Original Idea

One of the things that sells books to publishers is having a unique high concept.

I knew when I wanted to take my novels to another level, that I wanted to branch out from more classic romance into something more mainstream and contemporary. Something more like the exciting novels I've come to love in my own reading life (you know...the books that inspired me to specialize in romantic suspense in my Atlanta Heroes Superromance series ;o)

And one of the common responses I received from all the editors who read my Derk Legacy pitch was that I had a unique, original idea on my hands. So, thanks in part to Bob Mayer's Original Idea workshop during one of his weekend retreats years ago (where I was just starting to get my brain churning around doing a different kind of book), here's the original idea for my new "Legacy" series for Dorchester books ;o)

Original Idea: Psychic powers are exploited to assassinate classified government targets—using only the mind, scientists can custom design and remote-trigger violent daydreams.

Premise: Hijacking nightmares, secret government scientists imbed sleeper programming into the subconscious of unsuspecting people. Homicidal fantasies (lucid dreams) can then be triggered in the waking world, transforming innocents into deadly weapons. Beware—your next daydream could become a living nightmare.

The first two stories in the series, Dark Legacy and Haunted Legacy (or Forogtten Legacy, I can't decide about the title for the sequel), are paranormal romantic suspense, based on a secret family legacy of psychic power that a government weapon's program wants to exploit...

Come back tomorrow, for a closer look at the legacy ;o)

Cover Copy...

Today's taste...

Stay tuned for more. Such a cool story. I'll be sprinkling details about all week...maybe even a brief excerpt or two ;o)

“Die!” scream her nightmares. The voice is her sister’s, the compulsion stronger than any ordinary dream.

Maddie Temple can’t go through this again. Her twin has been in a coma for the last ten years. Their psychic link was severed. At least, that’s what she thought.

But there’s a lot Maddie doesn’t know—about the 200-year-old curse on her family, about the shadowy group that wants to exploit the Temple twins’ powers for themselves, about the sexy psychiatrist offering to help her.

The only way to find the answers and avoid being pulled into the abyss of madness is to trust her heart and confront her... DARK LEGACY.

New and Improved

Okay, Dark Legacy is in to Dorchester, and the revisions are already back and I'm talking with my editor about them in a little over an hour...so stay tuned...details every day this week on this amazing new direction my writing life is taking.


In the midst of writing and planning for a rewrite, I've been hard a work getting this year's travel/promotion schedule nailed down (up on the website soon), singing the contracts for my new Atlanta Heroes novel for Superromance (tentatively titled, The Fireman's Secret Baby ;o), collaborating with a local jewelry designer on promotional items and custom designed prizes for the Dark Legacy release, oh!, and working with a wonderful graphic artist on redesigning my logo, website and blog presence.
For now, sprinkled above and below are a sneak peak of the new logos: my main brand, my classic (Harlequin) projects, and my paranormal (Dorchester) books.
More soon on everythig, includng a new newsletter format using the very yummy Constant Contact! In the mean time, current prize winners your gifts are going out today (including the Fresh Fiction winners--of the XOXO and Coach purses). I'll annouce the winner of the matching XOXO wallet by the endof the week.


Everyone, whatcha think of the more mainstream "me" look of the logos??? The color stories of the website and blog are going to change, to allow for the variety of books I'll have coming out going forward. But we're trying to still offer a "soft" option for those who prefer my Harlequin work, and a spooky place for paranormal fans to come and feel at home--plus a way to visually combine the two into an overall brand...