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    Resolutions …

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    I had a happy new year’s post, but it looks my computer has eaten it. So anyway, hope you guys had a great start to the new year. Mine involved football, napping, and working on Assassin 3, so it was all good. 😎

    So it’s also time to write down my annual resolutions and goals for 2009. Here goes:

    WRITING GOALS

    1) Finish writing Assassin 3.

    2) Write rough drafts of Assassin 4 and 5.

    3) Revise Spy and Spy 2.

    4) Write my urban fantasy western idea that I’ve been thinking about for a while now.

    5) Pick one of my young adult ideas and write the darn book.

    6) Write a heist book (think the new series Leverage on TNT, which I totally love).

    READING GOALS

    1) Read 75 books this year.

    2) Catch up on all the series that I’ve fallen behind in (like Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files).

    3) Read buzzy new releases in a more timely fashion so I know what the heck people are talking about.

    PROFESSIONAL GOALS

    1) Sell more books

    2) Sell books in a new series or in a new genre (like young adult)

    3) Network and promote more (even though my next book won’t come out until 2010).

    PERSONAL GOALS

    1) Make more time for my friends and family.

    2) Relax and take things in stride.

    3) Stop being so scheduled and regimented.

    4) Have more fun.

    5) Try new things.

    Can you tell that I like goals? 😉

    I doubt I’ll keep all of these, but they give me something to shoot for. And admittedly, some of them are completely out of my control, like selling more books. Don’t know if that will happen or not, given the craptastic economy. Editors are being very selective these days. But I’m going to keep writing the best books I can. So we’ll see what happens.

    What are some of your goals for 2009? Share in the comments. :ww:

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    My year in books …

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    With all the best-of, year-end lists floating around the Web, I thought I’d recap my year in books:

    Books read: 67. That’s better than one per week, which isn’t too shabby. I hope to read at least 70 books in 2009. 😎

    Genres read: Fantasy, romance, mysteries, thrillers … just about everything except non-fiction. I’m not a big non-fic fan (probably because I have to read so many news stories for work).

    New authors I read: Stephanie Meyer, C. L. Wilson, HelenKay Dimon, Kresley Cole, Roxanne St. Claire, Linda Lael Miller, Elizabeth Vaughn, Jackie Kesslar, Ilona Andrews, Catlin Kittredge, Rachel Caine, Kelley Armstrong, Patricia Briggs, Austin Grossman, Rick Riordian, Eric VanLustbader … and several others. I’ll read anyone once. I’m happy to report several of these authors made the grade for me, and I’ll be reading more of their books.

    Authors I read again: Jim C. Hines, Lee Child, Robert B. Parker, Stephen Hunter, Marjorie M. Liu, Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Elizabeth Vaughn, Lisa Kleypas … and several others.

    Best read: Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas. Loved it. Absolutely loved it. A great contemporary romance and coming-of-age story. Must get my hands on the two sequels …

    Runner-up: Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughn. A great fantasy romance with a very likable heroine.

    Worst read: InterWorld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves. I just didn’t enjoy this young adult book, which is a sci-fi cross between The Matrix and A Wrinkle in Time. Then again, I’m not the world’s biggest sci-fi fan to start with.

    Runner-up: Twilight by Stephanier Meyer. I liked it … until Bella found out Edward was a vampire. After that, the book and its obsessive love story just didn’t work for me.

    Strangest read: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. I know this take on Batman is highly lauded, but I just thought it was weird. Then again, I’ve thought most of the stuff I’ve read by Miller is weird. So maybe it’s just me.

    New series I discovered and enjoyed: The Bullet Catchers series by Roxanne St. Claire and the Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole. I plan on reading and catching up with both of these series in 2009.

    Series I’d read before that left me a little puzzled: The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward. I loved the parts of Phury’s book that dealt with John and his two friends, but the romance (what there was of it) with Phury and Cormia just didn’t work for me. Still, Ward is a great writer, and I have high hopes for the next book in the series.  

    Books I wrote this year: 4, which includes Spy 2 and all three of the Assassin books (I had to revise the first Assassin book so much I practically rewrote it).

    Books I plan to write in 2009: I need to revise Spy and Spy 2, do another draft or two to polish Assassin 3, and write Assassin 4. I also want to write my urban fantasy western and maybe try my hand at a young adult novel.

    What about you guys? What were some of your favorite reads (or things you wrote) for 2008? Share in the comments. And happy reading in 2009! :ww:

  • 919 and counting …

    And now for the final book I read in 2008: Take Me Tonight by Roxanne St. Claire. This is the third title in her popular Bullet Catchers romantic suspense series.

    In this one, freelance reporter Sage Valentine is determined to prove her friend’s death wasn’t a suicide. Unbeknownst to Sage, her aunt Lucy Monroe (the head of the BC organization) sends one of her agents, Johnny Christiano, to watch over Sage. Of course, the two fall for each other. Too bad there’s someone out there that wants Sage out of the way no matter who gets hurt …

    One of the things I like about the BC series is that the women (whether they are BCs or not) are just as strong and smart as the men. Sage is no exception. She’s tough, resourceful, and determined to find out what really happened to her friend. Sage was a little dense in figuring out that Johnny worked for her aunt, but other than that, she’s a really interesting character.

    I liked Johnny a lot too. He’s charming, funny, and a whiz in the kitchen (what woman wouldn’t want a guy who cooks for her?). Plus, it was fun to watch Johnny interact with a couple of the other BC guys near the end of the book. I always like seeing characters from past or future books interacting with the main couple in the current book I’m reading.

    I did think the villain was a little easy to figure out in this one. But what he was up to, well, it’s pretty surprising and twisted, especially his fixation on Sage at the end of the book and what he really wants from her.

    But overall, if you’re looking for a solid romantic suspense read, give this one (or another book in the series) a try. Thumbs up.

    Up next: Something from the TBR pile.

    Books in my TBR pile: About 15. (What can I say? Santa was good to me this year). 😎

  • New year … new stuff?

    4 Comments

    I’ve been thinking about my blog lately and what sorts of posts I can do in 2009. And I thought I would ask you guys for some feedback. I try to post a little bit of everything here, from book reviews to stuff I think is weird/interesting to my latest news.

    What would you guys like to see more of on the blog? More posts on writing? More snippets of my works-in-progress? More reviews? More book-related articles? Share in the comments. I’ll take suggestions under advisement. 😎

  • Finito for another year …

    Once again, I hope everyone had a Merry Crimmus. I did, for which I am grateful. :ww:

    So the presents have been opened, and all that’s left now is the taking back, as my mom says. Or in my case, the taking down.

    Yes, Virginia, I un-decorated my house last night — on Christmas day. Boxed up my Christmas angels. Took down my jingle bell wreath. Packed up the Christmas stockings. I even got most of the ornaments off the tree and boxed up before I went to bed.

    Why? Well, my tree’s been up since Thanksgiving, and it’s really starting to shed now. Plus, I’d like to have all my furniture back in its proper place so I can actually do things like walk through my house again. And you know, have the house be sort of clean and organized. :rolleyes:

    More than all that, though, is the fact I need to get back to work on book stuff. I’ve been slacking off these past few weeks and feel the need to get back in the groove. Something that’s kind of hard when the house is such a mess. So down comes the Christmas tree tonight. 😈

    What about you guys? Are you feeling the Christmas spirit until New Year’s? Or does your tree come down the day after like mine does? Share in the comments.