New sale, and lots of other good stuff going on here!

It’s been a bit of a crazy week, (in a good way,) with lots of great things happening here at home on shady lane! Work on Lillie’s story is coming along nicely, with two chapters complete. I have to shelve it now to work on something else, but I’m at a good point in the story to do so.

Preparations for the RWA adventure have been moving along, with Madelynne joining Wendy and I for the expedition – yay!!! We'll make a terrific (if giddy) trio of travellers. As of today we also have our flights booked, so it’s more or less all done and dusted and we can try to put it out of mind for a few months and get some work done... (notice I said “try” ;-)

Exciting news came in midweek. First up, my lovely agent heard from an Italian publisher who is interested in buying translation rights for DOUBLE DARE. I was absolutely delighted about the news. It might not come to anything, but it would be fabulous if it did! I have my fingers crossed.

Closely following on from that, my agent secured a new sale! Woohoo!! Harlequin Spice has commissioned a trio of linked stories for their ebriefs line. I’m thrilled to bits! The stories are about 3 workaholic brothers who each come into contact with a wild-woman-out-of-control, over the space of 3 seasons. Not sure what they’ll be called yet, but the proposal was offered under the overall title LOVING ON THE EDGE. I hope to have more news on that soon.

And we know what new sales means around here. Yup. Paaaarrrteeeeeeee! :-D

Come and chat with us today

Today, Berkley and NAL Heat authors will be chatting about the books, the line, and much much more!

The event is scheduled for 10am to 10pm, EST. (that's kicking off at 3pm if you are on GMT, like me)

Alyssa Brooks, Maya Reynolds, Julia Templeton, Sheree Whitefeather, Kathleen Dante, Sasha White, Joey Hill, and more, will be online at various times throughout the day. I'll be there for the first couple of hours. Join us if you can!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chatting_with_Joyfully_Reviewed/

Too cute

Today I'm off to meet Wendy/Portia and delve into her durty thawts. Hehehe. Well, that, and plan for the big adventure in July. :)

Have a great day!

Your chance to win, at Romance Junkies

There are a few days left to enter the Winter Wonderland contests over at the Romance Junkies site. Check out the fun HERE. You'll find a gift from me in the Candy Store. ;)

What I'm working on

I've been in a mini-rut with the writing, but I'm glad to say I've levered myself out of it. I had a bunch of things I wanted to get started on, but wasn't sure which direction to head in. Now, I am certain, and yesterday I got stuck in. Phew. I'm working on a novel I'm calling Lillie's story. I do have a title in mind but it's not set in stone yet. I've added a word meter to my sidebar and I'm hoping we writers get another challenge from Sven while I'm working on this one. I'm only nudging forward very slowly at the mo, because I'm still working out some minor plot details as I go - the synopsis/roadmap is all done, thankfully.

HEAT authors chat

Advance notice -- this Saturday, the 26th of January, many of the Berkley Heat authors will be chatting at the Joyfully Reviewed chat loop. The event is scheduled for 10am to 10pm, EST. Chat with authors Alyssa Brooks, Maya Reynolds, Julia Templeton, Sheree Whitefeather, Kathleen Dante, Sasha White, and Joey Hill, about the line, the books, and more. I'll be around for the first couple of hours.

Click here for the Joyfully Reviewed chat loop.

We're off to RWA, on a jet plane, don't know if we'll ever be sane again

Oh my, I haven’t posted here in ages. Naughty me. Last week was crazy, lots of “real life” chaos going on, car servicing, an ill man in the house, appointments all over, and a raft of emailing about projects for this year. That’s my excuse. But I’m back and things are moving along like wildfire.

Today I got my place booked on the RWA conference in San Francisco. Got to say, that was a crazy few hours there, dealing with “the system” (cough) and making sure it was all done and dusted and I wasn’t booked in for a walk on the moon instead of what I was aiming for. I think we’re safe. Of course double-checking seems fraught with tension. I’m guessing the database is crazy with people booking in at the mo.

Exciting! I’m just filled with glee at the thought of meeting my editors and my agent, so many people who I consider my dear friends and colleagues, women I’ve grown to know over the last few years but haven’t met in the flesh as yet. And my CP, who I haven’t seen for…gulp, 8 years. It's going to be fab!! I'll have totry to calm down for the next few months, or I'll never get anything done. :)

I’ll be travelling over with my wonderful local buddy, Wendy/Portia, and we’ll have a riot, I’m sure. We’re trying to bend a few arms to make our pair into a girl-gang. ;) Yeah, a gang of erotic romance authors. Be afraid, be very afraid…

Red Sage writing contest launched!

*** Permission to Forward Granted ***

A Hard Man Is Good to Find…
And Finding a Great Writer Is Even Better

Red Sage has a reputation for finding the next big stars in romance writing. Our author roster reads like a bestseller list. We’re also known for being a tough market to crack, but now we’re giving writers an opportunity to see their names added to the list of Red Sage stars!

To celebrate the growth of the Secrets line of anthologies and the launch of Red Sage Presents, our e-books line, we’re holding a writing contest. This is a great opportunity for two lucky winners to grow along with us!

Here at Red Sage, we admit to a certain fondness for the alpha male. He’s powerful. He takes what he wants. And he makes that one special woman want what he takes.

Whether he’s charming or ruthless, passionate or stoic, the alpha male makes a great romantic partner for today’s strong, modern woman. And we want to see erotic romance novellas that explore the complex relationship between the alpha male and the modern woman.

There will be two prizes awarded for the best stories. First prize will be publication in the Secrets anthology! Second prize will be publication as an e-book!

Here are the basic rules:

1. All entries must be original, unpublished erotic romance novellas of 25,000 to 35,000 words in English featuring an alpha male hero.
2. To enter, send a completed manuscript as an rtf file to Submissions@eredsage.com with “Alpha Male Contest” in the subject line. Only rtf formats will be accepted. All other formats will be automatically disqualified and deleted unopened. Include your full name, contact information, and credentials (if any) in your cover e-mail.
3. Entries must be received by March 31, 2008, at midnight eastern time. You may enter as many times as you wish. By entering, you are certifying that your entry is your original unplagiarized work, that you own all rights in this work, that this work has never been published, and that you are willing and able to publish it with Red Sage. Any entry not meeting these requirements will be automatically
disqualified.
4. In the event that none of the contest entries are deemed publishable, no winners will be declared. All entries will be reviewed by Red Sage editorial staff. All decisions are final. Non-winning manuscripts will be deleted at the conclusion of the contest.
5. For further tips on what Red Sage looks for in a manuscript, check our submissions guidelines at http://www.eredsage.com/Writers_Guidelines-sp8.html and our blog at http://redsagerevealed.blogspot.com/
6. There is no fee for entering. Winners will receive a standard Red Sage publishing contract offer with standard Red Sage advance, royalties, and other terms.
7. This contest is void where prohibited by law.

MINE TO POSSESS, Nalini Singh

I got my hot little hands on an ARC over Christmas, and what a treat it was! I don’t often review books here my blog. Mostly this is because I find it hard to separate the author in me and the reader, especially when I try to organise and express my opinions. When I read, I want to immerse myself in the story and not think too much about how the writer has constructured it. If I forget about the writing, that’s the sign of a really great book. MINE TO POSSESS was so engrossing I never once stopped to think about the mechanics of the writing. The other reason I don’t often review is because I find it hard to maintain the delicate balance between giving a flavour of the book for other readers, and not spoiling it for them. Yes, I’m crap at keeping secrets. :)

The fourth book in Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series, MINE TO POSSESS, explores the story of Tally and Clay. These two have history. Oh boy, do they have history! The novel is an action-packed paranormal romance, as well as a powerful reunion story about two people who were friends as children, and couldn’t stop thinking about each other over the intervening years. However, as a child, Tally witnessed the animal in Clay, and she was terrified. He knows she was his one love, and yet he has lived his life believing she’s dead. That’s some major conflict to overcome.

But now Tally has had to face something that scares her even more than Clay did, something that she needs his power and strength to defeat. The children she works with are being taken from the streets, and she tracks Clay down for help. These two have a helluva lot of emotions to work through as they progress on the hunt.

As readers I believe we are carried through stories by strong characters, and Tally and Clay are instantly compelling, hauling us along on their engrossing tale. Tally is a strong and admirable heroine. Clay is fierce, scary, and downright gorgeous. What's not to like -- half leopard, half egyptian, wholly yummy. :) Their story packs a powerful emotional punch from the first pages right through to the end. I believed I would be able to read a few chapters and put it aside. I read the entire book in one day. The phrase “hit the ground running” came to mind, the difference being that this book hit the ground running and kept on running right to the end. Powerful action, powerful emotion, a fully realised and totally believable paranormal world, combined with a superhot romance. Nalini Singh has mastered all of these elements and combined them skilfully in MINE TO POSSESS.

Amazon.com
Amazon UK

Returning to the land of the living

I am gradually returning to the land of the living after being out of circulation with a winter lurgie for two weeks or more. I’m now hearing that there are lots of other evil germs out there, which makes me want to huddle inside with my computer. That is no bad thing. Alas, my Sven progress in the last few weeks has been negligible, because of illness. I need to revv my engines and soon.

So, as I surface, lots of exciting things arrived in the post. I’d ordered some postcards to promote RECKLESS, my July release, and they arrived today. This was the first time I'd done anything like this, so opening them up was wonderfully exciting, like Christmas all over again! Yes, I got mega-excited over a postcard. Really! There was high-pitched, breathless squeaking, and everything. The talented Frauke at Croco designed them for me, and I love them to bits. Here is a smaller version so you can see what they look like.



Today also brought my author copies of the THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF BEST NEW EROTICA from Maxim Jakubowski. This anthology should be available any day now.

Here in one seductive volume is the finest erotic writing of the year 2006-2007, from around the world. Containing more than 40 new stories, "The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica" offers an addictive menu of sex in all its splendor. These tales trace the extraordinary variety of the erotic experience, as men and women play out the eternal rhythms of desire. In the realm of the senses, everything can be explored. Here is explicit sexual drama in all its forms from some of the best writers in the field.

More excitement, and I'll be giving a copy away on my next newsletter. I was absolutely thrilled when I turned over to read the back cover copy and saw my name and short story listed there. Yes, another huge grin! All this fun is helping my recovery speed along fabulously. :-)

I also discovered I got a lovely mention in a review from Ashley Lister, at the Erotica Readers and Writers Association web site. He was reviewing BEST WOMEN’S EROTICA, edited by Violet Blue, and he gives me this mention for my story: "Saskia Walker, with typical style and eloquence, makes the temperature sizzle in "Winter Heat."" Style and eloquence, ay. I'd better pull myself together if I want to live up to that one! :o)

Oh, and while I’ve been down for the count and away from the desk, I’ve been reading an ARC of Nalini Singh's forthcoming novel MINE TO POSSESS. It was a terrific read, and I'll be putting up a review of that later today. See you then!

Dazzled author ogles catalogue with stupid grin on face

You'll have to humour me here, because this post might make me seem a bit dippy. Okay, even more dippy..?

I try to be a sophisticated and professional author on my blog, (ahem, mostly, I have no control when there are kitties involved,) but mostly I don’t feel like an internationally published author. I'm here in my little house, engaged with my current story and fielding the doubts and worries, and the successes don't feel real. I look at the books on my shelves with my name on, and I can’t fathom it. Really, I’ll pick up a book and I can’t believe this thing is something I’ve created. It's not like we don’t celebrate each and every achievement I make, we do. (Any excuse, and it’s a good excuse. ;) But somehow I can’t feel it sinking in, fully, ever. I’m still dazed and confused and amazed that this has even happened for me. Even if I never sell another story, I’m eternally grateful to the editors who liked my work and gave me a break, and the readers who enjoyed one story, and bought another.

I see other authors who are so polished, who take it in their stride and live up to it, but I confess I don’t feel like that. Keep in mind I don’t even get to see most of my books on the shelves in bookshops. I’m hoping to make it over to the RWA conference this year, and I think that will do me a lot of good because I’ll get to meet some of my editors and my agent. I may faint, as it finally sinks in that I actually did sell a story, or two. :-)

Anyway, what brought this confession on, you may be asking. Today the postman brought a package from Penguin, and inside was something I'd never seen before. A catalogue. It’s for Summer 2008 and it includes my novel, RECKLESS. I got all hot and cold at once when I saw it, and narrowly avoided tears. Yeah, I know, how daft. But things like this bring it home to me, and I'm kind of stunned. I read the "sales points" and I thought, "Is that really about me?"

I scanned the page to show my Mum and Dad :o} so if you're curious about these things, you can see it here.

Okay, I’ll try to get back to being a sensible grown-up ASAP. Promise.

Did you enjoy Secrets Volume 19?

Exciting news in today, SECRETS VOLUME 19 is listed in the Preditors & Editors Readers' Poll! Please consider voting for us HERE. Thanks! :-)

In other news, I am slowly surfacing from a very nasty winter bug and hope to be back to blogging properly next week, (and if I owe you mail, that too!)

Cheers all. Enjoy the weekend!

Contest announcements

Many, many thanks to all of you who called by and left comments on my holiday contest for readers! I wasn't expecting so much feedback and it was incredibly useful for me. I'm going to respond to some of the comments you left in a blog post soon. Meanwhile, my Real Life Hero has selected the first comment as the winner, because it's the first of a new year. Congratulations go to readinginglasgow! I'll be in touch soon regarding your prize.

The book contests at my newsletter have also now closed and I'll be posting a news update in the next couple of days announcing those winners.

Okay, I have a bit of a winter bug so I'm headed back to my snuggle blanket and a hot drink. ;-) I hope everyone who calls by here is keeping the winter germs at bay!

Happy New Year!

I'll be announcing contest winners later today.