Hi Everyone! Quick Blog today, because I am over at the Book Smugglers being initiated into that fabulous rite of passage, Smugglivius, their year-in-review. I compiled a list of all my favorite things from the year 2009, and there’s a new Summer of You excerpt, AND a giveaway! It is my Smugglivius gift to you all, so head over and check it out!
In other non-denominational holiday stuff I am pleased to announce… I AM DONE. Done with cards, done with shopping, wrapping, shipping, decorating, cookie making. I have completed Christmas and still have ten days to go! For once in my life, I came in on a deadline early. I’m so proud of me.
I hope everyone is having a merry go of it… and if you need any last minute gift suggestions… I’ve always found a good romance novel to fit easily into a stocking.
I have been holding on to this tidbit of information for a while, I didn’t want to say anything until the contracts were signed and filed, but now that they have been, I am pleased to tell you… drumroll please…
I’ve had my first foreign rights sale! Revealed will be published (sometime in the next 18 months) in Russian! I am incredibly excited, not only to have Revealed cross the pond, but because it’s a whole new alphabet. I can’t wait to see what the titles look like in Cyrillic.
In other news, next Monday, Dec. 14th, I will be guest blogging at the Book Smugglers, as part of their annual wrap up holiday, Smugglivus (for the smuggler in all of us). They have gone all out this year, including having awesome posters:
Remember, Dec. 14th. Make sure you stop by, I’ll be having a give away, and maybe, if you’ve been good this year, a special sneak peak.
As I sit here on my sister’s couch, watching football with her, as her husband fetches and cooks, I come across that rare realization that all is right with the world. I’m where I want to be with the people I want to be with, doing what I want to do. And therefore, I would like to present to you my list of what I’m Thankful for this gluttonous holiday.
(Side note: I’m gonna skip over family and friends, because, yeah, they’re handy, and obviously I’m thankful for them. But this list is for what I’m TRULY thankful for.)
1. A solid internet connection. Too often I find myself in the land of No Wifi, and the withdrawal symptoms are ugly and painful. It hurts me. It hurts me to my core.
2. That the Muppets exist. Specifically, that they exist doing this:
3. Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans. I may have won only three games so far in my fantasy football league, ranking me second to last, but Chris Johnson is the reason I managed to win those three games.
4. That my 4-year-old niece knows all the words to “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” thanks to Beatles Rockband. I now have hope for future generations.
5. That my third book, The Summer of You, will be released in April 2010 (*cough* shameless plug*cough*)
And lastly…
6.That Thanksgiving calories don’t count.
7. … they don’t, right?
Happy thanksgiving, happy reading everyone, and be sure to be thankful for the important stuff!
There is something new and interesting about my blog page on my website — can you guess what it is? Could it be that nifty sidebar on the right with search functions and archives and categories like regular blogs have? Maybe its this little thing at the bottom of the page that says “RSS Feed”? The ability to comment on individual posts? OR is it this:
The Ability to post pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The amount of exclamation points alone should tell you how happy I am. That’s right, the changes to my blog are complete, and I could not be happier. My first blog format was great, perfect for a completely un-savvy computer user, but I’ve learned a little over the past year or so, and therefore know better what I want… and also what widgets are. I no longer have to limit myself to just text. I can link things, I can post media if I wanted to (but I’m too scared to try) and I can post as many pictures as I want. Like this one:
My office area with inscrutable handwriting on my big white board. Book 4 plot!
Or a picture of me with straight hair, which I find hysterical because it tends to freak people out:
I know what you’re thinking: I’m about 5 years behind the times in terms of blogging. All this cool stuff I’m crowing over is standard on your average blog format, from livejournal to blogspot. To you I would say… don’t squelch my happy, guys. I have parents for that.
Other news: Outline for the next book has been turned in, and I can’t wait to start writing it! So much so, I think I won’t wait any longer…
I posted the excerpt of my next book, The Summer of You, last week, and you guys are so amazing, I’ve received such a positive response. But, I did get asked the question more than once, “April? I have to wait till freaking April for this to come out?” Which is a legitimate question – the romance world is one of quick turnover. Readers are voracious, demanding the next when they close the page on the last. Why, in the midst of a series, have a year or more between books? The answer is quite complicated, but the short version is:
I suck.
I am not a terribly fast writer. I have a day job I love. I have research to do for the book. I have, er, laundry to do. Luckily, my lovely agent and editor know this about me and accept it. To allow me a writing schedule I can live with, my books have release dates about a year apart. Do my lovely agent and editor grumble about my molasses-like speed? Of course they do. Hell, *I* grumble about my molasses-like speed. But it’s the only way I know how to write a book.
“Okay,” you might say, “but then why post the excerpt and cover now? Why tease us so bloody far in advance?” (You’ll notice in our hypothetical conversation, I’ve made you British. You’re welcome.) Again, the answer is complicated, but it all comes down to:
I suck.
I had the info at my fingertips, the listing got posted to Amazon, and Goodreads, and all those other book sites, and I couldn’t not tell you what it was about then, now could I? So I got approval from the powers that be, and posted the Summer of You info. If you’re wretched about being teased and not having the book in your hot little hands, I sympathize. Feel free to blame me for your pain. I can take it.
This week, haircut. The summer straggle needs to go! (And, oh yeah, writing.)
I am incredibly excited today to announce the first of several changes on my website. Some content shifts, a newsletter feature for those who would like to join, and most awesomely…
An Excerpt of The Summer of You! You’ll find it on my bookshelf page. It’s being released on April 6th, 2010… I know! So far away! But trust me, it’ll be worth the wait.
Over the next few weeks, other new features will be popping up on the site, most excitingly, an RSS feed for my blog, so I don’t have to post it 7 different times on 7 different sites and you can subscribe and follow it at your leisure.
As for everything else, I spent the weekend holed up working on the next project, which wasn’t much fun as it was perfectly gorgeous here in Southern CA. But I only have myself to blame, getting into the same pressurized situation that deadlines always create, forcing me to whine and moan and racket around my apartment until I finally give in, sit down, and write.
Which is what I should be getting back to, right about now…
After I posted the cover art for The Summer of You last week (although not on my website blog, because of, you know, issues) I received the new and improved cover art! (and since I’m — GRRRRRRRR — still having trouble posting pictures here, head over to my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/katenoblewriter to check out the new one).
It’s not terribly different, but instead of the setting the scene during the day, its now set during a glorious summer sunset. I think they’re both beautiful, but I actually like this new one more, because it feels more connected to the book – there’s a lot that takes place for Lady Jane on that lake after sunset.
Now, as you may have noticed, I’m having some trouble with my blog, especially posting pictures. This prompted me to look into shifting some of the parameters of my blog (I want an RSS feed like I want chocolate. It’s becoming that necessary.) Then it got me into looking at tweaking some things on my website. THAT got me thinking I should put together a newsletter. So, long story short, there are going to be some changes around these parts in the coming weeks. I’ll keep you posted as the changes come into effect, but keep an eye out – I’m so excited about working out these kinks!
I’m having some difficulty getting my blog page to post pictures, so unfortunately I won’t be able to display my awesome new cover of The Summer of You! But suffice to say, I’m working on it, and if you would like to see it, hop on over to my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/katenoblewriter. (and while you’re there, friend me!)
And we have a released date, too: April 6th, 2010. So mark your calendars, everyone! (Mom, you too.)
Left Coast Living is… different from the East. First of all, I have to drive everywhere. I used to read on the subways all the time, so now I’ve lost about an hour of reading time a day. Conversely, it’s gorgeous here. ALL THE TIME. Why would I want to be reading on a subway when I could be out crossing a beautiful canyon? But this is a problem, because I got a bunch of books at the RWA conference this year, and these are the books I would normally read on the subway. I’ve got everything from Deanna Raybourn to Amanda Quick.
So here’s my question for you: where should I start?
Happy July everyone! I’ve been out of circulation for a little while, and the reason is summed up in one little compound word: deadline. I turned in, not 24 hours ago, my latest project! And while I look forward to getting feedback and notes from my trusted editor and agent, I also am DYING to go to the movies, and oh, I don’t know, read a book? My brain would benefit from a little time off.
But it doesn’t seem like there’s a lot of time to benefit my brain, because in two short little weeks, is the RWA National conference in D.C.! I’m going to be at the Literacy Signing on Wednesday, July 15th, so if you’re there, stop on by, I would *love* to see you. But for right now, I think I might go by a huuuuuge tub of popcorn and hang out in a movie theater for a day or two.
No, it’s not a day to be spent in a pub… although there are worse ideas on this very snowy day in New York. (It’s March, people! I thought we were done with this.) But I say thee nay! Pub Day is the release date of my second novel Revealed! And it’s here. Oh alright, technically it’s tomorrow, March 3rd — but my brother, intrepid investigator that he is, already spotted copies out at his local bookstore. And I have to say I’m terribly pleased with the copy I have, for the following reasons (yes, I like lists, sue me):
1. It’s very blue. I saw pictures of the cover before, of course, and had it posted here for a number of months, but I didn’t expect the colors to be so deep and rich. Somehow, it makes it all the more real.
2. It smells like a book. The content might not alter, but the smell of a printout of 400 pages of 8.5×11 paper is vastly different than the smell of a bound book, all glue and typeset and cardstock. (all due respect to the Kindle and other ereaders, of course – they try very hard to bring the experience of reading a book to virtual reality… but they haven’t replicated the smell)
3. “True Love is a Mystery…” The tag on the cover explains it all. True love is a mystery – entire industries have sprung up in attempting to decipher the conundrum of who we fall in love with and why. And with just the right amount of wit, for those in the know, it also perfectly sums up Revealed.
4. Bonus Reason: Bonus Chapter! A sneak peek of my next endeavor is in the back! And that’s something you can’t find anywhere else yet — not even on this website.
Speaking of my next endeavor, I should probably get back to it. But if you aren’t snowed in, go see if you can find Revealed at your local bookstore. And if you can’t get out of the house…hey, that’s why they invented Amazon…
