12/06/07>>Sold "Animal Instinct" to Wrong World, for DVD production. Logline: "A woman working at a chemical research lab develops a date rape drug intended for men." Available January 10, 2008 on the TENANTS Collection DVD.

11/17/07>>My dog has leg surgery.

11/14/07>>Thrill of the Chase gets a good review, by Lil at Love Romances and More:

"...This is a well-developed and unusual romance story. Each character seems so authentic that you could imagine going down to the shop and actually meeting them. The background of cars and racing is written with detail and enthusiasm so that one begins to feel bitten by the bug, too. This is quite the feat considering that yours truly is severely technically challenged and has no penchant for speed... Let me tell you now that the fun is in the THRILL OF THE CHASE."

11/14/07>>Thrill of the Chase gets a good review, by Patti Fischer at Romance Reviews Today:

"...The adventure of racing, along with an engaging romance, provides readers with an entertaining tale in THRILL OF THE CHASE... With its fast-paced action, I recommend you pick up and read THRILL OF THE CHASE by Christina Crooks."

11/14/07>>Thrill of the Chase is now available for purchase at Amazon and Barnes & Noble and elsewhere.

11/1/07>>"Losing Dan" is up at Nossa Morte.

9/29/07>>I received real money for "Play Money."

9/18/07>>Booklist reviews Thrill in their 10/1/07 issue:

"Sarah Matell isn’t a run-of-the-mill romance heroine. She works as a technician in her father’s California automotive speed shop, dresses and acts like a guy, and lives for drag racing. Anything female, from makeup to chick flicks, is an anathema to her. Sarah’s one concession is her years-long crush on a fellow race-car driver, Craig Keller. Although they are only good friends, she fantasizes that one day she’ll outrace him and he’ll magically look at her as the love of his life. Meanwhile, Sarah is the apple of her father’s eye, but things change when he hires Gordon Devine. Gordon has big plans, and he and Sarah do not get along. Despite the friction, Gordon asks Sarah to drive a prototype he’s developed. She’ll do anything to win, and soon everything begins to spiral out of control. Impulsive and spoiled, Sarah is both enjoyable and annoying, and readers will sympathize with Gordon in this atypical, up-to-the-minute contemporary romance."
— Maria Hatton

9/16/07>>Got my first review of Thrill. It seems positive. Kay James at Romance Reader at Heart reviews Thrill of the Chase:

"THRILL OF THE CHASE by Christina Crooks is a contemporary romance with twist—one that begins and ends behind the wheel of a drag race car. Sarah’s first love is cars, her second is Craig, a local hero who loves cars and women more than he does Sarah. When Gordon Devine, a handsome businessman her father brings into the family auto shop, arrives on the scene, life changes drastically for everyone. The triangle emerges, sparks fly and rubber burns as Sarah tries to sort out her tangled feelings for both men.

This is an age-old tale. Three lovers trying to decide who will couple up and who will move forward to find another. What’s different about this story is the way it’s told. Christina Crooks writes an excellent tale with a smart, albeit confused, heroine and a self-assured, intelligent hero. I won’t let on who gets the girl in this story, but I will say that I was perfectly satisfied with the way THRILL OF THE CHASE ends. I loved the father in this, especially when he subtly forces Sarah to examine her heart. The evolution of this heroine is a pleasure to watch.

THRILL OF THE CHASE is a book worth reading. It’s a fast-paced, fun-filled ride, one that won’t be quickly forgotten!"

Buy Thrill here, if you like.

8/20/07>>Sold "Losing Dan" to Nossa Morte. It will be published in November, on the magazine's website.

4/26/07>>My editor emailed me the promo cover of my forthcoming novel, Thrill of the Chase. The model looks just like the heroine. I'm entirely pleased. Thrill will be in libraries, some stores, and on Amazon.com in November 2007.

3/26/07>>"The Seat," published in December 2006, earns an Honorable Mention by Ellen Datlow of YEAR'S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR.

3/23/07>>DARK PASSIONS: HOT BLOOD, Volume 13 contains my short story, "Care and Feeding." Release date is August 27. For more info about this anthology and to admire some of the other covers, see the official Hot Blood website here.

1/11/07>>Went to Edwards Air Force Base with my new friend El Diablo. We played with one of NASA's planes used to carry space shuttles. Here are pictures.

2006>>Interesting paperback deal in the works, according to agent. More news after the holidays...

2006>>I paraglided. Here are pictures.

2006>>Just got some good news: Sold "Cold Comfort" to Aoife's Kiss, a quarterly magazine of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Aoife's Kiss features short stories, poetry, and illustrations.

2006>>Let me tell you where the idea for "The Seat" came from. It came from a Japanese horror story published in 1925 called "Ningen isu" (by Edogawa Rampo, the "Edgar Allan Poe" homonym-style pen name of Taro Hirai) which first appeared in English in 1956. This particular story "scared the living crap" out of Harlan Ellison, who selected it for the anthology My Favorite Horror Story as the "top-line, best-in-show, absolute creepy best horror yarn I've ever read." "Ningen isu" translates to "The Human Chair." My spin on the idea is much shorter, with cars and sex added.

2006>>Happy news this first day of 2006: I'm the first loser! My short story "The Seat" won 2nd Place in a quarterly writing contest.