Giving myself the creeps!

Okay, so I do a lot of research on line and most of it is pretty straight forward, nothing all that creepy or scary.  I learn a lot about an area, the weather, a particular law, or social mores of an era--pretty dry stuff. Occasionally, though, I do come across something that weirds me out.

For example:

One time I(at night, of course!)  was researching serial killers and was clicking through links.  The sites really bothered me as some of them were dedicated to the promotion and love of serial killers--talk about sick.  But the worst of it was that I eventually landed in a space that asked me if I wanted to email a known and imprisoned serial killer who I recognized and remembered his crimes.  My blood ran cold and I hope that the suggestion was a sick joke.  I'll never know.

Another time I was contacted by a murderer who had killed two women in his family via a letter.  He thought we had something in common--I didn't!   But I checked him on the Internet and actually saw his face and footage of him.  It gave me a serious case of the creeps!

I've learned my lesson.  No more research at night, for starters!

The same, just different

I took a walk today and was struck with how much that simple activity has  changed since I was a kid.

Then, I threw on a pair of sneakers, flew out the door and took off.  The dog (a stray who claimed us) usually followed me as we ran across the fields, forded streams, and cut through the woods.  Often, shepherd at my heels, I walked along the country roads where I scared up pheasants, deer and grasshoppers. Cattle grazed, creeks babbled, and the smell of hay and scotch broom filled my nostrils.  I noticed hawks soaring overhead and far off, trains clattered on distant tracks.  I met no one.

Fast forward a few decades. (Ok, maybe more than a few)

Now, I throw on my rain jacket and hat, make sure I have my keys (a ring a janitor in a 50 story building would envy), a cell phone, my fitbit, some money (for coffee and a newspaper) and an iPod.  Then gear up the dog with her harness, leash and clean-up bags.  I walk on city streets between tall buildings and scare up squirrels in the park and rabbits in the hedgerows.  Obeying street signs and avoiding traffic, I notice the jets flying overhead.  Trains sound at nearby crossings.  I meet dozens of people, none of whom I know.

How different.  How the same.

Kinda weird.  The good news?  I still get to walk in the country when I want to and in the city when I can.  Not so bad, eh?

Three-Zero!!??

My good friend, Debbie Macomber, emailed me the other day to congratulate the both of us.  She said “Do you know it’s been thirty years since we both sold our first books?”

Seriously?  Thirty?  OMG—I thought about one of the first book signings I attended in the early 80’s when another young author, a man, upon learning I wrote romance novels, said, “Oh, you’re like the new Violet Winspear.”  I about died . . . I thought that Violet and the others of her generation, who had successfully written tons of romance novels, were ancient and moldy and totally unhip.

So—that was then.

Flash forward thirty years and, Oops.  Tuns out he was right.  Another generation of writers has appeared on the scene. (For quite a while now.)  Debbie and I along with the rest of our generation?  Yep, you guessed it:  We are the (not so new) Violet Winspears!

FE(Busy)RUARY

This year, February was a big month for me.  Not one, but two new books came out---okay, okay, DARK EMERALD was previously published, but early in February it was re-released with a brand new, and gorgeous cover and is finally available as an e-book, to go along with the other DARK JEWELS novels, DARK RUBY and DARK SAPPHIRE, all medieval stories about thirteenth century Wales, witchcraft, adventure and, yes, romance, which is what February is all about right, with Valentine’s Day and all.







At the end of the month DEVIOUS, the seventh book in the Bentz/Montoya New Orleans series is available as a paperback.  (It was released as a hardback with a different cover in 2011.) Detectives Bentz and Montoya are two of my most popular characters, so it’s good to see them solving crimes in the Crescent City again.




As for me, personally?  How did I celebrate Valentine’s Day?  Well, with the traditional clam chowder dinner, flowers and . . . oh, yes, and an  hour in the lazy boy watching Survivor with my favorite guy.  (We celebrated the day after, or as my father would have said, on “The MOST UN-Valentines Day.”  Sorry, Dad, it seemed to work!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you all have a fabulous day filled with something sweet (it's actually hot tamales for me, not chocolate), a dozen of your favorite flowers and something sparkling! Diamonds, champagne, cider, whatever you'd prefer. For me, a cup of coffee with a touch of Bailey’s Irish Cream, my crossword puzzle and Jackie O-No at my feet is perfect. I'm deep into trying to finish my latest book, AFRAID TO DIE, so I might take a little break for my crossword, but that's about it for me today! 

Pugs and Kisses from Jackie O-No and me!!

All About the Books

I thought I would take some time to try and answer a few questions I get frequently: "What is the order of *insert series here*?" Or "Which books are in a series?" Or "How many books are in this series?"

First off, let me say that while there is an order to the books, they didn't start out as series. When I first got to know Bentz and Montoya, I never thought they would hang around this long! Seriously, I can't shake those guys! Really though, the New Orleans series, and Bentz and Montoya, specifically, is one of my favorites. All that rich history, the spice of the town, it just lends itself to excitement, suspense, and a steamy romance, or two.

But, let me get back to what I was saying before, there is an order, but it's not crucial that they been read in a specific order. Sure, you'll have a little more background on the detectives and the other characters that show up in consecutive books. But it's not like you'll be lost if you read SHIVER before you read HOT BLOODED.

For those of you who are interested though, you can head to lisajackson.com and find all the answers. You can find out what books are in which series, how many books there are, and the order in which they were written. While you're there, get to know some of the characters a little better in the character galleries. Or take a walk through the streets of Grizzly Falls, MT.

And always stay connected on Facebook, I try to answer questions on there too!

At The Office

I thought you all might want to see my work space.  This is where Jackie O-No and I work together to create the books I write.  It’s a cozy nook, away from my family and friends and the place I go when I really want to “submerge.”
As you can see, I write on a chaise lounge which is Oh-so-elegant.  Not!  My back gave out a few years back and sitting at a desk for hours on end is out.  So I use my laptop, pretty much exclusively.  Also the lounge is “lounge” enough for Jackie, too!
I can’t write unless the space is neat and tidy—or at least I can’t start a book while the office is messy.  However, as the pages are finished and the deadline looms, the area becomes a sty.  When I’m finished with the book, after a couple days of sleep, I walk into the office and think, “What happened here?  How did I not notice what a mess this is?”  Then there’s a flurry of cleaning before I settle into the next project.  Here's a pic of the place where it all starts: