Sydney Croft news
December 12th, 2008First, Michelle Buonfiglio of Romance Buy The Book has named Unleashing The Storm “Best Erotic Paranormal Romance of 2008!” That’s very cool, especially because this book is so special to me and Larissa.
And Creed and Annika lovers will see more of the couple, as Sydney’s been invited to participate in the Mammoth Book of Special Ops! I’m thinking this short story will be a 2010 publication, but I’ll let you know more when I do.
Also, Riding The Storm and Unleashing The Storm both recently sold rights to Japan - I can’t wait to see what they do with those covers. So yeah, Syd’s been busy!
Speaking of which, must go work on Sydney book 5 now. We’ve passed the halfway point and can’t lose momentum now.
Steph T.
today’s posts…
December 8th, 2008are at Writeminded and Sven!
Steph T.
Christmas? Really?
December 6th, 2008No lights up yet, nor a tree. Presents for me have been bought - a to Steph from Steph kind of thing (it’s all Larissa’s fault, btw), but other than that, nothing. I’m not a grinch this year because I think, more than ever, celebrating’s important. This is more about December arriving and me not noticing - time is just flying. I’ve got to get on the shoppping thing.
Can I just say, Christina and Army Doc on Grey’s - best couple ever. Seriously - the way he looks at her…am I right? How can you not love them as a couple?
But the Izzy storyline? I don’t care if it’s going to turn out she’s got some brain issue - it’s creepy and annoying and she’s got way too much screen time.
Have you checked out the auction page for Jo Leigh lately? There are lots of great gifts on there for both readers and writers! Larrisa and I have donated a critique together, and there’s still time to bid on it - go check it out.
Still working on Tempting The Fire (Sydney Book 5). I also have to read the galleys for Syd book 4, Taming The Fire and get those back to Bantam ASAP.
My agent loved my new proposal (Cam’s book - a romantic suspense), which is always awesome to hear, so now it’s in the hands of my editor. Another item checked off the list, which is lovely at this time of year. And I’ve even got most of another proposal done, which would be the second book in the loosely tied trilogy I’ve got planned. So yeah, good stuff.
The new website’s really coming along - you guys should see it sometime in January or so. I’ve got to write a longer biography and do some other things to get the content in shape, but I’m excited about it. I’ll send out a newsletter about it soon. I’m long overdue for a newsletter.
And I’m really looking forward to the movie, Flirting With Forty - it premiere’s tonight on Lifetime. I adored the book by Jane Porter!
Steph T.
Recent comments from: · Tori Lennox · Greta · Karen Erickson
Auction for Jo Leigh
November 29th, 2008
As you may remember, author Jo Leigh lost her husband to cancer earlier this year. You can read about their story here. It’s truly a romantic reunion story with a tragic ending, which left Jo with many unpaid medical expenses / bills and no health insurance to help cover them.
My favorite thing about the romance community is the way it bands together when the need arises to help one of its own - this time is no exception. Please check out the items up for aution by clicking the box above - and feel free to post the box on your website or any loops you might frequent.
I’ll post more details as they come along.
Today’s posts…
November 28th, 2008moments
November 23rd, 2008Sven for the week came in around 8K. Over half came this weekend with Sydney book 5, so I’m pretty happy. Once Larissa and I get rolling on the Syd books, they tend to fly, so I’m hoping this one will follow that pattern.
I was thinking this weekend about moments - I’m talking those gut-wrenching, tear your heart out moments, in books or movies or TV shows - and how they can be so simple and yet so profound at the same time.
What got me thinking about it was this weeks Grey’s Anatomy, when Army guy (OMG - Boone would kill me for calling him Army guy) tells Christina that she’s beautiful. It seriously made me put my hand to my heart, it was so simple and romantic and perfect. It’s like that moment in The Holiday when Cameron Diaz and Jude Law are lying together in his daughters’ tent and one of the girls mentions the 3 Muskateers and you know that’s what Cameron’s family used to call each other and Cameron and Jude touch hands and…sigh. Just sigh.
I tend to write my books around moments - sometimes I write the moment scenes before anything else and I work backward from there. If I start a book without a moment scene, I feel lost until I plan those out. Cam’s book has a moment scene already for the subplot and I’m brewing on the main plot. And praying my agent likes the proposal as well.
Got any favorite moments from books/movies/TV to share? How was your weekend?
Steph T.
Recent comments from: · Greta
Sven progress & Writeminded
November 20th, 2008Sven: A little over 1.5K
Migraine: Day 4
Proposal is done and sent to agent. Will hold breath (metaphorically, of course) until she lets me know her thoughts. Revisions on Chris’s book will go to editor Friday. I’m starting to feel free - and it’s a nice feeling.
Today (and last night), it’s onto Syd’s Tempting The Fire (working title.) Have to wrestle Logan and Chance and Marlena into submission. And CREED!!!! I get to write more CREED!!!
I’m over at WriteMinded today - come chat about ghosts!
Steph T.
Recent comments from:
sleep? sleep is for the weak…
November 19th, 2008And I’m weak. So, so weak…
Free Will Astrology for Aries for the week of November 20th:
Fifty-five percent of Americans not only believe in guardian angels, but testify that they have been actively aided by the intervention of those divine helpers. Commenting on the results, one religious expert said that “Americans live in an enchanted world.” The 55 percent figure may rise even higher in the coming weeks. A majority of Aries all over the planet, regardless of their religious orientation, could have a mystical experience that will spook and delight them. If you’re one of the chosen ones, don’t get fixated on or distracted by the sheer amazement of the visitation. Make sure you’re alert for its eminently practical guidance.
Dear Guardian Angel.
I seem to always be awake these days, although the alert part waxes and wanes. Still, please choose me to come visit and bring me some sleep. And some firm release dates for my Bantam Trilogy.
Thank you.
***
I’m over at Sven’s place today, talking about my love for Claire Fontaine notebooks and a certain pilot pen that helps keep me writing.
Sven day 9: 3K between Monday and Tuesday - not bad, considering the kid’s nurse has been sick. Although sometimes, when it’s just us here (with no home therapies) I actually get more done.
Migraine, day 3. Thought it was gone until the kid woke me at 4AM and I realized I shouldn’t have skipped the 1AM med dose. Again, sometimes I work better with the migraine, as I’ll do anything I can so I don’t have to focus on the pain.
Anyway, I’m also focusing on a site redesign - the wonderful Emily & Co over at Waxcreative are doing a fantastic job. One of the reasons I chose them originally was because I adore Jane Porter’s website - and Wax has a blog up about Jane’s site and what makes it so special and reader-friendly. Definitely interesting information if you’re a writer looking to draw people into your site.
Okay, much writing to be done today. I’m hoping to get the new proposal to my agent today or tomorrow and the revisions (which I’m letting sit) to my editor for Friday. And then it’s on to Sydney Croft book 5.
Steph T.
Recent comments from: · Tori Lennox
Dear People in charge of scheduling The Unit,
November 17th, 2008Did you not realize that football would screw it up every single weekend, forcing me to stay up way later than I need to? Especially since DVRs are not smart enough to figure out that they need to tape 1/2 later in order not to cut off half the episode?
Seriously, someone needs to plan better.
Oh, and Dear PBS and every other channel that features kid shows -
What’s with cutting off Boobah and Teletubbies from your roster? Because I need to DVR them so when the kid wakes up in the middle of the night (we’re at 4 weeks now and counting) I need to be able to click a remote and show her her favorite programs instead of fumbling for a DVD. So please, for the love of all that’s good and holy (and for a mother in desperate need of uninterrupted sleep), please put these two shows back on the air.
Thank you.
***
Anyway, we lived through the 8 hour Verizon Fios installation. When I called Cablevision to cancel my serivce, I was really honest about why I canceled, told them I’d asked repeatedly for better quality signal and to clean up the mess of wires outside my house (which Verizon did in 5 seconds). Of course, Cable ignored what I said, talked about the high fees I’d incur with the new service and said they’d take me back and cut my bill in half for the next year.
Dear Cablevision -
Next time, offer that before people leave. Also, stop leaving messy wires outside people’s houses and telling them that the internet loss isn’t their problem. Do that instead of telling me that I’m going to be paying more with Verizon and I’d respect you in the morning.
Thank you.
Ahem.
Anyway, in spite of all that, I’ve got about 6K or more done, between the proposal and the synopsis and the revisions (which are just about done, way ahead of the Dec 1st due date so yeah!)…looks like I’ll be getting to Syd book 5 sooner than later, which is awesome. Are you doing the Sven thing? How’s it going for you?
How was your weekend?
Okay, off to do some massive writing / revision / proposal clean-up. And pray for the return of Boobah.
Steph T.
Recent comments from: · Tori Lennox · Greta
shifting gears
November 14th, 2008Sven yesterday: 1226 words + longhand synopsis (synopsis is hanging at about 1500 words)
Today, I got some light revisions for Chris’s book (Hold On Tight - book 3 in the SEAL trilogy) thumped against my door - I’ll be motoring fast on those and then all three of the SEAL books will go into copy edits at the same time. That’s both great (since they’re so closely connected) and horrid (mainly because I hate copy edits and doing 3 sets at once could easily topple me over the edge.)
But I’m relieved that my editor liked the revisions I’ve done thus far - majorly relieved.
So I’m going to try to finish the proposal and get a nice chunk of the revisions done as well. Except, of course, the weekend promises to be busy, since we’re having Verizon Fios installed tomorrow (which I’m hearing can be a 6 hour process) and I have a dinner tomorrow night.
I must make use of today and tonight.
Gotta run.
Steph T.
Recent comments from: · Tori Lennox · Greta · Jaci Burton
Today’s post…
November 12th, 2008is over at WriteMinded!
Steph T.
no surrender
November 11th, 2008Dear stupid bureaucracy-ish people I dealt with all day yesterday who sucked up all my time, energy and generally made me want to beat my head against the wall,
I know you’re lying. And trust me, I can confuse you far more easily than you can me. Just ask Larissa or my editor about my powers of confusion.
All best-
Steph
***
BTW, if you’re dealing with annoying, lying people, I’ve found it best, if possible, to either record them if it’s allowed in your state and / or put everything in writing (via email) and save all responses. That way, the inaccuracies (read: lies) can be recorded very easily for future reference. Oh, and when you’re on the phone, play Time Is Running Out by Papa Roach in the background (I refuse / to surrender…)
I’ve got a raging migraine - hopefully, meds and coffee will all kick in soon, since I need to get my ass in gear.
Anyone see Brothers & Sisters this past Sunday? My DVR didn’t record it for some reason and I love that show - anything major happen? Is Kevin accepting the Rob Lowe guy’s job offer?
Okay, onto Sven stuff.
I managed 1179 words on the Cam proposal. For a while, I was actually losing words and for most of the day I was at a negative number, which drives me nuts. By 9PM, I finally finished up.
I definintely wrote more, since I worked on the synopsis in bed (longhand) - and then, since kid was up at 3AM (she has officially become the child who needs neither sleep nor food) I wrote about 4 pages longhand on the story as well. So hopefully a good start for day two.
Except, of course, I’m at the point of the proposal where I’m thinking, this is the stupidest premise ever and will never hold together. Parts of it probably won’t, but I’m already so far from my original idea that I know, somehow, it will all work out.
Maybe.
Ish.
Steph T.
Recent comments from: · Greta · Jaci Burton
Day 1
November 10th, 2008I need to come up with better blog titles.
Anyway, today’s goals for Sven include:
- writing 1K on Cam’s proposal
- Firming up the synopsis on Cam’s proposal. (note: firming up is a nice way of saying, string together the crap I’ve written in short little sentences all over the place and try to make it make any kind of sense at all. Not an easy task. But hey, it’s day 1 - if I can get this done early, I’ll be in good shape.)
Zoo’s away tonight - he left at 4AM this morning and I couldn’t go back to sleep. Ironic, since this is the first night in 3 weeks that the kid slept through the entire night.
So yes, no sleep plus husband away plus kid and dog recovering from the trauma of being left with the dogsitter while we were away for ten days equals 
.
Will check back in later. Had forgotten how much easier blogging is than actually writing. 
Steph T.
Recent comments from: · Stephanie · Greta · Tori Lennox
Sven again
November 9th, 2008It’s November and it’s time for the Sweating With Sven writing challenge! Come on over to the Sven blog, read about the sponsors and sign up today!
Writing is a tough business. We spend so much time alone, in our own heads and rooms and we created this challenge to take away some of that isolation - originally, the challenge was conceived as a way to help each other along, to challenge one another and to give one another a push when the going gets too tough to go it alone.
For this challenge, I’m working on two books - one is my Sydney Croft book 5, which I’d like to get done before early December (and I know Larissa does too!) - the other is my proposal and then, hopefully, the full book that goes along with it, for March. The challenge is over at the end of January - so I’d like to be over halfway through that book by then.
Who’s in?
Steph T.
new Sydney Croft cover!!!
October 16th, 2008
TAMING THE FIRE
April 28, 2009
Between desire and surrender is the most dangerous place of all…
POWER. PLEASURE. DANGER. IT DOESN’T GET ANY HOTTER THAN THIS.
He came to the underground London club for a night of extreme sex play with the enigmatic “Mistress Rik”. But the Special Agent known as Trance is really on a search-and-rescue mission to keep her alive. Part predator, Ulrika “Rik” Jaegar possesses feral powers that make her a danger to others–and to herself. That’s why the Agency for Covert Rare Operatives (ACRO) wants to recruit her to their side….To do so, Trance will have to pull off the impossible: capture and control Rik, both woman and beast.
On the run from the deadly agency that changed her into a pleasure-seeking shape shifter, Rik uses sex to rein in her own raging desires. Operating on pure instinct, she trusts no one…especially the magnificent alpha male with the power to seduce her into submission. An undercover agent with unique hypnotic gifts, Trance is surprised by his instinct to hold Rik and keep her safe — but he has a job to do. And as he hunts her down, as Rik and Trance are thrust into the ultimate game of domination and submission, they’ll enter a place where surrender is their sole hope of survival — and the only thing that can tame the wild beast in both of them…
Once again, I’m feeling the Bantam cover love! What do you think?
Recent comments from: · Lea · Jaq · Greta · Tori Lennox
Dear Mercury Retrograde
October 10th, 2008You have made your point. You made it when my cable box went out. And then again, when my internet and phone began to go out at random intervals (FWIW Cablevision, I’m switching to Fios ASAP) And then you made your point again when something we haven’t been able to locate died in our attic - and again when I went downstairs to find the washing machine broken with a load of clothing in it. And all of this just as we get home from Pittsburgh Childrens, where the kid had another (planned) spinal surgery. (she’s fine, btw - up and about and smiling!)
I pray the exterminator and the repairmen have mercy on me.
*Update - the washing machine repairman will be here before 11AM. Thank you TISO.
Maybe I can actually get some writing done today. I’m totally beginning to see why some writers leave the house to write - it’s beginning to look like a nice option for me.
two words
October 1st, 2008Food. Poisoning.
Ugh. I knew the Indian food Zoo brought home last night was different. It wasn’t bad tasting, but I told him that I thought there was a new ownership. The chicken looked…not chicken-ish. Reminded my of the time, when we were still dating, of a particular dinner at his parents’ house. They served lamb, which I’m not a huge fan of - and this lamb tasted even, well, gamier, than normal.
As we drove home, my face began to break out in a rash, and I showed Zoo.
Zoo: Huh. I wonder if it’s from the goat.
Me: The goat?
Zoo: Yeah, that wasn’t lamb. My dad didn’t tell anyone because he thought my cousins would be freaked out.
Although, to be fair, I didn’t get sick from the goat.
Anyway, yucky night, have been tired all day. Getting work done though, since it’s a school holiday and things were quiet around here. Larissa and I got our Taming The Fire cover - we’ll show it off once it’s all finalized but it’s very pretty!
Steph T.
Today’s post…
September 30th, 2008is at Writeminded!
Steph T.
Why…
September 28th, 2008are some of the only TV shows I watch all on tonight at 10PM? The Unit (YAY because I so thought it was gone for good!), Brothers & Sisters AND Army Wives (although I think there’s not a new AW until next week). Seriously, can they not spread this out? Good thing I’ve got the DVR, but I hate knowing I’m missing something…
Larissa and I are just about done with Sydney book 5’s proposal - we’re tentitively calling it Tempting The Fire but that could easily change. I’m 3/4 of the way through my Chris (Hold On Tight) revisions and I’m working on 2 different proposals for the new trilogy. So things are busy…once I get the revisions off my plate, it’ll be all new writing, for Syd and for me, so that’s always fun!
Have been up since 4AM with the kid - the large Dunkin’ Donuts Iced Coffee has not worked yet. Nor has the Diet Coke or the regular coffee, proving to me once again that caffeine doesn’t do anything for me. And I barely drink it anymore.
Maybe I’ll go nap now…
Steph T.
Recent comments from: · Tori Lennox · Greta
Grey’s Anatomy
September 26th, 2008Did you watch it last night? See what happens when you add a military man? Everything is automatically better.
Okay, back to writing. It’s a perfect day for it - rainy and dreary and I’m huddling inside all day. Might even make some hot chocolate.
Steph T.
