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2005 Diary Archive

December 26, 2005 -- Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday (or continue to have a wonderful holiday). It's hard to believe it but this is my last diary entry for 2005. When you come back here next week, this page will be fresh and almost empty again. 2005 will be archived along with the previous years of my crazy journey toward and beyond publication (since 2001). And I'll be embarking on my next adventure, 2006. Which, of course, will see some milestones for me. My second historical romance from Avon will be published. I'll turn in a third and fourth. And I'll turn thirty next year.

But those are all things to ponder next week. This week, I can't help but reflect on the events of 2005. This year so much has happened. Lots of book releases (Undeniable, Wager of Sin, Secrets Volume 12, The Sweetest Sin, Sin's Mistress and, of course, Scandalous). I saw a couple of bestseller lists. I got a lot of nice reviews, lots of great fan mail (eep!) and a few not-so-nice reviews. Hopefully I started to develop a thicker skin.

I sold three more books to Avon, meaning I'll stay employed a few more years. With the publisher that is still my dream house (and no one better wake me up, either). I went to New York City and did all kinds of author-y things. I got to know my agent and my editor better (and miraculously, they both still seem to like me).

My life changed this year. And things will never really be the same. I reached the first part of my dream, but it's like climbing Everest. You get to the peak and you realize there's more to come. So you keep climbing. I'm so glad you guys have come along for the climb. And I can't wait to see what happens next.

A couple of quick things. If you're starting to think about setting some goals for yourself for 2006, I've moved my article about setting goals that I wrote a few years ago to the top of the Articles page. I'll be setting some of my own and I'll post them here next week.

There is one more week left in 2005. I wish you health and happiness for the rest of this year. And I hope next year will see you continue to follow your heart and pursue your dreams, no matter what they are. And that it will bring you to the top of whatever portion of Everest you're climbing.

Happy New Year to all of you!

December 19, 2005 -- Well, first things first! Don't forget that this week Sin's Mistress will be available. You can download it starting December 21 from Venus Press. This book is the third and final installment in my "SIN" series which started with Wager of Sin and continued with The Sweetest Sin. Here is a brief synopsis:

Raphael Sinclair is the most debauched of rakes and rogues. When he wants something he takes it, whether it be revenge or a woman. And now he wants both. Evelyn Greville's father is Sin's worst enemy. And what better way to purge a stunning desire for the innocent miss and ruin her father than to have her in every wicked way his clever mind can imagine. But Evelyn is not as innocent as she seems... and he may be the one conquered by Sin's Mistress.

It was a lot of fun to write and I hope readers who enjoyed the first two books will get just as much enjoyment out of this last installment. It's my early Christmas gift to you. :)

Avon gave me an early Christmas gift, as well when they gave me the new cover for Parlor Games, the debut title in their new erotic romance line.

Here it is:

I think it's really sexy and classy. Very nice. It will be available in June 2006 and you can read more about it at Jess Michaels.

What else can I tell you about this past week? Well, I worked quite a bit on Felicity's story for the next You Tell Me the Story. I even wrote the first few pages. That will be posted on March 5, 2006, so be on the lookout for more info coming soon at Jenna Petersen. I also worked a little bit on the third Lady Spy book. My first three chapters are slowly coming together.

Happy, happy holidays everyone. Next week will be my last post for 2005! Hard for me to believe, but true.

 

December 12, 2005 -- If you've been a fan of my SIN series from Venus Press (Wager of Sin and The Sweetest Sin), you'll be excited to know that the third and final book in the series, Sin's Mistress will be released on December 21, 2005! Yup, a little more than a week. :) It was a bit of a shock to me, too, since I thought it was going to be released in early 2006. You can read more about Sin's Mistress, including an excerpt at my Jess Michaels site.

Otherwise, things are still just chugging along. I've seen the back cover copy (which is the description on the back of the book) for From London With Love. I love it that things are just moving forward despite how far off August seems to be! I'm hoping to get a little more work done on the proposal for the third Lady Spy book this week, but my parents arrive on December 21 (just in time for Sin's Mistress), so I know I may get sidetracked. And if I do? It's okay. I'm giving myself permission to enjoy the holidays in every way. Then I can bury myself back into this office and work nonstop if I need to after the New Year.

How this year has flown!

December 5, 2005 -- Copyedits for From London With Love (August 2006) came this past week, so I spent the week working on those. I can say that this is my least favorite part of the process for me. It's tedious, my back hurts, it somehow stresses me out. But I'm done. Thank goodness. Should be sending them back today. And that will mean that pretty much all my work on London will be done. I'll still have page proofs, but those are far less labor intensive and I don't mind them. It's funny... this is the last time I'll see this book in manuscript format. It will be going into serious production now, which gives me a huge thrill. This book has been a long time coming.

In other news, I have actually written a chapter and about a third on the third Lady Spy book. Its proposal is due January 15, so I'm slowly but surely making my way through. I'm so excited. I've been hearing this heroine's voice through two books now and she's already fun and unconventional and ready to rumble.

This week I want to continue writing on the third Lady Spy book and also finish up with the character sheets and skeletal plot for Felicity's story. It needs a title, too. Must work on that.

November 28, 2005 -- Not a lot to report as last week was a holiday week in the US. I've noticed a trend in my writing now. I work like crazy for a few weeks, cranking out lots of pages and getting lots of work done, then I need a week or so to relax and recharge. That was what this past week was.

But this week I have all intentions to get some more work done. I'm hoping to start scene descriptions for the third Lady Spy story based upon the synopsis I wrote up a couple weeks ago. And I'm also in the process of developing character sheets and a story skeleton for the next You Tell Me the Story promotion I'll be doing at Jenna Petersen starting in March 2006.

So lots to do! :)

November 21, 2005 -- I'm moving nicely through my check list. I finished Sin's Mistress this week (in a marathon couple of writing sessions where Sin and Evie just kept urging me to write, write, write) and turned it in. Hoping to hear from my editor at Venus on her thoughts soon. But for now, it's crossed off my list and thank GOODNESS.

On Wednesday, I met with my plotting buddies Shelley Bradley and Jennifer Crump and we worked out the kinks in the third Lady Spy story. I've written a messy synopsis that needs work still to make sure the romantic elements shine through as powerfully as they are reflected in my mind. Then I need to write three chapters. But for now, I'm nicely on or ahead of schedule.

This week is Thanksgiving in the United States. I was looking back at my entry for last year at Thanksgiving. My first book, Secrets, Volume 11 was about to ship and I was still reeling from the sale to Avon and preparing for the revisions for Scandalous. This year is... yet again... a whole different beast. So what am I thankful for this year?

I'm thankful for all these deadlines. As much as I'm looking at the calendar and chewing my already nonexistent nails beyond the quick, I'm also fully aware that having deadlines means continuing to work. I'm thankful that so far, I'm on track to make all those deadlines (knock on wood). This year I'm also very thankful to YOU. The release of Scandalous has been a fantastic experience. And I know a lot of the success I've enjoyed has to do with those of you who have come here to Passionate Pen over the years and supported me by buying my book. So thanks. And I hope you enjoy or enjoyed Scandalous.

Happy Thanksgiving! :)

November 14, 2005 -- Ring the bells, pet the cats, eat some chocolate, my book is d-o-n-e. Woohoo! It's rough, but it's whole and finished. And I will pick it up in about a month and shine it until it's very pretty. Hopefully. In the meantime, I've taken the last week to pick up my extremely messy office, do winterizing yard work... and write a bit on Sin's Mistress. This week I hope to finish or nearly finish that book so I can turn it in and get the word on Venus's release date for it. And I'll be plotting the third Lady Spies book this week, as well so I can get the proposal turned in by its delivery date. The publishing industry is weird. I'll have turned in the second book and the proposal for the third book in the Lady Spies series before the first book even comes out.

Life is all toasty and good for now. I'm going to enjoy it because this career is always a series of ups and downs.

November 7, 2005 -- Went to Autumn Authors this weekend. It was good to be away from the computer and the book and to talk shop with other writers. I came back rejuvenated and ready to finish up the second Lady Spy book (which, by the way, will not be called You Only Love Twice, but no details yet on its title). I'm shooting for a November 15th first draft finish, so I should have my head down this week work, work, working my little heart out.

Wish me luck!

October 31, 2005 -- Okay, how did October fly by so fast?? When did this happen? At any rate, Happy Halloween!

The new sale has sunk in (with the occasional thrill tremor wracking me out of no where) and I have my delivery dates, so I've been back to the serious business of putting rear end in chair and writing. I'm trying very hard to have a first draft of You Only Love Twice done before November 15th. I made some excellent progress the last two weeks and am on the downward slide to The End now, so I'm have high hopes. After that, I need to finish up Sin's Mistress for Venus Press (right now it's tentatively scheduled for an April 2006 release, but if I turn it in soon, it may be earlier). Then my parents are coming for the holidays and I'm going to have a nice, relaxing time while they're here.

In the meantime, I'm pleased to say that my June 2006 Jess Michaels release, "Fallen Angel" in Parlor Games and Other Stories is now available for pre-order at Amazon.com. I turned my copyedits back in last week so this book is well on its way to being done! I'm so excited to see the cover, I'm sure it's going to be hoooooooootttttttt. Oh, and I looked again (right before I took my sacred vow not to check Amazon again), and the pre-order from From London With Love is also available!

This weekend I'll be at the Autumn Authors Affaire in Lisle, IL. If you'll be there, hope you'll say hi. It's such a mellow, laid back conference that I'm sure we'll have a great time.

October 24, 2005 -- This week rules!! First, within moments of posting my updates for this site last Monday, my lovely editor emailed to let me know that the revisions on the first Lady Spy book, From London With Love (August 2006) have been fully accepted! I'm done! At least until copyedits...

Speaking of which, I got those for "Fallen Angel", which is part of Avon's June 2006 historical erotic romance collection Parlor Games and Other Stories. Aside from really liking commas (A LOT) and wanting my disgraced Bow Street Runner to be a Bow Street runner (you know, Regency jogging was huge), they're cool. I'm pretty well done now and I'll be sending them back this week.

Then on Wednesday my agent called. I'd been having this rancid day and she could tell, so she gave me some news to help make it a little better. I've been offered and accepted a new three-book contract with Avon which will keep me employed through 2008! Yay!!!

It's very strange. Scandalous seems to be doing pretty well and everything, but it was still a huge relief when I got that call. We're really independent contractors, you see. If no one wants us, we're unemployed. So having a couple years of job security is like a huge weight taken off my shoulders.

Oh, one final thing. Cindy Harrison has a new interview up with me. Come check it out if you're of a mind.

October 17, 2005 -- There is just too much to tell, I don't know where to start. Well, let's see. First, if you've been to the front page here you'll have seen that Scandalous hit #23 on the Waldenbooks Overall Mass Market Bestseller list during its first week of sales! It also hit the Bookscan Bestseller list two weeks in a row (we'll see if we can make it three this week). I'm so thrilled about these lists and I know a lot of it has to do with the folks who visit here and wanted to support me. I hope if you've picked up Scandalous that you will enjoy it!

Secondly, I have obviously returned from my New York City adventure. I've documented it in Diary format in the Articles for Writers section here. I had an awesome time! I also found out that my editor liked the revisions I did to From London With Love (my August 2006 release), but asked for one little tweak in the first chapter. I'm hoping to be able to say that it is fully accepted very soon. :)

I've gotten through the one-third mark of You Only Live Twice since we last met. I'm excited to get back to it now that life is going back to normal (or something like it). Oh and I had my first conference and bookstore booksigning for Scandalous. You can read more about the conference one in my New York Diary, but the one in Joliet went very well! I'll have a picture up at Jenna Petersen on November 1st.

Speaking of which, I've decided to take part in a two week writing challenge in the hopes that I actually will make my personal goal for finishing You Only Live Twice, so I should be writing like a madwoman this coming week and next! But be sure to check out my Events because I have a chat tonight and another booksigning this coming weekend!

October 3, 2005 -- Wow, what a whirlwind! In the past week I have had fan mail, seen my ranking at Barnes and Noble go to less than 150, been in the top 100 romances at Amazon and heard of my book being sighted (and bought) all across the country... and the world! It's been really fun and exciting and overwhelming in all the best ways. For all of you who have bought the book, many thanks! I really hope you enjoy it.

I have stumbled through some more work on You Only Love Twice in the midst of all this fun and frolic. I'm anxious to get back to that story. I'm very much enjoying the interplay between straight-laced Ana and Lucas. I've never written a hero quite like him before. He's dark... but in a different way from Dominic in Scandalous or Tristan in the upcoming From London With Love. And he has dimples.

But in the meantime, I am off on the 6th on the adventure I keep forgetting in the midst of everything else. I am off to New Jersey for the Put Your Heart In A Book conference and then to New York until next Wednesday! So there won't be a regular update next week. But I'll be back October 17 with lots of fun and pictures to share, I'm sure. Meanwhile, there are a bunch of fun things coming up in the next couple weeks, so be sure to check out My Events to see if I'll be near you in the near future.

I'm off to pack!

September 27, 2005 -- I saw it!! Today in Barnes and Noble here in town. I actually called both our local B&N and Borders this morning because I knew I'd have limited time to look while my husband had his lunch (we share a car). Borders didn't have it shelved yet, but B&N did and said I should just talk to a manager when I got there if I wanted to sign the stock. So we went in and there it was. It was half on one shelf and half on another (which was annoying), but four copies. Not faced out.

I talked to the manager, who was super nice and I signed. Then she took the books. I'm not sure if they'll be moved or faced out now that they have 'autographed by author' stickers on them, but we'll see.

So I saw it. I'm not sure how to feel. It was exciting and kind of a let down all at once. I guess that's what you get for anticipating a moment for over year. Not that I'm complaining! It was great. But... weird. LOL

September 26, 2005 -- Tomorrow is the official release date of Scandalous and I'm obviously so excited and overwhelmed and... a little nauseous. ;) But lovely May sent me a couple of copies early, resulting in this picture to the left. That's me with the very first copy of my real book. Wow. My book.

Tomorrow will mark the moment I've been dreaming about for just a little over five years. And at my dream house (Avon) to boot. Of course, it's just the beginning of a new adventure. My second book is already scheduled and we'll probably go into contract negotiation for my third and fourth books in a short time here. But this moment is a defining moment for me. It is the culmination of years of hard work, tears, highs and lows and a few times of wanting to give up entirely (and a few times where I actually did, though it never lasted).

Already I am hearing from people across the United States who are finding the book on the shelf. That thrills me beyond anything. Right now my book is sitting on someone's TBR pile... or, if I'm lucky, it's already been read and enjoyed. But it won't seem totally real until I see it in person in a store on a shelf. I'm hoping today or tomorrow will be the day for that to happen. When it does, you can be sure I'll be here posting about it, so look for a mid-week update.

Otherwise, I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone who has come along with me on this journey. Those who have used this site for research or support. Especially those who have read along with this diary I've kept since early 2001 (long before blogging was cool). I hope you have gotten something valuable out of my twisting, winding road. And I hope you'll continue to travel along with me as I move past debut author into whatever next step is waiting.

And most of all, I hope you like the book if you pick it up. I loved writing it. I loved sharing the trip it took from the moment I started writing to the moment I got the call to the revision where I lost my mind until now with you.

So thanks.

And now... go find the book! Go on, what are you waiting for!!

September 19, 2005 -- A couple of things this week. First, I found out the info I had on the release date of Parlor Games is wrong. It's actually JUNE 2006, not September! So yay! Though, um... I guess I need to figure out what I'm doing for promo... hmmmmmmm...

Secondly, I finished the revisions for From London With Love (August 2006)!! It is actually on its way back to New York today (as soon as the UPS store opens). Am I nervous? Heck, yeah! I hope my editor likes the changes I made. This revision was wayyyy more low key than the one for Scandalous, but you can't help but worry you missed the point and the editor will want more changes. But I guess we'll see. In the mean time, I'm back to work on You Only Love Twice. Over the weekend, I actually re-read what I've written so far and I'm excited to get back to Anastasia and Lucas.

Well, I'm going to try to work. Thing is, I'm having a harder and harder time concentrating because Scandalous will be on the shelves one week from tomorrow. Oh, that gives me a flutter. Because of that, next week may be a little different. I'm guessing once I see it on the shelf the first time, I'll be coming here and posting a diary entry midweek. In the meantime, if you see the book, feel free to email me and let me know where and when. I'd love to track it as it appears around the country.

September 12, 2005 -- Can I hear a woohoo? Got the word this week that my erotic novella, "Fallen Angel" that will be part of Avon's first erotic romance collection Parlor Games and Other Stories (September 2006) has been accepted with no revisions! This is the first time I've had a 'no revisions' acceptance, so that was very, very cool! I'm so glad my editor liked the story. I'll definitely have more info on this story coming soon to Jess Michaels (probably for the October update).

Otherwise, it's just continuing on the revisions for From London With Love (August 2006). I'm past the halfway point and moving steadily toward the end. I'd actually really like to finish the revision by the end of this week (there are some real life things going on right now that may prevent it, but I'm hoping still). Then I plan to read the whole thing out loud one last time and back it will go. Hopefully my editor will like the changes and we'll move on to copyedits. :) And I'll be back to work on You Only Love Twice.

September 5, 2005 -- This week has been so busy! I got my RT review for Scandalous and it was fabulous! You can read the awesome quote at Jenna Petersen. And I've been working through my revisions for From London With Love slowly but surely. I'm a little more than a quarter of the way done and I'm hoping to get a big ol' chunk done this week and move past the halfway point or even more. I'm forever surprised when I actually like my own work. And this time, I think I kind of do. I hope that's a good thing...

Otherwise, it's just counting down to Scandalous. I've got Scandalous on the brain! Just 22 more days and it will be September 27th... the first day you could find the book on the shelf. Not that I'm counting every blasted second or anything.

August 29, 2005 -- The revisions for From London With Love came this week from my lovely editor. She liked the book. She really, really liked the book!!!! I'm so, so pleased because, well... I love the book (pretty much) and I'm so excited that it's coming soon (relatively... I mean, I learned this year that 12 months can FLY by). The changes she asked for are definitely doable. Only a couple biggish ones that I've been thinking about for a few days (the letter and line edited manuscript came last Friday), so this week I intend to start playing with it a bit. I've got to go through the letter and analyze each change, decide how to make it and then read the manuscript to see the best place to incorporate the changes. I always make myself ill waiting for these things, but my editor really does kick ass. She makes such good comments that always make me think, "Duh!! Of course that's what I need to do, why didn't I know that??" And then she also makes sure to tell me what she liked, too (which invariably makes me all blushy and grinny).

So the next month or so is going to be all about revision, but then all hell will break loose. Because Scandalous is well within sight now. Getting closer each and every day, each and every moment. I can't wait.

August 22, 2005 -- First, if you haven't already, be sure to check out the newly added Chapter 5 in Her Every Desire. It's your last chance to vote on what should happen in the story, so be sure to make your voice heard before September 4th! The last chapter goes up September 18.

In other news, I actually wrote this past week. Not a whole lot, getting back in the saddle always takes me a while, but I'm officially back to work on You Only Love Twice (the tentative title of my second Lady Spies book). Anastasia, my heroine is actually a lot of fun when I match her up with Lucas (my hero). He can't decide right now if he wants to lock her in the cellar to protect her or take off her spectacles and kiss her silly. Maybe I'll let him do both...

This week my newest erotic romance releases from Venus Press (August 24). The Sweetest Sin. It's a second part to the series I started with Wager of Sin. You can read more about it at the Jess Michaels site.

This week I'm hoping for more writing on You Only Love Twice and maybe some work on the third in the Sin Series, Sin's Mistress. Depends on my schedule and what happens in other worlds. :)

August 15, 2005 -- Happy Birthday to my creative, talented brother! :)

So last week I had a very nice birthday. Thanks to everyone for their wishes and ecards and such. :) I got some wonderful gifts from the hubby to make my writing life more comfortable and happy. Support is the best gift I could get and he gives me that in spades every day. My lovely editor also gave me a wonderful gift when she let me know that a title has officially been chosen for my August 2006 release. It's the first in my Lady Spy series and the title is...

From London With Love

This was on of the titles I sent to her that I starred as a favorite, so I'm happy! And yes, it is a play on the James Bond title, "From Russia With Love". And I've heard a bit about the cover concept and I am salivating to see what they plan to do! It sounds yummy!! Too bad it will probably be six months before I see it! ARG!!!

This week I'll be putting the final revision touches on the 5th chapter of Her Every Desire, which will go up August 21. And I'll also be back to writing the second Lady Spy book, which I'm now tentatively titling, You Only Love Twice (yup, we're goin' with the Bond theme. "You Only Live Twice" is the Bond title). Hopefully they'll let me keep it once they approve the contract (hoping, hoping, hoping).

August 8, 2005 -- Phew! I survived a week of updating and catching up. I'm just finally starting to feel 'normal' again. It always takes me a week to recover from conference, at least. This past week, in the midst of catching up, we started getting our ducks in a row for titles for the first Lady Spies book. I'm hoping to have more info on that in the next few weeks. I love the direction Avon wants to take with this series, as well as the enthusiasm everyone (including me) seems to have for it. I really can't wait to share the genesis with you as we go along.

And speaking of genesis, I'll be getting back to work this week on the second Lady Spy book. I need to get more scenes prepped and review what I've already written. That will be made easier since I got a new printer this weekend. ARG. I am rough on the equipment, I know. I go through printers like other people go through tissues. What can I say? I print a lot.

Why did I get a new printer? Because tomorrow is my birthday. I'm sure I'll be blogging about that in my daily blog, as well, so I won't say very much about it here. But I am pretty darn happy about where I am in my life at present, so I think it will be a good day.

August 2, 2005 -- I'm alive and I'm finally home! It's a long story, but I will have more updates today and tomorrow. Keep checking back at the What's New page to get all the scoop on my big adventure in Reno, NV. :)

August 1, 2005 -- The PassionatePen is staying another day in Reno, but has lots of good things to say about the trip.  Expect a formal update to the PassionatePen on Tuesday. 

Love Always,

--The Infamous El Guapo

July 25, 2005 -- I leave for Reno tomorrow morning!! I'm so excited, you cannot believe it. I've been bouncing off the walls since Sunday morning when I started packing. But I do have a few things to cover here:

If you're coming to Reno, please come by and see me during the booksigning. You don't have to buy a Secrets Volume, but I'd love to say hi. If we've emailed, just remind me that we've 'met' through the Passionate Pen. Trust me, I don't bite or anything. In fact, I'm still utterly shocked when anyone knows me at all. My badge will say Jess Michaels and Jenna Petersen, but I plan to write in Passionate Pen, as well. I'll be easy to find. :)

See you when I get back!!

July 18, 2005 -- St. Louis was great! I bought WAY too many new clothes and read books and relaxed. But this week I'll actually have some work to do in the form of Chapter 4 of Her Every Desire, which will be posted on July 24 at You Tell Me the Story. :)

Also, I'm presenting one of my workshops starting today, "So I Wrote This Book, Now What?" at the Romance Divas Forums. It's free, you just need to register for the forums to participate.

Not a lot to say otherwise. When I'm not writing a book, I'm pretty boring. Actually, I'm not all the scintillating when I am writing, either. But I'm still waiting to hear on several fronts...

July 11, 2005 -- A few nice things this week. First, Wager of Sin was a Top Ten bestseller in June at Venus Press! So thanks to all who bought it. And it's still available, so if you're looking for something sinfully sexy to read... maybe you'll pick it up. On another Venus Press note, my editor loved the second book of this series and we're hoping to release it in August (yes, NEXT MONTH). It's been retitled The Sweetest Sin, with a third book in the series, Sin's Mistress to follow at a future date.

Secondly, I've added a new appearance to My Events. Yes, I'm going to be part of a panel of new authors that will present at the Avon Spotlight at RWA National Conference in Reno! We'll be briefly covering a variety of topics, but I'll be leading a few moments on promotion.

Finally, the cover for Scandalous is up on Amazon! Go check it out. I still think it's beeeautiful!

Today my sweetie and I are heading off to St. Louis for some R&R. I'm taking a bunch of books and my laptop. I'm taking my swimsuits. I'm swimming in the pool. I'm reading. I'm shopping. I am not writing a book.

Life is good. See you next week!

July 4, 2005 -- Happy Holiday to my fellow Americans! Hope you have a wonderful 4th. :)

Secrets, Volume 12 is now officially released! WOOHOO. You can order it from Red Sage Publishing or from Amazon.com. It will also be distributed in most major bookstores, though it often takes a few weeks for it to actually hit the shelves. But keep looking and keep asking! Waldens and Borders seems to be the best places to find the volumes. I hope you enjoy "Aphrodite's Passion"!

So, no news yet on the Avon front. Not a big surprise and the holiday will probably slow things down. I don't handle waiting very well. Being of an imaginative bent, I tend to start imagining the very worst... that my editor has discovered I'm a hack and is working hard with lawyers to break our current contract. And that, of course, will make my agent not love me anymore and I will never sell again and have to change my name. Of course... that is silly. I hope...

But to temper my ridiculous imaginings, I finished A Devil's Bargain, the second in a series started with Wager of Sin and sent it away to my lovely editor at Venus Press. No firm release date as of yet, but I have added some info at My Books. If you've been reading my regular blog, you already know I'm declaring July an I'm Not Writing A Book Month. Except for Chapter 4 of Her Every Desire which will go up after voting has ended for Chapter 3 (Only ONE WEEK TO VOTE!). We'll see if I can make it.

June 27, 2005 -- Are you a member of the Rhapsody Book Club (or Doubleday)? If so, then you will soon see that Scandalous has been selected as a Featured Alternate! I have been told this is a cool thing (I'm still learning what is what in some of this stuff) and I'm very excited since I'll get HARDBACK copies of this... my first book. Hang on, hyperventilating. Okay, I'm okay.

Have you been over to Jenna Petersen yet? Well Chapter 3 of Her Every Desire is now up and voting goes until July 10. Last time the vote was so, so close, so please vote if you want a say. It's been so fun and enlightening to read the reasoning behind the choices readers are making. It's a big education that I hope to take into my regular writing. Oh, and I also posted an excerpt of Scandalous, so be sure to check that out, as well.

In other fun news, my dear agent asked me to pretty please with sugar on top get to cracking with the proposal for the second Lady Spies book so that we could get things moving on that when she follows up on the first book (that I turned in a couple weeks ago) and with some stuff related to the erotic romance from Avon. Well, I already had a synopsis done and had been laying out scenes for a while now. So I sat down to work on it. Six hours later, I looked up and realized I had a proposal. So I editing it a bit and sent it off. So hopefully I will be able to tell you some good news about the first and second books in the Lady Spies series soon! I'm nervous. Very, very nervous.

And in the most important news of the week (SNORT)... I found TWO dresses for National this past week. A gorgeous black cocktail dress for the Avon Family Dinner on Friday and a pretty eggplant purple for the RITA/GH Ceremony on Saturday night.

June 20, 2005 -- A lot of nice things happened this past week. As I said, Wager of Sin was released from Venus Press and I've been told it's doing pretty well. I have been thinking about a series related to that story for a long time now (since I wrote it) and this past week, my editor at Venus contracted the second book, which is about my hero Hawk's (from Wager) brother Landon. I'm writing away now, and really making good progress. So, um, yeah! I made a new sale!!

Also, my author copies for Secrets, Volume 12 arrived this week and a BIG BOX of Volume 12 bookmarks. I still have tons left from Volume 11, too. SOOOO.... if you'd like a bookmark for each book, send a self-addressed, stamped BUSINESS size envelope to:

Jess Michaels
PO Box 6205
Bloomington, IL
61702

It's always cool to get a book and actually hold it in your hand. And now Volume 12 is up on 'my' bookshelf along with Volume 11 and the ARC of Scandalous.

This week my husband is away on a business trip, so I have a list of things to do, including finish up the third chapter of Her Every Desire to post at Jenna Petersen on Sunday, June 26. Then write more on A Devil's Bargain, the sequel to Wager of Sin. And finally, do more prep work for the second and third Lady Spies books since we need to start moving in on a new contract with Avon soon.

It should be a busy week!

June 13, 2005 -- A couple of housekeeper things this week. First, Wager of Sin will be released from Venus Press on June 15 (Wednesday of this week). I loved writing this story and when I read back over it for final edits, I still really liked Bianca and Hawk. I hope if you pick it up, you'll enjoy it. Just so you know, that link there will not show the ability to order until Wager is actually released. There is no pre-ordering in e-land. :) But there is an excerpt on that page I've linked to and that will be where you can order after Wednesday!

On more sales notes, Secrets, Volume 12 is now listed on Amazon.com as shipping! Yeah, I know, almost a month early. I have NO control over any of that, so if you order and they delay or something, don't yell at me. LOL Although one of the other authors ordered it the day we realized it was listed and already has it, so I think it's safe to say you can order it.

And someone yelled at me for not mentioning this in the last diary or on my blog... Secrets, Volume 12 got a Top Pick from Romantic Times in their July issue. This was a total shock and an honor. We knew that we'd gotten 4.5 stars, but none of us knew about the Top Pick status until last week. So I'm very happy and excited. :)

I'm very happy in the knowledge that Lady Spies 1 is now in the hands of my editor. Yay! And my agent liked it (she really liked it... sorry, Sally Field moment). This week I'm back in my saddle and working on Fallen Angel revisions.

In final fun news, I will be speaking at National after all! I'll be talking at the Avon Spotlight as part of the panel on Friday. :) AND I got my invite to the big Avon party this week. Oh, I'm so excited! Now I just need to lose 10 pounds and find the perfect dress. Yeah.

June 6, 2005 -- My head is getting SO BIG. I need a smack. I'm sure someone will be more than happy to provide it. :) It's just that everything is going so well!! I got my first review for Scandalous and it was awesome. I posted Chapter 2 of Her Every Desire and the response has been even better than the first time around (by the way, less than one week to VOTE!!).

I got my final edits for Wager of Sin and they were very minor (and my editor said very nice things), so now that's done. I also found out that the release has been moved up. It will now be available June 15. NEXT WEEK!!

My husband occasionally turns to me and says, "I'm so proud of you." (which he did before, but now I earned it). It's like all is right with my world.

So I took all that happy energy and poured it into the last touches on the first Lady Spies book. I will be mailing off today! My second book with Avon, turned in and only awaiting approval (and then revision, line edits, copyedits, page proofs, ARCS and my head exploding). Wow, though. I mean, two years ago... I had no idea that any of this was around the next bend. A YEAR ago, I was clueless, really.

Am I enjoying every damn moment to the fullest? Oh yeah, baby!

May 30, 2005 -- Well, here we are... still here. The voting was very close (most of the time, it was actually tied) and very few people bothered to vote at all. But I decided that meant that I would leave things as they are... sort of. I also realized that I wanted to have a forum to talk about more than writing sometimes. Or more than 'what's happening this week/last week', at any rate. So I decided to create a more traditional blog, too. So if you feel like reading the various and sundry thoughts that pass through my crowded mind... knowing they will not always have to do with writing and may not always be that interesting, you can visit http://www.livejournal.com/users/jennanjess/. And if you wish to continue just having a weekly Passionate Pen check-up... well, that will still be here, too.

My good friend Susanna Carr had some fantastic news this week. THREE of her books are up for The Quill awards. The winners are to be announced on NBC (!!!!!). Anyway, if you've read any of her stories in How to Be a 'Wicked' Woman, Merry Christmas, Baby, or Wicked Women 101, you'll know why she's a finalist!! Check out her website for more info on her books.

More work on the erotic romance for Avon this past week (which has a working title of Fallen Angel). In fact, I hit one of my 'strides' and wrote a ridiculous amount. And um... kinda finished the first draft. So I'll take a little time away and then come back to edit it and turn it in (Deadline: August 15). More good news on this front, though the contract is already official, my editor has read the synopsis and given the sign off. I've added a little more news about this in My Books. Which, yes, I know... needs a redesign desperately. I swear, after I finish the projects that are on deadline, I will fiddle with this page and make it more user-friendly.

In the mean time, this week I plan to do some final editing on the first Lady Spies book so I can turn that in (Deadline: July 15). I've been away from the book for over a month now and I'm really ready to read it over again and make the final adjustments before I let my lovely editor see it. A good break can really help bring a book into perspective.

And the second chapter of Her Every Desire has been posted at Jenna Petersen, so come on by, read it and vote for what should happen in Chapter 3. Voting closes June 12!

God, I'm boring lately. I know, I need to spice it up!! Next week, I swear I will be more interesting...

May 23, 2005 -- So I get a lot of SPAM at my main email. I'm sure you all do, too. Mostly, I ignore it or my SPAM filter catches it. But one came through the other day that actually made me look at it. The subject was "Make your bed a BED-er place." It was to enlarge my penis, of course. But I thought the pun was amusing. Not amusing enough to give myself a virus by clicking the dirty, little link, but I gave the sender points for creativity. If you're going to be a nuisance, at least be one that makes me laugh.

It's been a busy week in Casa Petersen. We're both back to work now for real after a few weeks of sickness and travel and fun. It's easier for me to get back into the swing, I think because I'm really excited about everything coming up. Each day brings me closer to the Scandalous release date. <Giddy Thrill, Giddy Thrill!!>

I worked on the second chapter of Her Every Desire this week. It's moving along nicely. And it better be since I'm posting it this Sunday and you can start voting on what should happen next! I've also been working on the erotic novella for Avon. See the midweek Diary entry below if you missed my revealing of the super-secret (super AWESOME) news!

I am ending this week with a pop quiz:

Would you like The Passionate Pen to do a more traditional "blog", updated more than once a week with the ability to have comments and the like? Click on your answer to vote:

Yes, give me more Passionate Pen tidbits and wisdom... and on a more regular basis (SNORT)!

No, I love you just he way you are. Please don't annoy me any more than you already do!

And hey, for extra incentive, everyone who votes will be entered to win a special "Passionate Pen" prize pack. Let's see, I'll draw five names to win a copy of the March/April 2004 Arabella Magazine with "Dueling the Debutante" in it (Jess Michaels and that is out of print, so it could be a collectors item (LOLOLOL)), a Jess Michaels magnet, a Scandalous bookmark and a Scandalous coverflat (signed). Along with... whatever else I think to throw in. Only one vote per email address, though, okay? And I'll draw the winners to be announced next Monday here in the diary (or at the new blog, depending on how voting goes).

May 19, 2005 -- Pardon my midweek update, but you know what that means. Something good has happened!! Actually, a few people found out about the super secret and blabbed it when they were supposed to be quiet, so I've been given the okay to share with the world. Here it is:

Avon has bought an erotic romance novella from me to help launch their brand new Erotic Romance line that will come out next year!!

It was a massively cool story. On Friday, my lovely editor mentioned she wanted to read my Secrets story and any other erotica I had available because they were thinking about starting this line. Monday she asked for a proposal. So while my Mom read an ARC of Scandalous, I worked hard on a synopsis for her. Then Thursday, out of the blue, my wonderful, awesome agent called me to tell me they no longer needed a proposal because my editor had read "Ancient Pleasures" and they decided just to buy a novella blind! So in less than a week, I went from 'we're thinking about starting an erotic romance line' to 'we're going to contract on a novella from Jess Michaels'.

I'm so excited!! So I'll have some info up when it becomes available. I'm actually writing now, but I don't want to give anything away story wise yet. I don't have a firm release date, but probably mid to late 2006. It will be part of a three-author historical erotic romance anthology. There will also be a three-author contemporary erotic romance anthology. They will be trade paperback.

That's all I can share for now. I'm working with my editor to get you some more info and how to submit. For now, I would suggest going through your agent if you want to be a part of this new line.

May 16, 2005 -- You know, despite my Mom being here this past week (and now she's gone, SNIFFLE!!), it was very busy. Actually it was kind of cool because she got to SEE so much of what I do and the process I'm going through to get to October and the release. She's been so supportive that it was fun to have her see everything. So... what happened:

1. I mailed my ARCs off to the booksellers and a couple reviewers. I put together a packet consisting of a letter to the bookseller, an ARC, a bookmark and a business card. Already I'm starting to get some feedback. It's actually all really good so far. It kind of blows my mind. People are reading my book. Liking my book. Um... yeah. LOL

2. My coverflats came!! Oh. So. GORGEOUS. If you want to win one, right now I'm giving them away as part of my coverflat packets to coincide with the You Tell Me the Story promotion at Jenna Petersen. Go check out the site for more info.

3. My lovely editor also sent me a copy of the Harper catalogue. I think this goes out to booksellers and such for ordering purposes. And my book is in there. The ad is awesome with all these neat selling points. They're saying such nice things about it. It's really cool! And terrifying, but we'll concentrate on cool. LOL

4. And something else, super secret also happened. But I won't/can't say what for a little bit. But it's good! Really Good!! I'm a horrible tease, I know, but I'm sure I'll get to tell you all about it in a few weeks. :)

In other news, the voting on the first chapter of Her Every Desire is over now. I will be writing the second chapter this week and next and posting it on May 29. Then you can vote on what should happen in Chapter 3.

I would like to finish today with a whine. The Writer's Digest top 101 Websites for Writers 2005 edition is now up. There are some great ones. But once again, Passionate Pen is not amongst them. So many of you tell me how helpful the site is, but it's been consistently overlooked for over five years now. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I have tried nominating it. Others have told me they've contacted WD about it. I dunno. But is it wrong that I WANT to be recognized by WD? Sigh. Maybe next year.

May 9, 2005 -- So before we begin, behold the wonderful new cover for Wager of Sin, which will be released on June 22, 2005 from Venus Press. I have been enormously lucky with covers!!

I have a lot to say this week, so bear with me. Scandalous is now less than five months away from being on the shelves and things are starting to happen.

First, I was putting together the packages for my ARCs that arrived while I was in Arizona and I started to read Scandalous. Mostly, I just wanted to flip through it in that format. You know, bound with the cover, looking oh, so very book-like. But I actually started reading about three or four chapters from the end. Once upon a time I really loved this book. I thought it was my best book to date when I finished it in 2003 and when I couldn't sell it on my own, it was the catalyst for a lot of changes because I couldn't understand what they wanted if they didn't want this story.

But once we sold it and I revised it and read it again twenty times... I sort of fell out of love with it. When I read the words, I felt pressure and fear. After all, this will be my first exposure with most readers and I know I need to make a good impression and a little buzz to get my career going. So when I read it for galleys a few months ago, I did not love it anymore. And I was sad. And scared.

But when I started reading it this past week... for a minute I forgot I wrote it. And I liked it again. Sure, I saw places where I wished I changed a word or a phrase. I am the author, I will never be fully satisfied. But I liked the story. I liked Dominic and Katherine. When I reached their ending, their happily ever after... I was happy.

And then... other people started to read it. One of my very favorite authors (and a friend from my Washington State years), Elizabeth Boyle read it for a cover quote. I won't spoil her lovely cover quote by saying it here, you have to wait until the book is on the shelves, but ... she liked it. She emailed my editor and emailed me with two very nice emails saying as much. I hadn't recovered from that when my editor forwarded me something from one of the sales people at Avon (selling into bookstores), who also really liked it. That could mean a stronger push into bookstores because an enthusiastic recommendation goes a long way.

I am... overcome. I thought so much about 'being published' over the years. What it would mean and what I would do and how I would feel. But now I'm here and I'm seeing and feeling things I hadn't ever considered. The idea that someone I really respect (and who I know would probably tell me if she didn't care for the book) liked it and thought it was a strong debut... the fact that someone who has the power to encourage booksellers to take a stronger interest in my book enjoyed it. It's just a taste of that dream that I had, but never really realized until now. And it is so sweet. I wish I could bottle it.

Okay, that's enough of my yammering. This week my Mom is here for her annual visit, so things will likely be slow if you email a question or whatever. Don't forget there is only one week left to vote for the first section of You Tell Me The Story at Jenna Petersen!

May 2, 2005 -- My husband and I went to Arizona this past weekend for a family wedding. It was a lovely ceremony and a great party afterward. And a much needed break. I've kind of been running at full steam here for a while between Jess Michaels releases and finishing my second Jenna Petersen book for Avon. Getting away for a few days was just what the doctor ordered. And now I'm back and ready to rumble.

Good thing, too. Because the first chapter of Her Every Desire went up at Jenna Petersen on May 1st! There is already a lively debate on the Tell Me The Story email loop about what should happen next and the votes are pouring in! It's been very interesting to read the comments on the loop and in the votes people are sending me. I can only hope that when the next chapter goes up, I do the first one justice.

In Scandalous news, I got my bound galleys this weekend!! They are beautiful and my editor has the nicest 'letter to the reader' that just made me get all gooey inside. I'll be sending these out to booksellers and chosen reviewers very soon, but for now I'm just.... holding them. Because this is my book. My dream. Bound up and everything.

Okay. I'm not crying. And I'm SO TOTALLY breathing.

April 25, 2005 -- In news of things that rock, yet have nothing to do with me, personally... have you looked at the July Historical Releases, which I added to the site this month? Did you see how many new historical authors are listed, debut authors? EIGHT, people. EIGHT debut releases. You may not realize the awesome-ness of this. A year ago, there might have been one and that would have been a big month. So what does it mean? Well, obviously the publishers are accepting new historical authors. It's a risk for them, so that means they are also more willing to back the historical market. There are a couple of publishers with "Debut Author" programs (Zebra and Avon... which I'll be a part of in October, woohoo!). And Dorchester's American Title Contest this coming year will be for historical romance (see links to enter by June 1). I firmly believe the historical romance market is in the middle of a recovery.

So how can we help it? Definitely continue to buy new historical romances and debut authors. And if you're an aspiring historical romance author, DON'T GIVE UP. It's hard, I know. But it's looking up.

And in news that does have something to do with me, my erotic historical romance, Undeniable was released last week. You can order it here. Hope you enjoy it! :)

What else... well, lots of Scandalous news (not news that is scandalous, but news about Scandalous). First, I got the beautiful, beautiful business cards and bookmarks I ordered from Earthly Charms this past week. So GORGEOUS. I love their work, it's fantastic and well-priced. And they came just in time, too, because on Friday I went up to a suburb of Chicago to a Bookseller/Librarian Appreciation Dinner that Windy City RWA does every year. I brought ARCs of Scandalous for each bookseller/librarian, along with said business cards/bookmarks. It was a really nice time, though I'm nervous. These are the first people (okay REAL people, CPs and agents and editors aside) who are going to be seeing my book.

This weekend my hubby and I are heading to Tucson for a family wedding, so I will be incommunicado from April 28 - May 1, but when I get back... the first chapter of Her Every Desire will go up at Jenna Petersen. So look for it! See you when I return!

April 18, 2005 -- Okay, so I didn't hate it. Lady Spies: Book 1, I mean (and yes, it will eventually have a better title). After the first read-through, I wasn't sure how I felt about it. But now that I've started editing (and I'm making excellent progress on that), I'm liking it a bit more. I'd really love to finish my first revision, do a full read-through and send it to my agent before my Mom comes for her annual visit the first weekend of May. But with an upcoming family wedding and new sales (see below!!) and book releases, I may not finish it up and send it off until mid-May.

As you can see, I have yet another new cover!! Undeniable is a novella that will be available as an e-book on April 20 (two days!!!) I like the lacy pattern, like sunlight is coming through a window behind her. I hope you enjoy the book! There's more info on the book here in My Books, as well as at Jess Michaels.

In final NEWS this week, I have made another erotic romance sale! My Regency-era erotic romance Wager of Sin has just been contracted by Venus Press for publication on June 22, 2005. I'm really excited as this is one of my favorite books. I hope you guys like it, too. I've put up some info in My Books.

One last book note. I have introduced my hero and heroine over at my email group for the You Tell Me the Story novella, Her Every Desire. This coming week, I'll be putting up a little about some of the other main characters and then next week? The first part of the story will be posted at Jenna Petersen! I hope you'll enjoy it!

So I've been thinking about my process a lot lately. Since I've been between writing and editing until this week, I've spent a lot of time reading email loops and blogs and stuff. A lot of people have these remarkable things they do with charts and all these very complex processes. And I... don't. I do plot. Pretty heavily now. And I'm not saying I don't have a process, because I do. But it doesn't have anything to do with creating complicated scene charts and multi-level conflict grids. I sit down. And I write.

I'm totally not saying that the multi-level conflict grid is 'wrong'. Whatever works and gets your butt in a chair and gets a book onto the pages is okay by me. But I just don't 'get' that whole complex thing. I write scenes that have conflict and develop characterization and move my story forward, yes, but to be honest, I rarely actually think about those concepts while I'm writing the book.

I'm not sure. Maybe that means I'm not as efficient as these other people. But that's the nice thing, isn't it? Everyone has their own personal process and we don't all have to work in the same way.

April 11, 2005 -- Well, it's cover galore this month!! I was just sent this, the cover for Secrets, Volume 12. Yet another hot guy torso... oh dear! :) Nice, isn't it? And I was also sent a draft of our ad that will be in the July Romantic Times and it looks like we are getting a 4.5 star rating! Which is awesome! I'm very pleased and can't wait to read the full review.

My sweetie is in Orlando this week on business so guess what I'm doing? Yup... I'm going to start work on the revision for Lady Spies: Book 1. This is a total no pressure thing. I'd like to read through it, make some notes, gather my thoughts. You'll have to check in next Monday to see if I hate it.

Speaking of hating something I wrote, I got my first bad review for "Ancient Pleasures" in Secrets, Volume 11! Yes, Mrs. Giggles finally got a hold of my work and hated it just as much as I thought she would. I'm not sure whether to be depressed that I didn't tickle her fancy or happy that I've 'arrived'.

Thanks to everyone who jumped on to the Tell Me the Story email loop! Last week I introduced you to Jane Davenport, the heroine for the upcoming Her Every Desire. This week, I intend to introduce Wesley Hughes, the hero. I'd love to hear your thoughts on him and the story as it starts to unfold, so please feel free to sign on up and give your opinion!

April 4, 2005 -- Apparently my body decided it needed more rest than I was willing to give this week. I came down with a nasty, awful cold/flu that has dragged on and on. So I slept most of this week. I'm slowly starting to rejoin the land of the living, but I really don't like being sick. AT ALL.

The one thing I did get done was the first chapter of Her Every Desire, which is the novella I'm posting online at Jenna Petersen starting May 1st. This is the story that is part of You Tell Me The Story. I will post the first chapter and at the end offer three choices for what happens next. Then readers will vote and I'll write what they chose. I really hope it will be something fun that everyone can enjoy. This month I'm going to start posting some interesting tidbits on the You Tell Me email loop! So if you haven't joined already, please sign on up!! The more people who hop on and participate, the more fun this will be. Plus, members of the You Tell Me email loop will be eligible for prizes, so join for the potential for free stuff, if nothing else.

One other thing happened this week. I had another wild thrill of 'oh my God, I'm an Avon author, I can't believe this is really happening!!'. I don't know if it was delayed cover reaction or what, but it still surprises me, it still thrills me and I still can't believe that the things I dreamed about are going to be realities (and in less than six months, too!).

March 28, 2005 -- There is so much good news this week, but I'll start out with the best. Perhaps you saw it on the main page? If not, here it is again!!!! Yes, there to your left is the cover for my October 2005 release, Scandalous. I cannot begin to describe my reaction when my wonderful, fantabulous editor send me this in email. I opened it and I just wanted to scream, "YES!!!"

So often authors talk about how their covers don't match the image in their head or in their book. In this case, I was very lucky. The talented art department at Avon really captured exactly what I described for Katherine and Dominic. The green dress and the way her dark hair is sort of coming out of her style really matches the scene I gave them as my choice for the cover. I love the male model's face. I said Viggo Mortensen and they gave me Hugh Jackman (Mike said lengthen his sideburns and he's Wolverine, yummy!). I am NOT complaining. I'd take Hugh Jackman for Dominic any day!!

So what about you? Love it, hate it? Share here or to me privately!

In other great news, I am done with the first draft of the first Lady Spies book! I started Monday and wrote like a maniac. I ended Thursday just before noon and had clocked in 70 pages in those four days. Yeah, it's not perfect (far from it), but the first draft is DONE!!! After I finished, I printed it out. I have to tell you, I still get the same thrill looking at a manuscript I wrote as I did the first time.

But now I get a little break (yeah, break. I have a ton of small things to do for Scandalous promo, Her Every Desire promo, Undeniable promo, etc, etc, etc, etc...) and I'm going to bask in the glow of my beautiful cover and finishing a WIP.

March 21, 2005 -- Today is my anniversary. My husband and I have been married for eight years. :) All I can say is no wonder I write romance. He surrounds me with it every day. :)

Okay, enough mushy stuff. Back to business, right? I got page proofs for Scandalous this week. The cool thing about page proofs is that it's the book typeset exactly as it will be in the actual release. Not bound like a galley, but basically the same thing. It has a coming soon page and a copyright page. It has my dedication page, too. Anyway, so this week and weekend, I finished those. I go back and forth between loving it and thinking it's utter trash and wondering if I could rewrite the whole thing and still not have to go over the fifty changes I'm limited to make at this stage. Yeah, probably not. Mike keeps telling me it's because I've read it seven hundred times (okay, that's a stretch, but if FEELS like it). I know he's right. It totally gives me new respect for the idea that the editor who buys your book really has to love it because by the time it reaches the shelf, she's read it probably three times more than the author has. Which means poor May has read my book 2100 times (or feels like she has). If you're reading this... I'm sooooo sorry! LOL Anyway, I guess you guys will be the judge in just about six months...

Speaking of doing the same thing over and over, I've been in a rut for presenting lately. I've done the same presentations for a while now. I still think they're good and the info is stuff people want to know, but I'm thinking I should do a new workshop. So what should I do it on? I need help. What would you want to see a workshop on from me? Email me and let me know what you think...

In a final note, this week I am going to finish my current WIP. I WILL finish it because I have some other things to do before May 1st and I really need a couple weeks off. So come hell or high water, next Monday I will post that I wrote The End on the first draft of Lady Spies: Book 1. And now I'm off to work on that.

March 14, 2005 -- Like I reported last week, this past week I did a BIAW (Book In A Week) challenge with my local chapter. My goal was 75 pages (I normally do about 50 a week) and I'm pleased to say I made it with a little bit extra! I clocked in at 77 in the end. Which is totally awesome because that puts me about 100 pages away from "THE END" on my next Avon release!! Translation? By the end of the month, I should be finito.... or really, really close to it. I had a good time really writing again. I've been so busy with other things that I kind of forgot that part. But I started contemplating my process this week and wrote a little article on the subject for your reading enjoyment! ;)

In other news, the interview I did with Romance Junkies in February seems to finally be up (no one told me, I sort of stumbled onto it myself). So if you're interested, there you go. :) I also received nearly 3,000 Secrets, Volume 11 bookmarks in the mail! I'm sure I'll be thinking of some way to give them away, so keep an eye out here and at Jess Michaels for more info about that.

I've been contemplating writing some recaps for my favorite shows. Right now I'm watching "The Amazing Race" on CBS and LOVING IT this season after a pretty stinky and all around disappointing last season. Go Rob and Amber (or Rawb and Ambah as I call them, much to the annoyance of my hubby). Over at Television Without Pity, they have some fantastic recaps. They're so funny. I laugh out loud when I read them and I think it would be so fun to write them. But then I think about how much work they must be and I decide against it. But if you like really funny, snarky, clever writing, check out Miss Alli's recaps at TWOP. Definitely worth the time.

March 7, 2005 -- So I wrote this big rant as my diary entry for this week, but I erased it. I don't really like rant blogs. I stopped going to the ones I used to visit because I think creating that kind of drama for yourself is stressful. Aside from which, I'm not sure anyone is really interested in every single little thought that pops into my head. Certainly, they are not all gems. :)

Anyway, so instead of my bile-filled rant about stuff I'm not even that pissed about anymore, I will tell you that I received and finished going through my galleys for Secrets, Volume 12 (July 2005, Jess Michaels). The cool thing about that is that I'm going to have two ARCs to give away for the book, so keep an eye out for a contest to that effect over at Jess Michaels... probably starting May 1st with the ARCs going out June 1 (a full MONTH before the book starts hitting the shelves)!

This past week, I was not feeling good, so the galleys were pretty much all I did, but this week I'm going a BIAW with my local chapter. My goal is 75 pages on Lady Spies, Book 1 (August 2006, Jenna Petersen). That will pretty much get me into the last quarter of the book and I will hopefully coast to the action-filled ending. :) At least, that's the plan.

Have a good week, everyone!

February 28, 2005 -- Hey, check this out! Isn't it cool? Isn't it nice? Aren't you screaming with excitement? Oh wait. That's me. Screaming. Jumping. Scaring cats and innocent husbands.

Wacky week filled with busywork and Mike was out of town at his brother's bachelor party, too. So I got a lot done, but there isn't much to report. Still writing on Lady Spies Book 1. I'm fairly certain this book sucks. But I always feel that way while I writing. :)  I also did my line edits for Undeniable's eventual release. I'm lucky, there wasn't much my editor there wanted me to change. If you check out My Books, you'll see that I've been given a tentative release date for Undeniable, too and it's coming up fast! So if you were disappointed when Secrets, Volume 12's release was put off until July, you can dry your tears (HA!!). I'm going to have a book out this Spring after all! An excerpt should go up tomorrow at JessMichaels.

Hey, one more thing. The interview I recently did at The Mystic Castle is now up! It's really in depth, so pretty much anything you ever wanted to know about the train wreck that is Jess Michaels/Jenna Petersen is there for your enjoyment. :)

In other news, I finished my RITA books! Yay! There has been a lot of talk lately about the change in the rules. Before you chose a couple of categories you would be willing to read and then were assigned a group of books from one of those categories. This year, RWA tried something different. You chose two categories you would NOT want to read and they gave you a group of books from varying categories. So I got to read some books that I might not have picked up myself. I'm not sure how I feel about it. It turns out I really don't like one category that I didn't realize I had problems with (I'd never read much from that area before). And there were some categories I read but don't really 'get' so I wasn't sure if I was judging them fairly. Ultimately, I just had to say, "Did this book work for me? Was it a good book?" and score accordingly.

Anyway, I entered "Ancient Pleasures" in the novella category myself this year. I know I have virtually no chance to final, but it was fun to be eligible to enter anyway. :) The finalists will be posted at RWA's website at the end of March and the winners are announced at National in Reno.

February 21, 2005 -- I have so much cool news to share this week. Where to start. Okay, first I hit a zone on writing this week, which is awesome. Got my target page number for the week. This coming week, I hope to hit the halfway point of the book.

Which is good, because I also talked to my lovely editor at Avon this past week and feel really good about the direction of my new book and have some stuff to think about as I write. She is so nice and I felt really good after I talked to her. And excited about my career. Which is always good. Anyway, the tentative release date for the second book of my contract is August 2006. That could change, of course, it's not final. It's my birthday month. The year I'll turn thirty. So that's a hell of a way to welcome the next decade of my life.

Then I was checking my email and Erotique, the new erotic romance imprint for Echelon Press has offered me a contract for my novella, Undeniable. I decided to take it, so Undeniable will be coming near you soon! I'm really excited, as I've had a soft spot in my heart for this novella for a long time and I'm looking forward to readers being able to find it.

Since I've had some updates on these two new releases, I have put up information on both in My Books. Head on over there if you want to find out more about Undeniable (by Jess Michaels) or my next Jenna Petersen book.

Finally, my proposal for my website workshop has been accepted by the New Jersey Romance Writers for their October conference, so I'll be speaking there, as well as participating in their book signing (my very first as Jenna Petersen). I'll be updating my schedule in March to go further into the year, so you'll see more info there as I get it. :)

February 14, 2005 -- I'm sorry! It's another slow update week. There just doesn't seem to be a lot of news going around. I'll be checking publisher and agent links in the next week or so and that normally means the addition or elimination of some publishers/agents (dead sites, updated links, etc), but for now everything seems very still and quiet in the industry (well, at least in the website portion of said industry).

But while all is quiet around here, in my outside life, I feel like I got on this express train. What happened to the scenic route?? I'm teaching my class at Earthly Charms all month and it involves query assignments. The class members saw my example of what I feel is an effective query and are now supposed to submit their queries to me with my template in mind, then I comment on them. This is more work than I somehow imagined, though I don't mind it. It's also kind of weird because a couple people who run the blogs I'm addicted to are also in my class and when they say something about the class they're taking, it's me. Thankfully no one has blogged about the 'crappy agent class taught by the complete hack' that they're taking, so I guess I'm doing okay.

In other news, I finished my copy edits and returned them. That was a weird experience, but one I get to repeat for the foreseeable future. A friend and I once pondered if someone like Nora Roberts really does her own copyedits or if she has some assistant who stets for her. That'd be cool. Maybe I'll ask for that for Christmas. :)

Finally, in the best news of the week, my agent called me Tuesday to tell me that Avon accepted my proposal for the second book in our current contract! I haven't touched base with my editor yet about the details, so I don't have a release date or final title, but once I have those things, I'll add the info to My Books. For now, all I'll say is that this book is the first in a three-book series and I'm so excited to get to write it again! I had been working on this book before the Avon sale last year, so it's been waiting for me. This week I'm hoping to get back to my regular schedule of writing and hit 50 new manuscript pages by Friday.

Happy Valentine's Day (especially to the love of my life, who makes each day better than the one before).

February 7, 2005 -- My copy edits came right on schedule. I love that about Avon. When they say something is coming, it comes. It's very nice. I'm still plugging away at them, but I figure I'll probably finish them up by mid-week and send them back to NYC well within my deadline. Still waiting to hear which book they're taking next, but I'm hoping to hear some good news this week or maybe next.

After I finish those, I have the first chapter of Her Every Desire to finish up so it will be ready for the first post date for the You Tell Me The Story promo that starts May 1st. And I'm also reading RITA books.

Sorry for the short update this week. Not a lot going on... or at least nothing that's worth reporting.

January 31, 2005 -- Today I posted a new excerpt at Jess Michaels. This one is for "Aphrodite's Passion", my July 2005 release in Secrets, Volume 12. Hope you like it!

This week, I'm so excited because I got the clearance for my idea that I talked about last week. Want to know what it is? Well, it's called "You Tell Me the Story" and I will be doing it over at Jenna Petersen to promote Scandalous. On May 1, 2005, I will post the first part of a new Regency-era historical romance called Her Every Desire. At the end of the 'chapter', I will post three options of what should happen next in the story. Then the audience gets to vote on what they want to see. After two weeks of voting, the polls will close and I will take two weeks to write the next section of the story based on the winning choice. There will be six parts to the story, a novella-length work. Five times to vote and determine how the story should 'turn'.

I'm really thrilled about this! Not only will it be a good way to introduce my writing to potential readers, but it's going to be a big challenge and everyone seems enthusiastic about it. Of course, I recognize there could be some pitfalls, but I'm game for trying.

If you want to be kept up on "You Tell Me the Story", I've started a special YahooGroup just for this. Here I'll be posting when the next section of the story is up, you can discuss what's been written once I start putting up the story and even try to sway other readers to vote your way. Join the "Tell Me The Story" YahooGroup and be part of the fun.

In the mean time, I've added information about Her Every Desire in My Books, as well as more info on the concept of "Tell Me The Story".

In Avon news, copyedits come this week! Wish me luck...

January 24, 2005 -- I found out I was nominated for a couple of Preditor and Editor Best of 2004 Reader awards! Check out the main page for more info! Go vote for somebody, even if it isn't me!

I'm getting my copyedits soon! My lovely editor said to look for them on my doorstep February 5th. My God, everything is moving fast!! I'm really excited to do them. Red Sage's copyedits are not like normal ones, so these are my first 'real' copyedits. There will come a day when I say, "Copyedits? Maaaa-aaan." But it isn't today. Today I'm looking forward to the next step toward seeing my book in print.

Oh and speaking of steps... remember last week when I said I got back cover copy? Well, you can all see it now! I've been given permission to use that write up as the description of my story. So head on over to My Books and you can read the official version of what Scandalous is all about. :)

On Wednesday, I drove up to Naperville to the Borders there to meet Maureen Green, who is the 2004 RWA Bookseller of the Year. She does a great monthly program with romance writers and readers. After nervousness about finding the place and a great debate about what to wear (wanted to make a nice first impression), I headed out. Evil Map Quest took me the roundabout way, but I did find it and had a fantastic time. No wonder Maureen won. Not only does she 'get' romance, but she loves books and authors and bringing writers together with readers. She's a wonderful advocate and now I get to say she's a friend. I will definitely make the trek up there again for her Let's Talk Romance events (which are held every third Thursday if you live anywhere near Naperville, IL and have the time).

I also met Melody Thomas and Allie Pleiter. Allie writes for Steeple Hill and her "Mom-Lit", Bad Heiress Day sounds sensational. I would have actually bought a copy that night if I didn't have to make the drive back home (two hours). But it's definitely on my list the next time I go to the store. And, of course Melody writes for Avon. She has been so welcoming both in the Windy City RWA chapter and in Avon, so it was really great to put a face to her name. Her most recent release is Must Have Been the Moonlight. Kathy Greyle/Jade Lee was also there. She writes for Dorchester and her most recent release is White Tigress.

On the writing front, I managed to write up a synopsis for the second book in the series I have in mind. May has the first book right now, but I want to be ready in case there is interest. It was the synopsis from hell. Mine are usually 2-4 pages in length. This one was 9 after the first draft. Finally, I also hatched a new idea that I'm really excited about. I can't wait to tell you more, I just have to stew on it a little...

January 17, 2005 -- Such a busy week this week! First, my revisions for Scandalous were accepted! Yay!!! And I got to see the cover copy and little teaser excerpt they're using for the front pages of the actual book. So awesome. Now we go to copyedits. Then galleys. Then the bookstore (hang on... must fan myself). Oh, and by the way, my confrontation last week had absolutely nothing to do with Avon or my editor there. My experience has been nothing but terrific since they bought me, so I don't want anyone to make any bad assumptions otherwise. Jesse is a happy girl. :)

Speaking of the awesome people I am lucky enough to work with, I talked to Miriam this week, as well. Career planning. Very different when you actually are starting to have a little career. And I'm hoping to nurture it and water it and stroke it and love it until it grows into a nice medium career and maybe, if we're all lucky and play our cards right, into a big, beautiful career someday. We talked about how to get from here to there together, so I feel good and I have some research to do. Anyone have any tips on how to promote yourself to booksellers? Contact me! I'm eager to hear stories that worked.

Meanwhile, she already pitched two proposals for book two of the current contract. Cross your fingers, cross your toes, sing Irish Good Luck songs. Are there Irish Good Luck Songs? I'm one-quarter Irish. I'll have to ask. Anyway, maybe in a few weeks, I'll get to tell you what my second Avon book will be. :) I'm getting on the stick preparing materials for the next couple books, as well, in anticipation of a second contract somewhere down the road.

I also spent a lot of time this week presenting my website class to the Hearts Through History RWA Chapter. It was great! The class was really interactive, they had lots of questions and comments! Thanks for having me, I had a wonderful time. :) But as I was removing the activities I've already completed this month in My Events, I realized after February, I'm not presenting anything or doing any chats besides my monthly Red Sage chat until June! Whoa! That's the first time in a loooong time that I haven't had an interview or workshop or chat. Anybody want to fill my time? I've got Workshops, I'm a competent chatter, I even travel within reason...

Oh, one last thing. Arabella Magazine has officially announced it's closure. You can request a refund if you subscribed. Check out their website for details.

January 10, 2005 -- Once at a restaurant with two friends, we sat for a very long time (I'm talking like over half an hour) without getting any service. The restaurant was slow, there was no visible reason why we were being ignored, it was just poor service. After a while, our personalities started to show. One of my friends said she was going to get up and find the manager to complain. One started loosening the salt shaker lid (how that was going to hurt the service people, I don't know, but it was kind of funny). Me? I kept saying, "We could go. Let's just go. Or just sit here quietly without complaining and making trouble because then they're going to spit in our food and hate us."

The point? I suck at confrontation, big time. I just don't like the drama. Plus, invariably, I end up talking myself into feeling guilty, even if I've got a legitimate right to complain/be upset. So this week sucked in some ways since I was forced to confront on an important issue. I hope it will work out, but I'm not holding my breath.

Speaking of holding my breath, I got my final line edits for "Aphrodite's Passion", which will be featured in Secrets, Volume 12. I did them in an afternoon and emailed them back. I also found out that the release date has been moved BACK to July 2005, when it will be released alongside Volume 13. So, if you're waiting in anticipation... sorry to say, the wait will be longer than we all hoped. In the meantime, though, I will be putting up an excerpt from "Aphrodite's Passion" on my Jess Michaels website on February 1st. Trust me, I'm just as disappointed in this as anyone.

In other news, I continued my rewrite/polish on the proposal for the second book in the Avon contract. And my lovely agent let me know she's going to call me this Wednesday to talk about some stuff. So hopefully I'll have some good news for you about the revision (damn you holidays, for slowing the entire system down! Holly, jolly bastards!!) and what I'm doing next. I'm so excited to fulfill my contract and be able to tell you which book to look for after Scandalous, as well as get back to the project I was working on before I sold (and tell you about it, so cross your fingers that it gets accepted as contract 2).

And finally, I got a royalty check this past week, my first one ever! I love this getting paid thing. So much nicer than the 'nice rejection, not getting paid thing'.

January 3, 2005 -- Let's start off with something cool. Yes, that's me in Borders with my book! I look like crap. It was really windy. :) Yeah... that's it... it was windy....

On to other matters... I was dragged kicking and screaming into 2005. I want to put that on the record. 2004 was good to me. When I archived the diary for 2004, I sort of reviewed and decided maybe I wanted to stay. I mean, last year I sold a second book to Red Sage ("Aphrodite's Passion", to be released in Spring 2005 as part of Secrets, Volume 12 (Jess Michaels)). Then I had the cover story for Arabella Magazine (which I think is, sadly, officially defunct now). Then I got my fabulous agent. Then I sold to Avon (!!!!!). Finally, I saw the release of my first book.

Can you see why I don't want to leave 2004 behind? Yes, I have lots of look forward to this year (Secrets, Volume 12 release, Reno National Conference in July, Scandalous release in October 2005 and hopefully some more sales in between)... but man... it's going to be hard to match 2004.

Oh, fine. I guess I have no choice. It is officially 2005. ;) Cross your fingers I hear something about the Scandalous revisions to start the year off right!

 

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