Pride sighting

My first Pride sighting, at my local Wal-Mart. Notice they've stamped the discounted price right over Faythe's poor face. That's okay, though. The Runaway Bride beside her got the same treatment. ;-)

This one is at my local Books-A-Million. They have a copy of Rogue too, but were out of Stray. Fortunately, Amazon has recieved it's new shipment, which means that everyone else will too. Soon, I hope. ;-)

Blog Tour contest

This contest has now closed.

[Preliminaries: Chandra Rooney has announced the winners to her giveaway of Pride. Danne Cole and Alana Joli, please get in touch with her to claim your prize!

Also, Toni Andrews is blogging and giving stuff away today at the Deadline Dames.]

Wow. Three days to go until the official release of Pride, though I know a lot of people have already found copies. Am I nervous? More like terrified. But since I’m never too scared to give away chocolate, here’s the last Pride release contest. (Not my last blog contest. Just the last one in honor of this release…)

What you can win:

• A signed copy of all three Shifters novels OR a twenty-dollar online gift certificate to Barnes and Noble (International contestants aren’t eligible for the gift certificate, but are welcome to the books!)

• And a 6.3 oz bag of Godiva milk chocolate hearts (I already have the chocolate and will ship it internationally, though I make no promises about its state upon arrival.)
  

How you can enter:

• If you’re enjoying the Shifters series and anticipating Pride, or if you’ve already read it and liked it, please blog about it sometime between now and February 4th, 2009.
• Then leave a comment in this post linking to your entry (or post the url, if you can’t link)
  

Details

• Entries must include a picture of the cover and a blurb, both of which can be found here, along with the official release date (Feb. 1) and a mention of this contest.
• Places you may post: any personal online haunt, including Blogger, LJ, My Space, Wordpress, etc…
• Places you may not post include other authors’ forums and discussion groups. Please don’t push my book on another author’s site. That’s just rude.

I will post a thank you comment in every post entered in the contest, to verify that your entry has been counted.

And one last thing... Thank you so much to everyone who has written in the last few days to say you liked Pride. I can't believe how many people have already read it, and I am truly honored by the response. ;-)

A new title [edited]

Today, my critique partner Rinda Elliott is blogging about the Writer in Waiting at the Deadline Dames. And I can assure you that if you've ever queried a novel (with or without an agent), you know exactly what she's talking about. ;-)

[Edit] Oh, and my conference roomie and good friend Jocelynn Drake has finally revealed the cover for Dayhunter, and she's giving away cover flats!

Also, in one other tidbit of news, I've been cleared to announce the official title of Werecat 5. Henceforth, it shall be known as SHIFT. Or, Shift, once it's written.

I hope this doesn't confuse people. I get the occasional email (and review) complaining that the reader had no idea Rogue (or Pride) wasn't a stand-alone or first in a series until after s/he had purchased it. I'm genuinely sorry about that, but there's little I can do. I don't design the covers. The series does have an official title (Shifters), but that has yet to make it onto any of the covers. So, if you're reading this, and you haven't read the books (yet), here's the order in which they should be read:

Stray (Yes, Stray is still out of stock. But it's coming! I swear!)
Rogue
Pride
Prey
Shift (but not until March, 2010)

Although, I've also been told by several people that the first two may easily be read out of order. Which is good to hear. ;-)

Okay, I must finish the Shift synopsis. Now. Wish me luck!

Getting it right

Angel, Geri, and Lilibeth Ramos, you’ve been selected by the random number generator. Please send me your names and addresses (to rachelATrachelvincentDOTcom), and I’ll put your cover flats in the mail.

For anyone who may not know, and for the commenter yesterday who actually asked, cover flats are simply the cover as it comes off the press. They’re called flats (I assume) because they haven’t yet been folded around the pages of the book. Thus, they’re still flat. The ones I’m giving away are actually promotional items intended for booksellers. On the back (what would be the inside covers of an actual book) are a bunch of selling points, a short synopsis, the marketing campaign, and a list of my other available (and upcoming) books, with the ISBNs.

And don’t forget, there’s still a contest going on in the contest tab at the top of the blog.

Also, Karen Mahoney is blogging today at the Deadline Dames and giving away an ARC of Melissa Marr's Fragile Eternity!

Regarding plotting: Werecat 5 now has a plot!

Okay, it already had a plot, but now it has a point-by-point outline, with most of the details ironed out, instead of a paragraph-long summary of what I know needs to happen. And it's all thanks to the fajitas! Seriously!

Okay, maybe not. But #1 and I finally found a truly good Mexican restaurant last night (as opposed to the couple of decent ones, and a few truly awful ones we'd tried before), and the first half of the plot seemed to flow quite easily over dinner.

The last half was a lot of frustration, endless white board erasing, and countless what-ifs before we finally struck gold around 11:30 pm. You know it when you feel it, the perfect plot. Lots of other ideas felt promising, but something wasn't clicking with them. I'd have to force the conflict, or contrive the obstacles (always a no-no in writing).

But then the right idea finally falls into place, and this anxious, excited, gotta-write-this-now feeling makes my chest feel...fizzy, and kind of tight. Which probably makes no sense. But my point is that you'll know it when you get it right. And I think I got this plot right.

Now, let's just hope I get the writing right...

(Incidentally, you should have seen all the crazy stuff #1 and I googled last night, trying to get my facts right. I swear, writers look up the weirdest stuff!)

Anyway, I’m planning to write the synopsis today, and I’m pleased to be able to say that I love this story! It’ll have lots of action (of a sort we haven’t seen before in the Shifters books), and the emotional turmoil will be pretty intense. Of course, it’s pretty intense in Prey too.

Consider yourself warned… ;-)

Plotting; cover flats

[Oops! Forgot to mention that Jenna Black is blogging at the Deadline Dames, and giving away an entire set of the Morgan Kingsley books!]

Okay, first a confession. I'd planned to start the rough draft of Shifters 5 today. But that's not gonna happen, because I haven't finished plotting. I tried. As weird as this may sound, I know most of whats. Just not all of the whys, hows, and whos. In case that's not clear, I have a whole list of scenes that need to be in the book. I just haven't decided yet exactly how they weave together.

Number one was a very patient man this weekend, letting me bounce ideas off him for two straight days. I always work better when there's someone there to say, "Hey, how 'bout this!" or "No. Just... no."

Here's how far we've gotten. Although, this isn't an accurate representation either, because there are bunches of scenes I have planned that haven't made it to the virtual corkboard yet. Because they happen later on, and there isn't enough room on one screen for all the Post-its. I'm kind of disappointed in the virtual board for that reason. There's plenty of room on my giant white board. But my laptop's screen size is prohibitive. ;-(

(Don't even bother trying to make out the print. I've blurred it, to keep from posting spoilers...)


Key:
Purple = political plotline
Green = main plotline
Orange = Manx's sub plot (Her future is left... up in the air at the end of Prey)
Pink = romance subplot

There are also at least two other minor subplots/dangling plot threads left over from Prey that should have their own color Post-its. But again, there isn't room on screen for that.

Curse my complicated plotlines!

Anyway... check out the contest tab later today for the release week giveaway. But for now, here's a little one:

I have three extra Prey cover flats. This is my favorite cover so far, and the on-screen image doesn't do it justice. If you want one, leave me a comment here by 11:59 pm central tonight. I'll draw three random names in the morning.

And yes, I've spent some quality time in Photoshop today. ;-) The back cover blurb is blurred out, because it contains spoilers from Pride. But if you win a flat, you'll know what Prey is about!

Though I would ask you nicely not to leak those spoilers until I post the blurb online. Please don't ruin it for people who haven't read Pride yet... ;-)

[This contest has now closed. Check the contest tab for future contests. ;-)]

Thank You contest

[This contest has now closed. Check back soon for the next one.]

I’ve received a bunch of emails from people who already found Pride on the shelf (and read it!) or who have already received pre-ordered copies, and I’m so grateful for and blown away by the enthusiasm that I can hardly believe all the kind words of excitement and encouragement. And I’d like to say thank you.

So, if you’ve preordered or already bought or received a copy of Pride, please let me know (in one of the ways listed below), and I’ll enter you in a drawing to win your choice of the following:

• A Pride tee shirt (to see sizes and styles, click here)

Or

• A twenty-dollar online gift certificate to either Barnes and Noble or Borders.
  

How to enter: Email me (contestsATrachelvincentDOTcom) one of the following…

• A picture of you with your copy of Pride
• A receipt from your preorder (You can forward an email receipt to me, or scan and email a printed one.)

Two winners will be chosen, and this contest will run through 11:59 pm (central) on Feb. 5, to include those whose local bookstores may actually hold the book back until the release date, which is how it’s actually supposed to happen. ;-)

If you have any questions, please post them in the comments...

Briefly...

Dame Devon will be posting the winners of the first four Deadline Dames giveaways this afternoon, so if you entered, make sure you check in to see if you won.

Also, yesterday I got cover flats of Prey! And they're gorgeous! If anyone's interested I may do a quick giveaway of a few of those on Monday, as I gear up for the (official) release of Pride... ;-)

The day off [Edited]

[Ack! I completely forgot to announce the winner of Chandra Rooney's The Wild Hunt! Brooke Reviews, you've won! Send me your name and address (to rachelATrachelvincentDOTcom) and I'll forward your info to Chandra...]

That's right, I'm not working today. I'm watching movies and reading an awesome book. And still answering questions at Bitten by Books, of course.

This weekend, I'm ironing out the synopsis for Shifters 5, because I start writing it on Monday. Yes, in the middle of a new release. Because deadlines stop for no panic attack. ;-)

Speaking of which, today's the last day to enter the first week of giveaways at the Deadline Dames, and I believe Lilith Saintcrow will be posting today. So if you haven't been by, or if you've missed any of the giveaways, head on over.

Also, I believe today is the last day to enter both Chandra's and Jen's Pride giveaways.

Back on Monday, with the true release madness!

Stray in the UK!

Preliminaries:

Bitten by Books will be posting an interview with me today (at 8am PST), and I'll be popping in throughout the day to answer questions in the comments. They're also giving away a signed copy of Pride, so if you have any questions for me or are interested in a signed book, make sure to check that out.

Also, Prey is up for pre-order at Amazon! There's no image yet, but the fact that it can now officially be purchsed is really driving home this 3-releases-in-'09 thing!

And... Keri Arthur is blogging today at the Deadline Dames, and giving away ARCs of Deadly Desire and packages of Tim Tams. (I don't think you can get those in the US, and they're awesome!) And all the previous giveaways are still open to entries too, including mine, so don't miss any of those.

The real post:

On Feb 1, Stray will officially be available in the UK! That's right, my first European release. They've done something slightly different with the overseas cover, and I thought that was interesting, so I'm posting them both here for comparison.

The first one is the US cover, with the tagline over Faythe's left shoulder and my beloved Kim Harrison quote across her back. The second is the UK cover, with my beloved Kelley Armstrong quote across Faythe's upper back and a new tagline beneath the title. Also, all the print is in a different font.

So even though they've used the same cover art, the cover has a different feel to me. I assume I'll eventually get a couple of copies of the UK version, and I'm curious to know if the actual physical feel is any different.

Anyway, I just thought that was interesting... ;-)

Deadline Doom

I'm blogging about deadline overload today at The Deadline Dames, and giving away a signed, complete set of the Shifters books, including Pride, which isn't officially out yet. So if you've ever wondered just how many deadlines there are in a writer's life, head on over and check that out.

I have a tight deadline of my own to meet this morning, and after that, I'll be making another post here and catching up on email.

Until then, I leave you with this review of Pride by Virginia, at Bitten by Books. She's made my day!

Reminders

My schedule for today is crazy, so I'm kind of drive-by posting with a few reminders.

• Pride will officially hit the shelf in eleven days, and is available for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Books-A-Million, Mysterious Galaxy, and just about anywhere else books are sold. And may already be shipping from some places. Which is bittersweet to most writers, but that's a blog for another day... ;-)
• Jackie is talking about (and to) her muse and giving away books today at the Deadline Dames (and Devon's giveaway is still open, as well).
• Tomorrow I'll be talking about deadlines at DD and giving away a signed set of all three books in my Shifters series.
• Chandra is still giving away an extra ARC of Pride (because Rachel is an idiot ;-))
• Jen has posted an interview and is giving away a signed copy of Pride
• On Thursday, Bitten By Books will post an interview with me and will also be giving away a copy of Pride. And I believe I'll be answering questions in the comments there throughout the day.
• I'm currently giving away a copy of my agency-mate Chandra Rooney's debut here.
• My new website is almost functional, though some of the content-heavy pages (FAQ, etc...) aren't up yet. We hope to have it all ironed out in a couple of days.

P.S. Thanks for hanging in with me during my Blogger disaster yesterday. Everything should be fixed now. ;-)

P.S. 2 P.S. I know some people are having trouble getting a hold of Stray, but it is being reprinted, and if you'll place an order at your local bookstore, they'll call you when it comes in. And I believe Amazon still has some copies.

Lots of giveaways!

There are two opportunities to win a copy of Pride today:

First Chandra Rooney will be hosting a sort of because-Rachel-is-an-idiot contest for an ARC of Pride. But there's a catch. Because Rachel is an idiot. ;-) So, that should be good for a couple of laughs-at-the-author. ;-) Note: I'm giving her book away in the contest tab!

Also, my agency-mate Jen Hayley has posted an interview (with great questions!) and a contest today, so definitely check that one out too.

And... the Deadline Dames site has gone live! Dame Devon's first post is up, along with the first giveaway in a two-week prize binge. You can check that out here.

The werecat trivia contest has now closed (click on the contest tab for the new one!), and the winner has been notified. I was very pleased with the turnout (125 entries), considering there was a little bit of work involved in this one (less if you picked up on my hint!). I have a new, non-Shifters contest up today, then in a couple of days, I'll have another fun werecat scavenger-type contest up, with a bigger payoff than last time.

And because I'm a total dork... My Rock Band band hit 10,000,000 fans last night! I couldn't close the post without mentioning that. ;-)

Tarot Cafe Giveaway!

[This contest has now closed. Check back soon for the next one!]

My friend and fellow agency-mate Chandra Rooney is celebrating her first release this week and she has generously donated a copy for me to give away here.

About the book:

“Based on the best-selling manga! Bryn McCallister's fiancé, Jack, has gone missing. She has the nagging suspicion that something terrible—and otherworldly—has happened to him, a feeling that only increases when she has vivid visions of Jack being chased by a vicious hunter intent on owning Jack's soul. Always one to consult psychics, Bryn finds herself at The Tarot Cafe seeking a way to aid Jack in his spiritual struggle. But when she discovers what has happened to him, Bryn finds herself with an impossible choice between a life without love or an eternity of pain by her soul mate's side.”

The Tarot Cafe is a seven volume manhwa (Korean comic) by Sang Sun Park released in English by TOKYOPOP. While Park occasionally has light-hearted stories, the series is best described as a dark paranormal romance. It follows Pamela, an immortal tarot card reader and proprietress of the Tarot Cafe in contemporary London. During the day, Pamela assists people through her accurate readings and at night she helps her Midnight Visitors—all sorts of paranormal beasties in need of guidance. Over the series, we see Pamela's tangled, tragic past unfold.



To win a signed copy, leave a comment in this post between now and noon (Central) on Wednesday, Jan 21. One entry per person, please. Then, don't forget to check back in on Wednesday to see if you've won!

Reviews, appearance, contest

Things are finally starting to come together for the Pride release, which is good, since it's only two weeks away. I've done several online interviews and will be appearing in person at the Valley Ranch Library, in Irving Texas on Saturday, Feb 7. If you live near there, I'd love to see you!

Also, I've found a couple of reviews for Pride...

Kimberly, from Darque Reviews says,

This is the third book in the Werecats series, and Faythe’s future may depend on what value she is to others. Ms. Vincent takes readers on an emotion filled adventure as the fate of one character profoundly affects the future of many. Pride provides fast moving action, surprising twists in the storyline, and gives readers a good look at the darker side of the author’s intriguing world of werecats.

To read the full review, click here.

And Tanya from Joyfully Reviewed says,

Pride made me laugh, cry, send the authors emails (I swear I am not stalking her) to make sure that one of the characters was going to be ok in the end. This story has it all not only are you dealing with Faythe’s trial, you get to meet another were member who is rarer than even pride cats. Ms. Vincent has a huge fan in me and I will be first in line for the next story in the Werecats series and hope it is long lived. I definitely Joyfully Recommend Pride to all fans of shifter stories as well as anyone wanting to try one for the first time.

To read the full review, click here.

And if you haven't entered the current contest (click on the contest tab above), you still have time. There are under sixty entries for this one (it requires a little effort), so if you're looking for one with better odds than mine usually have, this one might be for you. Especially if you have a searchable e-version of either Stray or Rogue.

There's an even easier way to find the answer to the question, but I'm not gonna say what that is just yet. But I will say that if you're really excited about the release of Pride, you've probably already run across the answer at least once... ;-)

A rare luxury

I'm really into my YA novels. Like, obsessed with them. I want to visit Kaylee's world (though I'm too much of a wimp to ever live there), and I want to see the things she sees. As a result, these novels came out pretty quickly. About a month apiece, which means that they were all three written before I even got edits for the first one.

And this, oh loyal blog readers, gives me a very rare luxury indeed.

In most cases, an author is stuck with whatever world-building goes to print with the first book in a series, and often, we wish we could go back and change something. Well...this time I can.

The world-building for Kaylee's world developed over the course of all three books, and since none of them are out yet, I get to go back and layer in some of the really cool stuff from the sequels into MSTT, instead of having to make up reasons later on about why this stuff didn't appear earlier.

Bliss, I tell you.

Yes, it's work. Writing is very hard work. And if for some reason writing isn't, then rewriting is. But this is the best part. The part where I get to go back and make something good (in my opinion) even better. ;-)

So, raise your hand if you love edits!

Obsessing

I swear, I wrote a blog post yesterday, then got to busy to post it. So I'll post it tomorrow. But for today...

I’m still hard at work on revisions for My Soul to Take, and starting to get really nervous. Since the release date has been moved up, my publisher is already talking about ARCs and websites, and other promotional stuff. I’ve already sent in my dedication and acknowledgements, and owe them a new bio and an author photo. So things are really moving along, which is exciting, but nervous-making. ;-)

I want this book to be good.

Number 1 was laughing at me a while back, when I was in the final stages of edits of Prey, because I have this obsession: I hate, hate, hate making the same mistake twice, and I obsess during the edits of my books, trying to make sure that any mistakes that were pointed out to me in previous volumes don’t make it into the current release. But at some point, this becomes an exercise in futility.

Okay, it mostly starts off that way. Because the things that some readers consider “flaws,” others consider character. So by trying to “eradicate” mistakes, I could easily be removing an element from the book that some readers love.

Still, it’s hard to let go of that need to get it “right.” And if that urge was hard to deal with in the last three Shifters books, it’s even harder with the Soul Screamers.

Unlike with my Shifters books, all three of my YAs were written before the edits even came in for the first one. What can I say? I love these books. ;-) So now I’m trying to “fix” everything, with no reader reaction to take into account, because they haven't been released yet. I have only my edit letter and comments from my CP, both of which are invaluable. But neither stems from my target audience.

So, sometimes I feel like I’m spinning my wheels in the dark…

Fortunately, the dark and I get along. ;-)

P.S. Check the contests tab at the top, later today... ;-)

Werecat trivia contest

[This contest is now closed. Check back soon for the next one!]

Want an early, signed copy of Pride? Here’s how you can win one…

[Note: this is not like most of my contests. Read the directions carefully…!]

Email me at contestsATrachelvincentDOTcom with the answer to the following question:

Andrew’s last name is mentioned once in Stray and once in Rogue—what is it?



You qualify to enter this contest if:

• You haven’t already read Pride or been promised a copy by me.
• You aren’t related to me.

Rules:

• Your entry must be received by 11:59 pm on Sunday, Jan 18, and the winner will be notified by email the next day.
• One entry per person, please.
• Do not leave your answer in this blog. If you do, I’ll delete your comment.

Specifics:

• I’ll draw one winner at random from among the correct answers.
• Incorrect answers will be disqualified.
• Double entries will be disqualified.
• I’ll ship anywhere UPS or FedEx will deliver.
  

Okay, dig out your Shifters books and start looking!

A few things

First of all, the launch of the Deadline Dames site has been postponed for another week, because the site isn't quite ready. But I think it'll be worth the wait. We're a varied group of Dames, and though we all share a literary agent, and a career choice, we span the spectrum pretty broadly. We're from three different continents, are in all different stages of our careers, write for several different publishers, write in several different areas of urban fantasy (mainstream UF, YA, paranormal romance, and the occasional erotica), and we often have very different perspectives. It should be informative and entertaining, at the least. ;-)

Also, you may have noticed a change in the blog design. (Unless you read this on an RSS feed.) I love the new template, but it still has a few problems, so please bear with me as I try to get those sorted out.

We're working on a big update to my website too, but in the mean time, I hope to have a new front page post up there tonight.

And tonight I hope to post another contest, but this one's taking a bit of organization.

In addition to all that (and the rest of the stuff that always pops up before a new release, I'm 2/3 of the way through revisions of My Soul to Take, and hoping to send that off by the middle of this next week. Then I'll take a few days off to work out a detailed plot for Shifters 5. Then, next Monday I start the rough draft.

Last year, the rough draft of Prey was completely derailed by the release of Rogue and the auction for My Soul to Take, and it was very, very hard to get back into my rough draft groove. I'm hoping to avoid that this year, with the simultaneous release of Pride and rough draft of Werecat 5. I'm hoping to maintain my focus throughout all the craziness (guest blogs, giveaways, appearances, quadrupled email flow, etc...), and a good friend has signed on to be my accountability partner with a rough draft of her own.

Thank goodness for friends. I swear, I don't know what I'd do without my CP and several good writer-friends, who always seem to be there when I need an opinion, a boost of confidence, or just a friendly ear. Not to mention a couple of non-writer friends who always have time to listen, even when they have no idea what I'm talking about. ;-)

Did you win?

You did if you're:

ErinRagan and Ka T

Winners, please email me privately (rachelATrachelvincentDOTcom) with your full name and address, and I’ll put your books in the mail. If I hear from you in the next couple of hours, I’ll mail them today. If not, they’ll go out on Monday. ;-)

Thanks to everyone who entered! The response to these giveaways continues to overwhelm me, not just because so many people seem interested, but because so many people have such nice things to say about the series. You’ve all given my confidence a boost, and I can’t tell you how much that means to me. Writers learn quickly to grow a thick skin (doesn’t that sound gross!), but so often we’re all mush underneath , and it really helps to hear that someone likes what we’re putting out there. ;-)

So, thank you!

And stay tuned! There’s another (though not quite so simple) opportunity coming up immediately!

An interesting thought (And a tentative release schedule)

[If you haven't yet entered the drawing for an early copy of Pride, scroll down for details!]

I spoke to my editor yesterday, dealing mostly with the revisions for My Soul to Take, but over the course of that phone call, I came to understand something I probably should have realized before: Prey is going to be quite a controversial book, as far as the Shifters series is concerned.

Make of that what you will, considering there's still six more months until it hits the shelf. And I can't release the back cover blurb until people have had a chance to read Pride. ;-)

All I can really say is that when I started writing the Shifters series, I didn't know it would be shelved (mostly) in the romance section of the store, and I wrote it as an urban fantasy. In fact, I knew very little about romance, and I had no idea that there are conventions in that genre that are expected by readers.

(Warning: Rogue spoiler to follow...!)

For example, apparently some readers get upset if the hero and heroine break up and do not get back together by the end of the story. Who'd have thought? ;-) (Though for the record, all the email from readers concerned about the splintered relationship pleases me greatly. I love it that so many people care about Faythe and Marc!)

I had no idea they shouldn't break up, and never gave it a second thought, because in fantasy, there's no such rule. Anyway, as the series continued, I continued writing it without giving much thought to the standard conventions. So consider yourself warned that there are more convention-breakers in Prey. (And no, it's not another break-up, nor will I delve into the erotica zone. Curious? You'll have to wait until July. ;-))

Also during that phone call with my editor, I learned that the release of My Soul to Take (and thus the launch of Mira's teen line) has been moved up a month. MSTTake will now be available on August 1, instead of Sept. 1, and I believe that's now a firm date.

And if you're interested, here's what my release schedule currently looks like through 2010. These are all new releases, and come from both of my current series.

Pride (Shifters book 3) - Feb. 1, 2009
Prey (Shifters book 4) - July 1, 2009
My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers book 1) - August 1, 2009
My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers book 2) - January 1, 2010
(Title not yet final) Shifters book 5 - March 2010
(Title not yet final) Soul Screamers book 3) - June 2010
(Title not yet final) Shifters book 6 - Fall 2010.

As you can see, that last release isn't yet set, but it should be before the end of 2010. And all of the 2010 dates could shift by a month or two before they become final. That's just the way things go. But I'm pleasantly busy, at least until the end of 2010. ;-)

Author copies! [Edited]

This contest has now closed. Stay tuned for the next one!

I swear, I love the UPS guy! Though this time, I was less than impressed with his performance. My box of author copies arrived wet, and a couple of the books are water damaged.

Fortunately, it's a big box, so most of my babies arrived unharmed. ;-)

So... want one?

If so, leave me a comment in this post before noon Friday (central time zone). I'll draw two names, and send a signed copy to each winner, anywhere in the world that UPS or FedEx will go.
The only rule is that you must not have already read the book (in any format), or been promised a copy by me.

Edit: One more rule: One entry per person!

After this quick contest, be prepared to work for your early copies! Mwa ha ha ha!

(Note to self: work on evil laugh.)

Gearing up...

Yesterday I sent in the AAs for Prey, which means my part in that one is officially done. Nothing left to do but print it and promote it, and I can't wait for this one to hit the shelves in July. Of course, you're probably going to want to read Pride first... ;-)

I also handed in the full manuscript for YA3 yesterday, so suddenly my plate looked frighteningly empty. Except for the heaping helping of work that Werecat 5 represents. I need to get the plot details nailed down for that one (I see Mexican food in my future...) and pound the rough draft out in the next couple of months, in order to have time to polish it before its due.

Also, I'm supposed to receive a shipment of author copies of Pride today, so check back soon for a giveaway or two. I can't believe Feb 1st is so close! I've never had a winter release before, and I swear, the holidays sucked up all my preparation time. So I'm going to have to throw together a blog tour, or a series of interviews/giveaways, or something similar pretty soon.

Oh, and one last note, my fellow Deadline Dame, Jackie Kessler has a novella released today: HELL IS WHERE THE HEART IS* in A Red Hot Valentine's Day. So be on the lookout for that.

*A note from Jackie: It's an erotic novella, with major emphasis on "erotic." Not intended for anyone under 18, or those who don't like their pages to be blisteringly hot. :)

Some thoughts on Pride

As you can see from the countdown in the left sidebar (unless you're reading this on LJ, which won't let me post widgets), there are now 26 days until the official release date for Pride, and if history can be counted upon to repeat itself, the book will actually show up in stores sometime during the last week of January.

So, as usual, I'm freaking out a little bit on the inside.

And maybe a smidge on the outside. ;-)

I'm a very enthusiastic writer, and as such, the typical writer self-doubt doesn't usually strike me until after I've turned in the book. Which is good, because that eliminates most in-the-process delays. But I get very, very nervous when I know people are actually reading my books, and now that reviews for Pride are popping up, well... Let's just say there isn't much left of my fingernails.

In fact, I may be bleeding on my keyboard. ;-)

You'd think that with a couple of release dates under my belt (though that seems like an uncomfortable place for a release date), the whole thing would have lost its excitement, thus the inevitable stress.

I assure you, it has not. If possible, I'm more nervous this time around than with either of the two previous releases.

With Stray, there was elation and anticipation, both brought on by naivety. After all, my agent loved the book, and my editor loved the book, and my friends loved the book. What could possibly stand in the face of such adoration? I couldn't wait for my book to make its way in the world, so my career could really begin! And though I knew in an obscure, academic kind of way that not everyone would love it, I hadn't really considered the fact that compared to bad reviews, agent and publisher rejections are like being smacked in the arm with one of those giant padded gloves.

Practically a love tap.

But now I'm older (though not that old!) and wiser (hopefully...), and I know that some people won't like my latest release. And what never fails to amaze me is that the thing some people dislike most about my books is the very thing others love, and send email about: Faythe.

Regardless of what you thought about her before, Faythe is growing up. She's no longer a spoiled child learning for the first time what responsibility means. She's now a scarred and somewhat hardened young woman, discovering that sometimes you have to sacrifice one thing you love to save another. That sometimes hard choices have to be made by those with the courage to take a stand.

And that those choices are rarely ever easy.

Faythe still makes people mad. She's just so darn good at that, I don't see it ever truly ending. And really, if it did, how entertaining could the books possible be? ;-) But now when Faythe "messes up," it's not a rash impulse born of pig-headedness. It's a well thought-out decision based on the fact that sometimes those who make the rules aren't privy to all the possible exceptions. And that sometimes following the rules will actually hurt people, rather than help them.

Sometimes we walk into "bad" decisions with our eyes wide open, ready and willing to accept the consequences. Because sometimes the end really does justify the means.

Does this mean that Pride is full of "bad" decisions?" No. Far from it. It's part murder mystery, part courtroom drama, and all werecat action. With a couple of new (hopefully interesting) characters thrown into the mix. But there are difficult choices for Faythe to make in this third book, and frankly, I love throwing those at her.

What can I say? I'm an eeeeevil author... ;-)

Now available...!

With all the holiday madness, I completely forgot to mention that Jeaniene Frost's At Grave's End is now out! I haven't read this one yet, but it's in my stach, and I love the cover. Her's have all been beautiful, but this one's my favorite.



So, anyone read it yet?