grey_gerou

Well, that didn't last long, did it?

In my defense, last Thursday was the first day of spring break for my kids, and we celebrated by going for a picnic and kite flying in Valley Forge. I love saying that. Yes, we were flying kites where George Washington and all those others slept. For a Midwestern girl, having real world access to all these historical places really is a buzz. They were never real to me as a kid, more like Narnia or Oz or something, places you read about in books but don't really see. And now I go kite flying every spring in Valley Forge. It's just...weird. Cool, but weird.

And then the weekend happened, and with it #amazonfail. For more of my thoughts on it, you can check out my blogpost on Dual Voices. By Tuesday, all my books had been re-listed, but I'm still cautious. I do feel that this happened for a reason, even though Amazon has now said that it was an error. It may have been an error to capture so many books in whatever net they cast, but they still cast it, and I'm suspicious of their intent. We'll see what happens now. They know they're being watched more closely, so hopefully that will help keep them on the up and up.

Writing is going...slowly. I've been agonizing about a new project, and had finally resolved to start another historical threesome that wasn't quite ripe yet but was pretty much all I had. And then some of my characters rose up and reminded me that I had had a sequel to Sanctity of Marriage planned, and those characters and the plot are all fully fleshed. So I spent yesterday reacquainting myself with that world, and tomorrow I'll start writing it. For those of you who have read Sanctity, this is the story of Eleanor and David and what they do with the knowledge of her sister's unorthodox relationship. I think it will be fun and naughty and enjoyable. I can't wait to introduce Josie... Plus Emery and I are cranking on a new novella and have two other sequels to our various series (serii?) in the works, and most exciting for me, she is writing like a mad thing, which means I get new good stuff to read! That will probably slow way down next week when she moves, but still, it's progress and that thrills me.

Things are growing. It must be spring.

There are days it's hard to remember I'm a romance writer.

Those are the days where the laundry's piled up, there's shopping to be done and sweeping and dusting to catch up on, when no one wants to practice their violin and everyone has major projects due TOMORROW and I haven't been able to find time to shower in three days.

Doesn't matter. Still have to write.

I've been good this week. After last week's field trips (for details see here and here), I came back recommitted to the process. So far, so good. Monday I kind of short shifted timewise, but I was there at least and hour and got about three pages done. Wednesday I met Scarlett for what is now our official writing together time, but I just didn't have it in me to write. Instead I transcribed (that whole writing longhand thing), which turned out to be even better, as I really wasn't happy with what I'd done on Monday. I'm trying to get to the end of a project I started a year ago that's just been hanging over me and inhibiting anything else I wanted to do. Word to the wise, children, never write to someone else's plot specifications. I had an editor ask me to write a light, fluffy het novel. I never should have agreed, but I wanted to make her happy. Never, ever again. That opportunity dried up with the economy, but still I was stuck with this story. I'd done enough and cared enough about the characters that I couldn't just chuck it overboard, but I just wasn't getting anywhere with it. In November I bailed on the idea of novel length and decided to make it a novella just to get it done and off my plate. That helped. Some. Our annual writer's weekend helped a little more. But they just weren't wrapping up the ending. It was dragging on and on and on and I still didn't have anything approaching that last line. As I was transcribing the drek, I even stopped at one point and noted for the edits, "Should stop here, but they won't let me!" Two sentences later, I thought, "Well, why not?" A quick rewrite, the shedding of three pages of trite triteness (I are a owther) and I was ready for that last line. Which still wasn't coming. To which my inner editor said, "Fuck it. Send it anyway! If you can't think of one, it probably doesn't need it." So, off it's gone to my beta team. It's still missing one ER scene and a party disaster, but I need to get the rest of it into shape and know where I'm at with it before I go back. And honestly, I don't know if I could even look at it right now. But it's done enough to finish quickly should the right home for it show up, and I can now try to find the list of plot ideas I've been keeping and see which of them is ready to rock my socks.

Or I could knit some new socks. But that's another distraction for another day.

I have been sternly reprimanded by my PR guru for never updating my author blog. Well, that ends today. It won't be often, but it will be weekly. I've got my electronic calendar set to nudge me any everything.

So what have I been up to? Knitting Making the odd transition so many have to the ranks of the unemployed. At first I was, "Oh thank god I'm out of that insanity and have time to write!" But reality settled in soon after, and just the daily effort of changing the way the household is run has been fairly time consuming. And yes, I have been knitting. I have discovered a hitherto unexpected passion for making socks, maybe because no one else in my very crafts talented family can. And I think to a certain extent it satisfies the creative drive I have that a stubborn case of writer's block has denied me. And maybe it's a teeny weensy bit of a crutch...

The remedy for that is, of course, to make myself write again. Which is my goal for next week. MWF, every week, from 10-12, I commit to going *somewhere* and writing. I'm not even going to worry about word count at this point. What's more important is just to get back in the groove of writing. I've got a couple of very exciting projects I'm working on with emerysanborne as part of our India Harper persona, but not a whole lot on the solo frontier. Time to get that going again. And time to finish the India Harper website, from the looks of it. Ouch.

For anyone who's interested, I'm heading up to Hudson, NY this weekend for a signing at the Spotty Dog bookstore and bar Saturday from 4-8 p.m. If anyone's in the area, I'd love to have you come by! I'll be in NY again in May for a signing in Middletown, so watch for details here. At the moment I'm putting promo materials together for those signings, punching holes, attaching buttons, that sort of thing. And waiting for the FedEx truck with the book cards for our new books that I need. Those are always a lift! But of course, in the meantime I'm procrastinating something fierce. But it's not really procrastination if it's just another form of promotion, right?

Yes, ma'am, I'm getting back to work right now. See you next week. With pictures!

emery_sanborne and I (along with viviendean and Pepper Espinoza) are involved in a new blog about team writing over at It Takes Two. Anybody who frequents ANY of our journals is probably already familiar with the various ways we write, but if anybody's interested in seeing all the different ways the process can work and talk to some fascinating women who do it, come on over and check us out!

One of these days I'll actually get a chance to post when I'm not in a complete frenzy. This week has been a flurry of parent/teacher conferences, insane demands at work and desperately trying to get ready for a weekend away. Ah, if only it would be restful! Tomorrow night I'm off to New York for the 20th Annual Independent and Small Press Book Fair. If you're in the city, come on by on Saturday and keep me company! It's at the New York Center for Independent Publishing at 20 West 44th Street in New York City, and best of all it's FREE!! I'm still coordinating all my travel plans (had a major snafu at the last minute that would have been UGLY if I hadn't caught it before Saturday), but all my lovely promo and purple kisses are packed, so at least I should make a good showing. I hope I sell enough to make it worth it. On the plus side, there's a panel on erotica at noon Saturday, so people will be all geared up for the hot stuff!

Okay, back to packing. I'll report in when I get back!

We got our first review on Fire, and I'm totally psyched because the reviewer totally got what we were trying to do with these characters! That's the problem I have with a lot of reviews. They basically just rehash the book and tack on "I liked it" or "It sucked". This one actually had a little lit crit to it. The kind of thing I live for! Anyway, if you're curious, you can check it out here.

My next post will include a lot less "totally", I promise.

As promised yesterday, the official announcement of my OUR new release!

Embrace the fire…

For months Harvard anthropologist Morgan Gregory has been searching for a holy relic, a medallion that will allow him to translate a mysterious ancient text. But what the enigmatic professor finds in the little antiquity shop in South Boston is equally compelling—former lover Rachel Alexander and a rare painting.

Rachel Alexander has been popping in and out of Morgan’s life for years. Drawn to one another’s magic, consumed by mutual lust and desire, their encounters have always been sizzling. Add in a secret that will tip the balance of power between them and a wanton siren willing to seduce them both to get what she wants, and the passion becomes dangerously explosive.

Together, Morgan and Rachel follow a scavenger hunt laid out in ancient rituals and artifacts. One secret seems only to hide another, and another, until soon neither are sure of the truth or themselves. Can the couple put aside the past in time to fight for the future? Only if they can admit their burning need and control the fires within, fires that can comfort or consume them.

To whet your appetite, there are excerpts both at the Linden Bay site and at my website, and be sure to join me and mydeira emery_sanborne at the Linden Bay MySpace blog all next week!

Don't forget that today's the day! My big Philly coming out party, as it were. I'll be signing books (although at the moment it may just be book cards, as none of my books actually came in in time) at Robin's Bookstore, 13th and Sansom Streets, here in Philadelphia today from 4-6 p.m. Come on by so we aren't all alone so we can sit around and talk about writing and what romance means in the 21st century. Cuz that's when it all changes...

::slaps inner fangirl::

Okay, I was sure I mentioned this in a previous post, but I guess my brain is deceiving me. So, at the command of my support group...



(Sorry, they told me to shout)



Along with some other amazing writers, I will be at Robin's Bookstore in Olde City Philadelphia this coming Saturday, October 13, from 4-6 p.m. signing books and talking about the newest trends in romantic fiction. Come on by and check it out, and if you hang around long enough, you might even get to come along with us for dinner after! ;)

http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=180

I'm not sure whether to laugh, nod or shudder...

Okay, that was a wild ride!

Got up early for breakfast and computer time, including some facetime with Cat while my roommates slept late. Then I had my "editor appointments", to which no one showed. *sigh* So much for that learning experience. Afterwards I started to go to the Future of the Eppies discussion, but ended up going out to talk to Barb and Lori instead. Got to see the ladies in action. They're so good at the glad handing, I just can't do that. I never know what to say!

After the publishers' lunch, we headed back to the room. The afternoon schedule was e-fiesta, for which Emery was supposed to do laptop training, but they had little table space and fewer people needing demos, so she came back up to the room early. I worked on my anthology story a bit and then went down to do a reading from Star. This time I actually got a compliment on it! Dr. Jill will be so pleased that those dramatic reading classes paid off! ;) Emery went and bought more books, and then we headed upstairs to get ready for the awards.

The ceremony was fabulous. The food was wonderful, the Linden Bay group all looked smoking (and I mean that. We all were the most glamorous group there!), the music was good, we had a blast with the photographer, it was all just great. And so much fun to watch our esteemed Chief Publisher giggling like a kid! But the very VERY best part was when our own nominee, Lee Rowan, who was up in the GLBT category WON! I don't think I've ever screamed so loud in my life! Poor Lee was totally shocked, she couldn't even move for a minute. But she so totally deserved that award. Ransom was an amazing book, and I'm so proud to have been involved in cultivating it. Yes, I take some small credit for this. In addition to editing it with her (probably one of the easier editing jobs I've had), I encouraged her to submit to the contest. She wasn't going to, because she didn't think the M/M would go over well. The look on her face when she won, and the bemused stars I saw in her eyes the rest of the evening will stay with me for a long time. If you haven't read Ransom and are open to same sex romance, you should head over the the Linden Bay site and check this one out. It's a wonderful, wonderful story.

afterwards was the Phaze Rad 80's party, which I had all sorts of good intentions aout sticking around for, but by then I was turning into a pumpkin, so we headed back to the room. Vivien had already scooted off immediately after the awards because she had had an inspiration for the book she's working on and had to get back to her writing partner IMMEDIATELY. She was hard at work by the time Emery and I got to the room and changed into our jammies. Emery sat down to get started on the next chapter of our shared book, while I turned on the TVand was flipping back and forth between The History of Sex and ferris Bueller's Day Off. this amused Viv no end. But pumpkin time came quickly, so fifteen minutes later I was sound asleep.

it was a really nice sleeping night. It was the first night we could sleep with the patio door open. The sound of the waves was so soothing, and the soft sea air just seemed to wrap around me. I miss the ocean after spending all my summers growing up on Cape Cod. It's nice to have these small moments where I can go back to that, bracing me for the rest of my life.

And speaking of which, we head home this afternoon. Viv is staying until tomorrow, so there's no rush for us to get out, but with a 6 hour drive looming, we'll probably hit the road around noon. It's been a great weekend, and such a joy to get to spend time with all my old and new friends. Next up is RT, which both Viv and Cat will be at. A whole new set of experiences to look forward to!

I'll see you back in Philadelphia!

Yesterday was quiet.

Got up early and chatted with you all. (And what's with that? I have no kids and no job. Shouldn't I be sleeping until noon or something?) Breakfast was a step up from dorm food. A small step, but a step nonetheless. Went to the morning business meeting. Not as interesting as last year. I was hoping they were going to talk about plans for next year, but no such luck. We forced Emery to go to her panel while we hung out in the room. Mostly because we/I was freezing. Because OMG, did I mention the cold? You can tell this is a summer hotel, cuz they just aren't sure what to do with the room temperature. So I got warmed up and napped, and then we went down to lunch. The keynote address was late because of technical roblems with the sound equipment, but worth waiting for. Sherrilyn Kenyon is definitely one of us, despite all her success, and hearing her talk made me want to read her books, even though they really aren't my genre. She was fun and very down to earth and gave a talk to 200 people with no shoes on. Yeah, my kind of girl.

Tried to go to the publishers forum in the afternoon. The first session was so dry, Cat and I bailed for the second, which was apparently a mistake, as we missed a catfight between the ebook purists and the e-and-print people. Barb got to be the calm voice of reason. I love my publishing house a little more after this weekend. Instead I went upstairs, got some writing done (actually mostly finished the next chapter of Distant Thunder) and then we decided to bail on the con dinner and went out for hibachi instead. That was fun. It was my first time, and the chefs had definite flair. The food was good, which is always a plus. The only downside was the 18 month old screaming on the other side of the table. The aunts who had brought her wouldn't take her out. I don't understand some people. I just don't.

After that we came back to the room for more writing, a little more napping and two episodes of What Not to Wear before cashing in for the night, where Emery and I got the next four chapters plotted before sleep took us.

This morning I'm taking editors appointments for Linden Bay and then tonight is the awards. Plenty to talk about tomorrow!

Wow.

Just...wow.

Okay, let's start at the beginning. (seeing as flashbacks are less active and so not as engaging to the readers!)

Yesterday day was as quiet as expected. We puttered around for the morning, finished unpacking, started the new chapter on Distant Thunder, etc. Around noon we headed down to search for food and met Barb and Lori setting up the All Romance E-books display in the lobby. It was great to finally meet them both in person (Well, Lori I had met VERY briefly at a different con three years ago, but that was for all of 45 seconds), and we were able to help them out of a jam with their video rig. The speakers they had weren't working, so we combined our lunch and gas run with a trip out to Best Buy (all hail Best Buy!). This ended up being a really good thing. The BB was easy to get to, but a looooooong way out, but on the way we passed the B&N where we would be doing our signing, so at least we knew where we were going. We were tempted to stop in, but decided in favor of eating and getting back.

New speakers delivered, we headed back up to the room, me to nap before we had to head out again at 4:30, Viv to introduce Emery to a new source of inspiration. heh heh heh. Got up at three to get polished and buffed before heading downstairs with my suitcase full of promo gear. Cat Johnson had just gotten in and pretty as well, so she met us at the ARe table and we all blathered and cooed with Barb and Lori while they broke down everything they had set up that morning in order to take it to the bookstore. Having a car turned into a blessing, as they were able to pile a lot of their stuff into the truck rather than hauling it all on the bus. Then the three of us and Cat piled in and back up Virginia Beach Drive we went to the signing. We were the first ones there, and we moved right in. Lori had arranged for all of us to sit together at one long table and preordered all of our books for us separately so we were in and set up with our books and our spiffy plastic sign stands and schmoozing with the event coordinator before everyone else started to show. Made Linden Bay look very professional, I think. The only problem was the edge of the table, which kept catching on my pretty new purple sweater. *pout*

The signing was amazing. We had so many people go past and stop to talk to me, even without the benefit of the chocolate I was offering. I sold 3 copies of Sin, none of Star (go figure) and handed out lots of cards and bookmarks. And got to sign three books and one of the postcards! It was very exciting. I think the reading went well, although no one was really paying attention. I never did get nervous. Much. I guess all those theatre classes were good for something! Sherrilyn Kenyon was off in the distance, although closest to us (if that makes any sense) so we were able to hear some of her comments. She seems very charming. I'm looking forward to her keynote address today. And the store staff were AMAZING. They had us all whipped into shape, dealt with some pretty diva behavior with grace and efficiency, and still had time to be a really fun group of people. The evening just flew by. One of our other authors, Lee Rowan, (who apparently has an LJ I need to track down) didn't show up until 6:30 after a ten hour drive from Ohio, but we had her all set up and were shilling for her until she got there, and she just slid right in and picked up as though she'd been there all night. Viv got a reminder of exactly WHY she needs promo materials, as lots of people asked her for her card. I got some very nice compliments on my handouts, which made me very happy. At the end of the evening when we were packing up, the event coordinator was going by with her own pile of books to buy, mostly pirate books, so I pushed Star on her. She asked if I'd signed it yet. When I said no, she said we could sign them and she would put them into stock to sell them out of the store. Squee! So anyone can come into a bookstore in Virginia Beach and pick up a book with my scrawl in it. That geeks me entirely too much.

Afterwards we loaded all of our and ARe's stuff into my car and then the whole Linden Bay crew tromped over to PF Chang's for dinner. The food was okay but far too spicy for my tastes, but the company was awesome. To be completely biased, these are all the people at that house that I care about and respect most, all sitting at one table and talking about the craft I love so much. It was wonderful. Viv even got talked into doing a new project, which I may never let her life down for reasons best known to her and I and the two bloody marys she had... ;) We got back around midnight and pretty much crashed. Good sleep.

Today is panels and the keynote. And I have to finish updating my website, since now people will be going to check it out! More tomorrow.

Hey, everyone!

The one time you can count on me to blog every day is when I'm at a conference. I don't know what it is, but my prefered way to start the day is to wake up on my own around 7:30, settle down in a nice, quiet corner and write for half an hour or so before I start the day. If only real life would allow me that same easing into the day! Ah well.

But yes, here I am in Virginia Beach for the start of EPICon 2007. Put in a full day of work at the office (and I mean FULL. One of my managers wasn't letting me go until she'd wrung every last task out of me), and then I threw my bags in the car and headed down to Philly to pick up emery_sanborne. The worst traffic we hit the whole night was down around the airport in Philly where there was an atrocious accident. But after that we didn't slow down much at all. Had to stop in Baltimore for gas. Now, I'm sure there are parts of Baltimore that are very lovely. We did not see them as we wandered around looking for a gas station. I wasn't sure we would ever find our way back to 95! After a little finagling and turning around a couple of times, we did, though, and by 9:45 were back on our way. I drove the whole way, mostly because I knew if we switched off, I would fall asleep in the passenger seat. I always do. Always. Conditioning from all those long road trips from Michigan to Massachusetts when I was a kid. I thought we were going to have to the other side of DC, but I got a second wind and pushed through. I'll probably let Emery drive back, especially since that will be during daylight hours. The only time we got lost was when we missed a turnoff here in Norfolk. Which was not good, as the needle was edging onto empty and I wasn't seeing a gas station anywhere around. The fact that it was 1:30 in the morning didn't help any. We finally found our way and got in to the hotel here close to 2, where viviendean was waiting for us, totally stoked after having sucked down two liters of Mountain Dew to recover from her jet lag. Needless to say, we did NOT go to sleep right away, although surprisingly I was the last one to fall asleep. And am now the first one to wake up.

The hotel is...quaint. Considering the splendor of last year, this is definitely a whole different proposition. But everything is clean and fairly comfortable, and there is a fridge and microwave in the room, so the soda situation is covered. The down side is the internet access in the room is Ethernet, and for some reason I can't get mine to work. It connects and shows it's getting a good rate, it just won't let me out on the web. *sigh* Looks like I'll be haunting the lobby again. Which isn't so bad. I really enjoyed watching all the comings and goings last year. And we have a gorgeous view of the ocean. I wish it was warm enough to sleep with the windows open so we could hear the waves better. I've missed being near the shore. But since it's only supposed to get to the mid 40s today, I think I'll just admire from afar...

So today is a laid back sort of day. We're going to putter around, get the lay of the land, probably find a gas station, that sort of thing. Registration opens at noon, so we'll get our kit and then plan the rest of the weekend. Tonight is the big book signing at Barnes and Noble. And I mean BIG. They're expecting over 300 people. If you're in the Norfolk area and love Sherrilyn Kenyon or, you know, me, come on down to the Barnes and Noble at the Pembroke Mall tonight between 6 and 9. Lots to see and do and lots of great books to pick up!

More tomorrow morning.

Greetings, all! Thought I'd stop by with a bit of a brain dump to tide you over until I get the site updated. I'm planning to revamp the whole thing, so expect some radical changes at www.greygerou.com.

So. Lots of goings on. Sort of.

( Still waiting on the edits for Sanctity of Marriage. )

New book coming out on Tuesday! Watch This Space

( Awards and Reviews )

So, what am I doing now?

( What I'm writing )

( Where I'm going )

Phwew. Okay, that *was* a lot!

So, long time no see. I'm so sorry for the long silence, but I started a new office job back in August after five years as a stay at home mom, and the transition has been challenging, to say the least. I'm resorted to recruiting an official tush kicker to keep me on track with my promotion and what not. Everyone say Hi to Cat! "Hi, Cat!"

So, where have I been? Well, aside from rediscovering life as a cubicle monkey, I finished a new book, The Sanctity of Marriage, a threesome set in post-Civil War New York State. Liquid Silver picked it up just a few weeks ago, and now I'm in the next anxious waiting stage, anticipating revisions and another wonderful cover by L.W. Perkins, who did my cover for Angels and Deceivers. Sarah Adams is content with her lot in life as a dependent spinster.  When she meets wealthy lumberman Matthew Ingram and his boorish friend Jason Sinclair, all that changes.  To her surprise, Matthew proposes marriage, and with no better options available to her, she agrees.  But marriage to the handsome, reserved Matthew is not what she expects, nor is her new husband.  When she discovers him in the stables with Jason, she realizes that his reserve disguises deeper, darker passions than she can ever satisfy.  But she has desires as well, desires that her growing intimacy with both men slowly help her explore and develop.  Desires that make her willing to put aside the demands and mores ofsociety to experience.  But the world outside isn't done with them, and it is secrets in their own pasts that finally drive them apart. There's no denying the feelings the three of them share, but is there anyway for them to overcome the obstacles to be together again? This book is special to me, as it brings together a lot of threads of my writing experience. And it looks as though there will be more. I have at least one more book in me for Sarah's sister Eleanor and her husband David, and possibly one for the children of both relationships. If I ever get writing again!

I had a new novella come out with Phaze, a new publisher for me. Titled The Black River, it's the story of freelance journalist Kerri Jackson, who yearns to see the real Amazon, and capture its true essence for her readers. Angel Cordoval would rather see her on a plane home, along with the hundreds of other touristas posing a threat to the delicate ecosystem of the rainforest. Yet when Angel concedes to guide Kerri along the Rio Negro, another story unfolds as Kerri studies Angel in his element. Mutual attraction is strong, but is it enough to keep the city girl in the jungle for good? This one was an interesting story for me, as these were my first multicultural characters. I actually almost gave up on it as too preachy and too focused on the ecology, but then I heard an audio essay on NPR talking about exactly the section of the Amazon I was writing about, and it turned out I had nailed everything. I took that as a sign and finished the story. The rest, as they say, is history. Go check it out.

I also did a short story for the newest Linden Bay holiday anthology, Heroes Unwrapped, which is now available, a short little 1918 post-war romance that still makes me smile to read, and have started a new novella for a LSB series of food related books to be paired with Kate Willoughby. She's miles ahead of me, though. I really have to get cranking on that.

Also, both What They Call Sin and And a Star to Steer Her By are available in print now from Amazon and your local booksellers (although you'll have to have them ordered). AND!! I got a four star review from Romantic Times BOOKclub, which is THE print magazine for romance book reviews. I was so totally stoked I could hardly stand myself!

Okay, Cat, I've updated both the journal and the website, you can put the whip down now, right? Right? Cat?

Well, after my long silence, I'm not sure how much you guys want to hear about me. So here's your chance! Go ahead, ask me. You know you want to. And to make it even more tempting, on Sept 1 I'll draw from everyone who posts here for a copy of one of my books, your choice! So go ahead! And yes, you can post without an LJ account. Just make sure to leave your name and keep checking back. I'll post the winner here on the 1st. So come on, play the game! You know you want to...

Hopefully you've found your way through my site to this page. Because I have news, and of course today would be the day that all my passwords for my sites and my hosting have stopped working. So I *do* have a website update with lots of new goodies, but I can't put it up. As soon as I can, I'll announce it here. Although you'll have probably already seen it in getting here...

So, first bit of news, for those of you who haven't seen it already, is that I've started a newsletter with a couple of amazing author friends of mine, Vivien Dean and Pepper Espinoza. You can check it out and sign up at Passion Oscura. Every month we'll have conversation, excerpts, announcements and the occassional contest. It should be a lot of fun!

Second, and possibly more importantly, my new book Angels and Deceivers comes out today! This came as a bit of a surprise, as I wasn't even in the coming soon list, but hey, gift horses and mouths, right? So head on over and check it out. Especially if you like sassy heroines, brooding heroes and the moody, evocative movies of the film noir era.



It’s 1948. The war is over, and Los Angeles is slowly returning to normal. All the glitz, all the glamour, all the intrigue…

Investigating the disappearance of a pretty heiress, detective Aaron Pierce meets the provocative Fay Sexton. Aaron has lost everything thathe had ever thought was important to him, leaving him only his personaldemons and a private investigator’s job that barely covered the bills. Fay is sultry and seductive and refuses to leave Aaron’s side for aminute. She’s difficult to resist, and Aaron quickly finds himself falling under her spell. But even when attraction explodes into passion, Aaron has suspicions about Fay’s involvement in her best friend’s disappearance. As the evidence unfolds, Aaron has to decide how much to trust the siren sharing his bed before an innocent woman is hurt.

Or worse…

I have a new book in the pipeline at Liquid Silver, and for the first time I have an actual digital painter doing the cover. It's very exciting, as I think she's incredibly talented (but see for yourself) and she's letting me have all kinds of input into the design. And generous soul that she is, she gave me permission to share the first two drafts.

.

We're both liking the first one better, although we need to add the hero, Aaron, in. But now we're also playing with the idea of taking the first one and changing it so that Aaron is holding Faye's bleeding body instead. That way you can have intimate and tragic all in one. I'll keep you posted on the next iteration! This is my favorite part of selling a book. I'm such an art junkie . . .

This will actually be an incredibly dull post.

We did nothing all day. It was great.

Well, okay, we did *something*. We got up and went down for the farewell breakfast with the Epicon crew. Nice to get to see everyone one last time. Then we headed down to the River Walk for much needed caffeine (she needs Diet Mountain Dew, I can't live without Pepsi) and another shot at souvenirs. Then we headed back to the hotel, played around online, had a nap (well, I had a nap) before we went over to the River Walk Mall which surprisingly was right behind our hotel. It had seemed a lot further away during the boat tour. Last of the souvenirs were bought, lunch was had and then we wandered back for, you guessed it, more online time, some writing and a nap. Yes, I am hopelessly predictable. But it was a nice mellow and much needed day. We ordered dinner in late and had the champagne for dessert, then packed up for our early morning. Then I crashed, while Vivien stayed up to try to readjust to California time.

The alarm went off waaaay too early.

Up at 6, in the cab by 6:30, at the airport before 7. Said my fairwells to Vivien curbside before she went on to the next terminal. I'm going to miss her. This was the first time we ever got to spend any real time together, and I really enjoyed it. I don't have so many girlfriends that it's not incredibly meaningful to me when I find someone else I can be that comfortable with. I thank the Goddess and all her muses that she and I ever found each other.

Then began the loooooong wait in San Antonio security. The line went literally from one end of the terminal to the other. I'd seen bad security lines, but this was by far the worst. Took half an hour to get through. Then I camped out, bought a little online time and got some admin work done in the hour I had before my flight boarded. Not a bad flight. we had a killer tailwind, so what had been a three hour flight going down only took two going back. There was heavy cloud cover, so I didn't get another view of the Mississippi, which was disappointing, but I slept and got another page or so done on the new book, so not a total waste. The guy next to me and several others scattered throughout the plane were on their way to Beijing to help build the new US embassy there, which I found fascinating. I didn't ask him about the big curved scar on his head though. Yikes. The last leg of the trip was a snap, taking about the time it took to get and drink my soda. Got to see Three Mile Island for the first time, which was kind of eerie, and for some reason we did a big circuit around the city, so I got a nice view.

Was met at baggage claim curbside by my loving husband and two youngest. The little girl wasted no time in asking for her present, over and over all the way home. The little boy didn't want me to ask any questions about school, which I found out is because he is suspected of having pulled a fire alarm today. *sigh* Yeah, I'm glad to be home.

So tomorrow it's back to the routine. Driving, writing, more driving, feeding the hoardes, etc etc. But tonight I finish my updates, get reacquainted with my family and sleep in my own bed.

Yeah, it's good to be home.