Vixenwriter

Sorry I’ve been so absent of late. I’m in the writing cave finishing up my polish on No Reservations - mine and Megan’s next joint project. I should finish with it today in fact and then it’s on to Fallen, or what was Fallen but is not notFallen and we’re in the process of finding a new title.

notFallen is set in the same world as Undercover but isn’t a sequel. It’s a push/pull sort of story with major opposites so the scenes should be hella fun to write.

No Reservations takes up six months after Taking Care of Business and features the same two couples. Only this time Leah and Kate go to Las Vegas only to be followed by Brandon and Dix. Megan and I have been plotting the story and I think this one is going to be as fun as TCOB to write.

Anyway, I’ve got to get back to it. Plus, hello ANTS! They got in through a side wall, I’m not sure how, but I have to deal with them now. I cleaned up this morning (they love to invade when it’s not quite raining outside, gah!) And then back to Dix and Kate, currently in bed. heh.

Oh and I made my Sven target this weekend! This was the hardest challenge of the three for me but I did it so yay!

Okay so I may not have written a whole lot of NEW words this week but I’ve gotten a heck of a lot of writing work done in the last seven days.

I finished the revisions on Undercover and got them back to my editor
I reworked a manuscript and synopsis and got it to my agent for a pitch
I edited and finished up Sensual Magic and I’ll mail it to my editor tomorrow

NOW - I can work on Cascadia Wolves: Fated!

My kids are still jacked up on a sugar high from all the chocolate and all my good intentions this last week diet wise have gone out the window in a flurry of mint chocolate chip ice cream. But my husband is home, my kids are going back to school tomorrow, my April 1 deadline has been met and I’m rolling! Wheeee!

My husband is home! Yayayay! He’s been away for the last week on a business trip and between all the writing work I’ve needed to do, running three kids around and sleeping like ten kinds of awful when he’s not here - I was just TIRED yesterday afternoon. But he’s home and I missed him and we had pancakes and did the nice, Saturday morning family thing.

I did update my website with excerpts for Taking Care of Business and Undercover should anyone be interested in checking those out and also, I put up a page for my next Cascadia Wolves book, Fated. Yes, Unexpected is now Fated because as the very clever Angie pointed out, Unexpected sounds a lot like Undercover and we didn’t want readers to confuse the two. Anyway, there’s a loose blurb up now.

AND…I’m told the author copies of What Happens in Vegas are on their way! Which means I’m going to be doing some contests soon so keep an eye out. I didn’t want to start a contest until the books were actually here though, LOL. I can’t wait to see them. Anya has hers already and she said they were very pretty so I can’t wait.

That’s about it. I need to deal with laundry and get some writing work done. It’s sunny today so I’d like to get out and plant some of the seeds the kids and I picked up last week as well.

Enjoy your Saturday afternoon!

I am finally finished with revisions on Undercover. They were pretty light but I wanted to be sure they were as good as possible so I was extremely careful with them. Whew. Now I’m on to a last polish of Sensual Magic, which is due to Harlequin April 1, that shouldn’t take more than a day or so, and finally I can get back to Unexpected. Yay!

I have to say, I got pretty sweaty when I read back over the sex scenes in Undercover. It’s hard when you’re writing something and then editing the first time. You’re very close to the book so you can’t really gauge. But reading it over again, some months later I was like, “wow!” I think this is the hottest book I’ve ever written but also, I was pleased to see the emotional depth in places too. I feel better about it and I already liked it before. Sweet relief.

I ordered some goodies for RT for our Love Shack reader party on Friday (don’t miss it folks!) This party will have goodie bags filled with excellent swag that’ll be exclusive to the party including books from the participating authors. I also ordered postcards for Undercover and Vegas and they turned out so pretty.

I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to Frauke, the person behind the creation of this website (and also the hosting service for it, Janus Portal Hosting) and a great many other websites you you see around. As well as the person who designs my bookmarks, my RT ads and other various graphics like business cards etc. She is truly wonderful. I will give her a few elements and she always turns them into something wonderful. I’ve been a client of hers for several years now and I’m always just so awed by her talent. Plus she helps me with technical stuff when I just can’t figure it out. She always takes pity on me and with good humor. So thank you, Frauke - truly, you make my job so much easier and you do it with style.

Totally UNconnected to any of the above - did you know there was Fraggle Rock fic? I sat in a corner and rocked for a while once I found that out. And then I saw a guy in a furry suit with black leather assless chaps. Don’t ask where I found it. But, well just don’t ask. I think I may have bad dreams.

Now, I’m off to catch up on the stuff I let slide today to finish up with Undercover. Happy Hump Day!!!

In closing, to combat bad dreams - my dreamboat, let me show you him…

Marcus Patrick

My cover came for Undercover. I’m speechless at how beautiful it is.

Wheee! Sweating away here and I’m close to the end. I haven’t even started my writing for the day so I’m hoping to break 20K or more by the time I shut down tonight. From day one of Sven to last night I’m up over 7K. A little slower than my normal speed but the flu kicked my butt. I’m hoping to get back up to 3K a day now that I’m not hacking up a lung a few times a day.

Which is good because I just learned yesterday that Outshined, a contemporary erotic romance, sold to Berkley Heat! I don’t know when it’ll be coming out at this point but it’s due mid-September so fingers crossed either late 09 or early 2010! I also got word that the proposal for Fallen, book II in my first Berkley sale, has been accepted. That one will be out at some point in 09 so I’m totally thrilled. Fallen is another futuristic set in the same world as Undercover although not with the same characters.

I’m so fortunate. I want to say thank you thank you thank you to my agent Laura Bradford who always kept me going when I felt as if I’d never sell a darned thing and also to my friends who have been so supportive to me - and most of all my readers who are just totally awesome.

It’s a darned good day!

Blarg, all the sudden I got hit with some stuff and had to finish it so I was in the land of deadline. But when I came up for air, I discovered several wonderful things!!

To wit - Undercover, my December 2 release from Berkley Heat is now up for pre-order at Amazon!

Here’s the blurb since there’s not one up yet at Amazon:

Journey to an erotic future universe of passion, danger and deceit…

As a lieutenant of the Federation military, Sera Ayers is more accustomed to giving orders than taking them. Now she must obey the one man she can’t stand—and can’t stop thinking about.

With the enemy Imperialists gaining ground, a new covert team is assembled by Ash Walker. Ten years before, Sera had lovingly submitted to Ash’s dominance in the bedroom. But when he was forced into a political marriage, she left him rather than become his mistress. His marriage now over, Ash wants Sera on his team—and back in his bed.

The third team member, Brandt Pela, has an elegance to match Ash’s savage sexuality. And when their undercover plan requires Sera to pose as Brandt’s lover, it ignites a passion among the three of them more dangerous than their mission…

And, Making Chase is also up for pre-order at amazon. It comes out in print June 24 and I’m totally thrilled. This one is the last Chase Brother book so I hope folks who haven’t read it yet enjoy it.

Still cooking on Sensual Magic for Spice. I’m hoping to wrap it up next week! I’m off again, more busy! I’ll be back in a moment to draw a winner for the Grimspace contest!

Got word this weekend that Unexpected, Megan Warden’s book set in the Cascadia Wolves universe, has been contracted by Samhain. You should see it in July or August.

Waiting to hear back on beta on Undercover. I’ve got some feedback so far and I’m relieved. I’m waiting to see what my agent thinks of it and of a proposal I sent her last week as well.

Oh! I did sneak in some reading over the weekend - Patricia Briggs has seriously hit it out of the park yet again with her newest installment in the Mercy Thompson series. Iron Kissed was seriously fabulous. Made me actually weep, not just cry, but weep in one part. The writing is taut and interesting and I love Mercy’s character. I think the resolution with who Mercy chooses works really well and makes sense for everyone involved. Just a really fabulous book.

I also read Carrie Vaughn’s next Kitty book - Kitty and the Silver Bullet. Also fabulous. There were times when I just wanted to smack the crap out of Kitty. Part of the appeal though is how much she grows, of how despite the fact that she’s a werewolf, she’s scared and flawed and well, human. The action was well done and I love Ben’s character development too.

My dude and I watched Shoot em Up on Friday night. First of all, it might come as a surprise to you all but I have a wee bit of a crush on Clive Owen. Just a teeeny weeeny one. I laughed and laughed as I watched the movie. It’s meant to be over the top and campy and it is. Paul Giamati is absolutely hilarious and I don’t mind looking at Monica Belluci in any way so it was all win win for me.

Um, that’s about it for my exciting life today.

I’m over at the RRT Blog with an “Ask Five” spot! Come by and say hello.

Undercover is now off to beta readers. I’ll be on pins and needles until I begin to hear back. Eeep! Now it’s back to work on Taking Care of Business, which I hope to finish up this weekend.

Anyone doing anything exciting this weekend? Here at home it’s me, writing oh and Mt. Laundry too.

The new title for what used to be Battlefront is UNDERCOVER and it hits shelves December 2!!!!!

Journey to an erotic future universe of passion, danger and deceit…

As a lieutenant of the Federation military, Sera Ayers is more accustomed to giving orders than taking them. Now she must obey the one man she can’t stand—and can’t stop thinking about.

With the enemy Imperialists gaining ground, a new covert team is assembled by Ash Walker. Ten years before, Sera had lovingly submitted to Ash’s dominance in the bedroom. But when he was forced into a political marriage, she left him rather than become his mistress. His marriage now over, Ash wants Sera on his team—and back in his bed.

The third team member, Brandt Pela, has an elegance to match Ash’s savage sexuality. And when their undercover plan requires Sera to pose as Brandt’s lover, it ignites a passion among the three of them more dangerous than their mission…