On Writing

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    A good time …

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    So I attended the book events that were part of the annual Women’s Expo in Kingsport, Tenn. this weekend. There was a dinner Friday night and then a book signing Saturday. (Some folks also signed books Sunday, but I was busy working on Assassin 3).

    I got to meet several authors, including Julia Quinn and Teresa Medeiros. They both write historicals, and both of them were super-nice. Very funny too. Lora Leigh was also there, but unfortunately, I didn’t really get a chance to talk to her, and I only got to talk to Kay Stockham for a few minutes before the signing on Saturday. (If you’ve ever seen Kay in person, you know how gorgeous she is). I’d always like more time to chat with folks. Ah, well. Maybe at the next event I see them at. 

    I also got to speak with some readers and other folks I know, like fellow Smoky Mountain Romance Writer members Jessie Verino and Trista Ann Michaels. And then, I got to talk to folks at the expo who stopped by the table where the book signing was.

    I thought the dinner on Friday night was especially fun thanks to the guest speakers Valerie Ramsey and Joanna Campbell Slan. After raising her kids, Valerie got into modeling — in her 60s! And Joanna reminded us all how very blessed we are with her funny talk. Seriously, Joanna was hysterical and had everyone laughing out loud. If her books are as funny as she is, you will be giggling the whole time you read them.

    Overall, it was a very fun time. I plan on attending again next year (it’s always held the third weekend in October). Jim Butcher is scheduled to be the big guest author next year, and the organizers are hoping to bring in some more urban fantasy writers. If any author or reader out there wants more details, just send me an e-mail, and I’ll get you in touch with the event organizers.

    Note: I actually took some photos this time, but for some reason, WordPress isn’t letting me upload them. Grrr! 👿

    What about you guys? Did anyone do anything fun this weekend?

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    Unstuck for now …

    So I did some work on Assassin 3 this weekend. I didn’t get a lot of writing done, mainly because I got stuck — and basically rewrote the same three chapters three different times. Sigh.

    I usually don’t do that. I just go on my merry way, keep writing, and make a note to fix it later. But this time, I felt like I couldn’t go on without fixing the scenes — right then and there. I needed to know what I was doing with the story at that point so the rest of it would flow smoothly. I was stuck, in other words.

    So how did I change it? Well, first I had Gin (the assassin) eating dinner in a restaurant while she’s waiting for a guy at another table to go the bathroom so she can kill him in there. Boring, I thought. I needed a better setting than that. So I changed the restaurant to a riverboat casino. Much more unique and interesting, and much more in keeping with the Southern flavor of the series.

    Which, in turn, meant I had to change who Gin was eating with from her love interest to Finnegan Lane (Gin’s best friend/handler). Only since they were on a riverboat now, they weren’t even eating dinner. I’ll stop here to keep the confusion to a minimum. But the changes went on from there.

    But now, I feel like I’ve finally gotten a handle on things and can write the rest of the story. At least until I get stuck again. :rolleyes:

    What about you guys? What do you do when you get stuck on something or at work? Do you plow on through or spend time fixing it until it’s just right?

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    When art imitates life …

    So I did some work on Assassin 3 this weekend, and I wrote a scene where Finnegan Lane drops barbecue sauce on his suit jacket. Finn is the foster brother/best friend/handler to Gin Blanco, the assassin. There’s nothing Finn likes more than a well-tailored suit, so staining his jacket upset him.

    After I write this scene, I go out and get barbecue for lunch. And what happens? I drop baked beans all over my placemat on my kitchen table. Sigh … :rolleyes:

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    Sold, baby!

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    You know that major good news I teased you guys about earlier this week? Well, I’ve finally gotten the greenlight to announce that … drumroll please … the Assassin series has sold! Huzzah! 😎

    My wonderful agent has brokered a three-book deal with Pocket (which is part of Simon & Schuster). The first book is tentatively titled Gin on the Rocks and will (hopefully) come out in fall 2009. The books will debut in trade paperback, then get re-released in mass market.

    At this point, a lot of stuff is still up in the air. I’m not sure if we’re calling it the Elemental Assassin series, the Gin Blanco series, or just the Assassin series. The title might change too, and I’ll let you guys know when I get a specific release date.

    The books will be a little different from my Bigtime series. The Assassin books are urban fantasy, instead of paranormal romance, and follow one character. Since the books are UF, they are quite a bit darker and grittier than the Bigtime books. Lots of people die in some fairly gruesome ways, and the language is much harsher. But at their heart, the Assassin books are still fun, sexy, action-packed fantasies.

    The main character/narrator is Gin Blanco, who runs a barbecue restaurant by day and assassinates people by night. Gin is an elemental who has the magical ability to create, control, and manipulate ice and stone (the other two elements are fire and air). There are also vampires and giants and dwarves galore, and the book is set in the fictional southern metropolis of Ashland.

    Anyway, much more to come. Right now, it’s happy dance time! :ww: