Wednesday, March 07, 2012

WHEN MAIDENS MOURN on Sale Now!



When Maidens Mourn officially went on sale yesterday. Did you know that people call their author friends and wish them "Happy Pub Day"? It's true.

I spent yesterday clearing leaves out of my garden beds, spreading mulch, and mowing the lawn. It was a lovely, lovely spring day, and I was determined not to waste it. Plus, working to repair the last six months' neglect seemed far more productive and sanity-preserving than the way some writers of my acquaintence spend their pub day, namely obsessively checking their books' sales rank at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Oh, look! It's up to 142 on Kindle! Oh, no; now it's fallen to 351! But wait... Much better to spend the day bagging leaves and smelling roses.



The photo above is of a bloom on my orchid tree. The flower is as big as my hand and has a lovely light fragrance. The tree is about fifteen feet high, and this year our winter was so mild that it is breathtakingly covered with blooms. Much more pleasant to contemplate than Amazon's sales rankings!

34 comments:

Steve Malley said...

Sane and sensible-- I LIKE it!! :)

So far, I've spent my 'pub days' too busy with other projects to worry about the numbers.

Of course, the numbers have been nothing to worry about lol

Beth said...

Yes, it did go on sale. I haven't finished it yet, but I shall soon.

Thanks for writing it.

Beth

Anonymous said...

OK, so how neurotic is it when your fans do it for you? I have to admit I've actually checked the numbers over the last couple of days. I'm just pulling for you/them to do so well. I just ordered my audible copy, by the way. It finally showed up on audible.com. Yeah!!!! Now, to choose - do I do my second read via my Kindle copy or listen to it on audible? Ah...the choices. Good thing there are a couple since I have to wait a year for more. :-) Sabena

Anonymous said...

Well, I am glad you had a lovely spring day. Up in the NW it is still late winter and cold. I am looking forward to working in the garden, too. The cold and wet gets old and snuggling up with a good book is wonderful...thank you for the beautiful stories you write!

libbirk said...

Aaaahhhhhh....can hi hear my contented sigh from northern California.... Just finished Maidens. LOVED IT! my only complaint is that I have to wait another year(please do not tell me it's longer) to know what happens next between Sebastian and Hero. And who is the mysterious pub owner? I loved how S & H came closer to understanding what is between them and I am so looking forward to seeing how their relationship progresses - yes - I am a huge romantic and just want to see them say I love you to one another. The Arthur story was, as Ll yrnstories, so well wrapped up. I never saw the final twist coming. Thank you Candy!!!

cs harris said...

Steve, keeping busy is the way to do it!

Beth, hope you enjoy it!

Sabena, that's funny! I must admit that I do take a peek at the numbers occasionally myself--but not as often as Steve!

Maureen, I know I need to get out there and get everything done because soon it'll be too hot for me to work. Our spring is a very narrow window.

libbirk, Glad you enjoyed it! And yes, number 8 is scheduled for March, 2013. They're cover conferencing it this week--fingers crossed for something nice.

Allie said...

I just finished "Maidens". It was one of my favorites in the series! I cannot wait to read the next book because you mentioned it involves Yates. I still have a soft spot for Kat so I'm hoping to see more of her! Love the series! Congrats!

Essex said...

The more I look at WMM's cover, the more I like it . It ranks up there as one of my favorite Sebastian covers- and ties in so well with the story. It just serves to accentuate the atrocity of What Remains of Heaven's cover. Is there any chance for your next cover that you can use an image similar to that photo you used when you introduced the title of WDB? I really liked that image, and I think it would look great.
I am glad that you enjoyed a nice spring day of pleasant things. Beautiful orchid.
Currently re-reading Where Shadows Dance to refresh memory. Then I will probably read Maidens again. Love it!

Chen said...

L-O-V-E'd it!! I tried to read it slowly to make it last, but 2 days was the best I can do. OMG!! Awesome story!!

I really love the development between Sebastian and Hero!

Now I have to wait for the next one :( When will it be coming out??

Chen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rachel Walsh said...

Congratulations! And what a sane and lovely way to spend your pub day, too.

I'm waiting impatiently for Amazon to deliver my copy to my letter box down here in Adelaide, stalking the postman like the neighbourhood crazy lady. So hard to wait! :-)

RevMelinda said...

Candice, I completely, thoroughly enjoyed WMM--perhaps the best Sebastian book yet--congratulations and blessings to you. I hope it does fabulously--you deserve it. (And "brace of partridges"--ha!).

SandyH said...

I just got my delivery from Barnes and Nobles yesterday. Cannot wait to read the book.I love the title and the associate with the Lady of Shallot. I used to have a large frame poster of the John Waterhouse painting - will get to England one of these days to see it.I have a gift card that I found several years ago with the painting and the following words from William Wordsworth which I think are just beautiful - "There is not a breathing of the common wind that will forget thee."

Tiff said...

So Kat was your original character? When did the idea of Sebastian come into play?
I don't want you to ever stop writing this series, but do you have plans for any other series? So like, we could have a new book out from you every 6 mo.
(I know I sound greedy, but it is your fault for being such a fabulous author...:)

Charles Gramlich said...

Happy pub day! I will have my copy soon.

cs harris said...

Allie, thank you. Kat figures prominently in Darkness, too.

Essex, I agree about the cover; it's one of my favorites, too. They cover conferenced the next book this week. I suggested a church/ruined abbey at night in the mist, and sent a ton of images. We'll see what we get!

Chen, so glad you enjoyed it. What Darkness Brings is scheduled fro March 2013 and is on track for release.

Rachel, you're in Adelaide? Lucky you! Of all the places I've lived, I still miss Adelaide so much it hurts.

RevMelinda, thank you! I think I had the most fun writing this book.

cs harris said...

Sandy, that's a beautiful quote. Hope you enjoy the book!

Tiff, I started with Kat, then Lovejoy, then Sebastian, then Hendon, then Jarvis, then Hero, in that order, with the backstory and the major thrust of their interpersonal relationships woven together. I originally thought about having Kat as my main protagonist, but eventually came to realize I couldn't have her do all the things I wanted to have happening (because of her social status and gender in that society). I was about to give up on the idea when I realized I could flip it and have Sebastian the main protagonist. I never intended Sebastian to end up with Kat (I wanted that angst), although the idea to pair him with Hero didn't come until I'd decided to make him my protagonist. When they met in Angels, I realized they were perfect together--both because of their personalities, and because Jarvis loom as a never ending threat to their relationship.

Charles, thank you!

paz said...

Hmmmm, so Kat came first, ah? Did you write a post about this sometime ago? Would love to read more about the "spark" and subsequent working of the series. Without asking you to give anything away, of course ;-)

The series would have been very different with Kat and Lovejoy as partners in anti-crime, so to speak, particularly as Lovejoy is so prudish LOL. The victims and milleu for the crime would have also been very different.

The more I think of it, the more I think Kat deserves her own series. However, since I do not want you to stop writing about Hero, I am torn.

Jan Power said...

What a tour do force! I have read it three times and just bought the audible (I hope Ms. Porter does the husky voice).

There are so many things large themes and small details I loved it would take a full Nifty notebook to record them (indeed, my ebook copy is almost entirely highlighted), but here is one: thanks for the hat tip to The Grand Sophy's shako and blue Glengary habit/walking dress!

Also, thanks for letting Sebastian move on; his moping for Kat was making me so sad for Hero.

Elaine said...

I, too, have read Maidens twice now. Once straight through the day I downloaded it and then again today after going back to re-read all the Hero bits from the previous books.

I truly love the way you are developing their relationship consistent with their personalities - their senses of humor and the slow revelations work perfectly. And Hero taking the lead is genius.

I can't decide if I want to smack Kat or if her casual enlistment of Sebastian as her lady's maid is part of some clever scheme to help him detach.

I assume we are off to wilds of Hampshire for the next one? Now I must comb back through all your blogs to find the references to WDB. Thank you, thank you, thank you for my favorite series.

Jane said...

I finished WMM late last night. I thought the book was great.

With a bit of dark humor in places. Especially when Sebastian brought Jarvis his "present". And Jarvis lamenting on Hero'o lethal activities since she met Sebastian.

One of my favorites parts of the book was the meeting between Hero and Kat.

Will we see more of Jamie Knox in future books? I thought that he was an intriguing character.

I had a question about Hero's name now that she has married Sebastian. I noticed that she was referred to as Hero Devlin in the book. Specifically the beginning of the second chapter. But isn't Devlin part of Sebastian's title? Shouldn't she be referred to as Hero St. Cyr in that context? Or, alternatively, Lady Devlin?

cs harris said...

Paz, it certainly would have been a very different series with Kat as the protagonist!

Jan, thanks so much. it was so hard to balance the love triangle (one reason this book took forever to write), as I didn't want him to appear fickle by moving on too quickly.

Elaine, thank you. I toyed with the idea of doing a Hampshire book, but finally decided against it. I do want to do an "away" book eventually, though, sending Sebastian off to the borderlands of Wales.

Jane, thank you. Knox will definitely be back. And I agree the "Hero Devlin" is totally counterintuitive, but that is what she would have been called in conversation, although not when her name was written out in full, as on an invitation. It's weird, isn't it?

Elaine said...

I was just thinking about Wales. Sebastian is focused on the Gypsy thing, but clearly the Welsh connection (author's note - first book) is there. And a perfect setting for an "away" book. Wherever! I am just waiting for the pre-order opportunity to appear.

Jan Power said...

Your father's eyes were yellow! This makes them so much more special for me as an in the tank daddy's girl. I love knowing the sequence of your imagining the main characters; would never have guessed that. These details you share with us here are gems. I wish I had found this blog earlier to follow the progression of the series in real time.

Every time I turn around these books take on more significance for me. And yes, I will say it...Hero and Sebatian have replaced Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam as my all time favorite fictional couple.

cs harris said...

Elaine--and don't forget the necklace :-)

Jan, that is quite an honor; thank you.

Amy said...

I've been waiting for Maidens for months and months, and then yesterday thought to myself "it should be coming out soon, right? I forget exactly when in March it was..." only to realize I MISSED THE RELEASE (clearly, I don't check your blog/barnes and noble/ the internet frequently enough...sorry!) But I finished it this afternoon and IS IT NOVEMBER YET?

In short, I absolutely love this series! My friend and I have a Kat vs Hero rivalry going on (I'm Team Hero, she and Sebastian are simply precious together) so I can't wait to see what the next book brings!

cs harris said...

Amy, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it. At one time I thought book number eight might come out in November, but they scheduled it again for March, so it won't be out until March 2013 (which is just as well, because it took longer to write than I expected). I know, it seems a long ways away to me, too! I don't even have a cover yet.

Lois said...

Just finished "When Maidens Mourn" and loved it! I just hope that since the first 3 mos. of Hero's pregancy has taken 3 books, it won't take another 6 to finally be introduced to Baby St. Cyr. That would rival soap operas for length of pregnancy!
On a completely different note, here's a stupid question: Does anyone know if St. Cyr is to be pronounced SAINT Cyr or is it SIN cyr as the name St.John is pronounced Sin Jin?

Elaine said...

Of course, the necklace! And given the legend, perhaps some Stuart thrown in there? Being of Scottish Highlands descent, I would relish that.

cs harris said...

Lois, I know it's starting to seem like Hero's been pregnant forever, but I felt as if those first few months of the marriage were important enough to show the progression of the relationship. As for the pronunciation, the people I know (Cajuns) with the name pronounce it "SAINT Cyr". The French of course would use the French pronunciation of "Saint." I frankly don't have a clue how the name is typically said in England!

Loni Emmert said...

Browsing through Barnes & Noble at lunch today, and having just returned from a trip to London, Bath, Salisbury & Stonehenge (along with a day in Paris and a day in Brussels) I found "When Maidens Mourn" on the shelf and now, alas, I'm afraid I've got to start from the beginning and read all of this amazing series! But, I think I'll start with "When Maidens Mourn" because after a few pages I was hooked. Thanks!

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