All at Once

Ever noticed how everything comes at once? There's been no movement on the Dreaded Contemporary today, and there was preciously little yesterday, because I've had proofs to read, a manuscript to tidy, a blurb to write and lots of horrible admin stuff to deal with. I still have a bunch of contest entries to contend with and some crits to do, and we're away this weekend at a family gathering. My dreams of having the DC finished before I'm off on my Easter hols is looking slim.

However, on the plus side. Look what I've just been sent. Yep, that image up there, that is my delicious new book cover. How gorgeous have they made Alastair! I mean, he is, but that pic just proves it. It's due out in May folks... not long to wait at all.

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Recently watched: Resident Evil: Degeneration
Currently listening to: Rain
Currently reading: Nothing, am addicted to playing Professor Layton & the Curious Village instead.

Dreaded update

75% done! That can't be right. I'm sure I've only just got going. No idea how I'm going to wrap the plot up in the remaining word count...sigh... it's going to run over again, and then I'm going to have to take the scissors to the early parts just so that I can bring the word count down to a reasonable level.

The Dreaded Contemporary, as you may have figured is progressing... be it slowly. I had major writing block last week and really couldn't get into the swing of it. I think actually getting the thing accepted knocked me off balance and it's taken a while to get my stride back. Things seem to be picking up this morning 1.3K so far and it's just after lunch. Plus, Mr Madelynne came to the rescue (as I knew he would if I just got around to asking him) with a suitable lust object for one of the supporting cast.

Right... back to my game of truth or dare.

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Recently watched: Watchmen
Currently listening to: noisy traffic and random drilling
Currently reading: Heaven Sent by Jet Mykles

Wounded... aw, the pain!

I'm reading contest entries at the moment... I have to confess that while I still love reading erotica/erotic romance I'm damned hard to impress. These days it has to be something really darn evocative to make me sit up and pay attention, and most of what I'm seeing just isn't.

The thing is, it's not specifically bad writing. It's just lacking... magic. And by magic, I mean that special quality that makes you route for the characters and remember them long after the story is complete. Mostly what I'm seeing is minimal build up, conflict that has nothing to do with the erotic content of the story and instant attraction & you're the love of my life, lets do the humpy bumpy, but we're not normally like this (honest) we are wholesome and pure, and will soon be setting up home with kiddies, a dog and a nice picket fence.... bleurk!

Now, I don't mind sex on the first page. I don't mind reading about folks picking up strangers and having awesome sex and a relationship developing from that, but it's got to believable for the characters and there has to be passion involved somewhere... The following does not (as a general rule) a good story make...

I'm a really good girl, but I'm horny and the guy who is eyeing me up is hot. Oh, lookie, the big arrogant stalkerish twerp has just grabbed my arse before introductions have even occurred (stalker cause freaky-deaky, he already knows my name). Two seconds later and he has his hands in my knickers and is copping a good feel. Oooh! That's interesting, I've never done anal sex, but he's already got a finger up my arse, and we haven't even exchanged names yet. But hey, that's all right, because he's thinking about how un-easy I am, and how he really needs to introduce me to his mum. Cue twelve chapters of random sex scenes with a minuscule plot about rescuing the heroine from herself/aliens/vampires/foreigners/insert other... (and probably does on a number of occasions in a variety of locations.)

Am I jaded...? Yup!

Please folks... use all five senses, give me an actual description of the setting, and character descriptions that are more than eyes (check), hair (check), hot (checkety-check), cock (oh, boy is he hung...check!)

Oh, and has there been a blanket ban on kissing while I wasn't looking? I mean it's kinda nice, and it does generally occur before you get to the sex...maybe...please...pretty please, with cherries on top, and a flake if you like.

I'm going to go skulk back under my rock now.

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Recently watched: Indiana Jones & the Crystal wotsit
Currently listening to: Nothing, my head is too hurtie.
Currently reading: Tongue in Cheek by Fiona Walker, and about a dozen other things.

Contemporary Update.

Black Lace have accepted the Dreaded Contemporary for their 2010 line-up. Yay! A sale...a sale! Naturally I'm in happy skippy land as a result... watch out, the wasteland of "they've made a big mistake and I can't write for toffee" will undoubtedly follow just as soon as I come down from the current high. But for the moment.... double...nah, triple...yay!

What's this I see?

Could it be a Spanish translation of Phantasmagoria that I didn't know about?

Ah, the joys of the internet. It's a nice cover though. I do like the colours and my name looks fantastic in that font. Wants...

Hm, wonder how long it'll take for them to get around to sending me a copy.

And I know nobody else will understand, but I find it very amusing that I appear to have been published by Afrodisia!

Feeling smiley now, which is good as I have to venture out into the rain.

She conquers

Ha, I told him there'd be no more messing and it paid off. The scene is written (again). It may not be perfect, but it'll do for now. Of course, he had to throw a few spanners in the works, and immediately scarpered to do who knows what. Still-- forward progress!

Oh, and that sale I mentioned. I've sold Hard at Work, a little story about an office romance, to Black Lace for their Sexy Little Numbers anthology. Huzzah!

Still no word on anything else, though :-|

The Dreaded Contemporary

I've hit a point in the Dreaded Contemporary where I can't seem to get it right. I swear, I must have written this scene ten times over by now. It's been in and out of the book, moved to different places, dismissed, reinstated and IT IS STILL NOT RIGHT! Although, I think each successive attempt brings it a little closer to how it should be.

It's pissing me off, I can tell ya. The thing is, while I quite like the DC, I don't want to spend the next six months working on it. I'd much rather it was only the next six weeks. Then I'd like to set it aside and attack something else while DC marinades on a shelf ready for edits. If only I could get this scene finished. Grrrrrrrrrrrr.

And just to make this stumbling block a little bit harder, I've contest judging to contend with and the Romance Divas mentor program officially started today! Oh, and my knee still hurts! (Stupid knee! Kills knee.) All I need now is for Vaughan to show up and start demanding attention. (Hm, I shall have to waylay him with cunning distractions :-))

So, back to the DC... (Stop farting about, Kit, and get on with the smexing, will you. Then I can write the nice big drum roll scene in the next chapter.)

Wish me luck.

Sometimes I hate the figments of my imagination.

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Recently watched: Mongol & Being Human (particularly liked Mitchell in that black shirt)
Currently listening to: Cradle of Filth
Currently reading: Tongue in Cheek by Fiona Walker