On Writing

I'm often asked - ah darn it no - I'm never asked about how I write. Well not often. I'm not one of the lucky ones who sit down at a computer and it comes pouring out. My stories rise slowly like hot air balloons and then eventually move forward. I wish I could write faster but I can't. I'm not slow but I so quickly get trawled up in plots and character that I have to backtrack over the first few chapters time after time until I feel happy moving on. So instead of plotting everything, I start off with nothing and then build it up like a tower of blocks, only to take a couple out every now and again and let it fall before I start off once more.
Current WIP - has me excited to write on and I can't until I have some sort of feel for where I'm going and why. For a change, I know what I'm going to be writing in a few chapters time and that's rare. Usually, it happens as I type. This is one is more of an adventure than some of my others. An MM story with the MCs so diametrically opposed, they're going to be fun to bring together.

NEWS from friends !!

My friend Cate Master's dark paranormal erotic romance, Dancing With the Devil, will be free on Amazon from Wednesday 3/28 through Saturday 3/31.
The link is
http://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Devil-Goddess-Connection-ebook/dp/B007J3M3QA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1331413492&sr=1-1

Lily MacInnis has the luck of the Irish – against her. All her life, she never could catch a break. But now, something’s about to catch her, and dump her suitcase of secrets on the floor. Some secrets, even Lily hadn’t known. Like her father’s an angel, and her mother escaped from Hell. Literally. And now Hades and Persephone – her grandparents – want her to return to the Underworld. Lily is The Destined One, promised to Zeveriah, Archduke of Section Six, and Hades’ up and coming CFO.

Not in Lily’s plans – she’s fallen for Bodie, the Ruling Angel of the Sixth Heaven.

Bodie can’t let Lily fulfill that destiny. But will Bodie risk losing everything to keep his promise to ensure Lily stays safe?

Part goddess, part angel, part demon, can Lily summon the powers she never knew she had to free herself and make her own destiny?

Dancing With the Devil is Book 2 of The Goddess Connection series, which says: Every woman should embrace her inner goddess. What’s your connection?


http://catemasters.blogspot.com/2011/03/dancing-with-devil-dark-paranormal-with.html


And in other news, two writing friends Laurie Green and Donna Frelick have both finaled in the RWA Golden Heart/Rita awards with their sci fi romance novels. Donna is a double finalist as Laurie was last year. Congratulations, ladies!!!!
http://spacefreighters.blogspot.co.uk/

Why is life like this?

We have a leak. We HAD a leak. Husband has temporarily filled it but the roof will have to be re- whatevered. But the leak caused damage to the plaster and so it has to be painted. Whole room needs doing. Since you'll have white paint out - says slave driver - why don't you do bedroom as well? So that's another room stripped ready for paint. I usually strip to paint, funnily enough. In pants and bra I can throw away afterwards. A hot shower and I'm good as new. But moving bedroom furniture showed carpet in need of cleaning, so we have a guy coming to do that. While he's here, he might as well clean the carpet in the den which is in DIRE need of new life. Oh and while he's at it, there are marks in the hall from a workman who failed to remove his shoes. I fear this is the neverending story.....

What to do with my business cards

Where can I leave them - let me count the places
Who can I give them to?

1. Random shoppers in Target who make the mistake of talking to me - sorry nice lady!
2. Slip them inside books I send to charity shops
3. Hand out at book fairs - oh, I never go to any.
4. Drop by 'accident' - and watch them get thrown in bin
5. Drop by 'accident' and get fined for littering
6. Stand and wait for possible victims - get done for loitering with intent
7. Leave in coffee bars - oh I never go to those either

Could this be why I still have 493 of the 500 I ordered?

New cover

My next book out with Samhain in May - is called Worlds Apart - a paranormal menage.

Love has never been so close—or seemed so far away.

I love you. Niall is in hiding, but not from the police. He’s trapped between the world he longs for and a place he can’t leave behind. Cursed to hold his tongue, unable to claim what he wants until it’s given, he’s allowed one year to capture his heart's desire. But speaking those three simple words, the most important words in his life, might very well kill him.

I can’t love you. As a private investigator, Taylor walks daily through the ashes of love burned out. He’s witnessed the aftermath of love—destroyed marriages and wrecked lives that leave behind nothing but bitter memories of betrayal. He’s convinced that love will never plant a seed in his heart—until Niall sparks a completely unexpected reaction in both mind and body.

I want to love you. Roo has spent her entire life bouncing from relationship to relationship, offering her heart only to get it trampled on. When she finds herself out in the cold again, she discovers love can come from the most surprising of places. Her choices are simple. Do the right thing. Do the wrong thing. Do nothing. The wrong choice could be simply devastating…

Warning: Beware faeries with killer tattoos and girls dressed as chickens—broken hearts can follow… Or lots of love. And lots of sex—three-way, two-way, every which way. But no chicken sex. Thank god.

Editing

How I love editing!! I mean it. I'm not being sarcastic. I much prefer it to creating the first draft of a story. My latest editing marathon has been of another thriller. It's about the Russian mafia and set in Miami. I actually went to the place where I'd set it to check out beach access and things like that! I'd made assumptions that turned out to be wrong so I prefer to go in person to a place if I can.
The book is called - 'Crossing the Line' - and it's a theme that runs through the story. How far should you go in any given situation? Is there a point at which you should say no? My heroine wants revenge for the murder of her family but what is she prepared to do to get what she wants?
Trouble is - 'Crossing the Line' - isn't a very unique title and I probably ought to find something else to call it. Son suggested 'Katya if you can'. Katya is the name of the heroine - but it sounds bit too flippant to me.
I'm also fairly sure I'll self-publish this one. Whilst it has a much stronger romantic element than 'Chosen', it's not a book that fits well with a romantic publisher. But there's a lot to do before I get that far- another line edit, a cover, maybe a new title, formatting for publication etc
Maybe the host of New York agents reading this will be rushing to send me emails to grab first option on it.
Oh look, I grew wings!