Win a Copy of Civil War Anthology!

My story, Angel of My Dreams, is part of an American Civil War romance anthology, Northern Roses and Southern Belles, coming July31st to The Wild Rose Press, along with authors Caroline Clemmens, Isabel Roman, Jeanmarie Hamilton, Jennifer Ross and Mary Ann Webber.

And if you leave a comment on my blog today, you’ll be entered in a drawing to win a copy!

In a country torn asunder--from the Canadian 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 gentlemen callers.

To give you a taste of the stories in this anthology, here's the blurb and a short excerpt from my story, Angel of My Dreams.

Civil War reenactor, Kyle Dalton, keeps seeing a beautiful woman on the battlefield tending to soldiers, he thinks she's another reenactor. But when she disappears into thin air, he starts to believe he's seen a ghost. Did he have a past life with this woman?

Exceprt:

"Where am I?"

"Shh." She placed a finger on his lips. The scent of lavender invaded his senses.

He frowned when he realized he was lying on a cot wearing his reenactor clothing. Had he dreamed he’d come home?

"The doctor says you'll be fine. He dug out the bullet and stitched up your leg."

"My leg?" Kyle reached down. His pant's leg had been cut apart at the seam. Heavy bandages wrapped around his thigh."This doesn't make any sense. I twisted my ankle. It's fine now."

She took his hand and stroked his forehead. Her touch sent warmth and desire through his body.

"I have to know..." He swallowed. "...your name."

She smiled. "You haven't forgotten me already?"

"I...you never told me."

"Of course I did." She leaned away.

He held tightly to her hand, fearing she'd leave again."Don't go."

Her hand dissolved. He couldn't hold her.

To purchase go to www.thewildrosepress.com/

And if you leave a comment here today, July 31st, you'll be entered for a chance to win a pdf copy. Winner will be announced tomorrow, August 1st.

For more information on this anthology go to www.susanmacatee.com/americancivilwaranthology.html or www.nrandsb.wordpress.com/

Promo Mania

I'm only two days away from my second book release from The Wild Rose Press. Erin's Rebel has been out less than two weeks and my short story in Northern Roses and Southern Belles, debuts on Friday.

I'm finding it hard to keep up with all the necessary promo and still make headway on my newer projects.

What I've had to do is compartmentalize my day. I try to fit in any necessary morning promo between my workout, errands and household tasks. After my lunch break, I reserve at least one hour for the first draft of my newest WIP. My daily goal is at least 1000 new words, and at least 5000 per week.

I'm also polishing up the opening chapters of my sci-fi WIP in the revision stage to enter in two separate contests. The deadlines are late August and early September, so I can't allow this to lapse.

And since I'll have two new releases out so close together, I've decided to promo each on alternate weeks. I've already gotten promo in for Erin's Rebel and now I'll concentrate on the anthology for the coming week. I'm so new at this book promo stuff as I only have one short story that was released over a year ago.

For all you promotion pro's out there who've had books out or have dealt with mutliple releases, I'd appreciate any advice you can give me. And my money flow is tight right now, so I'm looking for lost cost or free promo suggestions.

Thanks!

One Lovely Blog Award

I received my very first blog award from Jaime, who writes as J. A. Saare. You can view her beautiful blog, Random Musings, at http://www.jasaare.blogspot.com/

Jaime, I'm thrilled you chose my blog for this honor and now, the rules are for me to pass it along to three blogs I find deserving of this award.

The trick is to choose between all the lovely blogs I frequently visit. What helped me along is, a few of them have already been bestowed the award.

So, I'd like to pass it along to these three writers who's blogs I visit often and who are all great friends.

1) Isabel Roman - http://www.authorisabelroman.blogspot.com/
Isabel is a long time member of my writing group, the Scandalous Victorians. As I've struggled to implant an online presence prior to receiving books contracts, she's been a big help along the way. She was an active member of the critique group that helped me polish my stories enough to sell and is one of the authors in the anthology Northern Roses and Southern Belles that my story is a part of. She's also the big push behind our upcoming anthology blog tour the first week of August, just after our July 31st release.

2) Romancing America's Past - http://www.maymeholcombe.wordpress.com/
Mary Ann Webber posts this lovely blog. She's also a member of the Scandalous Victorians, is a great friend and was the one who suggested we all write a Civil War anthology in the first place. She's a driving force behind our group and is always looking for ways to promote the Victorian era romances that we all write.

3) Christina Phillips - http://www.christinaphillips.blogspot.com/
Christina is a friend I met online through my writing loops. When I announced the sale of my time travel romance, Erin's Rebel, she invited me to do an interview on her lovely blog. Unfortunately, I learned my release date wouldn't be until this July. So, she graciously offered to hold the interview until the book's release, about a week ago.

So, there you have it. For the three I chose the rules are simple. Copy the award image above and choose three blogs you enjoy! Write a blog post to let everyone know who they are and why you enjoy them. Then let the lucky bloggers know you've chosen their blogs as "One Lovely Blog".

And a big thanks to all of you for your wonderful support!!

Another Gorgeous Cover to Show Off

Look at the beautiful cover Nicola Martinez designed for the American historical Christmas anthology, An American Rose Christmas!!

My story, The Christmas Ball, will be part of this anthology, along with stories by Tori Anne, Donna Dalton, Lauri Robinson, Carol A. Spradling and Beth Trissel.

We don't have an official blurb yet, but here's one for my own story:

Sara Brewster, a young woman disguised as a man to serve as a soldier in the Union army, is secretly in love with camp surgeon, Kirk Ellison. When Sara is wounded, the doctor discovers her secret.

Once the shock of discovering the soldier Kirk thought of as a boy is a young woman, his protective feelings evolve into a growing attraction. When he's transferred to Washington D.C., he arranges for her to be transferred as well, to keep her by his side.

At a lavish ball on Christmas Eve, Sara is transformed into a ballroom beauty, and Kirk’s passions are aroused. He has to have her for his wife. But while farm girl Sara would love to marry the handsome doctor, she doesn’t feel worthy of him, fearing he'll ultimately be ashamed of her when she can’t live up to the task of being the wife of a prominent Washington physician.

I'm Being Interviewed at Paty Jager's blog

Join me today at Paty Jager Western Romance Writer for another interview as I talk about my writing and new release.

Guest Blogging Today!

I'm guest blogging on Laura Hogg's lovely time travel blog today, talking about Erin's Rebel. Here's the link if you want to join me: www.traveltheages.blogspot.com

Winner of pdf download of Erin's Rebel

I've drawn a name from my comments yesterday and the winner of the Erin's Rebel download is Skhye!

Congratulations!!

Skhye, email me at susanmacatee@aol.com and I'll send out your download.

Win a Copy of Erin's Rebel!!

My debut romance, Erin's Rebel, hits the e-book shelves today. And in honor of American Rose month over at The Wild Rose Press, it will be discounted until the end of this month.

Also, everyone who leaves a comment to this post, will be entered in a contest to win a pdf copy of Erin's Rebel. I'll announce the winner here tomorrow.

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:

She gazed up into his dark eyes. Up close they were a deep, chocolate brown. He was so damned attractive in that uniform. Clearing her throat, she found her voice. "I appreciate what you did, Captain. That man's been harassing me."

"I suspected as much. Wagner doesn't seem to know how to be respectful to a woman."

She had trouble finding the words to reply. The aroma of sandalwood and his unique masculine scent that had floored her when he'd carried her into Doc’s tent left her flabbergasted.

"I'd warned Wagner to stay away from you," he said.

"He was so drunk, I don't think any warning would have stopped him."

"He didn't hurt you--"

She shook her head, noting the concern in his eyes. "All I could think to do was get out of the tent."

"That was wise, ma'am."

She glanced at the bundle he still held. "Are those for me?"

He grinned. "If you don't mind, ma'am. I have two shirts that need washing."

"My pleasure." When he handed her the clothes, their hands briefly touched. Electricity shot through her. She caught his gaze.

His eyes widened. He swallowed and backed away a few steps, then tipped his cap. "Ma'am." He turned away.

She watched him cross the camp and disappear from sight. If a reason existed for her coming to this time period, it had to be Will Montgomery. But why had this happened? Would she ever go back to her old life, or was she stuck here forever?

Although she'd tried to hold her emotions in check, the tension that had been building for the last few days caused her eyes to burn at the prospect. A sob built at the back of her throat. She dropped the clothing she’d been sorting in the basket and scurried into the privacy of her tent.

Erin's Rebel available today in both digital and print formats at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/

Contest Winners Announced!!

The results of my website contest are in.

Here are the winners.

#1 – Autographed print copy of Erin’s Rebel – Amy Smith

#2 – pdf copy of Erin’s Rebel – Judy Cox

#3 - $10.00 gift certificate to The Wild Rose Press – Karen Nutt

All winners have been notified and announced at www.susanmacatee.com/News.html

Congratulations to all the winners!!

And a big thanks to everyone who entered.

Erin’s Rebel will be available in both e-book and print tomorrow at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/

I’ll also be giving away another pdf download to one lucky person who leaves a comment here tomorrow, July 17th when I post a new excerpt. For more information on Erin's Rebel or to read the opening chapters, go to my website: http://www.susanmacatee.com/

Feels Like I've Got a Whole Lot of Balls Up In the Air

As the release date for Erin's Rebel grows ever closer, I feel like a juggler with several balls in the air at once.

I'll be guest blogging and doing interviews on several blogs in the coming weeks. I'm also having a contest on my website for entrants to win a copy of Erin's Rebel. I'll pick the winners on Thursday and announce it on the website as well as here. If you haven't already entered, go to www.susanmacatee.com for details.

In addition, I'm also writing my post-Civil War romance, Cassidy's War, and am nearing the halfway point in that project. I'm also revising Moons of Cynara and polishing the first chapters to enter in a contest. The deadline for that is September 5th.

Also, I've got to start promoting my short story, Angel of My Dreams, part of the Northern Roses and Southern Belles anthology coming out the end of this month.

Although I've got a lot of work ahead of me, I'm loving every minute of it. Writing fiction has always been my dream and now I've found a publisher who actually wants what I write, I'm in heaven!

As an aside, Erin's Rebel, is available now in print. Scroll down and click on the cover for more details. The e-book version will be available this Friday, July 17th.

Blogging at The Galaxy Express

I'm very honored to have been chosen by Heather Massey to blog about character development over at her excellent science fiction romance blog, The Galaxy Express.

So join me over there to learn more about the characters in my work in progress, Moons of Cynara.

Happy Fourth of July!!

I hope everyone in the U.S. has fun, spends time with family, and also remembers what our ancestors in the Revolution and all subsequent wars have sacrificed to preserve our freedom.

Have a great day!!

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.