It's Been Awhile

♪♫♪ Everlast ~ What It's Like ♫♪♫ 

Hello again, faithful readers! How goes life at your end? Here, things are crazy and a recent bout of [mild] illness took me out of the game all weekend. I'm still feeling the aftereffects and working at a snail's pace because of it. 

In Heartless news, the edit continues apace. OK, that's not true at all. I'm still stuck in chapter five, which, if you're following my Heartless blog, you'll know contained a huge info dump. I'm trying to rectify that HUGE faux pas. Rewriting an entire chapter, for some reason, is especially time-consuming. Oh well. The story will be the better for it.

In cover news, I've got orders coming out my ears. Never thought I'd get this busy but, there it is. I may have to cut back a little on accepting clients. I have a few regulars who I will always have time for but I have a tendency to take on more than I can handle. This cuts into writing time and hubby was very clear where my focus needs to be. Love that man! 

In other cover news, there are changes on the horizon for An Author's Art and I think the first will be a website facelift. Fun! I'm also in the negotiating stage with another designer to be a part of her design company. Yay!

In writing news, there's not much to tell. I've been so busy with family, covers, and editing that actual writing has taken just a bit of a backseat. I have current WIPs open on my laptop at any given moment, just in case inspiration demands I add to them.

So what's new with you?

My Heartless Journey

Now playing: Fiona Apple ~ The First Taste 

♫♪♫ ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ 

Remember this book? 

 

But maybe you remember it looking like this: 

 

Either way, this book has been off the virtual shelves for several months now (over a year, maybe??). I expected to see used copies for sale, of course, even suggested to a few eager readers that they check out Amazon for a used copy. This is what I saw:

 

Yeah, that says "3 used from $442.58" (most expensive being $738.47). This screencap was taken November 14, 2011 and I know the prices have varied since then, but not much. I have no idea what they are now.

I was only slightly surprised when I saw that B&N had one used copy and it was listed at $519.

Based on these numbers, I think it is in everyone's best interest that I get the Heartless revamp completed. (You might remember that I listed that first on my writing goals for 2012?) So far, I've been enjoying the adventure. If you'd like to be kept up-to-date on how my Lord Heartless is taking up my time, please click over to my Heartless blog. That's where I'm recording my progress.

 

I've already posted an excerpt as well as a request for opinions. Who doesn't like to give their opinion? ☺

Fans of Romance: Opinions Needed

♪♫♪ Now playing in Jaimey's mind: Daughtry ~ Breakdown ♫♪♫ 

Over on the Affaire de Coeur blog, TJ MacKay asked a question:

"What do YOU think about the prevalence of graphic sex in books today? Do you like it just the way it is or would you prefer more tame romance offerings?"

TJ's goal is to raise awareness that, although the big publishers believe otherwise, there is a market for clean, sweet, or traditional-style romance offerings. As a writer of clean romance, I hope this blog post and the article set to appear in the Jan-Feb issue of AdC magazine will bring out other writers of clean romance, as well as open some doors in the publishing world. 

Please take a moment to click on over and weigh in on this subject so close to my heart. Thank you! 

First Post of 2012 : Goals

♫ Now playing in Jaimey's mind: Staind ~ For You ♫

Everyone needs goals, especially writers. If we didn't set goals, we'd never get these stories out of our heads and onto paper. Thus, here are my writing goals for 2012: 

• Heartless: read, edit, read again, tweak, submit to TreasureLine Publishing for re-release.
• Intrigue: read, edit, read, edit again, read, tweak, offer up to beta readers, read, edit, read, tweak, submit to TreasureLine. 
• Temptation: finish first draft, read, edit, read, tweak, submit to beta readers.
• Retribution: finish first draft, read, edit, read, tweak, submit to beta readers who have strong stomachs. 
• Flawless: finish first draft, read, edit, read, tweak, submit to beta readers.
• My Lady Coward: finish this episodic short story and submit to TreasureLine for publication. 
• Sable's Secrets: give Sable her HEA or at least put her out of her misery. (Don't know who Sable is? You can read about her HERE, HERE, or HERE.)
• The Dragon Curse: read, edit, read, edit, read, edit... (yeah, this one needs work). 
• The Keeper and the Key: figure out what the heck is going on in this short story....sheesh.
• Unnamed fantasy novel (co-authored with Linda Boulanger): finish my part and send to Linda so she can add hers. 
• SELL MORE BOOKS.

OK, so that last isn't a writing goal. Still, if I wanna keep this writing gig, I need to step up in the marketing department. Not my cup of tea but any job demands we do things we are not totally comfortable doing. 

So what are your writing goals? 

Not a writer? What are your reading goals? 

*Image found on Wikimedia Commons.