The Jennifer Blake Newsletter-May 2011
Greetings:
Summer is a-coming here on the lake. The fish are biting, bass tournaments have started, hummingbirds and purple martins are here; the poule d’eau, or coots, that stay with us during the winter, have flown north; jet skis and tubing runs are making waves, and neighbors are having swimming parties on weekends. My roses, daisies and iris are blooming, and the sound of the lawnmower is heard in the land. We’ve had a few tornado scares, a tree and limbs lost to storms, but no major damage. The doors opening onto my screened porch are wide open. Life is good.
Meanwhile, the build up to summer and fall publication of my Three Graces trilogy continues. The covers for the three books are now up on the front page of my website. Clicking on them will bring up the cover blurbs describing the books, as well as an excerpt for Book 1, BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE. Each information page also has a link for pre-ordering from Amazon.com, if that should be your choice. The books will ship (or be available for download) on their official publication dates, respectively, beginning on July 19 with the release of Book 1. Pre-ordering may be helpful as an indication to the publisher of the number of books to print.
Something else available on the web site is a direct window to the YouTube book video for the series created by Siren Projects. It’s a great overview of the theme, setting and atmosphere of the trilogy. I love the images and background music. Check this out and let me know what you think?
Last month, I mentioned a cruise planned as a reward for finishing the trilogy. We—my husband, two of his brothers and their wives—departed on April 9 out of Port Canaveral, FL aboard the Norwegian Sun for the eastern Caribbean, stopping at Nassau, St. Thomas, and St Maarten. Though I’ve been on a dozen or more cruises, this was my first “Freestyle” venture, and a fine trip it was. However, on April 7, as I was packing, I received the emailed pdf file of the page proofs for Book 2 of the trilogy, BY GRACE POSSESSED, along with a request for their return by the week of April 18. Yikes! I’d been afraid of this when I booked the cruise; it’s just the way things happen. But no worries. I printed out the complete set of page proofs and slipped them into a briefcase, then read and corrected them on the days at sea included in the cruise. These corrections were zapped back to my editor when I returned. Now there’s only one more set of page proofs left, for Book 3, SEDUCED BY GRACE. The trilogy will then be out of my hands. This final set of proofs should appear near the end of this month—probably about the time I leave for a few days in New York…
This New York trip will be for Book Expo America, where I’ll be signing advance copies of BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE for booksellers and librarians. Also involved will be meetings with my editor and agent. Business, in other words. Regardless, I’ve arranged to stay on for a couple of extra days, for a bit of sightseeing and to catch a couple of Broadway shows. My older daughter, Delinda Corbin, will be joining me, which will add much to the fun and relaxation.
So what’s next on the writing front? That’s still undecided, and should be a subject for discussion with my editor and agent in New York. Much may depend on how the Three Graces trilogy is received by booksellers. Though more medieval stories are stirring in the back of my mind, other projects drift through my synapses every day. Stay tuned.
A new blog post for the Mira Author page will be up on or before May 9. The subject will be "The Appeal of Romance Novels." You can access these random thoughts and rambling of mine at: http://community.eharlequin.com/content/mira-author-blog
In this same vein, I’ve begun a new series for the “Writing Tip of the Day” section of my web site blog at: www.jenniferblake.com/jennifersjournal These are on the how-to of manuscript preparation and formatting. Basic information, yes, but something beginning writers often ask about. By the time this subject is exhausted, I’ll be at Writing Tip #300. Will I stop at 365, a calendar’s worth, or try for 1000 for a future book? We’ll see!
Another project for this month has been the creation of a special FaceBook page for the Three Graces trilogy. I’ll be posting progress reports on the publication process for the books, of course, but also snippets of scenes, character descriptions and short interviews with my heroes and heroines; how I came to write the book, research info, etc. I’ll have a special contest for followers of the page as publication draws nearer, as well. Look for it and become a “friend” by typing “The Three Graces Trilogy” into the Facebook search pane.
Finally, I have something listed in Brenda Novak's Cure for Diabetes annual online auction. It’s part of author Winne Grigg's “My Crafty Friends and Family” category, Item #2106033, and consists of a hand-knitted silk and wool scarf in shades of turquoise , as well as an autographed copy of the final book of my Masters at Arms series, TRIUMPH IN ARMS. Bidding started on the site on May 1, and ends May 31. An amazing array of wonderful items has been donated for this auction, including many, many signed books. Do yourself a favor and bid to support this great cause at: http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com
That about covers it for another month, I think. With warmest wishes for blue skies and reading pleasure as summer heads your way,
Jennifer Blake
Summer is a-coming here on the lake. The fish are biting, bass tournaments have started, hummingbirds and purple martins are here; the poule d’eau, or coots, that stay with us during the winter, have flown north; jet skis and tubing runs are making waves, and neighbors are having swimming parties on weekends. My roses, daisies and iris are blooming, and the sound of the lawnmower is heard in the land. We’ve had a few tornado scares, a tree and limbs lost to storms, but no major damage. The doors opening onto my screened porch are wide open. Life is good.
Meanwhile, the build up to summer and fall publication of my Three Graces trilogy continues. The covers for the three books are now up on the front page of my website. Clicking on them will bring up the cover blurbs describing the books, as well as an excerpt for Book 1, BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE. Each information page also has a link for pre-ordering from Amazon.com, if that should be your choice. The books will ship (or be available for download) on their official publication dates, respectively, beginning on July 19 with the release of Book 1. Pre-ordering may be helpful as an indication to the publisher of the number of books to print.
Something else available on the web site is a direct window to the YouTube book video for the series created by Siren Projects. It’s a great overview of the theme, setting and atmosphere of the trilogy. I love the images and background music. Check this out and let me know what you think?
Last month, I mentioned a cruise planned as a reward for finishing the trilogy. We—my husband, two of his brothers and their wives—departed on April 9 out of Port Canaveral, FL aboard the Norwegian Sun for the eastern Caribbean, stopping at Nassau, St. Thomas, and St Maarten. Though I’ve been on a dozen or more cruises, this was my first “Freestyle” venture, and a fine trip it was. However, on April 7, as I was packing, I received the emailed pdf file of the page proofs for Book 2 of the trilogy, BY GRACE POSSESSED, along with a request for their return by the week of April 18. Yikes! I’d been afraid of this when I booked the cruise; it’s just the way things happen. But no worries. I printed out the complete set of page proofs and slipped them into a briefcase, then read and corrected them on the days at sea included in the cruise. These corrections were zapped back to my editor when I returned. Now there’s only one more set of page proofs left, for Book 3, SEDUCED BY GRACE. The trilogy will then be out of my hands. This final set of proofs should appear near the end of this month—probably about the time I leave for a few days in New York…
This New York trip will be for Book Expo America, where I’ll be signing advance copies of BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE for booksellers and librarians. Also involved will be meetings with my editor and agent. Business, in other words. Regardless, I’ve arranged to stay on for a couple of extra days, for a bit of sightseeing and to catch a couple of Broadway shows. My older daughter, Delinda Corbin, will be joining me, which will add much to the fun and relaxation.
So what’s next on the writing front? That’s still undecided, and should be a subject for discussion with my editor and agent in New York. Much may depend on how the Three Graces trilogy is received by booksellers. Though more medieval stories are stirring in the back of my mind, other projects drift through my synapses every day. Stay tuned.
A new blog post for the Mira Author page will be up on or before May 9. The subject will be "The Appeal of Romance Novels." You can access these random thoughts and rambling of mine at: http://community.eharlequin.com/content/mira-author-blog
In this same vein, I’ve begun a new series for the “Writing Tip of the Day” section of my web site blog at: www.jenniferblake.com/jennifersjournal These are on the how-to of manuscript preparation and formatting. Basic information, yes, but something beginning writers often ask about. By the time this subject is exhausted, I’ll be at Writing Tip #300. Will I stop at 365, a calendar’s worth, or try for 1000 for a future book? We’ll see!
Another project for this month has been the creation of a special FaceBook page for the Three Graces trilogy. I’ll be posting progress reports on the publication process for the books, of course, but also snippets of scenes, character descriptions and short interviews with my heroes and heroines; how I came to write the book, research info, etc. I’ll have a special contest for followers of the page as publication draws nearer, as well. Look for it and become a “friend” by typing “The Three Graces Trilogy” into the Facebook search pane.
Finally, I have something listed in Brenda Novak's Cure for Diabetes annual online auction. It’s part of author Winne Grigg's “My Crafty Friends and Family” category, Item #2106033, and consists of a hand-knitted silk and wool scarf in shades of turquoise , as well as an autographed copy of the final book of my Masters at Arms series, TRIUMPH IN ARMS. Bidding started on the site on May 1, and ends May 31. An amazing array of wonderful items has been donated for this auction, including many, many signed books. Do yourself a favor and bid to support this great cause at: http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com
That about covers it for another month, I think. With warmest wishes for blue skies and reading pleasure as summer heads your way,
Jennifer Blake
Labels: Book Expo America, book shipments, book video, Brenda Novak's auction, cruise, page proofs, pre-orders, Three Graces Trilogy
posted by Jennifer Blake at 9:27 AM
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