Category Archives: Writing
Finally
At 2:46 AM this morning I finished the second round of edits on Deep Water, wrote up the synopsis, and sent it off to Evernight. This was after a MAJOR restructuring of Act II that made the book much better but required one hell of a lot of cutting/pasting/tweaking/patching/rewriting/etc that took up a goodish chunk of last week.
See, for me writing is actually the easy part. I turn off my internal editor and just splash words on the page. It’s the editing stage where I actually have to make those words make, you know, sense, that things get hairy and my housekeeping falls by the wayside while I try to figure out how to fit this 98K word puzzle together in a way so that you actually see the story.
But it’s done and off. And yes, this is going to be an MMF story with MM, FF, and MF scenes in it. I never claimed to color inside the lines. Hopefully I’ll hear from Evernight sometime in the next few weeks or so; in the meantime I still have to finish the short story for their Alpha Shifter antho, finish and polish Iron Cross for RT2015 next week (I have an appointment with an editor and an agent and need to have a completed manuscript waiting at home in case they say, “Why, yes, this sounds fantastic, send it to us right now”), then finish the Trickster sequel, then start plotting Olympic Cove Book Four (working title Cross Current).
Sleep? What means this word, sleep?
No, really, Deep Water is finished
And I’m editing it, honest, and I’m also working on Behind the Iron Cross. It’s just that I’m also writing a short story for Evernight’s latest anthology call (bad boy alpha shifters, woohoo!), and it’s requiring a bit of research because, erm, it takes place in Victorian London. And ties into that VicLondon series I wanted to do with the cop, the vampire, and the werewolf. And is going to take up every word of the 10K word limit.
Or as Ramón puts it, I enjoy creating rods for my own back. I just wanted to do something a little different from Olympic Cove, and I’d already had a vaguely defined couple in mind so when I read the antho guidelines they popped into my head and announced that they lived in 1878 London and, oh, by the way, they’re part of The Other London (the paranormal one) that’s been floating around in the back of my head for eighteen months or so and that won’t be a problem, will it?
*sigh* Short story has a working title of “Bully Boys” and I should have it finished by Wednesday, with luck and a strong south wind.
Well, that was unexpected
It’s funny, the things that writing can dredge out of your subconscious. I was sitting there yesterday afternoon working on character outlines for Behind the Iron Cross and listening to The Best of Sade to block out the sound of Ramón chewing on a scone in the kitchen (I love him dearly but my, that man can wake the dead when he eats).
About Sade: I’ve loved their music since I first heard “Smooth Operator” in 1984, and I’ve always associated the song with an individual I met when I was a young and innocent flower (you have my apologies for my vagueness, but I’ve since learned that this individual is somewhat litigious and I don’t wish to poke the bear). Not only did he pretty much crystallize my physical preferences in men, he also carbonated my hormones so badly that I don’t think I shared more than 20 words with him in my lifetime. I literally couldn’t talk to him; the speech center of my brain would go into vapor lock and I’d just stand there blinking at him even as the rest of my brain was screaming at me to do something, you idiot! I’m quite sure he wondered what the hell was wrong with me, but that’s neither here nor there.
So there I was, working on Kat’s backstory and trying to figure out where and how a nice society girl in the late 1910s would get Dominatrix training (a friendly madam-cum-Dominatrix in Paris, as it turns out), listening with half an ear to Sade croon, “Coast to coast, LA to Chicago, Western male,” and suddenly this individual popped into mind while I was thinking of my baby Domme.
And I had the most astounding epiphany about why I had such a hard time talking to him — my young, innocent flower of a self had no idea that she really, really, REALLY wanted to do delightfully debauched things to this smooth operator. Which was somewhat disconcerting to figure out *mumble mumble* years later, but damn, it gave me the key to Kat’s backstory. I swear, writing is way better than having a therapist!
So, about Deep Water
These are quite possibly the most beautiful words in the English language:
And with that, Draft One of Deep Water is finished. I’m going to let it sit over the weekend while I do useful things like pay bills, do the taxes, and wash our increasingly adhesive kitchen floor. I may even lure Ramón out to a movie, seeing as he’s not gaming on Saturday and I I haven’t seen Kingsmen: The Secret Service yet.
On Monday I go back to Behind the Iron Cross (because I have received death threats from my sister from another mister if don’t put it into her hot and sweaty hands soon). The goal is to have it finished and polished in time for RT 2015, as I have agent and editor interviews scheduled. Sometime late next week I’ll pull Deep Water out and start Draft Two. Beta readers (you know who you are), you can expect it in YOUR hot little hands by April 6 if not earlier, so be warned.
Oh, and I bought myself this little sterling silver, moonstone, and blue topaz bauble as a reward for finishing the book. The octopus-like beaded scrolls are VERY apropos, trust me.
Writer Emergency and the Avoidance Thereof
Phew. THAT was close.
I had just settled in to finish my word quota for the day, which was going to include my very first f/f scene (don’t worry, m/m fans, I’m not abandoning the field, just spreading my horizons a bit).
And then I realized that in order to get my brain in the right mood for bow chika bow bow I needed chocolate of some sort, ideally with a bit of fruit added. Of course, we had nothing in the house as I had a con last weekend and have spent the week trying to catch up with work, cleaning, etc.
I turned to Ramón and said, “I have a Writer Emergency. I need chocolate.”
His eyes lit up. “I’m going to be writing tonight. I need chocolate, too.”
Hint not taken, but never mind. “What kind do you want?”
“Well, are you talking about sharing something, or getting a bag for you and a bag for me?”
My raised eyebrow was my only response.
He grinned. “Yeah, that was a stupid question, wasn’t it? Okay, I’d like Lindt truffles, in mint, coconut, orange, or caramel flavor, or something in those flavor ranges from Ghiardelli. Thank you, sweetie.”
A somewhat complicated trip out later (when the hell did the local CVS stop being 24 hour? Seriously, these people need to notify me before they make changes to my life like that), I returned with a bag of Dark Mint Ghiardelli, carrot cake M&Ms (who knew?), and Lindt caramel truffles for him, and Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Ghiardelli and Brookside Pomegranate Chocolates for me. I may have gone a bit overboard, true, but I now have blessed, blessed chocolate flowing through my veins and can write anything. Bring on the f/f smut!
Wherein I have a question for you all
The Breaker Zone blog tour is going quite well and it’s racking up some nice reviews so that’s all good, and I currently have Deep Water (Olympic Cove 3) and a Trickster sequel on the writing deck, plus there’s the MMF Victorian steampunk series yet to be written as well as some OC novellas, the sequels to A Boon by Moonlight and Two to Tango, and various other things that are slipping into my WIP list when I’m not looking. So yeah, lots of Cameron-style paranormal/fantasy erotic romance coming down the pike here.
That being said, I have a question and I would like some honest feedback on it. As you may know (Bob), I was a science fiction writer before I branched out into erotic romance, and I actually wrote two SF books that were never published that, after MUCH editing and revision, I would like to take a crack at putting on the market. My question is, would any of you be interested in reading a non-erotic romance novel by me? The first one is a straight-up time travel adventure where a British physicist and a Chicago cop have to travel to 1870 Oxford to find a thief who stole time travel technology and find themselves accidentally involved with Lewis Carroll, Alice Liddell, and Ukrainian art thieves. There would be romance-like elements to the book (the physicist is female and the cop is male, and there is MUCH bantering going on throughout), but no sex and it’s definitely more along the lines of Connie Willis than J.D. Robb.
So, yeah, let me know if something like that would interest you. Thanks!
Whereupon I find myself on the horns of a dilemma
And damn, that’s uncomfortable.
As you know (Bob), Breaker Zone released earlier this week and is selling briskly (oddly enough vis-a-vis Amazon it’s selling much better in Germany and the UK than in the US — go figure). I’ve already started Book Three, Deep Water, and hope to have that finished and turned in to Evernight by the end of January.
Thing is, there is going to be one major difference in Deep Water — I’m adding a female to the main romantic mix. It’s going to be MMF so there will be my usual man-on-man action, but there are going to be some MF and MMF scenes as well (and to be honest, one rather important FF scene). I actually have the series story arc worked out in my head so I’m not randomly adding characters to the mix — all of the romantic action happens for a reason.
But I know I have readers who simply don’t enjoy MF or MMF stories, and I suspect I may wind up losing them for this book, which is kind of a shame because Deep Water 1) is going to be extremely funny in places and 2) will explain why Poseidon has such a huge stick up his ass. And yeah, the fiscally conscious part of my brain is worried about the potential hit to sales — I have five cats I have to keep in kibble, after all.
Ultimately, however, I have to be true to the story in my head, and Deep Water‘s plot is all about Poseidon, his consort Amphitrite, and the agapetos they lost millennia ago. So to the non-MMF fans out there, all I can do is beg your indulgence and ask you to give the story a chance when it finally goes to print. I promise, I’ll do my best not to cock it up.
Release Day: Breaker Zone (Plus I’m Running a Contest And Giveaway!)
Do I have a last-minute Christmas present for you! Yes, Breaker Zone (Book Two in the Olympic Cove series) is now available from Evernight Publishing, Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Bookstrand, and other fine online retailers (if you get it from Evernight’s website you’ll save $1.50 off the cover price. Plus, if I get 25 sales through Evernight it becomes eligible for a print run, which would be awesome).
When Dr. Nick Gardiner goes on the run from a psychotic ex and ends up at Olympic Cove, the last thing he expects to find is his friend Ian living with two redheaded demigods and learning how to be a storm god. Adding to the confusion is a wounded merman named Aidan who washes up in the cove, requiring Nick’s professional help. As it turns out, the handsome mer and his partner Liam have other plans for the ER doctor — to claim him as their agapetos, their destined mate, and fulfill his need to submit.
A chance encounter at a local junk shop reveals that Nick has his own role to play in the battle against the insane Nereid Thetis. Under the reluctant mentorship of the centaur Chiron, Nick must master the use of the Rod of Asclepius if he wants to rescue his mates from a ghastly fate and help Ian save the planet.
And to celebrate my book birthday I’m running a contest. Grand prize is this absolutely beautiful pendant from Belaurient Arts. It’s a freeform azurite/malachite cabochon wrapped with sterling silver wire, and comes with a silky black cord necklace.
The runner up prize is a $25 gift certificate from Amazon. To win, all you have to do is leave a comment on the bottom of this page wishing me a happy book birthday. And since we’re looking down the barrel of Christmas and I know everyone’s busy right now, I’ll run this contest from now until December 26, when I’ll pick the winner.
Good luck and happy reading!
If you ever wonder why I don’t write as fast as other writers
It’s something of a challenge to write with one hand while the other is keeping two grey tabbies from going after one another. This, my friends, is how I spent much of the morning sitting. I ask you.
It’s good to have inspiration
You may remember earlier this year when I was promoting a certain someone’s Indiegogo project “Colby Does America (And Canada, Too). I also contributed to the project, and yesterday I got one of my perks.
That’ll do, Colby. That’ll do.
Nicola Cameron Writes 