Book release day!

Big day today! My book baby is in the wild!

All the BUY links are to the right. Over there. Yes, there. Mostly ebook, but you can get paperbacks from Wild Rose and from Amazon. If you want a signed copy, let me know. I got a discount on my promo copies, but between the actual book and shipping from me to you, it's about the same. Or, if you're local, $10. And you'll have my signature!

I've become extremely boring on Twitter and Facebook the last couple of days, what with being busy and only going on the internet to do some promo.

By the way, I was on Abigail Owen's blog yesterday with a guest post about writing and editing.  She writes these great shifter romance books and has a new series coming out now. I haven't read the new ones, but will!

Today we met with the Educational Specialist who checks up on our homeschooling efforts and read about Napoleon (taking a little zig sideways from American Revolution to French as a) my husband is French, and b) the Louisiana Purchase makes more sense if you know why the French were selling all that land).

Then my daughter's charter school had early dismissal, so the Homeschool Boy went to his buddy's house to learn about Walt Whitman's "Oh Captain, My Captain." From whence he has not returned three hours later. Now that's in-depth poetry!

So anyway, with the daughter, I went to the Burger King where they have a playland. Fancy lunch for release day!

When I got home, flowers were on my dining room table from my parents. I'm getting teary glancing at them. So. *ahem*


And all the other days: busy busy. I made the mistake of signing up for the wrong study hall slots at my son's homeschool not-at-home classes and it's a pain in the rear to try to swap with people. So I'm in for some Tuesday hours but if I weren't, I'd have the day off. Next week is my last week for that, because having a day off is HUGE. I'm working my way slowly through Pride and Prejudice (the Colin Firth one. Dreamy.) I also use those days for wild stuff like sorting the laundry and getting the car serviced. Nothing but party. And Thursdays are my turn to drive and hang around and spend the whole day out of the house. Arg.

I'm editing Book 2 right now, getting it back to my editor. I can't seem to focus right now, mostly because of book launch anxiety. I need to zoom out a bit and figure out if there are places it bogs down that I should slash and burn. BUT I had the draft of the cover and it's *almost* perfect. I'm hoping it can be perfected in close to the current form.

Book 3, I'm giving to my critique partners. When I get done with Book 2, I'll write the synopsis and everything for Book 3 and submit to my editor. So that's in the pipeline.

Then there's Nanowrimo in November! WOOOOT! Not sure what I'm writing for that. Probably writing two novellas. I already started them, but got bogged down in both. They might have to be full-length. We'll see.

And then I'll be revising Book 4 for submission! It's a really rough draft, so will need lots of editing. Lots and lots.

Right. And yet right now, I'm off to take a nap.

Read my book!

Excerpt: Easter, Fever, and crossbow attack

Here's part of Chapter 1 of The Indispensable Wife. It's a bit wild, but everything goes to h*ll in the first chapter.

In spite of the drama, I always imagine the crossbow bolt in Pâques' arm as the arrow in Monty Python's Holy Grail, the one that hits Lancelot's servant, who announces "Message for you, sir" right before he collapses.

"Pâques" is the French word for Easter and/or the whole Passover/Easter season. I don't think I had a deeper meaning for it when I chose it after looking at a list of Seventeenth Century French surnames. But my literary analysis brain, seeking symbolism, is darting all around ideas of sacrifice, sin, forgiveness, etc. Pâques has a really small role, though.

Dominique's other servant in this scene, Le Fèvre, used to have a larger role before some of the edits. He's a guardsman who acts as a field medic/surgeon from time to time. They sometimes refer to him in those cut scenes as "La Fièvre" which means "fever." Etymology geek alert: The word February comes from purify. The online etymology dictionaries don't link fever and February, but it seems like they should to me, the amateur geek.

Chapter One, Scene Three - enter Pâques

Pâques, who traveled with Dom everywhere as the captain of his personal guard, approached, weaving through the crowd. Dom noted that he still had some time to wait before his turn to shoot his arrows in the tournament, so he allowed the man to pull him to the side.

“A rumor, Monsieur le Comte.”

“What sort of rumor?”

Pâques glanced around furtively. “Treason, Monsieur. Assassination.”

Dominique stared in surprise. “If that is so, we will take this straight to the king and his guard. Who is said to be a treasonous assassin?”

Pâques frowned. “You are, Monsieur.”

Dominique staggered a step back in shock. His brain churned through all the people to whom he had ever mentioned his unease with the constant warfare and the elaborate palaces. With the high taxes and pressure on the nobles to stay under the king’s nose at all times. Was his disapproval seen as treason? He wasn’t the only one to criticize the king. He had done his best to be a rational voice within the court since childhood. He would never work against His Highness, no matter how much he tried to guide the king. Surely Louis knew that.

Dom shook his head. “Ridiculous. I will tell the baron that I withdraw from his tournament due to urgent business.”

He had just turned when he felt a hard hit to his left bicep and heard a loud crack. The force spun him around and threw him against Pâques, who fell back, a bolt from a crossbow stuck in his upper arm. Dom struggled to sit as a lady a few feet away swooned and her companion carried her away. Dom dragged himself to his feet, grasping his left shoulder with his right hand and turning in the direction the bolt had come from. He looked down to reach for his court sword and saw the blood running out from under the elbow-length sleeve of his red silk coat, staining the puffed sleeves of his shirt and his lacy cuff, marring his pale gloves. He stared at his hand in a trance as the world around him dimmed. He watched another of his guardsmen, Le Fèvre, who sprinted across the lawn, scattering nobles, most of whom were only starting to notice that something was amiss. Le Fèvre tackled him to the ground. Another bolt flew past their heads and into the small patch of woods behind them.

“Stay down, Monsieur,” Le Fèvre panted. “Stay down. You know better. You taught us all better. A sword against a crossbow? Impossible. Don’t be an idiot.”

“See to Pâques, he has the bolt still in him. I’ve only been nicked,” said Dom.

His head felt rather light for what should have been a minor wound. Le Fèvre took out a knife and cut away his coat and shirt sleeves, and then wrapped the sleeve of the shirt around Dom’s wound.

Pâques moaned beside them. Le Fèvre went to Pâques and started to cut his sleeve off, too. “There’s…the bone is... Merde! Where are the palace guards?” Le Fèvre looked around wildly. “Guards! Bandages!” he roared at some big men who strode across the lawn, which was clearing as the rich and titled fled. “Two litters!”

Dom raised his head to see servants racing from the nearby kitchens and discovered that his head was really too heavy to lift.

Pre-order links in the right sidebar!

Out October 7th!

So nervous...

October 7th is only a few days away. 

I have a blog blast thingy on October 14th that Goddess Fish Promotion is lining up for me. Several people have even accepted to post my blurb and everything! One says they'll review it!

I'm on Abigail Owen's blog on the 6th with a blog post, blurb, and so on.

I'm still waiting to see if the interest from a reviewer at a fairly major romance blog is going to lead to a review (and if so: to a good review).

I posted a few weeks ago with links and keep updating that, so go HERE to find links to where you can pre-order. The links are also on the top right of this blog page, directly to the right of this post.

I'm annoying people by Tweeting and Facebook-ing about my book.

Essentially, I'm just flailing around.

Please buy my book. It's good. I promise.

Aurore was delighted when a marriage was arranged with the boy she loved, her older brother’s friend Dominique, Comte de Bures. But in a few years the first rush of joy has worn off, and their promising life seems ruined by loss, betrayal, and misunderstanding.

One terrifying morning mercenaries overrun their château and usurpers take Aurore hostage. Miles away at Versailles, where he is required to dance attendance on Louis XIV, Dominique is nearly killed by a crossbow bolt.

Escaping, Aurore travels with a troupe of itinerant musicians, hiding in the open while discovering hidden resources within herself.

Dom sets out to find his wife. He needs his old life back. He needs revenge. But his lands, his title, and his honor mean nothing unless he can win back the love of his indispensable wife