Book Releases

Holding On (Colorado High Country #6) —
The Colorado High Country series returns with Conrad and Kenzie's story.

A hero barely holding on…

Harrison Conrad returned to Scarlet Springs from Nepal, the sole survivor of a freak accident on Mt. Everest. Shattered and grieving for his friends, he vows never to climb again and retreats into a bottle of whiskey—until Kenzie Morgan shows up at his door with a tiny puppy asking for his help. He’s the last person in the world she should ask to foster this little furball. He’s barely capable of managing his own life right now, let alone caring for a helpless, adorable, fluffy puppy. But Conrad has always had a thing for Kenzie with her bright smile and sweet curves. One look into her pleading blue eyes, and he can’t say no.

The woman who won’t let him fall…

Kenzie Morgan’s life went to the dogs years ago. A successful search dog trainer and kennel owner, she gets her fill of adventure volunteering for the Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue Team. The only thing missing from her busy life is love. It’s not easy finding Mr. Right in a small mountain town, especially when she’s unwilling to date climbers. She long ago swore never again to fall for a guy who might one day leave her for a rock. When Conrad returns from a climbing trip haunted by the catastrophe that killed his best friend, Kenzie can see he’s hurting and wants to help. She just might have the perfect way to bring him back to the world of the living. But friendship quickly turns into something more—and now she’s risking her heart to heal his.

In ebook and soon in print!


About Me

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I grew up in Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, then lived in Denmark and traveled throughout Europe before coming back to Colorado. I have two adult sons, whom I cherish. I started my writing career as a columnist and investigative reporter and eventually became the first woman editor of two different papers. Along the way, my team and I won numerous state and several national awards, including the National Journalism Award for Public Service. In 2011, I was awarded the Keeper of the Flame Lifetime Achievement Award for Journalism. Now I write historical romance and contemporary romantic suspense.

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Seductive Musings

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Post-paper exhaustion


Okay, this is just yummy. I love naked men in water. I wish he'd move his hands, though...


Sorry to have dropped off the face of the earth!

First, let me say this:

IT'S OVER!!!! Do you hear angels singing? I do!

The biggest paper of the year, the biggest pain in the ARSE of the entire publishing year, is done and on the stands. Is it any good? I don't know. I haven't been able to touch it since putting it to bed last night.

This was one of the roughest editions I've ever done, and part of it was my fault. I utilized an intern to do important work for the edition, coached her, checked in with her, but didn't supervise her closely enough. The result was disaster. I had to rewrite 2/3 of the edition myself at the last minute. We're talking so much typing that I could barely feel my hands — that is until I went to bed and my arms ached from the elbow down. OMG! It was a nightmare. Add to that the fact that my most experienced staffer was gone and everyone except for me was either new or new at their current positions and you have barely controlled chaos.

My peeps — the editorial staff — dived into it with me and helped me save the paper from going up in flames. There was no screaming. The edit team is pretty cool under pressure. Lots of suicide jokes, though. Today, I feel hung-over. Didn't drink, but I feel achy, fuzzy-headed and slow.

We're looking at some kind of gun story for next week's cover, looking seriously at the issue of whether more guns equals more violence or less violence on campuses. Or maybe something completely different. One of my mentors is leaving the media scene, and I interviewed her for a cover story the week after.

That's the J-news (j = journalism). Now for the N-news (n = novel).

Sweet Release, Carnal Gift, Ride the Fire, and Surrender are all out of print. They're completely out of stock at the publisher, and all that remains are copies on the shelves. They're looking at repackaging and rereleasing the entire Kenleigh/Blakewell family trilogy later this year. I'm hoping they're going to repackage Surrender eventually, too, because the cover sucks. For now, they're going to reprint it as it is, so that I'll have copies to sign in Dallas at the Romance Writers of America convention, where I'll be hanging with Debbie H and Leiha and Su and Gennita Low and CJ Barry and Ann Christopher (wonderful woman and author) and hopefully my homey Bonnie Vanak.

Unlawful Contact is two chapters and an epilogue away from being done. I'm at the hair-raising part of the climax now — hmm, not sure how hair-raising it is, really — and will be moving on to the really good stuff soon. I love happy endings! Then, as soon as it's done being written, I go through a rewriting/editing frenzy that lasts a couple of very hairy weeks of mostly no sleep (my favorite part, actually) and then I ship it to NY.

Also, Dorchester, the company that publishes my historicals, is doing an online reader survey. This is your chance to tell them about the books and authors you love. They're giving away prizes, I think, or maybe it's a steep discount on book orders. At any rate, to have your say go to: www.dorchesterpub.com. Hey, they're asking, so tell 'em what you think.

And, Gaby, if you're reading this, tusind tak! Jeg fik chokoladen i dag! I've already eaten most of the Anton Berg chokoladeæg. Smager godt! Mmmmm. I love this international trade in books for chocolate!


A photo of my irritatingly gorgeous little sister, Michelle, with her boyfriend's son. She was recently traveling and has returned home to Sweden in time to read the final chapters of my novel. Lucky her!

My sister was gone on vaca for a couple of weeks, and I missed her. She's back now. Next time I'm going to post a very unattractive photo of her. They're hard to come by, but she herself supplied one of her on a very bad hair day. I'm delighted!

Missed you all while I was in J-hole. Now I'm back again.

7 comments:

Ronlyn said...

Welcome back!! I only have a second because I have a very vocal three year old at my elbow yelling out, "You have that book, and that book...go down more Mommy, see if there are more books you have." *G*
BIG HUGS for making it through and getting the BOB on the stands!

Anonymous said...

Glad your rough week is over!! Have a drink or two! Thanks so much for the wonderful picture. I think he needs to move his hands a little too! Your sister is beautiful! I will get to see mine in a month when she comes to visit.

I finished Hard Evidence and LOVED IT!!! Have a great weekend and send us another excerpt! Can't wait until the new book comes out!

Sue Z said...

I am really happy for you that your BIG project is over. You have to feel relieved. BTW - That "water boy" is HOT HOT HOT...and yes he does need to move his hands - but that is a guy for ya! Good thing that I just ordered Sweet Release the other day!

Debbie H said...

I am so glad you have put the paper to bed and out of your hair. The water guy needs to ring your doorbell (in more ways that one! BEG) and let you play in the water with him. And I agree, move those hands!

I can hardly wait to see you in Dallas. My last big fling before the surgery.

Don't worry about your sister's looks. I always thought mine was prettier, but now I look younger than her and I am actually 6 yrs older!

I hope the rewrite and edit go smoothly so the book can be on it's way to our hands. Will there be any ARC's for Dallas? Please?

This is the big moving weekend, so no computer for me after tomorrow. I will check in on you from the library as I can. My books will go out to you for your signature sometime in mid May, hopefully.

Chez said...

Mmmmm must be time to go fishing.

Kristi said...

WOOHOO!!!!! Yay! Your big J-project is complete.. Time to take a BIG cleansing breath and finish the N-project.. I miss you very much now that I can't chat with you during the day. *sigh* I'm feeling very disconnected from my on-line buds. Such is the way of life for the responsible part of me, I guess. xoxox, K

Anonymous said...

Yay! I'm so glad the chocolate got there and that one of us got to enjoy those chocolade eggs ;o) It sounds like you needed them more than me with that massive paper edition.

Best of luck on finishing Unlawful COntact-please please please hurry! I finished Hard Evidence in like a day, and want more!

x

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"I am an artist. I am here to live out loud."
—Emile Zola

"I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day."
—James Joyce

"Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery."
—Jane Austen

"Writers are those for whom writing is more difficult that it is for others."
—Ernest Hemingway

"When I write, I feel like an armless, legless man with a crayon in his mouth."
—Kurt Vonnegut

"The ability of writers to imagine what is not the self, to familiarize the strange and mystify the familiar is the test of their power."
—Toni Morrison

"No tears in the author, no tears in the reader."
—Robert Frost.

"I'm a writer. I give the truth scope."
—the character of Chaucer in
A Knight's Tale