Deadline priorities

My deadline is looming even closer and I've still got plenty o' polishing to do on this ms., so there won't be any new blog posts from me until it's submitted. In the meantime, enjoy spring, everyone!

Saving Private Robin

Have you seen the trailer for the new Robin Hood movie, the one that shows a ship with lowering bow like a WW2 landing craft? (See it here. The ship's near the end.)

My son's reaction said it all. "It's Saving Private Robin!"

I don't mind some anachronisms in books or movies because, for instance, we'd never be able to understand a word of dialogue if writers were strict, but that? Is a landing craft too far. I don't know that I'll be able to watch the movie, because that's the kind of thing that will drive me nuts.

Also, say what you will about King John (and note he was so unpopular, there has never been another king of England named John), at least the man actually lived in the country for more than a few months, unlike, say, his brother Richard.

More cover goodness...

Can I just add that I lurve the tagline on my new cover:

"Society and impropriety are about to collide..."

Major kudos to whoever came up with that because, alas, it wasn't me!

New Cover!

I was working away on my web page featuring the beautiful cover of HIGHLAND ROGUE, LONDON MISS, getting ready to give my newsletter readers a sneak peak, when I realized I haven't done the paperwork to put it up on my site (trust me, I've been distracted). However, I discovered it's up on Amazon!

They don't have the description of the story, though. I haven't seen the back cover yet, so I don't know how Harlequin's describing it, but here's mine:

"Set in Regency London and Scotland, HIGHLAND ROGUE, LONDON MISS features a disgraced nobleman who works as the Regency equivalent of a private investigator and a woman who helps her brother with his legal work. In fact, Esme McCallan would have been a darn good lawyer if she'd had the chance. And she has little use for a rogue who's thrown away all the opportunities afforded him by his rank and education. However, when her brother asks for her help, and even though it requires working with Quintus MacLachlann, Esme can't say no."

I really do love the cover. I know some people don't like it when you can't see the faces, but I don't mind that at all, probably because I don't envision the faces myself. I tend to hear my characters more than see them.

Speaking of which, I'd better get back to listening. I spent all day trying to meld two scenes into one and now it's on to the aftermath....

Excitement!

I got a jpg of the cover of my next book, HIGHLAND ROGUE, LONDON MISS and oh, baby, I like it! I'll be posting it here, but not until I've given my newsletter subscribers a sneak peak.

Now back to work. I've been up since 4:30 a.m., read the newspapers, had my breakfast, revised a scene and gone to the bank. Pretty good considering it isn't even 9 a.m.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

Me, I'm working, but more for my own piece of mind than necessity.

Because my mind can do strange things when I'm getting close to a deadline. Case in point: I put post-it note reminders on the calendar, and I managed to cover up the last week of May, so when I glanced at the calendar on Friday, it looked as if I only had two weeks left to finish my book, instead of three.

Like the Grinch, I stood there puzzling and puzzling, doing the math in my head and thinking, "That can't be right, because if it is, I am in deep doo-doo."

Fortunately, it wasn't right.

Nevertheless, it's close enough that I'm going to spend part of the day working. But that's part of the gig when you're self-employed.

Working, working, working....

I'm back from my short writer's retreat. This is the beach with the pier and lighthouse near the house where I stayed.

Did I get a lot done? Quite a bit, although it's always a slow slog through certain parts of the middle, where I'm wondering, "Why is that there? Who cares?" or "What was I thinking?" or "Oops, I guess I lost track of that character..."

So, still lots to revise and rewrite, but it was wonderful to have some different scenery and fewer responsibilities, even if it was just for a couple of days.

Writer's Retreat

I've been given the opportunity to go on a little writer's retreat for the next few days and I'm grabbing it. That means no phone calls unless I make them or it's an emergency, no TV and no internet. I couldn't take that for too long, but for a few days with a deadline looming? Yippee!