Whoever said blogging was easy? Finding time to put a few thoughts down on the computer amongst a full life is harder than it looks. What've I been up to? Well, lots of working, writing, dog training, writers' conferences, horseback riding...oh yeah...and my new book came out!

I'm thrilled to say that FLESH AND STONE (February 2006) hit # 45 on the Barnes and Noble mass market bestseller list, and #8 on their Romance list! Thanks to everyone who read the book. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm just finishing up the third book in the series, LEGACY OF STONE, and already looking forward to getting it onto the shelves early next year.

A big Texas "Thank you" to my Louisiana sisters, the NOLA STARS, for inviting me to speak at their March writers' conference. I had a blast, and this is one of the most welcoming, sweetest, funniest groups of women out there.

Also thanks to everyone who turned out for the booksigning at the Dallas Area Romance Authors conference "Dreamin' in Dallas" last week. It was wonderful to talk to so many people. Special thanks to Kathy and Andrew, as always, for getting a whole truckload of books there for everyone to enjoy! Waldenbooks rocks!

In the good news department, I was about knocked off my chair to get not one, but TWO calls from the Romance Writers of America a few weeks ago to inform me that I'm a finalist in the annual Rita contest! This is the biggest award around for romance writers, and both my long contemporary for Silhouette, HER LAST DEFENSE, and my vampire novella for Berkley, "Blood Lust" in the BITE anthology, have been nominated. I'm thrilled, honored, nervous-as-hell and all that good stuff. Winners will be announced at the annual RWA convention in Atlanta this July.

Okay, that's all for now. Hopefully I'll carve out a few more minutes in coming weeks to keep the blog updated.

Until later,
Vickie

If those of you in other parts of the world felt that big gust yesterday, it was all of us in north Texas spewing out the big "WHEW!'

Yes, it finally rained! A good soaking rain. A cold, miserable, mud-puddle producing, WONDERFUL rain! And it's a good thing, too, since this morning a heard sirens and looked out the window to see a pretty good structure fire burning less than 1/2 mile away. If that had happened day before yesterday, chances are half the county would have been toast.

It's been a tough fall and winter here. The warm weather has been fun, but every time I've pulled out the driveway for months I've had to swallow a lump as I looked in my rearview mirror. What if there was a grassfire and I wasn't there to get the animals out?

As for those of you who insisted on flicking your cigarette butts out the window as you sped down the highway all these weeks...how stupid do you have to be? I never even thought about being involved in a road rage incident until recently. But over the last long days and nights worrying about grassfires, I can honestly say I've now been tempted. Very tempted.

Okay, well hopefully that's over now...at least for a while.

Thanks to everyone who offered up their prayers during the drought.

Until later,
Vickie

Okay, so everyone who has been getting after me about not checking in and not getting the promised new material (including the new contest!) up on my website...thanks for keeping me hones! I am sorry that I've been away. Life has just been overwhelming lately. Mostly in a good way, thankfully.

The second chapter of Taylor's unique and mesmerizing series further explores the dark history and world of Gargoyles. Vivid characters with complicated emotions help the plot race along, making it an exciting thrill ride!

Look for the website updates before the end of the month. And I'm trying to add some of the "Gargoyle World" content as well as the book info.

Until then, Happy New Year, everyone!

Vickie

My apologies for dropping off the face of the Earth for two months! All I can say is that everything seemed to happen at once. Deadlines, hurricanes, deadlines...and did I mention deadlines?

A couple of updates: the sequel to CARVED IN STONE is now in. The official release date will be February 7, 2006. I can't wait!

I'm working on an anthology story about the angel of death that I just love. It's been really fun to plot out. Let's hope writing it goes as well.

Ah yes...so many people have emailed about the jewelry give away. Well...there was so much going on around the first of September that I ended up delaying the drawing for a while. Then when I finally did draw--wouldn't you know it--I drew a winner from the state of Louisiana. I checked the map, and she's in northern Louisiana, so hurricane Katrina shouldn't have impacted her too badly. But I still haven't been able to get in touch with her. I'd like to give her another week (one more try at email) and then if I still can't reach her, I'll redraw.

So stay in touch...this thing ain't over yet.

And even if you don't win the jewelry, look for the new contest I'll be starting for the sequel, FLESH AND STONE in about a month. I'm giving away a $100 gift card to Waldenbooks (also good online in case you don't live near a store).

That's it for now. I'll try to be better about updates. I'd love to tell you about the Waldenbooks regional managers meeting I went to last week. It was a blast! I tell you, if you want to buy books in a place where the people running the store know and love books (not to mention their customers!), Waldenbooks is the place to go.

Until later,
Vickie Taylor

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to pop in and let everyone in the path of hurricane Katrina know you're in my thoughts and prayers. Hopefully everyone is prepared for the worst...and hoping for the best.

Special good thoughts for my friends in the search and rescue community staged just out of the path of the storm and waiting to jump in and help as soon as the skies clear, and to the people of the Louisiana and Texas Humane Societies already putting plans in place to care for the animals who will inevitably be impacted by this storm. If you're in Texas, please consider contacting your local Humane Society and offering to foster or adopt an animal. Hundreds of shelter animals have already been evacuated from Louisiana and need homes, temporary and permanent.

Until later,
Vickie

One of the biggest moments for an author is seeing the cover for a new book for the first time. In general, we don't get input into what the cover looks like, so it's always a big surprise, hold-your-breath-while-you-open the envelope kind of moment.

While I was in Reno, my editor delivered the covered art for FLESH AND STONE, the sequel to CARVED IN STONE, to me by hand. What a wonderful surprise! I had no idea it was ready. By the way, the book will be out in January, not April as it says in the back of CARVED IN STONE.

Here it is. What do you think?

Hello all!

I'm back from the RWA conference and finally beginning to get caught up on sleep. I have news from conference, but I think I'll save that for later and just blog a little today and start a new thing I hope to do monthly called "Vickie's Picks." I'll tell you what I've been reading and recommend (or not). Please feel free to jump in and leave comments with your own recommendations (or not :-) )

First, the great J.D. Robb's ORIGIN IN DEATH. I am an absolute addict for this series. I adore Eve and Roarke and Peabody and Summerset and well...everything about the books. This one is a bit more of a straight mystery/police procedural than some of them. There is not a lot of development in the Eve/Roarke relationship, but it is still a great book! I was standing in the bookstore the morning it was to be released harassing the clerk into putting it out. (She finally went into the back room and brought one out to get rid of me). It was worth the trouble.

Next, Virginia Kantra's first single title romantic suspense, CLOSE-UP. I've been a fan of Virginia's since she began her career at Silhouette Intimate Moments around the same time I started there. CLOSE-UP is a taut, tense thriller, but still manages to pull off the trademark Kantra emotional punch. It is full of great sexy and spunky dialogue that keeps it from becoming too dark, and has some really memorable scenes. You gotta love a book where the heroine rescues the big, tough hero from drowning.

The last two books I would recommend this month are very light, chuckle-out-loud books. ENCHANTED, INC. is touted as "Bridget Jones meets Harry Potter" and lives up to the promise. This trade-sized paperback is fun, fun, fun. You might have to look in the mainstream fiction section to find it. It isn't really a romance in that it doesn't end with a firm relationship. There is plenty of relationship potential, however. This is the first of a series, and author Shanna Swendson tells me the romance will develop slowly over several books. Below is a picture of me at the booksigning in Reno with Shanna.















Finally this month, I give a thumbs up to another light-hearted paranormal, THE REMARKABLE MISS FRANKENSTEIN. I don't usually like books with historical settings, but I definitely make an exception for this one. It is so silly that it's wonderful! The niece of the infamous Dr. Frankenstein is out to live up to her family's reputation as groundbreaking scientists by proving that vampires really do exist in regency London, and oh...the trouble she gets herself into! I loved it.

That's it for now. Anyone else want to recommend something?

Until later,

Vickie