Jaci Burton’s Muse

I’m going to have my website redesigned. A complete overhaul. A brand new website. I’m very excited.

This is where you come in, where you get to tell me what you think a great website needs. Or doesn’t need. It’s your chance to tell me your wish list. Blurbs, excerpts, buy links, more info on the author, on the books…what do you look for in a website?

I know…no music. Don’t worry, mine will never have it. But beyond that, what are you looking for in a great website. Feel free to head on over to my website. Look around, tell me what works for you and what doesn’t. What’s there that you like and what’s missing that you wish was there?

Tell me what authors’ website you absolutely love, and what specifically about them do you love? (please include the url if you’re going to link to any authors’ websites as examples)

And for all your help, I’ll draw a winner from the commenters to win a $20 Amazon gift certificate. For those who don’t live in the U.S., if you’re the winner I’ll think of a goodie for you of equal value.

Thanks in advance for your assistance. I’ll leave comments open until Tuesday since Monday is a holiday here in the U.S.

I finished The Perfect Game over the weekend! So excited! The Perfect Game is the second book in my sports series (the one yet to receive a super hot delicious cover.) The Perfect Play, the one with the hottest cover ever, is already done and in the hands of my editor. So now The Perfect Game will sit for awhile before I edit it.

Speaking of the hottest cover ever, The Perfect Play is now up for preorder at Amazon!

Next up for me is the first romantic suspense book under my new contract with MIRA. So excited to dig in and start writing this book. Still playing with titles, but as soon as I have a title that will stick I’ll start talking about it. The first book releases in Sept, 2011, so still a ways to go, but I’m beyond thrilled about this new series and can’t wait to tell you all about it. Soon.

On the reading front, I’ve been reading like mad, which makes me all kinds of happy. I’ve read the first 3 books in Nora’s Bride Quartet series and have loved them madly. I read them back to back and now I’m frustrated that I have to wait til November for the 4th book.

I also got a sneak peak at Maya Banks September release, The Darkest Hour, the first of her new KGI romantic suspense novels. And it’s wonderful. And speaking of Maya, she has a brand new website so you should head over and check it out, and while you’re there, take a look at The Darkest Hour under her Coming Soon books.

I’m currently reading Jill Shalvis Wilder series and it’s wonderful. I love sexy contemporary romance and this one is fun and sexy and the Wilder brothers make my pulse race and make me sweat. It’s a great series and I can’t recommend it enough. The books are Instant Attraction, Instant Gratification and Instant Temptation and you can check them out here

You can always find me over at Goodreads which I do try to keep updated, but I tend to get a little behind. I’m trying very hard to keep track of the books I’ve read and loved.

That’s it for me for now. Time to work!

Holy crap, people, the sun is out today! Now those of you who live in perpetually sunny climates (hating you) probably don’t understand my utter joy at this statement. It’s rained nearly every damn day in May. So the sun being out today makes me like you would not believe. I popped open the garage door and wandered outside like someone who’d been living in a cave for the past month. The sun felt so warm on my skin I just wanted to grab a book, plant my butt out there and soak it all in.

Sadly…deadlines. But the good news is, instead of our typical rainy weekend forecast, it’s actually supposed to be warm and sunny all weekend, which means we’ll be taking the Harley out for a spin. More

Just a reminder that there are ten days left in Brenda Novak’s Auction for Diabetes Research . Amazing items are up for bid, so please check them out. And don’t forget I have two items up for bid. A Bad Boy Biker basket filled with my Wild Riders books and biker goodies, as well as a critique of a super sexy romance proposal for any unpubbed writers looking for a critique of their work. Plus trips and books and art work and signed items and chances to meet with your favorite authors, so head on over and check it out!

Lastly, did anyone watch the Grey’s Anatomy finale last night? Spoilers ahead if you haven’t watched yet:
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Holy crap I was drained after it was over. Despite my utter lack of being able to suspend disbelief at the ineptitude of the police and SWAT to take down one gunman (seriously..the whole police force waits outside while the gunman is inside–along with the entire hospital staff and all the patients that they didn’t bother to evacuate? I don’t think so. And you wound the gunman and then don’t rush in and take him down? Again, don’t think so.) But other than that, lots of victims, lots of melodrama, which Greys is famous for. I enjoyed that part. Shonda Rhimes loves to make us suffer, doesn’t she? Can’t wait for the Fall season!
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Spoilers over!

Hope your weekend is warm, sunny and rain free. Unless you need the rain, then of course, please take some of what we’ve been having.

Back about four years ago, Biker Dude and I were gym rats. We went every day and I was in killer good shape. So was he.

But then he suffered a shoulder injury, and then a knee injury. And then I got elbow tendonitis and hurt my shoulder. And then one thing led to another and we stopped going to the gym.

Big mistake. Big. Huge. (Do you know what movie that’s from? Answer at the end of the post) *

Over the years and a lot of hours spent sitting at my computer writing books, and a lot more hours spent with my ass parked in front of the television watching a hell of a lot of my favorite tv shows, I’ve gained weight. A sedentary lifestyle is not conducive to a buff body. Who knew?

I haven’t weighed this much since I was pregnant with my kids. I mean like way pregnant with my kids. I don’t sleep well, my joints hurt. My back hurt. We’d been eating too much really craptastic food (oooh high fat food? Yes, I love it, thank you). Other than chocolate, which I can’t have anymore since I had to give up caffeine last year, there’s not a dessert I don’t love.

So anyway, I started getting flabby, jiggly parts. Ew. Don’t like those. At. All.

We bought a treadmill last winter that we’d pretty much ignored (they make great clothing racks). But we needed to get back in shape and just thinking about getting in shape doesn’t do much to get you there. Huh. Imagine that.

Finally I’d had enough. It was time to start exercising again.

So we have been. First few days on the treadmill my back was killing me. So were my knees. I thought…well, crap, I’m not going to be able to do this. But guess what? After the first few days my back stopped hurting. Turns out my back and knees were hurting because I wasn’t exercising. (Duh)

I also started working out to Jillian Michael’s (From The Biggest Loser) 30 Day Shred. Killer workout. Or kill me workout. Lifting weights too. I get bored easily with a workout so I need to mix it up. Every day I work out I get stronger and my endurance increases so I can do more and more.

I’m sleeping like the dead at night now. My stomach is flattening. I have energy again. And I’m losing weight. My clothes are looser. It’s all incentive to work out the next day. And the day after that.

I still hate exercise, but it does make me feel better, so I’ll kick my own ass and make myself do it because I have to. I don’t like the alternative. I hate feeling miserable.

We’re not really on a strict diet, but we’re not eating desserts and we’re cutting the heavy fat meals. But we do eat. We’re just eating sensibly. For example, Biker Dude cooked burgers on the grill yesterday. We ate them without a bun. Had cottage cheese instead of fries. I made a salad. When we ate at a buffet over the weekend, I had salmon and green beans. For dessert I went to the salad bar and filled up on fresh fruit instead of hitting the dessert bar. The fruit was awesome and very sweet. I’m not big on denial. I like food. You do have to fuel your body when you’re trying to lose weight, or your body will start eating muscle to fuel itself, which is bad. So you have to make sure to eat so you can burn fat.

So far so good.

Anyone else trying to lose weight out there? Always interested in what y’all are doing.

*Pretty Woman, one of my all time favorite movies

For those who haven’t heard me squeal on Twitter and Facebook today, behold my new cover art for THE PERFECT PLAY, releasing from Berkley Heat in February, 2011.

Football pro Mick Riley is an all-star, both on the field and in the bedroom. But a sexy, determinedly single mom just might be the one to throw him off his game…

For years Mick has been taking full advantage of the life available to a pro athlete: fame, fortune, and a different girl in every city. But when he meets and beds confident, beautiful event planner Tara Lincoln, he wants much more than the typical one-night stand. Too bad Tara’s not interested in getting to know football’s most notorious playboy any better.

As the single mother of a teenage son, the last thing Tara needs is the jet-set lifestyle of Mick Riley; even though their steamy and passionate one-night stand was unforgettable. Tara’s life is complicated enough without being thrust into the spotlight as Mick’s latest girl du jour. Tara played the game of love once and lost big, and she doesn’t intend to put herself out there again, especially with a heartbreaker like Mick.

But when Mick sets his mind to win, nothing will stop him. And he has the perfect play in mind.

Isn’t it just yummy?

Ever have one of those weekends where you actually look forward to Monday so you can rest?

Yeah, it was one of those weekends. I’m tired.

I like my weekends to be quiet and uneventful. Not too busy, just quiet and uneventful. This weekend was exhausting.

Saturday we did a poker run for a cancer charity. A poker run is a biker event where you ride to 5 locations, get a poker hand, and if you get a great hand you have a chance of winning some money. We did not get a great poker hand. Alas. The weather was in the 50’s in the morning, winds out of the north. Brrr. I freely admit I do not like riding when it’s cold.

It’s May here, people. The weather is supposed to be warming. Not in the 50’s. It’s supposed to be hitting high 70s and 80s by now. Dressing up in leathers is a giant pain in the ass. Barreling down the highway with a cold wind slapping my face is not my idea of a good time. Getting home 5 hours later, I’m wind burned and wiped out. But then we had to go to the grocery store to get food for Mother’s Day, because #1 son and the grandkids were coming over on Sunday. So off we went.

Yesterday morning we went over to my mother-in-laws to wish her a Happy Mothers Day and spend some time with her. Then we came home and I started to make cupcakes. Got everything out and realized I had no eggs. Doh! How could I have no eggs? I always have eggs. So had to hop in the car and dash to the store to buy eggs. Made the cupcakes, #1 son and the grandkids came over. (daughter in law had to work yesterday. She’s a bartender at a restaurant. Poor baby).

We barbecued chicken, had beans and corn on the cob. And of course the cupcakes, which oldest granddaughter helped me ice.

Played with the granddaughters. Lots of fun. Very tiring. Heh. They spent the afternoon here and it’s always so enjoyable having them around.

By last night I was utterly wiped out. I got no writing done this weekend. Bad me.

So yeah, I was actually looking forward to Monday because I don’t have to be anywhere today. It’s laundry and writing day.

How sad and pathetic am I?

Hope all you Moms out there had a wonderful day yesterday!

Just a reminder that Brenda Novak’s Auction for Diabetes Research is ongoing through the month of May. Amazing items are up for bid, so please check them out. And don’t forget I have two items up for bid. A Bad Boy Biker basket filled with my Wild Riders books and biker goodies, as well as a critique of a super sexy romance proposal for any unpubbed writers looking for a critique of their work.

Also, to help out those affected by the Nashville floods, a group of Nashville authors have organized an auction to raise money for flood relief. Please check out Do The Write Thing For Nashville and check out the many items up for bid.

Let’s all do our part to help out these worthy causes!

Look what the enormously talented Frauke of Croco Designs made for me for my Wild Riders series. Aren’t they lovely?

Postcards

And Bookmarks