Winners (and an update)

Hey, everyone. I’m back! How much did you miss me? Thanks for keeping the blog company while I was gone. It can be temperamental.

Now it’s time to announce the winners.

Katee (#47),

you won the Jeri Smith-Ready trilogy!

Dina (#61),

you won the $30 Amazon gift certificate.
Congrats to you both. Now you just need to email me your names and addresses, so I can make this happen.

I had a lovely time, and I’m feeling fantastic now. I’ll write more about the trip when I have pictures downloaded from the digital camera. For now, I’ll give you a brief overview of what’s coming down the pike, sort of a syllabus, if you will.

Next, I’ll be writing a proposal for SKIN TIGHT, the next romance by Ava Gray. That’s due January 15. It only needs to be a couple of pages, so that’s not exactly onerous. (What’s that? you gasp. A break?! Yes, it looks that way, gentle readers.) After that, I’ll turn my attention to KILLBOX, the fourth Jax novel, due March 15. And then on May 15, SKIN TIGHT (the actual book) will be due, pending approval of the proposal, of course. Finally, the last Corine Solomon book, SHADY LADY, will need to be written before January 15, 2010.

And that’s it. Once I’ve done those three books, I will have completed all my contractual obligations. That scares me a little! I write fast, and I’m disciplined. I love having work to be doing. Once I finish all this work, we’ll have to start pitching again. *shiver* I hate the waiting that comes with pitching, but it’s so lovely when you end that with a sale. I hope it’ll be easier this time around, but I’m afraid to hope for it. (That’s where you chime in with blanket reassurances. I’m not interested in sage comments about the economy. *g*) In any event, I have worked hard, written the best books I can, tried to be easy to deal with and accessible to my editors, and I’ve always met my deadlines. That is the sum of what I can do.

Moving on to other matters… I won’t be running a “hot reads” contest this month. I’ve read a number of good books, but this contest we just wrapped up took the fore. My next book blowout will take place on November 24. I’ll give you the scoop. My good friend Carrie Lofty has her historical debut scheduled for December 1. In honor of the occasion, I’m giving out TWENTY (20) copies of her book.

I’ll start that contest in a couple of weeks, and you’ll have a week to ask for your copy. There is a catch, however. You have to promise to read and review it. Posting it on Amazon is fine if you don’t have a blog. I’ll probably come up with some code for you to put on your blogs as well. You know I like the viral marketing.

I can’t recommend this book enough, which I don’t always do. I have a number of friends who write, but I don’t pimp each and every one of their books because sometimes they’re just not to my taste. It doesn’t mean they’re bad, but what that does mean is you can trust anything I pimp, I really, truly loved it. (That doesn’t mean you will, but if you’ve found your tastes dovetail with mine, you just might). WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS is a sexy, fast-paced historical. If you like your historical romances packed with action and angst, you won’t want to miss this. Oh, and the heroine is mean as a snake, which you will adore (trust me!). Carrie has taken the Robin Hood legend and written Will Scarlett’s story. It’s delicious. So you can be looking forward to that contest as well. Get your comment-typing fingers ready because it’s going to be quite a party.

Edit to add: winners have a week to get in touch with me. If I don’t hear from you by next Monday, I redraw these prizes.