Look What Came Today From Llewellyn!

Some days it is pretty great to be an author. This is one of those days. About mid-afternoon, the wonderful FedEx guy showed up with a box from Llewellyn containing the proofs for WITCHCRAFT ON A SHOESTRING (which I need to edit and get back to Becky ASAP) and the first five copies of EVERYDAY WITCH A TO Z SPELLBOOK. Isn't it perty?

Look at that purple cover!

And it has that shiny new book smell.

Everybody who wants one, just raise your hand...

Guest Blog at FFnP

Hey all! It's a not-so-nice day here in upstate NY; cold, gloomy, and rainy.

But you can cheer me up by going to my guest blog at FFnP (Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal RWA chapter) and leaving me a nice comment. Pretty please?

http://ffnp.blogspot.com/2010/06/same-but-different.html

Thanks!

And the newsletter is FINALLY going out later today, so if you haven't signed up yet and you wanted to, run over to my website--quick! www.deborahblakehps.com

It's here! The new book is in!!!!

I got an email this afternoon from Becky Zins, my wonderful production editor at Llewellyn, telling me that she had finished the final proof edits on WITCHCRAFT ON A SHOESTRING (due out in September) and she would be overnighting them to me so I could look them over ASAP.

In case you haven't figured it out by reading this blog, publishing is usually a matter of "hurry up and wait." You spend a lot of time waiting for things to happen, and when they do, you have a very short amount of time to deal with them.

When I wrote her back, saying, "No problem--I've cleared my plate," I got this in return:
"And when it rains, it pours . . . your latest book will accompany your proofs. They just came in from the warehouse! :)"

The book is in! The book is in!

By the latest book, she means, of course, EVERYDAY WITCH A TO Z SPELLBOOK



The official release date on the Spellbook is July 1st, but since Llewellyn has received their copies, it may show up early in bookstore and online. Feel free to run out and look for it in a week or two, and be sure and tell me if you spot a copy.

In fact, the first person to send me a picture of a copy of EVERYDAY WITCH A TO Z SPELLBOOK sitting on a bookstore shelf (or at their house!) will win an autographed copy of the book! Yes, I'm that excited.

You see, there is a lot of waiting when you write a book. The actual writing takes months, of course, and then usually there is about a year and a half before the book comes out. Which is why it is so darned wonderful to be able to say

THE BOOK IS HERE! (Or at least, nearly here.)Yay SPELLBOOK!

Review of SHADE

Check out my review of Jeri Smith-Ready's excellent YA urban fantasy, SHADE at Debuts & Reviews http://www.tianevitt.com/2010/06/fantasy-review-shade-by-jeri-smith-ready/

Then go buy the bok. Yes--it is THAT good.

The Garden

Lest you think I spend all my time writing (which is only *almost* true), here are some pictures of my garden. From the time the ground can be worked (usually the end of March) until about now, I work like a madwoman trying to get everything in. And, of course, talking to the frogs in the pond.

In Praise of Brilliance

I just finished reading my critque partner's latest manuscript. And it is freakin' brilliant. Not just darn good, mind you. Not even very impressive. Brilliant. She just knocked my socks off.

I've been reading the manuscript all along, so I knew it was good. But the ending clinched it for me. Brilliant. Sweet, poignant, clever, and sad all at once.

Make a note, folks, because you are going to be hearing this name a lot in the future.


Lisa DiDio.

You heard it here first.

DONE! and Newsletter update

I'm happy to report that this morning I finished the edits on PENTACLES AND PREDATORS (Pentacles & Pentimentos #2) and sent it off to my agent, Elaine Spencer.

This is a good thing for a number of reasons:
1) Finished is good, just in general
2) I had been aiming at finishing it by the 1st of June and came dang close
3) I have alls sorts of other things that need to get worked on (if you saw my post on my writing to do list, you already know this!)
4) I expect us to sell the first book in the series any day now, and it will be good to have the second one done and ready to go.

I started this manuscript on March 7th, and finishing on June 2nd is right around the 3 month mark I was aiming at. And I'm really pleased with the way the book turned out. (My critique partner likes it too, lest you think I am completely deluded...)

In other news:
I am FINALLY, SERIOUSLY getting ready to send out my first newsletter. Yes, I know I have been saying this for a while, but THIS TIME I REALLY MEAN IT. I am a little embarrassed to admit that I am finally getting around to sending the sign-up invites to all the lovely folks who signed up to get the email while taking a workshop from me at Pantheacon in February. My apologies to everyone for my lateness. See notes on writing a book in three months, above :-)

If you are interested in getting the newsletter (which will probably only come out 3-4 times a year, and will contain info on new releases, contests, sales, etc.), please go to my website at www.deborahblakehps.com and sign up. I promise the thing will be done and out within the next two weeks!