Monday Musings, Guest Posts, What's Next

Well, THAT was a short weekend. In fact, it was a short summer. I can't believe it is September. (You know, except for the copious ragweed...that's kind of hard to ignore.) Kids are back to school, here in Oneonta, the students have returned to our two colleges and the tourists are gone, which completely changes the feel of the town.

And, of course, WICKEDLY DANGEROUS is finally out in the world. I've done insane amounts of promo and guest blogs and contests, but that's winding down. You can check out my last two (coff) special appearances today, at
HARLEQUIN JUNKIE where there is a fun interview with me, and she is giving away TWO books
and
THE QWILLERY where I am asked some interesting questions, and have been included as part of their 2014 Debut Author Challenge where participants have to read at least 12 debut books, and get a chance at winning a $100 gift card--doesn't that sound like fun!

This Thursday night, you'll be able to hear the dulcet tones of my voice (coff coff) on AFTER HOURS AM radio podcast (available via computer if you follow this link). I'll be on from 9:30-11pm EST, chatting with host Joe Sturgis about the new novel, the nonfiction books, and witchcraft in general. The show includes a call-in, so you can even call and say hi, and ask me a question if you want. [studio phone number is 612 326 6874]

People have been asking if the book is doing well. To be honest, I don't know. The only clue the author gets is Amazon's ranking numbers, and they change every couple of minute, and nobody really knows what they mean. For a while, my Circle, Coven, & Grove eBook rerelease was in the top of the Kindle witchcraft books (it even made it to #1 for a few weeks!). But that's a much smaller pool, and it was easier to be a big fish in it. [I kind of miss being a big fish in a small pond...apparently you guys need to go back to buying this book. I'm just saying.]

So I just don't know. Most of the reviews have been pretty good, and I am REALLY REALLY REALLY grateful to those who have read the book (or the prequel novella WICKEDLY MAGICAL ) and taken the trouble to post reviews at Amazon, Goodreads, and/or B&N. It is a huge help to an author--to me--when you do that.

As for sales, it is just to early to say if the book is "successful" or not. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed, and getting back to work on Everything Else. Things have kind of piled up in the last few weeks, believe it or not :-)

I'm hoping that I'll be able to announce the exciting Sekrit Project soon, but other than that, things are going back to whatever "normal" (coff coff coff) means around here. Expect the regular meanderings about witchcraft, gardens, cats, writing, and all that jazz for a while. Yes, it is okay to breathe a big sigh of relief.

Thank you all SO much for all of the support and encouragement you've given me during pre-book release and book release time. I have the best friends, followers, fans, and readers in the whole damn world. And if you don't believe me, I've got a dragon-dog who is eager to change your mind.

WICKEDLY MAGICAL--It's Novella Release Day!

It has been a long, long wait but today is the day—WICKEDLY MAGICAL is finally here!

WICKEDLY MAGICAL is the prequel novella for the Baba Yaga series, which means it tells a little bit of the “story before the story starts.” You don’t need to read it in order to enjoy the novels, but it does give you that first glimpse into the world of Barbara Yager (the first Baba Yaga) and her sisters.

Known as the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales, Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather a title carried by a chosen few. They keep the balance of nature and guard the borders of our world, but don’t make the mistake of crossing one…

Barbara Yager loves being one of the most powerful witches in the world, but sometimes she’d rather kick back in her enchanted Airstream with a beer in her hand than work out how to grant the requests of the worthy few who seek her out.

But when a man appears with the token of a family debt of honor, Barbara must drop everything to satisfy the promise owed by her predecessor—and she isn’t above being a little wicked to make sure the debt is paid in full…

Here are a few links, in case you are in the mood to take a look (and don't worry if you don't have an eReader; you can get a free and easy Kindle app that will let you read on your computer). 

 PENGUIN

 AMAZON

 B&N

 iBooks

And don’t forget, WICKEDLY DANGEROUS (Baba Yaga novel #1) is out on September 2^nd and it’s up for pre-order now! And if you get a copy of WICKEDLY MAGICAL, be sure to come tell me (on the blog, or Twitter, or Facebook) what you thought. Spread the word, if you are so inclined--you know I appreciate it! In fact, I'm giving away a Big Bundle of Baba Yaga Swag to one random fan. You can enter the contest here AND/or on Facebook. (But it only runs until the end of Wednesday, so don't wait.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Welcome to the world of the Baba Yagas!

Here's an excerpt to tempt you....

Barbara Yager glided her classic BMW motorcycle to a halt in front of the silver Airstream trailer that she lived in whenever she was on the road. It was currently parked in a lot on the campus of the Northern Illinois University where she was presenting a series of guest lectures on wild crafting herbs. Traveling botanist and college professor made for a useful cover for her other activities, which tended to be a little less conventional. To say the least.

As she swung one lean, leather-clad leg over the saddle of the bike, she caught a glimpse of something curious, reflected in the shiny royal blue paint. The reflection should have been impossible, given the angle, but like everything else about Barbara Yager, the motorcycle was not quite what it seemed.

“Hmph,” she said, not very loudly, and strolled over to the front door of the Airstream without looking back.

“We have company,” she said as she closed the door behind her. “Again.”

She removed her helmet, releasing a cloud of dark hair that flowed over her shoulders like silk. The helmet and black leather jacket were hung on branch-like pegs that sprouted out of the wall as she snapped her fingers, leaving her clad in matching black leather pants and a crimson tee. Not what the university administrators had been expecting, she suspected, but she didn’t much care. Following the rules had never been her strong suit.

A blunt black-nosed snout pushed aside the velvet curtain covering the window, as Chudo-Yudo looked for himself. He gave a barking laugh, one that went well with his current guise as a huge white pit pull; not exactly subtle, but a lot easier to explain than his true form of a ten-foot dragon. They’d been companions since she’d been a child…which was a lot longer ago than one would suppose based on appearances.

“Not very smart,” Chudo-Yudo growled. “Stalking a Baba Yaga.” He showed a set of sharp white teeth. “Maybe he has a death wish. I could help with that. You want me to eat him?”

Barbara rolled her eyes. “I don’t think that will be necessary. It is not as though he is a threat.”

As if an ordinary mortal could harm a Baba Yaga in a face-to-face confrontation. Barbara was one of the three Babas currently living in—and responsible for—the United States. Like the others, she’d been trained in magic by the Baba Yaga who’d preceded her, and like the others, she was tasked with guarding the doorway to the Otherworld, keeping the balance of nature (as much as anyone could in these modern times), and occasionally, helping a worthy seeker. 

That last one was a pain in the butt.

Barbara sighed, peering out the window over Chudo-Yudo’s massive furry shoulder at the rusting blue pickup truck parked under a nearby tree. For three days, it had followed her from the building where her class was held. Each day, it sat there, idling, for about twenty minutes, no doubt while its driver attempted to work up his nerve to confront one of the most powerful witches on the planet. Each day, it drove off again, the man inside only a vague image of ragged hair and bowed shoulders, leaving behind it a miasma of exhaust and sorrow.

Barbara was tired of waiting. In theory, those seeking her assistance were supposed to come to her. She decided that parking within twenty feet of her home was close enough to count. There was a cold beer with her name on it (literally, since a small organic brewery in Utah made a beer called “Baba” that she was quite fond of), and she wasn’t going to be able to relax until she figured out if she was truly needed, or if whoever was out there was just wasting her time and annoying her. It was never a good idea to annoy a Baba Yaga. Particularly not this Baba.

Muttering under her breath, she stomped over to stand in front of the driver’s side door, arms crossed, booted feet planted firmly on the ground. Chudo-Yudo trailed along behind her, probably out of sheer boredom. They tended to spend more time away from civilization than in it, which made it easier for him to be out and about, and a week stuck in the Airstream in the middle of a parking lot had made the dog-dragon even grumpier than usual.

The window lowered slowly, revealing a pale, rugged face under badly cut brown hair. Baba thought the man might have been reasonably attractive when he didn’t look so tired and worried. The lines of strain had carved crevices and valleys onto an otherwise pleasant landscape, and dark brown eyes were ringed by shadows that spoke of many a sleepless night.

Barbara hardened her heart. Just because someone wasn’t sleeping well didn’t mean he merited her assistance. Maybe the guy had a guilty conscience. Or stayed up all night gambling and chasing women.

She hoped he hadn’t come to her in search of some kind of magical treasure to get him out of debt. That might have worked on occasion in the old days, back in the dark green, mysterious forests of Mother Russia, when Baba Yagas were more inclined to play along with the fairy tales people told about them. Not anymore, and definitely not her. He was going to have to really need her help, or she’d turn him into a toad and go drink that beer.

“Hey,” she said, possibly a touch more forcefully than she’d intended to, based on the way the guy flinched. “I’m guessing you wanted to talk to me, since you’ve followed me back here three days in a row. Were you ever planning to get out of that truck?”

The man eyed her dubiously, and looked even less encouraged by the sight of the large canine sitting at her feet, long pink tongue lolling, and just a hint of steam curling out of his nostrils. But after a minute the man shut off the engine and opened the door. For all his hesitation, once he was in front of her, he straightened up and pulled his shoulders back, as if gathering his courage. A couple of inches over her five foot ten, he wore a clean blue shirt over jeans that actually looked like they’d been ironed. One hand gripped a small box.

Barbara raised a dark eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. She’d gone as far as she was going to—the next step was up to him.

People are Talking About Me (and Feline Friday)

People have been talking about me this week. Well, at least, they've been talking about my books, and that's a good thing!

Author Jim C. Hines had a great review of WICKEDLY DANGEROUS on his blog HERE (Spoiler: He liked it!)

Author Lisa Shearin was kind enough to spread the word at her blog HERE

(These are both amazing authors--two of my favorite writers AND people. If you're not reading them yet, you should definitely check them out.)

Rebecca Elson talked about The Witches Broom on her blog, The Magical Buffet

You should go check these things out and say hi--tell 'em Deborah sent you :-)

Maybe the most exciting of all was a review in one of the major romance publications, RT Book Reviews. They gave WICKEDLY DANGEROUS four stars (they only go up to 4 1/2, so 4 is great) and a really glowing review. (I'm not sure if you can read the review if you don't have a subscription, but here is the link in case you can.) RT BOOK REVIEWS

My wonderful publisher, Berkley, is giving away twenty copies of WICKEDLY DANGEROUS on GOODREADS -- go see if you can snag a copy!

It is hard to believe that the novella will be out on August 5th! That's next week! *faints* Wickedly Magical

And the lovely folks at Berkley sent me the first print copy of WICKEDLY DANGEROUS, hot off the presses. Magic the Cat was very impressed. Isn't it bee-oo-tiful?

Your Feline Friday picture

She doesn't look like she wants to give that one up, but pretty soon I should get my box of author copies, and then I suspect we'll be having some giveaways... In fact, I will probably do something next Tuesday, to celebrate the release of the novella, so stay tuned. (If you're not signed up for the newsletter, you might want to be...just saying.) I know I'm going to do an ARC giveaway on my Facebook Author Page (they don't let you do giveaways on your personal page, silly people), so if you want in on that, you should go like me.

 As you might expect, the next month or so is going to be a lot of "OMG THE BOOKS" around here, but I'll try to keep it interesting. Next up is a blog post on the origins of the Baba Yaga (the original stories, not my updated take on  it). I hope to have exciting news to announce soon about the Super Sekrit Project too.

Nothing but good times ahead! So are you as excited as Magic is about the book?

WICKEDLY MAGICAL in Three Weeks! Yikes!

It suddenly occurred to me this morning that the Baba Yaga prequel novella, WICKEDLY MAGICAL, comes out three weeks from today yesterday. (There might have been some panicked shrieking, and possibly someone running around flailing their arms and yelling, oh my gods! oh my gods!)

Yikes.

The novella is only available as an eBook, like most novellas, but don't forget that you can get it through Amazon and download a Kindle app to your computer, if you don't have an eReader. And you don't HAVE to read it to enjoy the two novels, WICKEDLY DANGEROUS and WICKEDLY WONDERFUL -- it is just a nice way to meet the characters you'll get to know better later on.

The novella from Penguin
The novella from Amazon
The novella from B&N

Anyway, I said to Magic the Cat, I said, "Maybe we should have a contest to celebrate the upcoming release. Do you think I should give away one of the Advanced Reader Copies for Wickedly Dangerous?"

Apparently, she didn't think this was good enough. Here is what she suggested:

And as we all know, there is no point in arguing with Magic when she has her mind made up. So three copies it is. I'll even sign them.

Of course, I would love it if you would all run out and preorder the novella, the books, Magic's forthcoming autobiography (just kidding...I think I've bribed her not to write that)...but you don't have to. You can help spread the word, or just leave a comment here. Easy peasy. Because that's the way we roll around here. The contest starts at midnight tonight (July 15th) EST and ends Saturday night (July 19th) at midnight. (Sorry, USA residents only. If you live outside the US and you win, I'll send you something else cool.)

Okay, I'm going back to running around and flailing my arms now.

Addendum: Are people having a hard time using the Rafflecopter for some reason? There are a lot fewer entries than usual, despite the large number of page views. If something is going wrong, y'all would tell me, right?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Writing Life: Starting a New Project

It’s that time again. All the current projects are done (or at a phase where I don’t need to do my bit again until later) and that means…duh duh duh…time to start a new project.

Oh boy.

This stage of a book is both exciting and scary. For me at least. Some authors just feel one or the other, I suppose. I love diving into a new project; feeling the energy stirring as the ideas come together, finding the bits and pieces that will eventually come together like one giant picture puzzle. But it is also a little overwhelming to look ahead at all the work yet to be done and wonder if my Brilliant Idea will actually work out the way I want it to.

Of course, the process is different depending on whether I am working on a nonfiction book for Llewellyn or a novel. At the beginning stage anyway, the nonfiction is a lot easier. I figure out what the book is about, write up an outline/table of contents, and then start plugging away at it. (Assuming that my editor Elysia is at least potentially interested. If she’s not, I come up with another idea.)

Novels are a lot trickier. A LOT trickier. I have to come up with a basic plot and the primary characters, and then figure out what I’m doing with them. Luckily, the novel I’m about to start working on is one my agent Elaine and I discussed months ago, right before I got the contract with Berkley for the Baba Yaga books. I’d given her three options for what I might work on next and thankfully we both liked the same idea best. But just as I got ready to work on it, I signed with Berkley and ended up spending the next few months working on revisions for Wickedly Dangerous (Baba #1), and writing Wickedly Wonderful (Baba #2) and Wickedly Magical (the prequel novella), as well as two books for Llewellyn.

Now all that is done and I can finally dive into work on One Born Every Minute. This new book is quite the departure for me. It’s not a paranormal romance or an urban fantasy. There aren’t any witches in it whatsoever. (That’s right—NO witches. Take a deep breath. It’s going to be okay.) In fact, it is a humorous contemporary romance. It is going to be quirky and snarky and fun to write, but still a major change from my usual, so that’s a little intimidating too. Still, I expect to have a ball writing it, as soon as I get to that stage of the game.

Before I do, however, I have to take my current basic three page summary and expand it into a longer general outline (not everyone outlines, and I don’t outline on every book, but I do find that writing goes a lot faster if I have one). I’ll be creating character studies for my two major protagonists as well as a whole slew of secondary characters, figuring out where they live and what motivates them and all sorts of background information that may or may not ever show up in the book, but which I need to know before I can start writing about them.

I’ve already found “pictures” of the two main characters (something my critique partner Lisa got me into doing in the last couple of years) and started a Pinterest board for the book where I can store them and any other pictures I come up with related to the manuscript. [Thanks, Mindy Klasky!]

Here’s P.T. “Petey” Parker (short for Pearl Topaz, of all things, but if you were named Pearl Topaz, I’m pretty sure you’d go by a nickname too) and Nathan Chandler.

The next week or two will be spent in the “Discovery” phase of the book—finding out what the book is about and who these characters are, doing some research on places and some basic facts, and mulling…letting the story start to stew in the back of my brain until I am ready to sit down and start writing in earnest.

Mind you, this isn’t the way everyone starts a new project. It isn’t even how I start every single novel, although I use this approach more often than not. I’ll also be reading (and in some cases rereading) books in the same general genre with the same basic feel. Not every author does this either. Some of my writer friends won’t go near anything that is even vaguely similar to their work in progress until it is done; if they’re writing a paranormal, they may read romance, for instance.

The theory here is that they don’t want anyone else’s writing to influence theirs, usually. I don’t worry about that much and I like to immerse myself into the kinds of worlds I’m going to be writing about to get in the zone, so to speak. So I’m rereading Jennifer Cruise (who is probably closest to what I’m attempting with this book, and whose writing I adore) and Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and Tawna Fenske, and reading a few authors who are new to me that friends have recommended.

And mulling, musing, and dreaming until I am ready to sit down and let this book be born.

What about you? Have you started any interesting new projects lately? If so, do you start by plotting and planning, or do you just jump in and go?

 BTW--stay tuned, because I should have a cover reveal for Wickedly Wonderful coming up soon!

Four Books and a Novella

No, that's not the name of a RomCom movie about my life starring Hugh Grant (although that would be pretty cool).

Although if you WERE going to do a movie about my life this year, "Four Books and a Novella" would make a pretty good title, since it is starting to look like most of my time is going to be devoted to those five projects. And if you're thinking "Gee, that seems like a lot," you'd be right! (I'm not saying I'm sitting here hyperventilating just thinking about it, but um...anyone got a brown paper bag?)

Here's the thing: normally, I write two books a year. One nonfiction book for Llewellyn, and one novel. For many years, the nonfiction books were published at about the rate of one a year, and I had to do edits and publicity for them, and the fiction books made the rounds of agents (until I got one) and then editors as I was writing the next one. A lot of work, but just about manageable on top of the day job, making jewelry, chasing cats around, and all that jazz.

Then last year, I finally sold the fiction. (HUZZAH!) The first two books in my Baba Yaga series, plus a prequel novella. Which changed the scenario quite a bit. And because I had decided that once I sold a novel, I probably wouldn't do any more Llewellyn books, I then signed contracts not only for another one (Everyday Witchcraft, a follow up to my popular 3rd book, The Goddess is in the Details), but also for a small book that is one is a series they are putting out about the eight sabbats. (More about that some other time. And yes, I realize that there is something wrong with my plan here.) So I spent the last couple of months working on those, and not really thinking about the big picture, until it suddenly struck me a few weeks ago that I had THREE BOOKS AND A NOVELLA coming out this year.

Holy crap.

And then it occurred to me that since my next book for Llewellyn, The Witch's Broom , is coming out in April, that would be a great time to finally get around to putting out an eBook version of Circle, Coven & Grove (my first book, which went out of print last year). I have a secret plan for that in the works right now, which I will blog about when some other stuff is finalized I'm ready.

Which led me to the realization that I would then be putting out FOUR BOOKS AND A NOVELLA this year. All of them requiring editing, publicity, and such.

HOLY CRAP.

Well, I'm the one who wanted to be a writer, so I'm not complaining. Mostly, just a little...flabbergasted. I have a few writer friends who put out that many books in a year on a regular basis, but I am not that writer. And I think it is unlikely that this confluence of events will reoccur--I'm perfectly happy to stick to two books a year. But in the meanwhile, here's what we're looking at:

April 8th -- The Witch's Broom
 April 8th (give or take a few days) -- Circle, Coven & Grove (release as an eBook)
August (no exact date yet) --  Wickedly Magical (Baba Yaga novella, released in eBook form)
September 2nd -- Wickedly Dangerous (Baba Yaga book 1)
December (no exact date yet) -- Wickedly Wonderful (Baba Yaga book 2)

So--four books and a novella. Fortunately, the edits are done for everything except the last book (although I still have the last copy edits read-through for Baba 1). Circle, Coven & Grove is written, of course, but I have to come up with a new cover and a new cover blurb, since those things belong to Llewellyn, the original publisher, as well as adding a new introduction. And I have major revisions to do on the current Llewellyn book, which will be out sometime next year.

Right now, I'm a somewhat muddled mix of Really Excited and A Tad Overwhelmed, with a smidge of Ridiculously Happy thrown in for good measure. I hope you're all just a little bit excited to be taking this ride with me, too.

Because here's the thing--the other thing--sharing this journey with all of you is part of what makes it so great. My friends, my readers, my fans (holy crap, I have fans!)...you guys are what makes the fun outweigh the freaked out. I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate you coming here (and Facebook, and Twitter, and such) and cheering me on. Obviously, such dedication deserves a reward. Right?

And I  have two in mind. The first is A REALLY BIG GIVEAWAY. I'm going to do a massive contest, starting this Friday, which will be a month and a day before the release of The Witch's Broom. Remember all that cool swag? Swag Blog Post I'm going to be giving away almost all of it. That's right--the remaining  mug and notebook, a bunch of broom refrigerator magnets, and some other stuff too. Why should I be the only one excited? So be sure to check back on Friday!

What's the second reward? I'm not telling...not yet.

So, you tell me: of all the releases coming out this year, which of the four books and a novella are YOU the most excited about?