"YOU'RE WRITING A SEQUEL TO GUIDE?! I mean, it's OFFICIAL, right? It's past the "maybe someday" stage, right? Is it still going to be about Deanna? Are Ash and Ellie going to show up in it?"

I love when I get questions because it means I can answer them for my blog topic. So...

Yes. It's official and past the "someday" stage. In fact, I've had the contract signed for a while, but I needed to focus on my NY books. Now that I have some breathing room (all my Jax deadlines are met for the nonce), it's time for me to get cracking on the Guide sequel, My Valentine.

Because so many people have asked what happens between Maya and Darnell, they get the next story. It's definitely hot, and it may surprise you. It's not as light as some of my other Annie Dean work. I'm not claiming it's Joey W. Hill in Ice Queen, but it's certainly a side of my writing you've never seen before, including light bondage and domination. And yes, Ash and Ellie will make appearances in My Valentine.

It's so titled because that's his name -- Darnell Valentine, and it will have a coordinating release date in Feb 2008. If everything goes according to plan, Deanna will get her own book in the third and final installation in the series.

Let me introduce you to the hero and heroine then. This is Darnell. He's a stockbroker and according to Ash "can spot a hot stock from space." He reads Forbes and he likes messing around the financial pages of The Wall Street Journal on Sunday morning. He used to be a geek in high school (chess club, Mathlete, all that), but as you can see, he's filled out just fine. He has just one problem: he's been in love with Maya Hanoush since they were fifteen.

And the girl won't give him the time of day.

Meet Maya. She's model gorgeous and has no trouble getting men, but she runs them through hoops just to see what all they'll put up with before they leave. She has her reasons for keeping Darnell at arm's length, crazy though they may seem to anyone else. Like she told Ash, "I was afraid if we got into a relationship and it didn't work, if he saw all the stuff that's wrong with me, then maybe I'd lose him as a friend, too. I thought if things stayed the same, I'd never lose him. You know?"

Deep down Maya thinks Darnell is adorable, always has. That's why she cracks on him so hard; she doesn't know what she'd do if he ever figured out that she melts like butter where he's concerned. She even likes the goofy black glasses he wears to read the paper. Because of a dark secret, she guards the status quo like a junkyard dog.

But Darnell is tired of waiting, tired of playing by Maya's rules, and this year, he'll claim the woman he's always wanted. Can a beta go alpha?

Find out this February in My Valentine.

PS -- Tomorrow I'll be blogging over at SEx about Boundless along with Bonnie Dee and Dionne Galace. We're running an awesome contest with a truly delicious prize, so don't miss it.

Labels: WIP, writing