Gotta love Chicago weather...

I'm looking forward to the migraine this weekend will bring. :-P














So, how's by you?

Magical Mondays: Boob Wishes Strike Again!

(Yes, it's Sunday right now, but I might not have time tomorrow.)

For those of you who aren't familiar with "boob wishes", it's when you write down three things you'd like to have happen in a month, and keep it in your bra... or pants pocket, or wherever. :)

About a month ago, I was just daydreaming of a few things I'd like to have happen and wrote just two of them down. One: I'd like to be able to work part-time, and two: I'd like for my novella to be a best seller at Cobblestone Press, even though I didn't really expect either of those things to happen. I just put that in my purse and forgot about it.

Well, about a week ago, I was having a rough day at work and wishing the timing was right for me to ask my boss about taking off one day a week. It's a really busy time for us right now, and I figured the timing was bad to ask. But about an hour later, she asked me to come to her office and said she had good news for me. See, one of the things I HATE about my job, is that somehow I got stuck doing the class registrations and other admin work after the woman who used to do it had to quit. It was never part of my job description, and daily made me want to jab sharpened pencils into my ears.

My boss said she'd spoken to her boss about the possibility of hiring someone to take over that aspect of things, since it really wasn't something I should be doing and would take a lot off my plate. It was the perfect opening to bring up the part-time goal. She was very open to it, though she did say it probably wouldn't happen until after June. Hey, as long as there's a light at the end of the tunnel, I can wait a couple more months. :)

And as for the second wish, as you can see from this post, I was just as surprised as anybody. :)

Now I wish I'd written down a third thing, lol. Maybe next month... :)

Any good news in your life lately that you'd like to share?

Shiver me timbers...

For those of you who enjoy a little tingle of fear, let me present Charles Gramlich's "Chimes".

For those of you who may not be familiar with Charles, he's a psychology professor and writer who lives in Louisiana with his equally talented wife--photographer and artist Lana Gramlich. Both of their blogs are worth following. Charles posts thought provoking blogs about writing and has quite a following; Lana's photographs are incredibly beautiful. Apart from that, they're just so darn cute. ;) (And now probably hate me, lol) But seriously, they're so supportive of one another that it always makes me smile to read their comments.

However, this post is about Charles's short thriller, Chimes. I thought this was going to be a horror story, and it was - but more in a Hitchcock horror kind of way. That is, more buildup of mental and emotional tension rather than a string of gory monster scenes.

I've read Charles's work before and one thing that I always take away from them is how deftly he creates a mood using scenery, sounds, and "average Joe" characters to build tension.

In Chimes, the protagonist, a woman, is alone in the house except for her sleeping baby, when she realizes there's an intruder. In one scene, she has to search for a flashlight in the dark and must reach into a closet, not really knowing where the intruder might be hiding.

"She wanted to run. Instead, she forced herself to open the closet and reach in for the Maglite, her skin crawling as the sleeves of raincoats and old sweaters brushed against her hands like the shed husks of monstrous insects."

That made MY skin crawl. And every time I thought I had this all figured out, he'd surprise me with a new twist. All in all, very creepy and enjoyable.

Charles has also written a number of other horror and fantasy fiction novels and short stories, as well as non-fiction work on writing. You can also listen to one of his short horror works, Thief of Eyes, in Sidney Williams podcasts, Fear on Demand. The line from that which hooked me was right from the start:

"She had lips that Satan dreamed of in his long fall to hell."

Loved that. :)

So, have you read anything lately, other than the daily news, which made your skin crawl?

Hey, who knew?!

I just went to Cobblestone Press's new site, Cobblestone After Dark, and look what I found on the front page! I had no idea! Big, big hugs and thanks to everyone who purchased. :)

Now I can call myself a "Best Selling Author", LOL.

Fun & Games

Just thought I should post some sort of update here, but since the last of my brain cells have gone on strike, I figured I'd point you in the direction of something fun.

Over at Avery DeBow's blog, she's doing a "bad-lib, mad-lib" where every Friday she asks posters for nouns, verbs, names, etc. and then uses them in her work in progress. It's been very entertaining, and Avery's talent shines in the creative ways she's put the words to use.
(For instance, one suggestion for an occupation was "Dr. Ruth's Personal Dominatrix" and she managed to weave that into her story.)


Go on - play along! :)

Welcome Jude Liebermann!

Today's guest is fellow Cobblestone Press author, Jude Leiberman. She's graciously agreed to answer some questions about her new book, Drew's Awakening, available today at Cobblestone.

I understand you have a new release out called Drew's Awakening. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

Sure, and I'm really excited about this book. It is the follow up to my A Modern Myth trilogy, which I self published. Drew is a very special man, with a very special destiny. He is my all time favorite character and hero.

Is this a departure from the stories you normally write, or is this genre a favorite?

Yes, I had never written paranormal before this trilogy, but it was so much fun to write. I fell in love with the characters, and they became very real to me. I couldn't imagine writing four novels about the same characters, but I can see so many continuing adventures for them now. Romance will always be my favorite genre, and I always vary the sub genre. I guess you can say that paranormal is my favorite one.

If you could choose actors to play your characters in this story, who would you pick and why?

Though the cover depicts Drew looking a lot like Orlando Bloom, I don't know if he would be fitting for the character. I actually can't think of anyone in Hollywood good enough. He would probably need to be played by an unknown that was found through an extensive casting call. I have always thought that Jessica Alba would play Nada, Drew's mother, and Orlando could actually play Grady, Drew's father. Sara, the heroine, would be the tough one. I don't know the actress' name, but she played the blind woman in the Fantastic 4. She has the look of Sara, though she is probably older than 21.

Please describe a little of your favorite scene in this book.

The first one that came to mind is when Sara and Drew almost have sex for the first time in his hotel room, but one of his newly acquired gifts intrudes (without going into too much detail). I enjoyed writing his surprised reaction to it, and how he handled Sara being in the room with him. I chuckled a few times as I wrote that scene.

I know this isn't your first story with Cobblestone Press. How long had you been writing before you got your first "call"? And can you tell us a little about what it was like when you received that first publisher acceptance of one of your stories? How did you celebrate?

I've been writing most of my life but first self published in 1997, after getting tired of the rejections from the NY publishers. It's been a tough but rewarding journey. I had always written sensual romances before submitting to Cobblestone, and the editor asked if I would be willing to spice it up. My first novella with them was published last August. I was very excited to be accepted. I think my husband bought some champagne, and we toasted my first contact.

What can we expect next from you?

I recently finished my first short story erotic fantasy, which I have submitted to Cobblestone for their Wicked line. Wish me luck on it getting accepted.

Is there anything else you'd like to say to your readers, something you'd like them to know?

I have a forum where I've posted a lot of free stories and novellas for my active members. So if they'd like to read a bit of my stuff before paying for it, they should join. They can find it at judesplace.com/forum.

Thanks for being here, Jude!

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About Drew's Awakening:

Drew’s Awakening is a sequel to the self-published A Modern Myth trilogy. Drew Duncan was born at the end of that trilogy. He is now almost 21 and coming into his own. He is more special than he realizes, as powers he was born into begin to emerge. As he deals with these new abilities, he finds his soul mate, Sara. She was hidden when she was a little girl to save her from Kyros, an enemy from his family’s past. She doesn’t remember Drew but immediately feels a connection with him when they are reunited. Even though his family has told him to avoid looking for her, Drew cannot stay away. As they rediscover each other in mental and physical ways, Kyros finds them and abducts Sara. With his mother’s help, Drew follows and finds them. Kyros knows he must kill Drew before he can rein destruction upon the Earth. He uses Sara as bait to try to trap his nemesis. Drew must remember his destiny and awaken the slumbering power within him to destroy this ancient evil, so he and Sara can live happily ever after.

Click here to read an excerpt.

http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/author/judeliebermann.htm

It's a Family Affair

I had mentioned my brother and his wife in my last post, but didn't mention how creative they both are. They decided to paint my brother's prosthesis over the weekend, and this is what they came up with. You can see the full details here.

They are pretty funny. One year for Halloween, he attached a toy beaver to his wooden leg and went as a lumberjack under attack.

Any interesting relative stories you'd like to share? ;)

Announcements and Abashments :)

Since I so much enjoyed having Amber and Devin over to visit, I've also invited a fellow Cobblestone Press author, Jude Liebermann, to come by this Friday to talk about her book, Drew's Awakening, that will be coming out on the same day.

Meanwhile... for those of you who write the "naughty" books, I'm just wondering if any of you experience embarrassment when your friends and family (or coworkers) find out what you're up to in your spare time. My dad found my blog (gasp!) and made mention of my writing in an email to brother, whose wife then asked me what her FIL was talking about, and I didn't answer. Later, my brother asked again, but I told him he couldn't handle the truth. ;)

His wife is a very sweet, lovely woman who would most likely be horrified if she saw my stuff. And really, there is a certain "ick" factor in family knowing about this. My daughter, who does know, has said she could just never read anything I wrote because it would be way too much information. I wholeheartedly agree.

It makes me wonder.... I sometimes won't buy candy because I'm embarrassed for anyone to see the "chubby chick" with chocolate. After that happened a few times, I came to the conclusion that if I'm embarrassed to be buying it, then I really don't need to be doing it in the first place.

I'm wondering if that applies here, as well. Which is NOT to say that I think writing erotic romance is bad, I just sometimes wonder if it's for me if I'm that uncomfortable with people knowing about it. If I can't look my brother in the eye and say, "Hells yeah, I wrote that and I'm damned proud of it!", then I have to take a good look at what the issue is.

I'm proud of my friends who write erotic romance and promote their books, so why am I uncomfortable with people knowing about mine? Am I more prudish than I realized? Or is just a family/coworker thing? TMI for certain people only?

It makes me feel like I'm living a double life because on the one hand, I DO want to tell everyone about it, and say it with pride. On the other hand, maybe some people just really don't need to know...

Meet Author Amber Scott

Happy Friday! Today, I'm so pleased to have author Amber Scott (occasionally aka Amber Dayne) with me. I'm also pleased that she graciously is also interviewing me over at her blog today as well. So, let's get started....

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KS: Hi Amber, it’s great to have you here today. I mentioned you in my blog a few days back, and I’m excited that you agreed to allow me to grill…er, interview… you today about your writing.

Probably the most common complaint from writers is that they never have enough time to write. I know you have two small children at home, yet since I met you four years ago, you’ve had a baby, had six books published (Irish Moon aka The Last Templar, The Best Revenge, Jessie’s Girl, Wanted, Soul Search, and PlayFling) and now you’re also working on screenplays. This doesn’t even count the stories you’ve written which haven’t been published yet. Can you give us an example of your “typical” writing schedule?

AS: I tell you, when you throw articles and blogging in there, too, I get dizzy thinking about it. Thankfully, I’ve figured out how to take each task one at a time, or like Anne Lamott’s book explains, Bird by Bird. With two young children and a husband vying for my attention, I’ve learned how to write in small spurts and with a little one on my lap. A few years ago, I let go of the notion that I should be able to carve out a couple hours a day reserved for writing. Instead, I gave up TV and am constantly back and forth to my computer, to the kids, back to my story, over to dishes and so on. It’s an imperfect system I find I have to tweak and adjust to every day but I’ll get there.

KS: Well, you must be doing something right! I listened to your interview on Romantically Speaking w/ Danielle Monsch (http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=73538&cmd=tc) and you mentioned your love of writing in different genres (I’m totally on board with you on that!) and I’m wondering what has been your favorite of the stories you’ve written so far, and why?

AS: Thank you so much for listening. Danielle is a lot of fun and made the interview really easy. It was like talking to a great friend. I wish I could pick one genre I prefer! It seems like it’d make the career building part of all this easier. Alas, I go where the itch takes me. I’m polishing an urban fantasy, called Realm, right now, continuing the doomed cupid series Play Fling, and started plus two screenplays, D-Word and Threshold. I’d say the two things I tend to stick to are paranormal elements and comedy but not necessarily together.

KS: Any one particular scene/hero/heroine out of all the genres that has really stayed with you?

AS: Jessica Hayes in Jessie’s Girl has really stayed with me. I think gay and lesbian fiction is regrettably still seen as taboo but I hope it will become mainstream. Love is love, right? Jessie has such a difficult decision in this story. She falls for the girl her brother, who is also her best friend, thinks is ‘the one’. And Sabrina falls as well. Only Sabrina hasn’t quite come to terms with what ideal life versus real life means. Their story was heart-wrenchingly wonderful to write.

KS: It was a great story and the conflict was very moving. Speaking of conflict, most writers are familiar with the “inciting incident”, “the dark moment”, and the “return with the prize” in stories. I’m wondering if you may have experienced some of those in real life on your path to publication, what they were, and if you’d like to share them?

AS: My inciting incident to novel writing came with my first NaNoWriMo. It took me from dreaming of being a writer to actually writing and I got hooked. My dark moment came when I read Stephanie Meyers Twilight saga and had an epiphany: If I didn’t love my own characters as thoroughly as she clearly loved hers, was it worth pursuing this career? I took a break and realized, yes it’s worth it. The pain, the fear, the lack of sleep. And I stopped writing with that lingering desperation to find some secret formula and simply write for the fun of it now. My writing improved. My return with the prize has to be my first contest win, an Honorable Mention in the Save the Cat! Last logline of 2009! contest. The late Blake Snyder, author of the series and whose site hosted the contest, is my biggest writing hero. I really wish I could have met him.

KS: Congratulations - that's quite a journey, Amber! Where can readers find your work now, and what can we expect next from you?

AS: Right now Play Fling is at Smashwords.com and Scribd.com for a limited promotional release while I submit it to agents and editors. I’ll be placing a couple of freebie novels up on each site as well this summer. My screenplays may join the novels once they’re polished and registered with the Writer’s Guild. I see self-publishing as a great way to earn readers and share the process with them. I’m shopping my urban fantasy, Realm, also but contemporary erotica has been whispering in my ear again. I hope to have another novella completed and submitted to Liquid Silver Books soon. I adore this publisher and hope to continually add to my booklist there. You can also find me at 1stTurningPoint.com, a place for authors to learn and share all about promotion.

KS: Wow, you sure do keep busy, and I look forward to seeing more from you. Is there anything else you’d like your readers to know?

AS: Simply how much I appreciate their taking the time to share my inner worlds. Having a reader feels like sharing a favorite song or movie with someone. I cherish it. As a thank you today, I’d like to offer a free ebook download of Play Fling at Smashwords.com. This is the story of a doomed cupid determined to match a repressed divorcee with her ex. There’s just two problems: a too young, too hot college boy distracting her matchmaking target and the fact that she stinks at playing cupid. Simply enter code: SE77K. It expires March 17th. Thank you so much for having me, Kate. We’ve come a long way and here’s to much, much further! KS: Here, here! Thank you, Amber. :)

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So, what questions do you have for Amber? Side note: Amber is generously giving away copies of Play Fling for the time being, but my publisher would kill me if I gave away so many books. :) However, not to be selfish, everyone who comments here and/or on Amber's blog today and wants to be entered to win a copy of Managing Maggie in one of the following formats: .PDF, .mobi/Kindle, or .LIT simply has to state their preferred format in their post.

Meet Author Devin McKee

Everyone, give a warm welcome to romance author Devin MckKee. I'm so happy she's joining me today.

Devin is a member of Maumee Valley RWA in Ohio and her first book, DANGEROUS MAGIC, was released this month with Wild Rose Press. She was also one of my critique partners when we lived in Arizona, and she has graciously agreed to answer some questions here about her new release.

--------------------

KS: Devin, you and I first met a few years ago when you were working on a book about a guy named Riley, whom I seem to recall you saying was the guy you’d most like to take home to mom. Now here we are, and Riley is making his debut into the wider world in “Dangerous Magic”. Tell us a little of how that came about, and what is about Riley that connected with you?

DM: Ah, you remembered that, did you?? Yes, I said that about Riley from the beginning. I loved his casual, laid back manner with that right touch of humor. He’s businessman and cowboy all rolled up into one nice little package. Riley also has that heart of gold who’d do anything for his girl, Laura.

KS: Yummy. :) Tell us what your favorite scene in this book is, and why?

DM: There were a few, but the one that sticks in my mind was the first meeting. Neither Laura nor Riley expected it to ever be anymore than a bodily collision on the street corner. But, as we know, a lot does develop from that one scene, and I, for one, am glad that it does. They are a fun couple. A cute couple and I hated to see them end as characters.

KS: I also recall reading a start of the sequel to Dangerous Magic about Riley’s brother. Is that something which is still in the works? (I’m very much hoping so, because I loved the bit I read!)

DM: Yes, it is. "Dangerous Waters" is being considered by Wild Rose Press. I’ve got to fiddle with a few changes and resubmit back to Wild Rose Press, but my editor is amazingly confident I can work through the changes. She gave me very specific feedback to what needs changing, and although it isn’t a lot, I still need to set it aside, mull it over, and I know I’ll come up with something.

KS: I have no doubt that you will! What else might we expect from you?

DM: I’m about to complete my third book, "A Heart’s Second Chance". I have not submitted it yet as I am working out the last few scenes. This book has some suspense, but I’d say it is more like a LuAnn Rice type book where there are other characters the story revolves around, other points of view than just the hero and heroine.

KS: Congratulations on finishing up another manuscript! What would you say has been the most exciting thing about going from unpublished to published author, and what has been the most challenging?

DM: The most exciting has been that email that said my foot was in the publishing world door. The most challenging are the changes made, some you really hate to get rid of. Still, what I found was that my editor was usually correct. She saw things that I couldn’t see being to close to the characters and story that made things work and flow.

KS: I know what you mean. Now, since I'm no Barbara Walters when it comes to interviews, can you tell us where can readers find out more about you?

DM: I’m no techno geek, so my website isn’t completed as of yet, however, I do have a blog site at http://www.devinmckee.wordpress.com . I seem to be able to manage that and try to update it weekly. Eventually, I’ll have information on what I’m up to, my books, some blurbs about upcoming books, and maybe a question and answer block with other authors. They can also check out other author guest spots I’ve done, and my bio on The Wild Rose Press.

KS: Great! Is there anything else you’d like to say to your readers?

DM: If anyone dreams of being a writer, never give up. That’s my motto. There were times I wanted to, but am glad I didn’t. Find great critique partners and do a lot of networking at writer’s conferences or online. It really does help to get your name out there. Thanks for having me today, Kate.

KS: Thank you, Devin.

----------------------------

I remember reading Dangerous Magic years before it was published, and one thing I remember most about Devin's writing is how she breaths such life and personality into her characters. I'm looking forward to seeing more from her. She never gave up on her dream of being published, of holding one of her books in her hands - and recently had the pleasure of seeing it come true at her first book signing at her local library. Congratulations, Devin!

What questions do you have for her?

Coming soon...

Devin McKee will be my guest tomorrow, discussing her book DANGEROUS MAGIC. Please join us and say hello. :)

On Friday, Amber Scott will join me to discuss writing in different genres and how a busy mom finds time to write. At the same time, she will be interviewing me on her blog. Please stop by both blogs and say hello for a chance to win free ebooks. :)

Magical Monday - Stolen Words

I found this over the weekend. It may be familiar to some of you, but it was brand new for me and stopped me in my tracks.

If only you'd remember before ever you sit down to write that you've been a reader long before you were ever a writer. You simply fix that fact in your mind, then sit very still and ask yourself, as a reader, what piece of writing in all the world Buddy Glass would most want to read if he had his heart's choice. The next step is terrible, but so simple I can hardly believe it as I write it. You just sit down shamelessly and write the thing yourself. I won't even underline that. It's too important to be underlined. Oh, dare to do it, Buddy! Trust your heart. You're a deserving craftsman. It would never betray you.

-JD Salinger

Many writers have been told to "write from the heart." But we're also told to write for the market. We've been told to "write what you know." Arthur Levine says to not write what you know, but write what you are, your own unique emotional experience. The difference is subtle, but his blog post about it a few years ago connected with me as surely as did Salinger's words above. (And as soon as I find the link again, I'll post it.)

Amber Scott will be my guest blogger this Friday, and in her interview she mentioned an epiphany she had that was along the lines of the quote above. I won't go into detail about it right now, but leave that for her to tell you on Friday. (By the way, she and I will be visiting each others blogs that day, and you will have extra chances to win free books if you visit both sites.)

Magical Mondays has always been about those transcendent moments in life when you just have to sit back and stare in wonder at the ways in which the Universe works. Finding that passage from JD Salinger was just such a moment for me. It is, as he says, so simple it's almost terrible; hard to believe. I've often leaned toward writing the books I want to read - have even heard the advice to just that before - but what I want to read probably isn't all that popular. But really, how do I know that if I haven't tried?

Oh, dare to do it, Buddy! Trust your heart. You're a deserving craftsman. It would never betray you.

Do you dare?

Just Some Good Stuff on a Wednesday Afternoon :)

Fascinating information about self-publishing to Kindle by JA Konrath:

Kudzu and Kindle

The last two books I've read:

Original Sin by Allison Brennan....
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl/9780345511676.html

Just.... Wow. Fast paced, enjoyable, creepy at times. Good stuff.












Never After by Laurell K. Hamilton and others... Fractured fairy tales at their finest. :) http://www.amazon.com/Never-After-Laurell-K-Hamilton/dp/0515147281

Release Day!

It’s finally here! MANAGING MAGGIE is now available at Cobblestone Press: http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/maggie.htm

While I can’t tell you how happy that makes me, I’d also like to tell you about some friends of mine who were instrumental in my journey to publication.

About four years ago, three shy, unpublished writers met online and agreed to meet in person. Clutching their precious manuscript babies to their chests, they gathered around a table at their local Barnes and Nobles in Mesa, Arizona and began to introduce themselves. They were: a widowed travel agent who was writing the book of her heart; a young wife and mother writing her way through various genres in between diapers and naps; and a divorced, single mom who was taking up writing again after a 14 year absence. At that time, none of their work was available to the public, but they had dreams and determination. And if you look for their work today, you'll find them published under the names of Devin McKee, Amber Scott and Kate Sterling.

In a nice turn of fate, Devin and I have books that are being released on the same day: today! Amber just released PlayFling on her own at Smashwords.com while she's waiting to hear back from editors and agents, and you can find more of her work (also under the name Amber Dayne) at Liquid Silver Books and New Concepts Publishing. She has previously had work published by Cobblestone Press – there is no stopping this woman! This weekend she’ll join six of her local romance authors for a panel discussion at the Mesa Library Red Mountain branch at 1pm. If you are nearby in Arizona, be sure check them out.

You can find Devin McKee's book, Dangerous Magic at the Wild Rose Press. On Wednesday, February 10, the Montpelier Friends of the Library will be hosting her first book signing. If you’re in Ohio and nearby, be sure to drop by – she’s great. :)

In the upcoming week or so, I'll be interviewing Devin and Amber so they can tell you more about their journey in their own words. I'll also be appearing on Amber's blog in the near future as well. I'll post the details as soon as I have them. Really, these are great gals - talented and a lot of fun. I think you'll like them, so please check them out. :)

I have a release date!

This Friday, 2/5, "Managing Maggie" will be available from Cobblestone Press. :)

Writing Goals and Promotion

Okay, I've been given a lot to think about this evening. I was checking out Cobblestone's Main Street Forum, and there was a great workshop on promotion that Sable Grey gave (which, I unfortunately missed, but I recommend reading the archives.)

After reading some of the posts in the various archives, I decided to do a quick search of the bestsellers from various e-book sellers. (You can find a list of commercial distributors here: http://users.california.com/~parvin/ebooks.html#commercial)

It seems that M/M, and menage erotica (M/F/M) are big sellers, but so are sexy historicals. (Who said historicals were dead? I saw several of them on the bestseller lists.) Paranormals are still selling well. (Especially paranormal menage; it seems anything with two guys getting it on--with or without a female participant--is almost guaranteed a good run.) Books with some form of bondage or light BDSM also seem to sell well.

Does that mean your sweet, straight, one-woman man, cowboy romance is not going to go anywhere? Not necessarily. I noticed that Bookstrand seems to sell a lot of westerns (though again, the hotter the better.) Of course, this was based on my thumbnail sketch and not any in -depth research. Yet even with that quick glance, I could see the trends.

Feeling a little discouraged since I don't write gay erotica, I remembered this interesting blog by Leslie Richardson that I read the other day. (I particularly like points # 3 and # 19 as encouragement for e-book pubs) She has a no-nonsense, take no prisoners approach to writing for a living that I really liked. (There is also a worth reading, follow up to her earlier blog here.)

Anyhoodles... all this has made me realize that A.) I need to get busy and get back to those WIPs languishing over there on my side bar (poor little things... so neglected) and B.) I need to give more thought to promoting the book I do have coming out. In self-defense, I haven't done it yet because I'm still waiting for the release date, but I haven't even said what the story is about. Sheesh.

So... in case you were wondering.... MANAGING MAGGIE is about taming the cougar. :)

Jason and Maggie are business partners, but he wants to carry their partnership into the bedroom and beyond. At thirteen years his senior, Maggie believes she's old enough to know better than to get involved with a younger man -- no matter how sexy he is.

But Jason is determined to prove he's man enough to handle a woman like Maggie. He'll overcome her objections -- even if he has to tie her down to make her listen.

So... I'm resolving to do more writing and promoting in the next 6 months and try to have at least 3 more novellas and one novel out for publication this year. What are your goals?

The 23rd Anniversary of My 23rd Birthday Has Been Postponed

Stay tuned for further details...

Thanks to all of you who have blogged, emailed, twittered, my spaced, facebooked, etc. to wish me a happy birthday. However, I want to tell you that due to lack of preparation on my part, I've decided to put my birthday on hold indefinitely. I just simply wasn't ready this year. I mean, I haven't finished that novel, haven't lost 60 pounds, haven't won a major lottery - I'm just not there yet.

You understand, don't you? No hard feelings or anything?

Thanks. :)

More on Cats and Writing

I know there are a few of you who will appreciate this. :)

Mentally Ill Cats and Multitasking

I've been dealing with both. We thought for sure our poor kitty was nearing her last breath: hadn't eaten or taken water in nearly a week, was in perpetual hiding, breathing was shallow and rapid. We finally flushed her out of hiding and got her to the vet. Several hours & dollars later, we hear the verdict: cat is perfectly fine, she's just suffering a feline form of PMS. Might need some anti-anxiety medication.

I guess it's true that pets take after their owners.... :-P

But now that I can rest more easily knowing only a hefty dose of Midol is needed for kitty, I have more time to worry about my own issues. Like, when am I ever going to finish another one of the many manuscripts on my hard drive. The three shorter ones that I did finish have all been published, so shouldn't I try to something longer? After all, the last couple of rejections I received for one of them all said the same thing: this one is too short for us, but please send us something longer. They said they liked my writing - just needed to see more of it. Longer, more developed. Sigh...

However, I want to work on an idea I have for Samhain's Steampunk Anthology. These characters have been knocking on my door for weeks, and I'm on my last round of edits with the one coming out with Cobblestone, so I should be good to go, right? But... but those other editors... they were so encouraging. Shouldn't I jump on that first, before they forget they requested more material? Shouldn't I hurry and finish one of those novels for them? What's a gal to do?

Edie Ramer had a post about the various characters going in and out of her life this past year, and it was great. Shana Galen also has an article about when it's a good time to cheat on your books. (In truth, just like every other rationalizing cheater, I want people to tell me it's ok if I hang with several characters at a time.) ;)

So, what about you? Are you a faithful or a fickle writer?

Check it out...

Got a first look at my new cover art. It also came with banners, buttons and various sized editions of what you see here. I don't have a release date yet since we're just going through the first edits, but I'm happy. :)