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WARNING: THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW

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Since I wanted to avoid online spoilers, I read the book faster than I might have normally — I’m not a really fast reader, but I got through MOCKINGJAY in two days, finishing last night about 1:30 a.m. Let’s just say, I didn’t sleep much last night and when I did sleep, I dreamed about Katniss and her world.

Immediately after finishing, I went online because I needed to see what other people had said about the book. I already knew — just like BREAKING DAWN — that some readers weren’t happy with it. I’ve seen reaction (both good and bad) referred to as PTMS — Post Traumatic Mockingjay Syndrome. I couldn’t agree more. I feel shell shocked and somewhat damaged by this book.

It all comes down to reader expectation, I think. A whole year between releases for a very successful series will give readers a lot of time to speculate about what they WANT to have happen.

I went to a local Midnight release party here in the Toronto area and the excitement from the teens present was evident. There were competing cheers to find out who was Team Peeta and who was Team Gale. There were cupcake decorating stations. There were puzzles and games and a bit of a scavenger hunt through the store. Fun, right? Totally.

This book wasn’t fun.

I should say, right up front that this is a solid five out of five star read for me. I cite THE HUNGER GAMES as my favorite book OF ALL TIME. I felt CATCHING FIRE was on par with it. And MOCKINGJAY was a brilliant end to the trilogy that is still affecting me emotionally twelve hours after I finished reading it.

But it wasn’t a fun, cupcake read.

My personal expectations for this book — after how CATCHING FIRE ended, I assumed that MOCKINGJAY would involve Katniss’s involvement in the rescue of Peeta and her helping to take down the Capitol so the world can have a bright and wonderful future. And she would have romantic love triangle angst — just like Bella and Edward and Jacob — but she would choose properly and everyone would be happy.

I was Team Peeta.

And… Team Peeta was the winning team.

Funny how this victory feels particularly empty for me, and for other readers. The characters are so broken, so damaged, have endured so much pain and torture and grief that the reader realizes once and for all that this has never has been a romance, a fun and angsty triangle, a book which we should celebrate with cupcakes. This is a horrific story about war and pain and despair and evil.

Fun, right?

Nope.

But it was powerful and may be the book that has affected me more than any other book I’ve ever read in my life. I battled with this book. At one point I stared at the page and cursed Ms. Collins because she wasn’t being kind or nice or helpful — to her readers or to her characters. But her agenda with these books has remained consistent — war is hell. Killing each other to gain more power is not the answer. Ever.

Collins’s black moment truly is black. BLACK. Children die horribly. Needlessly. Including one child who is so important to the launching point of the entire series that you have to ask yourself — why? Why couldn’t the author have let this child live — this symbol of hope and love? But it made sense. War is not kind to anyone involved. And exceptions are rarely made.

I was certain the series would end with Katniss, Peeta and Gale’s death. The red herring of the poison capsules (not to mention Katniss’s father’s Hanging Tree song) had me convinced there was no other way it could.

There is hope, though. At the end. Love does survive. Memories survive. At the end, it’s really all we have left.

And the cat made me cry at the end. Just like Vincent the dog made me cry during the last episode of Lost. Damn it.

So there you go… my thoughts on this brilliant and difficult book that should be a classic in years to come. But you know what? Sometimes I just want the sheer entertainment and HEAs of books like Twilight or other romance novels. It’s a good thing to be reminded of the atrocities of this world (because, of course, The Hunger Games trilogy is one big metaphor isn’t it?) but sometimes an escape from the dark into the light is what helps to keep us going.

So would I recommend THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy? Without question. But don’t read it expecting romance and a great, warm feeling at the end. Victory is often empty when it comes at the cost of so many lives. Something that should be remembered. I know I’ll never forget.

First up is KISS ME DEADLY that actually came out on August 3rd. It’s a Young Adult anthology I was lucky enough to be asked to write a story for. I wrote a stand alone story titled “Familiar” about a witch-in-training who needs to pick out her feline familiar. But of course things never go as planned. It’s light and fun with a rather delectable hero (if I do say so myself) and I hope readers enjoy it! I do have an excerpt up here on the site, so check it out here.

Also out — today — is the UK release of FANGED & FABULOUS, with a seriously gorgeous cover. Sarah has never looked so classy! I can’t believe this was out in the US back in 2007, thus the J.Lo reference on the first page. Ah, cultural references. Sometimes they get old quicker than you’d like the to. It’s great hearing about this series again from people in the UK who are reading it for the first time. Makes me all nostalgic. And it’s also making Sarah very chatty in my head. She’s pesky, that one. Very pesky!

National bestselling and award-winning author Eve Silver’s new Otherkin series launches with a back to back to back trilogy from HQN on August 1st. I was lucky enough to read the first book, SINS OF THE HEART, early and I have to say — it is amazing. Eve has seriously outdone herself with her tales of sexy soul reapers and the kick-ass women who fall for them. The ebook prequel, SIN’S DAUGHTER, is available now. Find out more about Eve and her fabulous books on her website: www.evesilver.net!

Eve took time out of her very busy writing schedule to join me for a RowenChat about the books…and she’s generously giving away a signed copy of SINS OF THE HEART to a lucky commenter. Please read through to the end of our chat to see more details about this giveaway!

SINS OF THE HEART
by Eve Silver
August 2010 – HQN

Half-human, half-god, Dagan Krayl is the Underworld’s most powerful soul reaper. When one of his brothers is murdered, Dagan must use every ounce of his power to hunt down those responsible for his brutal death. But he must move swiftly—and carefully—if he’s to have any chance of resurrecting his brother.

Yet that resurrection could wreak havoc on the mortal world. As an Otherkin, Roxy Tam has sworn to protect the human race and it’s her mission to stop Dagan. But when she sees him face to face, she realizes that she has seen him once before—a meeting that changed her life forever.

Neither Dagan nor Roxy expect to join forces for the sake of mankind. Or have their loyalties tested as they struggle against the potent desire that threatens to consume them both….

Michelle: ALL RIGHTY. Let’s chat.

Eve: Yay. Chat!

Michelle: So…. SINS OF THE HEART. This is the first book in your back to back to back trilogy with HQN. ARE YOU EXCITED OR WHAT?

Eve: Yes! I’m really hyped about it.

Michelle: I have my copy sitting right next to me right now in all its red-covered glory. I honestly think this is your best book to date, Eve. And I’m not just saying that.

Eve: Thank you! You are too kind. Gotta love the red. And the font. I love the font. And I love the colors for SINS OF THE SOUL and SINS OF THE FLESH, too! They look so cool lined up next to each other in their gorgeous jewel tones.

Michelle: It’s gritty, dark, sexy, and it has a whole lot of sass thanks to your heroine Roxy Tam. And I don’t use the word “sass” all the time. What was the inspiration behind her character?

Eve: All three books are really dark and gritty, but I tried to throw in a little humor to temper the edge. And I love, love, love Roxy. There was no single inspiration for her. An early incarnation of her character floated around in my thoughts—she worked in a gas bar on an isolated stretch of highway. But that just didn’t *feel* like *her*. So I kept thinking about her and finally got a clear picture of who she is.

Michelle: So did Roxy prompt the existence of the “Daughters of Aset” aka: the Otherkin referred to in the series title? Can you talk a little bit about what they are and what they do?

Eve: The Daughters of Aset came from research. I started looking into Egyptian mythology and I found reference to an Egyptian goddess who drank blood. There are also references to her as drinking the water of the river Nile when it had turned red. I started to percolate those ideas and more research led me to the symbol known as the “knot of Isis” or “blood of Isis.” Isis is also known as Aset and so the daughters of Aset began to form in my thoughts. The term Otherkin comes from those who believe they are not purely human. That they have some heritage that is otherworldly. Often Otherkin can include blood drinkers, the Fae, shifters, etc. In the world I’ve created, the Otherkin are the Daughters of Aset.

Michelle: Do you do a lot of research for all of your books? Any particular books or sources that were particularly helpful?

Eve: I usually do a lot of research. I like to get things right, if I can. Or at least, make them believable to the reader. I went to an exhibit of The Egyptian Book of the Dead at the Royal Ontario Museum (it became a favorite haunt). I bought a copy of the Egyptian Book of the Dead as well as a book called “Being Japanese American” by Gil Asakawa, which was important for book 2, SINS OF THE SOUL (which incorporates Japanese mythology as well as Egyptian). I did a lot of online research. I used several texts on Egyptian mythology. Reading the Book of the Dead was wild because I really had to try and figure out what exactly was being described and referred to, and the book included hieroglyphs and copies of the papyrus scrolls. It was incredible.

Michelle: That’s a lot of research. Your books just have that really nice layered feel in the world building that you just know that you did your homework.

The heart of the Otherkin books is that they’re about three brothers who are searching for the murderer of their brother (who is actually still in existence in a parallel world). Dagan, the hero of the first book, is mouthwateringly hot—and he’s also a serious badass. When we meet him, he’s about to kill somebody and take their soul… and then he sees the heroine whom he feels compelled to help which really goes against his nature. Tell me about creating Dagan, any inspiration there you’d like to share?

Eve: Dagan and his brothers, Alastor and Mal, the heroes of the first three books, all stemmed from a question that was buzzing around in the back of my brain—what if the villains were the heroes? What if I took three guys who aren’t good or noble or heroic. Could I make them likeable? Could I make them heroic somehow? Could I make the villains heroes? Honestly, it made me wonder if I could dig deep enough and write well enough to do it right.

Michelle: I thought it worked perfectly! Dagan is hot and dangerous, but he does have a moral code. He hurts the bad guys (kinda like Dexter) but when it comes to an innocent girl, part of him is compelled to help her. Plus, he likes lollipops.

Eve: I love Dexter! Yes, kinda like Dexter. A total non-hero, who somehow is heroic. Bad…yet somehow good. And hot. I wanted Dagan to be hot. And he does like lollipops. Red ones are his fave. Pina colada…meh. Not so much.

Michelle: So who are some of your favorite heroes (other than your own) in romance fiction today? Or just general fiction?

Eve: There’s this awesome hero, Declan, in a 2011 release that I got to read early (NIGHTSHADE).

Michelle: Why, thank you, Eve. *hands Eve money*

Eve: And at the moment, I’m team Terrible (reference to Stacia Kane’s Downside Ghosts books.) I am totally crazy for Jericho Barons in Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series. I will always adore Clay in Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld stories. Marjorie Liu writes incredible heroes, as does Lara Adrian. Will Laurence in Naomi Novik’s Temeraire books is a fascinating, layered, flawed character. And Lisa Kleypas’s heroes work for me in her historicals and her contemporaries.

Michelle: Out of all of the heroes you’ve ever written, who is your personal favorite?

Eve: Oh. You are mean to ask me that. I love each one of my heroes. As I am writing him, the hero of the current project is the bestest hero evah!!!!! Then I move to the next book and he’s the bestest hero evah. Right now, I’m really loving the Krayl brothers. Each one is different and unique, yet there are certain things that clearly make them brothers and they really are fascinating and hot and wonderful and layered and edgy and bad to the bone.

Michelle: I think that’s a very diplomatic answer. You wouldn’t want to piss off a soul reaper. But there has to be ONE hero that resonated with you just a smidge more than the others. For example, mine would have to be Darrak because he’s funny and seems to come alive on the page without much prompting from me. I like characters who make my job easier.

Eve: Yes…I loved Darrak. But for me…it’s your Declan because he’s so dark. And tortured. I love ‘em dark and tortured.

Michelle: Dark and tortured? YOU Eve? But your books are so light and cheerful!

Eve: I know! It isn’t like there’s ever any angst or death or murders or action or turmoil or anything in any of my stories.

Michelle: Not at all. Just rainbows and happy little bunnies dancing about. So what’s with the dark books, Eve? Why so dark? Is it just your reading preference? WHERE DOES THE DARKNESS COME FROM??

Eve: I have no clue. I started out thinking I wrote comedy. First romance I completed was for Harlequin’s “Love and Laughter” line. It’s now buried in the backyard where it belongs.

Michelle: I sooo want to read that one day.

Eve: *cringes at thought of anyone reading that book* Then I tried to write a light, funny historical. Problem was that the rotting corpses, maggots, body parts in jars, and such were definitely not funny.

Michelle: Depends on the rotting corpses, maggots, and body parts in jars.

Eve: This is very true.

Michelle: Thank you for chatting with me today, Eve. And huge congrats on the new releases!

Eve: Thank you!

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Okay…are you dying to get your hands on a signed copy of Eve’s SINS OF THE HEART, the first book in her kick-butt Otherkin series from HQN? I just know you are!! Comment here about your favorite dark hero from a book, TV show, or movie and tell us why you love him so much. We will pick a winner (International entries welcome) at random on Tuesday, August 3, 2010 at 9:00 p.m. Good luck!

***Thanks to everyone who commented! I’ve chosen a winner and it is #27 – Donna S. Donna has been contacted via email to claim her prize***

Four and a half years ago, my first book was published. Wow, was it really that long ago?

Yes, BITTEN & SMITTEN, the tale of a woman who went on a blind date with a vampire, got bitten, ran for her life and bumped into a suicidal master vampire, got smitten — and, uh, etcetera.

Today is the release date for the UK release of BITTEN & SMITTEN. The next two books in the series will follow in August and September. Yes, Sarah’s been given a British accent (well, not really, but I like to think so), which is only fitting since my original pitch for the book was “Bridget Jones meets Interview with the Vampire.”

I’d like to give away a signed copy of the new version — trade paperback size with a very classy cover. Sarah looks like she wants to be taken seriously! Gorgeous cover, I really like it.

If you’re interested in winning a free signed copy of the UK release of BITTEN & SMITTEN, please comment here (and if you’re reading this on a mirrored site, please come to michellerowen.com/blog to comment) about this subject:

What would be your favorite or least favorite part about being a vampire?

I’ll pick a winner Friday, July 16th at 9:00 p.m. EST. International entries welcome! Good luck!

Update: I forgot I’m at a convention this weekend so that deadline might change to Sunday at 9:00 p.m. if I’m not getting good internet access….

NIGHTSHADE will be released in February 2011 at the same time that the PRIMAL anthology is out. That will contain a novella taking place right after the events in this book, so it’s a double dose of my Nightshade world with no waiting (the antho was originally scheduled for April but got moved up). NIGHTSHADE is an urban fantasy with a large helping of romance, and darker (and sexier) than my usual paranormal single title books. But as you can see by my fabulous Kelley Armstrong quote, the edge of humor in my voice creeps in even if I’m not even trying to be funny!

I’m very proud of this book so I’m glad that it got a kick-ass cover!

Back cover copy:

Jillian Conrad never believed in vampires. But she’s just become a living, breathing weapon against them. Attacked by a desperate scientist, she is injected with a serum that was supposed to act as a deadly poison to vampires. And when the scientist is gunned down in front of her, his secrets die with him.

Declan Reyes was only half-vampire, but he hates them with all his heart. He knows that the poison in Jillian’s veins could finally destroy the undead kingdom. Also, the serum has had an unintended effect, making her blood irresistible to all vampires—including Declan, whose bloodthirsty traits are driven into a frenzy by her.

Driven by duty to protect her and by instinct to crave her, Declan takes Jillian into his shadowy world of blood and battle. But he soon realizes his increasing need for her may be a different kind of hunger…

First “what NOT to do”…..

Mr. Editor, (15)

I’m not really sure about the do’s and don’ts of submitting a manuscript. (1) What I have enclosed is the first 4 chapters of my first (yet unfinished) (2) novel. I’d classify it as a teen adventure story for ages 11 and up, I suppose. (3) Also enclosed is an outline (rather proposed outline) (4) of the rest. I figure (5) it will come out to around 50,000 words — about 200 pages. (6)

Let me tell you a bit about myself, okay? (7) I’m eighteen years old, still in high school (gr. 13), looking at either Ryerson or Carleton for post secondary education. If my future as a fiction writer bombs (8) then I’ll head into the field of journalism. For one semester at school I had a co-op at the local paper writing general interest stories and having a weekly column about the high school happenings.

The first two chapters of INSOMNIA were originally a short story written for my English class. (9) My teacher thought I should send them in somewhere but I didn’t know where to send it. (10) One day I just picked it up again and rewrote it leaving an open end for expansion. (11)

Well, I certainly hope you like it. Please let me know either way. (12) I’ve enclosed a SASE. (13)

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,
Michelle R.
(aspiring novelist) (14)

1) Admitting you’re clueless up front is not charming. It’s juvenile and marks you as an amateur who shouldn’t be taken seriously. Do your research. Then do it again just to make sure.

2) I can’t think of any editor who would offer on an unfinished manuscript from an unpublished writer. No track record, no dice. Sure it’s happened before, perhaps to a wunderkind literary student who is viewed as someone destined for greatness as an author. I wasn’t one of these.

3) Don’t use words that make you sound uncertain or unsure. It lacks confidence. Confidence can be faked if need be, but again this does not come across as amusing and charming, it comes across as unprofessional.

4) See #2. Unfinished means no contract. Period.

5) More weak words.

6) An editor will know how many pages 50K is so this is totally redundant.

7) Giving background is okay, if relevant. What’s not relevant is these cutesy lines. This isn’t a conversation over cocktails. This is a query letter.

8 ) I believe this point goes unsaid. This is so unprofessional and so flippant — I know I was trying for humor, but the page has no tone. It sounds like I’m not taking this seriously.

9) The reason it was written, especially if it’s for a writing class, is irrelevant unless it’s very relevant. A high school assignment is not relevant.

10) Again, showing an appalling lack of research into the publishing business.

11) See #2 and #4.

12) At this point, if I was the editor, I’d be saying “F**k you, Michelle R.”

13) It stuns me that I actually knew enough to send an SASE. This is the only part of the letter I got right, but this was before e-queries.

14) It’s painfully obvious that I’m an aspiring novelist. Stating it outright is just sad.

15) (tagged onto end because I missed it) Again research who you’re sending your letter to. A generic “Mr. Editor” will most likely lead to a generic “no.”

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My query letter for BITTEN & SMITTEN (originally titled DEARLY DEPARTED) isn’t perfect, by any means, but it is rather good if I say so myself. It got me immediate agent interest and out of four agents I sent it to I received a request for a full after three hours after this being emailed (which led very quickly to an offer of representation) and a request for a partial by snail mail (which came too late to be a contender).

Dear AGENT-NAME:

I am seeking representation for my first novel, a completed 94,000 word urban fantasy. (1)

DEARLY DEPARTED is the story of Sarah Dearly, a newly made vampire, and her adjustment to life as one of the fashionably undead. If the hunters on her tail weren’t enough, she also has to deal with her love triangle with a 600-year-old sexy (but suicidal) master vampire and one of the vampire hunters who can’t decide if he wants to kill her or kiss her. She struggles to combine her comfortable, working-girl life with her new, unpredictable and danger-filled world, which includes her quest for the rumored ‘cure for vampirism,’ once she decides that life as a vampire, well…sucks. In the end, she realizes that when the world is out of control, the only thing you can trust is your heart. Provided there are no wooden stakes lying around. (2)

I think of this novel as ‘Chick-Lit with Bite’ — Bridget Jones meets Interview with the Vampire (3) – as it is filled with humor, romantic tension, and suspense, utilizing Sarah’s witty, lightly sarcastic, first person point-of-view.  (4) It will appeal to mainstream fantasy readers, vampire enthusiasts, hopeless romantics, as well as those who enjoy a good story, a good laugh, a few tears, and a happy ending. (5) Although DEARLY DEPARTED stands alone as a novel, I have outlines for two potential sequels. (6)

I would love the chance (7) to send you a few chapters, or the entire manuscript, and full synopsis of DEARLY DEPARTED at your request. (8) Thank you for your time and consideration. (9)

Sincerely,
Michelle R.

1) State right up front what you have and how many words it is (round up or down with the words. No need to say it’s 94,563 words). Some agents say they think it’s obvious that you’re looking for representation so there’s no need to state it, but I think it’s perfectly okay for a first line.

2) Give a paragraph about what the book is about, keeping the focus on the hook and making it interesting like a back cover blurb. It’s nice to give the “moral of the story” since every story has a theme you’re trying to get across and this is the “take home” of the book that give it more weight that it just being a generic story

3) Some like this and some don’t. I like it as long as it makes sense to compare two very popular titles in describing what your book is similar to. The titles should be very different, which is what makes your story different. Saying something is Supernatural meets Buffy kind of defeats the purpose since they’re both in the same genre, right?

4) Just a line to describe what the reader can expect when they read the book

5) What’s the audience? Agents and editors are interested in who is going to pick this book up and that you have an idea of who your reader is.

6) Just a note to let them know I’m not a one trick pony. This was a bit of a fib, actually. While I had ideas for more books I didn’t have actual outlines. but I ended up writing five books in this series so it worked out okay in the end.

7) This line is a bit of overkill. “I would LOVE the chance.” Come on. I’d cut this now or reword it to avoid any potential eye rolls.

8 ) What are you offering up? This too is a bit redundant. The editor or agent will ask you for what they want. As long as your full manuscript is good to go, then it’s all good.

9) Some agents say thanking them is unnecessary, but I think it’s a nice note to end on. Gratitude is a good thing, and being perceived as polite is never bad.

So there you have it! An overview of what not to do and what to do in writing query letters from yours truly.

After spending so long working on your book, you really should devote a good chunk of time to polishing your selling tool before you start looking for the perfect agent. I know it’s tempting to just send things off quickly because it’s so easy with e-queries. But professionalism is key and being a good writer doesn’t apply only to your books but to your query letters and synopses as well.

Agents get hundreds of these a week to wade through and they’re looking to reject in order to clear their inboxes. You have to spend time making your query letter as good as possible to stand out in that vast ocean of emails and paper of other query letters that might look more like the first example I’ve given here. DO YOUR RESEARCH, believe in your story and believe in yourself as being worthy to get to the next level! It can definitely happen — trust me on that!

Happy writing!

Enjoy…

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Mr. Editor,

I’m not really sure about the do’s and don’ts of submitting a manuscript. What I have enclosed is the first 4 chapters of my first (yet unfinished) novel. I’d classify it as a teen adventure story for ages 11 and up, I suppose. Also enclosed is an outline (rather proposed outline) of the rest. I figure it will come out to around 50,000 words — about 200 pages.

Let me tell you a bit about myself, okay? I’m eighteen years old, still in high school (gr. 13), looking at either Ryerson or Carleton for post secondary education. If my future as a fiction writer bombs then I’ll head into the field of journalism. For one semester at school I had a co-op at the local paper writing general interest stories and having a weekly column about the high school happenings.

The first two chapters of INSOMNIA were originally a short story written for my English class. My teacher thought I should send them in somewhere but I didn’t know where to send it. One day I just picked it up again and rewrote it leaving an open end for expansion.

Well, I certainly hope you like it. Please let me know either way. I’ve enclosed a SASE.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,
Michelle R.
(aspiring novelist)

***

Yes, I actually wrote “aspiring novelist” at the bottom. Because THAT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE, PEOPLE. This may come as a shock, but I received a rejection form letter. I’m surprised they even responded at all, frankly. I do remember that they spelled my name wrong. Perhaps they were trying to tell me something.

PRIMAL is the anthology I’m very excited to be in that’s coming out April 2011 and includes my novella, BLEEDING HEART, that’s got the same world and characters as my Feb 2011 and Aug 2011 urban fantasy releases. Vampires, edge-of-your-seat action, and hot romance. Yes, please! I like to think the model on this represents my hero, Declan. The guy, not the wolf, that is.

It’s out in November — Pre-order at Amazon.com!

I’ve been working on a couple proposals and enjoying the shiny beginning that is brainstorming a new idea. I said to a friend yesterday that (published) writers are kind of like sharks…if we stop writing new stuff, new proposals, brainstorming new worlds…we die. Or, rather, our careers do. That’s why it’s sometimes a bit difficult to concentrate on the books that have just come out. My mind is currently living in 2012 (which hopefully won’t really be the end of the world). As the Irish blessing (curse?) goes: May you live in interesting times. If you’re a writer in 2010, these are definitely interesting times.

ANYWAY. What’s up next for moi? Thank you for asking.

I’ve been given the opportunity to move the release date of my third Harlequin Blaze, IRRESISTIBLE, up to March 2011. This might sound like a long way off, but in this industry…it’s practically tomorrow. So I am now tackling that book. It’s due August 1st (yes, only FIVE WEEKS from now!!). Original deadline was October 1st, so this is much closer. S’okay. I can handle it. Plus this is a super fun book with a bit more humor than I’ve written for a while, so it’ll be nice to cleanse my writing palette after being immersed in, as I like to call it, the darker side of Rowen for quite a few months.

I’ve also seen the cover for PRIMAL, which is the Lora Leigh anthology I’m in next April. It’s gorgeous! This’ll be my first trade paperback and I can’t wait for it to be out. But not enough to wish the next nine months away. After all, by the time that book comes out I’m going to be an age that I don’t really want to state publicly. Let’s just say…it’s an age that prohibits me from every starring in a new version of Thirty Something. *sadness as my collagen depletes* Bottom line, I’ll be sharing the cover art when I get the a-okay to do so.

So that’s what’s going on here. I guess I should get writing.

And check it out… if you’re looking for a fantastic new fantasy novel about kickass superheroes, my pals Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge’s SHADES OF GRAY has just been released. I know I’m picking up my copy this weekend! Can’t wait to read it!