More pics from Italy

I've decided that unless I want to spend weeks documenting our trip on this blog, my website and twitter, I'm going to have to limit where I post the pictures. Which means, I'm going to post the majority of them on my site. I'll note when I've added more, and post a link. Today, I just finished doing the page for San Marino, which is one amazing place - an independent republic within Italy, built on top of a mountain. To see more, go here.




I also started outlining my next book, tentatively titled THE HIGHLAND HEIRESS'S KISS. It's a sequel to the book I just submitted, THE HIGHLANDER'S KISS. Once again, my hero is a lawyer, and let me add, he looks darn fine in a kilt.

Sales!

Remember back in January when I was doing my version of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)? Only mine was JaStoWriWee, for January Story Writing Week, because I didn't want to try writing a whole novel straight through with no revisions? But I discovered I liked it?

Well, I revised and sent that story to Harlequin for their new Undone program, even though they've been buying mostly prequels to upcoming series and mine was a sequel to THE WARLORD'S BRIDE.

Guess what? They bought it! So now Trefor and Bron get their own (short) story called THE WELSH LORD'S MISTRESS. I don't have a release date on that yet, but hopefully it won't be long. It will be available only in electronic form, at least at first. I live in hope that someday it'll be in a print anthology of some description.

Since I liked that exercise so much, I tried it again in February, only for a whole novel and even though I hadn't yet sold the short story. I'd already sent a two-book proposal in to Harlequin Historicals, but didn't know if they'd buy it. However, since I knew I was going to have a busy summer, I thought, what the heck. Start it, try the NaNoWriMo method and see what happens.

Well, for the first time since my first sale, I actually finished the first draft of a complete manuscript before I had an offer.

But then, lo! They bought the two books! So I'm actually ahead of the game, which is good, considering the summer is awash with wedding activities. No firm schedule on those books, or titles, but here's what I do know: The tentative titles are THE HIGHLANDER'S KISS and THE HIGHLAND HEIRESS'S KISS. THE HIGHLANDER'S KISS is tentatively scheduled for summer, 2010. They aren't sequels to my other "kiss" Regencies; they were going to be, with the first about Jamie, but I just didn't feel he had the "chops" to carry a whole book. Or, I guess it would be more accurate to say, I didn't find him interesting enough to write a whole book about him.

However, the heroine of THE HIGHLANDER'S KISS is a solicitor's sister. She would have been a darn fine attorney herself, had women had the chance in the Regency. The hero is the disgraced, disowned son of an earl who is basically a private investigator. To say they do not get along in the beginning is an understatement, so when they have to pretend to be husband and wife...well, sparks fly.

The second book is a sequel to THE HIGHLANDER'S KISS, about a character who will be introduced in THE HIGHLANDER'S KISS. He's a solicitor, too. What can I say? I like my attorney heroes. And yes, they are set in Scotland.

So I've got work to do, but not at such a frantic pace I'll be stressed out for my son's wedding. That was a major goal of mine - to have sales so I wouldn't be panicked about my career, but with the projects either finished, well on their way, or with deadlines far enough away that I can relax and enjoy the summer and all the wedding hoopla.