Wednesday, December 30, 2009

THIS IS WHEN IT GETS EXCITING!

Right before Christmas I finished going through the pre-publication edits so the editor could send the manuscript for DEVIL'S DANCE back to L&L Dreamspell. Next comes the preparation of the galley and cover. The other day I received an e-mail from Books in Motion. I didn't think they would be recording the audio book until the 2nd quarter of 2010, but lo and behold, they are ready to record and it looks like all formats will be released at the same time.

How cool is that? After fourteen years, the book will be reality, with the second book in the set, THE DEVIL'S DUE, to follow shortly afterwards.

I can't wait to see the cover, and of course hold the book in my hand. DEVIL'S DANCE is dedicated to all of the young girls and women who have and have not survived kidnapping and/or rape.

The fictional story of Jen Connor's struggle to rise above what happened to her is not that different than what is happening all the time in reality. This book is set in 1956, when Jen is seventeen years old, and follows her life to the point where it is finally getting back on track after a series of tragedies. This is the story of a scared, intimidated girl becoming a self-confident woman and going on to help others.

When I said it is still happening, only a few months ago there was a story on TV about a teen who had been kidnapped by her good friend's father and sold into a brothel. That girl managed to escape. It never seems to end, and I am happy to shine a spotlight on this in the hope of raising awareness. It's much different now than it was in 1956 in most ways, but this is something that seems to prevail.

Her story picks up in THE DEVIL'S DUE and evolves into a mystery.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Okay, okay, I've been really quiet for a while, but I'm back on the scene. A DREAM LOST is now entitled DEVIL'S DANCE but the second book is still THE DEVIL'S DUE.

In the middle of moving from one townhouse to another, the first edit for BOTH books came in. There I sat, surrounded by movers, boxes, more movers, more boxes, trying to work through the first half of DEVIL'S DANCE, when the second half came in.

And so it went for almost ten days. Unpack another box, crawl over one, curse not being able to find what I needed, read another of the editor's chapters, then start all over again. The first half was followed by the second half, which was followed by the second edit of both...and about forty unpacked boxes!

Okay, time for an exhale? Not on your life. THE DEVIL'S DUE came right on the heels of DEVIL'S DANCE. Latest report...all edits gone through, changes made and manuscript approved for galley for both books and only about twenty-five more boxes to go.

Today's good news...the contracts for the audio books came in, so 2010 should be an exciting year for me.

More later.

ARLISS