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News for April, 2012

I’m sitting in Kathryn Falk’s kitchen writing this, and I go home tomorrow. Kathryn’s been a wonderful hostess, as was Desiree Holt before her, and I don’t want to go home. Except for the tree roaches, that is. They are huge, simply enormous, and I don’t like them. Love the geckos, don’t mind the other bugs, but not tree roaches. I’ve discovered where I draw the line.

The RT Booklovers’ Convention was a complete blast. I loved every minute of it. The staff worked so hard to make it a success, the hotel was perfectly great, and I got some business done as well as having a lot of fun! When I get back to the UK, I’ll try to do a special report, for those of you who couldn’t come. Next year, Kansas City! There are going to be some exciting developments, and I’ve been privy to some of the things happening next year, which sound more than exciting. As soon as the Convention is over, they start working on next year’s. awesome, and I’m glad I don’t have to organize it!

So, a few highlights, a lightning tour of my month in the US:

I arrived with Gail Northman, and we had a great week touring and shopping in Chicago. We stayed at a hotel on the Magnificent Mile, shops as far as the eye could see, and really fun. Very few things beat going to a good place with a girlfriend who shares your tastes and interests. We went to the Art Institute, and did lots of shopping, went to the Navy Pier, and then did some more. All ably helped by lovely Laura, not forgetting her brother Rob, who showed us parts of Chicago people don’t usually get to see. Oh yes, and I got some orbs on the ghost tour!

After that, RT itself. I shared with Desiree Holt, and I arrived early, to do some teaching on the precon. I met my current editors, potential future editors, had a really successful Fan Fictionary panel and a panel on using pseudonyms, partied the night away and signed lots of books, not to mention t-shirts, totes and one stomach. A nice, toned, male stomach.

I travelled to Texas and stayed with Desiree Holt. After a couple of necessary pyjama days, we toured the area, and I got to go to the Alamo! Then I came to Kathryn’s, and I’ve had a wonderful time here, too. I went to the gun range and fired lots of handguns, went shopping and met some truly wonderful people, who I will miss when I go home tomorrow. We also went to concerts, from a local American folk artist, to the Houston Symphony Orchestra.

So on to news. I sold two books this month! What a thrill! One to Ellora’s Cave, “Last Enchantment,” a STORM book about a Sorcerer who has lost everything and a vampire who desperately wants her to learn to live again, and “Stripped Bare,” a contemporary erotic romance about a Texan lady in London, to Loose-Id. Thanks to both publishers for their continued support and help in getting these books together. And I had more cover art for Nightstar. The covers for the new (as yet unreleased) series are blazing hot, and beautifully designed.

And a new release (details below).

For those of you who don’t have a copy of “Yorkshire,” it’s on sale this month for the princely price of – nothing. Get it from your preferred outlet of choice. It’s to prepare for the release of the last (for now) Richard and Rose book, “Lisbon,” which comes out next month.

I’ll end with a small apology. It turns out that I can’t update my website from the US, so I'll do it as soon as I get home. Or as soon as I’ve slept off the jetlag, so I can be sure I’m doing it right! Rendezvous at Midnight and Rubies of Fire will get their rightful places on the front page and their own pages will be updated.

Excerpt:

This month sees the release of “Diamonds of Ice,” the companion piece to “Rubies of Fire,” which was released last month. Both books have been heavily rewritten, to take account of their new position in the Department 57 series, and to add even more hotness for your reading pleasure. They don’t have to be read together, they do read perfectly effectively a standalones, it’s just that the fate of one character from “Rubies” is followed through in “Diamonds.”

I am thrilled to see this book out on the virtual shelves again. It’s one of the hardest ones I ever wrote, because of its theme, but I felt very happy with the result.

Because of his blood phobia, vampire Fabrice is happy to die once he’s avenged two murders. Until he meets Gemma. Gemma wants Fabrice for longer than a night. Forever sounds good, but if he starves to death, forever might end next week.

Diamonds of Ice is out on the 29^th May, 2012