NaNoWriMo 2012: Still Up in the Air

Textbook Romance was written during NaNo 2010.

Here it is, the end of October and Halloween is plainly in sight, and I still am waffling on NaNo. I have a couple ideas in mind, but nothing that has yanked me by the scruff of the neck towards signing up this year.

Wanna help?

Below are three of the general areas my project ideas fall into; if any of them reach out and grab you, comment to let me know, and it might stir up my enthusiasm.

Project A) Historical litfic novel, set in a 1950s American university campus; some "love story," but focusing on a bit of academic intrigue and social issues. (This one has been percolating for a long time, but I still haven't gotten a foothold in.)

Project B) A silly piece of space-set futuristic fluff, with a romantic plot. Of absolutely no redeeming social value, and not likely to ever be published - but it might be fun to write, and to share on the blog!

Project C) A contemporary m/f romance (not erotica), taking place on a small town movie set. There will be writers, actors, assorted devious industry people, and an irritating gossip blogger. (This is the most likely of the three to be published in my life time.)

Well, there you have it. All three have been somewhat plotted (though Project B is rather loose), and I could do any or none... I just lack motivation, and have a ton of Real Life work to do. Thus, still waffling three days before NaNo is set to begin.

What to do, what to do...?

My NaNo 2011 novel is still unfinished, in rough form, and may never see the light of day.

The Next Big Thing

In which I sort of interview myself on my current work in progress.

I was tagged for this interview by a forum friend, Ruth Madison. I’m normally reluctant about doing memes, but when Ruth so kindly asked me, I decided to give it a go. I’m always excited to see what questions other people come up with.

However, there was a major issue – I have five current works in progress at the moment! Nevertheless, I picked the one I am writing most on this week, and plunged in. You might have noticed I am a bit tight lipped when it comes to my WIPs, especially these days, but it seems like a good time to let a few cats out of some bags.

So, on with the interview on September’s WIP:

What is the working title of your book?

Right now, I’m calling it Memento Mori, but I’m also toying with the title Last Look, since the other is rather used up.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I had been working on a novel set in the 1950s, but I’ve always been drawn towards the Victorian era. I love historical photographs, especially (and forgive the grimness) Victorian postmortem portraits. These are portraits taken of loved ones after death, and were relatively common, especially for children. With the cost and inconvenience of photography, many families never got a live shot of the departed before it was too late, so they would have one done after death. Today, this might seem rather shocking, but I think it's quite touching. And some of the photos are beautifully done. One night, looking at such pictures, the whole story came to me in a flash, via the entire person of the main character, William Tidy, all surrounding this practice of photographing the dead.

What genre does your book fall under?

I don’t really know. It has some romantic elements, but it isn’t a romance. I’d have to say “litfic”, whatever that really is, or general fiction. Possibly historical fiction, though it’s more about the people than the history. I will have that all ironed out before I have to market it. I hope.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I always cast my WIP as a movie in my head, but this main character is uniquely himself. Sometimes, when I make the little puppets dance in my mind so I can write it down, he is Johnny Depp, but other times, he is someone else, like Daniel Radcliffe or someone. He's himself, really. The lady in the book is certainly Rachel Weisz, who I think is one of the loveliest women in the world.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

A man more comfortable with the dead discovers that life happens whether you want it or not.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Not certain, really. I am not exactly drooling for an agent, but I’m not sure this book would be best served by a small epub, and I lack experience with non-romance publishers. I’d love to see it published with a bigger publisher, naturally enough, but I doubt that would happen before I got tired of waiting, and certainly not without an agent. I have considered self-publishing something, but I remain undecided. Who knows? Maybe it will sit in a drawer forever. I guess we shall see what we shall see.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Still working on it. It started out as a novella, but I think now it might become a novel. I’m hoping to have it done by the end of September, if I can fend off the laziness.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I really can’t say. I don’t think in terms of comparisons, especially with litfic. I’m writing it in a very consciously Victorian style and feel, so the language reminds me of some books, whereas the story doesn’t.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

My pure love of Victoriana, and the gruesome beauty of these photos. And motherhood, though I might be giving too much away there. Mostly, I'm writing it just for myself, since it's a story I'd like to read and the character has endeared himself to me.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

If lots of corpses doesn’t interest people, I don’t know what will. There might be a hot air balloon involved at some point, and a portion takes place in a wax museum, does that help?

Also, my hero never once says, “I see dead people.”

Thanks, Ruth, for giving me a nudge!

Now, “Tag! You’re it!”

Krista D. Ball

Jessica Coulter Smith

Michel Prince

Ashlynn Monroe

Melissa Keir 

There Goes Spring Break...

It was glorious: A week away from lecturing. On the downside of that, I had marking up to my eyeballs, but at least I could do it my jammies. But, now, the glory that was Spring Break is over. Back to the grind, now. Day started off by email, and now I am finishing up my lectures for the week.

sigh.

In other news, I got my edits for Textbook Romance in my email over the weekend. They don't look impossible, though there were cuts (not unusual) and character issues (difficult, but I'm sure I can swing them), and many general questions - one that, like usual, was a big "Oh man, how did I miss that?" moment for me. That happens every time - editors are keen eyes!

I have three weeks to finish them, so I'll be buckled down on those for a while.

I'm still working, slowly but surely, on the WIP. I still have to talk about this on the blog, I know. It's still "Top Secret" until I am sure I'm going to stick with it. I'm a little shy about revealing the details. In time, though, I will surely share.

Well, off to brew some coffee and then back to work.

Have a great week, all!

Six Sentence Sunday: TOPAZ, current WIP

A few lines of dialogue from the new shifter-romance work in progress, featuring a female feline-shifter. The dialogue has really flowed into my brain with this one, and all of my favourite bits are banter scenes. Enjoy!

“If you guys can mate with humans,” he speculated, “what if you mate with someone who can’t shift? Does the baby shift?”

“Maybe,” she answered. “Depends on who she takes after, like anything else. If she takes after the shifter parent, then she will.”

“So you just buy a crib sized scratching post and hope for the best, then?”

Check out other Six Sentence Sunday authors HERE.

Female Shifters: The Rarest of Beasts

I say rare, but not totally absent, mind. There have been some very good, popular books featuring women who turn into various werecreatures. However, it is my impression this is relatively uncommon.

Why would this be? Why do the dudes get all the shifting fun?

It has occurred to me that the practicality of this is that books are seldom written from the shifter's POV. We writers like to place the book through the eyes of the "normal" character, thereby allowing the reader to experience the story though relate-able eyes. Like the reader, the normal character is thrown into a situation that is outside his or her everyday life, and this makes it easier to reveal the details of the book's world. It also allows for an element of surprise, fear and occasional frailty, which wouldn't be as easy to achieve through the eyes of a powerful shifter.

Similarly, most romance, paranormal-romance or erotic-romances are largely told through the female character's POV. Hence, the predominant use of male shifters, from a practical angle, I think.

However, there is a cultural reason, as well. First, that very frailty authors like to explore are simply more acceptable in a female character. As a society, we are more comfortable with the male being the powerful being, for right or wrong. Often, we are intolerant of fictional males weaker than the females they love, and are less jarred by the reverse, regardless of how well this mirrors reality. Further, there is a psycho-sexual dimension to this - female readers (the target audience) are believed to be drawn to strong males, and not to weaker males. The description of a dark, mysterious male shifter with the power to both love and kill them is meant to tap into the ultimate in alphamale desire.

Hence, the relative scarcity of female shifters, I think.

In writing my new WIP, I have been struggling with these things, and how to balance the needs of the story with the expectations of the audience.

However, I do believe there is room for more female shifters. I am a female, who loves to read romance, and I find the presence of an extremely strong female character quite alluring, especially if there are other factors that balance out the power dynamics between the male and female leads. I will just have to hope there are enough people out there that feel likewise!

So, that is something I've been thinking about lately as I write and read.

***
Please, feel free to comment and suggest female shifter romances below!

The NEW WIP: Dark Paranormal Heat

On Sept 15, after a little break from fresh writing to edit and submit the New Years Eve story, Bubbly, I started my new work - a paranormal/shifter sensual-romance. So far so good, though this is brand new territory for me. It's a lot darker than my usual work, which was exactly the plan. I kind of want to delve into untapped corners of my imagination. A few hints - it's not a werewolf, and it's not a he-shifter. :)

Untitled Dark-Paranormal Erotica/Sensual Novella
An ex-boxer finds more than he bargains for on all fronts when he gets in to bed with the mob - and a mysterious exotic dancer who refuses to let him get too close.
This will be a novella at 20,000 words.
Finish goal: October 15, 2011.

The finish goal for the rough draft is early October, and I've very tentatively entitled the working draft Topaz. I have two publishers in mind for submission when it's done and edited, but this isn't contracted to anyone, yet. I hope it turns out well, and you all enjoy it.

(I may be seeking shifter/dark-erotica/paranormal expert writers/readers who are willing to betaread it for me in a few weeks, around Oct 1st-ish, to make sure I'm hitting the mark.)

You can find more info on my recent, current and upcoming projects on my WIP list, here.
*

PS - Not saying anything for sure, but how do we all feel about 1st person?

PPS - Here's an interview I did that was posted yesterday, if you care to see it, and also a little one posted today.

Summer Wrap-Up: Updates/Forecast on the WIPs

It's been a productive summer, spent editing and writing.

The first month or so was spent re-writing my NaNo 2011 novel, Textbook Romance, with the help of five wonderful betareaders. Then, I spent some time re-editing Unwrapping Scrooge for a Christmas print anthology. Goose and V-Day were re-vamped and released by Rebel Ink.

I did  flurry of new writing in August. The Halloween short, Like Magic, was written, read by a couple sweet people, and submitted to RIP for my holiday shorts series. It's with the editors now. I also managed to finish the Thanksgiving installment, and got it in only a day late. (They were nice to me about that.) The Thanksgiving one, Charity, is a nice, sexy cowboy one; I hope you'll all like it. It started out with another plot, but I had to shelf that beginning and start over with something lighter and more doable in under 15k.

Now, I've outlined and started the New Years one (Bubbly) - this one is a whole lot hotter than the other episodes. It's about a divorced socialite and successful designer who ducks her own New Years party to give life and love another whirl with "the hired help." Just right for a sparkly, fantastic New Years Eve romp!


Textbook Romance is now off to two companies, and I'm submitting it to a third in mid-September or so (staggered according to their response times). I keep revamping the sub letters/synopsis as I go, and tweaking the manuscript. My fingers remain ever-crossed. As always, I'll keep you updated.

The past couple of days have been spent blogging like mad to keep up with all the guest posts and interviews I promised to do over the summer. It doesn't seem like much work when you say yes at the time, but if you let them pile up... Oy!

So, what's next? After Bubbly is submitted for editing at RIP (aiming for September 15, if possible), I'm on to my planned paranormal/shifter dark erotica short/novella, which doesn't have a name yet (though I do have a publisher in mind!). Then, I'll finish the romantic-fantasy novella I started writing back in June but had to put away for other obligations. That one involves an "angel" figure, and has been named After Life. (I have a publisher in mind for that one, as well.) So, that all will likely take me up to nearly-NaNo time! After NaNo, I have plenty more planned - just today, I added a Mountie romance! But, for now, let's just say I'll be busy for a while.

It's insane how fast the year is flying by. This year, so far I've celebrated the release of three books (two of them twice), and am looking forward to at least four more. I got some very nice reviews. I've sold a few, promoted some, and generally kept busy. I am very much looking forward to having more contracts, new covers and releases to share with you throughout the end of 2011 and well into 2012.

If you want to see my complete WIP list, you can find it here.

And, that's a little update on where things are. I'll be in touch as things develop, I'm sure. :)

So Long, Jack

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.

- Hon Jack Layton (1950-2011)

I don't often talk about politics on this blog. This isn't a current affairs blog, and I tend towards the private with my political, spiritual or philosophical leanings - my authorial arena is public, while those things are personal. I don't even believe in being a card-carrying partisan.

However, when I'm talking about the recently passed Jack Layton, I'm not really talking about politics. Or, rather, I'm talking about something that goes a bit beyond, or above, politics.

I'm talking about the Jack spirit.

It's about optimism. It's about hope. It's about acting in an earnest and positive manner, without being fearful that people will scorn your sunshine. It's about daring to be a happy person.

Jack Layton was a fighter. He believed in what he did. But he wasn't nasty. He was determined.

I don't think many people could survive in public service for very long if they were total cynics, but Jack went so far beyond this that the only word to describe him is indomitable. Even when it became clear that he was not going to win his fight with cancer, he looked towards the future. He took the time to write a letter, urging other cancer patients to retain hope, urging young Canadians to keep their energy, urging all Canadians to believe there is a better Canada. Like his political-forefather Tommy Douglas, Jack reminded us, as he has always reminded us, that it's never too late to fight for a better world.

Jack Layton's smile, the subject of much public ribbing here in Canada, is his legacy. Disarming and friendly, it often led people to underestimate Jack - yet, he went on to drag the NDP from the "third party option" to the opposition, something that many didn't believe possible. Jack showed us one can go about one's work both cheerfully and intelligently, and maybe even better than those who mistake rudeness for savvy.

So, no - I'm not really talking about politics. My writing has always been about optimism. About how the kind and the cheerful are underestimated, and the power of positivity over negativity. How hope, an undervalued gift in a harsh world, does have the power to heal and bring about better things.

It's okay to declare yourself an optimist. Don't be embarrassed.

In my winter 2012 project, the hero is a small town Canadian politician, a boundlessly energetic and tireless champion for a better world. I've renamed him Jack. It's only a little romance, but it's the best tribute I can offer.

So, farewell, Jack. Thanks for everything - especially the reminder.

Words from a WIP:

“If you have a chance, take it,” her mother urged. “I know I took a lot of chances in my time, and more often than not, you hated me for it, but, honey, you gotta try. Nothing good is ever going to happen to you if you don’t.”

Libby swallowed the medicine her mother was offering. All this time, she had been concentrating on the fact that nothing bad would happen to her if she didn’t take any chances. She had never looked at it the other way around.

A little wisdom from my new novel, Textbook Romance - words to live by, there.

New Stories Galore!

I've been a busy little bee recently, which I hope should excuse me for the lackluster blogging of late.

So, what have I been doing?

First off, I'm now in draft four of my brand new full length contemporary romance, Textbook Romance, written originally for NaNo 2010. It's been through five betareaders, and I am busy preparing draft five, which will be the final draft before submitting it to a few choice companies. Sadly, this also involves a good deal of synopsis/cover letter composition, which is considerably less thrilling than fiction writing. Nevertheless, I feel okay about this one. Naturally, I will keep you posted.

Secondly, I am nearing completion on the rough draft of the Halloween installment in my five-story erotica series for Rebel Ink Press, You Never Know - a story about a no-nonsense man and a strange woman who claims she's a witch. So far, it's going well. All I can tell you for the moment is that it certainly starts out with a bang!

I already have the Thanksgiving installment in production. Charity is the story of a big city banker with a heart like an Excel spreadsheet who gets taught a thing or two about what really counts in life, by a farmer who sees more in her than her loan applications.

Finally, I have been brewing several more concoctions; a handful of short pieces that range from the unusual to the heartwarming. A dark-fantasy-erotic piece, in which an ex-boxer gets lured by the mob and an exotic dancer with a dangerous secret. An old fashioned romantic novella about the love of the land. And After Life, a paranormal romantic fantasy about a man trying to find redemption by helping his daughter mend her life from beyond the grave. I'm also cooking up a little romantic tale for next Valentines. And, let's not forget my NaNoWriMo 2011 entry - a paranormal-suspense blended with contemporary romance setting.

Now, coupled with my Real Life Day Job work, this is a lot. However, the ideas keep coming, and far be it from me to push them away. Blogging has sort of lost out in the competition for my time, I guess. Soon, however, I hope to have some guest appearances, some more "real posts," and some new trailers and other odds'n'ends. For now, take this update with an IOU.

So, here's to the rest of 2011, and forward-looking to a bright 2012, with, I hope, many more stories to come!

Question for You: What's on your WIP List?

A "WIP" is a Work in Progress. You see writers of all sorts all over the net fretting and/or crowing over their WIPs - second only to our children (and usually somewhat above our Day Jobs), the WIP is the centre of our world. We are only as good as our current/next WIP - because these will, hopefully, be our future releases.

Yesterday, I actually got around to updating my WIP list on my website. This occasionally falls by the wayside, since working on my WIPs takes up so much energy, I often don't have time to talk about them! WIP lists are useful, because they help an author keep their projects straight, and keeps them on track by publicly shaming us if we don't finish them. It is also a way to note for readers that you are still active and working, and there will be more to come.

So, what's on your WIP list? Care to share a link, or note a few important projects? Comment below, and let us know about your babies! 

Happy August Long Weekend!

I'm taking the long weekend Monday off from blogging, etc. Long weekend means no daycare, so all spare typing time must go to the new Halloween short I'm writing. (Set myself a mini-marathon challenge to finish the whole 10,000 words of it this long weekend. *fingers crossed*)

In the meantime, you can look at my new, updated WIP list here!

Have a great day off, everyone who is having one. 
Everyone else, I'm sorry - but do try to enjoy your Monday!

Excerpt Sunday: Strings Attached

This Sunday, I've got a re-tread of a bit from my latest release, Strings Attached, which I think I already posted here months ago, before editing.

Please check out the excerpt here, and take a look at the Kindle sample from that page, as well!

Strings Attached is available to reviewers in PDF. Please contact me if interested!

***

Coming up on this blog: A series of posts this week on my three deadliest writing sins, all of which I have been battling feircely as I tackle my current editing round on my newest novel while preparing it for test readers!

Where Am I? Where Am I Going?

Run Down:

It's been a month of ups and downs in the Kindle business in the eight months since my first release last October, and recently my books have had some movement both up and down. I admit, I don't really understand the sales stats and such on Amazon, but these are the things that seem clear when I look at all of the sales and buzz info I have at hand:

• Unwrapping Scrooge had a strange off-season resurgence this month, including a boost in sales and some increased interest from reviewers. I plan on trying to make the most of that, to get a momentum going, and see if it can translate into a new marketing campaign for the book starting in October/November leading into the Christmas season.
• Waking Kara remains a consistent seller, especially through Amazon.com, even without any marketing or promotions behind it. This solid little number sells about 10 copies a month, on average, and has reached the 100 copies sold mark, according to my calculations. Now, I know that doesn't sound like much, but given the lack of promotion, that is not bad. Plan: Let's see if that can do a bit better.
• V-Day has recently made its first showing on the Kindle ranks stats, which is nice to see - I like this book, so I need to work on promoting it better. Due to other obligations at the time, I ignored it way too much when it was released - now the plan is to bring some attention to it, and get a review or two.
• Good for the Goose has seen some very moderate ups and downs, but remains fairly low. I have improved the sales profile of it by highlighting the reviews it got last December, in the hopes of reviving it for the Christmas season. Perhaps the idea for a "Christmas in July" blogging blitz might help a bit.
• Sadly, Strings Attached has failed to sell or to attract reviews. I continue to plod ahead, focusing on posting about it at ebook blogs and submitting it to reviewers. It has been out less than a month, so I have not yet given up on it.

Up till now, I have not spent a single dime on marketing or promo. Unfortunately, I am not really in a position to do so now. However, if some of my plans come through, it might be time to resort to paid promotional activities in the fall. I refuse to become a gambling junkie about it, dumping good money after bad into useless ads in the hopes of striking the jackpot. Nevertheless, a few well-placed ads and spotlights might be helpful, if placed strategically and designed well. We shall see.

~*~

Looking Ahead:

What is bugging me the most at the moment, however, is not my low sales, but the fact that I have no new releases planned in the foreseeable future. This is not good.

My next task is to complete the renovations of my 2010 NaNo project and find it a solid home, so it can see daylight. Then, of course, the marketing and promo will start all over again, and I hope it will have a solid landing strip already laid by my first five available works.

Along side that, I must keep chugging along on my new fiction project, which is proving to be a challenge but an exciting one - I will share details soonish, I promise. Today, I spent four hours writing on it, and I feel like a million bucks!

Constantly pushing finished product is not healthy. If I am not producing, I am merely a former writer, and not a writer in the present. Stats and sales are great - but nothing beats looking forward to a new release!

So, that is the state of the union at the moment.

More details as they come...

Excerpt Sunday: NaNo Project 2010 in Editing...

It feels good to be posting excerpts again!

Here is a short chapter from my contemporary romance novel currently being edited for submission. It doesn't have a definite title yet - so, if you have suggestions, let me know.

The premise is Libby, a single mom who has been burned by romance to the point of rejecting the possibility of lasting love, is in the odd position of writing romances by night, while, by day, she is a university professor who does research debunking the social construction of "love." Against her will, she meets a man, Seth - an ex-cop taking one of her classes - who is determined to change her mind. Unfortunately, Seth has troubles of his own, including a spoiled teenaged daughter who he's raised alone and who is nearly driving him to drink, and an ex-wife from hell.

Please, remember this is rough and not full edited.

Enjoy!

Sitting up in bed, Seth was trying to read The Bell Jar, but the young girl angst of it was rather lost on him, and he found himself re-reading the same sections over and over again as his mind wandered to the day. It had been nice to see Libby and Charlie, but he wouldn’t blame her if she chose to run for the hills in the wake of Kelsey’s behaviour. Something had to break there.

Turning back a page, and trying unsuccessfully to force himself to comprehend the words, he was almost grateful when his cell phone rang. He fished it out of his jeans, which lay in a heap beside his bed, and flipped it open.

“Seth?” He recognized Jami’s ashy voice immediately, and sighed involuntarily. It was a funny thing, having an ex and a child – most people get to leave their ex and not talk to them again, but when you share a child, you are never able to truly get away from that person. But, no matter how many times they had talked about Kelsey since their breakup, he never really got used to hearing from her, and almost always felt like he was holding his breath until it was over.

“Hi Jami,” he muttered, snapping his little hardcover book shut with a bit more force than needed and tossing it to the foot of the bed. “Everything okay?”

“I just got off the phone with Kelsey.”

“I’m not surprised,” he sighed again.

“She said you guys were fighting,” Jami accused him. “She was crying.”

“We weren’t fighting. We were disagreeing.”

“Not the way she tells it!” Jami snapped at him. “She says you brought a woman home.”

“Oh yeah,” Seth said. “I had a few strippers in.”

“This isn’t funny,” Jami said in a warning tone.

“How many men have you had since you left?” Seth said, wondering why he was the only one they all expected to live in total celibacy.

“That’s not the point,” Jami replied, her tone dripping with condescension.

“No, I guess it isn’t, since Kelsey has been living with me for the past six years,” Seth shot back.

“Seth!”

“I know,” he relented. “Low blow, I know.”

“Kelsey doesn’t like it when you parade your women in front of her, and she says you know that.”

“Jami,” Seth said in a reasonable tone, “I have dated a total of three women in the past six years, and none of those I brought home – Kelsey demanded I break those off by remote, and, since I wasn’t all that attached, I gave in. This one woman I invited to lunch, with her son, because she’s... special to me. I would hardly call that parading anything in front of Kelsey. And this time,” he added, “I will not be just letting her have her way.”

“So you don’t care that Kelsey is feeling very vulnerable right now about losing her father?”

“I am her father,” Seth said, controlling his temper, “and that will never change. She is not threatened by my love life. No more than she is by yours, right?”

Jami huffed, but did not argue.

“I have let Kelsey run things all along,” he said, “but no more. Not this time.”

“Then let her move in here,” Jami answered casually.

“Ah,” Seth said, almost feeling like chuckling. “So now we get to the root of all this indignation.”

“I have the right to have her with me, Seth,” Jami argued.

“Why now?” he asked. “Why after all this time do you want her now?”

“Ken wants us to be a real family.”

“Jami,” he warned, “if you want to win me over, saying your new boyfriend has an odd desire for our teenaged daughter to move in there is not the way to do it.”

“You’re sick,” she snapped. “All you cops, you have sick minds, and think everyone is the same.”

“If by “sick” you mean “cautious,” then fine – guilty as charged,” he shrugged. “But I am not rushing into this. Better to have everyone crying at me than to be sorry for it later.”

“You can’t keep us a part forever,” Jami warned. “And she’ll end up hating you.”

Seth closed his eyes a moment, wondering what everyone wanted from him. He was the one that stayed, but it was him, and not her mother, that Kelsey fought and accused. He tried to sit aside this bitterness to focus on the conversation.

“I need to meet this Ken,” Seth said. “I told you that before. If you keep stalling on that, I will never consent on Kelsey living there.”

“Do I get to grill your new lady friend to see if she’s safe for Kelsey, too?” his ex sassed at him like a child taunting an unwelcome authority figure.

“If you feel the need,” Seth said, evenly, calmly nailing the point home. “But be warned, you can’t hold a candle to her.”

“Why? Because she was trapped in some meaningless university while some of us were leading real lives?” she spat back.

“No,” Seth said in a voice that was soft but pinned with iron. “Mostly because when things got rough for her, she never questioned her loyalty to her child.”

“You can’t keep Kelsey away from me, no matter how much you and your new little rich bitch want to punish me,” Jami hissed as she poured her venom into the phone and slammed it down.

Shaking his head, he wondered what he had ever seen in his ex, who now seemed vulgar and shallow to him. Seth switched off the lamp and snapped his phone shut, and rested against the head board. No longer able to even pretend to read, he stared into the darkness of the room he had never shared with a woman and felt the loneliness of nighttime sink into his bones. How he ached to be able to turn to Libby in that bed and seek comfort in her arms. Instead, he sat there, alone, and miserable, wondering again what everyone wanted from him.

Sliding a finger against the smooth dark wine colored plastic of his cell, he flipped it open again and hit an auto-number.

“Hi there,” Libby’s voice came over the wires like a cup of warm milk. “What’s up?”

“Nothing,” he said, kicking his legs under the covers, and sliding down on the pillow. “Trying to read The Bell Jar, but I gave up. You?”

“Trying to write a lecture on The Bell Jar, and refusing to give up,” she answered with a chuckle.

“Thanks for coming over today,” Seth said in a near whisper. “I like seeing you.”

“I like seeing you, too,” she admitted softly, and, for a moment, they held an intimacy of their voices, and Seth rested his head in the dark room and pretended she spoke to him from the empty pillow beside him.

“I miss you,” he whispered.

They sat in silence a moment, and he thought he could hear her faint breath, and a wonderful drowsiness filled him.

“So,” he smiled, “what are you wearing?”

She laughed in surprise at his cheekiness. “Uh uh,” she said, “no premarital phone sex for me.”

“Okay,” he said without batting an eye. “Marry me, and then I’ll call you.”

“Be careful joking about that,” she laughed, “or some girl might take you up on it.”

“I can only hope,” he said with a yawn.

“I hope you can sleep,” she said softly.

“I know I’ll have sweet dreams when I do,” he promised, thinking of their hungry kisses from the afternoon.

“I hope so,” she said, almost in a purr that went straight to his nervous system and sent tingles through him. “Good night, Seth.”

“Night, Libby,” he whispered, and longed to kiss her good night.

Closing his phone again, feeling instantly better from his encounter with Jami, he sat the cell on the empty pillow beside him and looked at in the moonlight streaming in through the window.

And he slept, almost as if he was no longer alone.

What's Up in Anne's World?

So, yes, these past four or five weeks, I admit the daily blog thing hasn't been happening. This term, I am teaching two courses, with a total of 160 students, so my time is tight - mixed with my actual writing, my son, my academic and freelance writing, several flus/colds, and general life stuff. Blogging seemed to be a low-maintenance victim to the need to sleep occasionally. I have some hope of things evening out now that a few projects have been beaten into submission, but there's always another project, right?

I very briefly considered getting out of blogging altogether - and, indeed, out of writing fiction for publication, since it (along with the required hours of promotion and networking) seemed to be a full time job in itself, which would make it my third full time gig.

However, I am still around. Actually, I have been fairly productive, just perhaps not in ways that are readily visible at the moment.

So, I would like to share with you some nice news - I have another release coming very soon; a Valentine's Day erotic-romance short, with heavy doses of comedy, called V-Day, which will be released by Wicked Nights on February 11! The cover looks pretty great (see above), and I have to give lots of kudos to the brave folks at Wicked for accepting a book that is... well... Non-traditional is one way to describe it. You'll see when you read it. It's not your common erotic-romance.

V-Day is told through the eyes of a lovesick young man, Daniel, who spends his life in pursuit of musical excellence, hemmed in by his nutty family, who could all use a bit of a break from each other. V-Day is the story of a Valentine's Day weekend he will never, ever forget, where he becomes decidedly un-Daniellike. And it all starts with an impromptu performance of one of my favourite pieces, Beethoven's Romance No 2 in F Major.

Even if I do say so myself, that scene is particularly sweet.

In other news, my novel, Strings Attached (Wild Horse Press) is still planned for release in May 2011, which is fast approaching, at long last - edits and such will continue, and I really hope you like it. Soon, I hope to have another full length ready to submit. And, with V-Day, I am continuing on my planned five story holiday themed series for Wicked, and am already formulating something really grand for St Patrick's Day.

I am also gearing up for some major website revamping over the next little while in anticipation of promoting my full length, so I will be sharing some news about that as the next month or so rolls along.

I also got a few good reviews recently, which really made my day, and I look forward to getting my work out there a bit more, and will really try to do some more guest blogging very soon. Unwrapping Scrooge (Decadent Publishing) got three cups from Coffee Time Romance, and reviewer Patrizia Murray at Manic Readers gave Good for the Goose 4.5 stars out of 5, calling the sexual buildup "mesmerizing" (which I think may be the nicest compliment my writing ever received). These were great boosts for me, and weighed positively in my decision to stay in the ring a bit longer.

As long as people are enjoying my writing, I am glad to keep doing it.

Anyway, so that is what's up around here. My son and I are starting to defeat the random colds and flus, and things are getting back on track. I am so grateful to all the authors who have visited the blog and kept it alive during my radio silence, and I hope you enjoyed meeting some writers, and continue to discover some new favourites through their posts on this blog.

I hope all is well out there, and please stay tuned for more from me as the weeks progress - including new excerpts, trailers and news!

Hugs and kisses,
Anne

A Preview of 2011

2010 was a pretty great year, with three shorts released and a full length excepted. The New Year brought a lot more work in other areas of my life, but writing is still in the works. So, what's up for me this year, writing-wise?

Holiday Shorts Series for Wicked Nights: Following up on my Christmas erotic romance, Good for the Goose, I hope to add four more sweet and spicy shorts to this collection, hitting Valentine's Day, St Patrick's Day, Halloween and Thanksgiving. My February one is in draft form now - a shy young man with unexpected romantic depths shares an unforgettable V'Day with the girl next door.

Fall 2010's Full Length: This contemporary romance, which was written in rough during NaNo, is the passionate, and at times awkward, story about a determined anti-romance single mom who unwillingly falls for an almost-too-goof-to-be-true single dad. Between her job and his teen daughter, the course of true love is not only not smooth but seems to lead right up the wall. (But, between you and me, I think they'll make it.) This manuscript is in editing right now, and will soon be ready for a beta reader. I have a publisher in mind, so I hope to submit it by spring. Your guess is as good as mine as far as release date, but I will certainly keep you posted.

Winter 2011's Full Length: This is a paranormal/contemporary romance - a school psychologist may have to come clean about her family's well-guarded secrets in order to help a young girl with a troubling stalker. One her stubborn and broken father doesn't even want to acknowledge. This book has been outlined and is in the process of a rough draft.

I also have a novella planned for Spring 2011, and full lengths for Summer 2011 and Fall 2011 (my next NaNo work!), but don't expect them released any time soon - except maybe the novella.

And, of course, my full length contemporary romance, Strings Attached, will be released in May 2011 from Wild Horse Press!

Stay tuned for the results of these efforts, as well as snippets from them as they roll out of my brain.

I hope to continue making love stories you will love!

Excerpt Sunday: Something More from the NaNo Novel

Here's a something a little fresh for you - from the rough draft of my still-untitled NaNo novel, in which Libby, a single mother up for tenure at her university, must deal with her growing affections for Seth, an ex-cop mature student who won't take no for an answer. Enjoy!

“Mom, what makes them different colours?”

“Hmm?” Libby asked Charlie distractedly as she looked for a bag of bean sprouts that looked fresh enough to survive the ride home, at least. Grocery shopping was not exactly her favourite activity, but she had to admit it was a lot more fun with an adequate bank account and a car to ferry it all home in. She took the job of food finding seriously in a way that only people who had once been destitute do.

“These,” Charlie said, holding up the bag of bell peppers from the cart. “What makes them different colours?”

“Well…” Libby smiled; she loved how Charlie asked about everything. But, just as she was about to answer, she spotted an unwelcome disruption to her brain waves – there was Seth, in all his all-too-handsome glory, picking out bread. Resisting the urge to duck behind the cart in some sort of ridiculous Meg Ryan-esque move of romantic comedy slapstick, she instead spun her back to the man and pretended to concentrate a little too much on the jugs of organic apple juice.

“Don’t you know?” Charlie asked, puzzled by her odd behaviour.

“What?” Libby asked, absently, trying to slow her heart rate, and feeling like a silly ninth grader. “Um, yeah… They are different colours, because they are different varieties of peppers. They are all bell peppers, but some come from red pepper seeds, and some from yellow, and so on.”

“Ahhh,” Charlie said. “Like cats?”

Libby chuckled at the interesting paths her son’s mind took. “Yes, sort of.”

“Like, white mommy cats have white baby cats, right?”

“I guess,” she said, suddenly a little alarmed at the new direction of the conversation into procreation. She had slowly eased Charlie into the biology of reproduction, but she wasn’t sure the FoodMAX vegetable aisle was the place to continue the chat.

“But what if the mommy is white, but the daddy cat was black – doesn’t he have a say in it?” Charlie’s little brow puckered.

“Then you get Dalmatian cats, maybe,” a deep voice from behind her answered.

Charlie laughed, “No – Dalmatians are dogs, silly.”

Libby almost corrected Charlie’s too-familiar reply to a strange adult, but Seth stepped in easily, “Yeah, you’re right, I think. I was never good at the breed types,” he admitted. “We only ever had mutts.”

“Like me!” Charlie smiled, pleased that he understood what Seth was saying. “I’m part Irish, part Scottish, part English, part Italian and part “mutt.” That’s what grandma says her daddy was.”

“That’s the best way to be,” Seth said, smiling down at the boy. “Mutts live longer, I’m told.”

“Grandma also said I was a bastard,” Charlie said confidentially, “when she thought I wasn’t listening… Is that a good thing, too?”

Libby gasped in horror, but Seth seemed to be struggling to keep a straight face at the surprizing revelation.

“Charlie,” Libby intervened, “grandma should not have said that. It’s not a nice word.”

Charlie looked up, concerned. “Why would grandma call me something that isn’t nice?”

Realizing she had stepped into a topic that was actually much worse than the birds and the bees, she put a hand on Charlie’s thin shoulder and crouched in front of him. “It doesn’t mean you’re bad, or that grandma doesn’t think you’re not nice, so don’t worry. It’s just an old fashioned word for someone whose parents weren’t married. But some people don’t like the word, so it’s likely not good to use in mixed company, so you don’t hurt anyone’s feelings.”

“Ah!” Charlie said, letting the meaning sink in. “Like, when I said that man was a hobo, and you said that wasn’t a nice word for someone who didn’t have a house to live in?”

“Exactly, Charlie,” Libby said, pleased she had averted disaster. “You didn’t mean anything bad towards that man, did you?” At Charlie’s emphatic shake of his head, she mentally blessed his sweet little heart. “Of course not – you just used a word that some people might not like, but you didn’t mean any harm. That’s what grandma did when you overheard her.”

When Charlie nodded and seemed to be at peace with the topic, Libby stood and let out a breath of relief. Seth caught her eye and winked, and they shared a silent “man, parenting is tough some times” moment of sympathy between them.

“What’s next on the list?” Charlie asked.

“We need a big bag of oranges,” Libby said, spotting a huge display of them not too far away. “Can you find those?”

“I sure can!” Charlie, who was always eager to help, shot off to carefully select his bag of oranges.

“Wow,” Seth said. “You’re good.”

Libby laughed. “Not always, but, luckily, he’s pretty easy-going. Too smart for me sometimes, though.”

They chuckled together for a moment, and then went silent.

“So,” he said quietly, “I take it your mom doesn’t approve of some things, huh?”

“Well, she’s…” Libby thought of a way to phrase what she was about to say. “Let’s just say she’s not always the most understanding person.” Libby tossed her bag of sprouts into the cart. “I could spit nails that Charlie heard her talk that way, though.”

Seth bumped her shoulder with his in sympathy and watched Charlie peeking into the mesh bags of oranges. “He seems like a great kid.”

“He really is,” Libby agreed, fondly.

“You’ve done a good job, Libby,” Seth said, looking at her face fondly. “You amaze me.”

Clearing her throat at his compliment, Libby bowed her head to check her list.

“Man, when I became a single parent to Kelsey,” he said, “I was flat out exhausted all the time and anxious about everything… And she was eight! I can’t imagine doing it alone from infancy.”

“Well,” Libby shrugged, “I also wasn’t running after crooks all day.”

“True,” Seth laughed. “That does tend to wear a person out.”

“So, how is Kelsey doing?” Libby asked.

“She’s good,” Seth said, but waggled his head in a “so-so” motion. “You know – she’s fourteen.”

“Oh yes,” Libby said. “I know how that can go. Girls are not always at their best at that age, I admit.”

“Is anyone?” Seth laughed in agreement. “She’s dead set on moving in with her mom, but…”

“You’re just not sure?”

“Not at all,” Seth slumped his shoulders. “I wish I could be, so I wouldn’t be the bad guy, but… I just don’t trust this new guy Jami’s with at the moment. Some of my pals back in Cincy were iffy on his record – mostly DUIs and some pot stuff. Not enough to flat out refuse, I guess, but not really a pillar of society.”

“But no domestic stuff or sex crimes,” Libby offered, trying to soften the decision for him.

“No, thank God, none of that – though, in a way, that would make no a lot easier,” he shoved frustrated fingers through his short hair and continued to watch Charlie without really focusing on him.

“Hey!” he said, suddenly. “Do you guys want to come by for lunch?”

“When…?” Libby asked, cautiously.

“Well, today, after groceries,” he said. “If you’ve got anything that needs the freezer, you can just park them in our fridge until you’re ready to go. You can just follow me back to my place…” He started to sense her hesitation, and added, “Unless you’ve got plans or something…”

“Well,” she started to waffle. “The committee still hasn’t made its tenure decision,” she reminded him.

“Yeah, but we’re hardly up to anything naughty with the kids and my nosey mom around,” he countered.

“Very, very true,” Libby laughed. “I just don’t know if it’s a good idea to bring men around Charlie…” she confessed. Seth looked a little stung, and she hastened to add,

“Not because I worry about him being safe around you or anything… Just… He’s really into daddies these days, and I don’t want him jumping to any conclusions and getting his feelings hurt. I hope you understand…”

Seth nodded slowly. “I do…” he said reasonably. “It’s likely smart of you.” After a moment, he added, “Has that come up often for you?”

“No,” she answered quickly. “No, this is the first time I’ve had to consider the problem.”

“So, maybe we could ease in and see how lunch went, and if you see anything that concerns you, we won’t repeat it,” Seth suggested. “It’s just lunch with friends, right? Just because I am a guy…”

“Oh dear,” Libby exclaimed. “Are you playing the gender discrimination card?”

“I’m not above that, no,” Seth laughed, his even white teeth and dimple adding an aura of mirth to his face that she loved to see. “So, what do you say, mom?”

“Well, at least you asked me in private,” she started to relent. “A real manipulator would have put me on the spot in front of Charlie to win his point.”

“I’ll remember that for next time,” Seth joked.

“Don’t you dare,” she warned in mock severity.

“We’ll have chowder and sandwiches, I think,” Seth tempted. “I’m cooking, and that is something not to be missed.”

“Well, if you are putting it that way,” Libby shrugged, “it would be rude to say no. We graciously accept.”

“Great!” Seth said with genuine pleasure. “I’d really like you to meet my mom and Kelsey… But, you know, try to remember she’s…”

“Fourteen?” Libby supplied with a smile of understanding.

“Yeah.”

“Don’t worry,” Libby said honestly. “I will cut her oodles of slack, if you cut me a lot of slack, as well.”

“For what?”

“I never met a boy’s mother before,” she grinned.

“Hey,” he said, smoothly, “I’m just an old fashioned guy. Gotta meet the folks before I propose, right?”

Libby knew he was joking, but her heart nearly jumped out of her throat and skittered across the checker board tiles of the grocery store.

But then Charlie was before her, so she tried to act casual as she relayed their lunch plans to the boy, who was excited to spend more time with any adult male, a rare thing for him.

And, as they paid for their groceries, Libby was somewhat happy for her son… But very worried for herself.

NaNo Post Mortem

Well, I finished my NaNo 50k in good time. I'm at about 59k. The book still isn't quite finished, but I am taking a breather before I finish it off. And, of course, there will be editing to do. I hope it will be ready for submission in January!

I liked NaNo, overall. I didn't find it too difficult, as I usually write 1-2k a day, anyway. The only stress came in having to do it daily, even when I wasn't feeling it. But, I guess, therein also lies the good part about NaNo. No laziness!

Congrats to all the winners, and better luck next time to those who didn't quite make this year. But, even if you just thought about NaNo, you are still one step closer to having your novel, right?

Goodbye, NaNo - Maybe I will see you again next year!

The State of Things

I've been thinking about my WIPs schedule... I think I have decided to put the Valentine's Short I wanted to do this week on hold.

A major reason is that my schedule is kind of tight (that short at 7-12k, then a free short for my website at 2-4k, along with some academic stuff I have to, plus all my "real life" stuff, etc).

But most of all, I am feeling kind of tired of writing - since mid-Sept, I have produced a short paranormal erotic (9k), a short holiday romance (12k) and a short Xmas erotic (12k) - one of which is released, one soon be released and the other currently under consideration... I have also finished one short magazine article, and a rough draft of an academic chapter.

I feel like maybe my squid is out of ink for now and I might want to take a couple weeks off.

I am not the type to admit defeat, but I think I might on this one, and just reschedule things a bit. Three shorts and a full length this one term, I don't want to chuck in a super-short and a V'Day short and get all stale and lose the fun of writing. Not to mention ruin the quality!

The only thing that makes me hesitate on setting the Valentines short aside is that I was hoping to submit it for an anthology, and the deadline is looming. However, perhaps I could just publish it as a single short somewhere around January if I have to take a miss on the anthology.

The 2-4k free short is not a big burden, so I will do that, and I do want/need to do the academic piece... but I ask myself, why take on the Valentine's Day short right now? Do I need it? Perhaps I have been prolific enough for the time being. I don't have to throw it away entirely, but maybe save it until after my full length is written in November (poss for NaNoWriMo).

So, I think I might put it off until December, after WriMo, during the editing phase. My schedule now is finishing the academic chapter and the free read in October, do the full-length in November, and the V'Day short in December while I edit my NaNo project. I think that seems a bit more doable.

All I know is, if I over-reach too far, the writing might go blah... then what is the point?

Thanks for listening to me think out loud, folks.