Merry Christmas!

To all my friends and family--and to everyone in blogland--I wish you a very Merry Christmas!

I'm fortunate to be spending breakfast with my daughter, brunch with my brother and sister, and dinner with my other sister. I hope each of you spend time with those you love today, even if it's only via phone or letter. I wish you peace and happiness and a terrific 2009.

Another Step Along

Yesterday my editor approved my revisions on Drawn into Darkness and sent the manuscript off to copyediting.

Yay!

This was a surprisingly happy moment for me. Yes, the book had been bought, and yes, my editor's last request for changes was fairly straightforward to implement, but having the manuscript formally approved and having my editor reiterate that she was 'so excited' about the series put a big grin on my face. The manuscript will come back to me for more tweaks after the copyeditor has gone though it with a fine-toothed comb, but the big stuff is done. I'm free to throw myself into the next book. And that's already promising to be lots of fun...I'm falling hard for my new hero.

Prizes...

I'm blogging over at Silk and Shadows today, and the topic is romance sub-genres. Over the holidays, we're giving away a prize a week to some lucky commenter. Check it out!

Cover Copy

Last week I got the first real sense my book was 'in the works' at NAL/Penguin: My editor sent me a copy of the back cover text and we worked on it together to refine it. As soon as I know it's approved, I'll post it on my site.

Believe it or not, it was exciting just seeing the form! It made my book feel official--it told me more than just my agent, my editor and I were working on it. I know the art department is also working on the cover art, and obviously, I'm eager to see what they come up with. NAL does spectacular covers and I have high hopes for mine. But it won't be ready until February or so.

I must be patient. I must be patient. I must be... Yeah, right.

Gift Ideas

With the economy in a slump, lots of folks are thinking about cutting back on the gifts this holiday season. One of the ideas you may not have considered is giving a book.

Yes, really. A book.

Admit it, in this day and age, there's not many truly enjoyable gifts for $10 or less. But a book can bring hours of entertainment and a smile to someone's face. Yes, I know ... books are personal and it's hard to pick a book for someone whose tastes are not identical to your own. But if you know an avid reader, a book can be a very inspired choice. Even if you're not sure which book to buy, a bookstore gift card can do the trick.