Sloggin’ towards the deadline…
The final crunch is about to descend on my next novel. My proofreader is devouring the final pages, pen in hand, but I’ll be the one clearing up all the typos and a couple of inconsistencies. In many ways, it feels great to have the book drafted and so close to being done. In other ways, not so much. I have another novel that I’ll resume work on almost immediately and a third one that’s half way through its editing cycle. And I know the editors might come back with changes on this book.
But you know what? That’s all part-and-parcel of being a novelist. Through all my years as a short story writer, I worked on novels. I finished two, had three in various stages, and more story ideas than I knew what to do with. (Oh, for a forty-hour day and endless energy!) However, until I had publishers to work with, I didn’t feel like a working novelist. A working writer? Yes. But not a working novelist.
I tell you, having a contract and deadlines make all the difference in the world. Each day, the workload before me is part of the avenue each book must travel to see publication. And like an avenue on a map, there’s starting place and a finishing line to the process. Before now, writing a novel was like a scenic hike done during one’s leisure time. It was enjoyable, rewarding, and worth the undertaking. But it had no real end point; the process had an intangible feel to it.
All that evaporated when Ravenous Romance signed me on for two books. And boy, does that feel nice.
BTW, Ravenous Romance has a new free short story, Hot Fling, on its site. Download and enjoy, please!
“Where’d everyone go?”
I’m thinking of that party animal from the Tidy Cat commercial. You know, the cat with the lampshade on his head?
If I’m lucky, you’ve been asking that question about me, wondering if I’ve been partying like a dumb Persian cat. Well, sort of. I just haven’t gotten to the lampshade extreme yet. I’m too busy working for that.
In July, literary agent Lori Perkins emailed me about a new e-publishing venture, Ravenous Romance, and asked whether I had any unpublished novels and short stories. Boy, did I. So we corresponded.
The outcome? I’m now working with her agency, which will guide my works into publication with Ravenous Romance.
Lori and I had touched base awhile back, but nothing came of it at the time. At the time, a fellow author told me, “You probably didn’t have anything she could use.” I guess she was right because Lori didn’t forget me. I’m deeply thankful for that. But I’m also happy that Ravenous Romance appears to be a good fit for me. According to a press release, “Ravenous Romance™ will be a destination site for women, with erotica that celebrates female sexuality, and strong Web 2.0 community-building features.”
Which gets a big pumping-fist Yes! from me.
Ravenous Romance has set an ambitious goal of publishing a short story and a novel every day, starting in December. It seeks “erotic romance stories with strong plots and character development, but with steamy sex scenes and explicit descriptions of sexual encounters. The stories must feature strong, passionate characters and plots that express a broad range of fantasies.”
Which earns more happy dancing from me. (Probably look there like Snoopy from Peanuts, not the Dumb Lampshade Cat.)
Why? Because it feels like the sex-positive school of erotica — the platform that formed my writing perspective — has finally merged with erotic romance in a way that’s meaningful to me.
Feels good to me.
But the reason I’m not lampshade crazy with euphoria? Because I have to part ways with Carnal Desires Publishing to some degree and it’s bittersweet for me. We’ve shared a strong collaborative spirit, one that I value and appreciate. I still intend to keep them on my website as a source of erotic fiction and I’ll still point you to their titles. They’re doing good things at CDP, much of it in the same sex-positive vein I’ve needed as a writer.
I’m busy at work, finishing up my first title for Ravenous Romance, an effort that’ll keep me busy through much of this month, but it’s time to get back to blogging as well. I’ve stories to tell, thoughts to contemplate, and points to make. Time to blog.