Summer Reading Time

Happy summer, everybody! I have all of July free, so I'll be bopping around Bhutan as much as possible. Fingers crossed I get to go white-water rafting.

I'll also be reading. A lot. I spent half my paycheck on new paperbacks at the only bookstore in town. First stop: Duma Key by Stephen King. So far, it's a real page turner.

And speaking of page turners...

Still available. And it's even discounted this month if you buy from Smashwords.

The NIGHT Is Here!

This is it, everybody! The big day!

After all the support I've gotten the last few days, the book is finally ready for download.

One Night in Zanzibar is available wherever you download ebooks in whichever country you currently reside. It's everywhere!

And if you like it, please check out the other books in the City Nights series. Some are more action-packed. Some are more explicit. But all of them have the sort of steamy, tension-filled romances with plenty of twists and turns on the way to the happily ever afters.

Monkeys Everywhere!

Do you want to hear the story of my trip to Jozani National Park in Zanzibar? Do you want to know about the time a monkey jumped on my shoulder and totally freaked me out? You do?

Well, check out Responsibly Irresponsible for the whole primate saga.

And if you still want to read more about Zanzibar, the new book comes out in five days!!!!

I've been to Africa. Did you know that?

POINTS IN CASE

Want a bit more comedy in your life? 

    

Then head over to PiC for another snarky article. This one is all about my time in Africa, which was totally real and not at all made up.

    

And if you want to read my BOOK about Africa, you can do that, too. Just saying.

Good times.

One Week to Zanzibar

The clock is ticking! One Night in Zanzibar comes out in one week! That means you have exactly seven days to preorder the ebook for only 99 cents. After that, it’ll be available at its regular price of $2.99.

   

How am I feeling right now? Excited. Nervous. A bit curious. This is my first erotic romance, and I’m waiting to see how my readers react.

 

I’m also very grateful to everyone at Tirgearr. Out of all the publishers I’ve worked with, these ladies were the most hands-on (and the most unceasingly positive). Once the clock strikes midnight on November 29, though, the book is out of our hands and into yours.

  

Finding Happiness and Creativity

Zanzibar is my favorite place in the world. I lived there for two years and had the time of my life. I've been grabbed by monkeys, stung by some jelly thing, gotten more sunburns that humanly possible, and met some of the coolest people in the world.

   

You should visit. Right now, actually. Go there right now. You won't regret it.

   

  

If you're still hesitant,  though, check out my guest article on Happiness-Creativity-&-Kindness to see the many reasons why Zanzibar is such a cool place to visit. (Spoiler alert: I only scratched the surface of all the big reasons you should go.)

   

And if you're still-STILL not convinced, there's always my new book, One Night in Zanzibar, which comes out in exactly one week. Just saying...

City Nights

     

As many of you know, my new ebook is part of the long-running City Nights series from Tirgearr Publishing. Each book in the series centers on a single, fast-paced romance in a different international city. Everywhere from Budapest to Boston is represented. And, by the end of this month, you can add Zanzibar to the list.
 
It's been a real pleasure to be a part of this series, because it combines two of my favorite things (traveling and romance), but it does so with a lot more variety than you'd expect.
 
You want some stranded-in-a-storm sexual tension? Go to Cape Town.
 
You want some love with a side of murder mystery? Drive to Boise.
 
And if you want some bachelor/bachelorette party shenanigans that go totally out of hand? Fly over to Amsterdam.
 

 

   
There are 32 books in the series, soon to be 33, and I love how each one is a totally different take on some classic romance tropes.
 
So how does mine fit into the rest of the series? First of all, Zanzibar offers a unique blend of tropical and urban. The story extends from a secluded beach to a bustling maze of city streets. Most importantly, though, it captures a real sense of running-for-your-life danger at every turn.
 
You'll see what I mean when it comes out on November 29.
   

Introducing... One Night in Zanzibar!

On the run and fearing for her life, Lucy finds herself on Zanzibar, a small bit of paradise off the coast of Tanzania. She isn't worried about romance, only protection. But when she meets a mysterious local, she gives in to the siren's call of the island.
   

For one unforgettable night, Lucy experiences all the passion and excitement that she's been hiding from. This stranger, though, is more than he seems, and soon Lucy's troubled past will catch up with her.

 

    

That’s the big hook for One Night in Zanzibar, my brand new erotic romance from Tirgearr Press. In this book, I’ve mixed a bit of romance and a bit of adventure into a setting that is near and dear to my heart. For anyone who’s been to the East African island, there are plenty of places that you’ll find familiar.

   

Probably my favorite scene in the book takes place on the tiny sandbank just off the coast of Stone Town. It’s a great setting for when things really start to heat up, and it’s also the site for some of my all-time favorite memories from back when I lived in Zanzibar. 

   

So what exactly happens on the sandbank. I guess you’ll have to download the ebook and find out!

ZANZIBAR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (part 4)

And here it is, ladies and gentlemen... The end of my film festival experience. I'd like to say things ended on a high note, because I did have a lot of fun with these last two days of films. The most depressing stuff is behind me, and all that's left are heartwarming documentaries, Beyoncé, and some drugs.
    

             
Honestly, film festivals are always so much fun. I consider myself a big film buff, but sometimes I take cinema for granted. With YouTube and streaming services and all sorts of websites, so many movies are at my fingertips that I forget to pay attention sometimes. Being at a film festival (sometimes sitting right next to a director or producer) forced me to pay attention, even if the movie in question had a rough patch or two.
  
Go to Slickster Magazine to see how it all ends. I'll give you a hint: there were riots.
  

ZANZIBAR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (part 3)

     
First of all, today is my birthday, so I'm in a particularly cheerful mood. Turning 30 does not, as some have said, make you start feeling like the Crypt Keeper. I think I have a good five years or so before that happens.

Yeah, I'm stoked about being a 30something. It's going to be my decade. I can feel it.

Anyway, here's part three of my ZIFF experience. Please note that at this point in the experience, my snark is really starting to come out. But I still had a blast.

And check back in sometime this week for the final wrap-up. In the meantime, I'm going to check my eyebrows for gray hairs.

ZANZIBAR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (part 2)

ZIFF continued to offer a bunch of wildly depressing movies. One in particular stood out for having incest, infidelity, attempted suicide, and abandonment all in the same steaming hot pile of soap opera nonsense. It was amazing.

Anyway, here are my continuing adventures with the biggest cultural event in all of East Africa.

ZANZIBAR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (part 1)

       
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to my complete film festival experience. For those of you who don't know, I spent nine days watching literally dozens of films Clockwork Orange-style. My eyes are killing me, but I can't wait to share my experiences with all of you.
      
Here's a basically meanless teaser to tie you over:
        
I saw some good films and some bad films. I saw at least three films that desperately wanted me to cry. I saw a movie about Beyoncé that didn't include Beyoncé in it. I saw a cartoon about World War I and short films about clothes, salt, rock music, and brothers punching each other for the greater good. I saw lots of movies about race, and even more about women's right. I saw a movie with a magic doll in it, and another movie about lady soccer players.
      
Nine days, hundreds of hours, thirty films. It was an experience.

Pirate Evan and the Ghosts of Terror Town

Last Halloween, I was a pirate (again). We had urban legend time at school, and it was a blast. There's an amazing urban legend called "Sam's New Pet." Please check it out.

Wedding Bells

This is me at my very first traditional Zanzibari wedding. I'm the one in blue.

Is there a doctor in the school?

In my work as headmaster of a small school in Zanzibar, I see some pretty adorable things every day. However, this week was the cutest one on record. It was the end of the term, so we had special dress-up days. This is from "Future Day," when students dressed like what they want to be when they grow up. This is our smallest doctor, complete with her Princess Sophia medicine bag.