Patricia’s Occasional Newsletter (distributed only by request)

from author Patricia Crossley, www.patriciacrossley.com Please stop by for a visit, read some of my excerpts and reviews & pick up some free downloads.
email patricia@patriciacrossley.com,
I also write as Margrett Dawson: email margrettdawson@theromancestudio.com

September 2003

Greetings. My subscribers now come from everywhere in the world. Wherever you are, I hope that you are well, enjoying your friends and families and whatever weather is happening in your corner of the universe.

Life has been busy for us over the last few weeks. Our tickets are booked to travel in mid August from Vancouver, Canada to London, England. We'll spend a few days visiting friends and family and will also take a quick trip to the Black Forest in southern Germany to see old friends.

Then at the end of August we fly to Nairobi and then on to Kisumu on Lake Victoria. From there we will drive about an hour along a hilly road of rutted, red earth, crossing the equator three times, through small settlements, rocky terrain and lush plantations. The road climbs steadily into the hills and the air grows cooler. At five thousand feet we'll stop in the town of Kakamega where we will be living. A small apartment is waiting for us, as well as many people ,whom we shall rejoice to see again.

Only a week in Kakamega, but hopefully time enough to settle in, subscribe to Africa on line and recover from the jet lag. On September 6 we'll leave by road for Kampala, Uganda, where we will be teaching in a program intended for Ugandan Health professionals. These people are doctors and nurses and other health care workers, who are released for an intensive course in Public Health Administration.

It will be interesting to teach adults who share many of the qualities we came to love about Kenyans, but who have different customs, languages and backgrounds. After three weeks we return to Kenya where we will stay for the next eight months.

The computers we had collected and prepared left in the container last week. They should arrive anytime after the end of September.

We have packed away all our personal possessions in our apartment and are preparing it for our prospective tenants. The only thing remaining to fall into place is to find someone to rent our harbor front condo!

During all this I have continued writing the sequel to ‛Secret Services' as well as a couple of other titles for Ellora's Cave and Liquid Silver.

I was delighted earlier this month to hear that NovelBooks Inc will re-issue my time travel romance, ‛Journeys End' in 2005. It sounds a long time away, but the months will flash by. Novel Books publishes another title of mine "Beloved Stranger". They are an excellent company and I am honored that they wish to take another of my books. Check out their fabulous sale later in this newsletter.

Secret Services will be released under the pen name Margrett Dawson by Ellora's Cave in the second or third week of September and the other great news is that this publisher is now officially recognized by Romance Writers of America.

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As usual I have some goodies for you in this month's letter.

- some new authors to check out
- some excerpts from some books that might interest you
- contest winners
- my new contest
- a blurb about Secret Services, a romantica novel coming fro Ellora's Cave
- reviews for Fantasy Island


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Let me introduce you to some writing friends:
Betty Sullivan La Pierre writes Mystery/Suspense . You can find her website at www.geocities.com/e_pub_2000 Her publisher: www.SynergEbooks.com

#5 of the ‘Hawkman Series’ “BLACKOUT” was just released in June, 2003

It's the bingo hall mystery everyone has wanted...

Intrigue & Mystery!! More than a game ensues when Destiny Wilson disappears from the White Oaks Bingo hall. Her father, Jesse seeks the help of Hawkman and the hunt is launched.
You can reach Betty at Betty Sullivan La Pierre at bzna93a@aol.com

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Shirley Martin writes romance. She has a vampire romance out now, ONE MORE TOMORROW. It can be ordered from New Concepts at:
www.newconceptspublishing.com/onemoretomorrow.htm
Also at New Concepts you'll find Shirley's historical romance HIGH WIND RISING.
www.newconceptspublishing.com/highwindrising.htm
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Janet Elaine Smith's latest book out is "Par for the Course." It is a timetravel that takes a modern-day (female) golf pro back to golf with Mary, Queen of Scots--the first woman golfer in actual historical facts.
"Are women golfers becoming par for the course?" CBS' 60 Minutes says that's the case. (Aired April 13, 2003)
"Can history really be reversed, or is life just a game?" See ‛Par for the Course' by Janet Elaine Smith. The book is available at amazon, bn.com and all over the place. The url to Jane's website is http://www.janetelainesmith.com .
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Fantasy Island by Margrett Dawson in the anthology Afternoon Delights www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/afternoon.htm This is my short story for the over eighteen readers.
"Liz sets off for a shakedown cruise in a sailboat on a sunny afternoon. One violent storm later,she wakes naked in the bed of a handsome stranger who offers her a fantasy she can't resist."

Reviews for Fantasy Island
http://theromancestudio.com/reviews.php
Fantasy Island is well-written erotic short story with very tasteful sensual scenes and wonderful characterization. Ms. Dawson strikes the right balance between believable dialogue and insightful internalization in this romantic interlude

www.roadtoromance.ca/reviewafternoondelights.htm
This tale was romantic, breathtaking and steamy. Stefan is a man that could capture my heart too! Sweet, attentive, gorgeous and very comfortable with himself in any setting. Stefan and Liz share something magical during their time together. A wonderfully romantic tale that brings two lonely souls together.

"Strong erotic romantic anthology"
Ignore the song as this book is a sultry, sexy and scintillatingly sinful ten story erotic romance anthology collection that crosses most of the sub-genres giving generalists quite a thrilling but heated treat. The tales share in common that each is well written, fun to follow, and star delightful couples in a wide variance of locales and themes. Some contain profanity, but all are hot and move the genre closer to the porn barrier, although not yet crossing it as the relationships off the sheets remain as critical if not more important than those on the bedding to the strong plots.
Whether it is the Internet, reincarnation, the jungle, etc. fans will enjoy AFTERNOON DELIGHTS, but keep handy (no pun intended) that significant other because that individual will share evening delights with the reader. Those readers who enjoyed this strong short story collection will want to visit the publisher (see http://liquidsilverbooks.com) for more heated treasures like this one. Harriet Klausner Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted July 31, 2003 http://thebestreviews.com/review14382

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Patrice Michelle writes sizzling erotic romance for Ellora's Cave. She loves vampire stories and so will you if you try her books. (But only if you're over eighteen!)

Here's A Taste for Passion:
Rana Sterling finally finds the man of her dreams and BOY does he know how to push all the right buttons. Only, Mr. Tall, Dark and Too-Good-to-Be-True turns out to be just that; he's a real live, fanged vampire!

Lucian Trevane has a duty to fulfill. He's expected to take the role of Vité, leader of the vampires in three days. But he knows he won't take the position without his wife by his side. Now, after seventy years of searching for his reincarnated fiancé, he finally finds the woman of his dreams in Rana Sterling. Rana may respond to his lovemaking, but she refuses to become his vampire wife. As if their lives aren't complicated enough, throw in a vengeful vampire, a surprise twist, and the fact Rana and Lucian can't deny the strong attraction that exists between them and you've just stepped into A TASTE OF PASSION.
Sexual Content: Hard R Genre: Vampire Length: Novel

Avalable at www.ellorascave.com


EXTRACT: A TASTE FOR PASSION by Patrice Michelle

She bent over and picked up the last two books. The bell chimed and a man walked in. Rana glanced up and saw him browsing through a shelf of autobiographies.

She did a double-take and inspected him closer while his gaze was averted. Short-cropped midnight hair, and high cheekbones flowed into a straight nose. Her stomach tightened in response to his sensual mouth and strong jaw line.

His black trench coat hid his build, though its length only accentuated his height, which she guessed to be about six-three. The cut of his white dress shirt and charcoal gray slacks screamed custom made. What was he doing in her small bookstore? He had the look of a Barrett's shopper.

She quickly glanced down at her chocolate brown sweater and long black skirt. Note to self: your clothes suck! Update them and for the love of Jimmy, get some color, girl. She lifted her head with a wry smile and asked, "Can I help you with something?"

He turned and white teeth gleamed in a charming grin. "Hi," he called out. "I'm just looking."

Her heart flopped in her chest at that devastating smile and then did a somersault when she met his metallic gaze and realized he was the man from the cemetery.

Rana worked hard to keep her voice steady. "Take your time."

She put one book on the shelf and noticed the other hadn't been tagged. Behind the counter, she attached a tag and returned to the used bookshelf.

The man stood in front of the tall wooden case, inspecting the titles, a thoughtful look on his face. "How old are some of these books? The titles seem to go back a few decades."

His pale gray eyes met hers and her heart tripped a beat. She let out a nervous, throaty laugh. "Yes, some of the books on the left date back as early as 1930."

The curve of that sensual mouth and the warmth of his smile, took her breath away. "I'm a collector of sorts."

The man absolutely mesmerized her. His speech was formal and cultured. More old school. She found the cadence in the deep timbre of his voice extremely sexy, almost hypnotic. Shaking her head to clear it, she finally remembered to speak. "Well, browse to your heart's content." She lifted the book to shelve it when long, warm fingers encircled her wrist, catching her hand in midair.

Rana sucked in her breath at the electric contact and turned questioning eyes his way. For some inexplicable reason, she wasn't afraid of him, only intensely aware of how much he affected her.

"Did you just get this one in? What's it about?" He indicated the book in her hand.

"It's a book about vampires." She laughed. "I doubt it's your kind of reading."

He raised a dark eyebrow, amusement obvious as his hand remained clasped around her wrist. "What kind of books do I look like I would read?" As he awaited her answer, he rubbed his thumb over her pounding pulse, causing liquid fire to course throughout her body, settling between her legs in throbbing heat. She became immensely aware of his nearness, his clean masculine scent.

Rana pulled her arm from his grasp, opened the book, and read an excerpt, "'They are the undead, forever doomed to walk the night in search of their next meal. The beating pulse of their victim calls to their basest instinct: to feed.'"

She glanced up to meet his gaze and grinned, but his eyes were on her throat, his expression intrigued. As if he sensed her stare, he raised his silver gaze to hers and a slow, sexy smile formed on his lips. "Now why does that sound so sensual when you read it versus how I'm sure it's intended to be taken?"

Www.ellorascave.com listed under Gothic/Vampire

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Secret Services is my own book, to be released in September:

www.ellorascave.com

Take an adventurous virgin, add a handsome spy and stir with a dash of treachery. Let the mixture bubble in a hothouse atmosphere of sexual dalliance and danger.

"Friday, May 17, 1929, was the day my boss gave me my first important assignment and the day I decided to lose my virginity." So begins Lady Gillian Christie's narrative. She considers herself a thoroughly modern young woman in London in the "Roaring Twenties". She has a job and her own flat in town, but at twenty-two she is still a virgin. A reporting assignment sends her to a country estate for the weekend to research a mysterious game, a perfect opportunity to find a bed partner and delve into the mysteries of love.

The game turns out to be more than she expected, and she is soon involved in a bargain with a handsome undercover agent, who will trade what he knows about love for her help in foiling German spies.

Read the first chapters at www.patriciacrossley.com/margrett/welcome.htm

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Let me remind you about the fabulous "Two for Two' sale still on at NovelBooksInc. Got to www.novelbooksinc.com and pick up two great titles for only TWO dollars.

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Contest winners for August:
Congratulations go to Cynthya Petzen who wont he Symphony Splash CD.

Winners of a novel on disc are: Anna Ulm; Suanne Giddings; Patricia Hilke; Diane Dubay and Tammy Warnick

I'm not sure I'll be on line and able to send a newsletter at the end of August, nor will I necessarily be able to update my web site. ( So I'm relying on those of you who like romantica to remember to check out the release of Secret Services in September!)

My next contest will run until the end of September, and I will be offering three winners a title of their choice from one of my publishers. So sign up for the contest at www.patriciacrossley.com, and take some time to browse the sites of my publishers to choose your title. The publishers are: http://www.novelbooksinc.com; www.ellorascave.com; www.atlanticbridge.net and www.liquidsilverbooks.com



I’m interested in receiving your feedback on anything in this newsletter or on my website. I’ve kept the format of the newsletter simple, so that it doesn’t cause a problem in your system. Please email me at patricia@patriciacrossley.com if you have any comments or suggestions. If you know anyone who would like to receive the newsletter, they only need to send me an email with ‘newsletter’ in the subject line. They can also subscribe through Authorsden http://www.authorsden.com/patriciacrossley If you no longer wish to receive the newsletter, let me know by email and I will remove your name from the list. Happy reading!