Lisa Hendrix

Did I remember to tell you that IMMORTAL OUTLAW is officially on the shelves as of two days ago?  I didn’t think so.  I’ve been so busy posting it everywhere else, that I forgot my own blog.  //headsmack//

Well, it’s out, and I hope you’ll run out and buy today, because the sales in this first week are crucial to push a book up into bestseller vicinity.

I’m already in the middle of the blog tour, writing posts and answering interview questions like mad. H ere’s the schedule. Follow me around and comment for multiple chances to win. And be sure to tell your friends. The more the merrier!

May 29 - Mid-Willamette Valley RWA

June 2 - Lauren Dane

June 3 - Reading with Monie

June 4 - Yankee Romance Reviewers

June 5 - Petit Fours and Hot Tamales

June 8 - Cat and Muse (Former Demon Jezebel interviews Steinarr!)

June 10 - Book Addict at Pop Syndicate

June 15 - Lucy Monroe

July 7 - Romance in the Back Seat  (correct link to come)

I had ten stops scheduled, but then one was postponed, bringing this tour to its proper nine stops.  (If you don’t know the significance of nine in my books, check out my post at Yankee Romance Reviewers, linked above.)

For those of you in the Portland, OR, area, I wanted to remind you to come out TODAY to the 1st Annual NW Book Festival

Join me, Lisa Hendrix (IMMORTAL OUTLAW), Delilah Marvelle (MISTRESS OF PLEASURE), Minnette Meador (THE CENTURION AND THE QUEEN) and  40 other authors of all genres from poetry to romance to memoir to non-fiction.

Sun, fun, books, and speakers, all celebrating writers and the written word. Is there a better way to spend a Saturday?  You can find more details at the festival website, but the basics are:

Boy, those blog tours fry me.  Writing a guest post is way harder than writing fiction, for me at least.  But I’m done now, for all practical purposes, and venturing out into other venues.

Tonight, you’ll find me doing a solo chat at Writerspace, 9pm Eastern (6pm Pacific). I hope you’ll come join me. (I have giveaways…)

Then Saturday, I’ll be at the 1st Annual NW Book Festival, along with 40 other authors of all varieties. There are a whole herd of romance authors, so come connect up with your favorites. Full deets are at the festival website, but the time and place are:

Saturday, June 27, 2009
10am-4pm
21860 Willamette Drive, West Linn, OR

(Click link for Google Map)

Sunday evening, I’m back at Writerspace, this time for their 2009 BEACH PARTY blowout.  If you’ve never been to a virtual beach party, it’s time you put your toe in. There are a ton of authors, even more fans and readers, and a moderator who must have Exedrin Headache #885 by the time the evening’s over. They pass out virtual piña coladas and sunscreen, and every author gives away prizes–I’m giving away books and chocolate–and all you have to do to enter the giveaway is register before the party and then show up.

The party rocks from 8-11 pm Eastern (5-8 Pacific); my designated slot is 9pmE/6pmP.
Full list of participating authors (and it’s a juicy list!) and a link to the registration form are HERE.  The Writerspace Chatroom is, as always, at

A lot of readers are emailing me privately to say how much they love IMMORTAL OUTLAW.  So how come they (and you) are not posting these glowing reviews to Amazon and B&N?

Honestly, public pronouncements of enjoyment are the very best way you can help your favorite authors (whether you include me in that list or not).  So click those links, review away–and while you’re there, review some other book you’ve read.

We’ll all win.

My husband hates it that I eavesdrop, but it’s a writer thing. You get the best snippets of dialogue by eavesdropping.

Or sometimes you get a great recipe. This one is so easy, and SO-O-O good, and I got it while standing in line at a small-town drugstore a couple of weeks ago. The cashier was telling a customer/friend why another customer/friend (it was a small town, remember) had just checked out with about two dozen of the large size Hershey Symphony bars—you know, the ones that are about 4″ x 9″—which were on sale, buy-one-get-one-free. They were, she said, for brownies, and went on to describe exactly what to do with them

Whip up your favorite brownie mix, then pour half the batter into a 9″ x 13″ pan.

Then work the magic:  Unwrap three (3) of the large almond toffee Symphony bars and place them side-by-side across the pan.

Pour the remainder of the batter over the top, covering the Symphony bars. Bake as usual, and cool for as long as you can bear to let them sit.

Oh. My.

I just received a shipment of the most gorgeous bookplates from Ninth Moon, which means I can now sign your copies of IMMORTAL OUTLAW and IMMORTAL WARRIOR long distance. 

Just send a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope to me at PO Box 8092, Medford, OR 97504,   (Foreign readers, please use an International Reply Coupon).

I’ll mail you an autographed—and personalized, if you’d like—self-adhesive bookplate to paste into the front of your book (or books–let me know if you need more than one). The paper and adhesive are archival quality, so they will not harm your books.  I’ll also toss in a bookmark and a recipe card with one of my family’s favorite bread recipes.

I’m so looking forward to signing your books!

We’re less than a week away from the official release date of June 2, so maverick copies of IMMORTAL OUTLAW should be starting to turn up around the world. ( UPDATE: I have a report of a purchase in Missouri as of 5/26)

Be among the first to spot Steinarr in the wild and you’ll be entered to win this snazzy, long-handled canvas tote—perfect for carrying books to the beach—with the Immortal Outlaw cover on one side and my new Viking Beast logo on the other. And there will be goodies in the bag, too.

Just tell me about your close encounter with the King of Beasts in the Comments below, noting when and where you spotted copies of IMMORTAL OUTLAW, and you’ll be entered.  I’m interested in either the first places the book shows up or the most unusual/wide-ranging locale. The drawing will take place on June 20.

Also, if you’re lucky enough snap a photo of Steinarr in his natural habitat, email it to me  (lisa at lisahendrix dot com — you know the drill) and I’ll post it for all to enjoy. Be silly. Be creative. Be wild. Anyone who sends a verifiable pic of a copy for sale in Vanuatu or Tristan da Cunha gets ten extra entries in the drawing  //g//.

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your eyeballs.

Oh, and please, please, pretty please, after you finishing reading Steinarr and Marian’s story, go post a review on Amazon or B&N.com. Reader reviews and word of mouth are the life-blood of writers whose initials are not N.R.   Thank you!

I’m the blogger up today at Rose City Romance Writers. Come see my nominations for the Grey’s Anatomy of books.

I had bookmarks professionally designed and printed by Earthly Charms and they are fabulous, darling.  I mean, just look at Steinarr. That back!  (Thank you, Tony Mauro) Approximately three thousand have now been mailed out to bookstores and readers’ groups, but if you want one to fondle for yourself, you can send a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope to me at PO Box 8092, Medford OR 97504. If you want more than one, so you can share, be sure to tell me.  I’ll also toss in a recipe for a delicious herb bread. All free. Just, please, remember that First Class stamp.  [Booksellers/Readers Groups and others who need larger quantities, please let me know using the Contact form.]

If, on the other hand, you’re a do-it-yourself type or just don’t have the patience to wait, you can print out your own bookmarks like the ones to the right—including the special Viking lion bookmark, available only here.  Just click on the image to get to the full-sized pdf file, which you can print directly or save to print later. You’ll get four different bookmarks from a single sheet of paper. For best results, use white coverstock or cardstock and a color printer—but if you don’t have either of those and still want bookmarks, go for it with what you have.  Nobody said they had to be perfect.

So, take your choice. Or take both. Enjoy!

The theater department at my son’s high school raises a little extra change during play runs by selling mom-made goodies at intermission. It was my turn this time, and the timing couldn’t have been better, as the play was Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. And of course, my Immortal Brotherhood books are Beauty and the Beast, too (NOT the Disney version).

Now, I’m an okay baker, but I don’t do it often. But I rolled up my sleeves and set out to make my required three dozen cupcakes. And in the process, I learned a few things—minor things, perhaps, and probably old hat to those who bake more often than, say, once every two years, but new to me.  They are presented below in the order in which I discovered them.

1) Wilton cupcake liners are better.

I’ve always used the cheap ones from the grocery store (Reynolds, typically) but since I had to pick up some specialty sprinkles at the craft store, I decided the convenience of grabbing the Wilton liners that were right there far outweighed the few cents I would save by ducking into the grocery next door.

Enlightenment. The Wilton cups were sized properly and pleated more tightly, so they actually FIT my pans and didn’t sproing up out of the cups. (See pic. Wilton is on the left, sitting there politely waiting for batter. Reynolds is clearly trying to escape.)  Nor did the Wilton get those funky, annoying wrinkles when I filled them.

Result: Read the rest of this entry »