That is all.
:)
Showing posts with label yay even more. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yay even more. Show all posts
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Shhhhhh!!!
...I'm writing. More words today than I've written in the last six months. I might not be "back" as yet, but it's something...
Saturday, May 22, 2010
getting settled...
Well, it's official, and I can now come right out and announce to you all that I've moved from the dismal, depressing rainforests of coastal BC to the alternately frigid and scorching wastelands of central Alberta. Despite the vagaries of the climate here (mosquitoes, how I loathe you), and the fact that I now have to contend with actual traffic (where I was before, well, we didn't even have a four-way stop sign in town, and if there was a single car within sight on the highway, I was cursing about having to deal with jerks who don't know how to drive), I am so very pleased with the move, because:
1) my parents are here, and they're the most pitch-inny parents ever. They help with the kids, with the housework, with the shopping, with lugging heavy stuff, with reminding me to do important things (I'm a chronic forgetter). They offer to take the kids places like McDonalds or the mall. If I need someone to stay overnight with them, or pick them up from school because I'm delayed at work, well, all I need to do is phone. I have promised myself I will not abuse this privilege, but it's soooooo tempting. Plus, they love me and they're nice to me and they're the kind of parents you can actually talk to about stuff without feeling judged. Mom and dad, you are totally, totally blammo.
2) my sister is here. I don't see her as often as I see my parents, because she has her own blended family to take care of, but the two of us installed a new toilet in the downstairs bathroom the other day and it went perfectly. Go team! I'm renting a townhouse she owns, and she's letting me have it at a huge discount to help me out, because that's what sisters do. And it's just really nice to be able to hang with her and talk to her about...sister things. Sis, you're some serious awesome.
3) I'll get to see my other sister (and her awesome hubby and kids) more often. They live way the eff across the country, but they certainly come out here more often than they ever managed to make their way to the sopping, isolated reaches of Middleofnowhereland, BC. She's also totally blammo, IMO, but I expect she knows that, lol. Can't wait to see her!
4) Sunday family dinners. I often hear people bemoaning such obligations as the big weekly or monthly family get-together, and sure, my own family is far from perfect. But after 16 years away from "home", I now revel in the assorted kookiness (my uncle still asks me what I learned in school today when I walk in the door, heh) that is my extended family. In a couple of months, I hope to have my house sorted out enough to host a dinner of my own, yay!
5) my kids get to go to schools that offer things like actual computer graphics courses (with computers that run more recent versions of Windows than 98), IB programs, and advance placement. When they're done high school, they might even get to go to college, too, because there are several within public transit distance--had we stayed where we were, they'd have had to live on campus, which we'd never be able to afford.
6) there is fast food. One of my friends from back in Middleofnowhereland, BC told me once, "I would kill a thousand cows for one bucket of KFC," and well...yeah. But now I don't have to kill any cows, or drive two hours to get my fix of the Colonel's eleven herbs and spices, or the drugs he puts in it to make you "crave it fortnightly"*. I can just drive three minutes and I'm elbows-deep in a bucket of original recipe, yay! And if I have pizza delivered, it doesn't cost me the shirt on my back, either.
7) there is work. Oh, there is lots of it. And it's lucrative. Even when business is slow, I'm earning what I earned on a typical "good night" at my old job. When it's busy? Double that. Or triple it. And if, heaven forefend, I decide I don't like this job? There's another one just down the block.
8) there are big box stores. Walmart, Canadian Tire, Home Depot, Superstore, OMG Ikea. And freaking Costco. There are two Costcos I can shop at--one five minutes away from my home, and another just a few blocks from work. And malls with actual clothing stores, not just those crappy discount chains or the ubiquitous small town boutique where a pair of jeans will cost you your firstborn son.
9) dating options. In an isolated town of only 3000, well, the women hang onto their men because they know 99% of the local single guys of an appropriate age are likely gay (closeted or not), players, assholes, or weirdoes with more guns and dogs than teeth. Here, there are lots of single men, hence lots of women who think the grass is greener and ditch the good ones because they slurp their soup, or won't buy them a new flatscreen TV, or don't earn $100k/year or whatever. And yeah, I'm sure there are plenty of closeted gays, assholes, players and weirdoes, but hey, at least the pool is bigger.
10) I get to wear sunglasses. In fact, I have to wear sunglasses, because there is this thing in the sky (maybe you've heard of it? It's big and yellow and I've been told not to look directly at it) and it comes out more than every 15 days or so. Even in the winter!
11) no provincial sales tax (or more recently, the dreaded and much-maligned "BC Harmonized Sales Tax"). This makes everything from gas to shoes to light bulbs cheaper than they are where I used to live. And the fact that I'm now in an urban area instead of way the heck in the sticks, well, I didn't quite realize how much more we paid for things like milk and bread just because we lived so far from anywhere big. My grocery bills will likely be $2-300/month less just because of the move.
12) competition. From gas stations to cable/phone/internet providors to food stores to restaurants to schools, there are no monopolies here. That means better service for less money in almost every instance.
Yeah, it was hard saying goodbye to my friends (because they're some of the best people ever), and I was even saddened at the thought of never going back to sling chow mein at my old job (as thankless and frustrating as it often was). There were things about living in a small town that I absolutely adored. But I'm still so freaking happy with this move, and the kids seem to be settling in fine. There are things they miss about their old home, but there are things they love about where we are now, too, and the adjustment has gone even smoother than I could have hoped.
I just long for the day when the novelty of the escalator at the mall eventually wears off. I feel kind of like a tool taking Blammo up and down that thing several times just for fun whenever we go, even if I secretly find it kind of fun myself...
*from "So I Married an Axe Murderer", and still one of my favorite lines from any Mike Meyers movie. It's funny because it's true.
1) my parents are here, and they're the most pitch-inny parents ever. They help with the kids, with the housework, with the shopping, with lugging heavy stuff, with reminding me to do important things (I'm a chronic forgetter). They offer to take the kids places like McDonalds or the mall. If I need someone to stay overnight with them, or pick them up from school because I'm delayed at work, well, all I need to do is phone. I have promised myself I will not abuse this privilege, but it's soooooo tempting. Plus, they love me and they're nice to me and they're the kind of parents you can actually talk to about stuff without feeling judged. Mom and dad, you are totally, totally blammo.
2) my sister is here. I don't see her as often as I see my parents, because she has her own blended family to take care of, but the two of us installed a new toilet in the downstairs bathroom the other day and it went perfectly. Go team! I'm renting a townhouse she owns, and she's letting me have it at a huge discount to help me out, because that's what sisters do. And it's just really nice to be able to hang with her and talk to her about...sister things. Sis, you're some serious awesome.
3) I'll get to see my other sister (and her awesome hubby and kids) more often. They live way the eff across the country, but they certainly come out here more often than they ever managed to make their way to the sopping, isolated reaches of Middleofnowhereland, BC. She's also totally blammo, IMO, but I expect she knows that, lol. Can't wait to see her!
4) Sunday family dinners. I often hear people bemoaning such obligations as the big weekly or monthly family get-together, and sure, my own family is far from perfect. But after 16 years away from "home", I now revel in the assorted kookiness (my uncle still asks me what I learned in school today when I walk in the door, heh) that is my extended family. In a couple of months, I hope to have my house sorted out enough to host a dinner of my own, yay!
5) my kids get to go to schools that offer things like actual computer graphics courses (with computers that run more recent versions of Windows than 98), IB programs, and advance placement. When they're done high school, they might even get to go to college, too, because there are several within public transit distance--had we stayed where we were, they'd have had to live on campus, which we'd never be able to afford.
6) there is fast food. One of my friends from back in Middleofnowhereland, BC told me once, "I would kill a thousand cows for one bucket of KFC," and well...yeah. But now I don't have to kill any cows, or drive two hours to get my fix of the Colonel's eleven herbs and spices, or the drugs he puts in it to make you "crave it fortnightly"*. I can just drive three minutes and I'm elbows-deep in a bucket of original recipe, yay! And if I have pizza delivered, it doesn't cost me the shirt on my back, either.
7) there is work. Oh, there is lots of it. And it's lucrative. Even when business is slow, I'm earning what I earned on a typical "good night" at my old job. When it's busy? Double that. Or triple it. And if, heaven forefend, I decide I don't like this job? There's another one just down the block.
8) there are big box stores. Walmart, Canadian Tire, Home Depot, Superstore, OMG Ikea. And freaking Costco. There are two Costcos I can shop at--one five minutes away from my home, and another just a few blocks from work. And malls with actual clothing stores, not just those crappy discount chains or the ubiquitous small town boutique where a pair of jeans will cost you your firstborn son.
9) dating options. In an isolated town of only 3000, well, the women hang onto their men because they know 99% of the local single guys of an appropriate age are likely gay (closeted or not), players, assholes, or weirdoes with more guns and dogs than teeth. Here, there are lots of single men, hence lots of women who think the grass is greener and ditch the good ones because they slurp their soup, or won't buy them a new flatscreen TV, or don't earn $100k/year or whatever. And yeah, I'm sure there are plenty of closeted gays, assholes, players and weirdoes, but hey, at least the pool is bigger.
10) I get to wear sunglasses. In fact, I have to wear sunglasses, because there is this thing in the sky (maybe you've heard of it? It's big and yellow and I've been told not to look directly at it) and it comes out more than every 15 days or so. Even in the winter!
11) no provincial sales tax (or more recently, the dreaded and much-maligned "BC Harmonized Sales Tax"). This makes everything from gas to shoes to light bulbs cheaper than they are where I used to live. And the fact that I'm now in an urban area instead of way the heck in the sticks, well, I didn't quite realize how much more we paid for things like milk and bread just because we lived so far from anywhere big. My grocery bills will likely be $2-300/month less just because of the move.
12) competition. From gas stations to cable/phone/internet providors to food stores to restaurants to schools, there are no monopolies here. That means better service for less money in almost every instance.
Yeah, it was hard saying goodbye to my friends (because they're some of the best people ever), and I was even saddened at the thought of never going back to sling chow mein at my old job (as thankless and frustrating as it often was). There were things about living in a small town that I absolutely adored. But I'm still so freaking happy with this move, and the kids seem to be settling in fine. There are things they miss about their old home, but there are things they love about where we are now, too, and the adjustment has gone even smoother than I could have hoped.
I just long for the day when the novelty of the escalator at the mall eventually wears off. I feel kind of like a tool taking Blammo up and down that thing several times just for fun whenever we go, even if I secretly find it kind of fun myself...
*from "So I Married an Axe Murderer", and still one of my favorite lines from any Mike Meyers movie. It's funny because it's true.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Guest blogging at Victoria J's
Victoria Janssen, fellow girl-on-girl avenger and totally blammo author of Harlequin Spice books like this:
And THIS (OMG, holy crapping damn this cover is HOT!!!):
...has been kind enough to invite me to guest blog over in her neck of the woods. Topic du jour: Writing f/f and f/f/m for the female gaze--a subject very dear to me and one that doesn't get addressed enough. The post goes live tomorrow (Friday, August 28), and I hope you all will come by to check it out and share your thoughts on how you think authors get it right, and how you think they get it so very, very wrong.
In other news, I spent the day moving kitchen stuff and shopping with my friend, trying to get her properly set up in her new digs. And miracle of miracles, the ex phoned to say he'd like the kids this weekend. He's been working 12 hour shifts, 7 days a week for about a month, so they've seen him for all of one afternoon since my friend and her kid moved in here the last week of July.
So guess what? I have the whole house to myself for two whole days. I ought to be able to get everything clean that fell to chaos over the last five weeks, watch some porn, and have the time and privacy to drill that hole in my skull to let the pressure out. Now where did I put the masonary bits...?
Hugs. :)
Saturday, August 15, 2009
First review's in
The Chancellor's Bride scored with Katie Seely at ParaNormal Romance. Though reviews on that site tend to be brief, I'm damn happy with this bit:
"A scorching hot love triangle!"
And this bit:
"I highly recommend this book, but please remember to keep a fan handy. You're going to need it."
Heck, if that isn't enough to tempt a couple of people to enter my poor, neglected, past-its-prime pick-up line contest, I don't know what will. :D
"A scorching hot love triangle!"
And this bit:
"I highly recommend this book, but please remember to keep a fan handy. You're going to need it."
Heck, if that isn't enough to tempt a couple of people to enter my poor, neglected, past-its-prime pick-up line contest, I don't know what will. :D
Thursday, July 16, 2009
News, all good
Thing one: This morning around 6 AM, I woke from a disturbing dream and wasn't able to get back to sleep right away. I relish moments like that, moments when I have nothing to do but let my mind wander where it will, turning over rocks to see what kinds of things it will find underneath.
Well, this morning it found the resolution to Lianon and Rhianna's second black moment. The story's been stalled for a while (which was okay, since it gave me time to work on Vessel), because once the two heroines had come to realize they were in love with each other and wanted to be together, I just wasn't sure how to get them from declaration to the HEA. Theirs is a complicated story and there are just so many obstacles between them and any kind of happy future, I was stymied by the problem of removing them all.
But as I lay there this morning, a scene just came to me--not a scene between Lianon and Rhianna. One between Lianon and the Kurgan, Samulo. A sweet, sad, wrenching scene that lays Lianon's heart bare and shows her Kurgan mentor/lover for the unbearably honorable, unutterably generous man he is. It shows just how deeply and perfectly two people can love each other, even when things between them are at their ending. I cried and cried, and I'm getting a little teary even now as I write this.
So. I've revised the wordcount on my word-meter, got 1.5k written, and I know where I'm going, so finishing this thing is only a matter of getting the time to do it.
Thing two: I received my final books for Chancellor's Bride from Samhain today. That means contests which means free books for a few lucky readers. The official release is Tuesday next, and I'm starting to get really excited. So keep your eyes open in the next day or two or three for a contest post.
:)
Well, this morning it found the resolution to Lianon and Rhianna's second black moment. The story's been stalled for a while (which was okay, since it gave me time to work on Vessel), because once the two heroines had come to realize they were in love with each other and wanted to be together, I just wasn't sure how to get them from declaration to the HEA. Theirs is a complicated story and there are just so many obstacles between them and any kind of happy future, I was stymied by the problem of removing them all.
But as I lay there this morning, a scene just came to me--not a scene between Lianon and Rhianna. One between Lianon and the Kurgan, Samulo. A sweet, sad, wrenching scene that lays Lianon's heart bare and shows her Kurgan mentor/lover for the unbearably honorable, unutterably generous man he is. It shows just how deeply and perfectly two people can love each other, even when things between them are at their ending. I cried and cried, and I'm getting a little teary even now as I write this.
So. I've revised the wordcount on my word-meter, got 1.5k written, and I know where I'm going, so finishing this thing is only a matter of getting the time to do it.
Thing two: I received my final books for Chancellor's Bride from Samhain today. That means contests which means free books for a few lucky readers. The official release is Tuesday next, and I'm starting to get really excited. So keep your eyes open in the next day or two or three for a contest post.
:)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Ahhhh....
So despite a delay caused by my inability to convince the ferry service to transport my children on a boat full of combustibles and toxic chemicals, I managed to get the little...uh...treasures off to their dad's for a Canada Day that will hopefully be filled with lots of laughs, togetherness and roasted marshmallows, and a minimum of bickering, fire-pit mishaps, and firecracker-mangled body parts.
This means that I....wait for it....HAVE THE HOUSE TO MYSELF FOR TWO AND A HALF DAYS!!111!!!111!
WOOT!
Odd thing is, I hardly know what to do with myself. I've already tidied the living room; got the kitchen mostly in order; went on a quest with my dog-catcher buddy to catch a stray husky (it eluded us, the sneaky devil); collected the laundry from all over the house (literally--there was a pair of dirty socks in the deep freeze. Don't ask); got the garbage ready to go out to the curb tomorrow; walked my dog with her new jabby collar that prevents her from strangling herself while simultaneously crushing the bones of my hands; eaten pizza (frozen, but still not bad); poured myself a Caesar; spent an hour looking at stuff on the internet I wouldn't want my mom to know about; watched some TV; did some editing; and now I'm watching Futurama (the episode with the anchovies) and doing this blog post. And coming to a realization that has shaken me to my very core.
I actually *gasp* miss my kids.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm overjoyed to see the rotten little cubs leave the den to go hang with papa bear for a few days. But it is hard to adjust to the lack of noise, arguing, mayhem and general distraction they create. But I swear, as god is my witness, I will not waste this time alone. I will write. I will fold nine loads of clean clothes and *shudder* put them away. I will vacuum and dust, without having to worry about a pack of young'uns following me around undoing all my good work. I will stay up as late as I want reading dirty books. I will dance around my house in my underpants if the spirit takes me.
Cue bagpipes and a gut-wrenching close-up of Mel Gibson's face as you scream one single, inspiring word with me: FREEDOM!!!
That is all.
This means that I....wait for it....HAVE THE HOUSE TO MYSELF FOR TWO AND A HALF DAYS!!111!!!111!
WOOT!
Odd thing is, I hardly know what to do with myself. I've already tidied the living room; got the kitchen mostly in order; went on a quest with my dog-catcher buddy to catch a stray husky (it eluded us, the sneaky devil); collected the laundry from all over the house (literally--there was a pair of dirty socks in the deep freeze. Don't ask); got the garbage ready to go out to the curb tomorrow; walked my dog with her new jabby collar that prevents her from strangling herself while simultaneously crushing the bones of my hands; eaten pizza (frozen, but still not bad); poured myself a Caesar; spent an hour looking at stuff on the internet I wouldn't want my mom to know about; watched some TV; did some editing; and now I'm watching Futurama (the episode with the anchovies) and doing this blog post. And coming to a realization that has shaken me to my very core.
I actually *gasp* miss my kids.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm overjoyed to see the rotten little cubs leave the den to go hang with papa bear for a few days. But it is hard to adjust to the lack of noise, arguing, mayhem and general distraction they create. But I swear, as god is my witness, I will not waste this time alone. I will write. I will fold nine loads of clean clothes and *shudder* put them away. I will vacuum and dust, without having to worry about a pack of young'uns following me around undoing all my good work. I will stay up as late as I want reading dirty books. I will dance around my house in my underpants if the spirit takes me.
Cue bagpipes and a gut-wrenching close-up of Mel Gibson's face as you scream one single, inspiring word with me: FREEDOM!!!
That is all.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Ooooh, Lookit What I Got!
Normally when the doorbell rings, it's the local Jehovah's Witness out to save my soul, or the obnoxious neighbor kid who won't go away until you apply your hint with a sledgehammer and a barrage of rotten produce, or a kindly passing pedestrian letting me know that my brake lights are stuck on again. But this morning, it was the Purolator lady with a basket of goodies for me. Yay!
As she handed over the box, she grinned and asked, "More books?" How's that for living in a small town--everyone knows everybody else's business, and they're often just as excited as you are when awesome things arrive.
Have to say, I'm as stoked as I was the first time. I'm wondering if it's ever something you get used to--holding your own book in your hands. As much as I love ebooks, as much as I hold to the belief that they're just as "real" as print books, there's something very...tangible about paper and ink. And the knowledge that now my work is accessible to the 90+% of the population that prefers print to digital doesn't hurt, either.
I will, of course, be putting one or two signed copies up for grabs as release day nears, and will think of something suitably mortifying for you all to do to qualify. I'm sure you won't disappoint me, either.
Just so you know, I haven't sniffed these books yet. I've been on muscle relaxants all week since I put my neck out on Tuesday, and I'm worried the fumes from the ink will interact with the drugs. Best to play it safe. :)
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Cover Art Squee!!
Well, here it is, in all its nekkid glory: the cover for my July release from Samhain, The Chancellor's Bride. If there's one thing that can be said for historical fantasy, it's that stock photos with, you know, clothes suitable to the period are hard to come by, resulting in an abundance of cover heroes and heroines strutting around in their birthday suits. And you won't hear me complaining about it, either...Those of you who have read Bound by Steel may recognize the two lovely gentlemen in the blurb below--Chancellor Collin and his lover-cum-manservant, Harral. The moment I wrote their characters, I knew I had to give them their own story--and a woman they could both love to bits.
Her love for two men could save their future. Her secrets could destroy them all.
Recently re-elected Chancellor Collin sur-Gaerig is a rising star on the political scene, and everyone expects he’ll soon be rewarded with an estate and title. He also has a dirty little secret: he’s in love with his manservant, Harral. If anyone—especially the wife he’s expected to take—discovers their affair, all his aspirations will go up in smoke.
The mysterious woman he finds lying half-dead in the street is strong, beautiful, independent…and aroused when she catches him and Harral in a compromising position. As Aelis worms her way past their closely guarded defenses and into their bed, they realize she’s the perfect match for both of them.
But Aelis has a secret of her own, an ex-lover’s blackmail scheme that could get them all killed. To save the men she’s come to love, she’s willing to sacrifice her own happiness, maybe even her life.
Collin’s not about to let that happen. For the first time in his life, he’s willing to risk it all in order to have it all. Even if it means he could lose the man he’s loved for years—and the woman they both want to love forever.
Warning: This book contains explicit sex, including m/m and m/m/f; violence; bad language; financial irregularities; uneaten dessert; gratuitous invocation of various deities; and breakfast-table hijinks you’re not likely to witness at your neighborhood IHOP.
For those of you scandalized by the idea of a dessert going to waste, I'm just going to apologize and say the plot demanded it. I can't be held responsible. The muse made me do it.
If you all would like to read an excerpt, I have one up here--and it should be safe even for my mom to read. I'll be posting some steamier stuff as the release date gets closer, along with the obligatory contest wherein I demand commenters say embarrassing things in lolcatspeak for a chance to win a copy.
For now, I'm just going to sit back and stare at the unbelievably sexy curve of that woman's spine, and ponder how a man's armpit can get me all hot and bothered...
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Ooooh, shiny!
My new website, that is. After many trials and tribulations (which almost culminated in me seeing just how many billion pieces I could smash my new Vista-powered laptop into when it flat-out refused to unzip a zipped folder) I have built a new Wordpress website.
Well, actually, Elle Media designed it. And my fellow Diva and new favorite person evah, Jeannie Lin, whose book Butterfly Swords recently finaled in RWA's Golden Heart contest, went into the bowels of my webhost's FTP and actually got it up where it's supposed to be. Suffice to say, I now dream of Jeannie with the dark brown hair, her slender, gracefully tapered fingers stroking her keyboard and lovingly caressing my website into submission--much more effective than my standard bash-with-hammer-see-what-falls-out method.
This new site is not as graphics-heavy as the old one (not many nekkid pictures for y'all, sorry), but it will be super-amazingly easy to update. My old sitebuilder required me to have a huge program installed on my computer, to make any changes on that computer, then save them, then publish them to the project, then log onto my host and upload the altered file. I had to do this whether making a whole new page, or changing one typo.
Plus, there was no way to update from another computer, unless I wanted to go in and rewrite code onsite--and you can probably imagine how THAT would have turned out. Not long ago, I added a page (my Purple Panties story *ahem*), and it made all the content on my Kaemon & Egraen story pages disappear. I couldn't even figure out what had happened, let alone how to fix it.
Now, I can log on from anywhere, and make whatever changes I want in about three minutes, yay!
So with this new, easy-peasy to update site, what can you all expect? More news. More free reads. More ME! Hooray!
Well, actually, Elle Media designed it. And my fellow Diva and new favorite person evah, Jeannie Lin, whose book Butterfly Swords recently finaled in RWA's Golden Heart contest, went into the bowels of my webhost's FTP and actually got it up where it's supposed to be. Suffice to say, I now dream of Jeannie with the dark brown hair, her slender, gracefully tapered fingers stroking her keyboard and lovingly caressing my website into submission--much more effective than my standard bash-with-hammer-see-what-falls-out method.
This new site is not as graphics-heavy as the old one (not many nekkid pictures for y'all, sorry), but it will be super-amazingly easy to update. My old sitebuilder required me to have a huge program installed on my computer, to make any changes on that computer, then save them, then publish them to the project, then log onto my host and upload the altered file. I had to do this whether making a whole new page, or changing one typo.
Plus, there was no way to update from another computer, unless I wanted to go in and rewrite code onsite--and you can probably imagine how THAT would have turned out. Not long ago, I added a page (my Purple Panties story *ahem*), and it made all the content on my Kaemon & Egraen story pages disappear. I couldn't even figure out what had happened, let alone how to fix it.
Now, I can log on from anywhere, and make whatever changes I want in about three minutes, yay!
So with this new, easy-peasy to update site, what can you all expect? More news. More free reads. More ME! Hooray!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
What, me worry?
Okay, so about 11:30 last night, I formatted my manuscript, tossed off a quick email and hit "send". And felt like I was gonna puke my guts out. Not only has this book put me through a meat grinder, but I was anticipating a wait of up to a month before I heard a yea or nay--and I wasn't looking forward to it AT ALL.
So imagine my surprise when I looked in my inbox around 10 this morning to find an enthusiastic email from my editor. She loved it, and wanted to know if a July release date was cool with me. Of course, that would mean we'd have to blast through edits in less than a month, but between us, that is totally doable. Once I confirmed it was not an April Fool's Day joke (hey, I'm paranoid, so sue me), I happily accepted. Contract arrived less than an hour later, and we're set to get this puppy done by the end of the month.
Of course, that means I won't be working on Lianon and Rhianna's story for a while. But on the bright side, you all won't have long to wait to read The Chancellor's Bride. Yay! :)
So imagine my surprise when I looked in my inbox around 10 this morning to find an enthusiastic email from my editor. She loved it, and wanted to know if a July release date was cool with me. Of course, that would mean we'd have to blast through edits in less than a month, but between us, that is totally doable. Once I confirmed it was not an April Fool's Day joke (hey, I'm paranoid, so sue me), I happily accepted. Contract arrived less than an hour later, and we're set to get this puppy done by the end of the month.
Of course, that means I won't be working on Lianon and Rhianna's story for a while. But on the bright side, you all won't have long to wait to read The Chancellor's Bride. Yay! :)
Saturday, March 28, 2009
About freaking time!
The Chancellor's Bride is now done--69 000 words of spectacular (I hope!) m/m/f action, all tied up in a nice, fantasy romance bow. All I need to do now is sit on it for a few days, give it one more look-see, and then send it in to my editor.
But DAMN, this is a long time coming. It feels like this book has taken forEVER. I started it last summer and had initially estimated I could finish by the end of October--my editor, Bethany, even dangled a January release date in front of my nose if I could get it in by then. When Halloween came and went and I was barely half-done, I promised her the end of January. Then, a few weeks ago, I emailed her to say I only had a few thousand words left, and it should be done anytime.
Even those last few thousand words have been agony.
Holy crapping damn, this book has put me through a wringer. Part of me wonders if it's the fact that there are two heroes. My feelings about men have been a tad cool since my separation in September, and I've been distracted by thoughts of a new project--an f/f novella that will be a prequel to Crossing Swords.
Kids, yeah; work, yeah; housework, yeah yeah yeah--they're all great excuses for putting off doing what I'm supposed to, which is working on making writing a career. That ain't gonna happen if it takes me three-quarters of a year to write a relatively short novel. So as soon as this one is in the post, I'm buckling down and getting that prequel onto my hard drive. No more excuses, no more whining (and no more male heroes to put a damper on my creativity, heh. At least, not for a while). I'm planning between 30 and 50k for it, so it shouldn't take me long (famous last words, I know), and because the hero* is my favorite character ever, Lianon al-Sylphae, I'm hoping the words will continue to flow effortlessly.
In honor of this new project, I'm posting a new word-meter in my sidebar so you can all nag me when I deserve it. Please, don't be gentle--if my slacker ways are allowed to continue unchecked, I'm going to end up one of those writers who put out a book every two years, and none of us want that. So crack the whip, baby. I can take it. :)
*Yes, hero. Lianon may be a woman, but she is definitely NOT your typical romance heroine. She's even inspired me to write (hopefully in time to make the Samhellion newsletter deadline) an article on romance and the female hero. If you all have any suggestions of female heroes you've encountered in romances you've read, I'd be much obliged if you'd mention them in the comments.
Hugs.
But DAMN, this is a long time coming. It feels like this book has taken forEVER. I started it last summer and had initially estimated I could finish by the end of October--my editor, Bethany, even dangled a January release date in front of my nose if I could get it in by then. When Halloween came and went and I was barely half-done, I promised her the end of January. Then, a few weeks ago, I emailed her to say I only had a few thousand words left, and it should be done anytime.
Even those last few thousand words have been agony.
Holy crapping damn, this book has put me through a wringer. Part of me wonders if it's the fact that there are two heroes. My feelings about men have been a tad cool since my separation in September, and I've been distracted by thoughts of a new project--an f/f novella that will be a prequel to Crossing Swords.
Kids, yeah; work, yeah; housework, yeah yeah yeah--they're all great excuses for putting off doing what I'm supposed to, which is working on making writing a career. That ain't gonna happen if it takes me three-quarters of a year to write a relatively short novel. So as soon as this one is in the post, I'm buckling down and getting that prequel onto my hard drive. No more excuses, no more whining (and no more male heroes to put a damper on my creativity, heh. At least, not for a while). I'm planning between 30 and 50k for it, so it shouldn't take me long (famous last words, I know), and because the hero* is my favorite character ever, Lianon al-Sylphae, I'm hoping the words will continue to flow effortlessly.
In honor of this new project, I'm posting a new word-meter in my sidebar so you can all nag me when I deserve it. Please, don't be gentle--if my slacker ways are allowed to continue unchecked, I'm going to end up one of those writers who put out a book every two years, and none of us want that. So crack the whip, baby. I can take it. :)
*Yes, hero. Lianon may be a woman, but she is definitely NOT your typical romance heroine. She's even inspired me to write (hopefully in time to make the Samhellion newsletter deadline) an article on romance and the female hero. If you all have any suggestions of female heroes you've encountered in romances you've read, I'd be much obliged if you'd mention them in the comments.
Hugs.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Winnah!!!
All right, I applied the most random and scientific method available to me (asking my 6 y/o to pick a number between 1 and 23).
He said 12. Well, first he said 50, then he said 12.
And that means the lucky recipient of a signed copy of this baby right here----------->
is Tiah!!!
Tiah, if you'd be so kind as to email me with your info, I will shoot your copy off to you ASAP (as soon as plausible, which for me, could be a week or two). My addie is kirstensaell(AT)yahoo(DOT)com.
Thanks to everyone for commenting and sharing their thoughts on a little down-home, wholesome, old-fashioned revenging.
Hugs and smooches. *mwah!*
He said 12. Well, first he said 50, then he said 12.
And that means the lucky recipient of a signed copy of this baby right here----------->
is Tiah!!!
Tiah, if you'd be so kind as to email me with your info, I will shoot your copy off to you ASAP (as soon as plausible, which for me, could be a week or two). My addie is kirstensaell(AT)yahoo(DOT)com.
Thanks to everyone for commenting and sharing their thoughts on a little down-home, wholesome, old-fashioned revenging.
Hugs and smooches. *mwah!*
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
It's the big day!!! (and a contest, too)
...and I've been doing pretty much nothing.
Okay, not true. I finished a short story I started last night--a 3000 word contemp erotica written in the present tense and first/second person POV. Totally not my thing, but I was... inspired. *ahem* I'll post it later in the week once I've polished it up.
I've also been wracking my brain for contest ideas. I so wanted to come up with something silly for you all to do to qualify, but then this post at Dear Author got me thinking about revenge and whether it's a trope that's attractive on a woman. I mean, revenge--like a crisp, white dress shirt--almost always looks good on a man. Considering some of the themes in Crossing Swords, I kinda thought the discussion was applicable.
So here's what you all have to do for your big chance to win a signed copy of my very first published book: Just tell me in the comments what you love/hate about revenge plots in romance. It can be a simple as"ZOMG, I love them!" or "I hate them because men are jerks," (and frankly you won't get much argument from me on the second one, these days, heh), or a detailed analysis of what kinds of plots work for you and which don't. Just gimme something. Anything.
Deadline is Friday, Jan 30, winner announced by Monday.
Just do it. You know you want to.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Just a couple of things...
Today is your last chance to get in on Amy's contest over at Romance Book Wyrm and have a chance to win one of these babies.
And believe me, they're even more gawgeous in person than they are on a screen.
Tomorrow is the big day for Crossing Swords. Out of the nest it goes to either fly or plummet. I'll be at SamhainCafe on the 28th, posting excerpts and generally making a pest of myself (yeah, what else is new?), although I'll also be working, so if anyone sees my boss coming, the signal is the call of a screech owl, followed by hollering "tippy-toe" three times. I'm thinking I'll probably do a bit of a contest myself, although I'll have to think up some fun and embarrassing things to make you all do to qualify. Hmmm....
Also, I've finished proofing my galley copy of Healer's Touch (only two real errors that I could find, and just a few other things to change. Yes, my editor and I are just that good. LOL). It's scheduled to release in print the third week of June, woot! AND, just Wednesday (the day I wrestled my dryer into submission and made it my bitch, I ROCK!!), I opened my email and found the galley for Bound by Steel. It's scheduled to hit print in August. So it's gonna be one happy summer for me, yay!
Also, FYI, the word-meter down aways and to the right-------> is a lying liar, and I'm too lazy to beat the truth out of it, so I'll just update you all here. Chancellor's Bride is currently sitting at 56 500 words, and I've rejiggered the estimated word count when complete to about 65k. So it's nearly 85% done. Perhaps it will even be finished in time to get under contract before my galley for BbS is due, so it can make it onto the Coming Soon page. Although, as I've discovered with this book in particular, holding my breath is kind of bad for my health.
So that's it for now. I'll see you all back here tomorrow, when I will hopefully hear the delightful flutter of little, baby wings, rather than the whistle-thud-kaboom of a falling bomb. :D
And believe me, they're even more gawgeous in person than they are on a screen.
Tomorrow is the big day for Crossing Swords. Out of the nest it goes to either fly or plummet. I'll be at SamhainCafe on the 28th, posting excerpts and generally making a pest of myself (yeah, what else is new?), although I'll also be working, so if anyone sees my boss coming, the signal is the call of a screech owl, followed by hollering "tippy-toe" three times. I'm thinking I'll probably do a bit of a contest myself, although I'll have to think up some fun and embarrassing things to make you all do to qualify. Hmmm....
Also, I've finished proofing my galley copy of Healer's Touch (only two real errors that I could find, and just a few other things to change. Yes, my editor and I are just that good. LOL). It's scheduled to release in print the third week of June, woot! AND, just Wednesday (the day I wrestled my dryer into submission and made it my bitch, I ROCK!!), I opened my email and found the galley for Bound by Steel. It's scheduled to hit print in August. So it's gonna be one happy summer for me, yay!
Also, FYI, the word-meter down aways and to the right-------> is a lying liar, and I'm too lazy to beat the truth out of it, so I'll just update you all here. Chancellor's Bride is currently sitting at 56 500 words, and I've rejiggered the estimated word count when complete to about 65k. So it's nearly 85% done. Perhaps it will even be finished in time to get under contract before my galley for BbS is due, so it can make it onto the Coming Soon page. Although, as I've discovered with this book in particular, holding my breath is kind of bad for my health.
So that's it for now. I'll see you all back here tomorrow, when I will hopefully hear the delightful flutter of little, baby wings, rather than the whistle-thud-kaboom of a falling bomb. :D
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
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