Meljean Brook

Dates.

March 31st, 2007

As of today, I have two months left until my deadline for DEMON NIGHT. I’ve heard that the second book is that hardest, but I think in my case it’s going to be this one. Which is okay, and not wholly unexpected, because I’ve been struggling with it since the beginning. I’m freaking out a little, yes, and have been rough drafting through a lot of it — the good thing is, I love the story and these characters, and I’ve been reaching my daily word count, and when I have been going back and editing, filling in those rough spots, its been going well and coming out smooth.

I’m just glad that if I’m going to struggle, it’s over something I’m loving.

I’ve got one month until WILD THING anthology comes out … although there’s not really much to prepare for that, I guess. Everything’s finished, the galleys went out a long time ago, the first reviews are coming in (there’s one at RT, 4 stars, go us!) I’ll be having contests to give away my author copies, but that’s easily done from here.

And two months until DEMON MOON comes out, which freaks me out just a little bit more. There’s nothing left to do as far as writing the book — that’s done, the final edits are done, I’ve got ARCs sitting next to me, all that’s left is the printing. Oh, and the marketing, which is pretty much going to fill up all of those little sections of time that I’m struggling and stopping to regroup as I’m writing.

Carrot Cake: A Love Story

March 30th, 2007

Note: This is another repost from the old blog. It seemed time to bring it over (particularly since a 2am wandering post is a bit, um, wandering).

“I don’t know why I brought you home,” Meljean muttered.

“You know why.” The ruthless sneer the carrot cake gave her made her tremble with longing. “You want me.”

“No!” Meljean turned her head away from the enticing ripple of cellophane, the angular sensuality of the slice within. “I don’t!” But her denial sounded weak to her own ears, and the cake—the cake, in all of its discerning sexiness—would not be fooled by such an obvious lie.

She backed up against the kitchen counter, felt the dig of the silverware drawer—the drawer that her absentminded husband always left open—into her plump rump. The sensation reminded her why she should resist the cake’s sinful temptation.

“You’re no good for me!” she cried.

But the cake wouldn’t let her retreat. The sweet, seductive odor followed her across the kitchen, cutting through the odd smells emanating from the garbage disposal. Her taste buds sprang to attention as if of their own volition.

The cake eyed the quivering buds triumphantly. “Why do you resist? The long, hard, delicious carrots that made me are exactly what you need. They’re healthy.”

“But not mixed with butter and flour and sugar and frosting—no! Do not think to trick me, you cretin,” Meljean said with heat, dismayed by her body’s betrayal. In desperation, she ran to the cupboard, tore it open.

The cake caught her, spun her around. “What do you have in there?”

Its touch sent a frisson of pleasure through her. Her mouth watered with desire. “Low-fat brownies,” she said defiantly.

“You gluttonous slut!” The cake’s tone became hard, unrelenting. “You’ll take anything into that whoring body of yours, won’t you!”

“No!” Meljean wailed, “You don’t understand!”

“I understand.” Its voice was cold, filled with dangerous intent. “You’ve given yourself over and over, and yet you’ve never been satisfied, you’ve only experienced a pale imitation of true pleasure.”

Sobbing, Meljean tried to push the cake away. “I can’t have you!”

“You will, damn you,” it gritted out. “Open your mouth.”

Its demand shuddered through her, but she could not find the words to speak. She shook her head wordlessly.

“Open your mouth, you slutty bitch!” It pressed against her mouth in a kiss surprisingly soft and sweet. Meljean’s lips opened on a gasp, and the cake delved deep.

She moaned in ecstasy, and took…and took…

***

“Are you cheating?” Her husband asked a few minutes later. “There’s white creamy stuff all over your mouth. That can’t be good for your diet.”

Meljean blushed. “It was carrot cake,” she admitted.

“I could make a joke about phallic vegetables,” he said, “but I suppose everyone reading this already has.”

“Probably.”

Meljean fell silent, torn between guilt and the sweet afterglow the cake had given her. Hubby searched through the fridge, then looked up with a frown on his face.

“Didn’t you save any for me?”

“It was a forced seduction,” Meljean said. “I had to take it all; I couldn’t resist.”

“Ah, well, that makes it okay.” Hubby rolled his eyes and walked away, muttering about books with bulbous lettering on the covers.

Meljean grinned, and grabbed the box of low-fat brownie mix from the cupboard. “God, I’m such a slut,” she said.

And then he kissed her, or he would have if her sister hadn’t been in love with him.

March 30th, 2007

So I just read Laura Lee Guhrke’s AND THEN HE KISSED HER (and thought it was very good, and so, so romantic at the end, happy sigh). And I love the setting.

But this isn’t a review, because I’m not really good at those, but just a quick note that what I found myself thinking of while I was taking quick breaks from reading the book wasn’t really romance at all, but W. D. Howells’ THE RISE OF SILAS LAPHAM, and in particular, this really fabulous scene in which Lapham frets and frets about wearing gloves to a dinner party (ah, etiquette).

And it’s odd, because there’s a lot about Howells that I don’t like, which may be just a gut reaction to his disdain for the sentimental novel, even though I have a similar reaction to American sentimentalism and lean toward realism in my (re)reading choices. RUTH HALL? Nah, nuh uh, not again. I’d a million times rather read anything by Howells. *g* Yeah, it must be that gut reaction.

But I really love that scene, and all that it manages to say about class and expectations, and how completely painful it is.

And, entirely unrelated to Guhrke, it is actually SILAS LAPHAM that influenced my thinking on a lot of romance novels, and what I’ll stand for in a heroine and/or hero. The whole, “I’ll sacrifice our love so that I don’t hurt anyone” thing that Howells calls ridiculous … well, I agree. And when I see it in a romance novel, I usually cringe and just want to bang my head against a wall. (I think that Valdez’s PASSION was an exception to this.) Although, in hindsight and from a purely storytelling standpoint, next to Silas, that self-sacrificing romance was also one of the more compelling aspects of the book. So I’m not sure what it means that the very sub-plot and sentimentality that Howells had such a hate-on for made it all that much more readable (and, for me, re-readable.)

Uh, but AND THEN HE KISSED HER didn’t have that kind of romantic plot … I’m just wandering here, because it’s 2am, and I can’t get Howells out of my head, and I’m also wondering if it’s because I’ve been reading so much Twain and Whitman lately, and Howells is just the next step on the 19th c. American voice tour I’ve been taking to nail down my current hero’s voice.

Anyway. G’night.

Spring Break

March 25th, 2007

Will hopefully read and write lots and lots.

Will probably not happen, as both the tot and the husband are home full time for a week. Yikes.

Stardust

March 24th, 2007

Via Neil Gaiman and Newsarama, the trailer for Stardust is up at Yahoo! Movies.

I’m so freaking looking forward to this movie.

Note to self: ARCs are not (necessarily) an imposition.

March 22nd, 2007

No matter how much I love love love DEMON MOON, I actually wince every time I send out an ARC, or trade one with another author, and feel compelled to apologize for giving them something to read. Which doesn’t make sense, because I like getting them. I don’t know what causes bad feeling, but I should really stop it.

I’m very uncomfortable with self-promotion (anywhere away from this blog, that is, since I happily have a row of covers down the left side) although I’m slowly getting over that. But it’s difficult. It’s not even modesty, I think, but more of a sense that I’m forcing myself onto someone else, invading their space. When people come here, they’re looking for something. Nothing’s being invaded, because it’s a wide-open invitation.

Anyway, I’ve printed up a bunch of ARCs to send to local booksellers and a few other places over the next month, and along with it I’m sending a letter that says DM totally rocks, and their readers will love it. And it’s HARD to write that. As much as I believe in the book, it’s difficult to be so upfront about it, even when I tell myself that it’s my job to write a great book and tell people about it, and selling it is their job.

Maybe it’s their mental space I feel like I’m invading? Like the promo shouts: YOU HAVE TO LOVE THIS BOOK!!! And when anyone else says that to me, my instinctive reaction is: No, I don’t.

So maybe I just need to adjust my thinking. Instead of You HAVE to love this book it’s more like Dude, you’re totally going to love this book!

Although I probably should be all professional and shit, and not write “dude”.

(…okay, and is “job” one of the dumbest looking words ever, or is it just me?)

Running with Scissors

March 21st, 2007

Over at Between the Covers, Cleo rates heroes’ hair. Which reminded me of something I’d posted way back in May 2005 (with lots of pictures!) and so, in my continuing quest to transfer all of the old blog posts over to Wordpress, I’ve added it here. (Plus, okay, I’m writing uber-lots, so this is my lazy way of blogging.) Man, I swore a lot more then.
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Public Service Announcement

March 20th, 2007
PSA

Stuff w/pictures, just because they’re pretty.

March 20th, 2007

Jaci Burton has an ARC if you talk about it on your blog. Shiloh’s having a contest, and you have until midnight to win.

jaci shiloh la lr

My sister finished LOVER REVEALED last night, after a three-day late-night glom, and almost beat me up when I teased her that the next wasn’t out until October. Hee. Her favorite is LOVER AWAKENED.

Right now, she’s on the sofa watching a marathon of the second season of America’s Next Top Model — which, if you ask me, was the best season. Why?

yoanna

Because Catie cried all of the freaking time, and it cracks me up. That, and Mercedes was so cute. I wish she’d won, although I agree that Yoanna has that classic model look. Sigh. Okay. But I can’t go over and watch it (except the parts where Catie cries, because that’s like my reward for … something. I don’t know what, but it sure feels like a reward).

catie

Romance Novel Fun!

March 19th, 2007

Got the Monday Morning blues? Click, print, hide it from your boss, and search!

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