In which I talk a little about NIGHTSHADE

SIGNING:

If you’re in the Mississauga, Ontario area, come see me at Chapters Square One tomorrow between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. I’ll be signing copies of the first Demon Princess book, REIGN OR SHINE.

***

Soooo…. long time no blog post. Yeah, I know. I’ve been keeping a low profile. If you don’t count Twitter or Facebook, that is.

So what’s up, buttercup?

Other than feeling sick about the news re: Jesse James (another cheating jerk) and my fave actress Sandra Bullock…. ugh. I just can’t believe it. I think it’s the first Hollywood marriage I’m actually mad about! I just love the “story” of the bad boy who changes his ways for the love of a good woman. But I guess that type of romance is just a fictional fantasy. That’s why I write books! Because my heroes would never cheat on my heroines. Even the ones who can live forever. Leave me to my dream world. I’m happy here.

March has been one mega busy month for me, writing-wise. I’ve finished two proposals. I’ve brainstormed a novella. And I’m currently diving into the second draft of NIGHTSHADE #2.

Since I’m deep into this world right now, let me give you a little more info about these books — which are a teensy bit of a departure for me.

First of all… I have THE DEMON IN ME coming out in 45 days. This will be followed by SOMETHING WICKED in October. These books follow the same (demon) hero and (psychic) heroine in their paranormal journey together. They’re inline with my previous books in that they’re fun and funny, so if you liked my Immortality Bites series, you’ll love these books. There’s mystery, action, supernatural angst, and romance galore. The Living in Eden books are written in third person — the first one all from the heroine’s POV. The second one is evenly split between hero and heroine and a bit of POV from a secondary character. I love getting the chance to show more of the world than just what the heroine sees and I LOVE WRITING THIS SERIES SO MUCH. Good times!

But that’s not what I’m working on RIGHT NOW.

I have a darker side, you see. A few shades darker, anyway. I got to explore this side when I wrote COUNTDOWN (as Michelle Maddox). There’s still some wit in there — I don’t think I could write without any humor at all even if I tried (and I have) — but the storyline lends itself to increased danger and edginess. This is the kind of book I’m drawn to reading. I actually don’t read that much really light stuff anymore.

ANYHOOOO… so I did the proposal for NIGHTSHADE once upon a time when I wondered how I’d handle the darker side of vampires. Vamps are the baddies in this book, the threat. They don’t go out for drinks with you. You are the drink. Etcetera. My heroine doesn’t kick ass per se like some urban fantasy chicks, but she is able to kill vampires because her blood is poisonous (and irresistible) to them.

I got the original spark of the idea from watching/reading Twilight, believe it or not. I thought: so Edward is irresistibly drawn to Bella’s blood. He desperately wants to bite her and it takes all of his strength to resist. He resists because if he bites her he’ll kill her.

So I thought — how about if he bites her, her blood kills HIM instead of her. That’s a pretty good incentive for keeping your fangs to yourself. So that’s the concept behind NIGHTSHADE. Whee. And I put my heroine, Jillian (first person POV), in direct and constant contact with Declan, who is a dhampyr — half vamp, half human. Therefore he is also drawn to her blood despite the fact he needs to protect her from the real baddies. Good times.

Since it was a two-book contract, I structured things as a two-book arc and I’m currently polishing the second book. This is definitely darker, more urban fantasy, than anything I’ve previously done (aside from COUNTDOWN, of course). There’s salty language, violence, sex, and I really loved writing these books because I could torture my characters mercilessly. I had no idea what a sadist I was (yes, I did).

I just reread NIGHTSHADE the other day to get back into the world and was surprised at how much of a romance it is. I had thought it leaned more urban fantasy. And it does. But it straddles that romance/urban fantasy line very nicely, I think.

The books will be published by Berkley and will take place over a mere three week period following Jill and Declan’s adventures. This is how they’re going to pan out:

1.0 – NIGHTSHADE: February 2011

1.5 – NOVELLA (title to come) in the Lora Leigh Anthology: April 2011

2.0 – NIGHTSHADE #2 (new title to come): July 2011

And contrary to what I’ve said in the past, I will be writing these books as MICHELLE ROWEN, not under another pen name. I think my regular readers can handle my dark side, don’t you??

And I already have a couple of fabulous quotes for NIGHTSHADE:

“Rowen’s characteristic wit, infused with a dark edge. A great read!” — Kelley Armstrong, New York Times Bestselling Author

“Rowen takes us on a high-octane thrill ride to a fresh, new, dark and sexy world. NIGHTSHADE is an amazing roller-coaster of a read.” –Eve Silver, National Bestselling Author

Can’t wait till we get closer to the pub dates — so near and yet so far!

However, 2010 is the “Year of the Demon” for me. Two paranormals and one YA with that subject matter and I couldn’t be more excited. I equally love demons and vamps (and angels, and witches, and werewolves. Well, maybe not werewolves).

So that’s my update and that’s where I am mentally and creatively right now. Happy reading! (and I’ll try to blog more, I promise).

New US Cover for REIGN CHECK!

I’ve received new cover art for DEMON PRINCESS: REIGN CHECK. A waayyyy different look, don’t you think? I’m digging it big-time. I like the darker vibe much better than the original pink version of this cover. I think it looks older and a bit more reflective of the tone of the books, which is darker than the previous bubblegum color might have let on. However, this new look definitely still maintains that fun, sarcastic edge of the books.

There’s shiny new back cover copy to go along with the shiny new cover art, too….

Nikki Donovan has had a lot to deal with since learning she was half human, half demon. But things take a darker turn when Rhys, a gorgeous—but potentially dangerous—faery king enrolls at her high school to investigate Nikki’s potential for fulfilling an apocalyptic prophesy. Nikki knows she’d never turn violent, and she certainly couldn’t destroy the world…could she?

Of course, all Nikki really wants is to be reunited with Michael, a Shadow creature whose status as her personal servant is further complicated by their undeniable attraction to each other. Even though the rules of the Shadowlands strictly forbid their romance, Nikki is determined not to let Michael go. But when she is summoned to the Underworld to appear before a demon council, it will take all her courage—and perhaps a bit of demon-level strength—to get herself out again.

From what I’ve heard, the cover with Michael and Nikki on it (either with the pink or another background cover) will likely still be the one used in Australia and New Zealand when it comes out there in July, but the black version is the one that will be in the U S of A. And Canada too. I think? Time will tell.

Here’s the original cover art:

What do you think? Do you have a preference between the two covers?

By the way, REIGN CHECK is out on May 25th. Not too far off!

Visit my YA website to read the first two chapters that are now up.

And, by the way, pre-ordering is also a very good thing! Hey, it’s just a suggestion.

Cover of SOMETHING WICKED + a bit of news

I’ll go on the record here and say that I looooooovveee this cover for SOMETHING WICKED — I think, hands down, it’s my favorite cover yet. The book’s out in October and it is the second in my Living in Eden series after THE DEMON IN ME releases in May. I CANNOT WAIT. And I have to say that they got Darrak’s hair just right! (And the rest of him ain’t bad, either).

Plus I wanted to announce that I’m going to be writing a novella for a paranormal anthology coming out in April 2011 from Berkley that will feature #1 NYT Bestselling Author Lora Leigh. Very excited about this fantastic opportunity. This will be my “darker” urban fantasy voice and set in the world of my NIGHTSHADE duology. My NIGHTSHADE books have been scheduled for February and July 2011 (with Berkley Sensation) with the antho story falling in between. I have officially decided (and this decision approved by my wonderful editor) that I will be writing these as Michelle Rowen rather than using a pen name. So…lots of Rowen books of many flavors coming soon…… and hopefully many more after those!!

Oh, and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Win an ARC of THE DEMON IN ME!!

*** I’ll be giving away a couple more soon so stay tuned! The winner, randomly chosen thanks to random.org, is  –  #8 – INCiDeNT  — who has been contacted by email to claim her prize. Thanks to everyone who entered!!! ***

Well, looky looky what arrived on my doorstop today! Advance Reading Copies of THE DEMON IN ME — the first book in my fun, exciting and sexy Living in Eden paranormal romance series from Berkley Sensation. It’s officially out May 4th! Less than three months! I am so excited!! Whee!!!

I don’t have very many of these to give away, so if you want one, please keep a watch for my reader contests here on the blog and on Twitter and Facebook in the next month.

Today I’m giving one of these yellow lovelies to someone who comments on my website blog (if you’re reading a mirror of these somewhere, please come to michellerowen.com/blog to enter).

A reminder of what this book is about…………..

THE DEMON IN ME
(Living in Eden – Book #1)

Hell hath no fury…

Fate has led Eden Riley to become a “psychic consultant” to the police, even though her abilities are unreliable at best. Those paranormal powers are about to get her into a jam she couldn’t have predicted. After her hunky police detective partner guns down a serial killer in front of her, Eden realizes that she’s quite literally no longer alone. A voice in her head introduces himself as Darrak. He’s a demon. But not in a bad way!

…like a woman possessed.

Darrak lost his original body 300 years ago thanks to a witch’s curse. This is the first time he’s ever been able to speak directly to a host, plus there’s a bonus. Eden’s psychic energy helps him to take form during daylight hours. He wants to use this chance to find a way to break his curse — finally. Otherwise, Eden’s going to have to learn to live with this sexy demon…like it or not.

And she thinks she might like it.

“Compulsively readable. Snarky, original, funny and fantastical. Who knew demons could be so sexy? Michelle Rowen has brought her A-game to the table with Eden Riley.” –-Molly Harper, author of Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs

Want a sneak peek at the whole book?? Please leave a comment. I’ll choose one winner on Friday, February 12th, 2010 at 9:00pm EST. Good luck!!

RowenChat with author Caitlin Crews

***Congrats to Tori who won the signed copy of PURE PRINCESS, BARTERED BRIDE. Tori’s been contacted by email to claim her prize. Thanks to everyone who commented and thanks to Caitlin for stopping by for a chat!***

Caitlin Crews’s debut novel with  Harlequin Presents is out today — PURE PRINCESS, BARTERED BRIDE. I’m good friends with Caitlin’s alter ego, Megan Crane, critically acclaimed author of several fabulous women’s fiction novels, such as FRENEMIES and NAMES MY SISTERS CALL ME. Megan/Caitlin stopped by to chat with me about her new release and dipping her toes into the ocean of romance novels and alpha heroes.

Megan/Caitlin is also offering up a signed copy of PURE PRINCESS, BARTERED BRIDE to a randomly chosen commenter, so comment away! Winner will be chosen at random at 9:00 pm EST on Thursday, February 4, 2010.

***

Michelle Rowen: Let’s talk about your book, PURE PRINCESS, BARTERED BRIDE, that’s out right now from Harlequin Presents.

Caitlin Crews, aka: Megan Crane: Okay. Hooray! My first romance novel!

MR: I know, hooray!! So give us the plot in a nutshell. I already know what it’s about, but in your words…

CC: A princess who has always done her duty to her country (and her cold father) finds that she just can’t handle the marriage that’s been arranged for her. After meeting her ruthless, dangerous new husband at the altar, she bolts–and he follows. Intense passion ensues. How’s that?

MR: Perfect.

CC: Nutshelly enough?

MR: I can smell the peanut butter it’s so nutshelly.

CC: You are such an evocative writer, Michelle.

MR: It’s a fine art. So….Luc. Where’d the name come from? And did you envision any actor when you were writing this delicious alpha hero?

CC: Luc kind of appeared, fully alpha and fully formed. I will say that my desire to write Presents stemmed from something I wrote on my blog a long time ago. I said Presents were kind of like what happened if an ordinary girl started dating King Leonidas from 300. You said: please write that book. So I did.

MR: LOL! So you’re saying that I should be getting some royalties from this. *waiting for the checks to roll in*

CC: I’m saying you are like my writing mentor, whether you know it or not. You are also responsible for me writing way more books a year. Indirectly. You speak, I listen. I’m like your minion!

MR: I’m okay with that. Before this Presents, you wrote several women’s fiction books with a COMPLETELY different feel to them. You’re like a chameleon. What was the biggest challenge between the two voices?

CC: Oh. Well. They are so different. My WF books are first-person, for one thing. And this Presents was third person, incorporated the hero’s POV… And there’s a certain emotional fullness, an intensity–I want to say a lushness–to the Presents. The WF books are more intellectual. Not that any of that necessarily comes across on the page, mind you. But that’s how I felt, writing them. I read somewhere that writing categories is like performing Swan Lake in a telephone booth. It’s all Lush! Big! Emotional! And bam! Over.

MR: Good analogy. It’s true, getting that much story into such a small package is a huge challenge. Speaking of “bam,” there are several very hot sex scenes in your book. Were those a challenge to write or did they just flow for you?

CC: Sex scenes are so hard. No pun intended. They have to be good action scenes written from an emotional perspective. Ninjas would be easier, I think!

MR: Or Ninjas having sex! PURE NINJA, BARTERED NINJA

CC: Ha!

MR: It’s a new imprint for Harlequin.

CC: Can you barter a ninja? Can a ninja be pure? These are philosophical dilemmas… Seriously–there’s an untapped market to be explored!

MR: For me, writing the Blazes was a way to get over my aversion to writing sex scenes. Kind of jumping in the deep end to see if I can swim.

CC: I didn’t have an aversion to writing sex scenes–I just didn’t write them in 1st person. It’s much more difficult in first person. Very few people can pull it off, in my opinion. The masterful Lisa Kleypas comes to mind.

MR: It is more difficult in first. My urban fantasies (current WIPs) are really sexy. But when I’m writing, I’m not me, I’m my character so it all works out.

CC: It’s like… would I tell my friend this? “He stroked his way down my abdomen and–” No, probably not. It’s the difficulty of “I” in the sex scene that had me draw back a bit in my WFs. Well. Not really. I just sort of hinted, I guess. I re-read one recently and I was surprised at how hot it was. I’d forgotten.

MR: I’ll always remember a certain scene in EVERYONE ELSE’S GIRL that I thought was super hot!

CC: That scene in EEG is exactly what I’m talking about!

MR: LOL! I know, I was like — damn! That’s so hot! And it really was just hinted at. One’s imagination fills in the rest. Do you have any rituals when you write? Like a certain drink? ie: I used to eat a lot of chocolate to get myself started. I don’t do that anymore, alas.

CC: I am addicted to tea. I chug it. And I try to limit the chocolate…My rituals involve many wasted hours online. Much time on Jezebel. And long, meandering drives on the Pacific Coast Highway, worrying over plot and character.

MR: You’re a twitterer. Facebook too.

CC: I love Twitter. I really do. I feel that it’s my water cooler.

MR: Do you think social networking is essential to being an author these days?

CC: Other people have an office; I have social networking. And I do promo, too, which makes me feel as if I’m accomplishing something, when, in truth, I think word-of-mouth is what sells books more than anything else.

MR: Yes…word of mouth is the single most important promo tool. Unfortunately it’s not something that can be controlled.

CC: I think it’s really cool that we have the internet now–it’s no longer me and a list, crawling around a bookstore looking for new books and backlisted titles.

MR: I don’t know how I’d survive without the internet. It’s such a huge part of my life. I tried to go without tweeting last week for a few days and I failed miserably.

CC: I know, I saw that.

MR: Sad, really.

CC: I think writers are already so isolated it’s hard to give up that outlet. That said, do I need to spend six hours trolling around before I write each day? No, probably not.

MR: I need frequent positive feedback.

CC: Do you get that online? I find the negative feedback is more readily available.

MR: Negative feedback is available on static sites. But positive feedback is found through twitter and Facebook through commenting.

CC: Ah, I see. I do like interacting, too.

MR: I avoid bad reviews like the plague. If it doesn’t come through my email inbox, I likely won’t read it to maintain my own sanity. As Susan Elizabeth Phillips says, “protect the work.”

CC: I, meanwhile, seek out negative reviews. I read them all. It’s a sickness.

MR: You are braver than I am. Or crazier (although I find that hard to believe). The longer I do this, the more I know it’s only somebody’s opinion. I have read a lot of “one star” books, but I don’t express my thoughts about them online. And if I did, it wouldn’t be because I want to crush the writer’s spirit. I just simply didn’t like the book.

CC: I like knowing what’s out there. And I find that reading the really bad review takes the place of the doubt in my head. It’s already out there, for everyone to read, so… why stress myself out with my own doubts? It’s freeing.

MR: That’s a good way to look at it.

CC: Yeah, it doesn’t always work. But that’s the goal!

MR: And first person is also something that gets a wide range of reactions. You really have to connect to the main character to enjoy it. I’m reading a first person book for a contest right now and I despise the heroine.

CC: First person is tricky. People don’t necessarily want to be in your main character’s head. I, for example, hated Bella from Twilight. Mind you, I couldn’t put the books down… but I did not enjoy her head at all.

MR: I don’t know how that worked. I hated Bella right until the last book. And yet, I’m a huge fan of the series.

CC: I know, I’m a fan of the series too, and I couldn’t tolerate Bella OR Edward until the last book! Jacob, however… Jacob, I loved. And I am usually not a fan of the obvious triangle guy.

MR: I really liked Edward, found him fascinating. But I was Team Jacob. We agree on that. Yes, you’re still anti-Spike from Buffy, aren’t you?

CC: I am not a Spike fan. TO PUT IT MILDLY. I like him as long as he is not a romantic choice for Buffy.

MR: But in retrospect, can’t you see it? I can see that Buffy never loved him. He was a tragic character and part of her journey.

CC: I KNOW THAT BUFFY NEVER LOVED HIM! I WAS NEVER CONFUSED!

MR: Okay, sheesh. Calm down, Spike-hater.

CC: I just… hated the hagiography of that character.

MR: I don’t even know what hagiography means. I didn’t go to graduate school like some people.

CC: Wow. You’re a writer, Michelle. A wordsmith. Look it up.

MR: I’m looking it up!! MEANIE!!! *looks up word* Oh. Hmm. Interesting. Good word.

:: Hagiography: a book about the life of a person that praises them too much ::

CC: Right? It’s a great word. I can concede that my hatred of Spike may have more to do with the fandom at the time. I really need to rewatch.

CC: They’re making a new La Femme Nikita. I LOVED that TV show.

MR: WHAT?? I loved Nikita.

CC: And that freaking ridiculously hot French-Canadian dude who played Michael.

MR: Roy Dupuis. Raowrrr. He’s definitely a Presents alpha type. Hey…he could be Luc in PURE PRINCESS, BARTERED BRIDE!!!

CC: Oooh! He could!!! Look at you!

MR: I should be a casting agent.

CC: I like my heroes crazy alpha.

MR: Luc was very alpha. It’s a Presents thing, so you’re doing it right.

CC: I love the alpha male. I like them hard and shut down. I like it when the heroine is the only thing that confounds them, makes them human, makes them feel. I like it when they discover that love is the one thing they can’t control. I think it’s a really fascinating metaphor for male/female differences.

MR: Absolutely.

CC: You know? Because it’s SO over-the-top.

MR: I think the Blaze hero appeals to me a tad more. The sexy guy next door. He can be alpha, but he’s not quite as rigid and he might have a lot of self doubt too.

CC: I think both are super hot.

MR: I like my heroes to have self-hate to deal with, and the love of the heroine makes them believe they are worthy of love.

CC: Mine too! Mine are just bigger a-holes about it.

MR: LOL! When are your other Presents out this year, Ms. Crews?

CC: I’m not sure about North American dates yet, but MAJESTY, MISTRESS…MISSING HEIR comes out in May in the UK. And KATRAKIS’S LAST MISTRESS comes out in September in the UK. And I’m starting my fourth any… second… now…

MR: Always nice chatting with you.

CC: And you!

MR: Happy writing!

***

Visit www.caitlincrews.com and www.megancrane.com to find out more about Megan and her fabulous books!!

A rose by any other name

Okay, long time no post. Me sorry. But if you don’t already know, I’ve been cheating on my blog a lot with twitter. Visit me there if you want frequent updates on my oh-so-exciting life. For example, last night I tweeted about eating yogurt. It’s a glamorous life.

On Monday I finished the short story I had to write for KISS ME DEADLY, the YA anthology from the publisher of the Mammoth anthologies. I’m happy with how my story, FAMILIAR, turned out. It’s about a witch’s familiar and I’m quite fond of it.

Writing it got me thinking about titling (although this one basically titled itself) and when I saw someone else post about their titles that have changed from working to final, I thought I’d share some of mine over the years.

BITTEN & SMITTEN was originally titled DEARLY DEPARTED
In fact, being the newbie that I was, I fought very hard to keep this title. I lost, of course. And I’m glad that I did. While Bitten & Smitten felt way too cutesy to me (and if there’s one thing I reject about my own work is the idea that it’s “cutesy,” I feel more people were attracted to the title off the bat. It works. And after four years the book is still in print and doing well, so I can’t exactly complain, can I?

ANGEL WITH ATTITUDE was originally titled TROUBLE IN PARADISE
Actually, this book started off as a gritty private detective novel called PARADISE, believe it or not. I wrote 50K for Nanowrimo 2004. Then I realized it had to be light and fun to match Bitten & Smitten since it would be the second book in my contract with Warner. So I changed absolutely everything about it. In fact, in the original version, she hooks up with the character who would eventually be the old dude Barlow while Nathaniel was a (conflicted) bad guy. Don’t ask. It was kind of a mess.

TALL, DARK & FANGSOME was originally titled DEVILS & DIAMONDS
I worked hard on the new titles when I was asked for a new one  (since neither devils nor diamonds sound particularly vampiric). I think my list included about 200 potential titles. When my editor picked TD&F I was like, “really?” It seemed kind of silly to me and more of one I tacked on at the end for a joke. But now I know that it’s perfect and I wuv it. I look forward to seeing how it’s translated into German.

THE DEMON IN ME was originally titled LIVING IN EDEN
The original title is now the series title. I like the new title. It was changed to fit the cover direction — slightly darker and hero-oriented. If it had been a cartoonish girly cover (which I did not want) it could have had the original title. As it sits, it had to be a little more blatent about what the book was about, with a bit of a humorous twist. I think it’s very effective — and best of all? I didn’t even have to come up with it. My editor did. I am allowed to keep my second title, SOMETHING WICKED, so that’s cool.

DEMON PRINCESS: REIGN OR SHINE was originally titled NIKKI DONOVAN: DEMON PRINCESS and even before that NIKKI DONOVAN: DEMON SPAWN
This was also a very long process of title changing. My list is long. We had to figure out a title hook and the play on “reign” seems to work okay, I think, although I’m hoping the titles don’t become confusing for readers to differentiate between.

COUNTDOWN was originally THE CHALLENGE
I changed it because there was another book titled the same thing at the time. And the new title (as well as the name of the “game” they’re playing) works better this way and gives more of a thriller feel.

HOT SPELL was originally FEELS LIKE MAGIC
Had to change it because it wasn’t sexy enough for a Blaze. S’okay. I like the new title just fine.

DEVIL’S APPLE was originally NIGHTFALL
This is the book I’m working on right now — the second in my Nightshade urban fantasy duology. I was asked to change NIGHTFALL to something else because there are five million other books with that title. No idea if the new title will stick. Probably not. But for now I like it just fine.

So I guess my point is, most titles end up changing. If you’re really tied to your original title, you might be setting yourself up for disappointment. However, getting a title hook going for a series takes a lot of the guesswork out of things and helps the marketing department.

Avatar and starting #15

I remember hearing about Avatar for the first time when I went trolling for info about Sam Worthington after falling for him in Terminator: Salvation and was happy to see he was going to star in a James Cameron flick. I’ve rarely met (on-screen) an Aussie actor I didn’t like. What is it about Australia that produces these hotties?

Anyway, I finally saw Avatar last week. In 3-D no less. I think I want to see it again. It was a stunning film on many levels and has stuck in my mind, but I only gave it a 9/10 on imdb.com.

I couldn’t figure out what it was lacking for me until I read a bit more on it. And yes, I suppose the story was a bit simplistic. However, I don’t fault it for this at all (if perhaps keeping it from being a 10/10 for me). The movie works. But the villains were 2-dimensional and the plot twists were rather predictable. The surprise and awe was in the visuals not in the storyline. As a writer, I expect just a smidge more.

However, what Avatar got right in my books and that 2012 — the other big budget movie I’ve seen lately that did not work for me as Avatar did — THE EMOTION. I was sucked in. I cared about these characters and what happened to them. So that was a big WIN in my books. That it wasn’t quite perfect as far as script? I’m okay with that. Because if it had been it might just have totally blown my mind like The Matrix did back in ‘98 or whenever it came out.

I saw someone write that Sam’s character was completely TSTL. totally I agree. At least, at the beginning he was. His character arc involved him starting in that place and evolving to what he was meant to be — from unenlightened to enlightened. And I’m sorry, but he was still kinda hot as a blue dude.

So…. slightly lacking script + deep emotion involvement + awesome visuals = 9/10

I’ve heard it’s the first in a trilogy. I hope that’s true.

—

Today I’m starting on my second urban fantasy in my duology (my fifteenth contracted book! Holy cows!) which has the working title of DEVIL’S APPLE, hereby referred to on the blog as DA. I’m excited about this book because…oh because of many reasons. Not the least of which is that Sam Worthington is the embodiment in the theater of my mind of my character Declan, a dhampyr with major issues (this pic is a good look for him).

I probably won’t write any pages today, but just mentally ease back into the world. I don’t have a long time to write this one — my deadline’s April 1st — so I’m going to be living and breathing this book for the next little while. Which, since I approach my writing like an actor approaches a part, I’m going to be immersed in death, violence, blood and vampires.

Writing darker and more thrilling stresses me out, but it’s worth it in the end. But I can’t write a totally dark book. I need to inject some comic relief in there somewhere via my designated comic relief “side kick” character. In this case, his name is Noah. Thank you Noah. I hope I won’t have to kill you.

Goodbye 2009

Thanks again to all my entrants and winners of O COME ALL YE FANGFUL. It was a lot of fun!!

Well, Xmas has come and gone for another year. Santa never sticks around very long, does it? He’s kind of a fly by night kind of guy. Ha. Fly by night.

My brain is (obviously) a bit melty today because I finished up the first draft of STORMY WEATHER on Monday. This is my second book for Harlequin Blaze, and despite the short length (they’re only about 55,000 words compared to 90,000 for my other books) they’re darn hard to write! At least, I think so. They have a much tighter focus than a single title and there are certain plot points that have to be hit just right. Ahem. And by plot points I mean sex scenes.

Anyway, this particular book was a bit of a challenge for me — to put it mildly — but I’m glad it’s done and I think I like it. I took yesterday off and today I’m jumping right into the second draft, starting with a full read-through to see where the weak areas are. And by weak areas I mean the sex scenes. Ha. I’m going to have to flesh them out a bit. No pun intended.

So……..2009 is almost over. 2010 is almost here. Craziness. I’ve been writing full time for two years now. Also crazy. (heh). While it hasn’t exactly been a transition without it’s share of bumpiness, I don’t regret quitting the day job one little bit. Ugh. I have been saying that writing full time is like watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Even the bad episodes are still better than anything else on TV.

Some highlights of 2009 for me……….

Fave movie of the year: UP IN THE AIR – loved it. George Clooney is deelish. I would have thought some sparkly vamps would be my fave of the year but for some strange reason, that movie didn’t do it for me. It was okay, but Georgie was better.

Fave book of the year: TALL, DARK & FANGSO…….errr, I mean, CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins! I was lucky to read an ARC of this, but I’ve just bought a copy to go on my keeper shelf.

Fave TV show of the year: SUPERNATURAL. Of course. Even with the hit or miss episodes, I’m still in luurvve with the Winchesters brothers.

Low health point of the year: I had Shingles in July. SHINGLES. I didn’t mention it here or on twitter since it was rather unpleasant. I mean, what kind of a disease is called Shingles? It sounds like part of an extreme home makeover. Anyhow, it sucked, but luckily I only had a mild case and it went away rather rapidly with some antibiotics. Blleeechh.

High health point of the year: I’ve lost (almost) 40 pounds since last January, the most I’ve ever lost in one fell swoop. I’ve done it with a combination of Jenny Craig, general portion control, personal training sessions (recently), and A HELL OF A LOT OF patience. The key for me there is patience. I don’t lose quickly, and I don’t do well with being on restricted diets. In the past I’ve had a very gung ho, black and white attitude toward weight loss. I go at it like a crazy person for two weeks and when I don’t see major results, I cheat. Fall off the wagon. And the cycle spins again. This time I’ve been trying to pick at it a little at a time. I quit Jenny a couple months ago to instead use that money to hire a personal trainer and have since lost a couple of pounds, but weight loss progress has ground to a halt so I think I’m going back to see if that can get me over this hump. So…40 is less than I would have liked for a whole year, but it’s better than staying the same or gaining. 2010 is the year I finally get this aspect of my life under control once and for all and I’m feeling ridiculously positive about it.

On the writing front: This year I wrote four books. I can barely believe it myself. That’s a whole lotta words.

What I wrote:

SOMETHING WICKED (Book #2 in the Living in Eden series): 90,000 words

REIGN CHECK (Book #2 in the Demon Princess YA series): 70,000 words

NIGHTSHADE (Book #1 in an urban fantasy duology): 90,000 words

STORMY WEATHER (Harlequin Blaze): 55,000 words

Various short stories and proposals: approx 50,000 words (probably more than that)

Total words of fiction written in 2009: approx 355,000!!

Whew! No wonder my brain hurts. 2010 is shaping up to be about the same amount of writing and I’m more than ready to plunge on in. After the second draft of STORMY WEATHER is done, I have to immediately start on book 2 of my urban fantasy duology. I’ve given it a new title of DEVIL’S APPLE (it was previously NIGHTFALL), and I am REALLY looking forward to this one. Everything’s so shiny before you start it, right?

Anyway, 2009 has been a great year (except for the Shingles), and 2010 is going to be even better. Thank you to my awesome readers for buying my books (just noticed yesterday that BITTEN & SMITTEN is now in its sixth printing! It’s the little book that could!) and for your general awesomeness. Thank you to my friends, writing and non-writing, for being there for me when I’m feeling angsty. I’m really hoping 2010 will be the best year evah. EVAH.

In the new year I’m starting a new blog feature – RowenChat, which is a very informal and fun interview with fellow authors (basically a chat that’s been edited down for your reading pleasure). My first guest is my pal Liza Palmer whose third book A FIELD GUILD TO BURYING YOUR PARENTS is out now. She’ll be generously giving away a signed copy to a commenter. This will post here on Saturday, January 2nd, 2010!!! See you then!!

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!

O Come All Ye Fangful – Winners!!

I’d like to thank everyone who entered my first short story contest. I was thrilled to receive thirty-four entries. So thrilled, in fact, that I dug right in and started reading them, which is why I’m announcing the winners a couple days earlier than I’d expected to!

I do encourage anyone who entered to share their stories on their own blogs or websites. And please post the link here in the comments so everyone can check out your marvelous prose! You all rock!!! I wish I had prizes for everyone. But, alas, I do not.

That said, I’m very pleased to announce the stories I’ve chosen as my winners and each will be featured here on my blog for all to read starting on Sunday, December 20th……….

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Michelle Rowen’s 2009
O COME ALL YE FANGFUL
HOLIDAY SHORT STORY CONTEST
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

First Place
THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT by Gwen Hayes
(will post here on Dec. 24th)

Second Place
AS CLOSE AS A CHRISTMAS WISH by Cari Quinn
(will post on Dec. 23rd)

Third Place
WAKING UP WITH DRAGONS by Margaret Mater
(will post Dec. 22nd)

Honorable Mentions
WALKING IN A WEREWOLF WONDERLAND by Diana Ksenycz
(will post Dec. 21st)
&
DON’T KILL THE MESSENGER by Sarah Cody
(will post Dec. 20th)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Again, thanks so much to everyone who entered!! And congrats to the winners!

–Michelle xoxo

Secret Contest Winner!

What secret contest, you might ask?

Well, at the very, bitter end of my vlog I posted the other day I decided to give away an ARC of REIGN CHECK to someone who’d watched all eight minutes-o-love. I received 29 entries! Woo hoo! I just chose the winner and it is…

Lisa M.

…who mentions her cat “Fang Fang” in her emailed entry to me. This, I believe, is an excellent name for a cat. It has nothing to do with the contest (other than the fact my cat Sammy strolled through part of the vlog), but I thought it worth mentioning.

Anyhoo… I’ve emailed Lisa M. to claim her prize. Thank you to everyone who watched! I may do it again some time. Stay tuned!