betcha think the spiders got me…

May 21, 2010

But they didn’t. Granted, I did get stung on my back by a bee yesterday. While sitting in bed writing. And it’s the second time in my life I got stung on my back by a bee in bed.

What? I can’t make this stuff up, people.

Oh, and the exterminator recommended a spider brush to me – he’s like, they sell them at Home Depot. And I’m picturing this big brush that you whack spiders to death with.

Exterminator: You take the brush and you catch the spiders in them. Then you take the brush outside and shake the spiders out.

Me: Wait a minute, I’m supposed to carry a live spider through the house on a brush? Isn’t there a brush where a little man comes out of the top and smashes the spider to death? Because that’s a brush I want.

That’s when he gave up talking spider brushes and just sprayed the windows.

Anyway, so I’ve got to finish the draft of a book by May 31st. Pray for me, because it’s going to be tight. It’s in the, oh my god, what was I thinking, stage, right on target, right around the page count that I always want to throw the book out the window. This is Mace’s book (no pub date yet) but I do get to keep it’s original title, IN THE AIR TONIGHT. It fits the book perfectly so I’m thrilled my editor loves it!

Larissa and I also got a title for Sydney book 6…TAKEN BY FIRE. Loving that one too.

Just got copy edits for PROMISES IN THE DARK, which is exciting – means the book is kind of thisclose to getting put to bed. Can’t stop looking at the cover, either.

Okay, how AWESOME was Gray’s Anatomy last night? I was literally hanging onto the bed every time it came back from commercial – talk about moving forward relentlessly. It was probably my favorite episode of all time. Real Housewives of New York was good too, but kind of sad. Kelly needs help. Fast.

New York Times Bestseller List!!!

February 4, 2010

So I got the phone call last night from my agent and my editor that HOLD ON TIGHT hit the New York Times Bestseller List at #22!!!!!

I still can’t really believe it. I mean, last night, I was hyperventilating and in a general state of, well, stunned. Like, really and truly and I’m so absolutely thrilled and thankful and grateful to all the people who bought the books and talked them up and blogged them. You guys are awesome!

Even better, I get to share the thrill with Larissa Ione – we released the same day and her book, Ecstacy Unveiled, hit the New York Times at #23 and the USA Today Bestseller List at #58 (she’s hit both lists before and she just keeps climbing higher – I’m so proud of her!)

Larissa and I have done a lot together – I mean, we write together as Sydney Croft. But it’s more than that – we sold our own first project within three days of one another. She hit the Times with her third single title. I hit it with mine. And we’re right next to each other. And we have purple covers. So it’s really strange and really cool at the same time.

Zoo had a work dinner last night – when he came home, he said, you’d have thought I hit the list – everyone was buying me shots and drinks and stuff!

For the record, I had a brownie for dinner. I know – I’m actually pretty happy about that. Chocolate for dinner – who can complain?

Today, I’ll be trying to keep my mind on my revisions – and you can read my interview over at the Black Raven Cafe – stop on by and say hello and you’re eligible for a backlist giveaway!

RomCon Forum

February 3, 2010

Today, I’m hosting RomCon’s Contemporary Forum, so head on over and comment – the topic I’m talking about it favorite love scenes. *g*

Oh, and LIE WITH ME is up for preorder at Amazon! I’m working on revisions for Zane’s book, aka PROMISES IN THE DARK (and I’m dying for covers for his book and Cam’s! Soon, hopefully…)

Let’s see, what else, what else…HARD TO HOLD sold to Thailand and Sydney‘s Riding the Storm and Unleashing the Storm sold to Germany. Foreign sales are always good news!

Slapping the spirits

November 8, 2009

Please tell me someone saw the Paranormal State episode that took place at the insane asylum? OMG – how AWESOME was that? Usually, it’s just Ryan and Chip Coffey running around and then nothing really happens, although it’s way better than Ghost Hunters because hi, all the ghost stuff ends up being a plumbing issue. Convenient since the men who run the group happen to be plumbers and can fix the problems.

I don’t want to know ghosts are nothing more than washing machine problems and carbon monoxide. Much more fun to hear scary ghost voices and watch Ryan and the team get all freaked out.

Anyway, in this episode, Chip Coffey (psychic) gets possessed by a spirit, tells Ryan to f*** off and then Lorainne Heath, well known medium and ghost hunter, gets to slap Chip in the face to get rid of the spirit!

Who knew it was that easy? I mean, the Exorcist movie would’ve been done in like 1/2 an hour. Btw, that’s still the scariest movie I’ve ever seen. I cannot ever watch it again. *shudders*

If Larissa and I ever ghost hunted together and she got possessed, I would totally slap her. To save her from the spirit, people – really.

Oh and now Extreme Paranormal’s on – a voodoo priestess takes down an entire town. Freaky.

It would be better if Chip Coffey was there. And getting smacked.

Yeah, yeah, I know – I need to get back to work. Badly.

But now I want to add in an insane asylum to the new Sydney story. And really, it could actually work. Larissa, it could…let me work something up…

Tempting the Fire cover!

October 22, 2009

In case you haven’t seen it yet over at Writeminded and LIST, here’s Sydney Croft’s beautiful new cover!

TEMPT updated copy

TEMPTING THE FIRE
August 2010

EXTREME HEAT. EXTREME HUNGER.
A JUNGLE EDEN ABLAZE WITH TEMPTATION.

Shockwaves shoot through the Agency for Covert Rare Operatives (ACRO) when horrific video surfaces from the Brazilian rain forest. A team of Navy SEALs has been nearly wiped out by something sinister and superhuman. Now ACRO agents Sela Kahne and Marlena West head to the world’s most unforgiving jungle in pursuit of a mythical monstrosity with a taste for human blood. And the only path that will take them to the creature runs through two men, each hiding his own dark secret.

Sela is an expert on cryptozoology with a sideline skill that could prove invaluable: when she makes love to a man, she engulfs his innermost thoughts. Teamed with Marlena, Sela makes contact with the lone SEAL survivor, Chance McCormack. Meanwhile Logan Mills, the man who rescued Chance, leads his private company on a hunt that has nothing to do with saving lives. Soon, Sela will put her supernatural charms to work on Logan, determined to extract information about the creature they are seeking. But in this sweat-drenched realm of danger and deception, Logan is more than just a passive target. He has the power to lead a highly-trained seducer into a jungle without any rules, without any limits—and no end to the heat.

***

There’s also a brand new Sneak Peek up for TOO HOT TO HOLD!!!

A Sydney Croft cover

October 15, 2009

Sydney Croft’s Riding the Storm has a pretty new Japanese edition that arrived at my door early yesterday evening.

It was such a nice surprise (not that I wasn’t expecting the UPS man because, hi, he’s here daily thanks to Amazon) but I didn’t think this was being published until 2010.

Unleashing the Storm will also be translated – I’m can’t wait to see that cover too!

Sydney also got (I have no idea why I’m speaking of Syd like she’s another person – I like to pretend she is sometimes, though, especially when there’s a lot of writing to be done) a very beautiful brand new cover for TEMPTING THE FIRE which comes out August 2010. And no, I can’t show you yet. Soon, very soon, I promise, but it’s probably my favorite of all the covers. If not, it ties with Seduced by the Storm, which is my hands-down favorite cover. Or was, until I saw TEMPTING’s cover.

Do you have a favorite Croft cover?

Ten

October 13, 2009

1. It’s SOA night (aka Sons of Anarchy)!!!

2. I’m exhausted. Like, fall asleep while typing exhausted. Migraine isn’t helping. Blog writing might.

3. I love fall. Beautiful sleeping weather. And obviously, I need the sleep.

4. I got my first review for HARD TO HOLD from Suspense Romance Writers!!! YAY! My favorite part: “Ms. Tyler has written an amazing story about the will to survive.”

5. I’m working on Zane’s book. Official title: PROMISES IN THE DARK. Love the title. Would like Zane to talk to me a little more, though. I’m not above begging.

6. If all goes well, LIE WITH ME (Cam’s book) and PROMISES IN THE DARK will be out back to back in Fall 2010. As always, this is tentative. Again, I’m not above begging…

7. Did anyone else catch Mike Tyson on Oprah? It was very hard to watch. He’s like a man-child with super-strength, which makes him truly frightening to me.

8. 42 more days until HARD TO HOLD is released. Says so right there on the Sprout.

9. I would like Rachel Zoe to come to pick out my entire wardrobe. Unfortunately, I don’t think she’ll approve of pajamas and sweats, so there could be some conflict. I’m willing to chance it, though.

10. Next week (ish), Larissa and I start Sydney Croft book 6 – Stryker’s book. It’s going to be a busy couple of months.

Mammoth Book of Special Ops

July 12, 2009

Sydney Croft has a story in the upcoming Mammoth Book of Special Ops – this is the British cover – they usually change it for the US version. The short story is called, Code Word: Storm, and it’s about Annika and Creed! It takes place between ACRO books 1 & 2 in the timeline.

THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF SPECIAL OPS ROMANCE

Trisha Telep

23 passionate stories of hard-hitting love

Stirring romance featuring the heroes of the Navy SEALs, Delta Force, Air Force Pararescue, the Green Berets, the Army Rangers and other special forces: men and women who live and fight in extreme danger to preserve our freedoms, defenders and protectors of all we hold dear.

This collection includes the work of bestselling romance writers such as Shannon K. Butcher and Stephanie Tyler and Larissa Ione, writing as Sydney Croft. Sydney Croft’s special forces couple, Annika and Creed, work for the Agency for Covert Rare Operatives (ACRO), all of whose members have special powers, while Shannon K. Butcher’s hero is an ex-Navy SEAL. But these fighting men and women have a gentler, protective side; hard-edged weapons when on active duty, they can be caring lovers, of special forces teammates or the civilians they protect

Vote for Sydney!!!

May 4, 2009

Well, Sydney’s cover, that is. See, every year, the Cover Cafe picks the best romance covers in several categories and runs a contest where readers can vote for their favorite covers. To read more about the contest and see previous results, you can visit their site.

Unleashing The Storm was named one of the best covers in their AR (Alternative Reality) category for 2008!!!! The contest is online and can be reached for voting here. There are some absolutely beautiful covers that have been nominated, so go check it out. And, of course, vote. For Unleashing The Storm.

Cover Cafe let us know that sometimes, during the first few days of the contest, the server can get overwhelmed, so please keep trying if you can’t get through right away.

Personally, I adore all the Sydney Covers. Every time Bantam creates one, Larissa and I think, they’ll never top it. And they always surprise us.

Do you have a favorite Sydney cover? You can check them all out here.

Sydney Croft news

December 12, 2008

First, Michelle Buonfiglio of Romance Buy The Book has named Unleashing The Storm “Best Erotic Paranormal Romance of 2008!” That’s very cool, especially because this book is so special to me and Larissa.

And Creed and Annika lovers will see more of the couple, as Sydney’s been invited to participate in the Mammoth Book of Special Ops! I’m thinking this short story will be a 2010 publication, but I’ll let you know more when I do.

Also, Riding The Storm and Unleashing The Storm both recently sold rights to Japan – I can’t wait to see what they do with those covers. So yeah, Syd’s been busy!

Speaking of which, must go work on Sydney book 5 now. We’ve passed the halfway point and can’t lose momentum now.

Steph T.