Writing with a Partner

I wish I had a really awesome writing partner, as in a co-author. How fun would that be? 

Like Lisa and Laura Roecker...how cool are they and how fun would it be to write with your sister?

Or David Levithan and John Green. Two YA superstahs...

Or April Henry and Lis Wiehl

I would love to do a book with a co-author.  A male one.  So John or David can certainly feel free to give me a call. But no. For now, here's my new writing partner, Bruce.

 

Bruce as a puppy



Bruce trying to take over my lap

He's in a daily struggle with me. He wants my whole lap. I guess we just haven't got our groove on yet. 



Meeko, thecutestdogintheentireworldwhometherdemisemuchtooearly, used to snuggle beside me on a pillow. We had time to work it out. But Bruce, the new and now slightly weighty Chihuahua, thinks the lap where the laptop belongs, is strictly for his personal use. I kick him off over and over again because our arrangement doesn't leave room for the laptop, and yet he crawls back until finally he goes to his crate to pout. Poor Bruce. He's only been around a few weeks and I have faith we'll get our partnership on track.

In the meantime. Other rock star authors who want to co-author can give me a call.



It's ALIVE!

Look what is AVAILABLE for ordering!!!



The Final Steps of Publication

Yesterday started out like any other Thursday.  Well, except my house was clean. Really quite clean. That is an anomaly, I assure you. Yes. As much as I wish I'd been born with the neat gene, the clutter free, the clean as you go so things are never messy gene. I'm afraid I was not.

I digress. My day. So I spent the morning doing some blog interviews. Refreshed my email 1.2 billion times in a span of two or three hours.  I worked on Instinct and then eventually forced myself upstairs and (kicking it old school like) put in a DVD of Billy Blanks and punched and kicked at the air like a possessed woman.

And then. The doorbell rang.  I peered outside the upstairs window and saw this.

My heart pitter pattered as I hurried down the stairs to the front door. Sweaty and smelly, (thanks to Mr. Billy Blank) and holding a barking chihuahua in my arm. *Bruce likes to bark*

Anyhow, the  Fed Ex man is holding a big cardboard box and pretending not to be offended at the sight of me. I peer at the box and see I'm Not Her printed on the label.

I held in a squee while I signed the electronic thingy ma jig the Fed Ex dude handed me. And then as soon as he left, I sliced the box open. Just as I suspected, inside the were books. Beautiful, beautiful books!

The final copy looks thicker than the ARC and the pages smell delicious. I sniffed just to make sure. When I open the cover of the book, I spot the dedication.

It thrills me a little bit.

And then I thumb through the pages and see something else that makes me squeal like a little girl at a Justin Beiber concert.






An excerpt from IF I TELL at the back of the book. I read it and think,  hey, that sounds pretty good! (I hope that thought lasts)



Of course, then life called and I had to rush to shower and pick up the son and take him to swimming and do this and do that. But for a moment there I really felt one of the most wonderful feelings ever. Seeing the book you've worked so hard on come to life for the first time. It's truly a blessing.

I log onto twitter (which I also refresh 1.2 billion times a day) and someone tells me I'm Not Her is in Stock at Amazon. (I'd received a note earlier in the day that the copy I had ordered for someone is shipping April 17, so I assume that's what she meant.) but I go to the page and see this!

AMAZON shows I'm Not Her in STOCK!

And so the ride to publication accelerates!
Book signings are coming. Author talks. It's becoming real.  And it's been quite a journey!

I remember to thank my lucky stars.

Sneak Peek and First Vlog!

Not sure the words and the mouth match, and just used a basic webcam so it's not fancy or edited, (kicking it old school :)) but here's a sneak peek reading of I'M NOT HER. 

Me, reading from the first chapter....

Friday Five

1. I feel so social today. Went for coffee with Mom's from son's school this morning and going out tonight with some other mom friends.  Enjoying the camaraderie. Adult conversation with real people instead of imaginary ones.  This might catch on!!

2.  Progress on my newest novel or ,WIP Instinct is going WELL. Finally!!! As in plot epiphanies. Wooo wooo. Still lots to do on the back half of the story, but it's all coming together. If it sells, it will be a SERIES. Paranormal series. How cool is that? Well, no counting before hatching and all, but it's nice to have progress!

3. Bruce Almighty has arrived. A boy dog. With a penis and everything. Kind of weird. He's cute and fat and spoiled rotten, so he'll fit in our household just fine.  Bruce belongs to my husband's Aunt and Uncle and they are moving to another country and needed a home for him and so now he is with us.


4.  I'M NOT HER ARC's are being sent out to book bloggers this week!  Exciting!

5. Jodi Picoult tweeted me. Yes. She totally did.  I am feeling rather fan-girl and squealy about it. I saw something in her newest book that struck me as really funny and asked her about it on twitter and she tweeted me back.  #technologycanbesocool

Tell the Truth Tuesday

1. I went on a diet yesterday. I lasted for 8 hours before I went off of it. I don't think I lost any weight.

2. 25 days until I'M NOT HER Releases. I'm freaking out a little inside. :)

3. I have a couple of posts this week about my drinking past. One is here and the other is here. I feel kind of naked admitting I was a boozing lush-head to anyone who cares to read about it online. But I figure if one teen (or even an adult like person) sees my post and it makes them think about their own drinking. Well. It's kind of worth it to tell the truth sometimes.  Tell it like it is-ism. It's a disease people.

4. I am feeling the need to do charity work as a family. Like serving dinners at homeless shelters or something with hub and Superson. I think I need to atone for my sins (see above) I just haven't done anything about it yet. Must. Get. On. That.

5. I am starting to LIKE watching the Home and Garden channel. Curse you husband and your Mr. Fix It ways.

Freaky Friday!

It's Friday. Yes. I am that observant! Quick someone hand me a cookie!

Actually it's quite a feat to remember what day it is, as I spent the week out at the cabin covered in insulation. Itchy and scratchy. One day runs into the next when you're stuffing walls with fibreglass, but now we're home again and life is returning to normal and it's Friday and April and I take a deep breath and realize....

Only 29 days until I'M NOT HER releases!!

Now that is FREAKY!

Shouldn't I be giving things away? Doing more stuff???

I have an excited feeling in the pit of my stomach. Does that count???

I am doing some work behind the scenes, but I have much more to do. I have planned a book launch for Calgary!  I'm doing a Walk for Kids on May 1. I have some author talks and will be learning how to Skype and Kay Mitchell at Sourcebooks(the publicist)  is busy behind the scenes setting things up.


Happy April Fools Day! I didn't even plan a prank. Not my thing so much.
I think I'll just go back to stalking the Internet and feeling anxious/excited!