- Downbeat (Biting Love Book 7)--is in my wonderful/amazing editor's hands for pre-edits
- Beauty Bites (Biting Love Book 6)--releases next month, August 27, so excited!
- Biting Oz (Biting Love Book 5)--now out in paperback!
- Camp Nano--I'm camping this month, to finish Murder at Chipmunk Lake (A Nixie and Julian Story)
- Lots and lots of parties and events. Check out my NEWS page.
- Aiden's story (Biting Love Book 8)--I'm starting the prewriting phase
- A Billionaire for the Wrong Sister, an indie romantic comedy, is in the edit and rename phase
- Alphas Don't Wear Bows--is up next, for finishing the mega-edit process I started in January with Savvy Authors' EditPalooza
- My Savvy Authors' blog post for August--Synopsis in a Snap!
- Hot Chips and Sand is winding up its free run on my Sidetrips blog
Showing posts with label personal update. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal update. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
July 1T Olio
Quick update time! Here's what I have in the works for the next couple months.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Biting Love News Update
The Biting Love Series is now renumbered! The Bite of Silence, novella with Twyla and Nikos, has been added to the series as Book 3 and Biting Me Softly, Logan and Liese's story, is Book 4.
In other news, the title for Biting Love Book 5 is getting closer to being a reality. The Title Goddess has actually gone back to another incarnation, and though I can't say what the title will probably be, it involves "Oz" and "Biting." :)
More Biting Love news! Biting Love books are now on Kindlegraph! Bonus--there's a great handwriting font so you're not subjected to my chicken scratching.
Followers know I've got two new books up through first drafts--another Biting Love and a wolf shifter/witch romantic comedy--and am now working on a third first draft. I'm very excited about this third book, a serious shifter novel about two wolves who, in the first 19,000 words, are sparking off each other like crazy. This draft is going slower because I'm also working up Prokofiev's First Symphony. For those of you who don't know the flute, the range of the instrument is middle C to the C three octaves above (C to shining C, heh). Well, Prokofiev decided he didn't care what the range of the instrument was and wrote all these C#s and Ds above the highest C. And not slow easy C#s and Ds. No, these are eighth notes at half-note=158. (Take my word for it--blindingly fast. Brain-numbing fast. Eek fast.) Needless to say, it's taking a big chunk of time and energy getting the part under my fingers. Thank you Mr. P. But the draft is still shaping up!
In other news, the title for Biting Love Book 5 is getting closer to being a reality. The Title Goddess has actually gone back to another incarnation, and though I can't say what the title will probably be, it involves "Oz" and "Biting." :)
More Biting Love news! Biting Love books are now on Kindlegraph! Bonus--there's a great handwriting font so you're not subjected to my chicken scratching.
Followers know I've got two new books up through first drafts--another Biting Love and a wolf shifter/witch romantic comedy--and am now working on a third first draft. I'm very excited about this third book, a serious shifter novel about two wolves who, in the first 19,000 words, are sparking off each other like crazy. This draft is going slower because I'm also working up Prokofiev's First Symphony. For those of you who don't know the flute, the range of the instrument is middle C to the C three octaves above (C to shining C, heh). Well, Prokofiev decided he didn't care what the range of the instrument was and wrote all these C#s and Ds above the highest C. And not slow easy C#s and Ds. No, these are eighth notes at half-note=158. (Take my word for it--blindingly fast. Brain-numbing fast. Eek fast.) Needless to say, it's taking a big chunk of time and energy getting the part under my fingers. Thank you Mr. P. But the draft is still shaping up!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Writing update
I have recently come to the conclusion that my writing takes time. I'm not one of those authors who can write and polish a book a month, every month. This is a hard thing for me to accept because, well, I'm a bit competitive, and a bit of a perfectionist (I can just hear Mrs. Missive saying "No, really?" :) (Mrs: NaNo writing buddy who kept me in line.)
It's not that I can't write fast. I regularly write 3000 words a day and did a bunch of 10,000 word stories in two days each. I wrote the bones of a 40,000 word story in eight days and once wrote a 90,000 word novel in three weeks.
But my writing takes time to steep. The really good stuff perks through just one thought at a time. I have to make a lot of little edit passes rather than a couple big ones. Although the big ones have their own purpose. Hmm, sounds like a blog topic :)
Anyway I'm trying something out. Instead of writing one story and sticking with it to the bitter end, I'm writing three. I'll take all three to the end of the first draft. Then I'll do all three revisions. Then a trio of polishing passes.
So here's what I'm working on. I have the next novel in the Biting Love universe a few scenes from a complete first draft. I'm not sure if it'll be in the series--right now the heroine is a bit too serious, so we'll see. I started a humorous shifter story in July and am finishing the first draft right now. And I have a dramatic shifter story perking away in my brain for next month.
In about four months I should know if this works or not. I'll either have three wonderful complete novels...or all my hair torn out. Wish me luck!
It's not that I can't write fast. I regularly write 3000 words a day and did a bunch of 10,000 word stories in two days each. I wrote the bones of a 40,000 word story in eight days and once wrote a 90,000 word novel in three weeks.
But my writing takes time to steep. The really good stuff perks through just one thought at a time. I have to make a lot of little edit passes rather than a couple big ones. Although the big ones have their own purpose. Hmm, sounds like a blog topic :)
Anyway I'm trying something out. Instead of writing one story and sticking with it to the bitter end, I'm writing three. I'll take all three to the end of the first draft. Then I'll do all three revisions. Then a trio of polishing passes.
So here's what I'm working on. I have the next novel in the Biting Love universe a few scenes from a complete first draft. I'm not sure if it'll be in the series--right now the heroine is a bit too serious, so we'll see. I started a humorous shifter story in July and am finishing the first draft right now. And I have a dramatic shifter story perking away in my brain for next month.
In about four months I should know if this works or not. I'll either have three wonderful complete novels...or all my hair torn out. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
NaNoWriMo 2011 Starts Today
Coming next month--a special Biting Love readers-only giveaway. More details next week.
What will the heroine of Beauty Bites be called? The results of the poll: Synnove! But there were almost as many votes for Alexis, so I'll be giving Synnove a sister, who may just show up in a book down the road...
Thanks to everyone who voted! And thanks for your great comments. I'm in awe of how creative you all are!
Final results:
Alexis-9
Cynthia-0
Dakota-1
Isabella-5
Jansie-1
Liv-1
Natalia-6
Synnove-10
Ulrika-1
Awesome suggestions:
Amanda Ryder (Mandy)
Ameren
Ingrid
Kari (Karita)
PersephoneTory (Thorir)
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
What's in a name? Please help me out!
Biting the Rainbow is written, awaiting a contract. Black Diamond Jinn is nearing completion of edits for resubmission. So what's next?
I'd love to start on the next Biting Love story but I have a problem. I have a theme and some basic plot ideas and a little mini-story for the middle (Twyla and Nikos never got their happily-ever-after). But I don't have the most important element--the heroine's name.
To me, that's vital. I'm part programmer, remember. The name is the handle by which I call the whole subroutine, or access the whole program. As a writer, the name is the letter-tag that MEANS the heroine. It should resonate with her personality, her looks, her issues.
Please help me out! In this case, I'm trying to find a handle for Twyla's second cousin, a woman who's a quarter black, has the face and body of a Scandinavian model, and is a trained physician but may have to leave the profession because people are distracted by her looks. Oh, and X's name has to be different enough from the heroines I've already introduced: Elena, Nixie, Twyla, Liese, Junior, and Rocky (whose book is after X's).
Some possible names for this character are in a poll to the right. This one you can pick multiple favorites. If you've got other suggestions, comments here are appreciated! Vote through the end of October. Thanks!
I'd love to start on the next Biting Love story but I have a problem. I have a theme and some basic plot ideas and a little mini-story for the middle (Twyla and Nikos never got their happily-ever-after). But I don't have the most important element--the heroine's name.
To me, that's vital. I'm part programmer, remember. The name is the handle by which I call the whole subroutine, or access the whole program. As a writer, the name is the letter-tag that MEANS the heroine. It should resonate with her personality, her looks, her issues.
Please help me out! In this case, I'm trying to find a handle for Twyla's second cousin, a woman who's a quarter black, has the face and body of a Scandinavian model, and is a trained physician but may have to leave the profession because people are distracted by her looks. Oh, and X's name has to be different enough from the heroines I've already introduced: Elena, Nixie, Twyla, Liese, Junior, and Rocky (whose book is after X's).
Some possible names for this character are in a poll to the right. This one you can pick multiple favorites. If you've got other suggestions, comments here are appreciated! Vote through the end of October. Thanks!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Tomorrow--Guest Blog and GIVEAWAY
Independent women, strong smart men, and horses. Add in a giveaway of an Advanced Reading Copy giveaway and tomorrow promises to be epic! Fantasy author Renee Wildes will be here to share some insights and celebrate next week's release of Riever’sHeart (Samhain Publishing), the fifth book in her Guardians of the Light series.
A personal writing update: I have some editorial interest in my short story Black Diamond Jinn, where a dying witch and powerful jinni fight to save the world from Y12 (the Mayan Doom) even as they fight their own attraction. More as that develops.
To round it off, my husband sent me this link to "The Young Lutheran's Guide to the Orchestra" by Garrison Keillor. It reminded me of Meiers Corners.
‘The Young Lutheran’s Guide to the Orchestra’ in We Are Still Married (New York: Viking Penguin, 1989), 30–4.
Monday, June 6, 2011
WisRWA Conference a great success!
I do enjoy conferences. The 2011 WisRWA was great as always, lots to learn and fun people to be with. The speakers were truly incredible, inspirational, entertaining and informative!
Featuring:
Susan Wiggs
Simone Elkeles (Bonus! Perfect Chemistry rap on YouTube)
Brenda Novak
Workshops:
Angela James (blog)
Carrie Lofty (Art of Elevator Pitch--useful, concrete advice for short pitches with punch)
Featuring:
Susan Wiggs
Simone Elkeles (Bonus! Perfect Chemistry rap on YouTube)
Brenda Novak
Workshops:
Angela James (blog)
Carrie Lofty (Art of Elevator Pitch--useful, concrete advice for short pitches with punch)
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Short visit to Alaska
I took a flying (heh) four-day trip to Anchorage recently. Here are some pics! Don't look too closely at the person holding the books, she was in planes and airports for a solid two of those four days, and it shows :)
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| Mary with Vivi Andrews's The Sexorcist Anchorage Barnes & Noble |
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| Road, water and mountains abut |
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| Me and Biting Me Softly |
Monday, December 6, 2010
Anatomy of a Musician, mid-holidays
'Tis the Season...for holiday gigs. While the rest of the world might be decorating, sending cards, and digging up new recipes for that festive turkey or ham, I'm--playing. And practicing. And playing some more.
The last four days alone I've had two rehearsals and five--count 'em, *5* performances. That's not counting time at home, woodshedding any of fifty holiday pieces. My wip...excuse me, lip feels like Dr. Claw stretched it out and ran a tractor over it. My eyes aren't focusing; when I shut them little eighth notes dance on my eyelids. I've played more versions of Silent Night than it has letters.
This week: three more rehearsals and three performances (although some of them are for my husband only and I'll just drive him there and read on my Kindle). But it means I'm only taking a quick dip in the cyberwaters today before plunging back into the raging current of holiday music. Hope to see you on the other end!
The last four days alone I've had two rehearsals and five--count 'em, *5* performances. That's not counting time at home, woodshedding any of fifty holiday pieces. My wip...excuse me, lip feels like Dr. Claw stretched it out and ran a tractor over it. My eyes aren't focusing; when I shut them little eighth notes dance on my eyelids. I've played more versions of Silent Night than it has letters.
This week: three more rehearsals and three performances (although some of them are for my husband only and I'll just drive him there and read on my Kindle). But it means I'm only taking a quick dip in the cyberwaters today before plunging back into the raging current of holiday music. Hope to see you on the other end!
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