Spinsters and Lunatics

Cover!

2012-01-17T09:00:00.003-06:00

Just got the cover for my April book, Secret Hideout. I love the feel of the image—two lovers, isolated and in danger. Perfectly captures the tone of the book. I particularly love this book because it plays on one of my favorite themes—partners who become lovers. Hey, there's a reason I was a Mulder and Scully 'shipper, right?So, here it is. Pretty good representation of the hero and heroine as

Merry Christmas, Y'all

2011-12-25T09:02:00.003-06:00

Tried to embed this, but it didn't work. So here's the link:Merry Christmas from the FamilyBut on a serious note, there's real meaning in Christmas for people like me, who are Christians. It's a beautiful story of love, forgiveness and redemption. So here's a classic video of the late, great Mahalia Jackson singing "Sweet Little Jesus Boy."Sweet Little Jesus BoyHave a wonderful, meaningful

Secret Identity - now with a cover!

2011-12-21T09:26:00.004-06:00

I've been a bit out of pocket for the last three weeks, dealing with a bad case of cellulitis in my left leg. I'm still not back at my day job (though I'm working it from home), and I've been doing a lot of extracurricular napping to regain my energy. All that to say, I've been a complete slug at the whole blogging/social media thing. But I do have something to share: the cover of my March

Much to be thankful for

2011-11-24T07:13:00.003-06:00

In a bad economy, with wars still going on and much to worry about, I'm glad we have a day like Thanksgiving to remind us that we also have much to be thankful for. I'm thankful to be alive, on this pretty November morning, with my family safe and sound and surrounding me with love and support. I'm thankful to have not one job but two in this troubled economy, and an income that allows us to live

Interview with Aimée Thurlo

2011-11-18T09:06:00.003-06:00

I interviewed fellow Intrigue author and Ella Clah mysteries author Aimée Thurlo on the Intrigue Author's blog today. Check it out.

They're heeeeere....

2011-11-16T13:42:00.002-06:00

I've been waiting for all three books to go up on Amazon before posting this: the opening trilogy of my Harlequin Intrigue Cooper Security miniseries is now available for pre-order on amazon.com.Secret Identity (Harlequin Intrigue Series)Very bad people want former CIA agent Amanda Caldwell dead, and her best chance of escaping an assassination attempt alive may be trusting the one man she hoped

Thanksgiving without Stress - Guest Blog by Julie Johnstone

2011-11-10T06:00:00.005-06:00

I've invited my Southern Magic chaptermate Julie Johnstone to guest blog today. Julie has a novella in the Regency Christmas Summons Collection I, available in ebook. She also has prizes up for grabs, so be sure to give her some comment love!First of all, a huge thank you to Paula for having me on her fabulous blog!Now, I know you all are laughing at my title! I can hear you all the way over

Salt and Pepper

2011-10-29T06:00:00.004-05:00

My friend and fellow Intrigue author, Aimée Thurlo, stops by Spinsters and Lunatics today with a guest blog post. She and her husband also write a mystery series featuring Navajo detective Ella Clah. To visit their website for more information about their books, click here.Please give Aimée a warm welcome and be sure to leave her comments!---------------------------------------------------------

On sale this week...

2011-10-03T06:00:00.004-05:00

A SOLDIER NEVER BREAKS HIS PROMISE....Agent Harlan McClain has his target in sight. But he’s not pulling the trigger. Instead his assignment is providing Stacy Giordano—the governor’s aide—with security. An easy job for a former marine sniper. And yet, the guarded single mother’s beauty and devotion to her exceptional child soon have Harlan reshuffling his priorities. In the dead of night, in her

Writerspace Chat tonight

2011-10-02T10:16:00.004-05:00

I'll be chatting on Writerspace tonight. I'll be giving away prizes and talking about my upcoming October Harlequin Intrigue and my new Cooper Security series in 2012. I'll also be talking about my newest ebook and answering questions about writing, SEC football, cats and anything else anybody wants to talk about. We always have a fun time chatting, and I can't wait for tonight.It's at 9 pm

Murder on Lovers' Lane

2011-09-21T06:47:00.007-05:00

Lee Brody is the magician, pulling vital connections in vexing crime cases out of thin air. Stella Hannigan is the logician, honing Brody's flights of fancy into solid, actionable leads they can follow to solve murders and get convictions. Together, they're the best homicide detective team the Weatherford Police Department has to offer.But it'll take all their skill and know-how to solve their

Behind the Scenes blog on Intrigue Authors

2011-09-16T14:37:00.001-05:00

My blog post today on the Intrigue Authors blog is about some of the behind the scene influences on my books. Ever wondered about something I wrote in one of my books? Wondering what gave me the idea? Come ask about it!

September 11 - Ten Years Later

2011-09-11T09:29:00.002-05:00

As it happened, today was my day to post on the Romance Magicians blog. It's also the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Therefore, my post there was about 9/11 and asks the question, "Where were you when the world stopped turning?"

Street Team or No Street Team?

2011-08-13T07:48:00.004-05:00

There's a new kick in the writing circles geared toward self-promotion called "Street team." Basically, writers ask a group of fans to do simple things like pass out bookmarks and other promotional items to book stores, coffee shops, reading groups and friends. Buy their books the first week they're out to help boost them on the bestseller lists. Talk the books up to friends, family and even

August Sale - Change of Plans

2011-08-03T19:04:00.003-05:00

I was hoping that dropping the cost on Playing Dead in Dixie would lead to a decent surge in sales, and while I am selling a few more books, it's not enough to counteract the losses that come with lowering the price. I like to be honest with my readers, so the honest truth is, I don't think I can afford to keep the book at the 99¢ rate for the whole month.But I am keeping it at 99¢ through

August Sale

2011-07-31T13:24:00.002-05:00

If you haven't picked up a copy of my new ebook, Playing Dead in Dixie, August is the time to do it, and tell your friends as well. I'm putting the book on sale for the month of August—99¢ a book. And this isn't a novella, folks. This is a 72,000 word romantic suspense, longer than an Intrigue.Need a reminder as to what it's about?Whistleblower Carly Sandano is in scalding hot water. While the

Ebooks for Everyone!

2011-07-26T09:06:00.004-05:00

I recently bought my first ereader, a Nook Color. I was a little afraid of it at first (new technology!) but now that I have the hang of the thing, I really love it. It's sort of like a combination ereader/tablet notebook, with Internet browsing capability and apps that even allow you to read Word and Excel files on it, among other things. It costs a little more than the low end ereaders, but

My Spreadsheet Method

2011-07-25T10:45:00.002-05:00

At my chat last night on Writerspace, I mentioned my "writing process" included spreadsheets. More than one person requested to read more about the process, so I looked up an old post I had included on my website a while back and here I've updated it. Enjoy!Several years ago, when I decided to get back into novel writing after a few years of hiatus while I pursued other projects, including

Writerspace Chat Tonight!

2011-07-24T09:38:00.002-05:00

I'm very bad about letting people know about my chats on Writerspace, so I'm trying to be a little better with the self-promotion thing.Tonight at 8 pm Central, 9 pm Eastern, I'll be chatting at the Writerspace Chat Room. Pick your name and come on in!I'll be talking about my two new self-published books tonight. Ask anything you want about my venture. I'm not going to talk actual dollar figures

Independent Publishing and My New Venture

2011-07-02T11:24:00.004-05:00

In the past few months, authors have begun to discover that independent publishing, i.e. self-publishing, is a potentially viable choice, especially for authors who have already established themselves through the bigger publishing houses. There were some newbies, such as a Amanda Hocking, who managed to self-publish as a nobody and become a somebody through her efforts, but there are thousands

Winner of the $75 eGiftcard is....

2011-06-30T17:39:00.002-05:00

Jackie W!Jackie, email me at paulagraves (at) charter (dot) net (no spaces) and tell me what ebookstore you'd prefer the giftcard from.Congratulations! And thanks, everyone, for the comments!

Chickasaw County Captive wins the 2011 Daphne Award

2011-06-30T05:34:00.003-05:00

Chickasaw County Captive, my February 2010 Intrigue, won its category in the 2011 Daphne du Maurier awards last night at the Romance Writers of America convention. This is the annual contest held by the Kiss of Death Romantic Mystery/Suspense chapter of the RWA, which is dedicated to romance authors writing in the romantic suspense/mystery subgenre.My January 2010 Intrigue, Case File: Canyon

Revisiting the "Forbidden" series

2011-06-10T19:45:00.004-05:00

Back in March of this year, Harlequin finally released my first book, Forbidden Territory, as an ebook, which means all of my books are now available for purchase again if you have an ereader or ebook software on your computer or smart phone.I know I've picked up some new readers with the Cooper Justice series who may not be familiar with my first three books, so consider this your introduction

Cooper Vengeance preview

2011-06-06T16:12:00.003-05:00

When I started the Cooper Justice series almost two years ago, my main goal was to write about a big, boisterous family from north Alabama. A family of fishermen, outdoorsmen, soldiers and cops. I wanted to make John Deere caps as sexy as Stetsons.I'm not sure I've accomplished that, but Cooper Justice did introduce a hard-working, hard-fighting, hard-loving group of men and women who call the

The Man from Gossamer Ridge - Read an Excerpt

2011-05-19T07:19:00.008-05:00

My May Intrigue was one of the most fun for me to write because both the hero and heroine, Gabe and Alicia, were wonderful people to play with. Gabe is a nice guy with a strong sense of duty and responsibility, and Alicia is bright and quirky, with a slightly nerdy streak. Despite the internal conflicts trying to keep them apart, they had instant and combustible chemistry, which made writing

Good interview on Writerspace

2011-04-26T19:45:00.003-05:00

I recently did an interview with Logan Mosby with Writerspace, and I think she did a pretty good job of compiling my answers into a revealing interview.So, if you'd like to know a little more about me, check it out.

Major Nanny Now Available for Preorder

2011-04-24T08:57:00.004-05:00

My October book, Major Nanny, is now available for preorder on Amazon.com.So hop to it! Major Nanny is part of the Daddy Corps continuity, but it should work fine as a stand-alone, so feel free to buy it even if you're not reading the other books.But I've gotta say, you should be reading the others, because the authors are some of Intrigue's best!Here's the line-up:April - GI Cowboy by Delores

Q & A with Jake and Mariah Cooper on Intrigue Blog

2011-04-21T13:19:00.003-05:00

I posted a little Q & A with the hero and heroine of Hitched and Hunted, my book that's currently on the bookshelves. (Have you bought your copy yet? Let me know what you think of it!)I try not to spoil the book too much, but hopefully the Q & A will give you a little extra insight into the characters and help you enjoy the story that much more.Also, you can ask them some questions of your own,

RT Book Reviews - 4 1/2 Star for Cooper Vengeance

2011-04-18T09:54:00.003-05:00

RT Book Reviews gave Cooper Vengeance, my June Intrigue, 4/12 stars and a lovely review: COOPER VENGEANCE (4.5) by Paula Graves: It’s been 12 years since his wife was raped and murdered, but J.D. Cooper hasn’t stopped investigating the cold case. When Deputy Natalie Becker’s sister is murdered in the same small town where his wife grew up, evidence leads him to believe he’s closing in on the

Guest Blogging on Get Lost in a Story

2011-04-13T06:28:00.000-05:00

The fine folks at Get Lost in a Story have interviewed me for their blog. You can find the post here. Drop by there and give me a little comment love!

Friday's Winner

2011-04-11T09:06:00.003-05:00

And the winner of Friday's giveaway is.... :::drum roll::: Nas Dean! Email me (click the home button on this blog, then click the contact button on my website) and we'll get together on the prize and how I'll get it to you. And thanks you to everyone else who participated. Stay tuned---I'll be doing more giveaways over the next three months as I celebrate the publications of my Cooper Justice:

Blogging on the Writerspace Blog

2011-04-05T07:00:00.001-05:00

Be sure to check out my blog post up now on the Writerspace blog. I'm talking about motives for marriage, which is especially significant to the hero and heroine of my April 2011 Intrigue, Hitched and Hunted. And don't forget, it you haven't picked up your copy of Hitched and Hunted yet, it should be available today anywhere you can purchase Intrigues. It's the first of three connected books that

Want a preview of Hitched and Hunted?

2011-04-04T06:20:00.000-05:00

My April Intrigue, Hitched and Hunted, hits the shelves tomorrow, so how about a preview? Here's an excerpt from the beginning of the book: ___________________________________________ Mariah Cooper had imagined her death a thousand times in the past four years, but never had she thought she'd be crouched in a motel room bathtub when it finally happened. "It's going to be okay." Jake's calm voice

Spring is Here—Let the Sneezing Commence

2011-04-03T07:08:00.006-05:00

Beautiful weekend here in north central Alabama. How about some pictures? (Click on the photos for a larger version of the image) Dogwoods are blooming in my side yard. So beautiful! Plus, it means the bluegills are on their beds—time to go fishing! See our little fig tree in the side yard? You'd be surprised by how many figs the tree produces for its size. It cross pollinates with a larger tree

Forbidden Territory Now Available as an Ebook

2011-04-02T15:01:00.003-05:00

Finally, Harlequin has released my first Harlequin Intrigue, Forbidden Territory, as an ebook. You should be able to purchase the book in the ebook format of your choice. It's available right now on eHarlequin, Amazon.com, Mobipocket, Sony, Barnes and Noble and more.Why is this a big deal this late in the game? Because now people can buy Forbidden Territory new--which means I can start earning

RITA Finalist, Baby!

2011-03-25T21:40:00.005-05:00

I can't believe I haven't posted this already, but just in case you haven't heard it yet, I'm a RITA finalist! Don't know what a RITA is? Well, it's the Academy Award for Romance writers. And yes, it really is an honor just to be nominated. My book Case File: Canyon Creek, Wyoming is up for the RITA award for Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure, and I have to say, Intrigue represented really well

Writerspace Spring Fling!

2011-03-25T04:12:00.003-05:00

Please join me and dozens of your favorite authors at the 2011 Spring Fling at Writerspace on Sunday, March 27th from 7 pm CT to 10 pm CT. Authors will be dropping in to chat all during the evening and we will be giving away hundreds of new books and other fantastic prizes—2 Kindles, autographed, hard-to-find, advance copies plus special treats like gift cards and more.I myself will be giving

The Man from Gossamer Ridge - 4 1/2 Stars from RT

2011-03-21T09:23:00.004-05:00

RT Book Reviews gives The Man from Gossamer Ridge 4 1/2 Stars and this lovely review:THE MAN FROM GOSSAMER RIDGE (4.5) by Paula Graves: Professor Alicia Solano’s doctoral dissertation on serial killers may have unearthed clues to the deaths of dozens of women over more than two decades. Now, one of her subjects might be studying her and she might not survive to get her degree. Though the

Be Prepared, Redux

2011-03-11T13:03:00.003-06:00

Back in 2005, not long after Hurricane Katrina, I made a blog post about disaster preparedness. Given the tragic events of the Japan earthquake and tsunami, this isn't a bad time to pull that piece back out and update it a little. So here you go.Disasters, natural and man-made, are always a looming possibility. So now is as good a time as any to start preparing yourself and your family to survive

Oh, the pretty! It shines!

2011-03-08T06:19:00.002-06:00

The cover for Cooper Vengeance is here! Aint he purty?It's also available for pre-order on Amazon.com, don't forget. Don't you want him—er—one? You know you do.

Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence Finalist!

2011-03-07T08:58:00.003-06:00

Great news! One Tough Marine, my Harlequin Intrigue from August 2010, has made the finals of the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence contest, in the Romantic Suspense category!This is my first contest final since becoming published. I've entered the Ritas for three years, and the Daphne's and the Gayle Wilson contest twice, but this is my first final. and since it's probably my favorite book of the

Finish the Darn Book Blog Series

2011-03-06T08:14:00.001-06:00

Last month, I started a series on the Romance Magicians Blog called "Finish the Darn Book." I know that not everyone who reads this blog is also a writer, but several of you are. And what I'm planning to do over the course of this year with these blog posts is to help walk people through the process of writing a book from start to finish.The first post of the series is here: Finish the Darn Book

Fun in a Bottle

2011-02-25T06:33:00.000-06:00

Hat tip to John Scalzi, who posted the first video listed below on his own website. It led me on a You Tube crawl, where I came up with some other bottlelicious tunes.So, enjoy!Flight of the Bumblebees on bottlesTetris theme on BottlesSkater playing a tune on bottlesToccata and Fugue in D Minor on a Bottle OrganA really well-done edit of a guy playing Mozart on the bottlesAnd give it up for the

Lovely review of Hitched and Hunted in RT Book Reviews!

2011-02-21T08:54:00.003-06:00

HITCHED AND HUNTED (4 stars) by Paula Graves:The steadily escalating tension, deft characterizations and an ongoing air of terror and secrets keep Graves’ Cooper family tales at the top of any must-read list. A fishing tournament wouldn’t seem like the place for a life-and-death escape, but between a tornado that tears a small Mississippi town in half and the deadly secrets she left behind years

Valentine, Bloody Valentine - Updated with Winners

2011-02-14T06:30:00.002-06:00

UPDATE: With just two commenters—EllenToo and Linda Henderson—, I'm going to give you both a $10 gift card! Just email me (click the "HOME" tab at the top of the blog to go to my website, and click "contact" to send your email) and let me know what ebookstore you'd like the gift card from.Happy Valentine's Day! As you've probably discovered from reading my books (and, for that matter, my blog

It's Official: I'm on Contract Again!

2011-02-10T12:09:00.002-06:00

I teased this information a little bit on Facebook, but now it's for real: I'm under contract with Harlequin again, and boy is this one a doozy!Six books, in a brand spanking (only, not really) new series. Tentatively called Cooper Security, the series revolved around three brothers and three sisters—cousins of the Cooper Justice clan of Coopers—who run a high-octane security agency. The first

Oh, look, a new Cooper!

2011-02-09T12:07:00.003-06:00

And, wonder of wonders, they remembered that Gabe was Jake's twin. And I'll forgive him the angry scowl and the mountain in the background that totally doesn't show up in the book because technically, he is FROM Gossamer Ridge, even if he's not currently IN Gossamer Ridge...

If You CAN Quit, Do It...

2011-02-08T07:11:00.004-06:00

I hang out at the eHarlequin Submission Care forum a lot, even though I've been published for five years now. I spent a lot of time there before I sold, talking to people who were in the same boat I was, and I like to post there still, sharing what I've learned since selling and encouraging writers who've hit a rough patch.But there's something I always say when someone gets discouraged and

Don't Mess with the 'Net

2011-01-29T18:35:00.002-06:00

As a fan of both free speech and the internet, I found this article about the 'Net's attempts to get around Egypt's internet shut down both fascinating and heartening.Long live the 'Net Nerds!

And we have a cover!

2011-01-09T15:07:00.003-06:00

Gotta say, I love this one, even if he's got strange hair and it's supposed to be cold outside, so why's he in a sleeveless undershirt? And they're surrounded by woods, so where are all the trees? And it's supposed to be raining constantly, so couldn't you have made his shirt wet?But that's just nitpicking.

Gayle Wilson Award - Published Writers

2010-12-27T10:04:00.001-06:00

*****PERMISSION TO FORWARD GRANTED AND APPRECIATED*****DEADLINE - JANUARY 15, 20112011 Gayle Wilson Award of ExcellenceThe Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, sponsored by RWA chapter Southern Magic, was conceived in honor of multi-RITA Winner Gayle Wilson to award excellence in published romance fiction. The contest is judged by avid readers of romance, booksellers, and/or librarians. The winners

Snow Day

2010-12-26T08:52:00.004-06:00

Believe it or not, it's still snowing here. We only accumulated a dusting yesterday, but that's enough to call it a White Christmas, right?After melting off and not snowing a while yesterday afternoon, it apparently snowed more overnight, giving us about a half inch of snow accumulation, enough to turn the ground mostly white. It's still snowing quite a bit this morning, although it looks like

Y'all?

2010-12-25T10:46:00.003-06:00

It's Alabama.It's Christmas.And it's snowing.No, really.Isn't that a sign of the apocalypse?It's snowing really hard, but the ground is still above freezing at the moment so not much is sticking. However, if the snow showers keep it up this way, that'll change and we might get as much as an inch on the ground.Check back every once in a while. If it starts to stick here, I'll update with photos.

Final day of Santapalooza

2010-12-24T08:46:00.002-06:00

As of tomorrow, I'll be off the clock until Monday. Fortunately, I just wrote the last word of my book that's due January 15th, so all that's left is the critique partner's edit and my own final pass, which will happen after the new year. I'm hoping to finish the third chapter of my next proposed book some time later today, which means I'll actually get to spend Christmas work-free. Yay!So since

Yesterday's Winners

2010-12-23T07:16:00.002-06:00

Thanks to everyone who commented on your Santa disillusionment moment! The winners of the prizes are: Sherry, Caroline Bell and Sue!Ladies, please email me (my email is listed in my Blogger profile) with your preference of prizes. If you choose the autographed book, I'll need your snail mail addy. What's my Christmasy blog message for today? Well, today, I'll attend my office Christmas party,

Giveaways!

2010-12-22T10:37:00.002-06:00

I couldn't come up with anything for today--it's just that busy both in my day job and my writing job. Remind me not to plan a deadline around Christmas next year, 'kay? But that doesn't mean I can't give stuff way, does it? I'm going to pick three winners at random from the comments, and you'll get your choice of A) $10 eGiftcard from the online bookseller of your choosing: B) your choice of

No Tree This Year

2010-12-21T06:34:00.003-06:00

We finally conceded holiday defeat and didn't put up a Christmas tree this year. We'd gotten the tree size down to a four-footer, but with all the cats and dogs we have now, the tree was a constant victim of their rowdiness.Where are the presents, you ask? Right now, they're on top of the storage chests of drawers in our dens, in boxes and ginormous gift bags. Which is kind of festive, if

Welcome to Santapalooza

2010-12-20T06:38:00.003-06:00

Despite my recent descent into Grinchiness, Christmas is still my favorite day of the year, for all sorts of reasons. Primarily because of what it symbolizes to Christians like me, but also because it's a day to remember that loving each other matters and that giving is as much a blessing as receiving.So, now that I have that bit of sappiness out of the way, let's get this party started!I was

And we have a trifecta...

2010-12-18T18:33:00.002-06:00

Cooper Vengeance is now available for pre-order from Amazon.com.I just read the line edits on this book, and I have to admit, I really love this book. I have a very soft spot for a hero who's loved someone deeply and lost her to tragedy or, worse, violence. I started the Cooper Justice series with just such a hero, and I ended this particular series with a hero going through something similar,

Whew!

2010-12-16T15:09:00.003-06:00

Driving to work today, I convinced myself that Santapalooza was supposed to run 12 days before Christmas. Was freaking out, calling myself all sorts of names that added up to "Blogger-slacker." But just checked the post about it, and Santapalooza doesn't start until Monday. Whew! Crisis averted.But since I've started a blog post, might as well keep going. So here's a little this and that...

Last Minute Christmas Shopping

2010-12-14T15:04:00.006-06:00

I have to admit, all my Christmas shopping is done. You can hate me now. I had a royalty check come in November, so I decided to do my shopping while that money was still around. Also, I shop online (because I hate shopping in malls and stores), so it was easy to shop at my convenience without the halls of crowds. Plus, you have a lot more options and the discounts can be amazing.But if you're

Ooo, another Cooper Justice Book!

2010-12-04T12:06:00.004-06:00

Amazon's finally listed The Man from Gossamer Ridge for preorder.I'm actually reading the final galley edits of this book, and I have to say, I'm really enjoying it. I don't always say that about my books—usually by the time I'm at the galley stage (the final time I get to look at the book before it goes to print), I'm heartily sick of a book. But this one has such fun characters, and the romance

What will Paula be Blogging for Christmas?

2010-12-01T06:14:00.002-06:00

Last Christmas, I did Blog Days of Christmas for the month of December. By the time I reached Christmas Day, I was so over it.However, m usual Grinchiness as a blogger runs smack dab into cyber-Whoville around this time of year, and I do feel compelled to blog more in the month of December about Christmas. However, since I'm on deadline, I can't promise I'll be posting every day. I am,

Worst Christmas Song Ever

2010-11-30T11:00:00.000-06:00

I tend to agree with Bob Geldof.Although this one is a strong contender.Do you have a least favorite Christmas song?

Happy Birthday, USMC. Semper Fi!

2010-11-10T07:29:00.002-06:00

Thank you for 235 years of outstanding service.

Booksigning in McCalla...with Pictures!

2010-10-30T19:26:00.008-05:00

I joined several other authors today for a booksigning at a Fall Crafts and Book Festival in McCalla, Alabama, at Brooke's Book Stop on Old Tuscaloosa Highway. It was a gorgeous day here in north central Alabama, with the temperatures a little on the chilly side in the shade but quite pleasant once the sun moved past the trees overhead and shined down on us a little bit.I finally took some

Hitched and Hunted

2010-10-26T22:20:00.006-05:00

That's the title of my upcoming April Intrigue, which just showed up on Amazon.com for preorder.So, of course, if you're in the mood to get a little early shopping out of the way, have at it.Want to know a little about the book?Well, it starts with a tornado. And then things really start falling apart for the hero and heroine, who happen to be already married. That's right, I wrote a romance

Why, yes. Yes, I do know I'm a craptastic blogger.

2010-10-24T17:51:00.002-05:00

It's been a month since my last post, and longer than that since I said I'd draw a winner in the Bachelor Sheriff blog launch party. Because, well, I am a craptastic blogger.I do have a reason for my extra slackiness. I was sick for almost two weeks with a rather painful case of cellulitis. The good news is, I didn't have to be hospitalized; I caught it early and treated it quickly with

Blogging on Intrigue Authors

2010-09-24T05:33:00.002-05:00

I'm blogging today on the Intrigue Authors Blog. The topic is a fun one: a Q & A with Melissa Draper and Aaron Cooper from Bachelor Sheriff. That's right—they're doing the Q & A together! Banter, baby.I also recently got a very nice review of my September 2008 book Cowboy Alibi from The Long and the Short of It Reviews. My favorite blurb from the review? "Paula Graves is one of my favorite

Book Launch: Bachelor Sheriff!

2010-09-14T06:48:00.001-05:00

Before we get into the business of celebrating the official "on sale" date for my eighth Intrigue, Bachelor Sheriff, I need to do a little clean up from the last launch part, back in August. I drew winners of $10 gift cards from the book store of your choice--and if I'm not mistaken, nobody responded! What is with y'all not claiming your prizes? :)So again, the winners from the One Tough Marine

Blogging today on Running with Quills

2010-09-13T08:59:00.002-05:00

The lovely and talented Jayne Ann Krentz invited me to guest blog on her group blog, Running with Quills. My post is up today and I'd love for you to join me in the comments. We're talking about nerds. That's right, nerds. I believe I've mentioned that I'm a nerd, and I channeled some of my nerdiness into Melissa Draper, the heroine of Bachelor Sheriff.So drop by and tell us--were you cool in

Blogging today on Pink Heart Society

2010-09-08T13:06:00.003-05:00

Talkin' bout bad boys as heroes. How bad can you go? Let's discuss it!Or you can just stay here and stare at Josh Holloway. Whichever.

Blogging on Writerspace

2010-09-06T17:14:00.002-05:00

I like bad boys as much as any red-blooded American girl, but I love me a complicated good guy, as I discuss in further detail on my guest blog on Writerspace.com.Do you have a thing for good guys who don't always walk the straight and narrow but usually end up doing the right thing? Drop by and discuss it with the rest of us.

Want a little preview of Bachelor Sheriff?

2010-09-05T13:42:00.005-05:00

As most of you know, my fourth Cooper Justice book, Bachelor Sheriff, comes out this month from Harlequin Intrigue. The hero is the youngest Cooper brother, Aaron, who you met in the first and third Cooper Justice books. Aaron is a former high school football star turned deputy sheriff. When the story starts, he's recently been promoted to an investigative role after doing time on patrol and

One Tough Marine launch winners!

2010-08-30T07:09:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Genia, Carla, Laryssa and Lisa G, the winners of the four $10 bookstore eGift Cards! Please email me at paulagraves (at) charter.net (close spaces and use the @ symbol) and tell me what online bookstore you'd like your eGiftcard from.Thanks for commenting!

Blogging on Intrigue Authors today

2010-08-18T07:50:00.003-05:00

It's another Q & A, this time with Luke Cooper, the sexy ex-Marine hero of my August book, One Tough Marine.Like last time, I'll be giving away a $10 eGift Card to a commenter at random--you can choose your favorite online book store and I'll buy you a gift card!Want a little hint of what you'll find at the Intrigue Blog? Well, how about this cryptic answer:A: I knew what they'd choose. They'd

Blogging on Pink Heart Society today

2010-08-16T08:52:00.000-05:00

It's all about the U.S. Marines.Please drop by and give me a little comment love!

Book Launch: One Tough Marine! UPDATED

2010-08-10T06:30:00.009-05:00

Welcome to the book launch of One Tough Marine, my August 2010 release from Harlequin Intrigue, which just made the Borders Series Romance Bestseller List! It's my first time to ever make the list, so I'm beyond thrilled.By the way, due to my very bad scheduling, I'm also featured in a Q & A on Mysteries and Margaritas today, so if you want to drop by and hear my answers to Kari's great

Blogging on Intrigue Authors

2010-08-07T20:49:00.002-05:00

I forgot to tell y'all that this morning.Anyway, I blogged a Q & A with Abby Chandler, the heroine of my August book One Tough Marine. (Click the link to the side if you haven't ordered your copy yet!)Click the link above and ask Abby your questions! I'll be drawing the name of a commenter to win a $10 gift certificate to the online bookstore of your choice (as long as they offer eGiftcards or

Blogging on Writerspace Blogs today

2010-08-06T11:26:00.003-05:00

I'm blogging today on U.S. Marines and why I think they make great romantic heroes. I'm giving away a prize to a random commenter, so join the conversation! Click on the link above and leave your comments. We're talking about what kind of romance heroes rev our engines. So to speak. :)

My Blog Schedule for August - Updated 8/5/10

2010-08-04T06:43:00.003-05:00

I promised a few days ago that I'd be posting my blog schedule for the month of August. Here it is:8/6/10 - Writerspace BlogUpdate: My topic is U.S. Marines. Mmmm.8/10/10 - One Tough Marine in stores8/10/10 - Launch Party on Spinsters & LunaticsBe sure to show up for this one. I'll be giving away prizes, answering all your questions about the upcoming books (well, except spoilery ones) and

Bachelor Sheriff now available on eHarlequin

2010-08-01T21:04:00.003-05:00

See?And while we're on the topic of my books, I'm planning to do a book launch for One Tough Marine on Tuesday, August 10th. I'll be giving away prizes and answering all your questions—well, most of your questions, so mark your calendars and make plans to be here on Tuesday the 10th to celebrate the official publication date of my 7th Harlequin Intrigue. And in a few days, I'll also be posting

Spam Watch: 07/26/10

2010-07-26T08:51:00.004-05:00

Every week when I come back to work on Monday, the spam filter of my office email is usually chock full of spammy goodness. Occasionally, the subject headers make me giggle. So I thought I'd share them with you.I'm skipping all the overt Viagra spam, because, well...Viagra. Now, on to the rest..."Life is too short to waste it thoughtlessly."You're right. ::delete::"was a loud bang and a

Online Class: Pitch, Pile or Public

2010-07-22T13:34:00.004-05:00

If you're an aspiring author, you might find this online course given by three friends and chapter mates of mine helpful:PITCH, PILE, OR PUBLIC: THREE PATHS TO PUBLICATIONDates: September 13-27*, 2010Instructors: Kira Sinclair, Kimberly Lang, & Lynn Raye HarrisCost: $20Sponsored by: Heart of Dixie, RWARegister at: http://www.heartofdixie.org/Summary:There is no one

I want to believe, but...

2010-07-21T05:54:00.003-05:00

I'm blogging today on the Intrigue Author's blog, going all spooky, talking about the paranormal. Are you more Scully or Mulder? Let's hash it out, The X-Files style.

What I Did for Summer Vacation

2010-07-05T15:32:00.005-05:00

Just took a much-needed week off of work, partly for my birthday on the 28th, partly to take advantage of a freebie day off for the 4th of July. It was largely a lazy vacation, which I loved. I've been on vacations where every single moment was filled to the brim with things to do and places to go. That can be fun, especially when you're younger, but as I get older, I find that I prefer a

One Tough Marine now available on eHarlequin

2010-07-02T16:06:00.002-05:00

I can't believe I didn't post this yesterday. My only excuse is that I'm on vacation from my day job, writing 8 pages a day on my current WIP and keep getting roped into watching marathons of Psych and Buffy the Vampire Slayer on DVD by my eleven-year-old niece.Anyway, if you're inclined to buy early (and often!), here's the link to my August book on eHarlequin, now available for actual, get it

"...a roller-coaster story of action, romance and personal growth."

2010-06-24T13:19:00.002-05:00

That's what RT Book Reviews has to say about my August book, One Tough Marine. They also gave it 4 ½ Stars!Which reminds me, mark your calendars for July 1st. That's when you can get your own copy of One Tough Marine from eHarlequin.com.(Or you can pre-order the book right now from amazon.com—just click on the link to the right).Want to know a little more about the book? Here's the back cover

Oh, look, more pretty!

2010-06-14T17:44:00.004-05:00

The cover for Bachelor Sheriff is up on Amazon.com. You can click the link to the right (and order, of course) or just feast your eyes here (and still click the link and order). I'm not picky. As long as you order. :)I'm a little confused by the torn knee in his jeans. Um, he's a sheriff's investigator, not a punk... But I did think he looks like a former football player, which Aaron is, and

Book Contest WINNER!

2010-06-01T07:16:00.003-05:00

And the official books read total for the long weekend?:::drum roll:::Three! Congratulations Pamela Keener for guessing right first!I know it's not a big total, but my niece Ashlee decided to make this weekend a big Paula/Ashlee bonding weekend. We watched the whole first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on DVD, so that ate into a lot of my reading time.I finished the book I mentioned in the

2010-05-31T07:05:00.002-05:00

Once, about ten or fifteen years ago, I visited Washington D.C. with some friends. We were all X-Files fans and we decided to converge on Mulder and Scully's town to see the XF landmarks—the F.B.I. building, the Watergate parking garage, the Washington Memorial reflecting pool, etc. We also went to the Vietnam War Memorial. Until that point, the trip had been all fun and games. But there's no

Yay, turned in a book! Now let's have a contest!

2010-05-27T10:08:00.005-05:00

The April 2011 book is winging its way to NYC, so I have two whole days, plus a long weekend, to read! Whoo hoo! So in honor of my rare chance to read, I'm going to throw together a little contest: how many books can I read by the end of day Monday?Here are the parameters: I work full time today and tomorrow (and I didn't bring a book with me today to read on my lunch hour, darn it), but I'm off

Blogging on Intrigue Authors today

2010-05-14T06:39:00.003-05:00

It occurs to me that I tell a story there that I haven't told here, so drop by the Intrigue Author page for a rather dramatic, danger-filled kitten update. (No worries, it has a happy ending).Also, while I've got y'all here, let me put in another plug for online bookstore reviews. Any little buzz helps for an author, and amazon.com reviews or barnesandnoble.com reviews (or Borders or

Good News Wednesday

2010-05-05T10:29:00.009-05:00

Since I accidentally blogged Wednesday's Post on Monday, how about a little good news for Wednesday?I sold the last three Cooper Justice books to Harlequin Intrigue!They'll be out in April, May and June 2011, back to back—my first back to back trilogy. At least the wait between books won't be as long as my Forbidden trilogy. That makes a total of 12 books for me, all Intrigues. Whew—I'm

WWW: Habit-forming

2010-05-03T07:10:00.002-05:00

There are a couple of things you need to know about me. First, I have a memory like a sieve. And second, I can form a habit faster than most people can form a sentence. Why do you need to know these things about me? Because they're the entire premise for this blog post, and you kind of need to know where it all started.A couple of years ago, I realized I just couldn't remember things as well

Ooo, pretty...

2010-04-28T10:08:00.002-05:00

The cover of One Tough Marine, my August 2010 Intrigue.He reminds me of Timothy Olyphant, formerly of Deadwood fame and now Raylan Givens on the new FX series Justified. Yum.So, now, doesn't that make you want to go ahead and pre-order a copy or three from Amazon.com?You know you do...I love the lake in the background, by the way. So much of the Cooper Justice series has to do with the Cooper

WWW: Welcome to my World

2010-04-06T07:10:00.003-05:00

I suppose a lot of readers, when they think of world-building in fiction, think of fantasy realms and science fiction universes, where all the rules have changed. Why would contemporary romance writers need to build new worlds when they have the real world as their canvas?But fictional worlds are made up of more than soil and sky, governmental entities and fantastical creatures. They're made up

I'm employed again

2010-04-02T18:17:00.002-05:00

Okay, technically, I've always been employed, since I have a day job. But I just signed a new contract with Harlequin Intrigue, for a book coming out in October 2011. (I also have a three-book proposal with my editor, who e-mailed to say she liked it and planned to turn it in to the senior editor next week for approval, so I may be signing yet another contract in a few weeks).About the new

Website Envy

2010-03-26T18:40:00.002-05:00

Every time somebody I know gets a new or updated website, I have to update my own. I'm competitive that way.Anyway, I've changed up my website. Again. If you'd like to take a look, I'd love it. I'd love it even more if you find a broken link and let me know. Since I create and maintain my own website, I can use all the help I can get to make sure it's working properly!I've thought about

Blogging on Intrigue Authors

2010-03-19T07:32:00.002-05:00

It's random Friday musings day, as my post today on the Intrigue Authors blog touches on a variety of subjects, from the fabulous Carla Cassidy Intrigue Enigma getting a Top Pick from RT Book Reviews to how to help out your favorite authors. And, of course, there's Cat Blogging!