September 30, 2008

So, I am in wait mode. Wait for everything.

Still waiting to hear from the one publisher who has the full of Trust. It hasn't been long, but I am impatient. I refuse to stalk this time so each night before I go to bed I actually turn off the computer so I won't check my email every morning before I leave for work. I'm trying not to make myself nuts.

It's been 5 weeks since I sent a partial to Resplendence. I know they say on their site it can take up to 12 weeks for a response but I'm not holding my breath on that one.

I'm waiting to see my cover for A Knight For All when that is done.

Waiting for the release at the end of October for It's Only Make-Believe, my first non-gay romance as Shawn. It's kind of appropriate for it to come out around now as I think I actually started it around this time last year. At that time I thought of doing it for the Amber Quill Heat Wave contest but ended up scrapping it in favor of my gay romances. Now it's come full circle and is coming out from Amber Heat.

Once that is out I have Stone of Wrath to look forward to. I really love that little short story of mine but I do worry that some may view the sex as happening too fast. I did try to establish that the couple were connected in a past life.

In total geeky fan-girl fashion I am awaiting the new releases of two of my favorite authors, Ally Blue and J.L. Langley. They both have new books in their series coming up. Ally's new Bay City Paranormal releases at the end of October. Very cool! I can hardly wait. And J. L. Langley's new Regelence book comes out just a few days before Stone of Wrath.

September 29, 2008

With the release of Sorcerer's Lover this past weekend I don't have another m/m release until Stone of Wrath comes out November 14, 2008 from Ellora's Cave. I'm very proud of that little story so I look forward to the release of Jedidiah and Topaz's story come November.

My next release, It's Only Make-Believe, is an interracial m/f story and it comes out October 26, 2008.

September 27, 2008

I'll be blogging tomorrow, September 28, 2008 at Amber Quill's blog for the release of Sorcerer's Lover. Here is the link: Amber Heat & Amber Allure Authors

Sorcerer's Lover should release later today! Check it out and I hope you enjoy. It is the first in a series of stories related to Warin and Benedict.

September 25, 2008

Not much to report.

I gave myself the day off of writing yesterday. Expect to do a bit today on At Long Last.

Turned in A Knight For All to my publisher. It should be released December 07, 2008.

Still waiting to hear on Trust from the publisher I sent the full to. I am guessing I will be waiting to hear for a few weeks.

My first release in a new series for Amber Quill, Sorcerer's Lover, comes out this weekend. The second installment will be coming in early 2009, I suspect.

Speaking of first releases, I got a new review for The Squire from The Romance Studio. Got 5 hearts and some wonderful comments so I was very pleased.

Ding Dong Merrily On High

Okay maybe it is a little early for a Christmas song, but it very nearly feels like Christmas as I have completed A Knight For All! And it is slated to come out the first week in December after all.

Just have to get it to a couple of readers for their input and then I'll send it off to AQ.

Not only did I make it over the 11,000 minimum I made it to nearly 12,000 words. No worries there. So, yeah, maybe it is a bit heavy on the sex but all in all I am pleased with the results.

My first and only menage is done!

Now I can move on to the next chapter of At Long Last.

Autumn Begins

I am happy to report that I got a full request for Trust. So, we'll see what happens from there. I hope it will be good news but I don't want to get my hopes up and I'm guessing I have a few weeks to learn one way or another. Still the request came only a week and a half after I sent in the partial so I can't complain.

Got my edits from AQ for It's Only Make-Believe. Have to work fast since it's supposed to come out in just over a month. I took a quick glance at them last night and they are hardly anything. Won't take me long to go through them at all. Easily done in one night.

A Knight For All is up to 9,700 words and should be done and sent to AQ this week. Since that one isn't supposed to release until December I am guessing there won't be quite the mad dash to have everything done.

September 20, 2008

So I am already thinking of new stories for next year.

This year is done as far as what stories I need to work on: After A Knight For All, it's At Long Last, The Other Side, and Jake's Regret. If I have time Beyond the Norm. That's got to be it for the rest of this year.

That brings me to plans for 2009. I've already talked about working on Graham's book. For erotic works I plan to start with Undeniable. But I am also thinking of taking my ghost story, Restless, and making it into a erotic paranormal novella (m/f). Beyond those of course is my sequel to Sorcerer's Lover. What else will come from me in 2009? Only my imagination knows right now.

Release Date and Cover

Should be Released October 26, 2008!

September 19, 2008

It's hard to believe how many stories I have completed in the last year.

My two Cerridwen Press releases don't count because those were finished and neither do my two Fitzroy stories for The Wild Rose Press. Likewise written.

But I have finished the following:

The Squire
Another Chance
Sorcerer's Lover
Stone of Wrath
Perfect Man
Wanting Sam
It's Only Make-Believe
Trust

That's a lot. Now, yes they are novellas but if you think about it at least three of those are over 20,000 words by themselves so that's 60,000 right there and then toss in the rest and that's a lot of words. And I'm not done yet! I'm about to finish A Knight For All this month. Then by the end of the year I should have at least three more done.

Amazing what you can do when you actually write instead of procrastinating. I spent years doing that and I'm so glad I have enthusiasm for what I'm writing now. I only hope I can be just as prolific next year and have publishers wanting to publish my works.

September 18, 2008

As stated, It's Only Make-Believe has been offered a contract with Amber Quill for the Amber Heat line. I am glad Sebastian will be published. I have a great fondness for that character.

So what else am I still waiting for? I am waiting to hear from a publisher about Trust and whether they want to see more than the partial sent to them. I hope so, certainly, but I have given up trying to predict these things. If they request a full, then it will be more waiting from them. If they do not, then I decide who gets their chance next.

And I am still waiting to see if Resplendence will request more of Sinful. I'm guessing not, but you never know. When I begin work on Graham's story next year I am intending to do mega-research first. So that one will take me a while to do, I think. Maybe by the time I research and write that and Morton's story the market in NY will be ripe for Medievals. I don't think it is right now from things I have heard. Some have sold but it's been a tough sale. Those damn Regencies are still too popular.

Speaking of, I am getting anxious to start work on Undeniable. I won't, I won't. I can't. I don't have time for it right now, I really don't. Even though I am not as concerned as I was about A Knight For All (it's getting closed to finish) I must then move on to finishing At Long Last and Beyond the Norm.

September 17, 2008

So I found a home for It's Only Make-Believe. It's going to be published as an Amber Heat release. No release date yet, of course, as the contract still needs to be executed. I'll update with cover, release date etc as I know.

I have lost count how many that is. I think it's maybe 15?

So good news at last to share!

September 16, 2008

Got my galley for Sorcerer's Lover and am going over it today. Then the book should be released September 27/28 depending on when the publisher uploads it to the site.

After that I won't have any new releases until November 14th, when Stone of Wrath is released. It's going to be strange. Still I've had six releases in five months, plenty for anyone I suppose.

Happy Release Day to Ava March for her book, Bound by Deception, available from Loose Id.

September 15, 2008

The only new thing I have to report is that I have given my still unwritten Regency gay BDSM story a name. Undeniable.

Whether that changes, I don't know. But that is what I am calling it now.

Got another review for Another Chance. This one was from Literary Nymphs and said in part:

"Another Chance is a breathtaking story of forbidden love in a prejudiced society where the public facade must be maintained. Daniel is afraid that his love for another man, if revealed, will have a negative impact on the future of his children. Aubrey also has fears but is confident that he and Daniel can be discreet with their love. Shawn Lane has produced an excellent heart warming plot with sensual characters that I enjoyed immensely."

It's Done!

Trust that is. I wrote the last two chapters yesterday. Got it up to 22,000 words. Just need to wait for my CP to check out the last chapter.

I'm pretty happy with it. I guess I could have dragged it out to be longer, but I think I got everything in that I wanted.

Anyway, I now have to wait for Loose Id to decide whether they want to see any more of it.

And I can now officially move on to A Knight For all so I can get that done and off to the editors at AQ.

I haven't heard anything from my managing editor at AQ about needing any more changes on Sorcerer's Lover so hopefully that means it is a go and will be out in just two weeks.

Yesterday, was a bad day here. In the area where I live there is a commuter train called the Metrolink. PD takes that train, although, thankfully he was not on it. But many people were and people I see every day myself as I park in the station for my commuter bus I take. I see these folks every day as they arrive in Simi at the same time as my bus. Only, they never arrived yesterday and at this point at least seventeen are dead. Bad day, horrible. My prayers are with them and their loved ones.

September 12, 2008

I called in sick today at the day job due to a headache I've had for 24 hours. It's still there though slightly better. I intend to work on Trust.

Anyway, I finally got an acknowledgement from Loose Id and they said Trust has been sent on to an editor for consideration. So I have passed the first hurtle there. Says their response time could be up to six to eight weeks. I hope not, but I have to expect it might be.

The excerpt I had picked for The Prisoner was too long, so my editor at The Wild Rose Press chose another one and asked if I approved of the new one. I did, so I should be all set there. Just have to wait for a release date in 2009.

Meanwhile still waiting on everything else.

Trust and All the Rest

I've made real progress on Trust. I'm very pleased. It's up to 18,500 words. I figure I have two chapters left to conclude the story so if all goes as planned I hope to have it done by the end of this coming weekend. Then come Monday, September 15, I can give full attention to A Knight For All.

When I say full attention, I mean it. I will not work on ANYTHING else until A Knight For All is finished (once Trust is as I declared above).

Anyway, I really like Trust. I think it has really turned into a great story and one of my better ones. Hopefully, the publishers will agree with me.

Once those two stories are out of my way I will likely turn my attention to At Long Last rather than going back to Beyond the Norm just yet. I have a good amount written on At Long Last and it isn't due until November 01, but I'd rather be either finished or closed to finish weeks in advance of that deadline. So, once that is safely going in the proper direction I can get back to Beyond the Norm, likely in mid-October.

September 09, 2008

So, A Man Not Her Own, my Wild Rose Press release, is available as a download on Amazon for the Kindle. I thought that was kind of cool. In a purely geeky way, of course.

My progress on Trust is going very well. I am up to 16,000 words and still going. Will definitely make novella length. And then I am intending to submit it to Loose Id. See what my chances are there.

A Knight For All has made the coming soon pages of Amber Quill. That means I have to finish it, doesn't it? I stayed awake hours last night fretting over it.

I need to write faster, faster, faster. Besides A Knight For All, I want to finish Trust, and I still need to finish up At Long Last for Amber Quill and I also want to complete Beyond the Norm.

My friend, Ava March, is supposed to have her book, Bound by Deception released next week on September 16, 2008 from Loose Id. It hasn't made the coming soon pages nor has she received her cover for it yet. I can't wait to see it. I am sure it will be awesome. And I cannot wait to buy Bound by Deception. It is a terrific gay erotic romance. I highly recommend it. So look for that one week from today!

September 08, 2008

So, like most writers one of my goals is to be able to write full time. In other words, quit the dreaded day job. Let me just say I am no where near that.

I'm definitely not going to do that by publishing regular romances in the epublishing world at this stage in the game. They just do not make any money. Now when I say "any" obviously I don't mean I am getting zero royalties. But it really is next to nothing. I sold only 6 copies of Duke Pretender in July. So, um...yeah. That is not the way for me to be able to quit my day job obviously.

Instead, I will need to build up my career as an erotic romance author as well as go back to writing my regular romances with New York in mind. I don't have time to go back to writing Graham's story in 2008 but I am going to give serious consideration to Graham for 2009.

Working on Trust again. I still would like this story done this month and I am back to thinking of submitting it to Ellora's Cave.

I did a ton of edits on Sorcerer's Lover for AQ. I added 2300 words. It's supposed to be out in about three weeks so I am hoping that will still be the case.

First Review for Another Chance

I've found my first review of Another Chance. It is by a European lady who often reviews m/m romances. Anyway, she had very nice thing to say about it so I am pleased.

Elisa Rolle - My reviews and Ramblings - Another Chance by Shawn Lane

September 05, 2008

Unfortunately, my edits for Sorcerer’s Lover has put a temporary stop on my progress of Trust.

I was thinking last night though that when I am done with the edits I really need to finish up A Knight For All if I am going to actually get it done. I’m worried about it. I still need about 5000 words and I am not sure I have another 5000 words to devote to that story. I need to try though if I want to get it done and to AQ.

I’ve been procrastinating no doubt about it and before devoting more time to Trust and Beyond the Norm, I should finish A Knight For All.

First up though is my edits on Sorcerer’s Lover. I intend to have it done this weekend.

Some Edits Are Just More Painful

Got my edits last night for Sorcerer’s Lover and there are some things I need to fix and expand on. At first I was pretty discouraged about it but I am feeling better about it this morning. No one really likes hearing something they’d written needs work. But I can handle what needs to be done. It’s not that big a deal. The book is already contracted so it should be fine. Worse case scenario is it comes out in October. I work fast, too, as I told my editor.

Last night one of my published writer friends mentioned all the stuff you still have to worry about as a published author. Edits, more edits, reviewing contracts, more edits. It never stops and you never stop learning as a writer, I think.

So the other day I had a discussion with this same fellow author about being sick of our own books. At least the ones we’ve sold.

It comes to the point in edits and final line edits and proofs that you just go, ugh, not this damn story again.

At some point you can go back and read it and think, okay this didn’t suck after all. That’s always a good thing.

Messing around with some new looks for the Blog. Does it work? I like the blue.

Another Chance is Released

Here it is! My first Ellora's Cave Release! It's a Quickie and a bargain at $2.99.

Ten years ago, Aubrey St. Clair, Viscount Rothton, watched the man of his dreams, Daniel Blake, the Earl of Graystone walk out of his life after a brief sexual encounter. Now Graystone returns to London after the death of his wife and Aubrey is given another chance with his dream man. But Daniel is determined he will have only one night of sexual bliss with Aubrey and then they must once more go their separate ways.

http://www.ellorascave.com/

September 02, 2008

Got my last round of edits for The Prisoner. Basically they are similar to copy edits. Anyway just a few word changes, less then five actually. Very, very easy.

So I will return those to my editor and then that should be it until they decide on a release date, I think. Definitely sometime in 2009 I am guessing. I would say probably spring.

It's September Already

It's Labor Day today so I have the day off. I managed to get about 500 words or so written but I have to get ready to go over to my brother's house.

Anyway, I am about half way or maybe even three-quarters of the way done on my next chapter of Trust. Once that is done in the next day or so I will move back to a new chapter of Beyond the Norm.

That's it. Nothing at all to report, sigh.