Lucienne Diver's Blog: Lucienne Diver's Drivel, page 30

Good news and Hawaii Day 3

Starting with some stunning news before I get to more stunning travel photos: Chloe Neill‘s wonderful new Chicagoland Vampires novel, BITING COLD, has hit the New York Times bestseller lists at #27 for Trade Fiction and #34 for E-books and the USA Today bestseller list at #79.  Go, Chloe!

Also, my new Latter-Day Olympians novel, CRAZY IN THE BLOOD, came out last week while I was off on vacation (bad timing on my part!) so I haven’t done nearly as much promo as I’d like.  I’d love it, of course, if you all want to run out and buy a copy!  (And of the first one, BAD BLOOD, if you don’t have that already.)  Gods, gorgons, murder and mayhem…what’s not to like.  Did I mention very hot heroes?  No?  Bad me, no cookie.  BTW, I’m over at Fiction Reboot today, talking with Brandy Schillace about all things writing. Hope you’ll stop by!

And now, without further ado…

Hawaii – Day 3

(note: for some reason, the slideshow wants to include the covers; sorry about that!)

Click to view slideshow.

We started day three on the pool deck of our hotel—the wind blowing, a guitar-player /singer serenading us, and a hula dancer performing the words to the songs.  I could have sat there all day eating (Ty’s favorite thing was the taro donuts) and listening, but we had to rush off to the Pearl Harbor Memorial before all the tickets were sold/given away for the day.  The tickets for the USS Arizona Memorial are free, but they’re first come, first served, and even arriving by 9 a.m. our allotted time for the movie and ferry to the memorial wasn’t until 11:45.  This was just fine with us, as it gave us time to visit the Pacific Aviation Museum and for Ty to try out the flight simulator there.  The museum was fascinating and heart-breaking all at once.

The USS Arizona Memorial was peaceful and grave, in every sense of the word.  Oil still rises from the sunken ship, as though it’s still leaking mermaid tears for the fallen sailors.  Some of those who survived have chosen to be interred with their fallen fellows upon their deaths and have had their ashes returned to the ship.  It was very sobering.

From there, Pete, Su and Ty went to the Bowfin Submarine, but since I wasn’t feeling well, I stayed behind to watch the drinks, which weren’t allowed on board.

Next was Iolani Palance.  I’d wanted to bring Ty there because I remembered it from my trip to Hawaii with my family when I was about his age.  (Though I mis-remembered the statue of King Kamehameha as being in front of the palace rather than the government building across from in, but then, it was (cough) thirty years ago.)  Unfortunately, we arrived too late for a guide, but we were able to get an audio tour, and while it was still interesting and gave some nice history, it left out some of the more intriguing things I’d heard as a kid, like that royalty (as was not uncommon) married family, often brothers and sisters, until the missionaries arrived and put a stop to it.  The woodwork at the Palace was particularly impressive, and the inlay gorgeous.

Sunset was spent on Punchbowl Crater.  We couldn’t get into the cemetery at the very top, because the gates closed just prior to our arrival, but we sat near the summit and watched the sun go down, taking enough pictures to clearly mark us as tourists…as though there might be any doubt.  It was peaceful and glorious.

Hawaii – Day 2

Day 2

Click to view slideshow.

Starts out on Waikiki Beach, journaling and getting hydrated before running off to the Polynesian Cultural Center.  From too far down the beach to capture on film, we saw a pair of surfers, one on top of the other doing tricks as the waves carried them toward shore…amazing.

The drive to the Polynesian Cultural Center itself was gorgeous.  I took pics as we drove, and we stopped at a scenic spot to get great photos of Mokoli’i Island and other gorgeous sites.  We also stopped to shop (mummus for mom & grandma from me, a robe for me from Pete, and a coral necklace for Su) and grab an early lunch.  Su got the loco moco she’d been craving (a beef patty over steamed rice with an egg and gravy on top of that).  I went for the chicken curry, which came to me looking a lot like school lunch from when I was a kid, but tasted wonderfully.

At the Cultural Center, we started at Samoa, where the warrior who did the cultural presentation was informative and amusing.  We learned how to make fire, how to open a coconut on a sharpened stake and get the milk (scraping out the meet, wringing it out and filtering it through the shell fiber) and a little of the language.  We also got to watch two strong young men (two because we enjoyed this presentation so much that we came back for more) climb a coconut tree.  In the Hawaii presentation we learned a little hula and the correct ways to pronounce Honolulu and ukulele, among other things.  In Aotearoa we learned about their greetings and their dance.  Ty later tried the poi balls…with limited success .  In Tonga we marveled at their beautiful textiles and construction, including an amazing two-hulled canoe, which is what was used for travel between islands (and the way that people came to settle the various Hawaiian islands).  Impressive, the thought of crossing an ocean in such a craft.  Pete, the knot guy, was, of course, focused on the lashings.

We stayed for Ha, the Breath of Life, their big show at the end, which was absolutely beautiful.  I loved best where the big, strapping warriors danced and fought, but Pete’s mileage on that would likely vary.  I’m fairly certain the fire dancers were Ty’s favorites.

Big things and vacation

Before I start posting away with my Hawaii pics, three quick things that I want to mention:

-this Wednesday, August 15th, Steven Harper, author of the amazing Clockwork Empire steampunk series as well as Writing the Supernatural Novel and many other books, will be doing a virtual chat on Shindig.  It’s a VERY cool thing, and you won’t want to miss it.  Click here to RSVP for the event.  Very important!

-a little over a week later, three fab authors, Rachel Caine, Chloe Neill and Christina Henry will be doing a Knight Agency chat on Twitter at 8 p.m. ET.  You won’t want to miss it!

-if you’re an instant gratification junkie, you can get a start on hearing from Chloe Neill, who’s Once and Future Podcast interview is up today.  Anton Strout does such a great job with his guests, and Chloe is so interesting that you’ll definitely want to check it out.

And now…

Hawaii Day 1.

Your cast of characters:

Su: the whitest white  bright red  peeling person we know

Pete: knot guy, chauffer and comic

Ty: turtle boy, tiki-talker

Me: um, just me

Click to view slideshow.

We arrived in paradise at about four o’clock local time, determined to at least see the beach and have a tropical drink before dropping like stones given the time difference and jet lag.  We succeeded and witnessed a beautiful sunset on top of it.

For our first full day, we headed to Hanauma Bay for snorkeling.  The caldera itself is gorgeous.  The color of the water is…perfect, and the fish are so used to swimmers that they’re totally unintimidated by our presence.  I wish I could have captured on camera everything I was able to witness with my eyes—the shimmering colors, the quicksilver movements of some of the fish, particularly the huge and most beautifully marked parrotfish, which was always in such a hurry.  I can’t wait to develop the pictures from my underwater camera to see how they turn out.  Hopefully, the silt and non-stop motion of the sea life will not defeat me.  I live in hope.

We arranged to go to a luau that evening, and had a wonderful time.  Our escort, Georgie, was a hoot.  She kept us entertained and informed, and we learned about the spirit of aloha as well as many other words in the Hawaiian language:

Smile = mino’aka

Kiss = honi

Until we meet again (which is what you say instead of aloha for good-bye, because that one is final) = A hui hou kākou

Pig = pua’a

Beef = pipi

We ate pineapple coleslaw, teriyaki beef, kalua pig, etc.  I’d been looking forward to the kalua pig ever since we began planning the trip, because I remember it as being the best stuff on earth (whole pig seasoned only with sea salt, wrapped in leaves and slow cooked all day in a deep pit), but, unfortunately, it wasn’t as amazing at this luau as I remember it from when I was a kid.  We drank tequila sunrises (me), mai tais (Pete & Su) and virgin pina coladas (Ty).  We watched traditional dances and even learned some hula.  Su is extremely thankful that the pics of this didn’t turn out at all, so there are no blackmail photos forthcoming.  (Sorry, Judi, I tried.)  We saw an amazing fire dancer and just generally had a wonderful time.

Next week’s amazing new releases

Leaving for vacation very soon now!  As you can imagine, between the big RWA National Conference (just passed) and the upcoming vacay, I’m a bit crazed, but before I go, I have to post about next week’s exciting new releases from Chloe Neill, Rachel Caine and, well, me!

BITING COLD by Chloe Neill (NAL trade paperback)

This is book six of her highly suspenseful and bestselling Chicagoland Vampires series.  You won’t want to miss this series!  Also, I have to share this favorite quote from the Media Decay review of BITING COLD: “if TV producers are paying attention, this book series would make a great TV series.  It’s about a strong protagonist with tons of attitude and a sense of humor, who’s also smart and attractive and has many attractive vampire suitors as well as a bunch of great enemies and creatures and supporting characters that are equally as interesting.  I know I’d watch.”  Hear that, Hollywood?

Blurb:

Turned into a vampire against her will, twenty-eight-year-old Merit found her way into the dark circle of Chicago’s vampire underground, where she learned there was more to supernaturals than met the eye–and more supernaturals than the public ever imagined.
And not all the secrets she learned were for sharing–among humans or inhumans.

Now Merit is on the hunt, charging across the stark American Midwest, tailing a rogue supernatural intent on stealing an ancient artifact that could unleash catastrophic evil on the world. But Merit is also the prey. An enemy of Chicagoland is hunting her, and he’ll stop at nothing to get the book for himself. No mercy allowed.

No rules apply. No lives spared. The race is on.

TWO WEEKS NOTICE by Rachel Caine (Roc mass market)

The second book in the incredible Revivalist series!  You can talk to the author about it in a live on-line book chat on Tuesday, August 7th!  RSVP here.

“It’s rare that a sequel can top its predecessor, and given the enthusiastic 5 bats I gave WORKING STIFF, I never expected TWO WEEKS’ NOTICE to become my new favorite in the series…. The entire action-packed conclusion was thrilling and well written, and the ending caught me completely off guard with a delicious twist.  Not your average cliffhanger, Caine treats fans to a game-changing development that definitely puts Revivalist #3 at the top of my “Must Read” list.” -All Things Urban Fantasy

“I could not put Two Weeks’ Notice down. It was action-packed, full of twisty plot turns and surprises and a few “I didn’t see that coming” moments. Two Weeks’ Notice would make an awesome TV series. If you enjoy conspiracy thrillers with a touch of urban fantasy, you are in for a treat. And the ending…..Wow.” -Badass Book Reviews

Blurb:

In  New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine’s “thrilling”* Revivalist series, Bryn Davis finds out that making a living can be rough if you’re already dead…

After dying and being revived with the experimental drug Returne, Bryn Davis is theoretically free to live her unlife—with regular doses to keep her going. But Bryn knows that the government has every intention of keeping a tight lid on Pharmadene’s life-altering discovery, no matter the cost.

Thankfully, some things have changed for the better; her job at the rechristened Davis Funeral Home is keeping her busy and her fragile romance with Patrick McCallister is blossoming—thanks in part to their combined efforts in forming a support group for Returne addicts. But when some of the group members suddenly disappear, Bryn wonders if the government is methodically removing a threat to their security, or if some unknown enemy has decided to run the zombies into the ground…

">CRAZY IN THE BLOOD by Lucienne Diver (Samhain, digital first, print in 2013)

Hell on Earth. It’s not just an expression anymore.

Latter-Day Olympians, Book 2

It’s an ill wind that carries bad news, and Tori’s just had a double load of it blow through her door.

Just a few weeks after she prevented some rogue gods from blowing L.A. into the ocean, more dead bodies are turning up near the leftover crater. Bodies that have been shredded by something too big to be…shall we say, of this world? Worse, Uncle Christos has disappeared after stumbling onto a deadly cult masquerading as the Back to Earth movement.

The connection: Dionysus. Yes, that Dionysus. He’s resurrected his bloody fertility rite, complete with frenzied female groupies who tear men limb from limb. And he’s lured Demeter, goddess of the harvest, over to his side by finding a way to get her daughter away from Hades for good.

Predictably, Hades isn’t about to let her go without a fight. Unless Tori finds a way to bring her back, he’ll abandon the gates of Tartarus. At which time all hell will, literally, break loose.

Between saving the world, the woman, the cultists and her crazy uncle, Tori’s giving up on getting to the beach before all the good spots are taken.

Warning: The wine country is going through a heat wave of epic proportions, and it’s not all about the weather. Beware steamy gods with seduction on their minds or brimstone in their blood.

RWA Pics

Click to view slideshow.

1-      Agent Cartel: Top: Carolyn Grayson (Ashley Grayson Literary Agency), me, Elaine Spencer and Nephele Tempest (The Knight Agency); Bottom: Natasha Kern (Natasha Kern Literary Agency), Pamela Hopkins (Hopkins Literary Associates), Michelle Grajkowski (3 Seas Literary Agency)

2-      Knight Agency company dinner: L to R: Melissa Jeglinski, Deidre Knight, Nephele Tempest, Jia Gayles, Pamela Harty, Elaine Spencer

3-      The great gals at my Literacy Signing table: L to R: Robin LeFevers, Terri Clark, Marlene Perez, Jordan Dane and Marissa Doyle

4-      Crystal Perkins and me at the Literacy Signing. Love that shirt!

5-      Deb Mullins, looking fabulous and flashing her National Reader’s Choice Award-nominated book TOO WICKED TO LOVE at the Literacy Signing

6-      Kira Sinclair and Rhonda Nelson at the Literacy Signing

7-      Me & Kira Sinclair after she won her National Reader’s Choice Awards for WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN and CAUGHT OFF GUARD

8-      National Reader’s Choice Awards: L to R: Knight Agency authors Robin Owens, Kira Sinclair, Debra Mullins and Vicky Dreiling

9-      Lynn Flewelling, the Bubba Gump Shrimp Guy and me.  I was about to say that Lynn, who’s now a Californian, is one of my oldest clients, but I didn’t think that would come out right.  Let’s say long-standingest and leave it at that.

10-   Tammy Kaehler (mystery writer, author of DEAD MAN’S SWITCH) and me at PF Chang’s with a suspiciously Heroes-like speed walker in the background.

11-   Me & Vicky Dreiling all dolled up for the RITA Awards, waiting anxiously to hear the fate of HOW TO MARRY A DUKE and HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL.

12-   Vicky Dreiling, Elizabeth Hoyt and her editor Amy Pierpont from Grand Central Publishing

13-   Nephele Tempest and Nalini Singh, also dolled up and looking fine, there to celebrate the nominations of ARCHANGEL’S BLADE, LORD OF THE ABYSS and “Angel’s Wolf.”

New Releases

Just back from the Romance Writers of America annual conference.  What a wonderful time!  Incredible weather, even more incredible people.  I hope to get my pics in order and to blog the conference tomorrow, but for today, I wanted to mention some great new releases for the past and present week.

TIGER BOUND by Doranna Durgin (Harlequin Nocturne, July 24)

“…characters readers will love” – Romantic Times, 4 Stars

“…creative ideas, ground-breaking characters and emotionally charged conflicts.” –Amelia Richards, Cataromance 4 Stars

Cover Copy: Like the Siberian tiger he can transform into, Maks Altán is a strong, ferocious fighter who’s incredibly protective of his Sentinel kin. But thanks to a debilitating injury, he feels anything but fierce. That is, until he is sent to guard Katie Maddox, a gorgeous healer who awakens a dangerous lust within him. Problem is, in the shifter world, Katie’s deer alter ego is easy prey…and much too tempting for Maks.

As unnamed danger lurks just beyond her awareness, Katie has doubts—about her abilities, her role in the Sentinels and the strange desire she feels toward her new protector. But somehow, the wounded predator and his wary prey must ignore their instincts, their fears and their dangerous attraction to each other in order to defeat their common enemy!

THE REUNION MISSION by Beth Cornelison (Silhouette Romantic Suspense, July 24)

This is a fabulous chance to read two books by award-winning author Beth Cornelison for the price of one.  This volume collects two Black Ops romances: THE REUNION MISSION and TALL DARK DEFENDER into one volume!

(Read an excerpt)

ALL SEEING EYE by Rob Thurman (Pocket Books, July 31)

“Visual and engrossing—keeps you rapidly turning the pages.” —Heather Graham, New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Moon

“Multitalented Thurman is moving in a new direction by offering up a supernatural thriller that features a cynical psychic. Life has not been kind to Jackson Lee, which has resulted in a hero who doesn’t merely put up walls around his emotions — Jack opts for virtual electric fences. Thurman specializes in damaged characters with a strong sense of family. Creepy and chilling, this is a ghost story with a killing edge.” —Romantic Times Book Reviews

“This is a fast paced story that sucks you in and pulls you along until the best plot twist ever sucker-punches you in the gut. And then it’s over, leaving you wanting more. It’s an easy read, but not a simple one; it’s definitely got its dark and disturbing moments. There’s action, sarcasm, murder and a touch — just a touch, mind you — of affection. I loved it so much that when I finished reading it, I turned it over and started again. That’s the highest praise I can give a book.” -Bookshelf Bombshells

Cover Copy: The New York Times bestselling author of the Cal Leandros series delivers a bold new supernatural thriller where one man’s extraordinary abilities come with an equally phenomenal cost.

Picking up a small, pink shoe from the grass forever changed young Jackson Lee’s life. Not only did its presence mean that his sister Tessa was dead—murdered and stuffed in the deep, black water of a narrow well—but the shoe itself told him so. Tessa’s death triggers an even more horrific family massacre that, combined with this new talent he neither wants nor can handle, throws Jack’s life into a tailspin. The years quickly take him from state homes to the streets to grifting in a seedy carnival, until he finally becomes the cynical All Seeing Eye, psychic-for-hire. At last, Jackson has left his troubled past behind and found a semblance of peace.

That is, until the government blackmails him. After Jackson is forced to help the military contain the aftermath of a bizarre experiment gone violently wrong, everything he knows about himself will change just as suddenly as it did with his little sister’s shoe.

And while change is constant . . . it’s never for the better.

I’m so pleased to announce that James A. Hetley’s classic and critically acclaimed Celtic fantasies are now in digital!  You’ll really want to check out these two novels in his Wildwood series.

THE SUMMER COUNTRY by James A. Hetley (TKA Distribution)

“You don’t find many books like this, never mind first novels. Hetley’s The Summer Country is like an old Irish whiskey — dark and smoky, abounding in flavour and detail… The Summer Country is all the things a good novel should be: a tightly-written, resonant…story rich with flawed characters, dark visions, and quiet joys, with the whisper of true mystery, lying there in wait at the very heart of it all.” —Charles de Lint

“As Mo might put it, compared to standard pseudo-Celtic fare, The Summer Country kicks butt.  And architect/former karate instructor/Vietnam vet Hetley might create as much stir in the field as fellow Maine-man Stephen King when he first came upon the scene.” —Locus

“Beautiful, dark, and gritty, this first novel is a real winner.”  —Booklist

Cover Copy: Maureen Pierce works the night shift in a convenience store, carries a .38 Smith & Wesson in her pocket, and talks to trees. She knows enough clinical psychology to think that when the trees answer, it proves she’s crazy. She can live with that.

She manages to get by in a world where she doesn’t really fit, until the truth reaches out to touch her as she slogs home through the slushy midnight sidewalks of a February sleet storm. That truth offers a seductive promise of warmth and sun, green growing things and trees that really do answer when she talks to them. It tells her that she isn’t truly human.

Now her blood heritage drags her from Maine into ancient myth three steps away from the modern world, with all the claws and teeth and cruelty intact. Camelot is dead. Arthur is dead. Law is dead. Power rules the Summer Country of Celtic myth, behind the Old Blood faces of beast-master Dougal, dark witch Fiona, and her cunning, treacherous twin brother Sean. Their plots entangle and threaten Maureen’s sister Jo, Jo’s human lover David, and Brian Albion — the enigmatic Old Blood knight of the warrior Pendragons, who Maureen trusts about as far as she can throw him.

Maureen can become either a slave or a mighty witch, but her own dark past may be her worst enemy.

THE WINTER OAK by James A. Hetley (TKA Distribution)

“Full of rich prose, this sequel to the critically acclaimed THE SUMMER COUNTRY confirms that Hetley has created that rarest of gems: a Celtic fantasy worth reading. . . . Fans of ‘realistic fantasy’ authors like Charles de Lint and George R. R. Martin will particularly enjoy sinking their teeth into this gritty and entertaining story.”  —Publishers Weekly

“Hetley’s seamless blending of ‘real’ and mythical realities is pure magic, every bit as enchanting here as in The Summer Country.” —Booklist

“You’ll want to read THE SUMMER COUNTRY first before you dive into THE WINTER OAK as this is that rarity of sequels, one that perfectly builds off the previous novel.  James Hetley can be very proud of the story he has created – it’s that good!” —Green Man Reviews

“Readers tired of stereotypical fantasy fairylands will find this sequel to THE SUMMER COUNTRY rather refreshing.  This enchanted land is as dark and gritty as any urban landscape, which should appeal to fans of Tanya Huff and Laurell K. Hamilton.” —Romantic Times

“Fans of urban fantasy in the style of Charles de Lint and Tanya Huff should enjoy this well-written sequel to The Summer Country.” —Library Journal

Cover Copy: “Happily ever after” doesn’t always work, even in fairy tales. Maureen Pierce has won her castle, her man, and her powers, after terrible suffering in THE SUMMER COUNTRY. She has won a host of fierce enemies as well — among them, the powerful dark witch Fiona and the deadly black dragon Khe’sha, who plot vengeance. Many of the Old Blood fear the change that she brings to the Summer Country of Celtic myth, and the warrior Pendragons believe that her lover, Brian Albion, has betrayed their secrets.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Maureen hates her castle for the pain she suffered there. She fears her new-found powers. The ghosts of old trauma still haunt her and those close to her — Brian, her sister Jo, and Jo’s lover, the human bard David.

Against that, Maureen has the love of the Wildwood, the tangled, dangerous, above all magical forest surrounding the castle she won. She and those with her have honor — a strange and rare and powerful concept in the Summer Country.

Holding her place turns out to be as hard as winning it, and she’s going to need help.

Sometimes, that can come from where it’s least expected.

GCC Interview with Jennifer Echols

Is this a great cover, or what?  Girlfriends’ Cyber Circuit sister Jennifer Echols has come out with a high-flying new adventure ( SUCH A RUSH , Gallery/MTV Books, ISBN: 978-1-4516-5801-9), and I get a stop on her blog tour!  So, here’s a little info about the author and the book and an interview with Jennifer Echols.


About SUCH A RUSH:

Jennifer Echols is the wildly popular author of Going Too Far, Forget You, and Love Story.  Now, Gallery Books is proud to publish her first hardcover novel SUCH A RUSH (Gallery Books/MTV; July 2012; $16.99), a sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers.

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.

But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business–until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers–and the consequences could be deadly.

Engrossing and intense, SUCH A RUSH is a captivating adventure that is sure to keep readers soaring.

INTERVIEW WITH JENNIFER ECHOLS

What is your writing process like? Are you a plotter or a pantser? Do you schedule time to write each day or are you a spree writer?
The older I get, the more of a pantser I become. As for my schedule, I get up at 4:30 in the morning for my optimum writing, and I have done that since I decided to make one more big push for publication, back in 2004.


What is the hardest part about the publishing process for you and how do you get through it? (For me, it’s copyediting and sour cream and onion chips.)
Because I’m a pantser, the hardest thing I ever do is write a synopsis for a book I haven’t written yet. It looks like I’m going to have to do that four times next year.Nothing helps me get through it. I feel like my soul has been jerked from my body, thrown in the road, and run over by a truck.


We drop your hero or heroine on a deserted island. Quick, what are the three things he or she can’t live without?
My heroine Leah needs bottled water, copies of the magazine Plane & Pilot, and an airplane, because she can’t live without flying. I guess she will not be on this island long.


If your story were a film, who would you cast?
This is embarrassing to admit, but I have so much writing to do that I’ve pretty much stopped watching TV, except for science documentaries I let my son watch, and I don’t make it to many movies either. A lot of people ask me this question, so maybe readers could e-mail me with some suggestions!


Are there any contests or upcoming appearances/interviews/etc. you’d like to plug?
MTV has promised to give away copies of my book on Facebook, and I’m holding my breath for that!


Congratulations on your fabulous new release!
Thanks so much for hosting me, Lucienne!

You’re so welcome.  I hope SUCH A RUSH is a fabulous success!

New Sales

Gearing up for the big Romance Writers of American National Conference next week in Anaheim.  Really looking forward to seeing Vicky Dreiling, Lynn Flewelling, Rosemary Clement-Moore, Debra Mullins, Kira Sinclair and others!  Also to the huge Literacy Signing!

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted up new sales, so I thought I’d take the opportunity today.

Women’s/Romance  

Jasmine Haynes, National Readers’ Choice Award-winning author of   THE PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE sells two more erotic romances in that vein Wendy McCurdy for Berkley Heat, in a very nice deal, by Lucienne Diver of The Knight Agency.

Mystery/Crime  

Tammy Kaehler’s BRAKING POINTS, the second Kate Reilly mystery, in which the protagonist finds her date in the shadows with another woman…this one quite dead…and what follows is a mystery almost as fast-paced as the cars she races, to Jessica Tribble of Poisoned Pen Press, by Lucienne Diver of The Knight Agency.

D.D. Barant’s three books in a quirky paranormal cozy, to Monique Patterson of St. Martin’s, in a nice deal, by Lucienne Diver at The Knight Agency.

Sci-Fi/Fantasy  

NYT bestselling author Faith Hunter’s HAVE STAKES, WILL TRAVEL, following on the success of CAT TALES, a second collection of stories in her Jane Yellowrock world, to Jessica Wade of NAL, for publication in September 2012, by Lucienne Diver of The Knight Agency.

KICKING IT, an urban fantasy anthology featuring stories by and about butt-kicking women from Rachel Caine, Chloe Neill, Faith Hunter, Kalayna Price, Shannon K. Butcher, Rob Thurman and others, to Jessica Wade at NAL, in a nice deal, by Lucienne Diver at The Knight Agency.

International rights: Fiction

German rights to Rachel Caine’s GHOST TOWN to Arena by Thomas Schlueck GmbH

French rights to Diana Pharaoh Francis’s SHADOW CITY and BLOOD WINTER to Panini France by Agence Litteraire Lenclud

French rights to Faith Hunter’s RAVEN CURSED and DEATH’S RIVAL to Panini France by Agence Litteraire Lenclud

French rights to Rachel Caine’s WINDFALL, FIRESTORM and THIN AIR to Panini France, by Agence Litteraire Lenclud

Russian rights to N.K. Jemisin’s THE HUNDRED THOUSAND KINGDOMS to Atticus in a nice deal by Nova Littera

GCC Interview with Denise Jaden

 

I’m pleased today to have Girlfriends’ Cyber Circuit sister Denise Jaden with me, talking about her new release NEVER ENOUGH, a young adult novel about the price of “perfection”.  New from Pocket Pulse, the novel has already garnered some wonderful praise:

“In her sophomore novel, Jaden (Losing Faith) offers an intimate and enlightened rendering of anorexia and bulimia…Loann’s fight against forces that might be beyond her control is both harrowing and inspiring. While Jaden does not provide simple answers for the problems presented, she dramatically illustrates the importance of speaking out and reaching out.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Denise Jaden’s Never Enough is honest, gut wrenching, and oh so beautiful.  It’s a book you can’t wait to share.”

—Eileen Cook, author of Unraveling Isobel and The Education of Hailey Kendrick

“Denise Jaden positively nails the love-hate relationship between two polar opposite sisters who share a single quest: the desire to be perfect, regardless of the cost. A compelling, often gut-wrenching coming-of-age novel, Never Enough will haunt you long after the last page.”

—From Jeannie Garsee, author of Before, After and Somebody In Between

I hope you’ll check it out.

INTERVIEW with DENISE JADEN

What is your writing process like? Are you a plotter or a pantser? Do you schedule time to write each day or are you a spree writer?

I’m still finding my “perfect process,” but lately I am a plotter. A very loose plotter. I usually have a two or three page outline, including a couple of scenes and an ending. Then I launch right into drafting. My “scheduled” writing time often gets interrupted, but I do write every day, and usually use word count goals to spur me on. I’ve completed NaNoWriMo every year since 2007, and I love pushing through to make word counts and then being surprised by some of the good things I’ve written at the end of a month of crazy-writing.

What is the hardest part about the publishing process for you and how do you get through it? 

The hardest part of the publishing process for me is the editorial letter at the beginning, especially if it’s vague. I follow editorial advice much better when I can see it pointed out in my manuscript, so I always find it a huge relief when I get to the line-editing stage. I brew my own wine at home, and let’s just say the supplies start to dwindle when the editorial letter arrives.

We drop your hero or heroine on a deserted island. Quick, what are the three things he or she can’t live without?

Loann wouldn’t be able to live without someone to talk to, so I’d definitely give her a friend. Also, her camera and a hair tie.

If your story were a film, who would you cast?

If Kat Dennings was a little younger, she would make a PERFECT Loann. Daren Kagasoff would make a great Marcus, and I’d love to see AnnaSophia Robb as Claire.

Are there any contests or upcoming appearances/interviews/etc. you’d like to plug?

Yes! I’m having a celebration on my blog to go with my new book. I’m giving away lots of fabulous prizes! Anyone who comments on any of the GCC posts will automatically be eligible to win. There’s more information right here: http://denisejaden.blogspot.ca/2012/07/blog-tours-and-entries-and-prizes-oh-my.html

Congratulations!

Two quick things before I get dug in for the day:

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Kalayna Price for hitting the USA Today bestseller list with her fabulous Alex Craft novel GRAVE MEMORY (sequel to GRAVE WITCH and GRAVE DANCE)!  Says Romantic Times, “This continues to be a truly original and compelling UF series.” I couldn’t agree more.

D.B. Jackson is currently on tour (blog and signing) for his debut historical fantasy THIEFTAKER.  Check him out on John Scalzi’s Big Idea blog or drop by his website for other tour stops.