L.A. Witt's Blog, page 31

A new blog...

So I've decided to split my blog into personal and professional. Of course there will still be writing-related posts here, and updates about releases and such, but I'm going to try to steer this one toward more things related to traveling, mancandy, life in general, and...you know...the whole Adventures in Navy Wifing thing.   I've tried this before, and this time I will be sticking with it since I actually have things to post on the new one (releases, cover art, etc).

The new one will just be -- in theory -- more professional.

Behold:
Lauren Gallagher & L. A. Witt - Blogstyle
I'm still sorting out a few things with the formatting, but there it is.

Edits and deadlines and orders, oh my!

I kinda knew this would happen, and boy did it ever. Between March and May, I have five books and a short story due out. This is, of course, a good thing, but it also means a lot of paperwork and a lot of edits...most of which ends up being due around the same time. Bad thing? Not in the least. Just means your humble blogger is going to be busy as fuck for a week or two. :D

So, while I'm up to my ears in edits and such, expect a few frazzled, semi-lucid blog entries. Probably copious amounts of mancandy, too, since hours on end of staring at MS Word Track Changes tends to leave me in a state of drooling incoherence, rendering me unable to compile a blog entry more complex than a series of pictures of sexy men.

I'm really excited about the coming months, too. Between now and the end of May, the following will be available:

As L. A. Witt:
With the Band, Loose Id, LLC (March)
Getting off the Ground, Amber Quill Press (April)
A.J.'s Angel, Samhain (May)
As Lauren Gallagher:
Reconstructing Meredith, Carnal Passions (March)
Damaged Goods, Loose Id, LLC (April)Denied (short story), Evernight Publishing (May)
Some of these are among my favorite stories, so waiting for them to come out is like waiting for Christmas morning.

And of course, amidst all the edits and such, there will be cover art. Lots and lots of glorious cover art. I've already received one cover for the above listed books, but I can't post it just yet. Soon, my loyal blog minions. Soon.

So, yeah, it's going to be a busy couple of weeks, and most of February will probably be spent biting my nails down to bloody nubs in between squeeing over cover art. Have I mentioned lately that I love this job?

And if that's not enough excitement, my husband's orders to Okinawa end in November, which means he'll begin negotiating new orders in February. We've been looking at possible orders, making a list of our preferences, and crossing our fingers for an additional overseas tour. We should know sometime in March where we'll be headed, and we'll most likely be leaving Okinawa (*sniff*) in November.

So, stay tuned for updates, cover art, and loads of mancandy when I'm not coherent enough to post a normal blog entry.

Or just when I feel like posting mancandy.

Like, say, now:
James Purefoy with a gun. Hellz yeah.

Time for some Voting!!

Two of my books are nominated over at Love Romances Cafe for readers' choice awards. Go forth, loyal blog minions, and vote!

The Distance Between Us - Best Erotic Book

Cover Me - Best Romantic Thriller

Also, some friends/colleagues/fellow troublemakers in other categories:

Strawberries for Dessert by Marie Sexton - Best Cover

The Princes of Jikkar Series by Rebecca Goings - Best Series

And Best Publisher has several awesome publishers listed, including a few of my own (Champagne/Carnal Passions, Samhain, Loose Id, Amber Quill, Noble Romance, and Dreamspinner). I don't even know who to vote for in that category - they're all awesome. :D

Go forth, loyal blog minions, and vote!!

Everybody Back in the Pool!

The Infinity Pools, that is.

Okay, so I'm not jumping back in (DIDJA SEE WHAT I DID THERE?) quite yet, but it is definitely next on the agenda now that...dun dun dunnnnn...Static is finished. Thank God. Maybe now I can get some sleep. So thrilled to be done with this one. Now to spend a few days editing it, then it's off to beta readers.

Incidentally, if you're interested in beta reading a M/M paranormal with significantly less erotic content than most of my work, let me know. I have a handful of betas lined up already, but with this particular story, I could use several sets of eyes.

Once Static is edited and in the hot little hands of my beta readers, then it is, as I said, back to work on Infinity Pools. That was the story I put on hold so I could write Static, and the boys are starting to get antsy again. Guess they didn't like being back-burnered for the better part of a month. That'll teach 'em not to cooperate...

Anyway. Book done, betas needed, moving on to the next book. And, in celebration of being done with Static and getting back to Infinity Pools, I give you...

Yes...

Colin Farrell in a pool.

Wednesday Mancandy - No theme, just gorgeous men.

My blog has been woefully quiet the last week or so, and I apologize for that, my loyal blog minions. I've been knee-deep in Static, and I'm nearing the end. I had hoped to have some new Japanistan pics this week, but the weather sabotaged our outing. Soon, though.

In the meantime, how about some gorgeous men?

Colin Farrell, looking contemplative and sexy...
Some McAvoy...
Purefoy, of course...
Tim Kelleher, who will remain a mancandy fixture on this here blog even though he is sadly no longer part of 30 Seconds to Mars...
Robert Downey Jr...smokin'....
Sam Worthington, soaking wet and looking all manly and stuff...
I have to say, this is easily one of my top 10 favorite pics of Jonathan Rhys Meyers...
The most gorgeous brothers in the universe...
Gerard Butler. Arms. A gun. 'nough said.
And I like 'em cute too, so here's some Ben McKenzie...
There you have it, loyal blog minions. Some mancandy to brighten your day.

Update: The Sequel to Cover Me

I've had quite a few e-mails lately about the sequel to Cover Me (thank you all for writing!), so I thought I'd post an update about it.

To answer your questions: Yes, there will be a sequel. It's tentatively titled Guilt by Association, though that may change. At the moment, the first draft is done, but needs a partial rewrite, so it's been pushed to the back burner temporarily. Once I'm done with Static and, most likely, Infinity Pools, I plan to shift gears back to Guilt by Association. So, expect to hear more rumblings about it in mid-late February.

Will there be additional books? Possibly. I'm toying with a few ideas, but haven't settled on a particular direction. It may end up being a series, it may just be two. No way to be sure at this point.

Will Nick and Andrew be in the second book? Absolutely. They won't be the main characters this time around, but they will definitely be there and very much involved with the story.

Thanks again to everyone who's written me about the books! I didn't expect such a response to Cover Me, and I'm thrilled so many people are interested in a sequel. Ask, and ye shall receive...just give me some time to finish it. :)

Guest Blog: When Romance Isn't Romance

This is a blog posted yesterday by misaditas, and with her permission, I'm reposting it here because I think it bears repeating. You've all heard my rants about rape being portrayed as BDSM in fiction. Now, here's misa's take on rape masquerading as consensual sex in science fiction:

I write science fiction romance. I like to read SFR as well, however I've noticed some disturbing trends that I seriously don't like. For the purposes of this post, the alien is male and the MC is female, because that's how it usually is in the books.

The alien kidnaps the MC. Okay, I'm fine with that, as long as it pertains to the main plot. As a device to get the alien and MC together, it's questionable. Trust (and love) in your kidnapper is called Stockholm Syndrome and it's not sexy, never mind romantic.

The alien has a pheromone and/or empathic ability. This usually makes the MC physically aroused and ends up in rape. No, I won't call it sex - if the MC is saying no, if she is trying to fight the alien off, then it is rape, regardless of how aroused she is.

The alien has a different moral code. This is an excuse I've heard far too many times. I don't care if the alien comes from a different culture, has different rules and morals - if the MC is human, then the story needs to follow human morals. The clash is great anywhere but in the bedroom. Use it as conflict, but don't use it to coerce the MC into bed.

The alien uses mind control to "seduce" the MC. Just... no. Removing the MC's will can work in some stories but it does not work in SFR. I cannot believe that a MC can fall in love with anything that manipulates her in any way, least of all with what comes down to mental abuse (there's a very good episode of ST: TNG covering Deanna being mind raped - go watch it and then see if that's what you want to read/write).

Now, there is nothing wrong with these things of themselves. I want to read about alien aliens. I just don't want that alienness to effect the romantic relationship with the MC.I don't want to read a story that is basically mental, emotional and physical abuse masquerading as romance.

***

Well said, misa.

Guest Blogging at Evie Balos' Blog

I know, my blog's been pretty quiet the last few days. I've been up to my ears in working on Static, not to mention remedying my husband's "almost 30 and haven't seen any of the Indiana Jones movies" ailment. But stay tuned, more blog entries coming.

In the meantime, I'm guest blogging here today. My loyal blog minions have undoubtedly witnessed my rants about BDSM in fiction, and this is along those same lines.

Research help needed: Back surgery, complications, power-of-attorney, DNR, etc.

My loyal blog minions, I need to call upon you again to help with some research. Here's my scenario: This is a paranormal/SFF story, and MC1 is having a rather invasive surgery to remove some electronic implants from his spine. The nature of the implants isn't relevant to this, but they're very tiny, and there are three total.

Ideally, I'd like MC2 (who has MC1's power-of-attorney) to have to make some sort of decision during the surgery. Such as whether or not to continue with the operation, whether or not to keep him on life support temporarily, something. Maybe MC1 isn't tolerating the anesthesia well, but they've only gotten two of the three implants out, so do they continue getting the third or bring him out and try again later? Would this be the surgeon's discretion, or would it be up to the person with power-of-attorney? I'm still reading up on POAs, back surgeries, etc., so forgive my cluelessness. It can also happen after the surgery, whenever...some time before MC1 regains consciousness, ideally.

Basically, I need a complication, something, that'll put MC2 in a position of having to make a potentially life or death decision for MC1. And yes, MC1 pulls through in the end.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Smacks over the head for being a complete moron? Feel free to post comments here or e-mail me.

Thanks in advance, loyal blog minions. :)

Take two.

Quick note: Light Switch is now on AllRomance, Amazon, and Bookstrand. Also, the link on my blog's sidebar goes directly to the book on my website, so as new links are added, they'll be on that page.

With that out of the way...

So my word counters have been pretty, well, static for the last few days. Why? Because I haven't written anything. I can't say the last few days have been unproductive, though. First round edits for A.J.'s Angel came down the pipeline, as did the galley copy for the print version of Nine-tenths of the Law. So, naturally, that kept me busy for a bit.

I also needed to go back and revamp Static. Turns out I had the story all wrong, but after three new versions, I think I've got it. I'll be starting that new version today. Hopefully I've got it right, or at least closer to it. Either way, my word counter will probably be all over the place while I shuffle around old material and add new. I'm really excited about this story. With any luck, I'll stay that way.

Now to get some caffeine in my system, wake up a little, and get to work.