I’ve had so much email and so many questions from other sources about a sequel to Wicked Hot that I decided I needed to say something official about it. Yes, I planned a sequel (actually I planned a trilogy) and proposed it to my St. Martin’s editor, and she did not want it. Yes, I was disappointed. However, since I also like being employed and paying bills I promptly moved on to something else and Animal Attraction was approved and written and will be out next March.

In theory writers can write anything they please; in reality, they need to deliver what publishers will accept to fulfill contracts and there is not an infinite amount of time and energy for non-contractual projects with uncertain outcomes. But can’t I sell Wicked Fire elsewhere? Well, there’s the uncertain outcome.

Due to contract terms, pretty much the only alternative is to offer Wicked Fire to my Ellora’s Cave editor, who may or may not want it, either. And this may not be a very satisfactory solution to readers who bought the first book in print and might never think to look for it as an ebook with a different publisher, or for those who buy the second book as an ebook and have to go hunting for the print book, which might be difficult to find by then. Due to the probable time lapse between the print release of Wicked Hot and the e-release of Wicked Fire, should EC acquire it, it may have missed its window for readers who wanted more. By the time a print version came out, it would likely be two years or more after the first book and the window looks even worse. And then there’s the inevitable reader frustration of not being able to get both in the same format.

So, I’m not sure that there’s a good answer to this. I don’t like leaving readers wanting, and I very much wanted to tell that story, but for now Wicked Fire sits in partial form on my hard drive. If enough readers want it, though, I can talk to my EC editor about it and see what she says. If you’d like to give your input, let me know in comments how you’d feel about getting it in ebook format.

Earth Girls Aren’t Easy has been reviewed by the fun folks at Joyfully Reviewed.

“Earth Girls Aren’t Easy was a super funny book, just ask my husband who kept hearing me laugh and asked “so what’s so funny”. I love Angie’s fake coffee mental tirade, as well as the rest of the story. Ms. Teglia has a winning series on her hands, in my estimation. I picked this one up first and had no troubles following the story, and am in fact heading out to by the first one* now.” - reviewed by Tanya

*The connected story, I Was An Alien’s Love Slave, is in Ellora’s Cavemen: Seasons of Seduction III

My brother called to tell me we’d lost an old friend
I know it’s now but I remember then
Met you in the eighties while you drew in the hall
Stray Cats singing on a cartoon wall
Pugs rocked the punk scene in ‘85
Yeah, I remember, Mike, when you were alive.
Back at the Pug House just hanging out
Down at the river time to twist and shout
I remember how you were back at the start
I think you must’ve died from a broken art.

Rest in peace, man.

You just have to ask yourself, “What would Joan Jett do?”

Everybody has a cold. Bleah. Been checking temperatures, blowing little noses and passing out cold medicine all weekend. Of course, now my throat is scratchy. I am swilling orange juice by the jug.

May K’s reviewed Wicked Hot. Heh. Thanks, May!

There’s an excerpt here.

And you can pre-order, too.