Life can be very good.

Life can be very good.  It can also be a pain in the ass.  Then there are those days, weeks, and even months that are both.

I am grateful for so many things in my life that it's actually hard to count them all.  On the other hand, I get very tired of people blaming me (loudly) for things that truly have nothing to do with me.

But I am making the choice right now to let go of all of that crap, just let it go and concentrate on all of the wonderful things that are just ahead for me.

Seriously, I have so much to be excited about.  I can't tell you yet--but hopefully I can come back to you in 30 days with an update that will knock your socks off.

In the meantime.  Be well.  Be happy.  Read lots of books -- preferably mine!

Still not back on track

Hi Guys!

Okay, I've been home 2 weeks and life still isn't close to back to normal.  It is AMAZING how behind a little travelling can get you.

Still, I had a wonderful time on both trips and am now going to post some pics from the con.  (For more, see my website:  http://CTAdamsauthor.com

ANYWAY, EXCELLENT EXCELLENT TIME HAD.  WILL GET ON TRACK SOONEST.

Cie

Welcome to May

BLOG

Welcome to mid-May.  Life has been wild.  Last weekend was Mother’s Day weekend and I got to spend it with my family, including MY mother and my son.  J  Extreme awesomeness ensued.

Big trip to the Fan Expo Dallas/ComiCon in Dallas May 29-31. 

I am VERY excited.  Look for this banner to find me and other awesome authors.  (Say those last two ten times fast).  I will take pictures and maybe (if I master the new video camera) video.

ALL YOUR WISHES is with the editor.  THE EXILE is doing well.  I am working on THE RESCUE which is the tentative title of the next Fae book and am also working on PATIENCE MY ASS.  Much fun.  Very busy.

SO, that said, I’d best get back to it.  Take care of yourselves. 

Happy reading!

  

I am having an adventure!

First off.  I want to give my condolences to those who have suffered catastrophic losses in the recent flooding.  It is amazingly horrible what has happened, and appears may continue for a while yet.  What is happening to me is merely awkward, which is why it is simply an adventure to be approached with energy and creativity, not a crisis or disaster to be coped with in horror.

That said:

I am very glad I have good friends who can help me through awkward times when flights are delayed, things are lost, broken, and I wind up in the wrong place at the right time.

I will be at the Convention today, and I will have a wonderful time.  I will use my brand new (as in bought yesterday) selfie and video camera.  I will hopefully see lots of good folks and sign lots of books, laugh long and mightily (as I did at dinner last night with said friends) and have one of the times of my life.

Now the lightening is crackling overhead.  So I am off the computer for the nonce.

Best.

Cie

Travel Plans

The house/critter sitter will be a busy person this spring.  I will be visiting family on one long weekend, and I have been invited to attend Dallas ComiCon May 29-31.  It's good that the critters love her.

I hope folks will come see me and bring books for me to autograph!!

A Snake's Tail

Wednesday I had an EVENT.

One of the stray cats I feed/get vet shots, etc. for left a present for me by the garage door.  A very dead, very large, (six foot) rattlesnake.

I live in town.  We do not expect to see large rattlesnakes wandering around the neighborhood.

YIKES.

So, I've been concentrating on fitting in lots and lots of yard work (pruning, weeding, eliminating snake habitat) with all of the other multitudinous crapola that I do, but really don't have time for.

But GOOD KITTY, nice kitty.  LOVE the kitties.

Cie

Finding a Happy Medium

Hi Guys!

Okay, I FINALLY finished the edit pass.  I'm waiting a couple of days as a cool down before looking it over ONE MORE TIME before sending it to the beta reader and my editor again.

Had a friend design a tee-shirt for me--the same one mentioned in THE EXILE.  I am now looking into places like CAFE PRESS to see about having them available for sale.  THANK YOU SHAWN!

Still waiting on PATIENCE MY ASS.  Had to get the contracted work done first and regain my health after a bout of illness.  

Anyway, out of time.  Hope you are all well and happy.

Hope you're enjoying the book(s).

Cie

Saturday Morning Stuff OOPS/Saturday early afternoon stuff

Hi Guys!

Well, today is gorgeous outside, and I am attempting to accomplish things.  We'll see how well that works.  At least I got up the section of fence that I needed to to keep Lucky the Wonder Dog from running all over the neighborhood when she (inevitably) slips her harness.  It will also keep all of the neighbors dogs that they simply let run loose to poop in other people's lawns from getting into the back yard.  (Front yard is sadly, still fair game).

Writing is reaching critical mass--I simply MUST finish the edits.  Of course that's tricky to do when there are only so many hours in a week. But it is crunch time and I need to FIND the time, which means this will be a very short post and I probably won't be having as much fun in the sunshine as I would've liked.

I've been getting polar comments on THE EXILE.  People either REALLY like it or HATE it (and are hateful about it).  I've taken to not reading the reviews.  Probably for the best.

In the next few days I will be signing up for a conference in New York with my son.  It has to wait because my purse/wallet got stolen the other day.  It was recovered later (minus the cash, but with all my other stuff intact), but I had canceled all of the credit cards, ID, checks, etc. and must now wait on the replacements.  Once I have them I can enroll and make an announcement in case anyone wants to run into me so I can sign their books.

The whole purse stolen thing was very stressful.  It could have been much, MUCH worse, but it was still a nuisance.

Well, that had better be it for the nonce.  Time is (not) on my side . . .  yes it is.  Ti i i ime is (not) on my side.

(Leaves humming.)

BOOKS, BOOKS and MORE BOOKS

Hi Guys!

Okay, release went off without a hitch.  I've been promoing my tuchus off!  There are interviews and blog posts pretty much everywhere.  It was fun, but exhausting.

I think the book is doing well, but it's hard to tell these things at first.  I did notice that more e-copies seem to be going than paper this time.  Previously it was about equal.  But that's just looking at B&N & Amazon online, so I could be off by a mile.

ANYWAY, thanks to those who have bought the book.  I appreciate you, and hope you like the new series and new direction.  I'm enjoying doing this series in third person, and having the various points of view to work with.

OH! Good news!  There is going to be a re-release of Hunter's Moon for the 10th anniversary.  (Ten years--YIKES!)  Here's the new cover.

Looks gorgeous!  I'm very excited.  Cathy may have taken athe Sazi series (except for Raven, who I get to do a short story for in my upcoming collection), but I get Celia, and I will always LOVE me some shapeshifters.  Many of the characters in the Sazi are like family in a weird way--then again, they've been in my life for more than ten years now.  

I just want to drop a note publicly thanking Tor for their support.  They've been awesome to work with and have shown a lot of support.  

Thanks guys!

Cie

STUFF AND CHAPTER 1

We're in the beginning of March.  March 10 is the release date for THE EXILE.  I have a huge blog tour coming up, which is awesome.  (See below.  There are a couple more interviews that were late entries into the game, I'll try to post them later, but can't seem to find them at the moment).

3/10/15  The Vampire Book Club    http://vampirebookclub.net 

3/11/15  Layers of Thought              http://www.layersofthought.net/ 

3/12/15  Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews   http://paranormalromanticsuspensereviews.blogspot.com 

3/13/15  My Bookish Ways      http://www.mybookishways.com 

3/14/15  Urban Fantasy Investigation http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com 

3/15/15  SciFi Chick           http://www.scifichick.com 

3/16/15  From the Shadows http://www.fromtheshadows.info 

3/17/15  Little Miss Trainwreck http://littlemisstrainwreck.com 

3/18/15  SF Signal http://www.sfsignal.com/ 

3/19/15  Manda-Rae Reads A Lot http://www.manda-rae-reads.com/ 

3/20/15 Literally Jen http://www.literallyjen.com 

3/21/15  Civilian Reader http://civilianreader.wordpress.com 

3/22/15  Preternatura http://suzannejohnsonauthor.com/category/blog

3/23/15  The Qwillery http://qwillery.blogspot.com 

3/24/15  Fantasy Literature http://www.fantasyliterature.com 

3/25/15  Between Dreams and Reality www.betweendandr.com 

 I just got the newsletter drafted.  It should go out today.  New puzzle with contest and, of course, the first sneak peek of the book. I haven't gotten the video camera thing going yet because life has been lifish, but I want to get you guys excited, so you get a sneak peek too.  Now, the newsletter peek was a bit longer -- I want to reward people who sign up after all.  But you get a taste now, and more to follow in a couple of days.

 (Note, this was cut and pasted from a typed version of the manuscript, not the final copy, so pardon any errors as being part of the risk you take for peeking.):

PROLOGUE

            Atropos shivered, despite the weight of her heavy wool cloak. Her bones ached and her joints stiffened in wet weather. It made her move more slowly, which meant she would be out in the rain longer. That soured her mood. She did not want to do this, and cursed the necessity. Normally she’d let one of her other two aspects handle it. With her youth, Clotho could ignore foul weather, and while Lachesis loathed the damp, it didn’t incapacitate her. But both of them had history with the King of the Sidhe. Atropos did not trust the younger ones not to be affected by sentiment. So with faltering footsteps, supported by a cane carved of ash, she made her way through the darkened rose garden, following a path strewn with shifting shadows, until she reached a little-known servant’s door, tucked discreetly in a corner behind a trellis that bore a thick covering of ivy.

The door was unlocked, as arranged, and she stepped through into a wide, marble-floored hallway dimly lit by a few glowing crystals.

            Depending on one’s perspective, it was either very late or quite early, barely three hours past midnight. Even the hardiest courtiers had gone to their beds, as had most of the servants. But Atropos knew the king was still awake and at work, and his guards with him.

            The man on the door was no fool and no coward. The moment he saw Atropos he knew who, and what, she was. But he stood his ground, a mountain of ebony muscle barring the heavy oak doors with his body, weapons ready, though not actively threatening her.

            “I will see the king.”

            The guard did not meet her milky gaze. Instead he stared over her left shoulder, into the middle distance, as he answered her in a voice that was completely steady, despite the muscle that twitched nervously above his right eye. “The king is not to be disturbed.”

            “He will see me.” Her voice was harsh as the caw of a carrion bird, but the soldier neither flinched nor moved. He was accustomed to death, this one, having dealt it out, and seen it, more often than most. His name, she recalled, was Petros. It was certainly apt. He was solid as a rock—and just about as bright.

Petros opened his mouth to again refuse her, but was saved by the king’s command from behind the closed doors.

            “Let the crone in.”

            The guard turned and opened the door for her without further comment.

            After the chill dimness of the hall, the warmth and light of King Leu’s library was most welcome. Atropos moved gratefully toward the fireplace in the corner nearest the door. Though Leu was seated near the fire, he was not looking into the flames. Instead, he stared at a painting that hung on the wall nearby. To the uninformed, the painting was just that, a perfect rendering of the entry hall of a modern human apartment. Atropos knew, however, that the frame contained something more than a painting. She also knew just how much the image meant to her host.

            Leu made her wait before turning to greet her. It was a deliberate slight, and it rankled, though Atropos knew better than to let that show. She had sought this meeting. She was in his castle, his place of power. And while all men must bow to the will of Fate, this was not the time or place to remind him of it. Leu was a king, and a proud man.

            “Why are you here?” He spoke calmly, his eyes gleaming silver in the firelight.

            “I need a boon,” she answered sourly.

            His elegant, dark brows rose so high they disappeared beneath a shock of his dark hair, in the front braided tight against his skull and pulled back in a tail, the back hanging nearly to his knees. She felt a pang of memory—Clotho’s—of the silken feel of that hair beneath her fingers and sliding over her naked body. . . . The crone found herself fighting her younger aspect for control of their shared body. Closing her eyes, she clamped down tight with her will until Clotho sullenly relented.

            “You seek a boon? From me?” Leu gave a slow, feral smile, his pleasure evident in the anticipatory flash of sharp, white teeth. “Have a seat,” he suggested with belated courtesy, gesturing toward the beautifully carved wooden chair across from him. “Would you like a drink?”

            Atropos nodded her consent. Resting her cane against the nearby table she lowered herself onto the straight-backed chair. It was not a comfortable seat. The carvings dug painfully into her back, and whatever padding the seat had once held had been worn down to nothing. She smiled grimly, knowing that the only better seat in the room was the king’s; the others were all intended to subtly discourage everyone else from lingering.

            Everything about Leu was subtle, complex, layered. He was a very physical being, Clotho and Lachesis could both attest to that, but ultimately his mind was what made him most dangerous—and the kind of High King Faerie needed. Atropos might not like the man, but she respected him, and her respect was not earned easily.

            She took a glass of wine from his hand, the liquid so dark a red it was nearly purple. She didn’t worry about poison. He wasn’t the type, and she was immune to most of them anyway. Still, there was always the possibility of an accident. The man had so very many enemies.

            Leu pushed aside a stack of maps and leaned back against the edge of the table, quite close to her. Taking a sip from his glass, he looked down at her and, smiling that dangerous smile, said, “Let the dickering begin.”

* * *

Today

I'm slowly recovering from the whole bronchitis kicking my butt thing, but I am in a VERY good mood.  THE EXILE is coming out in just a few days, and I am very excited.

I was able to get in touch with the USO, and they referred me to a charity that sends books to our troops.  I have committed to sending out a BUNCH of my novels that have been sitting on my shelves at home to the military.  This makes me very happy as I always want to support our troops.  Of course I also HOPE that they'll love them, and want to get all the rest.  (BWA HA HA HA).  Loyal readers are a great and glorious thing.

Everybody drive safe in the icy conditions that seem to be covering most of our country.

Cie

Audiobook cover, THE EXILE

This is the audiobook cover for The Exile.  Isn't it AWESOME!  Great job all.  I am THRILLED.  

Galloping Crud

Alas, I am behind on things again.  Got a bad case of bronchitis and was flat on my back ill for a full week.  The short story collection is now being shelved until after March so that I can do the book promo stuff and get caught up.  Writing has started again, and is going well.  Edit letter for ALL YOUR WISHES is due soon.

Tomorrow I am hoping to get the newsletter out so that I can notify the winners of the contest.  The winners books will be going on Friday.  But I am not going to push myself too hard because, frankly, I'm not completely well yet and can't afford to.

BEST TO ALL.

Cie

Camera has arrived.

WOOT -- the video camera has arrived.  I now need to learn how to use it to post interviews, clips and readings here and to the website via YouTube.

Wish me good luck!

Cie

HMNNNNNNNNNNN

AND THE GOOD NEWS IS

There's actually a Wiki page for Cat Adams.  Not C.T. Adams (bummer) but HEY one of my aliases is on Wiki.  How cool is that?

Got the cover flats for THE EXILE and they are FREAKING GORGEOUS.  WOOT!  It looks even better full size.  This, of course means, that I will have them available for giveaways when I send out the next newsletter on 2/1.

When I was in Denver in December I went to the big Barnes & Noble downtown and was treated spectacularly well when I offered to sign stock.  They were sweet, efficient, and flattering.  Too, there was STOCK of my books to sign.  This is a good thing and it made me feel very good about myself and my craft.

Recently I went to a smaller city in a different state and offered to sign stock.  They were not particularly helpful and stopped just a bit short of rude. If it hadn't been for the great experience in the city I would've been pretty low about it--particularly since I'd been questioning whether or not I'm still "relevant" and have fans.

But I'm beginning to think, based on things like responses to my newsletter contests, the Wiki page, the fact that B&N in a major city had multiple copies of my books on the shelves (and some faced out), that perhaps the bad experiences (and there have been more than one) are an aberration, or perhaps a localized phenomenon.

Either way, I'm going to keep going.  But if you have a wild desire to encourage me, feel free.

Cie

Video Camera

Well, I bit the bullet and bought a video camera.  The goal is to do short video readings to link from my website to YouTube, interviews, and other stuff.  I THINK I can link them to here too.

I'm trying to do new and nifty things that you guys (the fans) might like.  Also getting ready to do some promo stuff like the tee-shirts that are mentioned in the book for giveaways.  We'll see.

ANYWAY, I'm very excited that things are getting back on track.

Best always.

Cie

BUSY -- OY

I'm VERY busy right now.  Only have a minute to stop by and thank those of you who commented, and those who have been visiting with me on Facebook.  I am glad to know I haven't completely fallen off the map.

I'm still in the process of re-designing the website.  No links are up and running yet, but I'm getting pretty pleased with the look of it.  Simple.  That's the plan.

I'll check back in a couple days and let you know that it's finished.

Cie

Things are never quite as easy as you think they'll be.

Just when I think I've got a grip on reality, the handle breaks.

What if . . .

THERE’S A PARTY GOIN’ ON RIGHT HERE . . .

I had a thought the other day–what would it be like if characters from my various books and series showed up for a bash.  Who’d come?  Who’d send regrets?  Who’d talk to whom, and who’d be most likely to wind up with a lampshade on his/her head?

Silly, I know.  But I could picture it.  

From the Sazi–Tony might make it–but only if Sue dragged him along.  Might be fun if he brought Carmine, Linda and Babs along.  Raphael and Catherine would surely be there, dancing carefully around the inevitable issues with Tatiana, who’d show up on Lucas’ arm decked in diamonds.  If the Monier family arrived it could get VERY interesting indeed.  I’d hope that Raven could come, but he’d probably be on the road somewhere.

From the Thrall world I’m sure Kate Reilly would make it with Tom.  So would Carlton–who I imagine would be the life of the party, towering over everyone and chowing down on hot wings.

Of course, there’d be LOTS of food, very heavy on the protein offerings.  After all, you do not want your shapeshifters getting hungry.  

Music would be tricky.  What to play?   Hmmnnnn.  Some of these shapeshifters have been around a LOOONG time.  Others, not so much. Should there be dancing?  Might be fun.  Or not.  

Having the Fae show up from the new reality would be interesting as well.  How would the shapeshifters deal with creatures even more exotic than they?  And what do you suppose a Doxie would smell like?

But any way you slice it, it would be unforgettable–and more than a little dangerous.  All those predators . . .   And they might not be that happy with me.  I mean, seriously, I put my characters through a LOT of crap.  Maybe it’s just as well they CAN’T come off the page and in my living room.

But it’s sure fun to imagine.

Where I'm At

Okay, I've decided to try to get back on the social media bandwagon in a limited way.  I can't do TOO much, if I do it eats away at my writing time, which there isn't enough of as is.  But I want to re-connect with fans--and frankly I feel like I've fallen down on the job about that for far too long.

Hell, sometimes I wonder if I even HAVE fans any more.  Seriously.  Sales are good (thank you).  But withouit going to conferences, or hearing back via email or social media, you lose track.

SO, I'm blogging again.  I've gotten the newsletters out.  And I will probably redesign and put back up the website.    I will FaceBook in a limited way, probably on one weekend day for a couple of hours.

We'll see if it works.

In the meantime, "HI" and "I'm back."

Cie