aren't these pretty?

--
Telly: Springwatch
Choc/Yummy: Turkish Delight
Mood: good
Writing: none today
Reading: Gothic Blue!!!!
RSI/FMS: not too bad


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

it's that day again...

when in Rome...

I've spent most of the Bank Holiday in Rome! Well, watching programmes about Ancient Rome on UK History... All very fascinating stuff, historical, yet dramatic... makes me feel good about being 'educated' and less bad about goggling at the telly instead of actually getting on with writing. Have learnt lots of facts about various Emperors and especially enjoyed Michael Sheen's deliciously camp performance as the deranged Nero...


In other news, I'm actually reading one of my own books at the moment!!! Yes, I've given in and have started reading Gothic Blue, in order to not completely **** up the continuity and consistency in Gothic Heat. It's a strange experience, because it's over 12 years since I wrote this thing, and it's like reading something somebody else wrote...


I've only read a bit so far, but I sort of like it. My style was different back then... more flowery and naive... but also fresh and enthusiastic. I'm hoping I've gained more than I've lost over the years, but it's hard to tell. I'm always slightly unnerved when people praise my early work... I love it that they like it, but I worry that I might never write as well again. I suppose all authors have these feelings though...

Actual writing has been going reasonably okay, and have been managing to keep up my 1K per day over the last two or three days. I've now done over 21K, which is around 30% of the book. It still feels as if I've only just started, but I remember a similar state of affairs when I was writing Suite Seventeen... so I'm not *too* worried.

Lots of 'stuff' ahead in the week ahead... I'm posting at Lustbites on Friday with an excerpt from Suite Seventeen, and I might also post a bit at Portia's Prose too. Although don't worry, there's plenty of book left to read for those who are planning to buy! ;)

ps. I might also be holding a minor chat session soon too... at the Romance Galleria. Watch this space for more on that...

--
Telly: lots of Roman stuff
Choc/Yummy: Turkish Delight/cupcakes
Mood: good
Writing: 1.1K of Gothic Heat
Reading: Gothic Blue
RSI/FMS: bit sore


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

Found this at Loribelle's blog

1. WHERE IS YOUR CELL PHONE?: in my bag beside the bed
2. RELATIONSHIP?: 30+ yrs old!
3. YOUR HAIR?: short, bleached blonde
4. WORK?: is writing
5. YOUR SISTER?: is ace!
6. YOUR FAVORITE THING?: chocolate
7. YOUR DREAM LAST NIGHT?: about web design
8. YOUR FAVORITE DRINK?: nice cuppa tea
9. YOUR DREAM CAR?: James Bond's Aston Martin
10. THE ROOM YOU’RE IN?: bedroom
11. YOUR SHOES?: at the moment, socks
12. YOUR FEARS?: death
13. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE IN 10 YEARS?: happy and writing
14. WHO DID YOU HANG OUT WITH THIS WEEKEND?: himself and the cats
15. WHAT ARE YOU NOT GOOD AT?: making decisions
16. MUFFIN?: double choc chip
17. ONE OF YOUR WISH LIST ITEMS?: iPod
18. WHERE YOU GREW UP? where I live now
19.LAST THING YOU DID?: type the line above
20. WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?: tee shirt jeans etc
21. WHAT AREN’T YOU WEARING?: shoes
22. YOUR PET?: cats
23. YOUR COMPUTER?: HP Compaq laptop
24. YOUR LIFE?: teetering on the edge of madness
25. YOUR MOOD?: sort of edgy
26. MISSING?: my late cat Boy
27. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW?: this list
28. YOUR CAR?: VW Passat [don't drive it... himself drives]
29. YOUR KITCHEN?: a mess
30. YOUR SUMMER?: strange and busy hopefully
31. YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?: black
32. LAST TIME YOU LAUGHED?: yesterday, quite a bit
33. LAST TIME YOU CRIED?: yesterday
34. SCHOOL?: a long time ago
35. LOVE?: real world: family, cats/fantasy: heroes in my books

Visit Loribelle's blog for her answers...

Further to my post below...

Lovers of Apollo 13 are sure to enjoy this YouTube...

Thanksgiving With the Kranzes

I won't post it here because it's 18 mins long!

It's an absolute scream... and so creative. :)

Houston, I have a problem

Ack, just when I started waking up enough to consider doing some writing, I switched to ITV1 and discovered one of my all time favourite movies is on... Apollo 13. Gosh, I love this movie! I've seen it loads of times, but I never tire of it, and get nervy on each viewing... even though I know it's a true story and the astronauts get back home! And there's no way I can switch it off half way through... once I've started watching, I have to see the mission all the way through until the splashdown!


Apart from it being a fabulous story, and a truly uplifting example of the human spirit at its finest, the movie is acted by a A1 exceptional cast, headlined by a couple of my big faves, Tom Hanks and Kevin Bacon, along with the also splendid Ed Harris, Bill Pulman and Gary Sinise.


--
Telly: see above
Choc/Yummy: Turkish Delight
Mood: lazy
Writing: not
Reading: AGW
RSI/FMS: bit sore


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

I wish I could be this relaxed...

Here's Kuffer, being companionable and lying beside me as I work. He loves to stretch out on the bed, whether it's during the daytime, or at night when other people are trying to sleep too!

Still grappling and battling with Gothic Heat... In fact I was awake at four this morning, with a score of illogical and inconsistent plot scraps floating about in a horrible mish mash. Nothing made sense, and I was half convinced I was actually having a nightmare about the thing... but sadly I was more or less fully conscious.

Surprisingly though, I'm feeling just a tad better about it in the full light of day. Much stuff to do, but I had a slight revelation early on, and remembered something that's supposed to be at the core of the story... but which I'd completely forgotten. Now that I see that though, there's slightly more of an angle. Also had one or two bits of ideas for possible sensual scenes too. So, I'm sure I'll get there in the end, with lots of hard work.

Have had a productive morning on the 'admin' side. Clearing a lot of emails, doing some accounts, bringing a very tiny bit of order to the huge quagmire of chaos that is my working life. Feel v. satisfied about that, and quite positive as a result. Which is a change...

ps. looking at the piccie above, it's dawned on me that I've subconsciously given my blog a similar colour scheme to my bedding! LOL

--
Telly: UK TV History
Choc/Yummy: Mars Planets
Mood: not bad, considering
Writing: more thinking and brainstorming on GH
Reading: AGW
RSI/FMS: bit sore, bit tired


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

some brainstorming required

Yep, it's finally dawned on me what's bugging me... Large bits of my so called plot for Gothic Heat don't actually make a lot of sense and have not been 'thought through'! I really need to spend some more time thrashing out plot points, character motivation, timescale and logical 'what if' stuff... I think I need to rehash the outline thing I did, and maybe get someone else, with a fresh eye, to take a look at it when I've done it. Bits of the idea work, but some are still a bit jumbled. It's all too pantsed - and pants! I think a pantsing approach can work for a 'relationship' contemporary, but I think for paranormals, there has to be an internal logic... or I can just see the reviewers and all tearing me a brand new one for inconsistencies and stupid worldbuilding... or lack of it.

The good news is that I still think the stuff I've written so far is okay, with a little tweakage. The basic idea of the heroine, Paula, being a conduit/vessel for the evil spirit of Isidora the sorceress is fine, and has tons of potential. As does her seeking help from a conflicted and ambiguous guy like Rafe... it's just the actual mechanics and 'rules' of this set up that need more development and cohesion.

--
Telly: nothing much
Choc/Yummy: Mars Planets
Mood: brainthrashed
Writing: see above
Reading: AGW
RSI/FMS: very, very tired and achy


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

teetering towards ostrich mode

After the splendid progress of yesterday, I'm a bit stalled again... Basically, I don't quite know how to get from one bit to another without a lumpy transition. Again, because I haven't quite worked out how the next bit of the book will go. Maybe I should just cut from one scene to the next, and try and pick up the pace a bit. Madelynne's book, that I'm reading now, fairly zips along and carries you with it in a wonderful pageturning way that I'm really enjoying... I should learn from her and increase the momentum and velocity of my own writing!



I'm also feeling sort of swamped again at the moment, with a zillion things I'm *supposed* to do, things I ought to do, and things I want to do... I'm getting into a bit of an overload situation again, and teetering dangerously towards my tendency to turn into an ostrich in these situations ie. hide, bury my head, ignore *everything*, and just hope some of it will go away. Obviously this is such a childish way to conduct one's life... but hey, I've never claimed to be a paragon of maturity and wisdom, even if I'm getting physically quite ancient.

--
Telly: nothing much today
Choc/Yummy: Turkish Delight [yes, I'm obsessed]
Mood: a bit off
Writing: grappling with GH
Reading: AGW
RSI/FMS: slightly sore


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

docking manouvers

Yeah, we have capture!

I've successfully managed to hard dock my 'prologue' with the beginning of Gothic Heat... in fact it's no longer a prologue but simply chapter one now. I'm currently working my way through what were chapters one and two, but are now chapters two and three, and integrating them with 'stuff' that happened in the opening dream sequence... and clumsy and kacky as that sounds, it's actually working quite well, and I'm liking what I'm reading and writing... I hate to say it, but I think I've managed to dock with my characters now too, and they're becoming more alive to me. Which is a relief! Gothic Heat was starting to feel like a real SBFH... but now it's showing signs of becoming more manageable and enjoyable to write.

Rafe is definitely a non standard hero. He's pushing forty, he's a bit of a misfit, and he's got a dodgy past and a slightly sleazy present... and he has some huge issues to deal with, that he's sort of been avoiding by being a little bit of a shag monster, to be honest. But now he's met Paula and things are changing fast. He's still got to battle with various temptations, and that's going to cause some grief and nonsense along the way, but seeing as I'm a firm believer in the good in a guy winning out in the end, he'll come to the light and be a hero when the time is right.

nb. SBFH = sh*t book from hell

--
Telly: nothing much today
Choc/Yummy: Turkish delight
Mood: good
Writing: 1K in the integration
Reading: AGW
RSI/FMS: not bad


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

pwetty... sparkly...

too much, already... sometimes

You know sometimes I just think I should not turn on the computer... and write by hand or something for a while. This stupid laptop obsesses my life, honestly. Time after time I wake up dreaming about something to do with computing or the online world, or something. Mostly online stuff... I see to live most of my life via the WWW... and surely that's not healthy.

Woke up this morning from a dream about Ning, which to those who haven't encountered it, is a social networking site. A bit like MySpace, but not quite as tacky somehow... It's more complicated though, which is probably why I was dreaming about it!

I also dream and obsess about online dramas of various kinds... and I shouldn't because that's all they are, dramas... mostly over nothing. I know writing involves imaginary worlds, and interacting via the internet a lot nowadays. But really, the actual world around me, away from the computer, is *real life* not all this tarradiddle on the net!

Anyway, back in the bizarre and importance-inflated world of writing... Had a good day yesterday on Gothic Heat. The prologue idea was a v. good one, and I ended up writing a princely 2K words! Brilliant for me... What's more, I unconsciously wrote a scene that ties in nicely with something that happens later, and prefigures it in a spooky sort of way... Which is quite clever for a dolt like me! And means I have a way to enhance the later bit when I rewrite it... as I most definitely will have to!

I've also decided to start listening to more music, instead of always turning on the telly. I'd forgotten how inspirational music can be for writing... At the moment classic THE CURE from the Eighties is helping to enhance the strange mood I need for Gothic Heat. And in pursuit of this music angle, I've decided that for my birthday [3oth May...] I'm going to ask himself to buy me an iPod... I must be the last person on the planet without one, I guess, so it's about time I joined in the digital music fun.


Mind you, isn't downloading tunes just another thing I'm going to spend time doing online when I should actually be writing? Goddam... I'll never escape!!!!

--
Telly: CSI:NY... does anyone else fancy Sid the pathologist?









Choc/Yummy: Cadbury's Turkish Delight bar
Mood: good
Writing: will be working on GH
Reading: AGW
RSI/FMS: not too bad...


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

And now, the Prologue!

In the grand tradition of Up Pompei, I've decided that Gothic Heat needs a prologue!

I've been thinking about this for a few days, but wasn't quite sure how to go about it... but yesterday, I got a bit of a flash of inspiration and an idea of how to start it. And today, I've dove into the action and have already done 1.1K words... and it's only midday! Way to go me!

Being a devotee of literary cliches, I'm not only begun with a prologue, but also a dream sequence. LOL! But despite this, I think it'll work okay. The dream is from the villainess's POV and sort of serves of a set up for the story and a bridge between Gothic Blue and Gothic Heat. I've also tried to use a touch of the more flowery language I used for GB... which is another bridging device. The main body of GH will be told in the more 'realistic' type style I use now, but I'm hoping the tone of this prologue will 'connect' the two books in tone as well as content.

I don't think this is any kind of gigantic lightbulb type breakthrough... but I do think it's a useful development, and I'm feeling a tiny bit more confident about this mare of a book now. :)

--
Telly: French Moto GP
Choc/Yummy: Fry's Turkish Delight
Mood: good
Writing: 1.1K Gothic Heat
Reading: A Gentleman's Wager/Madelynne Ellis
RSI/FMS: not bad


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

further to my post below

bathroom thoughts

I still don't feel as if I quite know what's going on in Gothic Heat... but I just spent some time mulling over various plot points whilst I was getting washed and dressed in the bathroom, and I think I've had one or two tiny insights into what makes my hero, Rafe, tick. I often have good ideas for writing whilst I'm in the bathroom and above is a picture of this haven of inspiration... Not! Wish my bathroom was as luxurious as the one above. 'Cos if it was, I'd linger for hours in there bathing and beautifying [well, as much as is possible these days...] and probably produce much more and much better in the way of fine fiction!

The problem with Rafe is that for the plot he needs to be more ambiguous, perhaps something of a bad boy... a bit ruthless and dark. But because I like my characters to be basically good, I keep on making him too nice! I've been thinking about what might have happened in his past to make him the way he is... and my bathroom ponderings produced one or two minor traumatic events for him, and also a clearer picture of some past misdemeanors that have led him to the place in his life when he encounters Paula. I foresee a long soak in the tub later in the day, in order to flesh out a better back story for her too! At the moment, they're both too vague... I need to actually sit down and write character bios for them, as well as tidy up the sort of outline thing I've written... in fact I need to actually do the normal prep a sane writer would do for any book! Rather than charge into writing willy nilly with no idea in my head what I'm supposed to be writing!!!

But that's one of my problems really... I panic if I'm not actually writing wordcount, and subconsciously think of prep as avoidance of the real issue of banging down the story... Which makes me think, I'm not actually the full on pantser I thought I was becoming... I'm still actually a planner at heart, and avoiding the planning is having a detrimental effect. I need to stop panicking about deadlines [I've got until October, after all...] and think things through a bit...

Yes, that's what I'll do!

Writers... do you ever panic like this? Ever rush too quickly into the actual writing because you fear that you're deliberately avoiding writing by taking time to plan? I'd love to know if people have the same angsts and worries that I do...

--
Telly: not yet
Choc/Yummy: not yet
Mood: uneasy
Writing: thinking plot points through
Reading: AGW
RSI/FMS: bit sore


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

raindrops on roses....

At the moment, these are a few of my favourite things! When the dog bites... when the bee stings... la di da di dah!

what a nice surprise...

I'm not a great one for writing non fic pieces for the web and elsewhere, so I don't usually do much more in that line than produce the rambling day to day diatribes you find here... But a while back, I noticed a nice feature at Dear Author, where they were doing Q&As with a variety of authors who live outside the US, detailing their experience of writing and being published in America. I emailed Jane at DA on spec, and asked if I could answer their questions too, but she said they didn't need any more authors for that feature, and asked me if I was interested in trying something else... I shook in my shoes, really, because of the aforementioned uselessness at writing about myself... but I decided to have a bash and this is the result.

Portia Da Costa's First Sale


--
Telly: UK TV History
Choc/Yummy: apple turnover
Mood: okay
Writing: thinking about Gothic Heat
Reading: AGW/Madelynne
RSI/FMS: rather tired


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

I'm your huckleberry

Last night, I watched one of my favourite films for the second time in a week... and the second time was just as fresh as the first. I love TOMBSTONE! It's not a new movie, but clearly, it's one I never tire of... even though I know the story back to front by now. Well, the story as portrayed in the film... I'm sure the real story of the Earps v. the Cowboys was considerably different and more complex.



Apart from the obvious excitement and tension of the story, and the cracking gunplay of the infamous OK Corral and elsewhere, it's just a film that looks so good. Hot damn, those Earps are so stylish! They must have been the sharpest dressed gunslingers in the whole West. I love the frock coats, the whole severe collar, necktie and posh waistcoat thing, the cool hats... and oh, Wyatt's long, black duster coat that he dons when he means heavy lawman business! I would love one of those myself... I'm not so sure if I fancy men with such bushy moustaches... but then, they were the fashion at the time, and were obviously de rigeur for any self respecting sherriff or deputy.



Kurt Russell is fab as Wyatt Earp, sort of generally noble but also conflicted... but the real star, I think everybody will admit, is Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday... the prince of the morbidly droll one liners. Hard to believe that a guy can be sexy when he's white as a sheet and sweaty all the time, and always on the point of coughing blood, but he manages it supremely and he's certainly my 'huckleberry'. Also kudos to Michael Biehn as a coldly deranged, Latin quoting Johnny Ringo.

I'm not sure whether Tombstone ranks as a classic, traditional western or as a revisionist [not that I'm quite sure what that means]... but I'd say it's got a least some of the latter's qualities, because nobody's portrayed, really, in simple black and white terms of good and bad... The Earps weren't angels by any means. They were ruthless killers themselves, who happened to be on the side of the law, some of the time. Brilliant examples of good 'bad boys' or ambiguous 'good guys'... gotta love 'em!

Anybody else out there like this movie?



--
Telly: Tombstone, obviously
Choc/Yummy: Apple Turnovers
Mood: okay
Writing: thinking about Gothic Heat, need to rework some bits
Reading: AGW/Madelynne... loving it
RSI/FMS: bit sore and very tired


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

blogging bleugh

Sometimes I write about having 'writer's bleugh'... which is my version of writer's block. But at the moment, I think I've got a touch of 'blogger's bleugh' instead. I just seem to have run out of steam a bit blogwise, and other demands on my creativity are making it difficult even to come up with my level of blogging twoddle... which is admittedly very much lower than a lot of people's.

But I don't think I'm alone in this [hopefully temporary] lack of enthusiasm for blogging. I go to a lot of blogs, not necessarily the same ones every day, but some of the folk who used to be real hard core, fluent and copious bloggers, seem to be just lacking the pep they used to have. And some don't seem to be blogging as much because they're concentrating on writing or whatever else they do... which I applaud! But it just seems as of the novelty of blogging has worn off and it's not quite the fresh medium it used to be. I suppose I'm lucky in that I've never set out to produce a consistently high standard of blogging, and I've certainly never aimed to be literary or to commentate or to educate... but I'm feeling that there's only so many times that people are prepared to be interested in my moaning and groaning about my writing problems, my health problems, and television, chocolate and cats.

Who else is a bit in the doldrums with blogging? It can't just be me...
--
Telly: LOCI - stunning acting Vincenzo! [and many thanks, Eliza, love you!]
Choc/Yummy: Fry's Turkish Delight
Mood: fairly good, but feeling pressured
Writing: a few hundred words of GH, but had to rip out some stuff, so no further forward
Reading: A Gentleman's Wager/Madelynne Ellis.... smashing stuff!
RSI/FMS: very, very tired, almost to the point of sleeping sickness


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

gaps...

Ack, did it again. Too busy to post. Too tired to post. Too distracted to think of anything fun and interesting to post. And it's not as if I haven't been having a nice time... I went to Manchester on Saturday and met two fabulous literary ladies, Madelynne Ellis and Janine Ashbless, who are Black Lace authors, just like me... Well, not just like me... because we all write different styles, of course.

Anyway, we spent several hours laughing and talking, dishing the dirt on writing and writers, and discussing our characters and plots, or lack of plots, in my case. We scoffed yummy food, drank delicious drinks and coffees and generally had a highly satisfactory time of it!

Here are some splendid piccies... well... splendid of Janine and Madelynne and almost human looking of me.... almost...

The fabulous Janine Ashbless

The Magnificent Madelynne Ellis

Madelynne again, with some old woman....

--
Telly: The Madness of King George
Choc/Yummy: Cupcakes
Mood: not bad
Writing: 1K Gothic Heat/outline Gothic Heat
Reading: about to start A Gentleman's Wager by Madelynne Ellis
RSI/FMS: rather tired and sore


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

Agh, I've been tagged!

Naughty Michelle Pillow has gone and tagged me, the scamp!

THE RULES:

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

EIGHT RANDOM FACTS:

1. I just ate a Fabulous Bakin' Boys Double Choc Cupcake

2. Before that I took an afternoon nap of one hour

3. There's an old movie playing on the telly - Heaven Can Wait, starring Don Ameche

4. Tomorrow I'm going to Manchester to meet Madelynne Ellis and Janine Ashbless

5. I do all my writing in bed! [or on it]

6. I wrote 1K words of my WIP this morning

7. #6 is a miracle

8. My favourite show is on the telly tonight - Law and Order Criminal Intent

I'M TAGGING... nobody

I don't think I'm actually going to tag anyone as such, but if you're visiting this blog and feel like posting 8 random facts about yourself on your blog... let me know!

displacement activity

I haven't got very far with the book yet, but I have made one of my silly faux covers for it!

Courtesy of Cute Overload

Was going to say... here's something utterly adorable to lift the spirits on a depressing Monday morning. Only I just realised it isn't Monday! It just feels like one after the Bank Holiday here in the UK.

Anyway, on visiting one of my favourite sites on the web, I saw this image... and I just felt an immediate lift in my happiness levels! If anyone is unaware of Cute Overload, oh, you really must try it. The site owners and contributors there just bring together the very best selection of images of... well... cuteness! Pictures of sweet, soul soothing animals to take the vexed mind off its worries and its woes. It's just pure medicine, it really is!

CUTE OVERLOAD

And many thanks to Margery, who submitted the kitten photo to CO

All the best people bleach their hair...

Thought I would simply post something pretty today... because I need it!

--
Telly: Agent Cody Banks
Choc/Yummy: miniature carrot cakes with buttercream
Mood: no comment
Writing: none
Reading: none
RSI/FMS: so so


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

virtual fun

Hey, I went to a glamorous awards ceremony last night! Hung with celebs of the romance world at a glitzy event... in virtual reality!

It was the Cameo Awards for Romance Book Trailers and it was held at the Romance Galleria which is a nifty 3D virtual world for romance writers and readers. I've been loitering there quite a lot lately, chatting to various writing buddies. It's a great venue for writers, where you can have a permanent presence or take part in chats and trailer screenings and other cyber events. There are official chats, but it's also perfectly possible, free and huge fun to just hang around the lobby and the exhibit landings having an informal natter with your buddies.


The Galleria does require you to download its own special software to create the virtual world, but even cautious me hasn't really had any problems with it. It's jolly new widget/toy to play with... and procrastinate with when I'm supposed to be writing!

ps. am gonna have to get me some book trailer goodness soon... I wonder if the Divine Vincenzo would consider starring in one for me. He does like to appear in Indie films, after all...

--
Telly: the snooker
Choc/Yummy: individual carrot cakes
Mood: idle
Writing: none
Reading: none
RSI/FMS: bit sore


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

Eyes of Desire

Here's the final lettered version of EYES OF DESIRE, my first HeatSheet! Mighty fine torso on that chappie, eh?

And here's the lineup of all the other great authors who are contributing to Force.

A good day...

Despite having not done much writing work... other than futzing about with a short... today has been a very pleasant day.

Got a bit of publication news this afternoon which pleases me mightily. It's another that I can't quite announce yet, because it's not 'official'... but I think I can say safely that it's 'almost certain' that a certain novella I've rabbited on here at length over the months might see the print light of day in 2008. Big smiles!

I was also deliciously tickled over at Romance By The Blog, when the lovely host there, Michelle, posted a gorgeous piccie of the Divine Vincenzo, just for me!



--
Telly: snooker
Choc/Yummy: turkish delight
Mood: delighted
Writing: editing a short
Reading: Rosemary Laurey Forever Vamps
RSI/FMS: bit sore, not bad


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

Win Big!

Nip over to Lust Bites today for a chance to win a magnificent prize! A copy of GOTHIC BLUE by yours truly... oh, and you're sure to enjoy the additional items that come with it too. ;)

--
Telly: LOCI [swoon...]
Choc/Yummy: not yet
Mood: okay
Writing: not yet
Reading: Kiss Me Forever - Rosemary Laurey
RSI/FMS: so so


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

erratic

Sorry to be so erratic about posting... You would think that after my fabboo news on Tuesday about Eyes of Desire, I would be bubbling all over my blog at the moment, wouldnt you? [That sounds vaguely rude and/or yukky...] Truth is, yesterday started out well, with a productive chat with a writing mate about a promo thing and then various other bits and bobs of writing/webby related stuff, only slightly interrupted by snooker [watching not playing] but then things started to get a teeny bit whack. Himself turned up, and we had a cuppa tea chat out on the patio [actually the area of our drive between the back of his large white van and the garage] and then shortly afterwards, I started to develop a headache... although I don't think the last two were in any way connected. Headache grumbled on throughout an early trip to Tesco, and then turned into a migraine when I got home. Happily was able to squish it with medication, but I'm hoping this isn't a sign of things to come... A resurgence of the frequent migraines I used to get before... fingers crossed it isn't that...

Any road up, I do have another bit of super publishing news bubbling up, but I probably won't be able to announce it until later in the summer, due to it not being quite nailed on yet. But, suffice it to say, if it does happen, it's something I've really, really wanted to be a part of for a long, long time... and it means working with a v. distinguished and famous erotica editor. :)


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

feel the FORCE!!!!

I am so chuffed today! I've been waiting and waiting to announce this, but couldn't until the closing date for submissions was past... and now it is!

I'm pleased to announce that my micro novella EYES OF DESIRE has been accepted by Phaze for their FORCE collection, to be published in July.

EOD is a particular favourite of mine, because it's a very warm and positive story. Megan, the heroine, is recovering from an eye operation, and her vision is still a bit wonky... but that doesn't stop her falling for a tall, mysterious stranger with a proud, soldierly bearing who is kind to her while she's taking a country holiday to recuperate. You could say she falls in love with Guy at first sight... but without the sight!

The Force collection is dedicated to all kinds of personnel from all walks of service and duty life. Soldiers, cops, pilots, paramedics, firefighters... all those who risk their lives for others. It's a splendid theme and I'm proud to be a part of it.

Shown above is the advance mockup for the collection covers... not sure this guy is quite like my Guy... but you have to admit he has an excellent bod... and a rather fine weapon! Tee hee!

I'll be posting more details about this publication in the near future... but suffice it to say, colour me very delighted with my news today!!!

Read a short excerpt from Eyes of Desire

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Telly: snooker
Choc/Yummy: turkish delight
Mood: excellent
Writing: 1k Gothic Heat
Reading: ComputerActive
RSI/FMS: not too bad


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