Back on the Wagon of Life...

Well, my body has been back in California for a week, but I think I'm still back in Canada. It's been difficult getting back into the swing of things. My house is my own again with the departure of my in-laws, the kids are back on their school schedule, and I no longer have to share bandwidth with hundreds of college-aged computer programmers. So, why do I still feel so...blah?

I think it's because the trip to Canada was the first time I've been alone with my husband for an extended period of time since the weekend we went to Laughlin, NV. and he proposed under the London Bridge. Our marriage resulted in an instant family (my daughter) and almost as soon as we'd tied the knot, we filled out paperwork to adopt "the boys". Before our first wedding anniversary, we were a family of five with all the pandemonium (and love) that goes with it.

I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it is to eat dinner without having to tell son number two to "Sit down", "Just eat please", and "Chew and swallow before you take another bite" interspersed with having to answer the myriad of "Why's?" posed by son number one while trying to pry a sentence or two of conversation out of our teenager as "Fine", "Yeah", "I know", and "Whatever" seem to be the extent of her vocabulary these days.

Caught up in the blues, I often forget how nice it is to not have to rely on an impersonal buzzer on the alarm clock to wake us up. Instead, we get seranaded most mornings at six o'clock with the theme songs for various shows by son number two. I'm also grateful that I'm now so sleep deprived I'm seldom plagued with the insomnia I suffered from only a few years ago. And despite being a teenager, my daughter and I still have a few things in common and to celebrate her good report card we're going to the movies today to see "Horton Hears a Who" and then we'll meet up with my husband and "the boys" for dinner out somewhere...

If you happen to be in the AV eating dinner tonight...I'll apologize right now. We'll be the the family with the two boys who won't sit still to eat and the sullen teenager wishing she was sitting at a seperate table in a different restaurant.

But, I wouldn't trade it for the world...

Back from Banff

I had every intention of blogging each and every day from Banff...the spotty internet connection we had there dictated otherwise.

I've been back for a couple of days now. It's wonderful to be home, but I miss the wonderful views, the walk into town, and room service. I also miss being able to type and think without the constant interruption of "Mom, I want...." But all in all, it's good to be home.

As we walked into town from the Banff Springs Hotel, there was a bookstore. My husband always steered me to the other side of the road, knowing that if I went in there, we would go no further. I tried distracting him by pointing off into the distance and shouting "Oh, look, there's a Grizzly Bear" "Moose!" and even, "Yeti" one day. He didn't fall for it. As a result, we were able to buy lots of souveniers for our family and friends and ate at The Grizzly House.


I had a Buffalo Burger (bison actually) and my husband had steak fondue.
Now, I pictured your typical fondue dish (cheese with meat that you dip bread into). Instead, a very hot rock was delivered to our table with a pile of raw steak. These cubes were plopped onto the hot rock and cooked to the desired doneness (1 min rare, 2 min med rare, 3 min med, 4-5 min, med well). My husband likes his meat "dead", so we cooked it the maximum time. The steak was then dipped into various sauces or hot chili ketchup. YUMMY! If you are ever in Banff, you have to try it. Plus, there are phones at the table and in the bathrooms! On the menu was a map of the restaurant tables and the phone number associated with the location. What fun.

The last day was bittersweet. We checked out early and then had two hours to wait for our shuttle. We walked into town one last time and went to the Whyte Museum of the Rockies. Then, as we walked back, my husband pointed me in the direction of the bookstore! Ecstasy!

I was tempted by all the bestsellers in the front, but instead, I made my way to the local shelf. I browsed books about Canada, Banff, and then a shelf of novels written by Canadian authors. There, I found a treasure.

Grizzly Lies by Eileen Coughlin of Calgary! The book is set in Banff and I read it on the airplane home. I couldn't put it down. The author captured the flavor of Banff and mixed it up with suspenseful tale of murder, poaching, with a sprinkling of romance.




A dead body, a missing eccentric, severed bear paws, a hidden cache of ivory and a hunter on the prowl for revenge …. What secrets connect these bizarre events? Hellie MacConnell must venture into the conflicting worlds of conservation and big game hunting to find the answer before the killer finds her. Hellie retreats from troubled relationships in Toronto to the idyllic town of Banff, Alberta, where life is peaceful and nature abounds. But when Doc Rivard, her landlord and uncle, turns up dead and Hellie’s bear-loving neighbour Arthur Elliott disappears, Hellie finds herself at the heart of a murder investigation. Is Arthur a dangerous extremist who will do anything to protect "his" grizzly bears? Is someone after Hellie, too? And what dark history is shared between Arthur and a visiting Texan hunter? Set in the rugged landscape of the Rockies, Grizzly Lies charms with small-town legend and chills with dark secrets. As Hellie delves deeper into the mystery of her landlord’s death, she must learn to listen to the stories of others, heal herself, and let go of the past

Is it Friday yet?

My hubby's been out of town for a few days, and I've been "home alone" with the kids (picture me doing a Macauley Culkin scream). I've been getting up at 5 so that I could get a little work done before I have to get my daughter up and ready for school at 6:15. You'd think I could get a little something done? Nope...

Our baby is an early bird -- and what's worse, he's one of those chipper, happy, energetic morning people (and only 3 years old, ack)! And in a family of nightowls, those mornings are painful, let me tell you. Yesterday, he was up at 4:19 (I sent him back to bed) then 5:30...this morning, it was 5:30 again. So, I barely got my e-mail read between yawns.

Thank goodness Mr. Scott gets home this evening...although not in time to put the kids to bed...but at least I won't be getting up with our youngest tomorrow morning.

Is it Friday yet?

San Francisco Here I Come!

I am totally jazzed. The Romance Writers of America (RWA) annual convention is "right up the street" from me this year (about 6 hours, but hey!). Registration is now open and this morning, despite my internet connection being slower than sludge, I registered! And made hotel reservations...all while doing the happy dance in front of my monitor.

I'll have to decide, in the very near future, if THIS is the year I do an editor pitch...what that really means is...IS THIS the year I write a full-length novel? Tough question.

What about you? Are you going to the convention? I'm hoping to see lots of online friends there and hopefully make a slew of new ones!

WICKED? Not --

Unfortunately my little tale is W-a-y too long for a WICKED submission.

But I'm really lovin' this tale! I'm a little over half done. I won't finish the first draft by today, I'm hoping to type THE END by Friday.

Have Photoshop, will design

We got rid of a few computers over the holidays (can you really ever have too many?)...as a result, we ended up with a spare license of Photoshop. My husband gave it to me to put on my computer.

Oh my!

As a result, I played around until about 2 am one night working on the header graphic. I've finally ended up with something I really like...I've also figured out how to do banners (static and animated) -- fun stuff!

So, over the next few months, I'm going to be unveiling a new look -- I'm starting at my blog, tackling MYSpace next, and then finishing with my website. Hope you like it.

UPDATE: MYSPACE has been converted! I added my book covers and am going to add one more section dedicated to the most current release (NOT until Wicked is written! -- plus I have a shifter idea that needs some more percolation)

Book In a Week

Well, Deanna Lee at Cobblestone Press threw down the gauntlet and I'm going to take up the challenge. Heck, I have to. I feel like I haven't written anything in so long that if I don't pick up a pen now, I might never pick it up again! Scary feeling.

So...I'll keep you posted here and on the writer's goals blog...

Now, I just have to see how Wicked I can write!





And in conjunction with the new line, there's a contest for authors not published with Cobblestone Press yet!


Wicked Line
Length: 5 to 10k
Contest : January 2 – 19, 2008

Be wicked for us. We're looking for short story erotica with a very high level of sexual content within five to ten thousand words. HEA or romantic content not required. First and third person accepted (male or female POV).

First place winner will receive a standard contract, first publication slot for the Wicked Line and $100.

Other entries will be considered for publication.

Contest open to all authors currently unpublished with Cobblestone Press, LLC.

We are interested in the following genres: contemporary, historical, paranormal, BDSM, multicultural, science fiction, and fantasy.

Absolutely no fan fiction, forced seduction, rape, purple prose, pedophilia, incest, bodily functions, snuff, bestiality, and necrophilia.

Submissions should be sent to: submissions@cobblestone-press.com.


So...what are you waiting for? Get writing....you have until the 19th!

Unexpected Company

Well, I'm certainly not going to get much writing done between Christmas and New Years. We've had some unexpected but very welcome company arrive.

So, I plan on hitting the book heavily once they've gone.

Blue Ribbon Review of Postcards from the Dead

5 Blue Ribbons from Romance Junkies

"Hotshot Drew and sensitive Cassie are a great team and readers won’t be able to resist as they’re drawn into a love affair and a mystery in an excellent, spine-tingling story with strong, likeable characters and tender romance."
~Pat Cooper
You can read the entire review here.

Cover Art Christmas

He'll go to any lengths...to catch a Casanova.

This is my hot cover for an even hotter little novella. It's humorous, sexy, oh...and did I mention hot?

It'll be coming out from Total E-bound in February!

Fanlit...Forever!

I'm blogging over at Fanlit Forever on the Romance Roundtable in celebration of the one year anniversary!

Come visit, leave a comment, check out the forum boards , enter a contest, win prizes (today's prize is a $15 GC from Amazon for just commenting on the blog. I'm going to sweeten that deal and offer a $10 gift certificate for comment on my blog and or forum thread. I'll draw a winner at the end of the Anniversary celebration), and make some new friends.

In Support of the Personal Rejection...

Well, lots of good news has to be tempered with a bit of bad news...right?

I got a rejection today for one of my tales. So, it's off in search of a new home. However, as rejections go, this has to be the nicest, most constructive rejection letter I've ever received. It didn't even feel like a rejection. Which made me think about the discussion a week or so ago on Romancing the Blog about form rejections versus personal rejections.

There are lots of cons for the personal rejection for the editor's POV --

It takes time to write them and a few minutes here and there do add up. Especially when dealing with a towering pile of submissions!

It also seems to bring out the worst in some writers who berate the editor for not viewing their manuscript as the masterpiece they think it is. Or who want to argue minutiae with the editor in hopes of changing their mind. It also seems to open the door for the writer stuck in the infinite loop of submitting. They change three words, and send it back in uninvited, two, three or more times!

Yep, I see lots of cons for the editor -- and I'm sure all editors out there could add more to this list!

But there are Pros to that personalized rejection letter. As a writer, I love them. In many cases, the editor has taken the time to tell me where I fell off the track (e.g., your hero/heroine is simply too stupid to live [TSTL], or there were too many spelling and grammar errors, or the writing was too dull and pedestrian, the plot was not well thought out, or the conflict not big enough to sustain the story, etc., etc...)


For me, a form letter is the worst. It takes hold and makes my imagination fly off into all sorts of directions. Especially the "politically correct" rejections. You know, the ones that adopt the "sorry it's not you, it's us" format. These form letters don't help me as a writer at all. I don't know if the story sucks, if the editor just bought the same plot line, or if the editor knows my ex-husband's ex-wife and just has a really low opinion of me. After receiving one of those (and I've had my fair share, believe me)...I'll simply proceed to torture other publications with the story until someone finally has the guts to tell me my hero is walking around with toilet paper stuck to his shoe and my heroine is TSTL.

As you can tell, I'm all in favor for personalized rejection letters -- however, as a writer, it leaves ME with the responsiblity of what I do next.

1. I do NOT write the editor and tell them they must have read the wrong book because they couldn't possibly be rejecting MINE!

2. I do analyze what the editor said and determine whether I, as the author, agree with their assessment. I can then choose to change the story or not.

3. I do NOT make the changes to the document and send it back to the editor without an invitation to do so.

4. I do NOT publically berate the editor or the publisher by name on my blog for all the world to see. Blogs are PUBLIC people -- and the words you type can last an eternity in cyberspace.

And my last responsibility is to look at this rejection as an opportunity to seek out new publications, editors, or agents to submit the work to. What's wrong for one may be oh-so-right for the next one.

"Sin" City

Did you miss me?


We went to Las Vegas with my husband on business last weekend and didn't get back until w-a-y late last night (yawn).

Since we went with the whole family, we stayed at Circus Circus and had a blast. The amusement park inside is small, but since it was during the week and not busy, the boys got to ride, and ride, and ride the little railroad rollarcoaster~

The sad part was that the wireless card for our laptop simply would not connect with the wireless service at the hotel. I felt a bit disconnected...but came back to some really great news.

I got new cover art for a 2008 release from Cobblestone Press titled Fool's Gold.


And it looks like I have a new home for The Werewolf Whisperer! I'll make a formal annoucement about it once the contract's been received and signed...but it's a relief to know it'll soon have a publisher. What it really means is I need to get cracking on writing the three sequels to it as well ~ LOL!

All the time without the internet meant I did a lot of writing. I have one final scene to write for The Vampire Oracle: Chalice and then I can type THE END on the first draft. I'm probably a little off target for hitting submit by 31 October, but it'll be close.

My next project is going to be a time travel...it's part of an idea I've been thinking about for years and all the details are finally beginning to gel. I have to have it written and submitted by the end of the year but am shooting for 15 December so that I can take a bit of a breather during the holidays and start thinking about what projects I need to tackle in 2008.

Anyway...that's what I've been up to. What about you? Have you met your goals for 2007? Are you even close?

Submitting is like Dating....

Last night was movie night in our household. I threw up the suggestion of Premonition with Sandra Bullock. Now, in retrospect, there were several plot holes that one could drive a truck through...but, while the movie was playing, it was lots of fun to put together the clues and try to guess the ending.

Which really doesn't have much to do with what I am going to blog about except tangentially.

Now that we have small children again, Movie night has replaced our weekly date night. I have to say, I like dating as part of a married couple. We always have fun and most times, at the end of the date, we get lucky (snicker)...

This is unlike dating as a single person.

There's the first meeting -- (true story, I was actually stood up for dinner at Red Lobster once...I figure the guy took one look and ran...however, I had a wonderful time flirting with the waiter instead)

There's the actual date -- was it something fun or....? ('nother true story, I once went to a movie on a first date. I wanted to see Titanic, he wanted to see the Blues Brothers...not that I have anything against Dan Ackroyd, but on a first date???)

The parting -- do you just wave? shake his hand? stand there with your lips puckered and hope his kisses you? or drag him inside and have your way with him?

Then comes the worst part -- THE WAIT.

"I'll call you"...were they famous last words? An assurance your phone will ring and he'll call to chat or schedule another date? Or do you call him?


Oh, you try to keep yourself busy...but you still find yourself circling the phone, turning the ringer up when you take a shower, checking your empty voicemail six or seven (or one hundred) times a day. Only time will tell...


You've done the research and found a publisher that you like. It's attractive, friendly, and other people have only good things to say about it. So...you submit your manuscript. You get an autoreply...thanks for the submission, we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

Then comes the worst part -- THE WAIT.

In the meanwhile, I'm keeping myself busy -- I'm writing the next novella and spending time with my family.

But still, submitting is like dating and I've got to go check my e-mail...again...

Sealed with a Kiss

Well, my little Valentine Tale is finished...all three drafts and submitted with a big smacking kiss. Now starts the waiting...I still can't quite bring myself to talk about this one...other than to say it's like nothing I've ever written before. It's straight contemporary...not a suspense or paranormal element evident. It's also in first person, which made it really up close and personal. And...my biggest deviation, it's got some hot m/m action in it. What's the oddest thing is I've been working on it day and night. My muse has been jumping up and down screaming at me to finish it!

Well Miss Muse...it's done.

I don't know about her, but I need a vacation complete with cabana boys and frou-frou drinks with tiny umbrellas in them.

In my copious free time (snicker) I've been reading Angela Knight's Passionate Ink ...lots of good tips and examples...I even got to use one of them in my latest little tale when I was having trouble with the motivation of one of my characters.

And, despite The Werewolf Whisperer being nearly homeless, it got it's first review. 4.5 hearts from The Romance Studio.

Here's what Maura had to say...

"Serena is very resilient and Jackson very compelling, and I found the community of Eclipse very interesting. There are some very exciting scenes and unusual twists that really make this story work. The author has an unusual and engrossing way of telling a tale."

You can read the entire review here

Maura also expressed an interest in my secondary characters, Jazmin and Mike...well, the good news is that if a new publisher picks up The Werewolf Whisperer, there's three more books planned for the series!

Breaking News -- StarDust Press Closing

Public announcement letter: permission granted to post


Dear authors and editors,

After much discussion and negotiation and evaluation, it is with regret that we announce StarDust Press is closing effective September 30, 2007. We are saddened that despite all our efforts, SDP is bleeding, and the investors have decided to cut their losses.

We know that you would all be concerned with this development, so we address all your concerns one by one below.

1. Authors and editors would be paid the royalties/editorial fees due them.

2. All books would be taken off the website and Fictionwise by September 30, 2007.

3. From September 30, 2007 onwards, all rights to the published books revert back to the author, and as such, you can submit them to other publication houses for publication.

4. For unpublished books, you may send to other publication houses as early as now.

5. For authors whose books are currently under edits, we would send you a personal email on the matter.

SDP was established to do legitimate business, however the environment wasn't conducive to its survival. And so, we have no choice but to take this step.

Thank you for all your support and we wish for the best for you all in your endeavors.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reply to this email. Your question may also be the question of the others.

Thanks.

Raine
For StarDust Press management



Looks like I'll be looking for a new home for The Werewolf Whisperer...

Postcards from the Dead Video Book Trailer

For your viewing pleasure...

Winning the Cover Art Lottery

I'm just going to post this beautiful cover. I think it speaks for itself!

Postcards from the Dead -- Coming from Cobblestone Press on October 5th!

Available Now -- The Werewolf Whisperer

The Werewolf Whisperer -- Available from StarDust Press!

The full moon hung low in the sky and lit the yard as if it were daytime.

Her shoe bumped something and it fell with a clatter. Shit! She looked down to see what she'd stumbled over. Blessed God. It was a shotgun! She hadn't fired one in years, not since she and her brothers had made soda cans quake in fear on the back fence. But with a shotgun, she wouldn't need perfect aim. Heck, when they saw she had a gun, maybe they wouldn't mess with her. Okay, so she was fooling herself. But she couldn't help a quick rush of joy when she picked up the gun and saw that it was loaded.

Surprisingly, no one had come running at the sound of the clatter. Serena didn't pause to wonder why. It only took her a few more strides to reach the front of the house and peer around the corner.

What she saw nearly made her drop the gun. Ben and the man were bent over. Had they poisoned themselves? Then, icicles of fear rushed through her veins. What was happening?

Ben's form was suddenly covered in silver grey hair that almost sparkled in the moonlight. His ears had elongated and his face! She shuddered and stepped back, resisting the urge to run. The whole frontal section of Ben's face elongated into a muzzle. Then, with shock, she realized the wolf's savage gaze was locked on her. She stifled a scream as the thing's mouth split open in a wolfish grin. Serena stepped back and pulled the gun up.

The wolves crept closer. Didn't they see she had a gun? Perhaps they didn't think she would use it. Well, they were wrong, she would.

As she ran forward, she could hear their growls. This had better work or she was dead—or worse than dead. Pulling the trigger, there was a pause when time stood still. The blast nearly deafened her. The wolves scattered.

One disappeared. She'd have to watch her back. One dashed off around the house, possibly to leap on her from behind or cut off her retreat. The other had been hit fully in the face and was now pawing at his muzzle and whining.

She ran toward the car, expecting a heavy body to leap on her at any moment. It wasn't until she was sitting in the driver's seat with the keys in the ignition that she stopped to take a breath. A roar at the window made her jump. The third wolf, which was the largest, was launching himself against the window. Again and again, it leapt at the door, its claws screeching as they scratched against the glass.

She started the car and gunned the engine. The animal didn't even flinch. Fingering the can of mace in her pocket to make sure it was still there, she backed out. The wolves followed her, stalking the car.

The little Beetle couldn't do more than twenty-five miles per hour on the washboard road. Any faster and she'd knock the whole bottom out of the car and then where would she be?

In eerie silence, the wolves ran alongside the car. Then, they began howling. Ice cold panic filled her veins.

Suddenly, another figure came dashing along the car, snapping and barking at the wolves. It was Tucker. The wolves turned their attention away from the car and toward the Labrador . Serena felt a surge of pity. The poor old dog would be torn to shreds. She had to do something.

Rolling down her window an inch or two, she pulled the can of mace out of her pocket. "Here doggie, doggie," she called.

The wolves turned as one toward her. Faster than she'd expected, they were almost through the window. Startled, she pushed the button on the mace. It didn't fire. Oh, my god. She leaned back as snapping muzzles filled the opening and she could feel their spittle sprinkling her face, neck, and arms. Then, there was a loud hiss and the wolves were gone. They rolled in the dirt, pawing at their muzzles while Tucker pranced around them barking. Her breath came in little pants as she rolled up the window and drove away. Tucker's fierce barking faded into the distance.

It was a momentary victory, but she pumped her fist in the air anyway.

Now, to get into town and find Jackson . Something bad had happened to him. But he was still alive. Ben and Doc Brown had talked about sending someone back to the jail to question him.

The town was silent. There were no lights on in any of the houses, no sounds of televisions playing behind closed curtains, nothing but the roar of her car's engine. Something really bad was happening and she knew she couldn't stop it.

And above all, she had to find Mike. Please, God, don't let him be dead. But he couldn't be dead. Jackson had gone through all the trouble of calling her out to this god-forsaken place to help find him. No, she had to believe that Mike was still alive. And Jackson was the key. He knew what happened to her brother. He was the one who'd arranged the helicopter and set up the fake hospital story. Damn it, she'd make him tell her where Mike was. She grabbed the shotgun and left the car unlocked and running, just in case.

Pushing open the station door at a run, Serena started yelling his name. " Jackson , hey, Jackson ." Waiting a heartbeat in between her calls, she listened for a reply, for any noise. She pounded on the counter and rang the bell. Still nothing. Damn it.

He had to be here or at home. She started to turn around when she spotted a door under the clock marked Staff Only.. She ran around the counter, slipping a little on the linoleum in her haste. Grabbing the knob, she twisted, half expecting it to be locked. It opened easily in her hand and she felt along the wall inside for the light switch. She didn't want to be surprised by any wolves in the dark.

The overhead lights flickered on and she stared. It was an old-fashioned jail, just like in the movies, complete with three cells. The first two were empty, their doors standing wide open. The third one had an occupant.

" Jackson ?" she called, walking quickly forward. "You gotta tell me where Mike is. Where are the keys? I'll let…you…" The words caught in her throat and she could only stare. It was a wolf, large and black, with amber eyes. There were clothes scattered on the floor of the cell, the same clothes Jackson had been wearing the night before. So, either the wolf had eaten Jackson and not left any blood or…

" Jackson ?" Serena approached the cell.

The story I wasn't going to write...

I love the special calls that go out from publishers for holiday-themed romances. So far, I've written one for Halloween and Christmas...but I just wasn't interested in working on a Valentine story. It's not that I don't love hearts, chocolates, and sexy lingerie. I do...but I really didn't think I could come up with a story that was different and yet romantic...and well, DIFFERENT.

Then, the other day, I'm in the shower. The muse loves the shower. I figure it must remind her of standing naked under waterfalls in Hawaii while watching cabana boys deliver towels and margaritas (sigh) and well, over the sound of the water, I suddenly hear her voice whisper "what about...." and she outlines the most freaking genius storyline in my ear. Luckily, that was on Thursday. So I was able to dedicate my writing time on Friday to outlining it. I'm 3000 words in and it's incredible.

I'm not going to share much about it...I don't want to jinx it. I'm even afraid to google the theme and find out that the whole plot/premise has been done to death. I just want to WRITE the book.

And this from the writer who was just saying last week that she didn't WANT to write a Valentine story...