Dragon Queen: Mating Call

I don’t usually post book promo in my blogs, but this is an exception…

Emily is a good friend of mine that I’ve known for (literally) yeeeeeeaaaaaaars. I’m very happy to finally see her published, and I hope y’all will take a minute to check this out.

She set out to cure her insomnia, but the Goddess gave her dragons instead…

Cora Phillips has witchcraft in her blood, but she’s convinced she inherited the recessive rather than the dominant trait. Her mother and sister are the real heiresses to the Lune tradition; Cora has neither the interest nor the inclination to take up the Dragonkeeper mantle. Years ago, she left the New York City Witch lifestyle to the other women in her family, and said goodbye to all the velvet and lace. However, during a moment of insomnia-induced insanity, she agrees to come back to celebrate Christmas/Winter Solstice with her family.

It comes as a shock to all three women when Cora, through clumsy fumblings to “get in touch with her goddess” at her sister’s urging, calls a pair of ancient dragons into her meditation circle.

Cora swears it’s a mistake. Her mother swears it’s the correct course of events. Eventually, every Dragonkeeper issues the call to mate. Problem is, nobody expected Cora to summon even a single dragon, let alone two.

Before long, the dragons’ guardians come knocking, literally, and ruin any hope of politely apologizing and returning the creatures.

For more information–and to read an excerpt!–head on over to Freya’s Bower.

Interview

Amanda Brice is running a series of Freya’s Bower “author profiles.” (Read: Interviews. ;)) She just posted mine; clicky!

Regarding the novellas…

I mentioned awhile back I was working on developing a couple of novellas potentially for FB. I’ve been working the most on the Valkyrie idea, but I’ve been beating my head into a brick wall on it the past week or so. I think … it needs more simmering time. There’s something “off” and I’m not quite sure what.

However, the main problem I had with the second one — a follow-up of sorts to Waking the Shadows — just clicked the other night. I wanted to write when Arielle and Jackson first met and continue later, but I wasn’t sure how to do it… but I figured out an external plot that I think will mesh nicely with it.

So, I talked to Faith about it. For some reason, I don’t think outlining is the best way to go with this. I’m going to write the novella — which I think should end up around 30kish — and then submit it.
I think it’ll also be easier to switch between this WIP and Stronger, as they’re both in the same setting. Anyway, I finished the first chapter at 2510. A short snippet:

Reynolds nodded curtly, then his face softened. “You’re the best we’ve got, Ari. We’re stuffed to the gills with psychics and hearthwitches, but you’re the only one with enough power to take down a vampire.”

Yeah. A vampire. One shouldn’t be a problem, even if it’s a sanguine. But if it’s a whole coven, I’m going to be screwed like a sorority girl doped up on Rophynol. With the entire football team. Yeah. So not looking forward to this.

Gyarrgh…

I feel so behind.

In actuality, I know I’m not. Sunday, I got a chapter of Resurrection and a chapter of Stronger edited, and I took Monday off. (Much to the workaholic Muse’s dismay.)

The medical shebang continues. I haven’t had any problems with any of the medical staff at the Cambridge Hospital, but in order to get there, I have to catch the train, take the subway from South Station to Central Square, and then take a bus to Inman Square, where I walk about two or three blocks to the hospital. The commute is just … draining.

On the bright side, I did get some plot notes written out for ValkyrieWIP. I figured out the major reason I was having trouble plotting. The original story was mainly about the Valkyrie Svava, but the expansion should be about the romance between Svav/a (who is transsexual) and George, a mortal man that zhe sacrifices hir immortality for.

It’s going to be interesting to write, because I want to cover after they’ve “gotten together.” The beginning of the relationship isn’t the end of the story, it’s only the beginning.

But I digress. The problem is that while I have Svav/a fairly well characterised, I don’t know as much about George. Not good, since he’s the romantic interest. So I figure I’ll do a character bio here and get into his head.
The other thing I’m concerned about is that it might end up longer than I want … sigh. I also have to do some more research because I want there to be a conflict with the immortals. (Shut up, Loki.)

Overall, I’m really excited about this.

My Muse Is A Workaholic

Today I wrote 2136 words, finishing two more chapters in Stronger. I really didn’t expect to end up rewriting as much as I am, but … *shrugs* Oh well. I think it’s coming out a lot better than originally, at least.
Also edited a chapter in Resurrection.

And I think I’m in the running for the Nitwit of the Week award here. I’d been bouncing emails back and forth with Faith at FB about a couple of possible novellas. I’m serious about the ideas, but wanted to gauge whether or not she would be before doing the development to turn the ideas into full-fledged premises/synopses. She asks me for a rough outline … and I’m still not “getting” that she’s interested. So I get an email saying that she needs something more solid to base a contract on — which floored me, cause I wasn’t even thinking contract. *sigh*

… I wish I could blame it on cramps and PMS, but I can’t say I wouldn’t have made the same mistake ordinarily.
So in addition to rewriting Stronger and revising Resurrection, I’ll be developing two novellas. I’m going to be a buuuusy kitty. (In a good way.) One of them should be reasonably easy, as I basically need to chart what I’ve already got from the story and develop it further. The other one, a follow-up to the Bites with Arielle and Jackson, will be a bit more complex as I’d like to potentially take that to short novel-length.

And here I am, thinking I’ll be heading to bed fairly shortly, and my Muse is going: “Nuh-uh! You don’t need sleep! You’ve got more work to do!”

My muse is a slave-driving workaholic hell-bitch. (And I love her that way, but don’t tell anyone, mmkay? ;))