First, thanks to everyone who gave me encouragement over the weekend - I was able to make a big jump forward on the novel-in-progress, and I and the kitties feel much, much better. I'll have to try that again someday.
Well, last night I thought, "Tomorrow's Tuesday - what shall I blog about?" And no ideas came to me, so I just went to sleep, figuring something would occur to me this morning.
Nope.
But then I decided, it's been a while since I just gave a thorough update on all the stuff that I've been doing lately, to further my nascent writing career. While many of you know some of this, or most of this, not everyone is up-to-date on everything, I'm sure. And I'm also curious how all of you are doing, as we get closer to conference time.
So here's the scoop.
At the moment (and this is not set in stone - more like inscribed on a stick of rapidly melting butter), my trilogy is set to release in May/June/July 2009. The dates have changed a couple of times already, so don't anyone go making vacation plans around them.
The first book, Goddess of the Hunt (GOTH), has been through the revisions process - line and copy edits are still to come.
I turned in the second manuscript, Surrender of a Siren (SOAS), at the end of February. It's been accepted, and I've been chatting with my editor about it. I'm expecting a revision letter sometime soon, and then I'll have a few weeks to work on her changes.
I'm feverishly working away on book three, tentatively titled A Lady of Persuasion (ALOP). So far, I've got it about half-drafted...but half of that half needs a lot of revision. It's due August 1st (yes, in the middle of conference...not sure how that's going to go!).
While all this is going on, I'm working with my web designer on my new site. I'm really excited about how it's shaping up and can't wait for you all to see it. I also have to write some content for here one of these days... The goal is to launch it before Nationals.
I've acquired two suitable outfits for Nationals. I still need 3-4 more. Of finishing book three, revising book two, launching my website, and shopping for Nationals - shopping is the task I feel least equipped to handle and most certain I will frantically complete last-second.
Nationals is shaping up to be so much fun! I've gotten my preliminary info about the Ballantine party, made arrangements to meet with my editor and agent...this is going to be my year to have fun, network, cheer for my Golden Heart finalist friends, and gird myself for the craziness that will be 2009. And San Fran used to be my hometown, so I'm very excited to be there.
And - ack - my chapter is having a fundraiser next month, and I've donated my first author critique prize. That's sort of cool. I'm glad it's a raffle-ticket thing and not an auction, so it won't be completely embarrassing how few people bid on my critique. *g*
So...what's going on with all of you? Are you coming to Nationals? What's the status on manuscripts, agent searches, contests, critiques, etc.? I know I know those things, from a lot of you, but here's your chance to share with a wider crowd if you've got big news or ideas rattling to get out!
If you have any questions about my books or how the process is unfolding, ask away!
A romantic hero, no matter how flawed, should always be willing to run into a burning building to rescue a basket of kittens. ~Teresa Medeiros
Okay, so I have been a wee bit stalled on the novel-in-progress, due to the rethinking and refocusing issue I mentioned last post. And I really need to just plunge back into it this weekend and make a big leap ahead in word count.
I've set a goal: 7200 words in 72 hours. Quite realistic, if I focus. So by 8 p.m. PST on Monday, I must write 7200 new words on this manuscript.
And now I need some external motivation, to make things interesting. The other day, a friend said goodbye to a sweet, much loved kitty. And this has had me thinking a lot about my own two kitties who passed away in recent years. So in honor of them all, if I make my goal, I get to donate $72.00 to , a local SoCal nonprofit (unsurprisingly) dedicated to rescuing kittens and cats from local shelters.
If I do not make my goal, I have to donate that $72.00 to an organization I despise. I'll tell a few people privately to keep myself honest, but I won't name it here for fear of offending anyone (or inviting flame). Suffice it to say, I believe this organization to be a true force of Eeeeevil. And I would hate giving them 72 cents, let alone 72 of my hard-earned dollars. Plus, how would I face the kitties?
So this weekend, I'm writing for the kitties! I'll post my progress periodically, and any words of encouragement are much appreciated. Or if you want to write for the kitties (or baby seals or ferrets or whathaveyou), feel free to set a goal and join the cause!
UPDATE, 1AM MONDAY: Yay! Kitties saved! With 19 hours to spare. And now - I sleep.
Well, the CM-TD-IC critique trio is back from our whirlwind tour of Las Vegas, which was anchored in our lovely suite at the Venetian. We ate, we drank, we gambled away all of $20. (No high roller upgrades for our party, sadly.) We saw Phantom - squee! We toasted Courtney Milan's Golden Heart final at a very, very fine restaurant that serves yuzu cocktails and expertly stroked beef (you'll have to ask CM about that one).
And we fixed some books. On Saturday, we sat down with a bunch of sticky notes and hashed out Amy's scare-a-minute plot of her sexy thriller, Black Box Warning. Let me tell you, I get the heebie-jeebies just thinking about that book. It's so awesome. It has bestseller written all over it. I can't wait until all of you can read it, too.
Then on Sunday, we did some work on refocusing on my current book, A Lady of Persuasion. I've actually written about 34,000 words on it. And about 20,000 of those are now going to have to change. But it's good. It's all good. (Can you hear me trying not to stress?)
Vegas - like any tourist destination - is a great place for people-watching. You really see all kinds, from the rich-and-famous to the cheap-and-tawdry. I love the spectacle, the excess of it all - but I really get itchy in the casinos. Part of that is from all the smoke. And part of it is because gambling just makes me really, really nervous. Like I'm almost afraid to participate in it. I'm irrationally convinced that I'll throw two twenty-dollar bills onto the felt and somehow a matter of seconds later, my house, car, and kids' college fund will belong to the casino. The slot machines feel safer, but they get boring real quick. I wonder if I'll ever write a scene in a gaming hell. Doubt it.
How about you? Do you get a thrill out of gambling, or does it bore you? Do you play the penny slots or blackjack or Texas hold-em or something else entirely? Do your characters gamble?
Discuss. But remember, what happens on Tessa's blog...stays on the Internet forever.
So this weekend, we're having a CP summit in Vegas, baby! Woot!
And as part of the festivities, we're going to see Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian. I have never seen Phantom, so I'm psyched. But I know it means I'll be singing it for weeks and weeks to come. Showtunes are mental peanut butter, aren't they? They just stick in there forever. I saw Les Mis for the first time when I was in high school, and I think I still know good parts of that musical by heart. If anyone's interested, we can have a sing-off in SF:
Before I became bizarrely shy, I used to sing in front of people, back in the day. (By this, I mean in high school concerts and church choirs and stuff - nothing actually good or impressive.) Now I just sing around my house, and in the shower - but it's still those same songs. My go-to showtune is the song "Sailor of My Dreams" from the little-known and less-performed screwball musical Dames at Sea. I was in a civic theater production of it in high school (although I did not have this, or any, solo). It's the dippiest song ever, but it is in my brain like peanut butter:
Side note: How fun is You Tube? So, fess up. What do you sing in the shower? Which songs are permanently embedded in your gray matter?
Was it really less than a year ago we were still hearing "Historicals are dead"? On this week's , 4 of the top 20 mass market paperbacks in the country are historical romances. (And 2 of those 4 are Ballantine releases - woot!) A few weeks ago, Victoria Alexander's The Perfect Wife was number one on that list.
It's a good time for historicals. Any theories why? (Despite, of course, the general awesomeness of the subgenre.) I'm guessing the recent success of books and films like The Other Boleyn Girl and the Jane Austen marathon on Masterpiece Theatre are part of the reason. Period romance is doing well, in all media. I only hope the trend doesn't fade before mid 2009!
But speaking of future historical romance authors who'll help keep it healthy--
Some squeeing is overdue.
First, for , who is now not only a Golden Heart finalist, but a double finalist in the Chicago North RWA Fire & Ice Contest! Yep, she is 2 of the 3 finalists. Her odds look good.
And second, for , (and former fanlitter Guavaln) who has some very, very exciting news today on the blog!
Yikes. This has been a crazy-busy week. At the end of which, I have accomplished...nothing that can be quantified. Virtually zero forward progress on ALOP, and my taxes still aren't even started. Ack. Ack. Ack.
But I feel a lot better than I did last Tuesday, which is good. Some weeks give us progress that isn't precisely measurable, but important nonetheless.
And I found some time in there to watch a little basketball.
I just love the NCAA tournament. I'm from Indiana, and so a certain amount of basketball appreciation is required. But the reason I love March Madness is less about the basketball, and more about watching a bunch of men--players, coaches, fans--publicly display a whole range of emotion: courage, determination, exuberance, loyalty, heartbreak. It's just riveting.
There's no tomorrow in a single-elimination tournament; it's win or go home. And for a lot of these guys, this is the end of their basketball career. As the final buzzer nears, it's like the world is on the line in every shot. It's all about those last-second miracles, like Mario Chalmers' shot to tie the championship game for Kansas.
But mostly, I'll admit it--I watch to see the guys cry when they lose. There are so few events at which it's socially acceptable for a big, strong guy to just break down and cry. Sweating your heart out in the NCAA tournament only to lose at the last second is one of them, I guess.
Is there a topic here? Hmmm... Do you like to see grown men cry? In real life, or fiction, or sports (which kind of seems like neither of the above)?
April Fool's. Well, I am giving up blogging for the day.
Thank you so much to everyone who clicked over to Romance Bandits to say hi yesterday - it was so great to have so many friends in one "place", and the Banditas were wonderful hostesses. I've been really bad lately about making rounds to all of your blogs. So today I decided to just concentrate on getting around to as many friends' blogs as I can. It may take me a few days, but I'll do it!
I'm even disabling comments on this post, so I won't come back and recheck it.
