January Newsletter 2009

Greetings:

Here we are, with a new year full of promise ahead of us.  Have you ever heard the old wives tale about being able to predict the weather for the coming 12 months by observing conditions during the twelve days after Christmas?  Using it, this month should be mild and cloudy and February should be warm and windy with storms.  That's the projection where we live here in the Deep South, of course; other parts of the country may not fare as well.  We'll see how it turns out.  Meanwhile, I'm trying to get back to work after being away from the latest book during the holiday season.  I seldom work during December as there's so much to be done for our big family get-together.  It requires extra concentration to get back into the story and mindset of my characters.

            The book I'm working on is the first of the Three Graces stories with a tentative title of BY HIS MAJESTY'S GRACE.  I'm only on Chapter 2 at present, so need to burn the midnight oil for the next few months since it has a September 1 deadline.  I'll keep you posted on my progress as I go along.  In other book news, I should be receiving the advance copies of GALLANT MATCH soon since this book is slated to hit the book shelves in time for Valentine's Day.  It may actually show up around the end of this month, particularly on Amazon.com.  The February issue of Romantic Time, the magazine's 300^th issue anniversary edition, includes a 4 ½ star, Top Pick! review for the story.  About it, reviewer Joan Hammond said:  "An honor bound Kentuckian and a strong-willed French Creole woman burst off the pages of Blake's new Masters at Arms story.  The sexually charged chemistry between two strong protagonists, danger and an overview of New Orleans and Mexico make this a fantastic and deeply touching love story."  Many thanks for the kind words, Joan!

            I'm grateful to the reviewers at Romantic Times for another reason this month.  They have nominated my 2008 title, GUARDED HEART, for Best American Set Historical Romance of 2008.  This is a stupendous honor considering the number of historical titles published during the past year.  The award will be presented at the RT convention in Orlando, and I hope to be on hand for the event.  Wish me luck!

            For additional news about GUARDED HEART, the story was recently published in a hardcover translation in Poland.

            I have a couple of appearances planned in February and March.  I'll be speaking at the Bienville Parish Library, Arcadia, Louisiana on February 12, just in time for Valentine's.  FMI: 318-263-7410.  Then March 6-7 will be the NOLAStars (North Louisiana Romance Writers of America) convention where I'll have the honor of giving the keynote luncheon speech.  I'll also present a workshop on how to use research without plagiarizing your source.  For more Information and online registration: www.nolastars.com

            FedEx showed up yesterday, bringing a couple of advance copies of "The 101 Habits of highly successful Novelists: Insider tips from Top Writers" by Andrew McAleer.  This non-fiction look at a fascinating subject has lots of advice from writers such as Elmore Leonard, Linda Sandifer, Suzanne Brockman, Mary Higgins Clark, Lawrence Block and myself.  I answered an email query on subjects like the passion for writing, business considerations, self-discipline, and so on, and this is the result.  Writers never know what will come along on any given day.

            Finally, I'll be part of a new project that's in the works.  One or two of my older books will be released soon in an interactive format in cooperation with E-Reads.com.  With this application, readers will be able to download a copy of the book in which the name of the hero or heroine, or both, have been changed to that of their husband, wife or significant other.  This sounds like a fun project and I can't wait to see how it's accepted.  FMI: www.ereads.com

That's it for this month.  All that remains is to wish you the most amazing and prosperous New Year.  Have a great one!

Warmest,

Jennifer