Finally! I've been plotting all day long to get my newsletter done, but this is the first chance I've had to even consider it. I thought that once I got my edits on INTIMATE finished, I'd have all sorts of free time, but then I started trying to catch up on stuff I was behind on, and, well...you all know how that goes!
I really debated whether or not to post the picture I used today--so many of you are freezing your butts off right now, while we're "suffering" with temps ranging from the high sixties into the mid seventies. For all intents and purposes, we have not had a winter in northern California. A couple of good rains, but not nearly enough to end the drought, my roses are leafing out, the ceanothus (the blue flowers in the picture) has been blooming for weeks now, my daffodils are already through and everything is bursting. Of course, we could still get frost and lose it all, but for now it's beautiful but really weird.
I did get the edits done, which I was beginning to think was never going to happen, and I really do think that INTIMATE is a stronger story for all the changes. What took me a long time and sounds really weird, I guess, is that my editor wanted me to change the hero's name. She had a perfectly good reason--I named him Cameron because that's who he was. And yes, my characters generally show up with names and faces and that's it. (Think Anton Cheval--I KNEW that man from the get go!) But, Cam is a professional photographer, and I never thought about the confusion between his name and his job--Cam, camera. You get my drift--and my editor's! So, he is now Jake, which works, but it didn't right away because HE WAS CAM!! After a couple of weeks of thinking of him as Jake, I got over my snit and confusion, and we were able to move forward...
One thing I do need to address is the fact that I don't have the next Spirit Wild book done. I'm really sorry--my plan was to get it written in January and have it ready to go by this week, but I spent all that time working on INTIMATE, and in the meantime, my St. Martin's Press editor asked me if I could write a three book series about werewolves. Very sexy werewolves. Now, my Chanku are NOT werewolves, they're shapeshifters, and I've never written a werewolf story before so it really sounded like fun. Especially when she said they'd really like menage stories--now think about it. What woman in her right mind is going to turn down a chance to write a fantasy of two sexy guys seeing to her every womanly whim and wish?
Not me, that's for sure. Needless to say, I said yes, and I'm now working on creating the world for my wolves and the women who love them. I really think this will be a lot of fun. We're still trying to come up with titles, but I have the setting. I think I'm going back to the Trinity Alps in northern California where my pack will have a couple of businesses--a bar called Growl, and a high end resort called Feral Passions where women can come to have every fantasy fulfilled. What they don't realize is that it's also a perfect place for members of the pack to find mates. My brain is spinning with ideas! Very. Sexy. Ideas...
I spent part of this afternoon filling out an interview for a woman in Australia, answered all the questions and saved it, only it wasn't where I thought it went. Obviously, that means I need to go back and redo the entire thing. One of these days I'll possibly get my act together. I think it saved in my Outlook Temporary files, but since I'm on a Mac, I have no idea how to find those files! I even downloaded an app called "Easy Find," but obviously this wasn't easy enough. Still lost.
Since I don't have a new book coming out, I"m giving away some of my older ones. I have five trade sized print copies of Dark Moon, the third story in my Spirit Wild series for this month's contest.
I really debated whether or not to post the picture I used today--so many of you are freezing your butts off right now, while we're "suffering" with temps ranging from the high sixties into the mid seventies. For all intents and purposes, we have not had a winter in northern California. A couple of good rains, but not nearly enough to end the drought, my roses are leafing out, the ceanothus (the blue flowers in the picture) has been blooming for weeks now, my daffodils are already through and everything is bursting. Of course, we could still get frost and lose it all, but for now it's beautiful but really weird.
I did get the edits done, which I was beginning to think was never going to happen, and I really do think that INTIMATE is a stronger story for all the changes. What took me a long time and sounds really weird, I guess, is that my editor wanted me to change the hero's name. She had a perfectly good reason--I named him Cameron because that's who he was. And yes, my characters generally show up with names and faces and that's it. (Think Anton Cheval--I KNEW that man from the get go!) But, Cam is a professional photographer, and I never thought about the confusion between his name and his job--Cam, camera. You get my drift--and my editor's! So, he is now Jake, which works, but it didn't right away because HE WAS CAM!! After a couple of weeks of thinking of him as Jake, I got over my snit and confusion, and we were able to move forward...
One thing I do need to address is the fact that I don't have the next Spirit Wild book done. I'm really sorry--my plan was to get it written in January and have it ready to go by this week, but I spent all that time working on INTIMATE, and in the meantime, my St. Martin's Press editor asked me if I could write a three book series about werewolves. Very sexy werewolves. Now, my Chanku are NOT werewolves, they're shapeshifters, and I've never written a werewolf story before so it really sounded like fun. Especially when she said they'd really like menage stories--now think about it. What woman in her right mind is going to turn down a chance to write a fantasy of two sexy guys seeing to her every womanly whim and wish?
Not me, that's for sure. Needless to say, I said yes, and I'm now working on creating the world for my wolves and the women who love them. I really think this will be a lot of fun. We're still trying to come up with titles, but I have the setting. I think I'm going back to the Trinity Alps in northern California where my pack will have a couple of businesses--a bar called Growl, and a high end resort called Feral Passions where women can come to have every fantasy fulfilled. What they don't realize is that it's also a perfect place for members of the pack to find mates. My brain is spinning with ideas! Very. Sexy. Ideas...
I spent part of this afternoon filling out an interview for a woman in Australia, answered all the questions and saved it, only it wasn't where I thought it went. Obviously, that means I need to go back and redo the entire thing. One of these days I'll possibly get my act together. I think it saved in my Outlook Temporary files, but since I'm on a Mac, I have no idea how to find those files! I even downloaded an app called "Easy Find," but obviously this wasn't easy enough. Still lost.
Since I don't have a new book coming out, I"m giving away some of my older ones. I have five trade sized print copies of Dark Moon, the third story in my Spirit Wild series for this month's contest.
| This one is Igmutaka's story, and he's always been a favorite character of mine from the series. If you haven't had a chance to read it, I know you'll enjoy it. Just send an entry using the form on this page--if you're on a mobile phone, it's probably at the very bottom of the page.--on a computer it should be to the right, and it says CONTEST ENTRY. DO NOT add your information in the comment section--that's public and anyone can see it, and I don't always get to them quickly to delete them in a timely fashion. |  |
I haven't got any book recommendations for you guys this month--yes, I've been THAT busy that I haven't gotten to read anything worth talking about. I've got stories just sitting her taunting me--Paige Tyler's HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF, Patricia Brigg's NIGHT BROKEN, even Jayne Ann Krentz's TRUST NO ONE, all titles I've been dying to read and they're just waiting, staring at me. It is so not fair...
I'll be watching for your entries for DARK MOON. For those of you who already have the book, go ahead and enter and name another of my titles you don't have but would like. I still have a few of my older Wolf Tales and Sexy Beast copies. If you're chosen and it's a book I've got, I'll be more than happy to substitute, but you have to write the name down. If you don't give me a title, you'll go into the pool for DARK MOON.
On that note, I need to shut this sucker down and get some sleep. And one other thing before I close--for those of you who want to keep up with what I'm working on, I have a page on this site where I try and make short entries...it's like an online diary. Just go to my UPDATES & PROJECTS page.
I hope those of you living amid the frozen part of the country get some decent weather SOON! Will be thinking of you dealing with all the ice and snow, and sending warm thoughts your way. And if you're stuck at home, snowed in, I really hope you have something good to read!
Take care and be safe!
Kate
I'll be watching for your entries for DARK MOON. For those of you who already have the book, go ahead and enter and name another of my titles you don't have but would like. I still have a few of my older Wolf Tales and Sexy Beast copies. If you're chosen and it's a book I've got, I'll be more than happy to substitute, but you have to write the name down. If you don't give me a title, you'll go into the pool for DARK MOON.
On that note, I need to shut this sucker down and get some sleep. And one other thing before I close--for those of you who want to keep up with what I'm working on, I have a page on this site where I try and make short entries...it's like an online diary. Just go to my UPDATES & PROJECTS page.
I hope those of you living amid the frozen part of the country get some decent weather SOON! Will be thinking of you dealing with all the ice and snow, and sending warm thoughts your way. And if you're stuck at home, snowed in, I really hope you have something good to read!
Take care and be safe!
Kate
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