Why Book #4 isn't done yet I was thinking about this during a discussion over at Compuserve's Books and Writers Forum, and other than sheer laziness, I'm sure a small part of it is fear. I'm about 2/3 through the first draft, but it's a slog. One of the things I miss is my innocence. Back when I was writing Pirate's Price I didn't know how badly I could screw up my writing, so I just wrote . Now I wrestle with demons while writing because I know more about the craft than I did three books ago. But I'm hanging in there. I know when I finish the first draft it will be a lot easier. I love revisions, because I'm working with a framework, whereas with the first draft I feel like I'm flying through the air without a net. An extremely mixed metaphor, but I rather like it. Happy New Year, one and all. Here's to more writing and great reading in 2007!
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I got a call from an acquaintance last night, a 93 year old gentleman. He wants to publish a book about his life, and wants me to write it for him. He's sure it will be a bestseller. I gently explained that I'm a novelist--people pay me to lie to them--and I wouldn't be the right person to collaborate on his autobiography. But I also have no doubt that his story is interesting. How can you live for most of the 20th century and into the 21st and not have some great stories to share? He did say he was thinking of using a tape recorder to make an oral journal and I strongly endorsed this idea. The University of Florida has an oral history project, and even if he can't find a home for his memoir there, it's still the easiest way for him to tell his life's story. I was sorry I couldn't help him. As more and more of our elders pass on, I know we're losing a treasure trove of history. Perhaps our blogs will become the journals of our generation, preserv...
I'm an Eppie Finalist! Two of my books, Captain Sinister's Lady and Pirate's Price are finalists in the Historical Romance category for the 2007 Eppie awards . The Eppies are awarded by EPIC, the organization for electronic authors and publishers. There are only three finalists in this category, so I'm thinking I better make plans to attend Epicon, the annual convention where the awards are given out. It's March, in Virginia Beach. More on this as it develops.
Today the Baltics, tomorrow, the NYT Bestseller list! I got a payment for my Estonia sale yesterday, which made me want to break out into my usual "A royalty check arrived!" dance. It's not enough to pay off the mortgage, but it's a start. And it's just cool to be able to drop into conversation that I'm romancing Estonia (with a nod to "The Daily Show" for that pun) and who knows where my pirates and smugglers will travel next?
We had a good time at Jonesberry Books last night in the Tioga Town Center. It was one of those evenings when all my brain synapses were firing and I could call up a host of piratical trivia during my talk. I signed all their Darlene Marshall stock, so if you didn't get out there and you're in the Gainesville area, stop by. The Tioga Town Center is 3 miles west of I-75 at the Newberry Rd. (SR 26) exit, and if you're traveling south for the holidays it's a great opportunity to get off, stretch your legs and do a little holiday shopping in a clean, well-lit space.
Book Signing Tuesday, Dec. 5 I'll be at Jonesberry Books, in the Tioga Town Center, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5. I'll do a talk about Florida pirates and sign books. I'll have a booty chest full of chocolate coins on hand! Tell your friends and bring the family, 'cause pirate romance novels make great holiday gifts!