L.A. Witt's Blog, page 16

Links N Things

Today is Six Sentence Sunday, of course, so if you want to check out a quick snippet of Where There's Smoke -- due out this Tuesday! -- click here.

I'm over at Jessewave today discussing when cheating is -- and isn't -- cheating. I'm interested in your opinions, readers, so stop by and sound off on how you feel about cheating and all its gray areas.

And as long as I'm posting links, I completely neglected to post about a couple of guest blogs that came up in the last week or so. Over at Sara Brookes' blog, I'm talking about my first time submitting a manuscript. And over at Book Faery's blog, Liam from A Chip In His Shoulder discusses his fascination with the New Orleans funeral culture as part of an author spotlight for the upcoming Authors After Dark in NOLA.

Also, Circlet Press is conducting a poll to pick the best stories for an upcoming lesbian anthology. My good friend Kathleen Tudor's story, Navigator, is in the running, so I promised her I'd post the link here. Now go! Go and vote for your favorite!

Finally, Until It's Over is still available for a you're-practically-stealing-it price of $0.99 over on Amazon, and there's just a few hours left to enter to win a copy of Where There's Smoke from Stumbling Over Chaos. Hurry, folks! What are you waiting for? Go! Go! Go!

Phew. That's a lot of links.

Sweet Deal on a Sexy Novel!

For a very limited time, Until It's Over is available on Amazon for $0.99!

And this isn't a short story or novella! Until It's Over is a full-length novel, and is usually offered for $5.99, but just in time for Valentine's Day, it's a buck. Yep, just a buck. Srsly.

Just as dressage trainer Dani Blake decides the best kind of relationship is no relationship at all, along comes cunning linguist Connor Graham, and he's the perfect Mr. Right Now. He's newly single, not looking for any type of attachment, and smoking hot in bed.

Best of all, he's moving out of state in a few months, so there's no pressure for – and no chance of – a long-term relationship. Even if Dani hadn't already made the mistake of moving to another state for a man in the all too recent past, a mistake she's not keen on repeating, she's stuck in Seattle because she can't afford to move her beloved horses again.

So she and Connor will just take advantage of the time they have and enjoy it until it's over. It's just enough time to have some fun, and not nearly enough time to fall in love with him.

Right?

Read an excerpt here.

Get Until it's Over for a buck...here...before it goes back to $5.99!

The SAMMIE Awards - Vote!

First, Stumbling Over Chaos is giving away a copy of Where There's Smoke, my February release from Loose Id! Click here and comment to enter.

Moving right along, Samhain Publishing has activated the link for readers to vote their favorite 2011 Samhain books.

Categories are:
Reader's Choice Best Cover Art eBooks
Reader's Choice Best Cover Art Print Books
Reader's Choice Best eBook
Reader's Choice Best Print Book
The link will take you to the page where you can vote your top 3 picks for each category. Voting ends March 19, 2012, and winners will be announced March 24, 2012.

Click here to vote!

I went from palm trees and white sand beaches...

...to this: Why yes I think I will stay indoors all day today. And probably tomorrow. Pretty much until all that white nonsense is gone, methinks.

Which is good, actually, because I have a manuscript to edit (For The Living) and another to finish rewriting (Conduct Unbecoming). So, good timing! Time to grab some manuscripts and a red pen, curl up in my pajamas, and hibernate.

NOW AVAILABLE From M Jules Aedin: Lovegames

Pimping out a new release from my good friend M Jules Aedin, Lovegames, which is now available from Loose Id, LLC: (Also available on AllRomance)

Adam and Keith like playing bedroom games -- and hot tub games and elevator games and backstage-at-a-concert games -- and they really like inviting other people to play with them. But when they both get a little more attached to Sebastian than they intended to, the rules of the game change.

Sebastian is just a journalism major trying to take control of his life when his plans get blown out of the water by a surprise one-night-stand with his favorite actor and the actor's rock star boyfriend. What should have just been a great party story turns into an emotional entanglement that shakes his world, and he's not prepared for the spotlight or what's hiding in the shadows it casts.

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable: dubious consent, male/male sexual practices, menage (m/m/m).

COVER ART: Where There's Smoke

I am so in love with this cover art it isn't even funny. April Martinez, I am prostrating myself before you:

Anthony Hunter wonders what the hell he's gotten himself into when he agrees to manage an unproven candidate's campaign for governor of California. As soon as he meets the gorgeous, charismatic — and married — politician, attraction gives Anthony's rock-solid professionalism a run for its money, and Anthony knows he's in way over his head.

Jesse Cameron doesn't like the idea of putting himself out there as a happily married, wholesome candidate, but his retired senator uncle insists it'll give him an edge over a challenging rival. The only problem is that Jesse's marriage is over, existing only to maintain his heterosexual façade. Oh, and there's that minor detail about his undeniable attraction to his smoking hot campaign manager. Or the fact that the attraction is very, very mutual.

Before long, temptation explodes into a sizzling, secret relationship, but under the microscope of the media and the relentless scrutiny of the voting public, Anthony and Jesse can only keep their secret for so long. And this is one scandal a campaign won't survive…

Where There's Smoke will be out Feb 21 from Loose Id LLC.

What Three Years Have Taught Me

On January 22, 2009, I received the first publishing contract of my career. I will never, ever forget that moment, sitting on the couch in my apartment in Okinawa, reading the e-mail containing the words "...would very much like to publish Playing With Fire..." It had only been a couple of months since I'd switched from epic fantasy to erotic romance, and suddenly, this. I stared slack-jawed at my computer. I blogged hysterically (I'm very eloquent when I'm excited, as you can see). I was more than a little tempted to run screaming around the neighborhood, and it was pretty damn cool that it happened to be a morning when Eddie didn't have to go to work early, so he got to be there for it too.

I wasn't just a wannabe writer anymore...I was about to. Be. Published. It didn't matter that it was a small press, that it was an ebook. All my life, I'd dreamed about having a book published, and this was validation on so many levels, I couldn't even articulate it. No matter how many rejections came my way now, I had one nugget of golden truth in my pocket that no one could take away: I could do this.

Now, those who've been following my blog for some time probably remember how things turned out. Those who weren't around in 2009 may have noticed there is no book called Playing With Fire on my backlist.

In June of 2009, the contract for Playing With Fire was terminated. Simply put, the publisher merged with another, and the new publisher decided they weren't interested in the book. Was I bummed out? Sure! Who wouldn't be?

But these things happen. I knew some contracts wouldn't make it through the merger, and I'd been quietly steeling myself in case mine was one of them. Sure I was disappointed, but I refused to let it get me down. By this point, I'd sold my second book --Between Brothers -- so even though it was a bit of an emotional kick in the nads, I knew two things: 1) this is business, not personal, and b) I could still do this.

Yesterday marked three years since that first contract landed in my inbox. Since then, I've accumulated over 300 rejections and sold over 30 novels and novellas. I've had good reviews, bad reviews. I've had good experiences, bad experiences. And let me just say, it's been an education. So, to mark this 3 years and 1 day anniversary of that first squee-inducing e-mail, here are some things I've learned:
Editing is a team effort, not a battlefield. There's a fine line between Golden Word Syndrome (tm) and a legitimate argument for rejecting an editor's change. I've worked with some amazing editors, and I've learned from every single one of them. I've learned how to watch for and fix problems in my writing, and I've also learned when and how to say "I see where you're coming from, but I disagree, and here's why." There's nothing to be gained by being right just for the sake of being right -- the book is what matters.
The shadows make the highlights brighter. You know how they always say if it weren't for the bad times, no one would appreciate the good times? I don't think I've ever understood that more than I have since I've been in the publishing business. A run of rejections makes that bright, shiny new contract infinitely sweeter. Some "meh" sales makes that bestseller spot an awesome little personal triumph. The funks, slumps, burnouts, and dry spells make those periods of major productivity feel like an actual accomplishment. The clouds and thorns make you appreciate the sunshine and roses.
Do your homework. There are ways to get burned. There are ways to avoid getting burned. Research the latter, avoid the former.A rejection simply means "No thanks, it's not for me." It's easy to take rejections personally, or to hear things like "this book is horrible, you're an awful writer, what is wrong with you?" between the lines of "regretfully, your book is not for us." It's tempting to hold that rejection in your hands (or stare at it on the screen) and think, "My God, did I really waste all that time and effort, and ultimately create something horrible?" But the thing is, a rejection isn't the kiss of death. It isn't a proclamation from on high that this book should never see the light of day. I have had books rejected that sold elsewhere and became some of my top sellers. I've had books accepted immediately that sold "meh". Editors and agents are human, just like us, and their opinions and tastes vary as wildly as anyone else's. What one editor loathes, another may love. You're never too experienced for beta readers. Yeah, you may know what you're doing, but you just never know what that second set of eyes might pick up.
Book #40 requires just as much work as Book #1. Okay, with time, you do hone techniques, write smoother prose, plot better from the start, etc. But the fact is, you still have to sit down at your computer, stare down that blinking cursor below the words "chapter 1", and type all 85,000 words of the book. Fortunately, I enjoy that -- I couldn't imagine any job I could possibly love more than I love writing -- but I'll admit, I still have moments where I wish a scene would just write its own damn self. I just finished my 40th book yesterday, and that troublesome chapter 22 still made me write it. Every last word.Book releases don't get any less nerve-racking or exciting. I totally do not have an Excel spreadsheet that tells me how many days are left before each title releases. I absolutely do not look at those numbers and try to will them to count down faster. No matter what anyone tells you, I do not lose sleep or get queasy the night before, and I never squeal like a kid on Christmas when the book goes live. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.It pays to try new things. Whether it's a different subgenre or a different writing technique, a change of scenery or a different playlist on your iPod, it's good to experiment. You just never know when you might find something that works.Discipline becomes a habit, but as with all good habits, it's easy to backslide. The more you get in the habit of writing X amount of words or hours a day, the more it becomes second nature. I get downright twitchy if I don't write for a day or two, because it's my routine. But if I start cutting myself too much slack, or being lazy, it's easy to get into that downward spiral of "oh, I can stop early today, just like I did yesterday...and the day before...and the day before that..." Make it a habit, but keep after yourself.
This is the most awesome job in the world.

But what about Playing With Fire? You would think I could have sold it again after three years, right? Maybe. But after a substantial rewrite, Playing With Fire has been indefinitely trunked. Will it ever see the light of day again? Probably not. Reason being, I agree with the publisher's decision to terminate the contract. The book was good, but not good enough, and now I can honestly look back and say I'm glad they did it. I have gone on to work with that publisher on other books, and have an excellent relationship with them.

So, three years later, I have to say...

Thank you, Linden Bay Romance for giving me that shining moment of "yes, you can do this", which I still treasure to this day no matter how things ultimately turned out.

And thank you, Samhain Publishing, for telling me I could do better.

Some Awards, Some News, and Some Updates

First, the Cock & Bull Blog Tour is still going -- click here for a full list of the daily blog stops, and comment to win a chance at a $150 Amazon gift card! Second, I'd like to announce that my first lesbian short story, What This Woman Wants, is due out in early April from Carnal Passions. Just a short little F/F erotica story for those who enjoy some fun with the ladies.

And I'd like to thank the M/M Romance group on Goodreads (join if you haven't already!) for voting three of my books into the 2011 Readers' Choice Awards!

Out of Focus -- 1st, Hottest M/M/M
Static -- 2nd, Most Surprising/Unique Plot Device
A Chip In His Shoulder -- 3rd, Hottest Vampire

Huge thank you to the readers who voted, and congrats to the authors who also won, including Marie Sexton, Amy Lane, Heidi Cullinan, TJ Klune, Damon Suede, and Josh Lanyon. It blows my mind to be in the company of names like those!

It really is a wonder I get any work done.

So as I settle into my new office, I'm finding it has its occasional minor disadvantage. A heater vent that randomly coughs cold air RIGHT up my pant leg. A bunch of stairs rudely standing in the way of me and my choice of refreshing beverages.

And...well, I have just a wee bit of ADD.

Now, this is the view from my desk:
You might notice on the left there is a rather skeletal looking tree. I'm sure it'll be infested with leaves in a few months, but for the time being, it's fallen victim to the cycle of the seasons and the evil cold of the midwest. It's not just an idle, barren tree, though.

For the most part, it just sits there quietly in the yard, but it also happens to be populated by--

SQUIRRELS!
Do you have ANY idea how hard it is for someone like me -- who is seriously ADD and adores anything of the cute and furry variety -- to focus when I have THIS looking at me from out there???
I think I may have to lower the blinds. Cause seriously? This is epic distracting cuteness of lethal proportions.

Anyway. Back to work. Gotta finish this chapter before-- SQUIRREL!

Cock and Bull Tour -- Come Join Me!

Freddy MacKay will be here tomorrow, but today I'm over at Julia Knight's blog talking about how The Given & The Taken came to be. Stop by and check it out, plus you have a chance to win a $150 Amazon Gift Card!

For info on the entire tour, click here.