There's something about early morning which lends itself to contemplation, I think. Mr. Harris had an early meeting this morning, something to do with a tele-conference with people in other parts of the world, so he had to get up at a criminal hour — and I woke up too. So now I'm sitting in bed with my laptop and my tea and thinking in the quiet hours before dawn. I have a lot of work to do, but I'll do it after I do this.

I've been thinking about this business, which I love, and about the people in it. Readers, y'all are the most amazing, wonderful, necessary people in the world. Without you, I have no job. I'd write anyway, but I'd have to do it while working 9 to 5 at something else to pay the bills. And no one would be reading the stories but me — and maybe a couple of friends. So this is preferable, and I thank you for it! I'm glad you like my books, and I always love to hear from you. So don't hesitate to send that email!

The other people I love in this business are my writing friends. I have a core group, people I can rant to about covers, sales, blurbs, revisions, etc. There's nothing like a good rant with your fellow writers. They understand what it's like to have a cover you hate or a blurb that fails to mention that lovely hook you wrote. They are also there when you have an emergency and need to brainstorm something. Romance writers are some of the most giving writers you'll ever meet.

This weekend, I attended the Southern Magic Reader Luncheon. Sherrilyn Kenyon was the guest speaker. She is amazing. As successful as she is, she's also humble and doggedly determined to keep working as hard as she can. She deserves her success. And she moved me to tears more than once as she gave of herself to that packed room with a dynamic speech that was personal and inspirational.

Today, I sit at the computer determined to go over, under, around, or through, as Sherrilyn said. Somehow, some way, I'm getting a ton of work done before I go to sleep tonight.

So I'd better get to it! But here's a picture of me with one of my writing friends, Kira Sinclair, who writes for Blaze and who can always be called upon to listen to a good rant.

Who do you rant to? Who are your friends you can always count on? One commenter will win a copy of my current release, THE GIRL NOBODY WANTED.