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Friday, November 30, 2007

Excerpt - AN ANGEL'S CHOICE

"Micah, please report to loft room B."

Anticipation made his shoulders twitch. His next assignment was the one! His wings. He floated a few inches above a sunbeam with happiness. One more assignment and he qualified. He wanted to throw a fist in the air and cheer. Instead he made his quiet, if hurried, way to the lofts.

He'd worked hard to earn his wings. Angels had very demanding jobs, though few realized it.

The door appeared within the fluff of one of the concealings. Those were known as clouds on Earth. At that moment though, he didn't care if they were called raspberry jam.

The concealing thinned as he neared, and the glowing door opened when he lifted a hand, as if in greeting.

Taking a final second to push back his hair and straighten his robe, it didn't hurt to look put together when meeting with his mentor, he entered the bright space.

The loft didn't really resemble a room, which was why they were called lofts, encased as they were in the cool, swirling masses of clouds. Every angel in service anticipated being called to the lofts. Every visit offered redemption, and a successful assignment brought them closer to their wings.

The golden tome of angel assignments hung in the air as Aria inscribed his assignment on the gilded pages. The feather quill flew across them. As it continued to write, leaping and twirling as it filled first one page, then another, and two more—and Aria remained silent—Micah began to get nervous.

Finally, the feather stilled and sank to the side of the tome. Aria looked up.

She was a beautiful woman, one of His mentoring angels, and Micah had complete faith and respect in her. He'd come a long way since he'd been given the opportunity to atone. More than once, he'd challenged her, but she'd merely made him work his way through his misconceptions. It was because of her that Micah wasn't working in Hell.

It was difficult for him to remain patient though, beside himself with this last opportunity. One more and he had his wings! He'd had a lot of debts to pay back. After so many angel-aided miracles, he was ready for this last one.

"Come closer, Micah."

She startled him with her soft-spoken voice. It wasn't her usual greeting. He came forward though without hesitation.

She held her hands behind her back as she regarded him. Her golden hair hung between beautiful wings, a mark of her mentoring status. She was beautiful, but angels didn't see physical beauty. She was the inspirational beauty that painters craved to emulate with their talents, and that religions used as icons. She glowed with understanding and patience. "You are aware of your reward if you succeed on this assignment?"

Micah wanted to shout his answer to the heavens, to everyone, but he nodded with a controlled smile instead. Her eyes glinted in amusement at his restraint. Ah, she knew him well.

"This is going to be a very difficult assignment."

Micah shrugged, feeling confident in his ability.

Aria's gaze cooled a little. "Don't be overly assured of success on this one, Micah. It is the Christmas season on Earth. The hardest time of the year for us, for those who lose faith."


To read a full chapter download from this book, please visit my site, or to purchase, go here. Thanks for reading!

--
Diana Castilleja
Best Selling Author
http://www.DianaCastilleja.com
Romance that thrives in dark places
http://www.sweeterromanticnotions.com

My First review For STROLL is IN!

From Little Sunshine at Night Owl Romance, 4 out of 5!
A Stroll In The Park is a treasured story that left this reviewer delighted... a wonderful job breathing life to this charming and romantic story... a successfully told story that this reviewer feels was a memorable read. I highly recommend this story if you are a true romantic at heart!

Find the full review here !


--
Diana Castilleja
Best Selling Author
http://www.DianaCastilleja.com
Romance that thrives in dark places
http://www.sweeterromanticnotions.com

Thursday, November 29, 2007

A virtual Baby Shower!

A Surprise Baby Shower for Crystal of Sensual Reads & Reviews on December 2 - 3, 2007. Join us in the celebration on Crystal's Baby Shower Blog. There will be games, contest and prizes.

--
Diana Castilleja
Best Selling Author
http://www.DianaCastilleja.com
Romance that thrives in dark places
http://www.sweeterromanticnotions.com

An Angel's Choice is live!

My latest Christmas release is live! Join me tonight with Forbidden Publications at 8pm CST in the chatroom to help me celebrate.

It's Micah's last assignment, the one that would earn him his wings. He felt prepared for the challenge ahead of him this Christmas season—until he met her.

Karen had been a forgotten child, a loner, and refused to open herself to hurt. She'd been down that road more than once and very recently had been dealt a miserable hand, being stood up at the altar.

Could an angel on a mission have the answer to her frozen heart? Could the heart of a wounded child locked inside a grown woman bring a forever love together? Only the choice of an angel will make this a Christmas to remember, for both of them
.

Excerpt:

Micah hesitated in the falling snow. A reaction that was as rare as that same snow falling in July. He eyed the building Karen worked in. Should he continue to be visible, or just give her the push in the right direction to get her what she most strongly needed in her life? After reading her history, he had wanted to meet her, face to face. See the woman behind the sadness, behind the bitter wall she kept up for the rest of the world. He knew before he'd seen her that she would be a difficult assignment, after meeting her—challenge was the only word that came to mind.

He couldn't think of one person, and he knew many souls, who he felt was worthy of her. He needed to get to know her better. It was the only way he could really help her.

Pushing the boundaries was something he didn't usually do, but sensing a deeper need in Karen, he felt he'd be forgiven for the plan he was making. Forgiveness was his boss's forte after all.

 


Thanks for reading!
For a full chapter download of this sweet Christmas short, check out my site, or to just buy it go here.



--
Diana Castilleja
Best Selling Author
http://www.DianaCastilleja.com
Romance that thrives in dark places
http://www.sweeterromanticnotions.com

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Getting better

Sadly, getting better meant I had to have gotten worse, which I did.

I ended up spending three out of four nights on the couch so I could breathe well enough to sleep. I don't care what anyone says, that is punishment, so bear it in mind for the SO in your life. It will get the point across. Oy!

I am feeling better today, less coughing, but my voice sounds like I'm talking through a damn drain.

NaNo was a loss. An utter and complete loss. I haven't written more than a dozen words except for my blogs since I got sick over a week ago. Yep, it's been that long because I know the "allergies" I had well before Thanksgiving were only the precursor to this monster case of suckitis head and chest obnoxiousness that I have right now.

The only bright spot... I have a release tomorrow night that thankfully I DON'T have to talk literally about. I can "yak" all I want, but I don't have to say a single word. Thank. God. I'll post some news about it tomorrow, excerpts and junk. BTW, the dude up there is the book. He's a damn good shot of the hero in my short. But... yeah, I'm a tease. You'll have to wait until tomorrow.


--
Diana Castilleja
Best Selling Author
http://www.DianaCastilleja.com
Romance that thrives in dark places
http://www.sweeterromanticnotions.com

Hey guys!

I've had a rather fun interview posted if you'd like to see what's been happening in my head lately. I checked for dust bunnies! LOL

http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/interviews/dianacastilleja.asp



--
Diana Castilleja
Best Selling Author
http://www.DianaCastilleja.com
Romance that thrives in dark places
http://www.sweeterromanticnotions.com

Monday, November 26, 2007

Well,

It's no secret I was trying to do NaNo this year. Have a fab story I've been working on and I even know how the stupid thing is going to end.

My problem?

I've hit a gap, and I can't figure out what I'm suppose to do about it. I call them "bridges". Scenes or chapters that  help me get from one thing/conflict/interaction to the next. I need a bridge badly.

Add to that I've spent two of the last three nights on the couch to sleep so I could sleep elevated to breathe, it's been a craptastic weekend for writing. I have 30K under my belt, but I'm not miracle worker. I know I can't crank out 20K in 4 days. So... *sigh*  It's not going to happen this year either.




--
Diana Castilleja
Best Selling Author
http://www.DianaCastilleja.com
Romance that thrives in dark places
http://www.sweeterromanticnotions.com

Friday, November 23, 2007

Authors of SRN

Check out the SRN blog for a special upcoming event!!

http://www.sweeterromanticnotions.com/blog/?p=232


--
Diana Castilleja
Best Selling Author
http://www.DianaCastilleja.com
Romance that thrives in dark places
http://www.sweeterromanticnotions.com

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

What happens if you try...


I'm not going to try to qualify why this worked, but the proposal I sent out just netted me another sale. I'm not even sure if I did it right, to be honest. I'm kind of stunned. I just hoped they liked the idea because it was the follow-up to a story they already have.

It was a pitch for the NaNo I'm doing right now, which is the sequel to CROWNING A WARRIOR KING, a fantasy romance. The story is tentatively titled, THE ROAD TO VASIMUS, and is Quinn's story.

Here's the blurb that I cooked up for it.

Quinn Hawke was the head council to King Tah-lel and is proud to continue his service to the kingdom when his brother is the dying King's appointed heir. However, from the lands of Vasimus, danger is coming.

Stacia is deadly, and has her orders. The witch must die, but time soon shows her the witch she was sent to destroy isn't the one about to be crowned. Cornered by the one elf she fears could be her undoing, she is sent back to her land, with Quinn as her escort as the new Ambassador of Eglandor. His orders are succinct. Bridge the gulf of misinformation between their distant lands for one year.

Little do they know that the king who has ordered the assassination of the sorceress has been deposed and the counselor she fears the most knows she was not detained for her attempted murder. Set upon by highway robbers, facing dangers and darkness at every turn as well as Stacia's own fears of what she will find when they return, makes Quinn growingly protective of her. She is the only living heir of her father's realm, banished to the assassin ranks as an infant at Counselor Jagga's prompting because she was not a son.

Can she and Quinn defeat the one who has run the kingdom from behind the mask of his position for years, and keep a tender love from being torn apart? Can peace rule in Vasimus?


I guess the biggest thing here is you'll never know if you don't try. icon_biggrin.gif

--
Diana Castilleja
Best Selling Author
http://www.DianaCastilleja.com
Romance that thrives in dark places
http://www.sweeterromanticnotions.com

Monday, November 19, 2007

Today....

I ate too much and went christmas shopping with the man. It's his day off and happens to be his birthday, so we went to a BBQ buffet that of course I couldn't possibly do justice to the food being on a diet. *sigh* But it was okay. He ate and that's what he wanted.

As for the Christmas shopping, the boy already has scored! Little stinker. Play-Doh, three new video games (cheap, thank goodness!) and some stuff for the stockings. I also saw some stuff that I can buy for the kidlets elsewhere, so I'll be hitting Wal-Mart after payday. That store must love me. :)

I saw about a dozen different things that I want but of course, really don't need. And all I could see was we'd need a much bigger house. At least come Thursday, I don't have to cook. Going to the Mother in laws for food. What about you guys?

Going out or staying in for Thanksgiving?


--
Diana Castilleja
Best Selling Author
http://www.DianaCastilleja.com
Romance that thrives in dark places
http://www.sweeterromanticnotions.com

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Join me at Sensual Reads and Reviews!

I'm guest blogging tomorrow at Sensual Reads and Reviews, along with several authors from Sweeter Romantic Notions! Come and join in the fun, heckle and harass, show some love, or just come and hang out.

There's going to be books, general mayhem and goofiness and lots of laughs! So take a break from the worry of what is being served and whose house for Thanksgiving. Come and play.

http://sensualreads.net/blog/

Hope you'll stop by!

--
Diana Castilleja
Best Selling Author
http://www.DianaCastilleja.com
Romance that thrives in dark places
http://www.sweeterromanticnotions.com

I'm the author spotlight!

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/

Come and check it out! There's excerpts, free reads and chances to win a free ebook all week long!

--
Diana Castilleja
Best Selling Author
http://www.DianaCastilleja.com
Romance that thrives in dark places
http://www.sweeterromanticnotions.com

Friday, November 9, 2007

Cade's Thanksgiving

Cade Lawson has known two years of single parenthood, missing his wife and raising his twin boys. But when push comes to shove, he does what he has to, to make sure his boys have a mama to raise them. He orders a mail order bride.

Maggie O'Malley (love that name) comes from a huge family of ten and being the oldest, knows how to take charge. Fearing she may not have children of her own, she is very open to taking on the surprises of a man with two infant sons. She walks in and takes over before they've even left the train platform.

Between a hard working man and spunky woman they discover they can both help each other with their wants and desires.

Cade's Thanksgiving is a cute story that has that warm fuzzy feeling at the end.

--
Diana Castilleja
Best Selling Author
http://www.DianaCastilleja.com
Romance that thrives in dark places
http://www.sweeterromanticnotions.com

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

My first time...

Two years ago, I received my first contract. I've been lucky enough to have a few more since then. But that first one was and will always be kind of special.

I learned a lot from my first publisher, more than she'll probably ever know, so for tonight I'm dedicating this post to her, Rene Walden of Forbidden Publications.

Why, you might ask? Well, because she took a chance on me. She liked my story. She liked it so much she immediately asked me for more. She got it. LOL But you know, there's some firsts you don't forget. Your first kiss... (haven't a clue) Your first dance... (Ditto there.) Or the big milestones... When you first know you've nabbed the right guy or gal. Yep, knew that pretty quick. That first taste of realizing your dream. Yep, really remember that. I was so stunned, I made my hubby read the email to make sure.

So for Rene I say thank you. And this is why:

 
Highest Rated for Forbidden Publications
1. Long [51566 words]Ice Cream in the Snow by Diana Castilleja [Romance]


Without her help during that first year, I wouldn't have learned as much as I did, wouldn't have thought I could do more to be honest. I'm still striving because I did get that first contract. It's made me push harder, go further, and want more.

Would I have had the same reaction to anyone else? Maybe. Would I still be writing? Probably. But there's nothing like the first time.

I wish all of you have a wonderful First Time. :)


--

Diana Castilleja
Best Selling Author
http://www.DianaCastilleja.com
Romance that thrives in dark places
http://www.sweeterromanticnotions.com

Monday, November 5, 2007

A dear friend needs some positive thoughts

A very dear writing friend's son has had
some very serious medical problems the
last few weeks. I don't know the details, and
don't want to divulge what is private.

I do know he was taken to the ER this
morning and she has stayed with him for
24 hours straight with no sleep.

If you have a minute and can share a
moment's time of compassion could you
please click the link and light a candle
for Cia and her son.

Deeply, I thank you.

Click Here to Light A Candle

*There is no registration other than name and country and no credit card required.*
--
Diana Castilleja
Best Selling Author
http://www.DianaCastilleja.com
Romance that thrives in dark places
http://www.sweeterromanticnotions.com