Sunday, January 25, 2009

What do I call this?

Okay, what do I call this? I'm going to talk about a little bit of everything, and nothing. So I'm supposed to come up with a heading? Really. Jeez, and here I SUCK at titles.

First, it's Sunday. I'm mostly feeling OK. Yesterday I ran to the city so that I could pick up stuff for my esteemed co-author and give her time to write. I also started working on the galleys for Cold Moon Rising. I put together an e-mail to the esteemed agent with a proposal for a book that has been kicking around my head for a while as an individual project. It may wind up being a co-authored book, but it is wall-to-wall angst, which is not Cathy's favorite thing. I refer to it as my "Oprah" book. Now don't get me wrong, I think Ms. Winfrey is one of the most impressive people I've had the privilege to read about. She encourages people to do their best, supports charities, is up front, supports literacy. . . . and on and on. I mean, if nothing else, her ENERGY is phenomenal. But her taste in books runs to the angsty. Just does. So this particular fantasy novel is wall-to-wall angst and is thus, my Oprah book. Not that she'll ever want to read it. Hell, it may never get written or published. But that's what I call it. Because, if it ever does get written and published, it is the kind of thing she'd like.

And I'm very nervous about it too. Because while I am quite confident in my ability to write a pretty-damned-good paranormal, and I've learned (with difficulty I may add) to write a pretty-damned good paranormal ROMANCE (which is a whole 'nother creature), this is straight fantastic *literature* and that's a different animal entirely. But you can't win if you don't play. So I'm going to play -- AFTER I get finished with the back-to-back trilogy I'm writing this year.

BUT since the publishing schedule runs a couple years after the writing schedule, I'm trying to get it scheduled. (If that made sense, you're doing well.)

Worse yet, I'm not good at proposals. I'm much better at cranking out a book and THEN worrying about finding somebody to love it. But I want to try to improve that too.

So I did it. And it may or may not work.

Still, today is Sunday, so no worky for Cie. This is my day of rest -- sort of. Tomorrow I will finish the galleys and (hopefully) get to work on the website edits. But for this moment in time I will blog, pet the pussycat on hand (currently the Bacchus cat) do enough laundry that I won't have to go to work naked and enough housework that I can stand the place. Oh, and cook ahead for the week. Yeah, yeah, all of that sounds REAL restful. But what can I do? I mean, I've tried to talk the dog and the cats into picking up some of the slack, but they just don't seem inclined.

On another note (B# I think), I'm having a bit of a problem with self-destructive tendencies. No, not the suicidal kind, the screw up your life because you just can't DEAL with it any more kind. So you say and do stupid stupid stupid shit so that you will wind up being forced to change. Which is STUPID since I'm already trying to change things and I can't afford to screw up what's already in progress. I think part of what brought this on is anger and frustration over issues I can't discuss here.

Another part (that I can talk about) is that I'm frustrated. I found somebody I'd like to work with as my assistant BUT because he's there (as in Denver, my home-to-be if I can ever get my ass up there) and I'm HERE it's not working. Which means I'm probably going to lose a very good possible employee, [which sucketh scum covered pond rocks. YES there are other potential employees (in this economy DROVES of them) but I LIKE him. And I TRUST him. And I'm so not good at trust. I don't just have issues. I have a subscription --- with automatic renewal.]

Good news, Magic's Design is almost out. Buy it. Buy it now. The more people who get it the first week, the better our chances of hitting a list again. Which would be lovely. So please guys, BUY THE BOOK.

Also, the drive to the city gave me lots and lots of time to work on the three-books-back-to-back series in my head. Solved problems that had been bugging me. Got to hear the music that I connect to the characters, so that it's clear in my head again. YIPPEE! I'm so anxious to get writing. But edits first! Get them galleys out the door!

My brother-in-law is closing his business and moving on to the next stage of his life. I don't think he knows what it will be. Exciting and scary that. But he and Diane are two of the smartest, most hard-working and ambitious people I know. They are quite simply built for success on the grand scale (which was no doubt why his business WAS such a success). So while I will pray for them I'm not really worried.

Anyway, parents are fine. Haven't heard from my brother in a bit, but due to technological challenges that are all my fault it's hard for him to reach me. Fortunately, he knows I love him, and that I'm a dufus.

Well, I'm going to run. Keep me in your thoughts. Keep your fingers crossed. Oh, and in case you didn't get the message earlier -- BUY THE BOOK (LOL).

Cie

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