Oh, if writing were a linear life. If only I wrote a book, published a book, basked in the glory of publishing a book(or the ignominious shame of not selling a book well), and then started researching the next book. Of course, if I did it that way, it would take at least twice as long for any of my books to come out.
This is January. I have a suspense that just came out in December(SINNERS AND SAINTS), a romance that came out in October(DANGEROUS TEMPTATION). I am in the process of telling you how the suspense came to be while I'm doing final page proof edits on the collaborative novel(THE UNFORTUNATE MISS FORTUNES) I did with Jenny Cruise and Anne Stuart that's slated for June '07. I'm writing the text of the second book in the romance trilogy that came out in October as I research my next suspense by taking courses in brain physiology and arson investigation. Oh, and I'm working with Jenny and Anne on setting up the website to promote The MIss Fortunes, and outlining the regency-era action trilogy I've been wanting to do for a long time and won't leave me alone.
In my spare time I'm organizing the travel for the speaking engagements and conferences I'm signed up for this spring (it will be on the website soon. But expect me in San Antonio, Seattle, Bloomington, Illinois, Cincinnati and Indianapolis). I'm sending out PR info, speech proposals, contest winnings, blogs on friends' blogs(LIPSTICK CHRONICLES), and writing the first blog for the new UNFORTUNATEMISSFORTUNES.COM website. Oh, and doing my best to map out the geneology of the mortal family who interact with the world of faerie in my next book(they all have to descend from the same great-great granfather without having three eyes and a fin).
Which is why authors are sometimes so confused when they see you at a signing or conference and you quote their latest book. That book might have only come out four months ago, but the author is already three books--and characters and crises and conflicts---past that already. It's also why it's tough for us to really enjoy our success. By the time we have it with a book--if we do--we're already hating the next book or the one after that we're stuck in the middle of with no obvious way out.
Ah, if it only happened in a linear fashion. But, alas, it doesn't. Which is why all those years working the emergency room stood me in such good stead.
eileen\kathleen, the evil twins
3 comments:
Hello Eileen...Just started reading your Saints and Sinners at bedtime and now can't sleep...It's 1:53 AM. Looks to be a very involving book...Your writing just sucks me right in...But I need my sleep...So will finish my milk, say Good Night to you and go back to bed...Reading to be continued tomorrow in-between house duties, real estate selling, market analysis...All that good stuff...And then to the best part of the day, a quiet hour with a book--your Saints and Sinners. So you have a good week, a good year, and keep on writin' those books!
Laine, there are no sweeter words than, "You kept me up last night" for an author. Thank you. And to you both, I'm doing the best I can. Now, if my family would just stay out of my office.... Eileen\Kathleen
Saints and Sinners did not keep me up but only because I'd been on call twice in the preceding week. I do enjoy your work, partly because you have as villains people I have had to deal with. Now I think you are ready for a pediatrician villain (I'm peds myself but could tell you some horror stories....)
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