Today’s to do list includes the art form and blurb form for Red Queen. I have a synopsis and a very short blurb for this, so now I have to sort of merge the two and come up with an extended blurb. Which will then get sent to Samhain’s blurb-o-magic worker.
And then I have to figure out how to ask for the perfect cover.
Somewhere in there kid #1 goes to the doctor while kid #2 stays dosed and recovering, and we knock wood that next week everybody will be back to normal.
Since I’ve been too flattened by flu to come up with amazing blog entries, here’s a fun snippet from Red Queen (March 2010, Samhain)
“We’re listening.” I felt the shift in their bodies, both of them alert, fun and games put aside for the moment.
“First, the offer. The werepanthers want to organize your bachelor party. I accepted conditionally, the conditions being mainly security. They agree to coordinate with us to make sure the arrangements satisfied all parties. David will be the liaison for our side.”
“No,” Zach said in a flat tone. He said it with a push of alpha energy.
I pushed back. It was almost painful to override the compulsion to obey, but I was queen and he could only force his will on me if I let him.
“Yes.” I turned to look into his eyes that had started to glow amber. “It would be a mistake to turn them down.”
“Why?” He didn’t like what I was saying, but one of the things I loved about Zach was that he’d listen, even if he thought I was wrong.
I ticked off my reasons. “First, because putting an end to active hostilities is not the same as having a true ally. And we are short on allies.” I didn’t have to remind either of them that there were more werepanthers than werewolves. “Second, we did them a big favor. Rhonda couldn’t get pregnant until Jack did his laying on of hands trick for her. The werepanthers are grateful. The expectant parents are particularly grateful. And all of them would rather gargle rocks than be in our debt, so they want to do something nice for us.”
A deep breath. “Saying no is likely to cause the current pro-Neuri mood to swing back. They held out an olive branch. If we leave them standing there with their hands out instead of accepting it, it’s a step in the wrong direction. And third, Rhonda agreed to my conditions, so we all have plenty of time to make sure this isn’t going to expose any of us to unacceptable risks.”
“So in your opinion, the potential benefits of saying yes outweigh the risks of saying no.” Zach’s face had turned into a bland mask that gave nothing away, but I could feel the strength of emotion in him. He really, really didn’t like this.
David was equally tense beside me. I was almost surprised I didn’t hear a low warning growl in his throat.
“Come on,” I said, exasperated. “We’re talking about a night of alcohol and frat boy style entertainment. I can’t believe I have to talk the two of you into going to your own bachelor party.”
A belated thought made me add, “And if a naked girl jumps out of a cake, don’t shoot her.”
Since I haven’t done this in a while, here’s the state of the To Do list:
1. Undercover Lover: did revisions, waiting for next level edits. Cover is stupendous.
2. Adventure Lover; waiting for edits.
3. Shoot to Thrill/Mammoth Book of Special Ops Romance: waiting for edits
4. Bride of Fire, waiting for various things (yes, I slipped one in there you didn’t know about)
5. Red Hot Lover: new titles brainstormed, story fleshed out, scheduled for after Red Queen
6. Red Queen: rocketing along. I love the story, it’s very solid, and hindered only by the author’s current case of viral plague
7. Djinn and Sin, on hold while I figure out how to handle it morphing into a trilogy (i.e., kill those branches and stick to one-off, or take advantage of it)
All of which means that after I deliver Red Queen, I have only one contracted novella to finish for the year plus various edits and I can do whatever I want for NaNo.
So here are my NaNo possibilities:
1. Rewrite Black Magic acceptably once and for all, or set it on fire and move on
2. The Cleopatra thing (novel partial)
3. The YA novel
4. Nuns and Huns #1
I’m really not sure which way I’ll jump. Meanwhile, I’m just focused on a. continuing to breathe and b. writing Red Queen.
Just so you can listen along, if you want.
Theme song:
White Wedding, Billy Idol (what else?)
And the rest:
When Worlds Collide, Powerman 5000
Action, Powerman 5000
Make Me Bad, Korn
Bad Religion, Godsmack
Passion of Lovers, Bauhaus
Different Worlds, Evergrey (this song is so perfect it’s positively creepy; I saw the scene in my head before I heard the music, but we sure tuned in on the same wavelength)
It’s a good thing there are lots of books to read when you don’t feel like getting up. In the last week I’ve read:
A Deep Kiss of Winter, Kresley Cole/Gena Showalter
On the Edge, Ilona Andrews
Unseen Academicals, Terry Pratchett
Slow Hands, Debra Dixon (old Loveswept)
I also re-read some of my own stuff, Adventure Lover and Bride of Fire. Because I can. (Soon you can, too.)
What have you been reading?
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