Yay! I’m actually officially here in my new blog digs.  Welcome!  I think next week I’ll have some sort of contest to celebrate, but in the meantime, I wanted to just thank everyone for bearing with me and share some exciting news.

SQUEE!!! Beverley Kendall, another Fanlit friend, has just signed a two-book deal with Kensington!  Her debut historical, tentatively titled A Lady’s Compromise, will be coming to a bookstore near you in Fall 2009.  Congratulations, Bev!

Lastly: Arrrh, mateys!  It’s International Talk Like A Pirate Day!  I’m celebrating by taking the darelings to ride Pirates of the Caribbean for the one millionth time.

But, since piracy does play a role in my second book, Surrender of a Siren (releasing late August 2009!), I thought I’d leave you a little excerpt, below the fold. 

Sophia’s hand plunked down on the table.  “But privateers … aren’t they nearly the same as pirates?”

“No, miss.  There’s a world of difference between the life of a privateer and a pirate.”

“Less violent?”

Gabriel shook his head.  “About the same, there.”

“More honorable.”

“Not necessarily.  That would depend on the particular privateer and the particular pirate.”

“Then how is it different?”

“Why, privateering’s legal, of course.  Sanctioned by the Crown. Can’t be hanged for a privateer.”

“I see.”

“’Course, the war’s over now.”  Gabriel sprinkled the dish with pepper before removing the pot from the stove.  “No more privateering to be had.  So we’ve got to turn respectable, Gray says.  It was either that, or turn pirate.”  Gabriel winked at her.  “And I’m rather attached to my neck.”

Sophia sipped her tea, amazed.  She was the lone female passenger—the lone passenger, really—aboard a ship crewed entirely by men who might as well be pirates, except that they couldn’t be hanged.  And Mr. Grayson, with his arrogant swagger and mercantile lust, was their erstwhile, unhangable pirate king.

Mercy.

She drained the rest of her tea in one long draught, capped with an audible swallow.  “Thank you for the refreshment,” she said, rising to her feet.  Blood rushed from her head, leaving her dizzy.   The steam was suddenly too thick to breathe.  “I… I believe I’ll go take some fresh air.”

As she hurried on deck, her mind was awhirl.  All that time that Mr. Grayson had been touching her, teasing her… she’d been consorting with a pirate.  If he had the slightest inkling that she carried hundreds of pounds beneath her stays, he’d surely stop at nothing to get it.  And yet, she could not bid caution to overtake the gothic thrill.  For heaven’s sake, a pirate.

She could be in danger, she admonished herself.

She could be plundered.

The possibility really ought to have frightened her more than it did.


18 comments to “Yay! I mean, SQUEE!! Or wait – arrrh!”

  1. Beverley
    Comment
    1
    · September 19th, 2008 at 11:14 am · Link

    Hi Tessa!!!

    Love the blog. Very gorgeous!!! Thanks for the very loud SQUEE!!! I can’t believe how many of us are getting published with so many more to come! Ok, I’m off to read your blurb of Surrendering the Siren and cannot wait to pick them all up in the stores next year!!! 2009 is going to be such a FANTABULOUS year with many more to come!!!!!



  2. Santa
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    2
    · September 19th, 2008 at 12:18 pm · Link

    Great new digs, Tessa! Thanks for the excerpt. Makes it all as clear as day!

    Congrats to Bev! I heard the news last night from Sara Mangel! More Squeeing which, as everyone knows, I love to do!

    I’ll be hoisted on me own pitard, if I don’t start saving for all these fab books in 2009 and 2010!



  3. Sarah
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    3
    · September 19th, 2008 at 1:13 pm · Link

    Gorgeous new site; love it, love it, love it.

    Big congrats to Bev, of course. FanLitters rock!

    And I’m so excited to not be the only one who blogged about ITLAPD. Squee!

    Gotta run, incredibly swamped.

    Sarah



  4. Alice Audrey
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    4
    · September 19th, 2008 at 1:54 pm · Link

    Hey, Tessa! Welcome to the dark side.



  5. Tessa
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    5
    · September 19th, 2008 at 3:16 pm · Link

    Thanks for making the long click over, everyone!

    And congratulations again, Bev!
    2009-10 will be exciting years, indeed.



  6. Janga
    Comment
    6
    · September 19th, 2008 at 3:22 pm · Link

    Lovely, Tessa–both the blog and the excerpt! Congrats on making the move.

    And congratulations too to Bev!



  7. Tiffany
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    7
    · September 19th, 2008 at 5:08 pm · Link

    Very lovely! I’ve updated our link to you!

    I lurve, lurve the excerpt!

    And Congrats Bev! I love seeing all these FanLit names publish!



  8. Elyssa Papa
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    8
    · September 19th, 2008 at 7:50 pm · Link

    Love the new blog! So pretty.

    Love the excerpt. Sigh. Sophie and Gray. Love them!

    Congrats, Bev!!! It’s so awesome so many FanLitters are getting published. Yay!



  9. Maggie Robinson
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    9
    · September 20th, 2008 at 7:25 am · Link

    Pretty, pretty! And little icons! I can’t wait to see what my quilt square is. Yay to Bev! Squeeing in Maine, which is not very piratical.

    Q.What’s a pirate writer’s favorite letter of the alphabet?

    A. Rrrrrrrr!



  10. Elyssa Papa
    Comment
    10
    · September 20th, 2008 at 8:42 am · Link

    Oh jeez, Maggie, that made me laugh so hard! Thank goodness I wasn’t drinking anything at the moment when I read the joke.



  11. Manda
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    11
    · September 20th, 2008 at 8:48 am · Link

    Wow, Tessa! This is gorgeous! Congratulations on the new blog and congrats to Beverley for the Kensington deal:)



  12. Beverley
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    12
    · September 20th, 2008 at 12:54 pm · Link

    Thanks everyone! I hope everyone will be in DC cuz it will be a GRAND party!



  13. Evangeline
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    13
    · September 21st, 2008 at 4:36 pm · Link

    Tessa, the site looks fantabulous! September seems to be the month for change, as I’ve begun my website as well!

    And a hearty congratulations to Beverley! I can’t wait to see your books on the shelves. Go Fanlitters!



  14. terrio
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    14
    · September 22nd, 2008 at 8:13 am · Link

    I must be more tired than I thought since I can’t find the button to register over here. LOL!

    Love the site, love the excerpt, and you know I love pirates – being one myself. 😉

    Congrats to Beverly! It’s so fun to see everyone finding success. By 2010 I’ll have an entire bookshelf dedicated to be people I knew before they were best-sellers!



  15. irisheyes
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    15
    · September 22nd, 2008 at 8:45 am · Link

    The new site is beautiful, Tessa! Thanks for giving us a sneak peak.

    Congrats Beverly! I’ll put your name on my 2009 list “to buy”!



  16. Tessa
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    16
    · September 22nd, 2008 at 10:22 am · Link

    Hi, everyone! I had intended to post this morning, but I think it will have to wait for tomorrow – dareling #1 has been sick all weekend, and we’re getting her to the doctor later.

    Thanks for all the kind comments on the website and blog. It’s been a long road getting it together, and we’re still working out some stuff (like the blog footer) but all the credit goes to my friend/neighbor, Brian, who built the whole site for me. Eventually I’ll get around to posting a blogroll and stuff on this site, so I hope nobody feels slighted that I haven’t gotten around to transferring links yet… If you have other suggestions for wordpress widgets you think I should install, general site design issues (or find glitches), please click “contact” up there and let me know one way or another.

    And an (i)FAQ will be in the works, too – thanks to everyone who submitted suggestions last week on the old blog!



  17. Tessa
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    17
    · September 22nd, 2008 at 10:56 am · Link

    Oh, and Terri – I don’t know if we have this set up for registration. I don’t think so. Is there some reason why we need it?



  18. terrio
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    18
    · September 22nd, 2008 at 11:27 am · Link

    No, you don’t have to do it. I’m just used to being registered on all these things. LOL! I saw the link that said LOG IN and figured there must be a link to register that I wasn’t seeing.

    Don’t mind me, I have post-move-stress-disorder. Oh, and I hope the Dareling feels better soon!