One Quarter of the Way...

I'm happy to announce I'm 100 pages into my summer book project. Official word count is 18,688.

I hope to get at least another 10 k completed by the end of this month.

My scene by scene outline has been a big help in allowing me to not get bogged down, because right now, I'm mired in edits for another story, plus promo for Erin's Rebel. It's hard to keep that balance when you've got projects in different stages of development, but I've been keeping at least one hour per day devoted to my summer project and it seems to be working out.

Any of you have any tips on juggling several projects at once?

Win a Free Copy of Erin's Rebel!

The countdown is on for the July 17th release of my first full-length romance novel from The Wild Rose Press, Erin’s Rebel, and I’m having a contest on my website all month long. Starting Wednesday, June 17th, visit my website: http://susanmacatee.com/News.html to find out how you can have a chance to win one of three prizes.

#1 – An autographed print copy of my time travel romance, Erin's Rebel.

#2 – A download of the e-book.

#3 – A $10.00 gift certificate for The Wild Rose Press.

The contest will run until July 15th. All three winners will be announced July 16th.

Erin’s Rebel blurb: Philadelphia newspaper reporter, Erin Branigan, is engaged to marry an up-and-coming lawyer, but dreams of a man from the past change those plans and start her on a journey beyond time. After a car accident, Erin wakes to find herself living in the 1860s in a Confederate army camp. Captain Will Montgomery, the man of her dreams, is now a flesh and blood Rebel soldier who sets her soul aflame. But the Irish beauty holds a secret he needs to unravel before he can place his trust in her. Can she correct a mistake made long ago that caused his death and denied her the love she was meant to have? Or is she doomed to live out her life with nothing but regret?

Excerpt:

The sound of her name on his lips made her skin tingle. She tore the paper off the package. At the sight of the brooch, her breath caught.

"Do you like it?" he asked anxiously. "I had it made just for you."

Eyeing him, she had a hard time finding her voice. This was Erin O'Connell's brooch, the very one that had sent her back in time. It shone in her hands, new and unworn from time and wear.What did this mean? She must be following Erin O'Connell's footsteps. As far as she knew her being here hadn’t changed anything. Will was still destined to die this year.

"I didn’t mean to upset you, Erin. If you don’t want the brooch--"

"No." She clasped the pin against her chest as the meaning of his gift sank in. "It just means so much to me."

His look of concern softened into a lopsided grin. "I'm happy you feel that way."

"Thank you, Will." She slipped the brooch into the pocket of her wrapper, then stood on her toes, lifting her arms to circle his neck. She kissed his cheek, inhaling his musky scent.

His mouth was on hers, hot and urgent. The softness of his moustache and chin beard tickled her lips. She opened to him, her tongue slipping inside to taste him thoroughly. He groaned, pressing the length of his body against her.

Erin's Rebel, coming July 17th from The Wild Rose Press.

Have official release date for Sweet Redemption

Although I was hoping to get a date before Halloween, I did get one close after. My short vampire story, Sweet Redemption, will be available as an ebook on November 11, 2009.

Sweet Redemption

Vampire romance

Coming November 11, 2009 to The Wild Rose Press

On a cold December night, Union infantry captain, Jonathan Hackett is pinned down on the Fredericksburg battlefield trying to escape Confederate fire. But a creature of the night, more dangerous than any enemy soldier, stalks him. Jon must fight for his life as well as his soul. Maddie Emery has lost everything dear to her. Her husband and parents had passed on and her brothers are off fighting in the Confederate Army. She’s alone, trying single-handedly to hold onto her family’s farm, when a Yankee soldier collapses across her stoop. Maddie and Jon form and bond of love and desire, but as Jon exhibits signs of becoming the creature he fears most, is their love enough to fight off the evil of a centuries old vampire bent on destroying them?

Excerpt:

Those knocks were not made by a wolf, but he suspected the wolf had something to do with Reverend Arnwolf. "Is the wolf his minion, or can he transform himself?" he said, under his breath.

"What?" Mrs. Emery moved close. Her scent invaded his thoughts. "Please, tell me what's going on?"

Jon sighed. "When I said I was attacked by a wild dog, I lied." He moved back to the settee and sat, his hands dangling between his knees.

She sat beside him, but held herself ramrod straight. "What or who attacked you?"

"I was pinned down on the battlefield. Spent the night in the freezing cold. All of my men had died. A man appeared. Claimed to be a minister from Austria." Jon grimaced as he recalled Arnwolf's blood-red eyes and the sharp pierce of his fangs as they entered Jon’s throat. "He offered to help me, but...instead he led me to an abandoned barn and attacked me.”

Mrs. Emery gasped. "You're not saying this man--"

"He bit me on the throat." Jon pushed his hand through his hair. "I don’t know exactly what he is, but he's not human."

"That's who you believe was at the door?"

Jon nodded. "I don’t know how, but I now have a connection to him." He fingered the bumps on his throat. "I know things about him I shouldn't possibly know."

For more on Sweet Redemption, visit my website: www.susanmacatee.com/News.html

And the winner is...

The winner of the pdf download of Salvation Bride is Jean P.! Congratulations!!!

Pop on over to http://slipintosomethingvictorian.wordpress.com to learn how to claim your prize.

And many thanks to all those who left comments for Anna.

Win a pdf copy of Salvation Bride!!

Come on over to Slip Into Something Victorian today to hear what guest blogger, Anna Kathryn Lanier, has to say about her TWRP e-book, Salvation Bride. All comments today, June 12th, will be entered in a contest to win a pdf download of her story.

Link: http://slipintosomethingvictorian.wordpress.com/

Trying To Keep It All Straight

Many years ago, when I first decided to take my writing seriously, my plan was to work on one project at a time. When I sent the first one off to a publisher, I would then start on my new project.

That was what I thought writers--especially ones who wrote novels--did. But it didn't work out that way. It started when I sent out Erin's Rebel. Thinking I was done with the manuscript, until I got that contract, I started working on a new novel, the one that became Confederate Rose.

It wasn't until I was getting rejections, along with feedback that made me realize I wasn't finished with Erin's Rebel. The story needed a major revision. So, I put Confederate Rose aside to get Erin's Rebel right. And even after I finally did get that contract, there were more revisions, edits and a final proofread of the galley.

The thing is, through all of that, I kept working on that second book, so by the time I'd completed edits on the first, I had a contract for the second. And had to go through the whole thing over again. Add three short stories into the mix. I'm now working through edits on one of them and proofing the galley on another. At the same time.

And I haven't given up on new projects. While writing the first draft of one full-length project, I'm also doing revisions on another.

Add to that promo! Since my first book comes out next month and a short story in an anthology the end of the same month, I've got a lot of work ahead of me. Once work on the book is complete, the task of getting the word out about it has just begun.

My old image of being a writer leisurely working on one project at a time has been totally shattered, but I'm having a ball balancing it all.

And I never run out of ideas for the next project.

Started Summer Book Project

June 1st was the day I started writing the first draft of my lastest project. I plan to make this my summer book project. It's been four days and I'm up to 3944 words. This story is already outlined and my plan is to go right through the first draft, without stopping to edit. So, we'll see how I do.

I've already written a blurb for this new story, sort of an inspiration to keep me going.

Here it is: Blurb for Cassidy’s War

The Civil War is over, but Cassidy’s War is just beginning.

Cassidy Stuart has longed to be doctor for as long as she can remember. Growing up watching her physician father attend patients and her time serving as a nurse during the war, have only increased her desire to attend medical school and start a practice of her own. But prejudice against female physicians still abounds. And things grow more complicated by the return of the man who’d left her at the altar five years before, the rakish ex-soldier turned professional gambler, George Masters.

George has been on the run, finally settling in New York to assume the life of a gambler, and trying to forget hellish memories of the death of his best friend, Cassidy’s brother, at Gettysburg, and his time in a Confederate prison camp. But his biggest regret was deserting Cassidy two days before their wedding. She deserved a better man, or so he’d thought at the time. Will he now have a second chance to win place in her heart?

This is a sequel to a book I had published years ago and is now out-of-print. Does it pique your interest?

Arrrgggh!!!

Did a lot of rewriting and I'm still about 13 K short of the word goal for my sci-fi.

So, I've decided to print out what I've got, put it aside and start working on the first draft of my post-Civil War story.

I need a change of scenery, I guess. Once I get the first draft done, maybe I can go back and figure out what new scenes to add to get that sci-fi plumped out.

I plan to review my outline for the historical tomorrow, then dive into the first draft on Monday. If I can get the first 5000 words written over next week, I'll be very happy.

Is anybody starting on a first draft? If so, let me know what your word count goals are?

And by the way, Northern Roses and Southern Belles is slated for release on July 31, 2009. More on that to come.

Signed off on the galley

We signed off on the galley for Northern Roses and Southern Belles today, so we should be getting a release date soon. We already know it's coming out in July, but I'd like to know how close it will be to the release of Erin's Rebel on July 17th.

I'll keep everyone informed when news comes in, but in case you missed it, here's the blurb again.

Northern Roses and Southern Belles

coming July 2009 to The Wild Rose Press

In a country torn asunder--from the Candian border to Texas, from Maryland to Arkansas, from the battlefield of Antietam to the Red River Campaign--brave men and loyal women see their lives turned upside down.

Peril lurks behind every tree and near every homestead, but the hard-fought love of a man and a woman surpasses all.

Six talented writers provide stories of romance and danger centering on Union and Confederate soldiers, spies, blockade runners, renegades, and battlefield nurses during a period of corsets, hoopskirts, and gentleman callers.

Blogging Today at Slip Into Something Victorian

Today's my day to blog over at Slip Into Something Victorian. I'm talking about the impending release of my first full-length romance, Erin’s Rebel, a Civil War time travel.

Here’s the link if you’d like to take a look: http://slipintosomethingvictorian.wordpress.com

Plotting Time

I'm back to plotting again, but this time I'm plotting out new scenes for a manuscript already written. This is the second time a manuscript came out too short after I wrote the first draft. So, what I've decided to do is reread what I already wrote, then plot out several new scenes I can insert right into the story. I've already written four new scenes, which added about 2000 words to the manuscript, but that's not enough.

I spent the past three hours rereading and writing ideas for new scenes. So far, I've got a list of five new scenes I can add to this story. The last time I had to do this, those new scenes really enhanced the original draft, so I'm hoping it will work with this story too.

I'm Over At Slip Into Something Victorian

And I'm talking about the types of jobs Victorian women took over from men during the Civil War. Join me over at: http://slipintosomethingvictorian.wordpress.com

Thought It Might Be Fun...

To post an excerpt from my new vampire story, Sweet Redemption. And you can view that cool cover in the post below.

At first she held her lips firm, then opened allowing him to explore the velvety insides of her mouth. Encouraged, he leaned into her, and she yielded beneath him, sighing softly as she reclined on the settee. He pulled the pins, releasing her hair into a silken veil trailing over her bodice. He cupped one of her lush breasts through the fabric of her gown, and she moaned in response. Encouraged, he adjusted his body over hers, his arousal growing.

She gazed up at him, eyes half-closed in passion. He focused on her throat and the steadily beating pulse. He pushed a strand of hair back and fixated on the soft, white skin, gaze drawn to the pulse point. His lips grazed the spot, the beat and scent driving him mad. He had the overwhelming urge to bite. His mouth distended.

An image of what Arnwolf had done to him in the barn, made him jerk back. His heart pounded as he traced his finger along his teeth. Two sharp, pointed fangs had taken the place of his canines. He rose from the settee and howled, backing away.

Mrs. Emery stared at him.

He turned away, so she wouldn’t see. What had he become?

Just Okayed My New Cover!!

And I couldn't wait to get it up here, so I could show it off. This is for my latest short vampire story, Sweet Redemption, coming out with The Wild Rose Press.

Isn't it cool?

Here's the blurb:

On a cold December night, Union infantry captain, Jonathan Hackett, is pinned down on the Fredericksburg battlefield trying to escape Confederate fire. But a creature of the night, more dangerous than any enemy soldier, stalks him. Jon must fight for his life as well as his soul.

Maddie Emery has lost everything dear to her. Her husband and parents have passed on and her brothers are off fighting in the Confederate Army. She’s alone, trying single-handedly to hold onto her family’s farm, when a Yankee soldier collapses across her stoop.

Maddie and Jon form a bond of love and desire, but as Jon exhibits signs of becoming the creature he fears most, is their love enough to fight off the evil of a centuries old vampire bent on destroying them?

I'm So Excited!

The authors and stories that will be in the American historical Christmas anthology are posted on the Wild Rose Press American Rose line blog. Here's the link: http://americanroseline.blogspot.com

Another contract!!

Just got word that my Civil War Christmas story, The Christmas Ball, has a place in The Wild Rose Press American historical Christmas anthology. While immersing myself in my new full-length projects, it's been fun to see the contracts come in for my three new short stories.

But alas, I now have no more submissions out. Got to get back to work on those full-lengths.

Deep In Plotting Mode

Since I don't currently have much promotion to do, my first set of edits are complete for Sweet Redemption and I've finished proofreading Angel of My Dreams, my Civil War anthology story, I decided to immerse myself in the plot of my brand new book.

This story follows the characters of my out of print young adult historical, Under the Guns. It's now five years later, the Civil War is over and my happily ever after couple have split up because the hero, George Masters, feels Cassidy Stuart, the heroine, doesn't deserve to be saddled for life with a loser like him.

So, they both go their own ways--she starts to pursue her dream of being a physician, while he wallows in despair for awhile, then starts a career as a professional gambler in New York City.

My new story is about how the two find their way back to each other and the obstacles that get in their way as they reunite.

It's fun revisiting characters I've lived with while creating the original story. I've completed the basic outline and am now embellishing scene by scene, which will make it easier when I start to write the first draft.

My plan is to start that draft in June and complete it by summer's end. Wish me luck.

Do any of you think about revisiting any of your characters after a story's complete?

Another Cover to Show Off

Here's the cover for the American Civil War anthology, Northern Roses and Southern Belles, that my short story, Angel of My Dreams, will be a part of.

In a country torn asunder--from the Canadian border to Texas, from Maryland to Arkansas, from the battlefield Antietam to the Red River Campaign--brave men and loyal women see their lives turned upside down.

Peril lurks behind every tree and near every homestead, but the hard-fought love of a man and a woman surpasses all.

Six talented writers provide stories of romance and danger centering on Union and Confederate soldiers, spies, blockade runners, renegades, and battlefield nurses during a period of corsets, hoopskirts, and gentlemen callers.

Beautiful cover, isn't it?

Blogging at Slip Into Something Victorian

I'm blogging over at Slip Into Something Victorian today on women in medicine in the 1870's.

Eternity Waits is on sale!

You can now purchase my short vampire story, Eternity Waits from The Wild Rose Press for just 99 cents. If you haven't already read the story, now's the time to buy. Just scroll down and click on the cover to purchase.