Oh Dear.

It seems my family has discovered my blog. (Darn you Google search!!!)


Now if you'll excuse me, I think there may be some old posts that need to make their way into the rubbish bin.

(Just kidding, guys. Really.... I mean it... er... DON'T CLICK THAT... er ... never mind.)


Delete... Delete...Delete...


 

Stalking is NOT perseverance

This is the TV version of perseverance in the name of one's "dreams":
This is my DREAM! She's my DREAM AGENT! I shall impress her with my golden awesomeness and she shall love me!



No thank you.



But it's my DREAM. *tries again*


No thank you. (whispers to assistant - "didn't I read this query already?" - assistant nods yes)



Please give me another chance. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please... IT'S MY DREAM!



No thank you. * blocks email *



My feelings, they are hurted. I am sad-faced for my DREAM,

Um... maybe you should try something else.



No! I am determined. She will love me! She is my DREAM AGENT! This is my DREAM and no one's taking it away from me!!!



Er... maybe you should take a breath, or a nap. Lay off the coffee, or you know - blink.



Blinking is for losers. I shall BE VICTORIOUS!




Dude, write another book, get better, or just try a different agent. Your dream agent doesn't even rep comical murder memoirs about werepuppies.



That's right, I don't. And the more time I have to spend telling you that is more time everyone else loses. Stop wasting everyone's time!



NEVER GIVE UP! NEVER SURRENDER.



Seriously?



I'm younger than you and more delusion- er - determined. LOVE ME!!!




You've got spirit. I'll give you that.




*shows off spirit fingers*



Tell 'ya what. Let's try this again - impress me.



That did NOT just happen.


No. No it didn't - but too many people think it will. Thanks to sensationalized stories (*cough* RUDY *cough*) and portrayals on TV/movies that show stalkerish behavior being equated with determination, there's a skewed idea of where the lines of acceptable behavior get drawn.

Now, to be honest, most people never cross that line. They might get right up onto it, but they pull back when they realize they're getting too far out there.

Then you have things like what happened to Pam van Hylckama (@bookiliciouspam).

The short version is that she was tracked down, and attacked, by a man whose query she had rejected. He used social media to find her daughter's school and came at her while she was in her car, but thankfully her dog intervened (intravenously :-D Good doggie).

This is NOT OKAY.

This is NOT A SHOW OF DETERMINATION.

This is FELONY BEHAVIOR.

This is NEVER okay. You do not get to hurt someone because they don't respond the way you think they should. Most of us learn this in Kindergarten, but for others, the lesson never sunk in.

When you - continually - seek someone's attention after they've - repeatedly - told you to go away, when you decide to find them for professional reasons outside their professional schedule, when you determine that you need to see them in person to make them "understand" you, when you place your wants and needs above all else - YOU ARE A STALKER.

You are not this:



You are this:



And no one wants to work with that guy.

Boundaries are a good thing. Figure out where they are and don't be the guy who tries to build a ladder or dig or trench to get around them. The great thing about dreams is that they're pliable. You can alter them if you need to. That's a whole lot easier than trying to talk your way out of a prison sentence.

Thank you, but...

Since the cover for Premeditated went up here and at Goodreads, I've gotten several requests for ARCs/swag from bloggers and reviewers. I'm not complaining, but enough requests have come in that I'm just going to put this here:

I don't have any ARCs, yet.

I'm sorry, and I feel horrible every time I have to tell someone that because I'd love to be able to hand you a copy, but they haven't been printed.

I don't have any swag or promotional materials, either. Not yet.

The book's due out next October, and as far as I know, the publicity-related stuff will go into motion three or four months before that, so it'll be at least next summer before I have anything to give away for Premeditated.

Arclight, likewise, has no ARC's, yet, but the wait for those won't be as long.

So, once again, I'm sorry, but I can't give anyone anything pertaining to Arclight or Premeditated, yet. I simply don't have it. I truly am grateful for the interest, however, and will let everyone know when I've got some goodies to distribute as soon as I get them.

Yes, I have a new agent

I didn't really think that this would require a post, but from the questions I've gotten, I think I need to make one. In short:

• Yes - I left my old agency.
• Yes - I have a new agent.
• No - there is not some super sekrit nefarious reason this happened.
• Yes - I still recommend Suzie to people who are querying YA. She's a terrific agent who got me two amazing deals with amazing publishers, and did it quickly.

The split was amicable; it happens.

When a writer signs on with an agent, and an agent signs on with a client, both are basically agreeing to work with a stranger. You don't know how work styles, writing styles, and personalities will mesh. Sometimes they don't dovetail. Sometimes, as situations change, a mutual walk-away is the best course of action for everyone.

I have a fabulous new agent - Laura Rennert from Andrea Brown Lit.

Suzie has fabulous new clients to go with her fabulous existing ones. (One has a book out today - just sayin'.) and will continue to make them fabulous deals.

End of story.

Don't make me put on my angry eyes.

Premeditated Cover Reveal -- for real!

So, I'm late with the cover reveal. But... it's not my fault. I'm currently on the road with family and the House of Mouse has lousy wi-fi. (To be more specific, I'm sitting on the floor in the corner of my room's bathroom, with this computer sitting on a ledge beside the bathtub, just to get a signal.)

Anywho, this is what ya'll want to see, so -- TA-DA:




So, what d'ya think?

Premeditated Cover Reveal... let's call this Part One

PREMEDITATED HAS A COVER!!!!!!!!!!

If you follow me on Twitter, you no doubt saw similar crazy cap lock shouting yesterday, because PREMEDITATED HAS A COVER!!!!!!!!!!

This is NOT that cover:


I can't show you the actual cover, yet because my editor would email herself to my house smack me. But, next week, I'll be able to put the actual cover up here and on Goodreads for all to see.

Guys, this cover is... I don't even know.

There's a lot of anxiety that comes with waiting for a cover comp from your publisher. The cover will be your book's introduction to the world, and you pretty much have no participation in that introduction. It's like going to a party and having to wait for someone to introduce you before you get to speak. It's weird, and uncomfortable and nerve-wracking, and a million possible horrible cover scenarios will worm their way into your brain, but guys... GUYS!!! This cover is PERFECT.

It fits the tone. It fits the story. The model on the cover could actually BE Dinah (the main character). The designer knocked it out of the park and into another stadium.

So come back next Thursday and I'll show it off once I get the all clear.

A Random Teaser Tuesday

I haven't done one of these in a loooooooooooooooong time, but I haven't blogged much lately, either, and this story's been knocking around in my head at the strangest times. I figured if I let it out to play for a bit, maybe it would leave me be long enough to do something productive.

I have the dynamics of this thing worked out nearly in full. It involves a prince named Nova, a poisoned king, a secret son, a hidden infatuation, a matriarchal temple dedicated to a huntress, and a black unicorn. All that's left is to deal with the voice that's trying to tell the tale. It's distant and haunting, and not really like anything I've written before. So, here you have it - the first lines of Emissary.

It's said that the children of Rhin are born with bells braided in their hair. This way they cannot approach their elders unknown or learn the secrets the young need not hear. It's only when they've learnt to still their frantic fits and gentle their steps that the bells go silent and they prove themselves worthy of a place in society. And on that day, they earn the fear of the seven kingdoms, for everyone knows that the silent lands of Rhin are where assassins are bred.

This was the belief that bought the queen's emissary an uninterrupted voyage.