To NaNo or Not to NaNo?

NaNoWriMo starts in just about 15 days, give or take, but I am still undecided. I have at four three ideas for projects I could do, if I really felt like it, but... Do I feel like it?

The issue is, I'm becoming a little less RAWR, I think. I mean, I've written things, and they've been published. I did NaNo. Twice. That mountain, she has been climbed. So, do I feel like climbing it again?

In case you don't know what I'm talking about, NaNoWriMo is "National Novel Writing Month," during which writers attempt to write a novel (50k) in one month (November). It's a challenge, and can be quite fun - all that guerrilla-style marathon writing, which forces you to lose a lot of your inhibitions. It can also be quite productive. My latest novel, Textbook Romance, was my NaNo project in 2010, so that was time fairly well spent.

Yet, there are a number of other things I could (should?) be doing this winter, including preparing for my monster teaching term starting in January. Plus, I might not be in a place where I have the same motivation and clear mental direction to enjoy it. I say enjoy it, because ten to one, I'm stubborn enough that if I sign up for it, I will do it. That's just how I roll - and another reason I shouldn't start it unless I really want to.

So, we'll see. I have a few more days to think about it. Nevertheless, I hope to have some NaNo-related guests in November, whether I take the jump or not, and I salute the participants!

Doing the Promo Rounds

Good heavens, folks - never write more holiday books than you handle marketing. Trust me on this! I'm just about dead trying to sell these things. Unwrapping Scrooge hit a good level of sales after the ARe mention, but the others still never took off. I guess my plans of focusing on the cheapest in the hopes of rising the other boats was ineffective. Oh well, live and learn - there's always next year.

If you want to check out all the millions of guest spots I've been doing, look here. A couple of those giveaways are still ongoing, so enter for a chance to win at WC and 30 Days of Decadence. I'll be at LASR and RomFan Reviews for giveaways next week.

So, the Christmas books are rolling to an end, and soon we'll be hailing the New Year, so now I better move on to the New Years book, Bubbly - why I did this to myself, I do not know!

However, it has been wonderful meeting all the new people I've been getting to know through all this promo, so - sales or no sales - no regrets. It's true - there is always next year, which is right around the corner!

Happy holidays!

PS - Like Magic and Charity are up for Best Cover and Best First Chapter for Nov on D. Bagby Presents, so if you care to, please check out the entries and vote! (The Halloween book also recently got a very nice review I'm very proud of, which you can find here, if you wish.)

In Praise of “Wounded Hero” Romance

A Guest Post by Ruth Madison, author of (W)hole.

Why do we read romance novels? It’s a huge market and yet not many people admit to reading them. They are a guilty pleasure. I think because we’re afraid people will think we’re dumb or naive for enjoying the unrealistic and overly romantic notions of love in these books. Yet even the most grounded of us seem to get something deeply satisfying from sappy stories of true love and people finding the perfect partner for them.

These books are pure fantasy. They are what we wish love would be and I know I’m always embarrassed to be caught reading them, fearing that people will think I’m “simple” enough to believe that this is how love works.

Yet reading about people falling in love and being happy satisfies a very deep part of our psyches. Some of the joy of the experience is reading about men that we would find powerfully attractive in real life. We can imagine ourselves as the heroine in the story and can feel that love we want when we see the characters getting closer.

There are legions of different romance genre niches because there are so many different kinds of men that we all find attractive. There are some things that are so nearly universal that we don’t think about it. Historical romances with their gentlemanly, charming, aloof heroes. Western romances with their tough cowboys who are hiding vulnerable hearts. Contemporary romances with their slick business men. These archetypes call to something inside of us and being connected to the heroine who tames these men feels great.

Some of us have unusual attractions, though. What happens when your ideal man, the one that you want to read about finding love, is not physically appealing to the majority of women? We might get dismissed and looked down upon as deviants or fetishists when we enjoy wounded hero romance.

People will get very defensive if caught reading books with heroes who have physical disabilities. They will justify it in all sorts of ways, always making sure to claim that it is not a fetish thing. Well, for me it is. I know why I like these so-called “imperfect” heroes (who, in my opinion are absolutely perfect). They are the men of my fantasies. I will proudly say that I read and I write romances about men who are physically disabled.

Is it because I have the desire to have power over men? Is it because I’m afraid of men and want to dominate and control them? No. There are other romance genres for that. I’m interested in strong men who are dealing with the unique challenges of disability. They have to examine and think about how they define themselves as men, since the world wants to desexualize them and tell them that they are less manly because of their impairments. I enjoy seeing men fight back against that stereotype.

Not all people who enjoy these books are like me. Some may also enjoy these romances just to see a different kind of hero. The term “imperfect” hero came about, I believe, because some people were tired of reading about men who were completely and utterly perfect in every way with no vulnerability, no flaws, no humanity. The muscled guy who went to Harvard and was on the rowing team and now makes billions of dollars and still has perfect abs is not my kind of hero.

However, there are sensitive issues that writing about people who have disabilities brings up and how can I, as an author, stay sensitive to them? Am I just stereotyping them in a different way? Am I using someone’s real life struggles for my own pleasure? Is making the people I am attracted to into romance heroes a disservice to them?

No one seems to worry about the feelings of the men stereotyped in other genre romances. We read books with naked male torsos on the cover where you can’t even see the faces of these men. No one says that we’re being insensitive to these men. What makes disability different?

Part of it is that with disability there is the sense that these people need protecting. They need to be saved from being the fantasy of people like me. This is a way that non-disabled people infantilize adults who have disabilities. But there’s also a very real reason wounded hero romance is different.

In real life the traditionally attractive guy doesn’t have negative experiences connected with that. He is pretty much on top of the world. Disability brings a lot of other social issues with it connected to being a marginalized group.

The important thing, to me, is that the authors who write wounded hero romance books must be well versed in disability issues and civil rights. They must study and research and know the dangers of how people with disabilities are often portrayed badly by non-disabled writers. As an author of wounded hero romance, I have a responsibility to portray the disabled characters in ways that will not harm the overall fight for equal rights that people who have physical disabilities are currently fighting in real life.

So, I say, let’s enjoy our fantasies and never be ashamed of what kind of guys we find appealing, but also remember that the men we dream about have real lives and deserve our respect both in life and on the page.

Please visit Ruth at her website.

Feedback Needed: Him for the Holidays?

As my series for Rebel Ink Press starts to wind down, with three released and two more waiting in the wings, it's time to start thinking of them as a series, including promoting them as a group and coming up with a title for the paperback release in 2012. *squee*

This "series" isn't a series in the traditional sense - they don't have the same characters or the same setting. In some cases, their styles and subgenres are even different, though they are all short erotic-romances (or romantic-erotica). One is semi-paranormal, one is comedy, one is cowboy, a couple have May/December themes, and one is glam.

What connects them is that they all take place around a holiday, and all of them have mismatched couples, combining types of people who normally wouldn't have found each other - a cowboy and a city slicker, a jock and a virginal musician, a prof and a grad student, a bartender and a socialite, and a yuppie and a hippie-witch. All of them have heroes that I adore.

In thinking about titles, one of my rough attempts has kind of grown on me, which emphasizes the lovable heroes and the gift of finding love:

Him for the Holidays

So... What do you think? Catchy? Trite? Overdone? Predictable? Cute? Annoying?

I'm totally open to hearing your reactions, criticism, or other suggestions. I'd like to settle on one quite soon so I can start thinking of them as a group.

Thanks in advance!
AH

Summaries, Taglines and Blurbs, Oh My!

I hate writing "blurbs" (I even hate that word), and taglines are deceptively easy looking, but end up being a pain in the arse. How do you write a few lines (or as few as 12 words) to encompass the whole of the work - and be attractive enough to make people examine your book closer?

Now, I have started the habit of making the blurb and the tagline right after I've written the book/story (sometimes during or even before), and fine-tuning it during editing. Because if you wait to do it months later - it's a pain in the butt to recapture that spirit.

Sometimes, doing blurbs and taglines feels embarrassing. You hear the movie-trailer-voice-guy in your head, and it seems so cheesy. If that happens, you might be taking the thing a little too far.

For taglines (important for ads and quick-mentions), you need something catchy, but clear and concise, and something that will key into the main conflicts/themes.

For Strings Attached, I decided on this tagline:

Josie has always brought home strays. Only, this time the stray is an unwilling Australian.

The line is short, and, for romance readers, it has several big hints to the plot: Do-gooder woman and grouchy Australian (and Australian men are always sexy, even if grouchy) who resists her. It has a light-hearted, fuzzy feel to it. It also refers to home, a key theme in the book, and to stray dogs, which is a major symbol. It also eludes to the lonely rootlessness of Theo (the Australian), establishes Josie as the main character (being the one named), and informs the reader the book takes place on her turf. And, I hope, it gives the potential reader an interest in knowing more.

It also ties in to the "back cover" blurb for the book:

“You want to heal me, like one of your stray dogs...” 

When Canadian rancher Josie Sergeant gets a call from her brother announcing his impetuous decision to marry, she has her reservations. But, when her brother’s would-be brother-in-law swoops in from Australia to stop the wedding, Josie has no choice but to defend the family. 

Theo Sabich is bull-headed and dangerously sexy, but also damaged beyond repair… or so he thinks. He enjoys getting on Josie’s nerves, but when he finds her getting under his skin he must decide - face his demons and grab this last chance for happiness or bury himself in his lonely Outback ranch once and for all. 

Under the northern lights, their attraction ignites beyond their control, and Josie finds that a one-time “no strings attached” release of passion is easier said than done when love is hanging by a thread. 

But how will they bridge the difference between two worlds, let alone conquer the wounds of the past and find the courage to live again?

So, I guess I'm learning how to do them, but that doesn't make me like them any more than I did. However, doing blurbs and taglines, and summaries/synopsis, is just something you will always have to do as long as you publish - especially if you're self-publishing or with a small press. There are many forums out there where you can get advice from other writers on your blurbs, which can save you the costs of seeking professional help, but whichever way you go, it pays to have solid ways to explain your book to potential readers, publishers and reviewers.

Good luck!

University Romance

Most of us in the romance world, readers and writers, are used to the contemporary subgenre "Small Town Romance." Other specific tropes include, "Military Romance," "Alphamale Romance," "Secret Baby," "Urban Romance," "Western Romance," etc. These are sort of categories within the subgenre of contemporary romance. These little labels or handles act as little clues to savvy readers as to what they might expect from the story - certain character types, plots or settings, for example, or a particular "feeling" to the book.

Small Town Romances, for instance, will likely be contemporary romances set in a small town, involving regular people with jobs and normal lives, often with kids and money troubles (vastly different from categories like "Billionaire Mistress" romances). The pace is often slower, cozier, with some sensuality and a lot of heart.

The novel I completed for NaNoWri 2010, currently entitled Textbook Romance, could qualify as a "Small Town Romance," since it technically takes place in a small town in Ohio. But that doesn't really describe it. It's more of what I am now thinking of "University Romance." (I would call it "Campus Romance," but that seems to imply YA or naughty co-eds in my mind.)

In Textbook Romance, a professor who is up for tenure accidentally falls for one of her mature students, which is not only a professional faux pas, but is made even more awkward for her by the fact that her academic rep has been all about revealing how the downfall of society stems from notions of "romance."

The book is largely defined by its university setting; it takes place within that environment, involves stock characters from that world, and much of the conflict comes from the academic profession. That is not to say it is inaccessible to non-academics, I think. Much of the career-related angst is relate-able to many trades (i.e., getting a promotion, impressing the bosses, holding on to your image), and everything is simplified and/or explained as needed. Being a teacher at a university, myself, I inhabit this world in my real life, so this allows me to translate this to the page without much stress.

However, since this isn't a "big category," as readily recognizable as "Christmas Romance," or "Single Father," I'm concerned how well it will be received by acquisition editors. As the book does its rounds to the publishers, I am crossing my fingers, but I know it might be a bit of a long-shot. Perhaps readers don't want to think about profs getting it on? But, maybe they do.

Could this be my new niche category? Probably not. I can't see it becoming the next big thing, and I'm not sure I'd want to do it over and over. However, it was great to write about "my world," and bring my two intellectual loves (romance and academics) together in the same book. Contrary to popular misconceptions, there are a lot of academic types who enjoy romance.

It's about time that the Ivory Tower gets a little red roses and violin, too, right?

The Business/Busyness of Submissions

These past few weeks, I have been terribly scattered. Busy, to say the least, but awfully scattered. Mostly, this has been due to Submissions. I have finally submitted my newest full length romance to a publisher. Will they accept it? I don't know. But it feels good to have it off my chest.

To recap, this is the book's history in brief:

• Written during NaNoWriMo 2010 - Winner! 54k written in about three weeks.
• Left to simmer until April 2011
• Re-read
• Edited; now at about 56k
• Decided that the nasty scenes I had originally planned but dropped because they were depressing really needed to be in there, so I re-wrote the ending in May 2011 - now at about 62k
• Re-read
• Write initial blurb and tagline; choose a title (finally!)
• Edited - now down to about 61k
• Sent to three betareaders
• Edited
• Sent to two more betareaders
• Edited
• Re-read
• Proofed - down to 60.5k
• Short synopsis (750 words) and first query written; longer synopsis (2 pages) also written (needed both long and short)
• Submitted to first publisher on list

That's a lot of work to pour into one book, but I have high hopes for this one. I feel like I've finally hit my stride... found my voice... in short, I feel like a real writer now. I think this book can do well, and I want to put equal effort into finding a publisher for it.

I have several publishers on my list for this book, but this first company seems to take the longest to reply, so I started with them. It takes significant time to make each query and submission, so I figured I'd give them the head start while I work on the next, and then the next. Next week, I will likely tackle another. And then another. 

So, why do queries and submissions drive writers crazy?

It takes a while to write and edit your submission materials, even aside from your manuscript. The query letter is your first impression, which is nerve wracking. And synopsis are basically hell on the nerves. To take a 60k book and turn it into 2-5 pages of bare-bones summary, while also making it engaging, charming and exciting... It's not easy, let's just say that. Every part of the submission - the cover email, query letter, character descriptions (if requested), the synopsis, etc - must be "pitch perfect" in order to make your book stand out!

First off, your cover letter needs to be informative, yet concise - a difficult balance to strike. Even more difficult, it also must give them some sense of individuality in a very short medium. Secondly, your query must entice them to read the synopsis. Thirdly, your synopsis must inspire them to read or ask for the full manuscript.

If any of these steps fail to engage, or to move the editor on to the next step, the book will be rejected - often, before the acquisition editor has even had a chance to open the MS!

For these submissions, all unsolicited and all unagented, I am fighting several tides. These publishers get tons and tons of competent submissions every week. Yes, they get some incompetent ones, as well, but the majority of the books they see are likely "okay." Therefore, they have the luxury of choosing only books that are well beyond "okay" levels.

This is different from the submissions I've had to Rebel Ink recently, such as the Halloween story I submitted on August 15th. Those stories are already contracted, so I'm not fighting to get my foot in the door. Obviously, I am still working towards having the quality up to standards, but they at least know who I am and are expecting the stories. These don't require the same level of pizzazz to get them to even read the thing.

This is why the "cold submits" are quite stressful.

While my betareaders enjoyed this book, I really have no way of knowing if these particular editors will find my book (as introduced by the letter and synopsis) more than okay. I can only hope my query and synopsis please whoever receives them. I can only hope the book is right for them, doesn't conflict with other books they are planning to release, etc, etc, etc - there are many, many more variables to being accepted/rejected than just, "We hated this book."

Therefore, this is why I've decided to go with more than one company for submission.

In the past, I have always just submitted to one publisher at a time, but this time I am doing a handful. It makes me feel weird - like I am cheating on one with the others. I decided to do it this way with the idea, "Well, if all or nearly all reject me, I need to cast a wide net." I never actually stopped to think what I will do if they all accept, until a friend asked me what happens in that event.

I am not too concerned, though. At this point, I'm not sure I can even hope for acceptance from them all.

All it takes is one, though.

*fingers crossed*

So, after you write your excellent query letter and breathtaking synopsis, and send it off to your choice companies (usually along with the full MS, or sample pages, or the first three chapters, or whatever they ask for - always follow their exact instructions, and tailor your submission package), what happens then?

Then, you wait...

And wait...

With some companies, if you never hear from them, that means they don't want it. With others, they actually take the time to send you a rejection, which is rather nice of them. Sometimes, they even give you feedback as to why they've rejected it, but this is a bonus. If your book had potential in their eyes, you might get a "rework and resubmit" invitation, which means they're willing to look at it again with some changes. Sometimes, you get an outright acceptance, which is the happy dance moment.

We'll see what we see. I have two or three other companies I will be submitting to before classes resume, and I have a list of about 12 to try, overall, between now and spring 2012. I have a good feeling it will be accepted by someone along the line - that it will reach the right editor at the right time, at the right company, who likes what I do.

If not, it's back to the drawing board, and in the meantime, I'm on to writing many other things.

Just keep moving forward, and hope for the best!

We Interrupt Your Scheduled Blog Post...

I was going to write about submissions today, but something else caught my attention several times this week, so I wanted to post a little on the subject of writer scams.

Writer scams are everywhere online - they predate the Internet, but have really exploded in recent years. Why do they work? Simple - when you are a new writer with plenty of dreams, it can feel really overwhelming to get your book out in front of people. Agents take forever, if you even get replies from them, and Big Publishers even longer, and most of us have little or no training/experience with publishing before we finish that first book/collection. And scammers know this, and they know how to talk to us in the right way to prey on those hopes and dreams.

Probably the premier, most famous form of writer scams would be vanity presses - those who promise "Become a Real Author!" (but only if you send them a cheque for $1200). Here's the skinny, folks - if it's a real publisher THEY PAY YOU, not the other way around. This is vastly different from Self Publishing, in which an author pays for services (cover art, editing, etc), but ultimately owns their own work. A vanity press really does nothing for your book but stroke your ego and take your money - lots of it. And they don't give it back. Now, with Amazon/KDP/CreateSpace, I hope we are hearing the dying howl of the vanity presses, but it's not likely. Many more aspiring authors will fall to them before they go away, sadly.

And now with the rise of agents who "facilitate" self-publishing, there might be a whole new racket for vanity press scammers. This is not to say that all agents who handle self-pubbing are crooks, but any day now we'll start seeing the crooks move that way, if they haven't already.

The Rule is: Except for putting together a self-publishing project, the author's only dealings with cheques should be signing the back of their royalties.

The second big one is Contests! Yes, there are many, many legitimate writing contests out there, with real prizes and good exposure. Some, like the RWA, do charge writers to enter. (I personally don't pay to enter contests, but paid contests might not be scams, so just do your research.) However, not all contests are legitimate. If it's a free contest, you don't stand to lose much but time, but please save yourself the hassle of entering fake/worthless contests with hefty entrance fees. Also, in many regions, it is illegal to force entrants to "buy the finalists' collection" at the end of a poetry or short story contest. Such things are scams, where they basically let everyone become a finalist so more people will be forced to buy the resulting collection. Do the leg work! Research the contest before you get excited.

Third, there are the newer vultures circling the small press/indie world: Book reviewers who are also editors. Now, naturally, many reviewers also offer editing services, and not all are scams. What I mean are book reviewers who offer to review your book (especially a self-pubbed one) merely so they can tell you it stinks - but, don't worry! "I can edit it for you for $1000!" That's the scam part. I believe many reputable editors who also do reviews make it policy not to take editing jobs from the authors they have reviewed, and vice versa. The reviewer may very well suggest you need an editor, but they are often careful to suggest OTHER editors, instead of themselves. Otherwise, it's a bit of a conflict of interest, don't you think?

Most legitimate editors allow a sampling process - you send them a sample, and they will edit it and return it, before you engage them. If you go this route, it might be a good idea to send the same sample to several editors, and compare the returned work before making a selection. And, in my opinion, accept a reviewers' suggestion that you need editing, but don't hire that reviewer to do it. Sample a few others, and then decide which way to go. As always: Author word-of-mouth is a great way to find what you need, and it's the safest way.

Then, on top of these sly jobs, we also have the occasional rumour/allegation of truly shocking instances of out-n-out extortion. There are also people burned outright by paying upfront for covers that never come, or editors that never deliver.

The above categories cover the majority of the pitfalls out there; some are ubiquitous, while others a bit less common. There are many other ways a newbie writer can lose buckets of money/time/hope/energy/reputation - ghost town sites/blogs charging for ad space, reviewers demanding payment for their condescension, display sites that charge you for profiles that no one ever visits, small pubs who are basically beards for one author's self-publishing activities, etc, etc, but those aren't truly "scams" in that they are offering some type of service, at least, and you get exactly what they promise (even if it is lackluster). And you should know what you're getting into before you hand over the money or your manuscript (always).

The Internet is a wonderful thing for the global writers' community - it brings us closer than ever before, allows for multiple genre circles to form and disseminate information very quickly, and evens the communication exchange between experienced writers and aspiring authors. But it also contains snakes of all varieties. Use it wisely - arm yourself with information, do your research, and treat your name, money and manuscript like the precious resources that they are.

So, that's my little PSA for today.

It's a jungle out there! Good luck.

The Importance of Feeling Good

I have no theme for the blog this week, but I think you can say the theme of my week in real life has been feeling good. Or, really, coming to terms.

You see, I wasn't feeling good there for a bit. I got into the pits, listening to strangers scolding people over the internet (and occasionally scolding me), and wallowing in the negativity that comes from so many aspects of life. I wasn't taking care of myself. I was mired. I was getting work done - tons of editing - but my fresh writing was souring.

That little voice in my head that keeps suggesting I quit writing and concentrate on the Day Job was screaming at me instead of its usual whisper.

These are not good things, folks.

The internet breeds jerks, sometimes, because the most cowardly jerk can be a Big Hero behind a screenname. These people are irrelevant, because you can turn them off. See? There's the little X at the top of your browser? See? There's a little lighted button on your computer. Use it when/if you have to, and the jerks go away! How amazing! There are also incredibly useful, rational, non-jerkish people to be found - find them instead, and enjoy them! Concentrate on what is useful; filter out the things that aren't.

And take care of yourselves, because that is really useful.

Sometimes when we are busy, we feel like it is productive to push ourselves - sometimes, it is even necessary to do so. Coffee replaces both sleep and food, and your wrists ache from too much typing/scrolling, and you are one giant twisted wreck from sitting, sitting, sitting. Yes, sometimes that even makes us feel like Authorial Vikings, punishing our bodies for our art, reveling in our endurance and feeling the satisfying pain of Working Hard. I do this more than I should, I admit.

But, sometimes, this is counter productive.

Yesterday, I went to see a movie - one that had nothing to do with screaming cartoon animals or anthropomorphic automobiles saving the world. True, it was the new Harry Potter, so perhaps I am not one to judge, but the point is, I went as a free adult on R&R - not as a mommy. I enjoyed myself, thoroughly. There was a moment of panic at one point when I realized I had no idea what was in my email inbox at that very second (*gasp*). But, I survived that panic. After I picked up the tot from playschool, we went for a long walk; we got ice cream cones. Last night, we watched an Elmo movie together. I read. I hand-jotted some notes for the new short I have to write in the following weeks. I ate a big meal, not at my desk. I slept. My goodness, how I slept!

Today, I feel like a million bucks, and ready to hit those edits I have to do.

Sometimes, the things we think of as productive, aren't, and the things we think of as wasting time... well, they really don't. Not in the long run.

I feel good today. It's important to feel good once in a while, don't you think?

Have a great day, folks.

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!

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!

Good for the Goose Trailer!

Here it is - the brand new trailer for my Christmas erotic-romance, Good for the Goose, which will be released by Wicked Night's erotica line, After Dark, this Friday.

Good for the Goose is a spicy story of a woman, Natasha, who thought she was living her dream - she had worked up to a respected teaching position at a university, had a stable, successful husband, and a solid life... Until her husband runs off with one of his students, and she is left wondering what the point was of being good all those years. Enter Raphael, a graduate student in her department from Spain, and one of the hottest, sweetest heroes I have ever written. Passionate, bold and intrigued by Natasha... And ready, willing and eager to show her what more there can be to life. Natasha learns that sometimes it's very nice to be naughty.

A passionate May-December romance that encompasses the romance and joy of Christmas and the caliente sizzle of a sexual reawakening tale, Good for the Goose shows how what is good for the gander can be very good for Natasha!

This title will be available at Amazon and ARE, among other sellers, as well as on the Wicked Nights website. For more information, please see the Wicked Nights website or their current catalog. You can also find a small excerpt on my erotica website, Anne Holly's Dark Side.

More details will come here on the release day, this Friday, so please join me!

And have a Wicked little Christmas. ;)

Update on What I'm Up To...

Or should that be "To What I am Up?"

Anyway, here's the skinny on what I'm doing these days:

• My NaNo novel is going well, and has already passed the 25k hump. The chemistry is heating up between Seth and Libby, and I am enjoying the story... Needs a bit more action, but I think that's coming.
• Edits on my Christmas short, Un-Scrooged, is coming along nicely, and should soon be going onto the line-editing round. At this point, it looks like it will come out the week of Dec 10 from Decadent Publishing.
• I'm looking forward to my next release, the Christmas erotic romance Good for the Goose from Wicked Nights, on Nov 19!
• I will be making a big push on getting book trailers out for my two upcoming shorts this week, I promise!
• I am also up to my eyeballs in freelance articles, real life stuff and other nuisances, but those are much less interesting. :)

The Life of an Article

Aside from fiction, I also freelance for magazines and do academic writing. This is the true and very frustrating story of a recent article that has been hanging over me for basically ever.

• April 2006: I write a paper for a graduate class that I really like. I file it away for future publication.
• April 2009: I pull out this paper, and dust it off for publication. I send it to a quarterly mag I know in the field. They say they love it, and will get back to me with edits.
• January 2010: I email again to inquire as to what is happening with that article. They respond - so sorry, it got missed in the process, etc etc... We'll get on it.
• April 2010: I receive and do a series of edits. Am told it is done, and to please send suggested illustrations, which I do.
• May 2010: On my birthday, the week of the biggest event of my career (requiring a lot of preparation), I get an urgent email - Please do this huge gob of edits for us, and please send illustrations, as we need to run this article this week. I do the edits (ON MY BIRTHDAY), and re-send illustrations.
• June 2010: Am told the article was bumped from that issue, due to some mid-east crisis, and it will run in the fall issue.
• September 2010: Get email from a different editor, and am asked to do whole new set of edits, which I do. Am also asked to send illustrations suggestions, which I re-send. Am told again that the article is fine, and will run in November issue.
• October 2010: Get an email (at 8pm Saturday night) from yet another editor, and am asked to do a whole new round of edits - largely putting back in the stuff that ED1 and ED2 gutted out of the thing in the year and a half these people have had it. Am asked to do these by Monday, as they are running it the following week.

Well, I did the edits and sent them in, so now I guess it *may* run. I emailed and asked if they need me to re-send the illustrations, as I assume they will. I mean, why not make it four times I have been asked, right?

ARGH.

News!

Well, not only do I have my new release announced recently from Wicked Nights, but I just today got another holiday short accepted from another company - details to follow after the paper work all goes through! I am very excited that these two great stories will make it into print in time for Christmas 2010, and I hope you enjoy them!

In sundry tidbits, I have done a few more interviews, so those should run soon - I will link them when they show up. And I will be guest blogging at Wicked Muses soon, as well. In addition, I may have a few new covers to show you soon, so that's always exciting. I have been taking a short break from writing, but will be hitting the keys again very soon. I am behind in updating my websites, so I will get to that very soon, when I can keep my eyes open.

Also... In other news... I just officially joined NaNo!

*gulp*

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.

NaNoWriMo, In or Out?

I'm still waffling ever so slightly on NaNoWriMo, but I do admit I am leaning more towards in than out. As I have said, it is hard to commit to something like this with a toddler in the home, and many other random responsibilities, and I fear Shame. However, I still do want to get my full length done and edited by December 31, 2010, so I can get on with my winter 2011 full length, so this might be the way to do it...

So, tentatively, I am indeed throwing my hat unofficially in the ring for NaNoWriMo glory. As to whether I will will sign up for sure... You'll have to check back for confirmation closer to the start date. ;)

How about you guys?

Paranormal Erotic!

Hi folks! I can now add a new category to my CV - paranormal erotic!

This week, I signed a contract with WHP for my short paranormal erotic, "Waking Kara," a sizzling story about a dissatisfied woman, her depressed husband and a demon. ;)

Not a story for the faint of heart!

Keep an eye out for details about the release, through the WHP Liquid Heat series.

- Anne

Two New WIPs Added

I know... I am nuts.

I just dove into my holiday story (which I was slacking on), and now I just added two new WIPs to the pot.

One, I am hoping to get into an anthology somewhere for Valentine's Day. I won't share the plot yet, and it has no title right now, but I have an inkling of what it will be about, and it will likely be M/F contemporary sensual, and I hope it will be around 7,000 words.

The second is to be a short erotic holiday story, around 5,000 words.

I'll let you know how they progress.