It is with a great deal of bittersweet sadness that I write my last official blog as a Jaunty Quill. It’s been a fun two years and I will miss everyone more than I can say, but I think this is a decision that will ultimately help me to focus more on my long-term writing goals. I have enjoyed getting to know our regular visitors and sharing tales of my life as an author with all of you, and I promise I won’t be gone for good. I will stop by often and I will hopefully be able to guest blog at some point in the future. And of course, you can still visit me at my website at www.kimberlylogan.net as well as at my MySpace page. And don’t forget that the final book in my Daventry Sisters series, SEDUCED BY SIN, will be out on March 25. (If you do happen to pick it up, please let me know what you think!)

Thank you to my fellow Quills for letting me be part of such an amazing group of “sister” writers. Thanks also to the JQ readers and visitors who have made my time here such a blast.

Wishing you a fond adieu!

Okay, I know Japanese manga has been around for many years and that it has thousands of fans here in the good ole USA, but I have to admit that I’ve never really paid much attention to the buzz over it, even though I have watched and enjoyed several of the anime series that have arisen from them. With so many authors I know and love recently dabbling their toes in the manga waters, however, I finally decided to give reading a few of them a try. A friend of mine handed over Christine Feehan’s recent manga edition of Dark Hunger along with several volumes of Fruits Basket, since I loved the anime so much, and though I’ve only flipped through a couple of them, I have to say I find it all very disorienting. The whole “back to front” thing really throws me off, though the artwork is definitely cool.

So, is anybody here a manga fan? It really seems like this might be the next big thing. The buzz is getting louder, and publishers are snapping up the rights to Japanese manga series right and left. What do you think? Is this going to become a bigger craze here in America? What do you think about the recent trend of romance authors moving into the manga or comic book arena? A good thing? And if you are a manga fan, do you have any recommendations for a good series?

BTW, in closing today, I have a bit of a sad announcement. As of the end of January, I will be officially turning in my quill and stepping down as a member of the Jaunties. While I’ve had the time of my life here and have enjoyed the experience, I have decided that right now I really need to focus all of my energy and attention on my writing. I know Jaunty will miss my august presence, as I will no longer be around to torment him or drag him (Kicking and screaming, I might add) into more haunted places, but I promise to continue stopping by to visit and hope that I will be able to guest blog a time or two in the future. I promise I won’t be a stranger. Thank you to my JQ sisters for being such a great source of support and friendship, and thank you JQ visitors for making my two years here so fun and memorable!

Well, it’s a brand new year and it’s time to start looking ahead to some of the things that will be taking place in 2008. Last night I sat down to go over my calendar and make plans for the upcoming months. I don’t really have any big events scheduled so far. (No Disney World trip like last year. Sigh…) Though there is a possibility I might be attending the Romantic Times Convention in Pittsburgh in April, which I’m pretty excited about.

So, what about all of you? Any big events or vacations planned for the upcoming year? Anything on your schedule that you are really looking forward to? I guess those of us who will be doing the same-old, same-old will have to live a bit vicariously.

I’ve just finished playing the video game Final Fantasy 7:Dirge of Cerberus, and I am here to make a confession. I now have a full-fledged fan-girl crush on Vincent Valentine. Sigh. What’s not to crush on? He’s just the kind of guy who has a tendency to make me melt. The tall, dark, and brooding anti-hero who has loved and lost in the past. A man who is in need of the love of a good woman to ease his pain. And oh yeah, something else I may have forgotten to mention. He’s a CGI animated character. (For a glimpse of Vincent, you can check out this fan-made video tribute at You Tube. Perfect song for him, BTW)

Of course, this isn’t the first time this has happened, and it’s quite possible I might need professional help, LOL. As someone who plays a lot of video games, reads comics, and watches her share of anime, I have to be honest and say that I’ve had crushes on animated characters before. Yes, it’s a sad state of affairs, but I just can’t seem to help it. I’m a nerd.

My number one animated crush for several years has been Cloud Strife, also of Final Fantasy 7 fame. (He’s in the first FF 7 video game and the movie Advent Children) Once again, he is a strong, silent, and brooding loner who has loved and lost in the past. (Noticing a pattern here?) But hey, at least he’s a blonde anti-hero for once. Here’s another fanmade You Tube video tribute which showcases some of his more memorable moments. (Another awesome song there too!)

Next up would have to be Gambit of the X-Men comics. There’s just something about that cocky grin and that laid-back Cajun charm that gets me every time. Come on! Who wouldn’t love a man who can turn ordinary, everyday playing cards into lethal weapons? Plus, I can’t help but love the way he loves Rogue. I’m just sick, sick, sick that they have once again broken them up in the comics–and turned Gambit evil!–but I’m holding out hope that there’s more to the story than meets the eye and that they’ll get back together before too long.

And there have been others. Axel from Kingdom Hearts 2, Shrek. Okay, maybe not that last one. I just wanted to see if you were still paying attention. So, have you ever had any animated crushes? Or am I totally nuts? Please feel free to advise me to make an appointment with a good therapist.

And the winner is…Taryn R! Congrats to you, Taryn. Just e-mail me with your choice of one of my first four books and your snail mail addy, and I’ll get your prize mailed out sometime next week. Thanks to everyone who commented. May you all receive everything on your Christmas list.

And don’t forget to scroll down to check out Cindy’s post for today.

With the holidays drawing ever closer, it’s that time of year once again to start making out those lists so that the jolly guy in red will know just what you’d like to find under your tree come Christmas morning. I already received my big ticket item this past weekend when my family gifted me with a Playstation 3 as an early present. (Of course, they totally ignored my request for Hugh Jackman to be delivered to my front door, complete with a big red bow. Sigh. Somehow that request gets overlooked every year…) There are a few other small things on my list. Some books and CDs and DVDs. And yes, joy, peace, and good will toward man are pretty high up there as well. Just so you know I’m not totally mercenary.

So, do you have your lists ready? Do you know what you would like for Christmas? What about your fantasy Christmas list? What would you like to receive if you could have anything and money was no object?

Just to add a little fun to the sharing, all of those who comment before midnight on Friday, November 23rd will be entered into a random drawing for a chance to win a signed cover flat of my upcoming release, Seduced By Sin, along with their choice of a signed copy of one of my first four books. (You can mull over your choices at my website.) I will announce the winner on Saturday, November 24th.

Have a very happy Thanksgiving!

I think most young girls dream about what their first kiss will be like. You know what I mean. You reach a certain age, and suddenly you are coming up with all sorts of rose-colored scenarios, doping off during math class and envisioning all of the details instead of listening to your teacher discuss the lowest common denominator and the addition and subtraction of fractions. (Probably part of the reason I stink at fractions to this day, LOL) For me, I reached that age about the time I hit sixth grade, when a lot of boys still think girls are yucky and have been recently grossed out by the film we are forced to watch in sex education class. Of course, we females–who are much more wise than our male counterparts–had our eyes opened to all sorts of possibilities by that film. Suddenly, we are looking at guys in a whole new light and daydreaming about princes on white horses who swoop in, carry us off, and bestow upon us our perfect first kiss. Probably on a moonlit beach or in a candlelit boudoir with sweeping music–just like in the movies–playing the background.

Of course, very rarely does that first kiss live up to expectations. My first real kiss took place when I was fourteen, backstage at one of the community theater musicals I had a small part in, and it was with a fourteen year-old stagehand I was temporarily smitten with and who was obviously a first-timer as well. It was a very hot day and we were both sweaty, and I remember thinking that I hoped I didn’t smell like BO when he leaned in. You know, there were many factors involved in this kissing stuff that I had never even considered. Noses colliding (Ouch!) and where to put your hands, not to mention the slobber factor when tongue is involved. I couldn’t disengage fast enough. So, needless to say, it was a couple more years before I truly discovered just how nice a kiss could be.

So, what about you? Did you have the perfect scenario in your head as to how that first kiss would play out, and did it live up to your dreams?

Those of you who are regular visitors to the JQ’s blog may have noticed that I’ve been a bit scarce around here of late. Fear not. My absence hasn’t been for naught. Armed with a flashlight and aided by my intrepid (Snicker) porcupine sidekick, I have spent the past several days scouting out some of the most well known haunted locations in my area for your consideration. Yes, it’s time once again for Kim’s annual Halloween tour of haunted places! Are these spots actually occupied by the restless spirits of those who have passed on, or can it all be chalked up to imagination? You be the judge…

Our first stop is the Willard Library in Evansville, Indiana. More than 110 years old, this Victorian Gothic structure is the oldest public library in Indiana and the home of the Gray Lady ghost. (It has also played host to the cast and crew of one of my favorite shows, The Sci-Fi Channel’s Ghost Hunters). Stories of the strange happenings that take place here have been circulating for years. Books allegedly fly off shelves, strange footsteps and whispers are heard at night, and weird shadows walk among the stacks. You can visit this website for info on the haunting and see actual pictures taken with the building’s “ghost cam.” Now, if I can just get that darn porcupine to quit sneaking off into a corner to read romance novels, we might actually get around to investigating…

We venture a bit further afield for our next stop, the Hannah House in Indianapolis, Indiana. Built in 1858, this historic home is said to house several different ghosts, though no one seems to be able to agree on exactly who these spirits once were. Here, apparitions have been sighted, objects move about, and unpleasant odors pervade the rooms. Having visited the home once back in the 1980′s on a weekend trip to Indy with the family, I can attest to feeling a bit uncomfortable there, though I never experienced any of the above phenomena. And that was before I had ever heard the tales of the spectral residents. Fact or fiction? Check out this website and decide for yourself.

Our last stop on the tour is the supposedly haunted Colgate Palmolive Factory in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Once the home of the southern branch of the Indiana State prison system, workers here have seen strange lights, heard men’s voices whispering, and seen doors open and close by themselves. And what is that? Just up ahead, I think I see a strange shadow. (At this point, Jaunty runs off screaming and the investigation breaks down. Have you ever heard a porcupine scream? Very disturbing.)

So, do you have any local haunted places to tell us about or a paranormal experience of your own to relate? Or are you an avowed skeptic? Please feel free to share. It’s that time of year for a spooky tale.

It’s that time of year again, and I’m ready to haul out the decorations, dig out my favorite horror movies, and gear up for Halloween once more. Yes, it’s October. The month when ghosts and ghouls and men wearing masks and wielding chainsaws put in their yearly appearance.

Regular visitors to the JQ’s blog will know that I usually do Halloween in a big way, and this year should be no exception. Of course, I have to get my copy edits for Seduced By Sin out of the way first, but after that I’m good to go. I already have all of the movies picked out for my annual scary movie marathon–among them 1408 and The Messengers–and I bought an extra big bag of Kit-Kats to munch on. (Scary movies and chocolate. You can’t beat that!) Of course, my family will do its usual get-together before the kiddos go trick-or-treating, and this year I plan on joining a group of friends afterward to head out for an evening of ghost stories around the campfire. And if I can just get Jaunty to come out from hiding and accompany me, I may embark on another haunted tours expedition in an upcoming blog. (Come out, come out, wherever you are, Jaunty. I’ll give you a Scooby Snack. )

So, what are your plans for Halloween? Will you be attending a costume party or taking the kids out trick-or-treating? Or is October 31st just another day for you?

So, now that some of the new shows have debuted and returning shows have had their premieres, what do you think? Have you found any new favorites, any duds? Were you completely wowed by a show that you were looking forward to or totally underwhelmed?

I have to admit, I’ve been pretty disappointed so far. Both Journeyman and Moonlight failed to hold my attention, though I’ll probably give them another chance. Journeyman was just much too slow for me, and while the lead in Moonlight is good-looking, something about him just doesn’t appeal to me. Maybe it’s that I keep comparing him to David Boreanaz as Angel, a character and a show I liked much better and still miss. (Sniff-sniff) Private Practice was okay, but just meh. I’ve never been a big Gray’s fan, so we’ll see. Reaper was funny and I love Kevin Smith, but Gossip Girl…I wasn’t impressed.

I didn’t dislike everything, however. I enjoyed Bionic Woman, though I’m not sure why. Pure, mindless butt-kicking maybe? LOL. And I’m still holding out hope for the new Christina Applegate show that hasn’t premiered yet. Of course, there is also the premiere of Lost to look forward to.

What about you? What shows have you liked so far?

P.S. The boys are back! Sorry, I just had to throw that in. Did anyone else catch last night’s Supernatural premiere? Sigh…