ANNOUNCEMENT
So very, very long ago, it seems, I mentioned that the acquisitions committee of a major publisher was considering my proposal for a fantasy trilogy. Then later I teased you about it again, before realizing that negotiations were still in the works.Now it's finally final, finally finally final. On Halloween 2006, Luna Books will release the first volume of my trilogy, tentatively titled Aspect of Crow. This will be my first publication by a traditional print publisher--the kind that gives advances and sends its books to real, non-virtual bookstores, bookstores that have shelves and coffee shops and bored employees who pick at their eyebrow rings while concentrating very hard on ignoring you.
Anyway, Luna is the new fantasy imprint of Harlequin Enterprises. Before you go imagining some kind of bodice ripper (which technically no one writes anymore, anyway), be advised that Luna is fantasy first. The amount of romance varies from book to book, from "none" all the way up to "bunches" (to use sophisticated statistical terms). The only thing they all have in common is a strong, complex female protagonist who uses her own abilities to save the world--or at least her part of it. She doesn't stand on the sidelines watching the blokes take care of everything. Anyone who grew up reading fantasy and wishing the women would actually do something besides waft around in frilly gowns, check out these books.
I've read most of the Luna offerings so far and have enjoyed them all. The fact that I can remember each of them vividly is a testament both to their variety and quality. I only hope I can measure up to the caliber of authors--people like Mercedes Lackey, Catherine Asaro, Christie Golden, Robin Owens, and many more.
A few years ago, several people in the publishing business told me to pretend I was a new writer, that having been e-published carries a worse stigma than never being published, even though my e-publisher was Time Warner. The funny thing is, the whole Luna deal began because an editor there loved Requiem and wanted to bring me on board. So rather than hurting my career, the e-publishing venture led to what, by any measure, can now be called "my big break."
I'll tell you more about my new book in a few weeks, when I've started the second draft. Right now I'm trying to forget it so I can revise with a fresh eye. I still dream about it, and I still wake with shreds of the Lord of the Rings soundtrack playing in my head (I wrote to it nonstop the last few weeks).
Mark your calendars: next year I'm having the biggest Halloween/book debut/Election Week bash you've ever seen. Or possibly the only one you've ever seen.
