It's release week for Finding Home, and I'm celebrating by giving away a $20 Dreamspinner Press gift certificate!

Wow, is it just me or is this year just flying by?! It seems like I just finished writing Finding Home a few days ago, but it's actually been almost seven months. (And even more mind-blowing for me: I'm a few days away from finishing the third book in the series!)

Today is release day for Finding Home, and I'm so excited to share Ian's journey from the roguish playboy we met in Island House to the man he is at the end of Finding Home. Don't get me wrong--Ian didn't completely transform his personality. I think we'd all be upset if he wasn't the same snarky, slightly selfish bastard he was when we got to know him. But in Finding Home he matures and finally starts to settle down, and it's so much fun to see how he reacts to domesticity. (Hint: There are quite a few bumps on the way.)

I'm on the Dreamspinner Press blog all day today talking about the book and giving away prizes, so come see me there. If you miss it, don't worry--I'll be touring blogs for the next month talking about Ian and the first man who's ever captured his heart enough to make him want to settle down: Luke Keys.

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BLOG TOUR

June 19: Why I love flawed characters, on J.P. Barnaby

June 23: Writing a series, on Charley Descoteaux

June 25: Living vicariously through my characters, on Tempeste O'Riley

June 27: Writing kids, on Jamie Lynn Miller 

July 7: Character continuity, on Anne Barwell

July 28: Dropping Anchor book 3, on Kim Fielding

July 31: When Pinterest leads us astray, Cup 'o Porn

I'll be guesting with Jana Denardo, Grace Duncan, and CJane Elliott as well!

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Finding Home is available from Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, AllRomance, and other online book vendors.

In the meantime, I'll be giving away a $20 Dreamspinner Press gift certificate to celebrate Finding Home's release. The contest runs from June 23 through June 27, and there are opportunities to enter daily. Good luck!

EDIT: Congrats to Andrea, who won the gift certificate!

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Top 10 things I've said this polar vortex

The kids did some snow
experiments before the
temperature plummeted.

This post also could have been titled "The reason my manuscript isn't finished yet," since the uber cold weather and foot of snow has extended the kids' winter break and kept them home this week. 

These are precious days I'm losing, since Finding Home is due Jan. 15. I'm in the home stretch, but it's hard to write with a chorus of "MOMMY!" and "S/he took my..." in the background.

We sent Hubs out in his ski gear to blow
bubbles when it was -13F. They froze!

We live in the Midwest so cold winters are nothing new, but this blast of arctic air is more than even we hearty Hoosiers can handle. Indiana's in a deep freeze the likes of which I've never seen, and I've lived here on and off for the last thirty years. Luckily we haven't been part of the tens of thousands here in Indianapolis who have lost power during the cold snap, so at least there's that. We do have a few frozen pipes (they haven't burst yet, fingers crossed!) and a definite case of cabin fever, though.

Since I'm not writing useful words for my manuscript, I thought I'd at least share what's going on here in the Baker household instead.

Top 10 things I've said this polar vortex:

10. Did you remember to leave a faucet dripping?
9. Put on some socks.
8. I don't care if you don't like them, in this family we wear pants when it's below zero.
7. Get off of your sister/brother.
6. No seriously, put on some socks.
5. Please don't cancel school, please don't cancel schoo...shit.
4. Yeah, well, that's what happens when you run in the house.
3. If I have to separate you two myself no one is going away happy.
2. DO YOU WANT TO LOSE A TOE? PUT ON THE SOCKS.
1. Go to your room.

 U.S. friends, wherever you are, I hope you're staying warm and safe. And if you're one of the lucky bastards in Anchorage where it's 32 degrees, don't forget the sunscreen when you go out in your bikini. 

Snippet from Finding Home

Buy on Dreamspinner Press
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Island House came out earlier this week, and I've been having a blast visiting blogs talking about it. Right now you can enter to win a free copy on Andrew Q. Gordon's blog.

Be sure to check out the posts if missed my release party over on the Dreamspinner Press blog. I shared snippets from the book and the inspiration behind some of my favorite parts of the novel. Don't fret if you missed the giveaways--there will be more chances to win goodies like the metal anchor bookmarks and the ceramic oil warmers from the prize packages on Twitter throughout the month.

I'm hard at work on the second book in the Dropping Anchor series, Finding Home. Here's a sneak peek at some of the dialogue from  today's writing session:

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Letting Clare choose where they ate would mean something vegetarian, or worse, vegan.

“Can we stop for something on the way? You know she's not going to let us eat anywhere with actual food,” Ian pleaded.

“The last time I did that she smelled the french fries the second she got in the car. I ended up on a three-day juice cleanse,” Niall said with a shudder that told Ian he wasn't exaggerating.

“I did a juice cleanse once,” he offered.

“A two-day bender where all you did was drink pineapple juice with rum is not a juice cleanse,” Niall retorted.

“Lost six pounds,” Ian continued, ignoring the interruption.

“Probably more from dehydration from all the sex than because of the juice,” Niall deadpanned.

Ian considered it, then nodded. College spring break weeks were a guaranteed good time on Tortola. “Possibly.”

--Finding Home, due out summer 2014

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On the topic of beverages, apparently you can get Butterbeer at Starbucks! It's pretty chilly here in Indianapolis today, so maybe I'll treat myself to a magical hot drink this afternoon.