Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

So it's been a few months since I last posted. I do realized I am absolutely the worst blogger in the world. But I have really good excuse. A few months ago, I signed a contract for all three books in my Devil's Eye series with Harlequin for their new Shivers line--a line specific to Gothic romance.

I seriously can not express how excited I am about this as a writer and a reader. Clearly, I am thrilled to see my series find such a great fit, but I'm also excited to find more Gothic titles to read.

The Devil's Eye will release in January, along with four other titles in the Shivers line. As I get more details, I will be sure to share them. I promise I will be blogging more frequently. In the meantime, here is my gorgeous cover for The Devil's Eye, which I am in love with. It could not be more perfect.

Check out the other Harlequin Shivers writers with book releasing January 2014: Barbara J. Hancock, Jenna Ryan and Jane Godman.

Back From The Dead

Yeah, I know. I kind of dropped off the face of planet there for a bit. I've been working on a mad rewrite of The Devil’s Eye. This story has been driving me crazy almost from the start. Something about the pacing was off. No matter how many times I looked at it, or tried to fix it, I just made it worse. After few months since I “finished” it, I pulled it out and started to tweak. Then it struck me. The problem with the pacing wasn't not enough happening, the problem was too much happening. With that epiphany, the rest of the rewrite fell into place.

I back burnered The Devil's Shadow while I did that and now I'm getting back to work on it. I'm at 70,000 words so I there's still a real possibility I could finish it by the end of March. I'll keep you posted.

And lastly, I'm building a new website. Hoping to launch it soon. Will keep you posted.

I'm reading The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson--or least I was. I've put it down somewhere and can't remember where. It's driving me crazy too.

That new show Bates Motel starts tonight. I loved Psycho, so you know I have to check it out. The actor they have playing young Norman Bates kind of looks like Anthony Perkins, don't you think?

Rewriting the Weekend Away

So it another lovely weekend has past--at least it looked lovely through the attic window where I spent most of it working. I can't even complain, really. Three days of straight writing is kind of my ideal weekend. Does that make me a nerd? Yeah, don't answer. I probably don't really want to know.

What was I working on so diligently? The Devil's Eye. The wonderful cop who answers all my pesky research questions got back to me last week, so I made some changes there. Also, I'm making sure that certain details that will tie into books two and three are introduced. For a non-plotter, it's an interesting experience thinking two books ahead of where I am now.

As I wrapped up the first draft of The Devil's Eye, I realized that I just had to trust that what I needed for the other books would come to me. For instance, while I knew who my heroine was for the second book, I only had a sketchy idea for my hero and wasn't at all certain how he would fit. Then, about halfway through The Devil's Eye, he showed up fully formed and ready to be written about. Gotta love that.

The only thing I'm not certain of is the title for book two. I keep flip-flopping between The Devil's Shadow and The Devil's Secret. Both are applicable. There are secrets in the second book, both revealed and discovered. There are shadows in the second book, both real and figurative. So which title do you like better? Maybe I should have poll.