Friday, 16 February 2007
For Maria...
Maria! Hotel Chocolat is a completely fabulous online chocolate shop that sells gorgeously sumptuous goodies! Selections, great big slabs of choc, novelties... just pure heaven! I'm a member of their Chocolate Tasting Club, which means they send you a collection of yummy new chox every month or so. You can have a box *every* month if you like... but I only have one every three or four months. For the sake of my thighs!
And no, I'm not on commission, I just *love* HC!!!
--
Telly: UK History
Chocolate: see above
Mood: distracted, unable to focus
Writing: nothing
Reading: magazines
RSI/FMS: achey, but not quite as bad as yesterday
Thursday, 15 February 2007
quickie
Had a fantastic time with Rosemary yesterday! We had a lovely lunch out at a local cafe pub, with lots of chat about writing paranormals and other general writerly talk. Afterwards we adjourned to my gaff for more gossip, coffee and some Hotel Chocolat... yum yum.
Today, I've been trying to catch up on some stuff from my to do list... v. slowly. Am feeling a bit tired and achey, still in the midst of that FMS flareup.
Thassabout it for now... sorry this is so sparse. I promise to do better tomorrow!
--
Telly: UK History
Chocolate: Hotel Chocolat
Mood: not bad, but v. tired
Writing: nothing today, naughty naughty
Reading: Cosmopolitan
RSI/FMS: very very tired and aching all over
Today, I've been trying to catch up on some stuff from my to do list... v. slowly. Am feeling a bit tired and achey, still in the midst of that FMS flareup.
Thassabout it for now... sorry this is so sparse. I promise to do better tomorrow!
--
Telly: UK History
Chocolate: Hotel Chocolat
Mood: not bad, but v. tired
Writing: nothing today, naughty naughty
Reading: Cosmopolitan
RSI/FMS: very very tired and aching all over
Wednesday, 14 February 2007
busy day...
Have a busy day ahead! A lovely writing friend from America, Rosemary Laurey, is dropping in to see me today, and we're going out to lunch!
I've known Rosemary for many years and we've got together lots of times before, mostly in London but last year also in Leeds, when she's come over for writers' events and to visit her family. She's an expat Brit now living in Ohio, and a fantastic writer, best known for her fabulous vampires! So I will be picking her brains today about Buddies!
The proofs of Suite Seventeen went off back to the editorial assistant yesterday... thank God! I love the book, but checking its proofs has been horrendously gruelling. I got myself so worked up over them that I've been quite tearful with relief to see the back of them... Trouble is, I now have a huge backlog of jobs to do that I just didn't have time for while I was checking them... not least of all to begin sorting out the 'problem' and the 'bigger problem'... But these are humongous tasks that can only be tackled in baby steps, and while constantly telling myself not to panic and just work gradually... It's got to be gradual, because writing and web design has to continue too. And they take priority...
Anyway, must go now, as I have a whole bunch of last minute cleaning and tidying jobs to do before Rosemary arrives!
--
Telly: not yet
Chocolate: hopefully
Mood: weird
Writing: probably not today
Reading: probably not today
RSI/FMS: quite sore all over due to stress
I've known Rosemary for many years and we've got together lots of times before, mostly in London but last year also in Leeds, when she's come over for writers' events and to visit her family. She's an expat Brit now living in Ohio, and a fantastic writer, best known for her fabulous vampires! So I will be picking her brains today about Buddies!
The proofs of Suite Seventeen went off back to the editorial assistant yesterday... thank God! I love the book, but checking its proofs has been horrendously gruelling. I got myself so worked up over them that I've been quite tearful with relief to see the back of them... Trouble is, I now have a huge backlog of jobs to do that I just didn't have time for while I was checking them... not least of all to begin sorting out the 'problem' and the 'bigger problem'... But these are humongous tasks that can only be tackled in baby steps, and while constantly telling myself not to panic and just work gradually... It's got to be gradual, because writing and web design has to continue too. And they take priority...
Anyway, must go now, as I have a whole bunch of last minute cleaning and tidying jobs to do before Rosemary arrives!
--
Telly: not yet
Chocolate: hopefully
Mood: weird
Writing: probably not today
Reading: probably not today
RSI/FMS: quite sore all over due to stress
Tuesday, 13 February 2007
It's official!
Buddies Don't Bite is go! It's to be in a Black Lace Erotic Paranormal Romance novella anthology called Lust Bites, and it'll be published on 9th November 2007!
If I can raise my game and belabour this recalcitrant sukka into shape, this should be a v. fine anthology, because the other novellas are by top spiffing authors Mathilde Madden and Kristina Lloyd, two very bright stars in the Black Lace firmament...
If I can raise my game and belabour this recalcitrant sukka into shape, this should be a v. fine anthology, because the other novellas are by top spiffing authors Mathilde Madden and Kristina Lloyd, two very bright stars in the Black Lace firmament...
--
Telly: Gladiators of WW2
Chocolate: none yet
Mood: schizo
Writing: proof checking... agh
Reading: proof checking... agh
RSI/FMS: very achey in all parts
Monday, 12 February 2007
sorry for the gap
Yes, I really am... but I've been grappling with my proof checking and not feeling so great and generally frittering away time that could have been more productively spent... :(
Page proofs are great because you see the way the finished book is going to look, and it all makes it stunningly real... That mad idea that you thought was as thin as a wafer is suddenly an actual book, and when you read it, it almost seems as if somebody else wrote it.
Page proofs are nightmarish because you see things you wish you'd said a different way... and it's too late to change them. And, worse, you see inconsistencies that *HAVE* to be changed and you've got to work out how to do it with the least disruption to the text!!! Then there are things that niggle you, but could be left, and you have to have a fight with yourself as to whether you're going to ask for them changing... which involves big time decision making - which is one of the things I most hate and loathe in life. I HATE making decions!!!
I've also been feeling cruddy with my fibromyalgia, probably triggered by the stress of the proofs and by getting myself in a paddy over stupid things and stupid people which and whom I really shouldn't let bother me. I should just let it all flow over me, but it's not in my nature to do that. I niggle about every goddamn thing! And I get into cycles of negative thinking, which makes me depressed and anxious, which makes my FMS flare, and then I feel even worse than ever! Looking around on the web, I've been intrigued by something called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which is recommended highly for people like me... so I've ordered the For Dummies guide to it on Amazon. Even if it doesn't do anything for me, at least I can have a character who's into it in a book, can't I? Nothing's ever wasted...
On a brighter note, I may have some interesting publication news coming shortly. I'm more or less certain of it, given what I've read at a writing chum's blog... but I somehow daren't speak about it here until I hear some confirmation via my agent.
Page proofs are great because you see the way the finished book is going to look, and it all makes it stunningly real... That mad idea that you thought was as thin as a wafer is suddenly an actual book, and when you read it, it almost seems as if somebody else wrote it.
Page proofs are nightmarish because you see things you wish you'd said a different way... and it's too late to change them. And, worse, you see inconsistencies that *HAVE* to be changed and you've got to work out how to do it with the least disruption to the text!!! Then there are things that niggle you, but could be left, and you have to have a fight with yourself as to whether you're going to ask for them changing... which involves big time decision making - which is one of the things I most hate and loathe in life. I HATE making decions!!!
I've also been feeling cruddy with my fibromyalgia, probably triggered by the stress of the proofs and by getting myself in a paddy over stupid things and stupid people which and whom I really shouldn't let bother me. I should just let it all flow over me, but it's not in my nature to do that. I niggle about every goddamn thing! And I get into cycles of negative thinking, which makes me depressed and anxious, which makes my FMS flare, and then I feel even worse than ever! Looking around on the web, I've been intrigued by something called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which is recommended highly for people like me... so I've ordered the For Dummies guide to it on Amazon. Even if it doesn't do anything for me, at least I can have a character who's into it in a book, can't I? Nothing's ever wasted...
On a brighter note, I may have some interesting publication news coming shortly. I'm more or less certain of it, given what I've read at a writing chum's blog... but I somehow daren't speak about it here until I hear some confirmation via my agent.
Friday, 9 February 2007
Lustbites post today
I've posted at Lustbites today... it's utter twoddle, really, but why not pop over and take a look? There are lots of pictures, even if the text I've written is crap... LOL
LUSTBITES - Casting Continuum and Gothic Blue
LUSTBITES - Casting Continuum and Gothic Blue
Thursday, 8 February 2007
GOTHIC BLUE out today in the UK!!!
At an archduke's reception, a handsome young nobleman falls under the spell of a malevolent but irresistible sorceress. Two hundred years later, Belinda Seward also falls prey to sensual forces she can neither understand nor control.
Stranded by a thunderstorm at a remote Gothic priory, Belinda and her boyfriend are drawn into an enclosed world of luxurious decadence and sexual alchemy. Their host is the courteous but melancholic André Von Kastel, a beautiful aristocrat who mourns his lost love. André has plans for Belinda... plans which take her into the realms of obsessive love and the erotic paranormal.
Wednesday, 7 February 2007
drive by.... proof checking....
The page proofs of Suite Seventeen arrived yesterday, and I'm hard at work checking them.
Checking proofs is a strange experience - half stressful, half enjoyable, all consuming. I'm really liking the book as I read it, even though there are bits I'd do differently of course, and bits that I'd love to change and improve, even though it's far too late to do so at this stage. In this particular case, the proofs have made me feel quite tearful... I know it sounds crazy, but as I read it, there's a part of me so wishes that the story, the characters and particularly Valentino were all flesh and blood real! There's a lot of emotion in this one... It started out initially as a woman's journey of self discovery tale, but I got so into Valentino that it very quickly became a deeply romantic, if slightly pervy love story. He's a very complicated guy, full of contradictions. An uber dominant Alpha male, yet he has vulnerabilities too. Exotic and unusual, yet he has a sort of sweet everyday side to his nature as well... He's arrogant, but he enjoys a laugh at the expense of his own foibles...
I've used the 'faux' cover above, because gorgeous as the publisher cover is, my own version of the cover really captures Valentino as I see him... complex, mysterious and beautiful.
Checking proofs is a strange experience - half stressful, half enjoyable, all consuming. I'm really liking the book as I read it, even though there are bits I'd do differently of course, and bits that I'd love to change and improve, even though it's far too late to do so at this stage. In this particular case, the proofs have made me feel quite tearful... I know it sounds crazy, but as I read it, there's a part of me so wishes that the story, the characters and particularly Valentino were all flesh and blood real! There's a lot of emotion in this one... It started out initially as a woman's journey of self discovery tale, but I got so into Valentino that it very quickly became a deeply romantic, if slightly pervy love story. He's a very complicated guy, full of contradictions. An uber dominant Alpha male, yet he has vulnerabilities too. Exotic and unusual, yet he has a sort of sweet everyday side to his nature as well... He's arrogant, but he enjoys a laugh at the expense of his own foibles...
I've used the 'faux' cover above, because gorgeous as the publisher cover is, my own version of the cover really captures Valentino as I see him... complex, mysterious and beautiful.
Tuesday, 6 February 2007
Out today in the USA!
When financial executive Joanna Darrell loses her temper with a client it sets in motion a chain of erotic events beyond her wildest most fevered imaginings.
At work Joanna is feisty, capable and supremely confident in her abilities, but when she takes a forced sabbatical she quickly discovers a new and shocking side to her sensual nature. She's a sexual submissive, and who better to guide her, coax her and initiate her than the sybaritic members of the mysterious society of the Continuum. The more she samples, the more she likes, and she's soon hurtling headlong towards the very heart of this exotic association of hedonists and devotees of erotic power-play.
Fascinated by the idea that the Master of the Continuum has singled her out for his special attentions, Joanna still finds herself falling in love with her naughty 'boy next door' fellow worker, Kevin Steel - who might be a computer geek but who still finds time for sensual experiments of his own.
How far can Joanna go? How much will she learn? Who will she choose?
Continuum is available from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com and all good bookshops.
Read spicy excerpts here and here.
At work Joanna is feisty, capable and supremely confident in her abilities, but when she takes a forced sabbatical she quickly discovers a new and shocking side to her sensual nature. She's a sexual submissive, and who better to guide her, coax her and initiate her than the sybaritic members of the mysterious society of the Continuum. The more she samples, the more she likes, and she's soon hurtling headlong towards the very heart of this exotic association of hedonists and devotees of erotic power-play.
Fascinated by the idea that the Master of the Continuum has singled her out for his special attentions, Joanna still finds herself falling in love with her naughty 'boy next door' fellow worker, Kevin Steel - who might be a computer geek but who still finds time for sensual experiments of his own.
How far can Joanna go? How much will she learn? Who will she choose?
Continuum is available from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com and all good bookshops.
Read spicy excerpts here and here.
Monday, 5 February 2007
agh, naughty Jax!
She tagged me, the naughty scamp!
"The rules are: Once you have been tagged you cant be re-tagged, you have to write a blog with 10 weird random things, facts, or habits about yourself. At the end, you chose 10 people to be tagged and list their names. Dont forget to leave a comment that says "you are tagged" on their profile and tell them to read your latest blog."
I'm crap at this, but here goes...
I'm not tagging anybody... Yeah, I know I'm a spoilsport but it's hard coming up with this stuff! If you do feel like participating, please go ahead... :)
"The rules are: Once you have been tagged you cant be re-tagged, you have to write a blog with 10 weird random things, facts, or habits about yourself. At the end, you chose 10 people to be tagged and list their names. Dont forget to leave a comment that says "you are tagged" on their profile and tell them to read your latest blog."
I'm crap at this, but here goes...
- I eat chocolate twice a day
- I haven't seen my natural hair colour for thirty years
- I do all my writing in bed
- I have at least seven different pseudonyms, possibly more, I can't remember them all
- I wrote my first ever fiction when I was about twelve, inspired by a scene in James Bond
- James Marsters owns several of my books*
- David Boreanaz owns one of my books*
- I am ruled by my cats
- I used to be a Trekkie
- I used to have four televisions, three VHS recorders, and two DVD players in the house [v. small bungalow] but am now down to two of each
I'm not tagging anybody... Yeah, I know I'm a spoilsport but it's hard coming up with this stuff! If you do feel like participating, please go ahead... :)
Sunday, 4 February 2007
grappling with vamp/s
 |  |
I've been watching two versions of Dracula today, trying to get in a vampy mood to write Buddies... I'm at a tough spot, and having to describe strong emotions, with issues to do with vampirism... and it's hard going. Only managing two or three hundred words per day, if that. There are two issues I'm grappling with:
- trying go describe the rapture of vampire sex and express an ecstacy in the blood that goes far beyond the genital experience. I'm used to getting into the head of characters in the throes of passion, but this is different... there's an extra dimension
- trying to express my hero's emotions being torn two ways at once ie. he wants to be with the heroine, and on a primal level, to change her, so they can be together, but at the same time, he doesn't want to deny her a normal life, and the sun and everything else she'd have to give up to be with him...
--
Telly: Dracula/Frank Langella + Dracula/Gary Oldman
Chocolate: Tesco Belgian Milk
Mood: okay
Writing: 500 words Buddies
Reading: Dracula movie novelisation [not Stoker]
RSI: not bad
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