A Lady Out of Time is out!!

Whoot! A Lady out of Time is out! It's up and it's great. No, it's not vampires. But it is Time travel. Time travel, you say, what's so great about that? Imagine me as the grandpa from the Princess Bride convincing his grandson why he wants to read PB. 'It has a hot duke and a snarky heroine! It's funny and takes place in Victorian London! It's an alternate history and has Nazi's and tons of sizzling sexual tension! It's funny and the hero is great!' At least I think so. Hope everyone is having a great week, it's hotter than hell in California!

 Links:

Amazon 

Barnes & Noble 

Smashwords

Romantic Times Conference

Off to Kansas City next week for RT! If you're going come say 'hi!' I'll be signing at the E-book Expo!

what's cookin in a non-edible way

Today I finished an important draft for my time travel novel. It is tentatively called A Lady Out of Time, but Olivia Rivers- an awesome YA writer in my critique group- hates the name.

But I remember reading A Knight in Shining Armor and Outlander. That's my basis for time travel books. So for me, the name seems right. Anyway I have not settled anything quite yet. The book is not done, but it's like I climbed to the top of the mountain and realized the end of the range is in sight.

I've also been working on two vampire projects. Which is odd, because I thought I was done with vampires for the foreseeable future. Three months ago I might have said Forever. I don't want to write the same old vampire story. And I would not write anything vampire related unless there was a twist.

I found my twist.

If it comes off like I want it too, then it's good. Really messed up and kinky with a post-apocalyptic/debutante vibe. it's also got a little bit of the Walking Dead in it and I really want to call it symbiosis. But I fear that is too much of a sci-fi title. The definition of the word itself is beautiful: A close and often long-term interaction between two or more different biological species.

The gist of it is that most humans are gone and vampires control pockets of civilization. The story is set in London and there are vampire kings and petty feudal spats. Our hero (or maybe anti-hero) is named Demock. I'm not sure I can say much more at this point because I'm still writing it...but I'm liking it so far.

The other thing rolling around in my mind, which I'm actually a bit hesitant to mention since it would get people's hopes up is the next book in the Valerie verse. I have the cover for it. But you know, the more I look at it...that isn't Cer.

The story of Lucas and Val ended, because I saw them with a happily ever after and nothing beyond that. That was the end I envisioned by the time I was done editing LID. And then, about a week ago, I saw what happened next. I am making no promises, but I see this cover and I want to call it Lucas. And it would be a continuation.

Liebe ist Furcht

Book 2 of The Valerie Dearborn Series will be out in Germany tomorrow! The German version of LID is 39 in Romance and 230 in the German Kindle store. Hurray!

Stephanie Meyer: Genius

Well, it finally happened. I saw Breaking Dawn part two and…I really liked it.

This may be surprising to you non-writers but most writers HATE Twilight. 

When one spends their time writing, they develop grandiose ideas of what is good and what is bad. We adhere to rules that beloved authors routinely break and call them ‘exceptions,’ blindly plunging over the cliff to do what we are told like fat little lemmings.

It’s weird.

When I saw Breaking Dawn part one, I almost couldn't watch it. It was so cheesy and almost self-indulgent that I found it uncomfortable to watch. It was as though I were watching Stephanie Meyer’s most intimate fantasies of what it would be like to be a high-schooler and have it all. The hot rich vampire, the honeymoon on a private tropical island, the baby, the instant glamorous family, a whole host of superpowers and one cool car after another. Didn't anyone tell her that what she was writing was boring? That there was no conflict and it should be cut?

This movie had the same problem! The exploration of their revoltingly cute cottage, the amazing sex they’d have for years (and with no recuperation time!) and worst of all—Bella’s arm wrestling Emmett. Do you know how hard it was to remember how AWFUL that scene was while I was watching it? I had to bite my lip Anastasia style.

And yet, people like cheese.

In fact, I like cheese. 

I believe that in order to be a good writer one has to put their soul on the page. And for me, that means being willing to infuse one’s own insecurities and desires into one’s writing so that when a reader has finished the book, they feel like they know you.

As Breaking Dawn ended, I found myself strangely moved and in awe of Stephanie Meyer because I hadn't realized the power of cheese. Her unabashed enthusiasm for every moment of Bella’s perfect life is something readers want and love to connect to…and it is something I have spent time learning to NOT do.

I feel humbled, as though I have been reminded of a truth that I should have known-- or maybe even did know-- but that I pretended I was too cool to believe in: that to be a good author, I have to put more than the kinky, the awkward and desperate onto the page. I have to be willing to put the vulnerability of pure happiness out there too.

Despite everything I may have ever said before, Stephanie Meyer is a genius. 

German!

Some of my books are now available in German and are doing amazingly well!

The second book Love is Fear (I think it's Liebe ist Angst but can't remember) is coming out at the end of January!

RT 2013

I will be attending The Romantic Times Conference in Kansas and would love to meet you! I'll be at the e-book signing and around. Let me know if you're going!