A Good Editor . . .

. . . is worth her weight not just in gold, but also in coffee, chocolate, and kittens. While I'm neck deep in some very, very good (and difficult, sigh) edits on Crescendo that will make the book about a thousand times better than it was in draft form, I wanted to take this Friday to celebrate good editors all around the world, and mine in particular, Tal Valante.

(Actually, I'm pretty sure the cat's hers too.)

So thank you, Tal, for kicking my ass with such gleeful vigor and skill.

Have a lovely weekend, folks. I'll be huddled indoors, nursing my sore ass and the slowly emerging wheat from the chaff of my first draft :-)

Crescendo Deleted Scene

Good morning, folks! Edits on Crescendo continue (have you pre-ordered your copy yet? /shameless plug), and a recent edit had me cutting an entire three-page scene. It was a wise, wise cut (I mean, nothing happens in this scene but a whole lotta navel gazing), but still, seemed a shame to waste it. So, my deleted scene, let me show you it.

Beneath the jump, for first-draft sloppiness and potential spoilers. (I mean, I don't terribly think so? We all already know it was Colonel Mustard in the conservatory with the candlestick, after all. But better safe than sorry, I suppose.)

Bleeding at the Computer: A Guest Blog and Ebook Giveaway by Cara Marsi!

Evening, folks! We've got a special guest and fellow Noble Romance author stopping by this evening: Cara Marsi. She's here to talk about writing and the evolution of her new release, Cursed Mates, and also to give one free copy away to a lucky commenter!

Let's start with her gorgeous cover and blurb, and then I'll turn the floor over to her.

Nick Radford is a reluctant werewolf who's been fighting the Beast within for nearly 500 years. He's never killed a human, but the Beast is gaining strength and Nick may not be able to ward off his inner demon much longer. Kyla Yaeger is an elite were-hunter with a scarred past. Her life's mission is to slay the werewolves that slaughtered her parents. Her quest has brought her to Maine, where she's been summoned to destroy the werewolf terrorizing the quaint little village of Heavensent. The last thing she needs is to get distracted by her mysterious—not to mention hunky—new neighbor, Nick Radford. By the time Kyla learns Nick is her target, she's already fallen for him, making her task of killing him that much harder. She is torn between her love for him and her duty to kill her sworn enemy. Nick fights his forbidden love for Kyla, knowing she is duty-bound to kill him. Kyla and Nick must join forces to fight an even bigger threat—one that will destroy all humanity. Only by their combined powers, can they destroy the evil and bring an end to a centuries old curse.

And now Cara, beneath the jump.

So Long Dear Cave, Hello Jess Anastasi!

Phew, Anchored edits are done! (Well, mostly; I will have one final pass to make, but that should be quick.) No, please, hold your applause; you're embarrassing me.

I'm now free to emerge from my editing cave, but I think I'm too tired to move. Tomorrow, then. It's nice and dark and cool in here anyway, and besides, the bear left hours ago.

Did you guys see all those crazy events I've got going in the next few months? I'm participating in the All Things Romantic Suspense (ATRS) guest-blog exchange, and my very first stop is at S.R. Claridge's blog this Wednesday. Who's my favorite character among all those I've written? None, of course; like any good mother, I love them all equally. Stop by her blog to find out!

And don't forget to check in this Thursday, when ATRS author Jess Anastasi will be stopping by to talk about the history and process of her new release. I always love learning how my favorite books spring into being, don't you? So bring comfortable shoes and show her your love as she walks you through her latest creation. Complimentary cocktails will be served at the conclusion of the tour.