Cats and other angels

My cat is a wannabe writer, I think. Whenever my manuscript is out he likes to lay (lie?) on it and then look up at me all cute, like, “What? Am I in your way?” He doesn’t have any love of paper unless it’s a manuscript stack and then he’ll be all over it.

Still working through my edits on the YA. This book started out as my Nanowrimo ‘06 project. I’ve written two books that began their life as Nanos. Angel with Attitude and my YA. Both of those books when finished bear little resemblance to their original story or structure. I think I have learned my lesson when it comes to Nano. I can write fast. In fact, I can write very fast, but I need NEED to have an outline or I end up with something that needs a whole lot of work. Luckily my YA doesn’t need tons of work now, but it sure did in the beginning. The core story still remains, but what I  have now doesn’t look much like what I had two years ago. And that, my friends, is a very good thing.

In fact, I did a new full rewrite of this book in February just before it was sent out on submission. I have to say, I’m very fond* of this story. (*understatement) I love my adult books, but there is a special place in my heart for YA. YA is what got me focused seriously on writing eight years ago. I’d been a wannabe romance writer for so long, and never finishing any books I started, and I was seriously disgruntled. I don’t know why I picked up a L.J. Smith book, but I did, and I absolutely devoured it and most of the other stuff she’d written, especially her Night World series (which, wonderfully, has been reprinted and repackaged). This was paranormal romance before the sub-genre even existed, IMHO. And it’s what really hit me. I loved this stuff. So that’s when I started writing my YA ghost trilogy, which is probably my favorite project just because it was the first thing I really committed myself to. One day those characters will see the light. Alas, I must totally rewrite that as well since I didn’t use an outline then and the plot is kinda wonky.

Anyhow, my point is that YA is the genre of my heart and I am so thrilled that I get the chance to be published in it. I have tons of ideas for YA — moreso even than light para rom — so this particular book means so much to me. And, I originally thought it would be out Spring ‘10, but it’s going to be out next Fall, which is MUCH closer! So I’m pumped. I can’t wait to see the cover.

But in the meantime, I guess I better finish these edits…

—

SUPERNATURAL thoughts

***SPOILERS FOR LAST EPISODE***

4.2 – Are You There God, It’s Me Dean Winchester

First off…great episode title.

Dean and Sam and Bobby (whom I adore almost as much as the hot brothers) are bombarded with angry, vengeful, gut-ripping spirits of people they couldn’t save. Including Meg. Was that the same actress? Couldn’t they have gotten her a wig? Is that also out of their budget? In any case, she can act circles around any of the other bimbos they’ve had lately.

Great episode. The best eps, IMO, are the ones that push the series mythology forward and help in the character arcs. Or something like that. Dean grudgingly accepts that angels may actually exist. Another appearance from hottie Castiel (please powers-that-be, keep this actor all season!!) I’m hoping that he’s not going to be a Big Bad. However, I do have a strange feeling that he’s… (highlight to see Michelle’s speculation)…

Actually Lucifer himself

…but I could be wrong. We shall see.

Loved the episode. A+ from me.

Also loved The Mentalist. It’s, hands down, my favorite series premiere I’ve seen this season. And Simon Baker is lovely. Also, his character is wonderfully messed up. Good supporting cast, and a fantastic premise: an ex-psychic fraud uses his talent for observation to help the police solve mysteries. Fairly simple set-up, but what they’ve done with it! LOVE IT.

TV, etcetera

Working on my YA edits today. Not much to say so I’ll talk a bit about my truest, dearest love: television. I taped the premiere of Knight Rider last night because as a teenager I loved the original show so so much. I don’t know if this is going to bring anything new to the idea. Probably not. I haven’t watched it yet.

I’m slowly, and retroactively getting into Gossip Girl. I might get the first season on DVD so I can catch up. Love that Chuck Bass guy.

Enjoying Fringe. Still not positive it’s a keeper, but the first two eps were really good – kind of an Alias/X-Files blend. And I loved both of those shows.

I’m watching True Blood. I’m liking it. Love the books, like the show. I’m not really connecting with the characters easily (although Bill is hot) but I’m positive it will grow on me. I find the high level of sexuality a bit off-putting and unnecessary. I think I heard somewhere that it’s been renewed for a second season so that’s wonderful. I look forward to seeing where the show goes.

Supernatural, of course, is a must-see for me. It’s on tonight. I might do blog commentary after every episode.

Dancing with the Stars I can take or leave. We have So You Think You Can Dance Canada up here right now so I’d choose that over clumsy actors any day.

ANTM is a must-watch for me also. It’s just so funny (mostly unintentionally). And I still get a lot out of the show since it is all about competition and using what you have to get where you want to go. Last night’s lesson that I can apply to writing? Embrace what makes you different. It’ll make you stand out in a crowd. If you try to blend in, then you’ll just disappear. Word.

And I just love Family Guy. I’ve been watching the reruns on this. A lot of the humor falls flat for me but when it hits it, I’m rolling on the floor laughing. Literally last night when this unexpected montage came up:

Hmmm… doesn’t look like I can embed YouTube video on my new blog. Sigh. Oh well, click here for the Family Guy video.

And, one of the reasons why I love Meg Cabot so much. She is very wise…

…I’ve noticed that some people have been harshing on The Hills Lauren Conrad and her YA book deal. Some people seem to think it’s unfair that someone like Lauren like has gotten a book deal when there are other, possibly better writers out there who can’t get book deals at all.

I don’t think these people are seeing the big picture. Lauren’s book will make a lot of money, as celebrity books always do, and with that money, her publisher will be able to buy many books by unknown writers that they wouldn’t necessarily have been as inclined to buy otherwise.

(I specifically asked my publishers about this, and they assured me this is true. This is one of the reasons publishers buy celebrity books—to make a lot of money so they can then buy books they know probably won’t make any money at all. Editors, remember, love quality fiction and being able to launch a new talent they believe in but know perhaps won’t rake in the bucks. Please note I am not saying Lauren’s book won’t be quality fiction, because whoever writes it might do a really good job. We just don’t know yet.)

The truth is, basically all so-called “trashy fiction,” which generates a lot sales, enables publishers to buy so-called “literary fiction,” which has much smaller print runs, and makes much less money.

Winners

After a great deal of brainstorming — helped vastly by my “Title my YA” contest — there seems to be a winner in the great Demon Princess title search. It turned out to be nothing anybody suggested, but something that squeezed painfully out of my brain last night at about 11:30 pm. I think it might have been title #200, but it works and my editor and I like it a lot. It needs to be approved by the powers-that-be but I’m thinking that my title woes are over (for now). Huzzah! I’ll wait until I  have total approval before I say anything about it here, though.

I’m now on editorial revisions on that book and want to wrap that up in the next week or so. I’m looking forward to diving into that YA world again. It’ll be a bit of a change from the Harlequin Blaze, that’s for sure! LOL

I have randomly chosen two winners from my website blog, my LiveJournal blog, and myFacebook feed. That’s a lot of blog mirroring going on. Anyhow, and without further ado, the winners of signed ARCs of STAKES & STILETTOS are:

DanetteB

Jennifer Black

Congrats, ladies. Please email me at michelle@michellerowen.com with your mailing addresses and I’ll get these shiny ARCs in the mail to you ASAP.

I’ll be giving away several more ARCs in the near future so there are lots more chances to win. Sheesh. I sound like a game show host or something.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. You all rock!

Title contest continues

Hey… just remembered my New Title contest is still going on until tomorrow, but it’s not on this site anymore. Check it out here… still looking for that magic YA title. I will be randomly choosing a couple winners for an ARC of Stakes & Stilettos tomorrow from here and my LiveJournal comments…

New site!

So this is my new site. Since I have four years of files and redundant files all over the place it might take me a bit to get everything organized again. Won’t take too long, though! My old blog isn’t importing properly so I might just start fresh with this one. The old one will be kept in archives here just in case. Thanks to Elle Media for helping me out. I think the new site looks great!