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I know most people dread Mondays. I can’t say that I do. That’s not to say that I don’t love the weekends. I do. But Mondays are always so quiet and for  me it’s like a breather after a busy and often noisy weekend :)

I always appreciate the silence more on Mondays because it comes on the heels of the weekend. By Wednesday or so, I’m usually looking forward to the weekend again and making family plans.  But ah that Monday morning when the house is completely silent and I have it all to myself and I can sit in my office without any interruptions. It’s a beautiful thing!

Today I’m working on the first Scottish Historical, Ewan and Mairin’s story.  I’ll fully admit, I’m was skeered spitless to write these. It’s been a long while since I last wrote a historical and I was afraid that maybe I’d forgotten how ;)  It’s been way more fun than I anticipated.  I’m loving the characters and my thoughts often drift to the second and third stories in the trilogy (I am easily distracted!) But I take that as a good sign that I’m no longer equating the writing of these stories with the outbreak of the plague *g*

How are Mondays for you?  I can remember living for the weekend and just mindlessly passing the weekdays until Friday. I’ve learned to enjoy those weekdays because damn, I’m not getting any younger, and the last thing I need is to wish away more of my days!

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Isn’t she cute? And already so helpful as you can see by her perch on my keyboard…

We’ve had her for less than a week, but I think she’s settling in nicely, don’t you think?

I wasn’t feeling well last night. (Onset of a cold) and I thought a really hot soak in the tub with a book would do the trick. I select my  book, draw my bath, settle in with an ahhhh.  Then I open the book and start reading. Within three pages, I realized by the reference to secondary characters that this was a book in a series.  Since the current book was ruined for me until I determine which books came before it (and go back to read those first) I had to close the book and set it aside.  And of course I was stranded in the bath with no book to read :(

I guess the lesson learned here is to make sure the book I’m picking for bathtub reading isn’t in the middle of a series I haven’t read! Or just  make sure it’s a standalone.

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Oh the trials and tribulations of moving. I could write a book about this move that would be hysterical but then I’d have to weep the entire way through it, which wouldn’t be much fun ;)  But we are moved into the new house, my office is set up and after tomorrow all of the remaining furniture will be delivered.  It’s looking more like home every day!

For my contest winners, I’ll  be mailing your books out to you just as soon as I finish unpacking the boxes that have my author copies in them, so bear with me, I’ll get them out soon!

I’m working on the first Scottish historical (yay!) I love this book so much. I just finished up No Place to Run and Pillow Talk in December and shipped those off to my editor so those are out of my way :)  Spoke to my agent and editor Friday about release dates for the Scottish historicals. Hope to have those nailed down soon so I can let you guys know when those are publishing.

2010 is going to be an insane writing year which means 2011 will be bursting with releases.  It should be a wild ride!

Hope everyone had a great holiday and a smooth New Year. I think I’m the only moron who plans a move over the holidays.  Needless to say, I think I’ll have to die here, because I don’t want to repeat this any time soon :)

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Gah, I’ve been moving all day and honestly, I’d forgotten this was New Years Day.  So without further ado, here are the winners!

The Anetakis trilogy (3 winners)

Maria comment #10

Allison comment #109

Joder comment #49

The Sweet series (2 winners)

Oriela Joseph comment # 51

Lisa Guertin comment #123

AND the winner of the Sweet Temptation ARC is

Roxanne comment #66

Ok folks, that’s it!  Send me your snail mail addy to mayaATmayabanks.com and please tell me HOW you want me to personalize your books. i don’t want to misspell anyone’s name so be clear heh.  Also a remind about the Sweet Temptation ARC. This will be mailed out in March 2010.  All other books will be mailed just as soon as I get moved.

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I’ve stopped with the whole “nothing can top this year evah!” nonsense. I can remember in 2006, I didn’t think I could possibly ever have a year to top that one. So many good things happened that year after a truly horrible 2005. I was grateful that things turned around so dramatically.

Then in 2008, once again I thought wow, it doesn’t get better than this!  Wrong again. :)

2009 has been a marvelous year and I won’t bother saying it can’t get better. I WILL say that wow, if it does get better, just wow.  But I’m looking forward to great things in 2010 and I’ll take what comes and be happy and grateful.

After a few years of being published, 2009 came full circle in that I sold a historical trilogy.  I started out writing historicals back when I was trying to become a published author. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get back to those stories, but I bided my time and when it was “right” I took the leap.  The auction for this trilogy was the most exciting event yet in my publishing career. I’m really thrilled to be writing these books for Ballantine, a publisher I have a lot of respect for, and an editor who’s as excited as I am about this trilogy.

I sold a novella for an anthology with two very dear friends, people I love and am looking forward to working with for years to come.  We’re taking a trip together to Catalina in March and I’m looking forward to spending time with them laughing and having good girly fun.

I sold more erotic contemporaries to my editor at Berkley HEAT, including another Sweet book, book 5 in the series, which will be Connor’s book :)

I sold a four book miniseries to Silhouette Desire for a back to back release in 2011.

Work wise, I had a very productive year despite a few periods where I wasn’t able to write as much as I’d have liked.  I’m hoping to streamline my time and have a more productive year in 2010. *crossing fingers!*

Looking ahead to 2010 will see the debut of my Kelly series from Berkley Sensation. I’m soooo excited about these books.  I’ve already written the first two books in this series, The Darkest Hour and No Place to Run, and up next I’ll be writing book 3, No Place to Hide.  I love the Kelly family and the people they surround themselves with.  I hope readers will love these characters as much as I do :)

Perhaps the most important thing we did in 2009 was take more family time. For the first time ever, my husband took every bit of his allotted vacation time and we traveled with our kids plus we took two trips together just us.  We also finally took the plunge and decided to buy a new house. With three very boisterous, rambunctious children, we outgrew our current house a few years ago, but the time just never seemed right for the hassle of moving.  I finally decided that there never would be a “good” time and so we bit the bullet and just did it.  We closed Dec 15th and we’ll move the first week in January.  Everyone is super excited to begin the new year in our new house and we’re looking forward to building a lot of memories in our new home :)

We’re off to spend Christmas with my family in Louisiana today. I don’t know how much I’ll be blogging between now and the end of the year because I’ll be packing! *sob*  But I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a wonderful holiday and my wish for a happy new year.  I’m so grateful to readers of this blog and readers of my books.  It’s because of you that I’m able to have a job I love and that I can continue to dream up stories and put them to paper.

To show my thanks and deep appreciation, I want to offer my readers some pressies :)  Here’s what I’m offering.

Signed and personalized Anetakis trilogy (Silhouette Desire) This includes The Tycoon’s Pregnant Mistress, The Tycoon’s Rebel Bride and The Tycoon’s Secret Affair.  I’ll give away three sets of these books.

The first three books in the Sweet series (Berkley HEAT), signed and personalized.  This includes Sweet Surrender, Sweet Persuasion and Sweet Seduction.  I’ll give away two sets of these books.

AND I’ll also pony up an ARC of Sweet Temptation which releases in April 2010.  Please note, this will be a printed, bound galley and will be mailed to winner in MARCH 2010.

Sound good?  I’ll leave this contest open until the end of the year and I’ll post the winners the first week of January.  It will be your responsibility to come back to see if you’ve won. I won’t hunt you down and you’ll have a limited time to claim your prize or another winner will be chosen.

To enter, just drop a comment.  I’ll choose winners at random at the end of the year.

Much love to you all!

*smooch*

Maya

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So we had a freak snow incident a week or so back here in southeast Texas.  It lasted…about four hours and was pretty much gone the minute it stopped.  By the next day temps had warmed up to more balmy temperatures and by two days later it was quite warm, muggy and sloppy again.

TWO days ago the highs reached nearly 80.

Yesterday morning when I took the kids to school it was a nippy 35 degrees, which around here sends people into panic and into their winter parkas.  Yes, I know, quit rolling your eyes.  We actually didn’t get much above 50 the entire day.  My daughter complained that she didn’t get to go outside when I dropped her off because it was “too cold.”

Today it’s warmer but still nippy. I think we’re in the 40s, but that’s pretty darn cold by our standards.  Not that I have heat running in the house or anything, but going outside spawns immediate eye widening and an exclamation of “what the hell is this?”

A few years ago (before all the hurricanes came through and wiped out Bolivar Peninsula) we were on the beach on New Years Day. Temps were in the 80s and it was bright and sunshiney, to give you a little reference on our “winters” hehe

My cats think it’s the end of the world and have been relentlessly stalking me. As soon as I sit down anywhere, one of them jumps onto my lap and hunkers down like she’s seeing the next ice age.

I fully expect it to warm up just in time for Christmas, because, well, Christmas around here is more like rainy 70ish temperatures with the dip into the 50s at night. (maybe)

Because really, what is Christmas without mud and muggy weather? :)

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Yeah that was me blowing hot air everywhere. The only person who’s read No Place to Run (my agent) loved it which was a relief given how many times I’ve rewritten this book.  So yay! No more rewriting. This one’s ready to be shipped off.

Oldest son’s birthday was Sunday so we went over Houston way to eat at Cheesecake Factory. It’s right next door to P.F. Changs which was my choice (LOVE P.F. Changs!) but we ate at Cheesecake and it was…okay.

Husband and I braved the mall (oh sweet Jesus!) and did as much shopping as we could stomach. (I think we lasted one whole hour)  I’ve since been working my little fingers to death internet shopping. I don’t know what people ever did before internet shopping.  Oh, I DO know. They went out on Black Friday and trampled each other to death…

So I’m soldiering on and I’m finally making some headway on the shopping.  I’d love to report that I’m done, but that’s not going to happen for awhile.  Shopping would be SO much easier if I knew what to buy, you know?  I lack imagination when it comes to gifts and I hate the idea of buying the wrong thing, so picture me, paralyzed with paranoia about the whole gift buying process.  For Christmas, I’m going to ask for mind reading abilities.

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Happy December 1st!  If I sound disgustingly cheerful it’s because I finally finished No Place to Run (Also known as KGI 2, and also known as Sam and Sophie)  I’m now working hard on Pillow Talk which is my long novella for the Four Play anthology with Shayla Black (releases next October)  I’m hoping to get a cover for that one soon (fingers crossed)  I should also be seeing a cover for KGI 2 soon and I’m just hoping it’s as awesome as the cover for KGI 1, The Darkest Hour because damn that cover makes me squee like a girl.

December is just an insane month.  Every year I tell myself I’ll schedule better and not have so much work in addition to all the other madness that is December but every year for some reason I end up with more stuff at the end of the year than any other time. *shrug*  Maybe I’m just mental like that. Or maybe December wouldn’t BE December if we didn’t get to bitch about it…

House stuff is moving along.  Personally I think xanex should be issued with house contracts.  They make you sign, then hand you xanex to prepare you for the thirty days of ridiculous that follows until the closing.  I can’t think of too many things more stressful than buying or selling a home. Lucky me…I get to do both.

If I start not making sense in my blog posts from here on out you’ll know either I lost my ever loving mind during the paperwork stage OR they caved and gave me xanex and I loaded up on the happy pills.

And I still have to start my Christmas shopping…

Hold me!

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Things are crazy around chez Maya this morning.  It’s my fault because…well, I haven’t been to the grocery store yet. I hadn’t even decided what I was going to cook for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.  Picture me in the middle of the grocery aisles mentally figuring out a menu. Plus fourteen calls to the husband to ask whether he wanted A or B.  Yeah, that was me a few minutes ago. Now I have groceries strewn all over my kitchen and OMG at some point I have to start cooking this stuff.

I’m hopelessly disorganized and I can’t believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I mean isn’t it still October?

But for me, Thanksgiving has always been the kick-off to the holiday season.  Thanksgiving is irrevocably linked to Christmas in my mind the day after Thanksgiving the tree goes up, I begin to annoy the holy hell out of everyone with Christmas music, and I start tormenting the kids with wrapped pressies under the tree that they have to stare at for a solid month.

Only uhm I’ve done no shopping yet.  I must get my ass in gear, clearly.

To address the timeless question of what I’m thankful for….today I’m grateful for hugs. Kisses from my babies. My obnoxious cats. And that I haven’t completely lost my mind.  Yet…

I hope everyone has a terrific Thanksgiving Day and a wonderful kick-off to the holiday season. For all you insane people who are braving the madness of Black Friday, be careful!  Don’t get trampled by little old ladies and maniacal mothers with strollers.