The Importance of Being...um...it's a long story
So, let's talk about what's coming up in the future, book-wise.
As many of you know, last year was far from the best year I'd ever had. My husband had some issues that severely interrupted our lives, and in July, he was killed in a car accident. That horrific event happened while I was in the middle of writing Time Thief, and it not only threw my life into a hellish nightmare of grieving, coping with the death, and piecing together my own life, but it also meant that I stopped writing Time Thief for two months. My editor and publisher were very supportive, and allowed me to turn in the finished book much later than it was due, but that delay also meant that the schedule for the second book was way off. I'm used to writing under deadline, but turning a book in five months before it's going to be published is really, really scary--there's just no wiggle room, no extra time should something happen to delay the finish of the book.
Luckily, nothing horrible happened. The book was turned in, Editor Kate loved it, and it's in production now, moving ever forward toward the September release.
The combination of the hub's issues, his death, and the delays in the two books, however, have taken their toll on my muse. Early in the year she demanded some time off to catch her breath, mellow out, and basically recharge her mental batteries. I agreed that she deserved some time. Which is why I told Editor Kate that rather than accept a new contract offer and get right to work on the next book, I am going to take the summer off and basically do nothing.
Well..kind of.
You see, during the last few years, I've received a number of e-mails from librarians and readers who want print copies of my out-of-print historicals. Although I have the rights back to those books, and they are available as e-books, there are still a lot of readers who prefer print books (I'm one of them!), and right now, they can't get copies of any of the three Noble historicals.
That fact made me sad.
So one day, I told Darling Agent Michelle to look around for a publisher who would take my historical backlist and do spiffy, exciting things with the books. And she talked to various people, and in the end, I decided to go with a publisher who has been doing excellent things with historical reprints: Sourcebooks. All of which means that beginning next spring, Noble Intentions, Noble Destiny, and The Trouble With Harry will be reprinted in lovely paperbacks once again, and will be available for everyone who likes to hold an actual book in their hands.
But there's more! Egmont Lyx, my German publisher, has also bought the rights to the books, so they will be releasing them starting later this year. I'm super thrilled about that, because I know many German readers have been wanting to read my non-paranormals.
All this historical talk got me thinking, and after some discussion with the folks at Sourcebooks, I agreed to write a new historical. I know! It's been years since I've written one! Heaven knows I get a ton of e-mail from folks asking about a Nick and Thom book, so it really is about time I return to my historical roots. And I'm happy to announce that although the book will not have Nick and Thom as the main characters, they will be in it, so everyone will be able to catch up with them.
So I'm still going to get my summer off...I'll just be writing (at a leisurely pace, because my muse really is quite adamant about recharging her batteries) the as-yet-untitled historical (I refer to it as The Importance of Being Ernst because it makes me giggle), and slowly start bringing my mind around to what I will want to write at the end of the summer.
The new historical will be out, I believe, in August 2014. The Nobles will be re-released in May, June, and July 2014. And after that...well, we'll have to wait until September before I make a decision. Yay for some non-stress time!
As many of you know, last year was far from the best year I'd ever had. My husband had some issues that severely interrupted our lives, and in July, he was killed in a car accident. That horrific event happened while I was in the middle of writing Time Thief, and it not only threw my life into a hellish nightmare of grieving, coping with the death, and piecing together my own life, but it also meant that I stopped writing Time Thief for two months. My editor and publisher were very supportive, and allowed me to turn in the finished book much later than it was due, but that delay also meant that the schedule for the second book was way off. I'm used to writing under deadline, but turning a book in five months before it's going to be published is really, really scary--there's just no wiggle room, no extra time should something happen to delay the finish of the book.
Luckily, nothing horrible happened. The book was turned in, Editor Kate loved it, and it's in production now, moving ever forward toward the September release.
The combination of the hub's issues, his death, and the delays in the two books, however, have taken their toll on my muse. Early in the year she demanded some time off to catch her breath, mellow out, and basically recharge her mental batteries. I agreed that she deserved some time. Which is why I told Editor Kate that rather than accept a new contract offer and get right to work on the next book, I am going to take the summer off and basically do nothing.
Well..kind of.
You see, during the last few years, I've received a number of e-mails from librarians and readers who want print copies of my out-of-print historicals. Although I have the rights back to those books, and they are available as e-books, there are still a lot of readers who prefer print books (I'm one of them!), and right now, they can't get copies of any of the three Noble historicals.
That fact made me sad.
So one day, I told Darling Agent Michelle to look around for a publisher who would take my historical backlist and do spiffy, exciting things with the books. And she talked to various people, and in the end, I decided to go with a publisher who has been doing excellent things with historical reprints: Sourcebooks. All of which means that beginning next spring, Noble Intentions, Noble Destiny, and The Trouble With Harry will be reprinted in lovely paperbacks once again, and will be available for everyone who likes to hold an actual book in their hands.
But there's more! Egmont Lyx, my German publisher, has also bought the rights to the books, so they will be releasing them starting later this year. I'm super thrilled about that, because I know many German readers have been wanting to read my non-paranormals.
All this historical talk got me thinking, and after some discussion with the folks at Sourcebooks, I agreed to write a new historical. I know! It's been years since I've written one! Heaven knows I get a ton of e-mail from folks asking about a Nick and Thom book, so it really is about time I return to my historical roots. And I'm happy to announce that although the book will not have Nick and Thom as the main characters, they will be in it, so everyone will be able to catch up with them.
So I'm still going to get my summer off...I'll just be writing (at a leisurely pace, because my muse really is quite adamant about recharging her batteries) the as-yet-untitled historical (I refer to it as The Importance of Being Ernst because it makes me giggle), and slowly start bringing my mind around to what I will want to write at the end of the summer.
The new historical will be out, I believe, in August 2014. The Nobles will be re-released in May, June, and July 2014. And after that...well, we'll have to wait until September before I make a decision. Yay for some non-stress time!