to eat? Get working on that spell, missy.” “Yeah, like that’ll happen,” Jazz muttered. “It’...

There are the things that go bump in the night. And then there’s the things that sort of hover around you in the night. Which is scarier? Doesn’t matter. They’re all unsettling in one form or another. When I was thirteen I woke up in the middle of the night and saw a man standing near the bed. He was dressed in clothing from centuries ago and to this idea I have no idea why I felt as if I could actually taste evil from the man when he didn't look the least bit threatening, but I sure did. I just knew there was something wrong. When I got the nerve to turn on the lamp he was gone. I never saw him again and that was fine with me. Is that what I’m going to talk about here? No. It’s just a hint that you never know when you’ll see the unusual.About two years ago around mdinight, I had waited at the patio door for the dogs to come in the house. We have motion sensor lights in the yard, which were on, but what caught my attention was something that hovered in the air at the edge of the pa...

Is 6’2”, slightly shaggy hair the color of fresh roasted coffee suntipped with gold, puppy dog brown eyes, surfer tan, and a body Jillian Michaels would approve. He makes sure my coffee cup is filled, that I have anything I need, that my favorite DVDs are within reach, and my iPod is always fully charged. He’s within reach if I need a little … inspiration, and always ready to run to See’s if I require my favorite chocolates. And sadly, he only exists in my imagination. Sigh! My muse has been talking away a lot while I’ve been buried deep with new work. And if I hit a snag he would even direct me to my witchy Barbies, my dragon and Fae figurines, and the best, Ganesha, the Hindu god of good fortune and Patron of the Arts, especially writing. All little things that would give me that much needed spark. Writing a book is a lot of ‘what ifs’ and a muse is terrific at whispering that all important what in my ear or suggestions. Why can’t that new cat hanging around the house be a fun famili...

The 4th of July and fireworks just seems to go together. That and barbecues. As a kid I loved shooting off Roman candles, piccolo pete, glow worms, and making designs with sparklers. Then they were illegal where we lived, so it was attending the local displays plus Disneyland all summer long. Their shows on July 4th were always even more fantastic. So for now, I'll treat you to some fun fireworks and if you're looking for fun recipes for holiday gatherings, take a look at my blog http://linda-wisdom.blogspot.com/ . And have a happy 4th! http://www.maylin.net/Fireworks2.html Linda

As someone who grew up in Huntington Beach, AKA, Surfing Capital of the World, surfing was more than a sport in our town. It was a way of life. And only appropriate that Fluff and Puff would catch the surfing bug. “Cowabunga, dude!” Fluff and Puff shouted as they pushed their bunny surfboards through the rolling waves. Naturally, the boards’ surfaces were decorated with Happy Bunny’s motto ‘Pscyho but cute’. Their bunny RayBans were clipped to their heads and colorful board shorts covered the lower half of their bunny slipper bodies. “Tell me again why we brought them here?” Jazz grumbled, adjusting her large brimmed hat and the towel protecting her long legs from the morning sun since she only had to look at the bright orb to get burned. Krebs shook his head. “Isn’t there some spell that would give you ultra sun block? You look like a mummy and frankly, you’re scaring the kids.” “The spell is used in a special cream and it gives me a rash.” She reached for the bottle of 300SPF sunbloc...

Many writers will tell you they will begin on one path and suddenly find themselves on another. My fans know about my witches in my Hex series with the fun quirky titles. Do I love my witches? Absolutely! When I wrote The Best Hex Ever, I created Maggie, a kick ass witch and Declan, a very sexy half fire demon along with a mouthy teenager I’m sure many parents might identify with. My editor read this book in January and totally loved it. And along the way a light bulb went off in her head. The last thing I want is to disappoint my readers. The witches will be showing up here along with some hot demon heroes. I’m also working on a novella staring Thea that will hopefully come out this October. Below is the launch copy for my new series titled Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend, which will also be the title for Maggie’s book, to be released in spring of 2011. First in a new hot and funny paranormal series by bestselling author Linda Wisdom, featuring sexy demon heroes, the latest hot pheno...

“Are you awake, Mom? Mom, you awake? Mom, wakey wakey. Mom.” Yep, just a typical morning in the Wisdom household as my son does his wake up thing. Except when I open my eyes I see a little white furry face with black button eyes while a cold nose nudges my cheek. No, my son doesn’t need a shave. Barney’s a three-year-old white mini-Schnauzer whose idea of waking me up is sniffing my face and nuzzling me until I’m alert enough to climb out of my nice comfy bed and take him downstairs so he can go outside. And while he’s outside, I’m hearing “Awake here!” That means my other son, Syd, our twenty-eight-year-old Amazon Panama nape parrot, wants to be uncovered. If I could just teach one of them to fetch coffee, because I can’t get it until they have their ‘me’ time. Some people don’t believe in treating your critters like humans wearing fur, feathers, or even shells or scales. You’ll even hear the dreaded “but he’s a dog.” Yes, he is, but you’d be amazed how much those little guys understa...

I’ve always been told I have a demented sense of humor and parts of that show up in my books. Namely, I like to take real life and give it a wild twist to the right. Although there have been times when real life is totally funnier than fiction. Back in 1982 I decided I wanted to write a book about a male housekeeper. My previous books had some humor in them, but I wanted to do something that I hoped would come up laugh out loud. I figured the best way was a role reversal book. Single mom with rambunctious five-year-old twin boys, a large sheepdog, demanding career, and the need for a housekeeper. Doesn’t sound all that laugh out loud, does it? So factor in boys who only have to breathe to get into mischief. While there were chuckles with our sexy housekeeper -- can a man really read the back of a laundry detergent box – it was still the kids and dog that added to the fun factor. But the fact part about those boys was actually funnier than the fiction. You see, the two boys were based o...

First off I want to wish my fantabulous agent, Laurie McLean, a happy happy birthday! Aries rock Batgirl! Fluff, Puff, and Horace set off today to deliver a birthday cake to you. If they arrive without the cake, well, what else would you expect from them? I love humor because it’s always flat out fun. And what’s more fun than Fluff and Puff? “You think he’ll be any nicer than the leprechaun?” Fluff asked as he and Puff made their way down the pink brick road (since they’re not heading for Oz, the bricks aren’t yellow). “I’m still sorta green.” He scratched one ear with the other. “And it really itches.” He tried to reach his tail, but his ear wasn’t long enough. “He should be nicer. He works with candy, not protecting his dumb gold.” Puff obliged by scratching Fluff’s tail. “And hello! he’s a bunny.” It had only been a few weeks, but the bunny slippers are still a pale shade of celadon that’s not very flattering. And rumor had it golden Horace was pretending to be an Oscar and now work...

In February of 2001, friend and author Shawna Delacorte and I attended the Left Coast Crime Conference held in Anchorage Alaska. It was the absolute best time of my life. Not only did I have the chance to hang out with some awesome mystery writers – which we always did when we attended this conference – but I got to do things there that I hadn’t done before. My introduction to Alaska was arriving at midnight and the city looked like a fairyland with houses decorated with twinkle lights. It might have been closer to Valentine’s Day than Christmas, but you’d never know it. Good friend and fellow author, Shawna Delacorte and I were there to network, sign our books and I even got to do a ‘a talk with’ section. Along with incredible workshops and roaming the city, we participated in some fun activities. The FBI held a get together at their building. We got to talk to the SWAT officers there, play in their Hogan’s Alley, tour the building – I saw a huge polar bear pelt on the conference room...

“Be vewy vewy quiet, we’we hunting lepwechauns,” Horace intoned, creeping along the lush grass covered path. He ignored the birds perched in the trees overhead, although he did growl when bird poo plopped on his head. “Dude, you have got to stop watching cartoons,” Puff muttered, nudging him with his ear. “Those cartoons are classics,” the gargoyle informed him, looking at the paths branching off. “We need to go left.” “We go right,” Fluff argued. “Hello!” Puff rolled his eyes. “We stay on this path for three more kilometers.” A small map hung from his ears. “Dude, didn’t you ever hear of GPS?” Horace hooted, flicking his claw at a map corner. “Dude.” Sarcasm dripped from the word. “Did you ever hear how our magick and electronics don’t mix?” “Plus Krebs wouldn’t let us use his,” Fluff muttered. “He said we already ruined four of them and he didn’t intend to see us screw up a fifth.” Horace came to a stop and stared at Puff, tipping his head to the side so far he almost fell over. “You...

The song had it right, but my idea of puppy love has to do with my furry baby and the ones in the past. There’s nothing like snuggling up with our furry friends to make us smile. There’s days when we can’t help but feel just flat out happy. We’d want to dance in the moonlight – okay, maybe not, but the idea sounds fun, doesn’t it? Growing up we had a shepherd/collie named Skipper. He was totally my mom’s dog. Any time we were in the car I had to ride in the back seat because he rode shotgun and if I dared sit in the passenger seat I got ‘the look’ and immediately scrambled into the back seat. Skipper was a wonderful dog and even saved my life when I was three and a rattler ended up in my sandbox. He killed the snake and was bitten on the nose as a result. One vet said he couldn’t be saved, but that didn’t stop my dad. Another vet worked hard and Skipper came home to us. What else I remember is his running with the coyotes at night. They’d show up in our back yard and next thing he was ...

Yes, we’re all romantics at heart. After all, we write romance! There’s nothing about sitting down with a wonderful book that either makes you laugh or cry. And there are movies that do the same. The following are only a few and hopefully I’ve suggested some you haven’t seen before. Even better if you can talk your honey into curling up on the couch with you to watch these. Emma – Jane Austen knew just how to write a romance that leads the heroine on a merry quest to match up her friends and discover love at the same time. This is one of my favorite films. While You Were Sleeping – Yes, this movie is set during Christmas, but who cares? This is such a great film about a lonely woman looking for love and finding it in the oddest way. Plus, you have to love the family members. The Matchmaker – This is another favorite when a politician’s assistant travels to Ireland to find his distant relatives and discovers love during a matchmaking festival in a small town. The matchmakers in the town...

Is called Writer’s Block. That’s when you sit at the computer and realize you can’t finish a sentence. You might even forget your hero and/or heroine’s name. And if it’s really bad, you’re asking yourself what your own name is. Everyone has their own way of handling writer’s block. Some doggedly sit at the computer, struggling to come up with the next word or sentence. Others get away, looking for something, anything, to help jumpstart their imagination. My imagination tends to go on vacation when I’m tired. Or for the days I could write non-stop, write all night and still be alert the next day. So what do I do when that happens? Cleaning the three bathrooms comes to mind. But I prefer driving up into the hills or around the vineyards or ranches and let my characters talk to me. They do love their road trips. Sometimes opt for a long bath and a book to let my brain relax enough to return to work. Personally, I don’t sit at the computer and try to push through. My writing isn’t as effec...

For someone who’d grown up with big dogs it was amazing that it was the small guys that stole my heart. We had a year old terri/poo, Cocoa, at home and felt he needed company even if I was home all the time. Plus there was a large pair of brown eyes at our local pet shop that had caught me just as Cocoa said “okay, pay Barry and let’s get out of here.” All I knew was that he was an eight-week-old Chihuahua/Yorkie who said “I choose you. Can we go home now?” And we did. Bogie was so very tiny and our neighbors’ kids volunteered names for him, but I was looking for just the right name. He could basically fit in the palm of my hand and tucked very nicely in my robe’s pocket. Then I realized I had the name: Bogie. No, not the golf term or Humphrey Bogart, but that radar blip that was there yet not there. That was my baby. Cocoa was mine, but Bogie was my baby. We went through nights of puppy hiccups and tummy aches. Lots of cuddles and walks in the open land we used to have around here. An...

And I happen to be one. Probably why my mom gave me the Sephora blockbuster palette for Christmas. Did I leave hints? Hm, yes! We’re talking 60,000 different looks. 84 eyeshadows, 3 blushes, 60 lip gloss, 2 lip liners, 3 eye liners, 6 cream eyeliners, 6 matte eyeshadows, and 6 sparkly eyeshadows. My very own crayon box. It rates right alongside my Wicked Witch of the East Barbie, which I also got. Proof that my witches come by their fun stuff through me. This shows how life does make circles. When I was little I might get dolls, crayons, and paints for Christmas. I collect stuffed animals and I still get them. And nothing better than the fun stuff, is there? I'm also going to be teaching some writing classes on line. You can see them at http://www.storystewuniversity.com/ Linda

The title is thanks to our awesome publicist, Danielle. Thank you Danielle!!! Thirty years ago today I managed a personnel office where I placed executives in the accounting field. I also had written two romance novels that I hoped to find a home for. I’d begun reading romances and tended to say, “I could write one of these!” After all, I had wanted to be a writer since the day I could pick up a crayon. They say write what you know, but I’m not entirely sure I did that since I chose a ballerina heroine and we won’t even talk about my time in ballet class. And I even based the heroine’s looks on my best friend, who was also my first beta reader. What I thought would take a short time to write actually took close to nine months and after I finished that book, I wrote another. Now it was time to find out if my efforts could find a home. Silhouette Books was brand spanking new, not even on the shelves yet, and looking for authors. What a great place for my books! A month after they were s...

There's nothing like an awesome Christmas tree. I love looking for just the right tree then bringing it home and putting it up with lights, ornaments collected over the years and my motion ornaments even that I got from Hallmark years ago. While there's been some interesting times during decorating the tree, I don't think we've ever had the problems Jazz and Krebs has. Also! Hex in High Heels is up for a cover award, so I hope you'll vote for me. You'll also see fellow Casababe Terry Spear is up for a cover award in a different category. http://www.kwiksurveys.com/online-survey.php?surveyID=LNEHO_8878bb7c "It's listing to the right." "It's straight." "You call that straight? I called it old man crooked." Jazz shot Krebs a look that said 'fix it or else!' Her housemate blew out an exasperated breath as he stepped back a few paces and studied the tree. She was right. It was leaning a little too far to the right. "...