I love paranormals. Everything about them. I love to read them and I love writing them even more. There is one woman I can thank singlehandedly for this…and that’s Christine Feehan.

About three years ago I went to the local library and perused the paperback section. A title caught my eye. Dark Prince. I picked it up, read the back blurb and took it home. I read it in one day, I remember I just couldn’t put it down. Lucky for me it was the first in a series and over the next several weeks I went back to the library and checked out every single one that they had. the ones they didn’t have, I went out and bought until I was caught up to her latest. I also discovered her mind game series and the Drake sisters.

I love her writing. About a year and a half ago, when I decided to try the whole writing thing seriously, there was no question as to what I would write. Dark paranormals.

And now here I am, my own book deal in hand and yes, I can honestly say I’m not sure I would be here if I hadn’t picked up a copy of Dark Prince three years ago. Seriously.

So, it was my greatest pleasure to have been able to have dinner with Christine Feehan in SanFransisco, along with the lovely Brenda Novak. In fact, as luck would have it, I got to sit in between the two of them. (and all of this would not have happened if not for the lovley Lauren Hawkeye and the Brenda Novak diabetes auction)

Christine was a lovely woman. Funny, charming and very generous with her sage words of advice in regards to all things that go along with the craziness of publication.

So, yeah I’ve got a bit of girlcrush on her and yesterday when she emailed me, I had a “moment”…it was a simple email, a congrats on my recent sale and well wishes for continued success.

But it was from Christine Feehan!!!! I’ve printed it out….I keep looking at it…..and I will continue to have a girlcrush on this woman for many years to come!

so what about you? anyone you have a girlcrush on? or have you ever met someone who inspired you along the road to publication?

One of the writing groups I belong to, Sirens and Scribes, has a post listing goals. So, I thought…what the heck I’m going to steal that idea and use it for my blog.

Setting goals is a wonderful way to see what you want to accomplish, and once they’re in black and white, you can look back and see if you’ve been totally lame, or if in fact, you’ve achieved your goals.

so, this is the month of October, and it happens to be my favourite month. (Well, after snagging my first sale ever in September, it’s gonna be hard to top that)…but, fall is here with all the colours that we so enjoy here in Ontario, it means fall fairs, hot apple cider, Waterford Pumpkinfest and Yins restaurant.

I love October and these are my goals in no particular order:

1. Keep dragging my ass out of bed at 6 in the morning to walk the dog. Even though it’s still night out when I leave and night out when I return at 7.
2. Work on my revisions when my editor sends them along.
3. Try to stay away from chips and wine.
4. Try to make it to the gym at least once. that would be great considering I haven’t been in almost a year.
5. Polish my YA proposal and send it to Laura
6. Rework Blind Awakening into a Nocturne Bite.
7. Try to keep ahead of my laundry situation before it gets the better of me and takes over the house.
8. Try to limit my time on email, facebook, blogs, myspace and yes, playing spider solitaire

That should just about do it…..I’ll have to have a look back at the beginning of November and see if I was able to stick to my goals…what about you? What kind of things would you like to accomplish in this lovely month of October?

September 17, 2008

Fiction:
Women’s/Romance Juliana Stone’s DARK REVENGE, about a missing woman who can’t remember her past and her former lover, a jaguar shifter and assassin, who must choose between discovering the truth or enacting his revenge upon her, to Esi Sogah at Avon, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.

This my friends…is a copy of the announcement in Publishers Marketplace about my first sale. squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Big sigh….it’s real. It’s really, really real!!!! I’m such a kid at heart, but honestly until I saw this in back and white on their website…I was feeling, like it could all fade away, and that maybe it was a dream!

Anyway, now…gulp, I guess this means I have to produce a second book…and yeah, I’ve started…..but, I have to finish it…says so in the contract….inhales deeply. I can do it right?

LOL…guess I’m going to have to find out!

and yeah, if you must know…this little “copy” cost me 20bucks…I was getting way too impatient for Karen Fox to update her website with all this info…I mean, it is free on her webbie, but well, I wanted to see my name out there….so today, after checking her website, like a zillion times, I bit the bullet and hauled out my credit card.

sigh….it was so worth it!

Well, I could get used to this…I woke up this morning to an email sitting in my inbox, and one that was an awesome read. Way, back…way, way, way back in Feburary I wrote a spicy paranormal novella and subbed it to Ellora’s Cave. I heard back very quickly, and was told that it had been passed up to an acquiring editor.

This was the first positive action I’d received in my bid to get published and I was pumped. I was sure I’d get an email from Elllora’s saying that they wanted my story.

A few weeks, turned into a few months and before I knew it I had subbed two more shorts and still now word. The day before I left for Nationals in SanFrancisco, I got two rejections for the last two shorts I’d subbed. But, still no word on the first. I honestly thought they’d lost it, or it was R’d, but I hadn’t recieved the email.

Then a couple days after finding out about my Avon sale I recieved an email from an editor at Ellora’s Cave requesting the ms be forwarded to her. I was surprised, but forwarded the story and this morning got an email with an offer to contract the story. Wow. What a crazy last few weeks…They say everything comes in threes, so I’m anxiously awaiting some more? Please? I love this!

Blind Awakening will be an Ellora’s Cave release sometime in the near future!

Here’s the blurb:

Jacen Castille is on a mission to forget his past, and hopefully leave behind the memories of his shape shifter heritage. He’s a man at odds with the world he’s found himself in, and the craving for something more sets him on a path that will eventually lead him to the destiny he’s so desperately trying to avoid. He’s a jaguar and when he crosses paths with his predestined mate, the need to claim her as his can’t be denied. She’s of the royal Saffir line, and as they come together, the power of the sapphire that lives inside of her is awakened. With their very lives at stake, they must both tap into their heritage to grab their destiny in order to survive.

As you can see it’s another shapeshifter and indeed the one that inspired my first Jaguar Warrior book. So I’m very pleased….what about you? What’s happened lately in your life that made you sit back and go….WOW!

Well ladies, the excitement still hasn’t rubbed off, and I’m not sure if I want it to. I’d love to feel like this every day, but I suppose eventually, it will begin to fade…hopefully not for a while though!

I got my first email from my editor yesterday. I’m lucky. This woman is someone I know I’m going to love working with, and the kicker? She’s so excited to be working with me….on my books….as in freaking plural!! Wow….still can’t get over that. We had a nice chat, but it’s down to business. And boy am I ready.

I have my first mini deadline. Before Esi made her offer, I had decided to tweak the ending a bit…flesh it out a tad more and add a pivotal event that will change somewhat the next book I’ve already started, however, it finishes up the first story in a way that for the reader, I think will be much more satsifactory. I’d mentioned this to Esi when we first talked, so now I need to finish this up, so that she can read through and get me my list of revisions.

I told her I’d have it done by Friday, and I’m happy to say, I was able to spend most of the day writing yesterday, and I should finish up tonight. I can edit and then email to my agent and editor.

Wow. A deadline. Which will lead to another deadline. Crazy thing is…..I can’t wait! I want deadlines! I’ve wanted them for like, forever! Lucky for me I work well under pressure…I almost need that nervous energy to really get the ball rolling.

Sigh….I hope that feeling never goes away!

What about you? Do you work well under deadline? If not, what do you do to get your stuff done on time?

What a crazy ride this has been!!! WOOT!

After what seems like forever, but truthfully has only been several days, I can offically say I am an author. One who’s going to be published. In the not so distant future! I stil can’t believe it, and want to pinch myself, but here it is, in black and white. And it sure feels nice!

I am lucky, because my road to publication hasn’t been that long and it’s been filled with amazing crit partners, who I now consider so much more, especially, the lovely Lauren Hawkeye. She encouraged me with her own drive to publication, her immense talent and wise words of wisdome…and oh yeah, she’s not even 30 yet…can’t imagine what she’ll be doing when she’s my age!
But truthfully, I can honestly say my success is a direct result of all of that, as well as Nini, Sueb, Linda, Mandy and Barb. All of you ladies are talented and it will be fun to see who gets the call next in our group.

ANYWAY, the details of my experience are as follows!

Wrote a ms in April and subbed to Harlequin Nocturne
it was a direct result of a contest win and originally targeted for that line

Decided to query agents in June

Got an offer from the lovely Laura Bradford, and I accepted, and was extremely excited to be repped by such an amazing woman. She suggested a revision, to expand the word count and flesh a few things out, and pitched it to several houses in mid July as single title.

The first week in September we got a call from Esi Sogah of Avon, and she wanted to talk to little old me! I was pumped, but had to wait the weekend….she’d told Laura she would call on Mon or Tues, but finally the phone rang on Wednesday and well, she was absolutely amazing. We hit it off, had a few laughs and then hung up. the next day, Thursday September 11th, my agent called with an offer! I was so thrilled! We had a few others who hadn’t read, and one that was interested, so we needed to take the weekend to see if anything else came about, but at this point I was pretty much sold on Avon. they are an amazing house, don’t have a huge number of paranormal authors, and the ones that they do have are incredibly talented. I felt so incredibly awed that I was going to have the chance to be a part of such an incredible group of women!
So on Monday my agent called Esi and they had to work on some details and about an hour ago, I was sitting in the tub, hair full of shampoo when the phone rang! It was Laura and well, I had a moment after I hung up with her, but it is totally official…I am an Avon author, stuck in between, Lyndsy Sands, Maggie Shayne, Jeaniene Frost, just to name a few!
Ok that’s all I got right now! I have to call my mom….I hope everyone has a great day!!!!

Well, this has been a huge week for me. One that I won’t soon forget, but really, I need to save that for another day. Today is Terry Fox day here in Canada. An important day and one everybody should be participating in.
Terry Fox is pretty much one of the most famous Canadians ever. He had such heart and spirit, that his memory and legacy live on even though he lost his battle to cancer many years ago.
For those of you who might not know, he was a young man who lost his leg to cancer, and RAN ACROSS THE COUNTRY to raise money and awareness for cancer research. He almost made it too. But his legacy lives on and every September people from all across our country run, walk, ride their bikes, roller blade and raise money for cancer research.
It’s truly amazing how a community can come together and do great things.
The town I live in is small, with a population of less than 10,000 and last year our community raised almost 25,000 for cancer researach.
Amazing.
So, today I’ll be heading out shortly to participate in this incredible event and I hope everyone else is going to as well. Cancer has touched each and every one of us, whether indirectly or directly.
so get out there and make Terry Fox proud.

Well, it’s Sunday afternoon, and I’m sitting on my bed, relaxing and trying out my new laptop. I’m tired and sore…and my tummy feels like it’s jumping all over the place. But, for good reason. I”m tired because I play baseball in a local mixed league with hubby and we had our tournement this weekend. It’s our first year with this team…we put it together and it’s basically all of our closests friends….we’re in it for the fun, and considering we came in 22nd out of 24 teams, I guess that’s a good thing. We played four games in two days….and our proudest moment occured when we beat the 2nd place team 3-2. They were shocked…but not more than we were! Sadly, it didn’t last and our winning streak ended as fast as it began….but a weekend with friends, family, lots of beverages and baseball, is one fantastic weekend indeed. We’re trying to come up with something to keep us occupied over the winter…we’ve scrapped bowling…since we’d have to travel too far to find a bowling lane, we also nixed curling ( thank god)…so we’ve decided on hosting game nights….guitar hero, poker etc.
What do you do with your friends for fun? And who has suggetions for our games night???

Well, it’s here…finally…the kids first day back to school. Let me pause and just sigh a little bit as I listen to the quiet that seems almost overbearing. I can honestly hear the pump from the pool because there is nothing else going on in my house. And well, there certainly is a whole host of things to do…..I just need to organize myself a bit to make sure that they all get done.
Summer has a way of just sucking the routine out of my household. Too many days of pools, parties, beer, food, baseball…more beer and well, more food. Who the heck feels like getting stuff done?
That’s what labour day is for…it’s kind of like my mid year New Years Resolution…..and here’s what I’m going to work on this fall….
1. I will write every day…….
2. I will not fall behind on my paperwork for hubby…(puts him in a bad mood)
3. I will walk the dog every morning (except the ones where hubby forgets to set the alarm and I sleep in…not my fault!)
4. Will not eat carbs.
5. If I do eat carbs will walk an extra half an hour ( as long as the alarm is set)
6. will make sure the kids lunches are made the night before instead of scrambling in the morning
7. Will not yell at kids in the morning

Well, I guess that’s about it….my labour day resolutions……Curious to see if anyone else looks at this time of year as a benchmark for change as well, and if so what do you want to change??

I know…..enough with the old rocker dudes…but, I have to comment on my recent trip to Toronto to see Crue Fest…..Now, back in the day I was never a huge fan of the Crue…hubby was, but not me….I was more of a Bon Jovi kinda gal. But a few months ago I picked up a copy of the Heroin Diaries….Nikki Sixx’s account and personl diaries of his heroin addiction back when the Crue were one of the biggest rock acts around. It was harrowing, disgusting, compelling, nausiating and totally engrossing. I couldn’t put it down and read it over two nights. I personally don’t know how anyone could become addicted to heroin after reading his book. What an awful drug and it’s true…it ruins people’s lives. Along with the book he formed a band called Sixx Am and they recorded an accompanying cd….it rocks…..totally rocks…and since Sixx Am was one of the opening bands….off we went to Crue fest…..Papa Roach, Trapt, and BuckCherry performed as well…..it was loud….and all of the bands were great….even I have to say, even though Vince Neil is a tad overweight ( he’d do well to check out how amazing Billy Idol is holding up) and well, lets face it he’s always been a weak vocalist…..he ran around and gave the Crue fans what they wanted……Glad didn’t take my son though…lots of nudity from audience members and the semi- porn they had playing on the big screens…..it was fun…took me to back in the day….but I have never seen so many people stuck in the 80′s…..bad mullets….tons of them…..really bad….and women who wore clothes from twenty years ago….but geesh……they’ve gained like 20 pounds…..again, it was a nice way to kick off the long weekend…..we had a wedding yesterday….hubby and I performed at the ceremony….it was a beautiful day, awesome reception….great food and great friends….today we have a pig roast to go to……and the weather is cooperating for once!
So, what do you have planned for the last long weekend of the summer????