Princess Needs Help: Bank of Africa in Dire Straits

I wanted to write something snazzy today, but I can't. Not yet. Not until I've helped Princess Kabbah and Alhaji Danco, two individuals frantic for my assistance. Apparently the princess is 24, very single, and very eager to make my acquaintance. I'm so excited! A real princess! I'll definitely have to remove her from my spam filter.

Not to be outdone, Mr. Danco is the Bank and Exchange Manager for the Bank of Africa (BOA--not the constrictor type). He's found a huge sum of money he needs me to help him invest. Yes, he wants my help, because though I majored in English, I also have mad financial skills. (Guess I won't tell him I can't even do my taxes without Turbo Tax.)

So forgive me for not posting anything of substance today, but a princess and the Bank of Africa are depending on me.

Do You Really Want to Know? Yes, I do.

Two of my biggest pet peeves are the stupid question, followed by the I don't really want to know question. The stupid question is one where the asker knows the answer even as he is asking it. Example: (I am reading a book by the fireplace.)
Husband (sees me and asks): So, what are you doing?
Me (giving him the "duh" look): Brain surgery, next question?

Then there's the I really don't want to know the answer question. Do I look fat? Am I pretty (because if you have to ask, some big part of you thinks not)? How old do you think I am? etc.

I'm currently holding a contest to determine whether or not there are things I should change on my website. If I didn't want an honest answer, I wouldn't ask the question. Some people like what's there, some don't. I'm interested in all of it;. What works and why, what doesn't and why not. Personally, I can't stand websites that have music, or ones that have fancy font I can barely read or pictures that flash. I'm trying to make my site better, but I think it's okay as it is. Okay, not great. See the difference? I've received some helpful comments.

Several people would like excerpts or blurbs of books that don't take them to another website. Others want to see a real picture of me on the bio page. For the record, that chick posted there is NOT me. She has a tail and has devoured many men, as there are skulls and bones by her feet. I just liked her picture, and she does look kind of like me, if I was an anime character. See picture, left.

On another note, the other day I asked a question online about writing another book. It's not so fans of the Circs could gush (ah, not that any really do) about the series and beg, "Please, please, Marie, write another book or I'll kill myself." It's just that sometimes enough of a good thing, is, well, enough. The series ran on for two four-book segments, period. End of story, right? Grayson's the only Circ left hanging, and I just wondered if there would be any interest in my writing a story for him. Why the interest on my end? Because without Grayson, Gunnar's Game might not see print.

I don't want to get bogged down in print versus ebook. I'm quite happy if my books stay electronic and electronic only. But since the first two Dawn Endeavor stories are in print, and there are tentative plans for a third, I'd hate to break the series for Gunnar's Game, which is too short to stand on its own (in print.)

I happily welcome comments from readers done with the series, as well as those who would like it to continue. I just thought I'd ask to see what readers wanted. So yes, I do want to know some truths, or I wouldn't have asked. Smart answers for smart questions asked. And that's my two cents for the day.

Contest Reminder

The 2011 Contest ends on Jan 15, this Saturday. To enter for a chance to win, all you have to do is tell me what you like and/or don't like about my website. That's it. I'm giving away 5 print books (to those in the continental US only) and 5 ebooks. Don't miss out!


To celebrate 2010, I'm holding a contest and giving away five print books and five ebooks to ten lucky winners. The prizes are as follows:
Print Books
Storm Lords Vol. 1 (The Fire Within and Below the Surface)
Storm Lords Vol. 2 (Gale Season)
Over the Moon (an anthology with six other authors, all shapeshifter stories)
Circe's Recruits: Hale
Dawn Endeavor: The Circs (Fallon's Flame and Hayashi's Hero)
E-Books
Namesake
Kate Undone
Foxy Lady
To Hunt a Sainte
Enemy Red

Simply email me what you like or dislike about my website to be entered in the contest, subject line 2011 Contest. (Trust me, I want to know good AND bad.) Anyone can win, but you have to be a continental U.S. winner to receive a print book. (Sorry, postage is killer.) Send your response to marie_harte@yahoo.com by January 15th to be entered to win and note if you live in the U.S. or not.

News and a Question

I'm having difficulty typing since my fingers are half frozen. It's still cold here, and yet another snow day the kids have off from school. I did get a good bit done yesterday, but today is seeming like a wash. I have two projects I'm struggling to finish, and another I need to start in two weeks, so I really need to wrap these up. But I'm just happy to be working again. I get edgy if I'm not typing at least a little every day.

I found out some good and bad news yesterday so thought I'd share.
Good News: Gunnar's Game is a Fictionwise bestseller and recent release. Julian's Jeopardy will be going into print.
Bad News: I'm not sure when Julian's Jeopardy will be going into print, and Gunnar's Game is too short for print, so unless I write another Circ book, that one won't be released in print.

I'm wondering if I should write a short story for Grayson, Ava's brother, since I had a lot of comments and questions about him after Gunnar's Game, but I already have my PowerUp! series to do for Loose Id. Maybe I'll leave it to the readers. Any thoughts?

Very Very Odd

One of my chief complaints about living down South is that it's not cold here. Well, color me wrong. Today there is snow all over the ground. We actually have a snow day, and my kids were up uber-early dying to go outside. They're now jumping around to Just Dance 2 in the other room, and to say I probably won't get much work done today is being kind. ACK. My friend who homeschools is laughing at me. But hey, I need my routine, and that routine is writing while my kids are in school...away from here. I love them, but gimme a break. They were just home for two straight weeks!


So above is a picture of what I'm looking at out my window. Talk about a wacky 2011. But at least it's cold.

The Life

Thought I'd share what someone else in my family is doing today. A dog's life, ain't it grand?

Ta-Da!

Today was the delivery of my new couch. The kids abused the other one--I still can't get the marker out of my indestructible Naugahyde.I wish I had a better angle for the picture, but as you can see, it's here. I spent the day screwing around with galley edits while waiting on not only the couch, but also the exterminator (friggin's little black ants!!) and the ADT guy. sigh. Not much done work-wise, but the couch is REALLY comfy.

Working Hard

No more goofing off. Today I'm hitting my WIP hard. My goal is at least one chapter. I'm crossing my fingers for two...

My list of things to avoid:

• Facebook
• Emails
• Phone calls
• Laundry
  
• Staring at the ceiling
• Blogging one more word
  

'Nuff said.

Beep, Beep!

Beep Beep! School is FINALLY back in session. After my personal hell trying to wake up the 7- and 5-year-old and get them moving, I fed them, packed them up, and watched them eventually smile and laugh as they boarded the school bus. Meanwhile, I was bursting with glee. I love my little monsters, but hey, I have work to do!

After a fast mile and a half walk in the brisk wind, I came back, showered, ate breakfast, and made coffee. Now, after whittling through emails and a new contract, I'm sipping coffee and getting ready to get back to work on RetroCog--my erotic, psychic who-dunnit. So far so good!

And on the contract note, I'm happy to announce Samhain will be publishing Storming His Heart, the second in my Westlake Enterprises series. More psychics, more sex, more humor. I wrote the Westlake trilogy five years ago and have since rewritten the darn books so many times my eyes hurt from looking at all the changes. I'm hoping to have the third book to my new editor at Samhain sometime in June, if I'm lucky.

And now back to a little town called Brownville, where two lovers are about to cross paths with a killer. What fun!

Just Another Manic Monday...

I am so not 2011 by naming this post a title from a 1986 Bangles song--and yes, I did have to look that information up. (For some reason I was thinking Belinda Carlisle.) For a treat, keep reading until you get to the video below.

I'm finally back to work. YIPPEE! Granted, the kiddos don't go back to school until tomorrow, but I've been working on final edits for a story releasing in February and I'm flush full of ideas for my current WIP, which I plan to have finished in the next two weeks.

I do much better with deadlines and a busy schedule than playing it fast and loose with a whenever time frame. Yeah, sometimes discipline is not my friend.

But in the interests of sharing, I wanted to comment on one thing a friend sent me today--scary info about a new electronic publishing house opening for submissions. I won't mention the house, because I wouldn't advise an aspiring or even seasoned author to sub there. They specifically ask for only polished manuscripts, because content editing will not be a factor at this new house. They will only consider minor grammatical changes. And right there, the STAY AWAY WARNING WARNING flag was raised.

As a reader, I want an edited story. I've read enough that were supposedly edited to know that editing is a necessity in a work of fiction. And for any author to think they're so good they're beyond edits it just crazy talk. That and ego, no doubt. In fact, lack of editing is one of the chief complaints many readers have with the new trend in Indie publishing. Authors don't have anyone else look at their work before deeming it perfect and publishable. But that's another discussion saved for another day. (I'm neither for nor against Indie publishing. I'm curiously neutral.)

I've been with a publishing house that started out normal and grew into a place that refused to edit. Their customers complained, the authors complained, and by the droves, we left as soon as we were legally able.

Bottom line. I'm an avid reader and writer. And if you think you're too good to have your work thoroughly edited, one, you're not, and two, you're an idiot.

My two cents on this wonderfully chilled Monday. Enjoy the music video, if you dare. I've gotta go grab some coffee.

New Dimensions to the New Year...In Ten Parts!

This video will blow your mind. At least, it blew mine. If you've ever wondered about dimensions and how there can possibly be more than four, check out these videos. They make it very easy to understand, or at least grasp, a complex idea of intersecting infinities. FASCINATING stuff, and something to ponder as we head into a new year. And now I have a headache...

And part two...

New Hot Contest!!

To celebrate 2010, I'm holding a contest and giving away five print books and five ebooks to ten lucky winners. The prizes are as follows:
Print Books
Storm Lords Vol. 1 (The Fire Within and Below the Surface)
Storm Lords Vol. 2 (Gale Season)
Over the Moon (an anthology with six other authors, all shapeshifter stories)
Circe's Recruits: Hale
Dawn Endeavor: The Circs (Fallon's Flame and Hayashi's Hero)
E-Books
Namesake
Kate Undone
Foxy Lady
To Hunt a Sainte
Enemy Red

Simply email me what you like or dislike about my website to be entered in the contest, subject line 2011 Contest. (Trust me, I want to know good AND bad.) Anyone can win, but you have to be a continental U.S. winner to receive a print book. (Sorry, postage is killer.) Send your response to marie_harte@yahoo.com by January 15th to be entered to win and note if you live in the U.S. or not.