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July 22nd, 2007
Sunday Check In
Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter

47,120 / 85,000
(55.3%)

The Darkest Kiss

I didn’t get as much done on The Darkest Kiss this week as I’d hoped. Book proposals slowed me down. So I have been working, just not always on The Darkest Kiss. But I am over halfway finished with the book and this makes me happy.

About 7k last week.

Here’s a wee snippet:

He traced her collarbone with his index finger. “You’re going to hate me in the morning.”

“I don’t care about the morning.”

July 21st, 2007
I know! I know!

I haven’t updated. I’m sorry! I’ve been writing, that’s why. Not so much on The Darkest Kiss, but on proposals/synopses. I’m plotting the third elemental witches book this week and writing up a synopsis. I’m also writing up a proposal for the fourth (and final) book.

But probably you all aren’t reading my blog anyway. *g* Probably you’re all closeted away with Harry Potter. I haven’t read the books yet. I will one day, I’m sure I’ll probably like them too. I do know who dies, though. :p

In other news, I know there’s a big debacle about costumes at RWA National. (There’s always a big debacle somewhere) I’m wondering if there isn’t more important things to be talking about than Liz Maverick and Marianne Mancusi‘s attire. Personally I found their get-ups cute and an imaginative way to build buzz for their books…in a world where it’s incredibly hard to build buzz. Here’s hoping they got some sales out this deal. (I put Wired on my Amazon wish list yesterday, so there’s my sale at least.)

As for Sherrilyn Kenyon…she’s Sherrilyn Kenyon! Dewd, let the woman wear what she wants! As long as she keeps producing Dark Hunter books, I’m happy. I don’t have more to say because I’m busy…writing.

Enjoy your Saturday!! What do you have planned for the weekend? (It’s absolutely geeeeooorjessssss where I am)

July 18th, 2007
My To Be Read Pile….

…oh. It gives me zee tingles.

 

Missing is the Prince of Fire, by Linda Winstead Jones (it was on my coffee table when I took the picture).

As you can see, there is lots of romance in my pile right now. I’m on a romance kick at the moment. Normally you would see lots more fantasy and less romance. I think because I write it, it kinda feels like work to read it. But right now I’m craving it. I picked up Venetia, by Georgette Heyer because it’s supposed to be a classic and I’ve seen it raved so often I finally had to give in. Same with Lord of Scoundrels, by Loretta Chase.

I joined Shelfari yesterday after being flooded with invites from other people who did. So if you want to friend me, go ahead.

I uploaded my TBR list there, if you want to look, plus a few other books I’m rereading, or just are perpetually in my pile. I think I could get down with Shelfari. Seems cool. However I couldn’t find Magic Lost, Trouble Found, by Lisa Shearin on there to add to my shelf. *grumble* Nor could I find The Eternal Rose, by Gail Dayton, but maybe that’s because the book isn’t out yet.

Now for another edition of books I have read lately…..

 

The Vampire Queen’s Servant, by Joey Hill

I liked it. Very dark and not for the faint of heart. Deliciously dark, in fact. There were a couple scenes that made me cringe, no doubt. I’m intrigued by the characters and definitely by their motivations. I want to know more, so I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next book. I’m a Joey Hill fan from way back, so I snatched this book right away.

 

 

Taking Chase, By Lauren Dane

Yes, Lauren is a friend, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy her writing too. This was actually a reread. I liked it as much the second time as I did the first time. Cassie Gambol is a great heroine and enjoyed her story very much. As an aside, from a distance, the man on the cover looks like Nicholas Cage.

~*~

Prince of Magic, by Linda Winstead Jones

I rarely will buy a book for its cover. I believe what my mama taught me about judging things that way. But when I saw this one, I wanted to lick it. This cover has a hawt man on it. Yum. That coupled with the fact its an historical fantasy romance (love!), made me buy it. It’s the first time I’ve read anything by this author. I loved it! The hero, Sian, lives up to the cover. I loved his character. I also very much enjoyed Ariana, the heroine. So, anyway, hooked on the series now.

July 16th, 2007
Blogging over at Bradford…and a tiny rant

I’m blogging over at the Bradford Bunch blog today about villains. There’s a contest too.

And…just a little rant. I could do a big long one on this subject because it’s one of those things that presses my buttons, but I don’t have time.

I get really sick of authors pushing their silly publishing hierarchies. As if an author who writes for a small press is inferior to authors who write for large presses. Wake up and smell the ink, people. You made it to NY, good for you. Kudos. That means you have talent, are damn lucky, or have benefited from some combination of the two. But just because you got there, doesn’t mean you’re going to stay there.

This is not a career with a lot of job security, and you’re only as good as your last book. You’re only as good as the readers think you are. Sadly, most likely you’re not as good as you think you are.
So, don’t get too cocky. Don’t get too arrogant. Try some humility. You never know when you might get knocked off that high horse and the landing’s easier if you’ve created some mental padding.

That is all. One very rare rant from me, the non-drama loving romance novelist. (I only like drama when it’s in my books.)

July 15th, 2007
Sweaty Seventy Check In
Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter

40,230 / 85,000
(47.1%)

The Darkest Kiss — almost halfway done!

Yep, I’m in the dreaded middle. Oy. Always the hardest part of the book for me. This one’s going pretty well, though. Let’s see…so I wrote just over 13k this week. Not bad! I’m going to do my best to make the next week even more productive.

I think I’ll be doing my Sweaty Seventy check ins every Sunday.

A snippet…

He flipped her and pinned her wrists to the floor on either side of her head. The hard press of his body wiped the smile from her face and heightened her need. “Daria, please,” he groaned. “You’d regret it in the morning and I don’t want to be one of your regrets.”

July 14th, 2007
Some general musings on the recent RWA thing

I don’t have anything specific to say on the new requirements for publishers that RWA has implemented that knocks all epubs from being recognized and therefore exempts them from any special considerations at National.

I’ve seen all kinds of theories about it. I know some think that this is an “old girls” ploy to keep the ebook authors out of their club. There is cause to think that, judging by some of the intolerant and superior things I’ve heard voiced at times by NY print authors about ebook authors. So I’m not surprised this is a theory. However, I think it has more to do with what recently happened at Triskelion than anything else. That said, I do think the RWA has not properly handled the situation, not by a long shot, since the language they’ve used basically relegates all ebook authors into the realm of the self and vanity pubbed, which just isn’t true. Actually, “not properly handled the situation” is putting it too mildly. They’ve handled it like a bunch of drunk monkeys on a ferris wheel.

By the way, I’m not looking down my nose at self or vanity pubbed authors when I say this. I think for some authors the self or vanity publishing route is the best course. To my way of thinking, all is choice. I’m not going to judge yours, please don’t judge mine. The thing is, relegating some of the epublishers into self/vanity press land–like Ellora’s Cave–is simply incorrect. A vanity press is a publisher that publishes a book at the expense of the author. Ellora’s Cave is not that. Even though Ellora’s Cave does not pay me any advance for my books, I make excellent money with them, more than a lot of midlist NY authors. A diligent author can actually support herself at EC and that is a rare thing…even at the big pubs. So the language that RWA has used is wrong and is just plain bad.

Now…if RWA is trying to protect authors from future Trisks, and I believe they are, that’s admirable but not realistic. It’s up to us, as authors, do our homework before signing with a pub. It’s up to us to monitor how our publishers are doing. Even so, Trisks will happen. That’s unfortunate, but we are all ultimately responsible for our careers. And each of us have different standards for success within those careers. Money may not always be an author’s measure. It might be creative freedom, for example. Maybe money means nothing to particular author and her ability to write what she wants means everything. Therefore, I’m not seeing the need for RWA to dictate which publishers are “approved” over others. Ultimately, I think it falls to the individual to make those choices.

To sum up (what I never had any intention of writing when I started this post), I think the RWA has good intentions but they executed it…very badly.

I am an ebook author. I started at ImaJinn Books (print) and EC (ebook) in the same week, but the overwhelming bulk of my career has been played out so far on the ebook stage. So, going back to my original point, before I got all tangenty and offered an opinion I never meant to offer, here’s what I have to say to ebook authors who now feel marginalized (again)….

Do not let others define you. Define yourself. Some may try and make the ebook author feel inferior and say hurtful things about this medium, but the only way those things are true is if you let them be true by believing it yourself. You can’t control what others think or say about you, so define yourself as authors of merit…because you are. Really, it’s just that simple.

July 13th, 2007
Just a stray thought

I just removed a cat related cliche from The Darkest Kiss. Now, how come people always refer to cat’s paws as silent? Because I have eight cats and all hardwood flooring, and none of my cats are particularly silent when walking upon it. Their little claws go click, click, click.

Uh. Of course, that could be because my cats are so fat well-fed, I suppose.

July 12th, 2007
A New Print Cover…and Books I’ve Read Lately

I am TTless today. Have writing to do, and the shlepping of people to various places, and errands to run and other what not. Oh, and writing! Whee! Progress is going fine on The Darkest Kiss, I’m pleased to report.

 

I do have print book news, however. And Lady Makes Three, the anthology I did with Nikki Soarde and Ashley Ladd, sold out of its print run and had been out of stock for quite some time. Ellora’s Cave has reprinted it and given it a puuuurdy new cover.

 

 

Yummy! I like this cover better because the last cover was a bit too contemporary to be representative of my story, (the woman was wearing sunglasses). My contribution to the anthology is a novella titled Twilight, and it’s an historical fantasy romance.

The dark, the light, and one to merge them.

Nico and Dai have searched for years for the third member of their Sacred Triad. Their combined energy, released in a sexual ritual, will drag their reality back from the Encroaching Darkness, a mystical force that threatens their world.

But Twyla has been emotionally damaged by an event in her past and has lost her magick as a result. It will take all of Nico and Dai’s deep love to help her overcome her fear and give her the sexual healing she so desperately needs.

~*~

Books I’ve read lately….

Rises the Night, bu Colleen Gleason. I love this series and eagerly gobble up every new installment. This one made me cry, though. *sniffle* I can’t say why because it would be too much of a spoiler. I’m upset at Ms. Gleason for making us wait for the next book, though. I want to know what happens now. *stomps foot*

Put me in the room with the ten gajillion other people who loved Slave to Sensation, by Nalini Singh. I’ve got the next on order from Amazon.com. Excellent, imaginative story. Wonderfully well drawn characters. All in all and enjoyable way to spending some reading time.

I have 18 books on order right now. I’ll post a picture of my incredible TBR pile once they arrive.

July 11th, 2007
Learning Things and Forward Momentum (and horoscopes!)

Since Witch Fire’s release, I’ve learned a whole lot of publishing industry things I never knew as an ebook author, like what Bookscan is, and how the bestsellers lists work. I’ve also learned some far more personal things too.

After a month of stressing about how my book would do, I have learned it’s more important than ever to follow my bliss. I can’t allow stress to take away the enjoyment I get from writing. Because the first time I allow my joy to be choked by market concerns is the first time I turn out a book I can’t be proud of.

I just have to write and be happy doing it. The rest simply follows. 🙂

Learning things is always good.

So yesterday I worked my part time job. It was a “dead” writing day because of that, (I make up the lost word count on the other days of the week), but I did get some plotting done on the next two Elemental Witch books. And I have titles! They’re maybe not good titles, maybe not titles Berkley will want to keep, but at least they’re something for me to work with.

Drumroll please… Witch Heart and Witch Fury. I don’t know how much I like the second one, but it’s fine for now.

Lastly, are you familiar with Free Will Astrology? If not, hie thee. New ones come out every Wednesday. Even if you don’t believe in astrology, they’re interesting to read.

July 9th, 2007
I’m blogging….

Over at the Bradford Bunch today about meeting deadlines and setting writing goals. Go on and take a peek. There’s all kinds of interesting stuff over there.