What's next? (my "sorta blog" of current stuff...)
8/16/08 I'm waiting anxiously for Sexy Beast V to release, since it's got the answers to Mei and Oliver's problems and if the notes I'm getting from readers are any indication, a lot of my readers are anxious, too! It's been hot up here in the mountains and we're all hoping for some early rains. Haven't had any since last February, which means the forest is tinder dry, and that's enough to scare any mountain dweller! I've finished writing Wolf Tales VIII and am waiting for my critique partners to get back to me so I can finish up revisions and mail it to my editor. Then I have to start the next novella, Chanku Challenge. Already have a lot of ideas floating around in my head, and can't wait to get them on paper.
6/26/08 Wolf Tales VI is out! We're just home from an amazing trip around the country--photos and a trip diary are posted at www.katedouglas.com/june2008--and I was just getting all settled in to get back to writing when our part of the state was hit by over 900 fires! We're leaving today to escape the smoke. So far, our house isn't at risk, but we can hardly breathe. I'll update when we return home. Literally can't see across the street!
3/14/08 If the rest of 2008 flies as fast as this first three months, my head will be spinning by July! Finished up Wolf Tales VII at the end of January and I'm almost done with Chanku Honor, my next novella for the Sexy Beast anthologies. Sexy Beast IV is out with Chanku Destiny, the story where I introduced Adam Wolf, a new and pivotal character in the series. This one also tells Oliver's story. Oliver has been Anton Cheval's personal assistant for many years, but I learned a lot about him while writing Chanku Destiny.
I've been trying to make time to read a bit more. Currently reading Kemball Scott's amazing book, SOMA. So far I'm loving it. Also just finished one that left me reeling (in a good way!) by Devyn Quinn, called Keeper of Eternity. An amazing story with a most fascinating "anti-hero" named Morgen. I'm looking forward to the next book, both from Samhain Publishing. Sitting on my TBR pile is Raine, the new Lords of Satry book from Elizabeth Amber...and you wonder why I'm always frantically trying to finish my own stories? It's because there are just so many good books out there!
12/26/07 Hard to believe another year is ending. Even harder, for me, is to realize my ninth title in the Wolf Tales series has just released, especially when the very first book debuted just two years ago! I've been absolutely thrilled with the response by readers to my sexy shapeshifters, which makes it even more fun to continue writing the series. I'm currently working on Wolf Tales VII and hope to have it in the mail to my editor in a couple weeks. I still hold the lead author spot for the Aphrodisia imprint, which is really exciting! I don't think I will ever get over the thrill of walking into a bookstore and seeing my books on the front table. It's truly a dream come true. Other than a computer crash this past month which has sort of thrown me for a major loop, all is well and I'm looking forward to the coming year. I want to wish you the very best in 2008! Don't forget to find time to read as many books as you can. There are so many good ones out there, and so many wonderful new authors. I'm having a wonderful time discovering new names among the shelves and wishing I had more time to read every one of them.
8/20/07 These last few months have flown by with trips to New York, Houston and Dallas, as well as a vacation in Hawaii with my husband to celebrate our 35th anniversary. Since our son and his wife live there with our beautiful little granddaughter, Ella, it was an extra special trip. Since then, I've been writing non-stop and have completed Wolf Tales VI (July 2008) and Chanku Wild for a new Sexy Beast anthology (Fall 2008). Wolf Tales IV released in July and Sexy Beast III with my story, Chanku Journey, is already showing up in book stores. I've been all over the Internet blogging and had an amazing response to the blog I did at my agent's site, the BookEnds Agency blog. Take a look for the full story of my twenty year (yep, that's right!) journey to publication! I'm not at all ashamed it took me so long to finally nail that NY contract--I learned an awful lot along the way and I've made some amazing friends in this industry. I think you'll enjoy my story. I've been trying to keep up on MySpace, which has turned out to be a great place to interact with readers...just don't expect a fancy page! I'm not that tech-savvy. One other really cool thing--I just heard from the producers who once had movie rights for Cowboy in My Pocket optioned--they called today to renew the option, so it looks like that project isn't dead after all! I've also been getting such wonderful mail from readers. I love hearing from you. Please drop me a note if you have any questions about Wolf Tales, or just want to chat. I answer all my mail if you write to kate@katedouglas.com.
3/1/07 Seems as if Wolf Tales III just released, and Sexy Beast II is now ready to come out! I just got some of my author copies today with the absolutely gorgeous Tony Catanzaro on the cover. If you want to see his face (yep, just as gorgeous as the REST of him!) go to his website at www.anthonycatanzaro.com. I've finished Wolf Tales V and sent it to my editor, along with the next novella, a really fun story called Chanku Destiny. I finally tell ALL of Oliver's secrets in that one, but you'll have to wait awhile before it's out. I'm flying to New York at the end of the month for the PASIC conference and a chance to finally see Kensington Publishing and meet a lot of the people who put my books together. I've never been to NY so this is a huge trip for me. I am SUCH a small-town girl! I'll be in Houston in April for the Romantic Times convention. Now THAT'S a party I'd recommend to anyone who loves a good time and a chance to meet your favorite authors. It's the one place where we really get to connect with readers. I turn into such a fan girl at these things. I mean, sheesh! I got to be on a panel with Laurel K. Hamilton and Cheyenne McCray at last year's! Let me know if you'll be at RT--I'd love to see you there. Drop me a note at kate@katedouglas.com.
1/10/07 Wolf Tales III is selling and I've gotten some of the neatest notes from readers. It's so exciting to know they're enjoying Jake and Shannon's story. I've also got the absolutely most gorgeous cover art for Wolf Tales IV! I swear these covers just get better with every book. Definitely incentive to keep on writing. I've posted it on the first page of this site, and it's also in my erotic romance site at www.katedouglas.com/eroticromance where I've also posted an excerpt from the story. It's a hot one, so you need to go through the link and declare you're all grown up before you enter the site. As if one's not enough, I've got three new interviews up: BookEnds Blog, BareBack Magazine and Mary Winter's newsletter
12/25/06 It's Christmas night and I should be relaxing in front of the fire, right? Wrong...I ended up with a stomach bug and missed the holiday altogether! Sort of the story of my life...but it hasn't all been doom and gloom. I've almost finished writing Wolf Tales V, heard that the original Wolf Tales is headed in for a fifth print run (Yippee!!!) and Wolf Tales III is showing up in bookstores all over the country. My head is still spinning over the year I've just gone through, and it's hard to believe that Wolf Tales first hit the shelves just a little over a year ago. So much has happened since then, it's hard to believe it's only been a year, and I can't wait to see what 2007 will bring.
9/5/06 Can we say swamped? Shortly after RT, I turned around and flew back to Atlanta for RWA Nationals. I thoroughly enjoyed that conference and had a chance to reconnect with many terrific people in the industry. I also got to meet my Kensington editor, Audrey LaFehr. She's absolutely terrific and I feel very lucky to have her as my editor. It's not often an author is given the freedom I have to write stories the way I want them! I've posted photos from Atlanta, including dinner at the lovely Westin Hotel where we ate in a slowly revolving restaurant on the 72nd floor! www.katedouglas.com/RWA2006/ I'm currently writing a novella called Chanku Journey for release in the fall of 2007. Wolf Tales III will be out in January 07, and Chanku Fallen in the Sexy Beast II anthology in March 07. Wolf Tales IV is with my editor--I believe that one is slated for release in July 2007. Wolf Tales II has done well and Wild Nights, the anthology with my next "wolf tale," Camilles's Dawn, has recently released. Anyway, that's what I've been up to lately! Oh yeah...we're also waiting for the birth of our next grandchild, due ANY DAY NOW! (Cole Douglas Pastene was born September 23, 2006, weighing in at a hefty 8 lbs. 13 oz.)
6/18/06 RT was wonderful, as usual and it's taken me weeks to get back into my regular routine! Check out the photos at www.katedouglas.com/RT2006 I really had a ball and it was so much fun to meet so many folks and make so many new friends. That convention is definitely one to attend! Wolf Tales II is beginning to show up on store shelves and is shipping from www.barnesandnoble.com Chasing Dragons, my next Changeling Press story, the sequel to Finding Magic, should be coming out next month. That one is Lester and Tady's story and should appeal to all the true romantics who enjoy a M/M romance. I'm gearing up now for the Romance Writers of America National Conference in Atlanta and working on Wolf Tales IV!
5/14/06 I leave in two days for the Romantic Times convention in Daytona Beach, Florida. No computer amd no email for six whole days--I wonder if I'll survive! I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. I'm also looking forward to a break from writing. I've finished Wolf Tales III and the third novella, Fallen, which will come out in March 2007. Working now on Wolf Tales IV which needs to be finished by August 1. I've also got a cute story for Changeling Press coming out in August, the sequel I've been promising to Finding Magic. This one is called Chasing Dragons. Lester wants to fly like a dragon and Tady intends to see his beloved mate gets his wings. On a personal note, we've had some losses since I last wrote--our son-in-law's father passed away in March and my mother-in-law died a week later. Both were 90 years old and in excellent health until their deaths so it was not only tough to lose them, it was a terrible shock. The one good thing is that our son and his wife flew home for Gramma's funeral and brought Ella, so we got to meet our beautiful little granddaughter. I made a quick trip to Oahu a month later to spend more time with her. She and her cousins are all reminders of the powerful circle of life, especially in times of loss.
2/13/06 It's been awhile since I posted. Signed in January, then again in February--on the 11th at the Borders Express at the DelMonte Mall in Monterey and on the 12th at the Valley Fair Borders Express again. Both signings were great fun and we had an excellent turn out! In other news on the home front, our son and his wife (on the cover of Cowboy in My Pocket) had their first child on Feb. 6--Ella Carol is absolutely precious! AND, our daughter and her husband are expecting baby #3. Our clan is growing.
1-17-06 I'll be signing books at the Valley Fair Borders Express on Stevens Creek Blvd in Santa Clara, CA , Thursday, January 26 from 6-8:00 PM, and hoping like heck we don't have monsoon rains like we did in San Rafael! The novella, Camille's Dawn, went off in the mail to Kensington today.
I'll be signing books at the Northgate Mall Waldenbooks in San Rafael, California, on December 27 from noon until two. If you live in the area, please stop by and introduce yourself! For those in the area who can't make a daytime signing, I'll be signing in Santa Clara on January 26 from six to eight, I believe. Will add details later.
I've been asked to write articles for two publications: Passionate Ink, the new RWA erotic romance author's chapter, will present my take on straddling the fine line between erotic romance and pornography. Love Letter, the German equivalent of Romantic Times Magazine plans a January article from me on the lure of erotic paranormal romance...which means I need to get busy and write! I'm also currently working on Wolf Tales III.
Where do I begin? My Wolf Tales serial has been purchased by Kensington Books. Wolf Tales by Kate Douglas is due for print release in January 2006. Chanku Rising (previously Wolf Tales 5-Chanku) will come out in an anthology titled Sexy Beast in March 2006, and my next entirely new Wolf Tales book is scheduled for a July 2006 release titled Wolf Tales 2--Tia's Wolf. I just finished writing it! The cover for Wolf Tales is gorgeous. Check it out on my Erotic Romance site.
Finding Magic, part of the Chimera: The Agency for Extraordinary Mates series, was released in July from Changeling Press, and sales have been...well...EXTRAORDINARY! Thank you!
Wolf Tales 5: Chanku, is now available from Changeling Press. Also, StarQuest 2, the print anthology including both Synergy and Bold Journey is now available from your favorite bookseller, as is the Luck of the Irish anthology, featuring my novella, A Wolf by Any Other Name.
My Valentine, a short, sexy Candy Heart from Changeling Press, was released February 11. It was an "emergency story..." My publisher needed a 7000 word story to fill in on the Candy Hearts and I wrote this one in one day. The next morning I felt as if someone had sucked my brains out, but after edits, a few minor revisions and a final read through, I was really pleased with this one. Read an excerpt at www.katedouglas.com/eroticromance.
Wolf Tales 5--Chanku is almost done. It's due for release in early March from Changeling Press. (The Gift is numbered 4.5 because it's merely a short story!) Update--This story has been rewritten and renamed Chanku Rising for release with Kensington's March 2006 anthology, Sexy Beast.
Wolf Tales 4--Keisha, has gotten terrific reviews. I'm really pleased with the response to this one. I've posted an excerpt on my adult site. I've also finished a Christmas short story called Wolf Tales Interlude--The Gift, which will be coming out in November.
Wolf Tales 3--Anton has been released from Changeling Press. You can see the cover and read an excerpt by clicking here.
My romantic comedy, 68 & Climbing is out now from Loose Id. You can read an excerpt on my website and also take a look at the gorgeous cover Sahara Kelly did for me!
Synergy: Book 4 StarQuest is now available from Ellora's Cave. It has been re-released as a single title--it was WAY too hard to find in an anthology! The cover art is absolutely gorgeous. You can order Synergy from www.ellorascave.com.
Wolf Tales 2--Alexandria is now available from Changeling Press. It's getting terrific reviews, which is great. I was afraid it might be a bit too "edgy" for my readers!
I'm getting new cover art on a lot of my EC titles. They should be showing up on the website before too long.
68 & Climbing, my sexy romantic comedy that has been bounced from publisher to publisher, has finally found a home with Loose Id LLC...it should be coming out later this summer. I've got an excerpt at my adult site. Go to www.katedouglas.com/eroticromance for a snip of either 68 & Climbing or Wolf Tales 2--Alexandria.
StarQuest, the print edition of my first three books about the Lions of Mirat, is now available at most online booksellers, including Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and Books a Million.
Wolf Tales 2--Alexandria, is "under construction" and will be finished in a couple weeks. Not sure when it will be released from Changeling Press, but this one is HOT!
Wolf Tales 1--Stefan, available now from ChangelingPress.com. This is the beginning of a new series of novella length, connected stories. Take a look!
Ellora's Cavemen~~Tales from the Temple, Book 1, was released March 20 in both print and ebook formats. It's a collection of very hot stories from some of EC's premier authors. I was absolutely thrilled to have my story, Barbarian, included in this first issue.
Bold Journey, Bolden's story--he's the half-human, half-lion son of Jenna and Garan from Night of the Cat, was released March 3 from Ellora's Cave. It's the 5th book in the series, following Lionheart, Night of the Cat, Pride of Imar, and Synergy (from the Threshoold, Vol. 1 Anthology).
Just a Little Magic, my Christmas Quickie from Ellora's Cave, is now available for just $2.99 a download. This one was an absolute hoot to write--inspired by Devilish Dot and her wonderful toys...
Ellora's Cave will soon release Threshold, Vol. 1 in print. Synergy, Book 4 of StarQuest, is one of this anthology's stories.
Ellora's Cave will be releasing Lionheart, Night of the Cat and Pride of Imar as a single title, StarQuest print edition, coming soon.
The Romantic Times Convention in Kansas City, MO was wonderful! It was great to see so many old friends and meet so many new ones!
Synergy is out! Threshold, Volume 1 was released ahead of schedule on June 18. I'm getting great feedback on it from our reader's lists.
I'm just home from Celebrate Romance 2003, the most wonderful conference I think I've ever attended. Put on entirely by romance readers, it was three days of fun, good times and new friendships.
I just finished my first draft of Synergy, a novella to be included in the two volume anthology, The Threshold. I'm paired with Treva Harte in Volume I and Shelby Morgen and Stephanie Burke are working on two really hot stories for Volume II. Synergy continues my StarQuest Series with Tim Riley, the young kinetic's story...he falls for an older woman...a MUCH older woman! Release date is June 20.
Last of the O'Rourkes was released as an ebook from Hard Shell Word Fctory in April. The print version is also available. It got a terrific four star review from Romantic Times Magazine--the reviewer loved my BETA hero! This is the one Harlequin wanted me to change into a cowboy...
Lionheart, Book 3 of the StarQuest Series, is now in print as well. It's currently listed at Amazon.com for $11.95.
A Wolf By Any Other Name, my novella in the Luck of the Irish anthology from Ellora's Cave, is out and getting great reviews. Other authors in the anth are Chris Tanglen and Jennifer Dunne, both very talented writers. Mine's funny and sexy, and I think you will absolutely love Zevulun Cable, my reluctant werewolf hero.
Pride of Imar, Book 3 of the StarQuest Series, was released on September 11, 2002. All three books in the series are now for sale at Ellora's Cave.
If you're curious about my erotica romance writing, I've got a Quickie, a 10,000 word paranormal erotica romance available at Ellora's Cave. The short stories are inexpensive, and an excellent way to "sample" an author's writing. I hope you'll enjoy More Than a Hunch.
I've wused out on the screenplay for Cowboy in My Pocket. The producer's wife is taking a shot at it, and she's definitely a screenwriter who knows what she's doing...yes, I do admit defeat! Screenwriting is not nearly as easy as it sounds. Now wouldn't it be an absolute hoot if all goes well and Cowboy really IS made into a movie? I regularly hear from the producer--they're hunting for funds (aren't we all?) but the project is still very much alive. I'll keep you posted.
Sales on all of my HSWF titles, including Honeysuckle Rose and On Wings of Love, both 2001 Eppie winners, and Cowboy in My Pocket, winner of both the Eppie and Quasar, continue to surprise me. I love the "extended shelf life" of small press/epublishers. I'm really curious to see how well Last of the O'Rourkes does.
Cowboy in My Pocket, which was awarded the EPPIE for Best Contemporary Romance and the QUASAR for best cover art, began as a joke and grew into a somewhat gentle parody of romances. It was the #1 HSWF bestseller for 2001 downloads. It's more than your average cowboy hero, amnesiac bride, marriage of convenience romance...it's a poke at the New York editors who so blithely tell us to "write your own story," so long as it's got that cowboy hero, marriage of convenience, amnesiac bride, etcetera, etcetera...ad nauseum! If you're interested in how this book came to be, check out my story at www.rejectioncollection.com! Believe me, it really is funny! By the way, this one's dedicated, with love, to all my fellow romance authors who can honestly say, "Been there, done that." If you are uncomfortable buying on-line, there is a printable order form available on my site for the print version. Just click on the link in the top frame.
Still gathering ideas for a "spin off" of Cowboy. Those of you who have read the book will remember Betsy Mae Twigg the rodeo queen, and Lee Stetson/aka Michelle Garrison's New York editor Mark Conner....I have a feeling those two should get to know each other. Of course, they have absolutely NOTHING in common...however, much of my contemporary romance writing has been put on hold in order to complete my Ellora's Cave titles.
My StarQuest Series, Books 1,2 and 3 have now been released. Lionheart, Book 1, is in print and the others shouldn't be far behind.
Lionheart, Book 1--Imagine a sensual telepathic affair with an orbiting alien...and then find out what happens when the two are finally brought together~~a virtual meeting of woman and beast. There's a erotica romance link in the top frame where you can see the cover of Lionheart or read an excerpt. It was awarded "5 Stars" on its very first review.
Night of the Cat, Book 2 is really fun. You can see the cover and read a quick blurb on my romantica page--it's Garan of Pride Imar's story. This arrogant Lion of Mirat gets taken down a notch--or two or three--by a powerful human Sensitive spirited to the future from our present.
Pride of Imar, Book 3, is out as well. It's the story of Sheyna, Garan's sister, and Malachi Franklin. It's getting wonderful reviews. Michelle Gann of "The Word on Romance," said: "...Ms. Douglas has a way with the written word that leaves me speechless. PRIDE OF IMAR is an erotic romance, but it's also a story of healing and love."
I had a great time at the Romantic Times Booklover's Convention in Reno. I was there from October 23-27, 2002 and met so many terrific people! Congratulations to the winners of my home made zinfandel grape jelly--do hope you gals enjoyed it!
In the meantime, thanks to all of you who have sent me such wonderful notes and letters about my stories. Your appreciation for my somewhat "left of center" tales is the absolute icing on the cake! Write to me at kate@katedouglas.com