Monica

Yesterday author Monica Jackson passed away from complications during surgery. Most of you from the old days know that Monica was an incredible novelist, a beautiful soul, and a good friend to me from almost the first day I began this blog.

I know when we lose one of our own we're supposed to say gentle and supportive things, and my heart and prayers do go out to her family, friends and everyone who loved her, but right now all I can think is Damn it, not Monica.

Even after Monica shut down her blog and left the online writing community, she and I kept in touch by e-mail. The last note she sent me arrived just after I lost a loved one. She always kept an eye on me, I think, and in that one she wrote Ah, as we age and our own transitions near, it seems as if we start losing the things of this world faster...

You left us too fast, Monica, and too soon. God keep you safe on your journey.

Prepare to be Charmed

If you enjoy books by author Monica Jackson (definite fangirl here) and are familiar with her novels Love's Potion and In My Dreams (ditto), or you're just in need of a great romance to read (always), then you'll be happy to hear that today is the release day for Charm Me Baby, Monica's latest release.

Here's a bit about the book from the page at Red Rose:

Mia Washington, a respected professor at a large Atlanta university, has a plan for her life that doesn't include dealing with her dysfunctional family in the small Mississippi town she was raised.

When Mia's aunt dies and leaves her a book full of magic, charms and spells, her life changes. Mia's cousin begged for a love charm to force the town's most gorgeous and eligible surgeon to fall in love with her. When the love charm went awry, it was Mia's heart that was the target for Cupid's new arrow.

Magic exists...and so do the spirits that accompany it. Mia learns it's not only real, but dangerous.

But how dangerous can magic be?

Sizzling, spine-tingling dangerous, if I know Monica. The purchase link goes live on 3/4/10, so I'll be heading over to RRP to buy the e-book as soon as I get home from my annual quilt show trip. I haven't bought from the site before this, so are there any other titles over there you guys would recommend? Let me know in comments.