Giving Thanks...

Hello all! Today is Thanksgiving Sunday, here in the land of Canuk! So to al my fellow Canadians, Happy Thanksgiving. In my area of Canuk land we've been enjoying amazing weather this past week and today is no different. Warm, sunny...and my husband has decided that we're cooking Fred the Turkey on the barbecue. (we always name our birds). Cross fingers that it tastes great!

Anyhoo, because of the holiday I'm in a thankful kind of mood. So todays post is going to be a list of what I'm grateful for.

1. Family. Sure my husband and kids drive me crazy sometimes but hey, isn't that what makes life interesting? My parents are awesome and I'm forever grateful that they let me find my own path...the one that led me to where I am now.

2. Girlfriends. I have the best girlfriends in the world. HANDS DOWN. The Mudslides rocked the ball diamond this year and already I miss our games.

3. HBO for giving me True Blood, Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire and Dexter.

4. The CW for giving me Vampire Diaries, the most pleasingly esthectically wonderful show on television. RAWR

5. Music. It will always be important to me and I'm so happy my kid is following a path that brings him the same joy.

6. Wunderbar. nuff said but I do so enjoy this chocolate.

7. I'm so happy t have met a host of awesome authors since I've been published. And some I consider to be amazing friends! Among them, Eve Silver, Michelle Rowen, Tiffany Clare, Elisabeth Naughton, Amanda Vyne, The Sirens and Scribes, Karina Cooper and Sable Grace.

8. I'm so excited about my new series League of Guardians the first full length book, Wicked Road to Hell. (click on the title and you can read the first chapter!)

9. And how about this yummy little bit of cover?

I can't wait to show the entire thing, but alas, I have to wait!

So, on this beautiful Sunday morning....I'd love to hear from you guys...what are you most grateful for?

Oh the Memories...

It's nearly mid September and by now all the kiddies are back in school. Let's be honest moms and dads.....feels pretty damn good doesn't it? To have some routine and maybe a clean house for longer than twenty minutes? If you are like me it's a 'hell yes' moment that's bittersweet. My oldest is in Highschool and the youngest grade 7, so they're not little babies anymore. They're growing older and having a lot of firsts in the next few years.....got me to thinking about my firsts!

So, I thought it would be fun to share a bunch of firsts and I'm hoping you all will too....great way for me to get to know our readers!

1. FIRST KISS....mine was in grade six and when I kissed George Dailey out behind the bleachers at the arena. It was wet and sloppy and I broke up with him the next day.

2.FIRST CRUSH/REAL PERSON...mine was a boy, Dave, who I crushed huge on for years. Years people...he was my obsession. When we finally dated however I was into dudes with long hair so it didn't pan out, but man, how intense were those feelings?

3.FIRST CRUSH/CELEBRITY....I had a few and this will show my age...but David Cassidy....I mean hello! And Leif Garrett.....








On a side note, Leif played boyfriend to Kristy McNicol on the television show Family and I had a big girl crush on her!

4.FIRST SLOW DANCE WITH A BOY....was at a family function. I remember wearing a white dress and one of my older brother's friends asked me to dance...he was cute...I was excited...but as we danced all I could think was...he smelled like cows and barns....oy

5.FIRST DATE....I was 14 and my parents allowed me to go on a car date...14 people....that won't be happening with mini me. Nope.

6.FIRST FAVE BAND....Styx...I loved everything about them...their music, they're concepts...the songs...and I especially loved Tommy Shaw. Boat on the River is still one of my all time favorite songs.

7.FIRST LIVE CONCERT....I have a great one...Prince and the Revolution on the Purple Rain tour. I saw them in Toronto 2 nights in a row and to this day it is probably the best concert I've ever seen. Prince rocks in so many ways.

8.FIRST ROMANCE READ....This Calder Sky by Janet Dailey. Loved all those books.

9.FIRST CELEBRITY FREAK OUT....um, standing beside Jon Bon Jovi in a toronto club while Skid Row was performing and well, freaking out when I realized he and Ritchie were there....right beside me....I screamed, and jumped around and started a near riot....LOL

10.FIRST BOOK SALE....I sold His Darkest Hunger 3 years ago on September 11.

So, Please share all your firsts with me!!!!!! I'd love to get to know you all better!

Salute to True Blood

All right everyone! Sorry this is a day late. So without further ado, the winner of their choice of either Hunger, Embrace or the newest release, His Darkest Salvation, is Katie! Please email me at my website!

Happy Tuesday everyone! I am deep in deadline hell and coupled with the business that is summer I'm finding my time is getting more than a little stretched! As I'm sure most of you are!

For my post today I thought we'd have a little fun. If you're like moi, than you're happily settling in each Sunday night to watch True Blood. You've got your wine ready, your snacks and your girlfriends. The lights are lowered, the surround sound is on and the children have learned that mommy is not a nice person if A) they've hidden the remote and it's 8:59 and B)do not under any circumstance save for bodily harm, interrupt True Blood.

I love this show. I love everything about it. The characters. The setting. The writing. I've not read the books (I know....wtf?) and maybe that's why I'm loving it so much. It's all fresh and wonderful. From the simple yet sexy Jason, to Lafayette to Eric...to Alcide. I love them all.

But let's be honest here. True Blood has the sexiest men on television. Hands down. And amongst my girlfriends we have a healthy debate over who is the sexiest. so I thought we'd have a little pole here on the Underground. Shifter VS Vampire VS adorable human with hawt body.

Who do you think is the sexiest man on True Blood?

Eric?




Jason? (who let's face it, gets a lot of good lines)





Or Alcide?





I know who my fave is, so who's yours and why? I think I'll let a random commentator choose one of my Jaguar Warrior Books! sound cool? comment and you can win either, His Darkest Hunger, His Darkest Embrace or my latest release, His Darkest Salvation!

HIs Darkest Salvation, the journey to get here.

Next Tuesday, His Darkest Salvation, the last book in my Jaguar Warriors trilogy releases and I have to be honest, this morning as I sat to compose this post I had a moment. A wow, I can't believe it moment! You see a few years ago if you'd have told me I'd be writing a series for a major New York publisher I would have thought you crazy.

Don't get me wrong. Storytelling has always been a part of my life whether in words or music, but to actually do it? Nah, I'd never thought I'd pursue it seriously. I mean, what was the point? Thousands of people submit written work every day and thousands get rejected. Did I actually think I'd be one of the ones that wasn't? I think that's the point really. How would I know if I didn't try.

So, when the time was right--the kids were in school full time and my life had settled somewhat--I decided to go for it. I'd been reading a lot of paranormal books, something that was new to me but that I'd really enjoyed. Christine Feehan, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Lynsay Sands...they'd all created worlds and characters that left me wanting more. That's when I decided if I was going to write a book, it needed to be paranormal romance.

I'd been lurking about online and knew that I'd need to come up with something fresh and I decided shifters were the way to go. Werewolves were already out there but I came across pictures and lore about Jaguars. Aztecs and Mayans oh my! I fell in love instantly.

His Darkest Hunger came to me with an opening scene. My hero--an assasin--about to take out his former lover and the woman he beleived betrayed him. That was it. One opening scene but it started the ball rolling and my Jaguar Warriors were born!

It's been a crazy ride. I've met so many awesome people and am eternally grateful that an agent and editor saw promise in my work.

And now His Darkest Salvtion is releasing, I have a new series starting next year. LIfe is Good!

In honour of my latest release I've got all sorts of good things happening, but first some info about the book!

You can read the first several chapters on line HERE before the book hits the shelves!

In a world on the brink of chaos, passion and vengeance collide …

After six months in hell, Julian Castille has returned to the world a changed man. No longer the calm, powerful CEO, but a shifter fully embraced by the blood of his clan. Julian has one goal: find the key to the portal that stands between the human realm and unprecedented darkness—and win back the pieces of his soul. The last thing he needs is a distraction like the beautiful, enigmatic Jaden DaCosta.

Three years ago, a forbidden night of passion left Jaden forever altered: mated to Julian Castille–bound to a man who despises her. But the temptation to trust this darker, more savage—and more captivating—Julian is overwhelming. And as they fight for their immortal souls, their insatiable desire for each other may prove their fatal undoing…





I've got an amazing contest that is running until next Monday, July 25th. A lot of great prizes each day! Click Here and enter to win!

I'm also doing a blog tour and prizes will be awarded, the deets are HERE

So, long winded post but I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who's helped me get to where I am! You all rock!

Mish Mash and all that....

Well Happy March to all of you. I'm a little miffed as the damn groundhog said you know, only 6 more weeks of winter but here in the land of Canuk we've had nothing but snow, snow and more freaking snow! Hopefully in like a lion and out like a lamb holds up because this Canuk bird is just about ready to fly the coop!

Anyhoodle, a few things....I can happily confirm that I've accepted a third contract with Harper Collins and I will be writing a new series, League of Guardians! It's an offshoot of my Jaguar Warrior Trilogy but Declan's book, Wicked Road to Hell kickstarts this new series. I'm very, very excited and pleased! I'm also going to be writing 2 ebook originals to be published under Avon's new Impluse imprint. These are going to be novella's and the first one will be out next February. This book will bridge the gap between His Darkest Salvation and Declan's book. (which is a May 2012 release) There will be another ebook in September of 2012 followed by the second book in my new series which has a tentative release date of December 2012! So, lots going on!

Here is a blurb about my new series....


For millennia the struggle between light and dark, the upper and lower realms, has been policed by a secret group of warriors culled from every fabric of existence. They are both otherworld and human, male and female. They are light and dark themselves, known to each other as the League of Guardians. Their pledge, to protect the line between the two realms and make sure neither side grows too powerful. If they fall, so shall the earth, the heavens and hell. And there will be no more.

Weeeeeeeeeeee! What do you think? I can't wait to write this series.

So, this is pretty much what is going on in my universe. I've finished a contemporary romance that is with my agent and now need to get my head back in to the paranormal world. The male spawn is keeping me busy as a mom groupie. He's an awesome guitar player and well I love watching him play. Here is a shot of him that I absolutely love.



I also saw I am Number Four and really liked it, though, this is the movie I want to see desperately....



So, what are you all looking forward to seeing? And what are you reading? I have some time and need some new recommends!

Music, Movies and Books

A huge shout out to all the followers of this Blog! I hope you're warm wherever you are! Here in the land of Canuk, it's freezing. Absolutely freezing I tell you. BUT, the sun is shining so I'm kinda okay with that. I really, really, hate the dreary, grey skies...they make me a little well, edgy.


Good news, the local expert in such things, a groundhog no less, says that there is only six more weeks of winter and I don't know about you, but that makes me feel warm and fuzzy. On the inside at least, cause like I already said.....freaking cold in Canuk land.

With the thought of spring and new things, I'm going to share some of the stuff I'm looking forward to.

It's no secret that I love music. And Nikki Sixx. HELLO (I'm working on a sekret project right now and my hero is the love child of said sexy rocker Nikki Sixx and Jon Bon Jovi)

And Mr. Nikki has a new book and new cd coming out and oh my, we SHARE THE SAME PUBLISHER! HarperCollins is releasing his book, This is Gonna Hurt in April. You can read all about it HERE. He will also be releasing a new cd to coincide with the books release. If you haven't read The Heroin Diaries....do so. It's harrowing, scary and full of awesomesauce. It's a very real account of his addiciton to Heroin just as Motley Crue were on thier way to the bigtime. I respect his willingness to put it all out there in a very, raw and honest accounting.

I'm also looking forward to new books by our own Jeaniene Frost, the debut of Karina Coopers new series, Blood of the Wicked, Pamela Palmers latest Feral Warriors novel (RAWR) and Sable Grace's debut, Ascension!

On the movie front I'm looking forward to Cowboys & Aliens and I AM NUMBER FOUR.....watch this trailer and tell me what you think! The lead actor, Alex Pettyfer is also tapped to play Jace, in The Mortal Instruments movies and I'm stoked...he's perfect for the role.

So, what are you all looking forward to? Any other suggestions you'd like to add? which books, movies and music are you most excited about?

Why do we love Paranormals?

Weeeee! thanks so much for all the comments they were fun to read! The winner of a signed copy of HIS DARKEST HUNGER and a coverflat of HIS DARKEST EMBRACE is "Crystal" who commented on June 9th at 19:27am....yes, team Damon all the way! Email me at juliana at julianastone dot com with your information and I'll get those items in the mail!

Hello everyone! A quick introduction as I'm pretty much the new kid on the block. I'm Juliana Stone, a Canadian writer who lives with the hubby, 2 offspring and an adorable golden retriever. I love to play baseball, golf and sing in an 80's retro band.

Now, I can add author to that list! I had my debut book, HIS DARKEST HUNGER release from Avon in April and am terribly excited about the second in this series, HIS DARKEST EMBRACE, coming out in November! My books are about Jaguar Warriors, strong alpha type men and the women who tame them!

So an interesting conversation was started yesterday amongst some writers as to what constitutes a paranormal romance or Urban Fantasy. Was high fantasy considered to be a fit? Futuristics? It totally got me to thinking about all the amazing sub genres that exist today. I remember reading romance when I was teenager, stealing books from my mom's room, hiding them under my bed...they were mostly historicals and contemps.

How did the paranormal evolve into such a hot product? My take is that it was a slow build with a few key players. Anne Rice being the first. Interview with the Vampire rocked my world, (Queen of the Damned was my fave in the series). I think that Christine Feehan's Dark series brought the vampire out into mainstream romance in a way that was fresh and different. For me personally, I'd picked up a copy of Dark Prince about five years ago now and was hooked. Holy Crap, dark, brooding angst filled alphas...and they were vampires? That book made me want to write my own. (thanks Christine!)

There was also televison...The X-files, man I crushed huge on Mulder and so wanted to be Scully. I'm also a Star Trek geek and still have my poster of Captain Picard (Make it so Number 1).

These pioneers paved the way and fed a monster that has continued to grow and I don't think it shows signs of stopping. We now have a whole host of authors writing these fab books ranging from paranormal romance, to urban fantasy to high fantasy, horror, futuristics and all of these can cross over as well!

On televsion we have True Blood (weeeeee! season 3 this sunday peeps!) Supernatural and I'm team Damon all the way on the Vampire Diaries. I think that the paranormal genre is stronger now than ever and I for one am thrilled to be a part of it!

I know why I love these books so much, but why do you? What makes you pick up a book by Frost, Ware or Marr? (maybe Stone, too? LOL)

Tell me what you love so much about the genre, or what you'd like to see that you haven't before and I'll pick 2 winners of a signed copy of HIS DARKEST HUNGER and include signed copy flats of my newest! Trust me the cover is HAWT! I'll let the contest run and announce a winner on Sunday, June 13th!