Still Alive--and Some Good News

Sorry for the long absence. Without going into too much detail, I had a nasty reaction to some prescription meds. The past month is a bit of a blur, but I'm starting to feel better and hopefully will be back up to steam soon.

Now for the good news: I've accepted a new contract for two more Sebastian St. Cyr books, Numbers 9 and 10 in the series. They actually wanted the next book in nine months, but since I was trying not to die at the time, I had to say "No, better give me 10 or 11 months, just to be safe."

(The photo of the cat sleeping in the window of a French Quarter art gallery comes from when I was walking around during a break in the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival last month.)

A Huge SORRY to My Readers in Houston

I have had to cancel my planned booksigning at Murder by the Book in Houston this Saturday. I can't tell you how sorry I am; I was really, really looking forward to it. MBTB always has a wonderful crowd of readers and I've so enjoyed my last two trips there. But I finally admitted to myself that I am simply too ill to make the flight there and back.

If they're willing to give it another try, I would love to come next year for the release of What Darkness Brings. Hopefully I'll be better by then!

My sincerest apologies to all who were planning to attend.

Virgin Territory

**

Yesterday, I wrote the first chapter of the ninth book in the Sebastian St. Cyr series. This part of the writing process is, for me, an exhilarating blend of trepidation and excitement: excitement for this shiny new idea that beckons and beguiles, and worry that it won't come up to the standards set by the previous books or that the story contains some fatal unseen flaw that will eventually cause the entire book to crumble into an unfinishable mess.

It's at this point that I can sometimes become confused when I talk to my readers, who've just finished the newly released book while I am obsessed with the events and people of a book they won't see for two years. Floating in production between us is the book I just finished, What Darkness Brings, which won't be published for another year. The time lag is frustrating for me, too, but the truth is that I am a very slow writer and these books take a long time to plot, research, and write. I wish I could write faster, and I know I could produce a different kind of book faster. Just not these.

What is this new book about? Hmm, I think maybe I'll keep that quiet for a while yet. Its working title is Why Kings Somethingoranother. (Yes, I actually put that at the top of the synopsis I submitted to my editor.) She loves the idea, incidentally--especially since this book will finally answer one of the questions she's been asking me about for ten years now: What happened to Sebastian in the war that came so close to destroying him?

The image above is a free wallpaper from this site.

Booksighing at Garden District

I had my first When Maidens Mourn booksigning at Garden District Bookshop on Saturday. I have a wonderful group of friends from SOLA, our local chapter of RWA, who loyally turn out for my booksignings every year. But this year I actually didn't know over half the people there, which made me feel pretty good until the bookstore staff started telling me about a bestselling vampire writer who'd just done a signing there. She's on a multi-state bus tour with her male cover model (complete with red contact lenses), a small army of staff, and a promotional budget that included a case of champagne and a giveaway in which the grand prize was an iPad (one per signing). Sigh.

Still, I had a great time, and I hope everyone else did, too. Thanks so much for coming!

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!