I’ve been rewarding myself for book progress with nightly NCIS marathons. I didn’t discover the show until a couple of months ago. Yeah, it’s been on for years, but I TIVO everything, so never ran across it. The show’s not brilliant. The acting’s solid, I guess. I’ve never been a Mark Harmon fan, but I like the rest of the ensemble and he works well with them. But now that I’m hooked, I’m rabid about catching up on all the previous seasons. The problem I have is that USA is showing them all out of sequence. Do you know how confusing that can be? I get that Kate was killed, but haven’t seen that episode yet. I like Zevah a lot, but after last night’s episode I can’t figure out how she came back after being sent back to Israel. It’s frustrating. Kind of like watching Memento and piecing the bits of backstory together with crazy glue. Finally, last night I saw what happened to Director Shepard. Wah!

But back to my progress report.

This week wore me out. I finished chapters 12 through 14, and have added 44 pages to the big book. I’ll be editing today, so I have no doubts that I will hit my 50 page a week goal. Plus, I started work on the next Lone Star Lovers story. I completed chapter one, although it’s really, really ugly at the moment.

Small things. I got the first round edits of First Knight back, and really it was just little stuff. Yay, me. And of course, Fun With Dick and Jayne released, so I’m super excited to see how everyone likes it. Remember, if you ordered it off the Ellora’s Cave website, please leave an honest review afterward! That’s one of the best ways you can support your favorite authors—by letting someone else know if you enjoyed a story.

This coming week, I’ll pound out another 50 pages of the big book. I’m switching gears to write a short story for a Cleis call for submissions. Don’t have a clue about what yet. And that’s enough, right? Until next week…

Hey there! I’ll be in Little Rock today to attend my monthly RWA chapter’s meeting. So, no writing—no hanging out online. While I’m away, I have a question for you to ponder…

If all drinking fountains could dispense another liquid in addition to water, what would you want it to be?

Personally, I’d want it to dispense Bellinis. Prosecco, peaches, organge peel… Mmmm…

If you’re checking for the winner of the countdown contest, scroll to the end! ~DD

Whew! So the book’s finally out. And several of you already wrote or posted a comment on my blog to let me know you loved it. Thanks so much! I always bite my nails until I hear back.

While I was being a promo whore trying to get the word out about the book, I was also busy writing. I’m making great progress on the big book, although past chapter eight it’s very, very messy. I also realized last night while I was watching NCIS (watching TV gives my subconscious time to mull over my stories) that I don’t have any reason for the brothel scene on the outcast’s planet, so I have to go back and layer in some plot. I had way too much fun with the sex, which meant I lost sight of what the hero and heroine needed to learn while they were gettin’ busy.

I have started a new quickie-length cowboy story for Samhain, but I want to start something for Ellora’s Cave too. I just need the right idea. Something sexy and fun to follow Dick and Jayne and Bad, Bad Girlfriend. Writing funny is a lot less stressful than writing the darker stuff! Will have to think harder and quickly because I don’t want large gaps between releases.

Here’s a list of what’s coming for the rest of the year. It may change as I finish up novellas for ebook release. You can always check for changes on my Coming Soon page.

03/24/10 – BAD, BAD GIRLFRIEND (Ellora’s Cave)
April-May/10 – MISS ADDIE’S GARDEN, New Love Stories Magazine
Summer?/10 – WARLORD’S DESTINY, a re-release (Ellora’s Cave)
Summer?/10 – FIRST KNIGHT (Ellora’s Cave)
05/01/10 – STONE’S EMBRACE, Captive Souls print anthology (Samhain)
06/01/10 – THE OUT-OF-TOWNER, Girl Crush anthology (Cleis Press)
07/01/10 – THE OBEDIENT WIFE, Fairy Tale Lust anthology (Cleis Press)
08/01/10 – THE WEEKEND, Lesbian Lust anthology (Cleis Press)
10/1/10 – COWBOY FEVER print anthology (Samhain)
11/01/10 – DARKNESS CAPTURED (Avon Red)

So, back to that contest. I used my random number generator and have a name. But before I announce it, thanks again for playing and saying so many nice things. I work in a cave and don’t stir from it for long periods of time. My online friends are my lights flickering at the end of the cave. Too cheesy and purple prosey? Yeah, but it’s true.

The lucky winner of the countdown contest from among the 100+ entries is…Terry W! Terry—email me!

I’m sleepy this morning. The five-year-old came for an overnight and shared my king-sized bed. How can it be that I only had a foot width of mattress to sleep on?

All I can say is it’s a good thing I made great progress this week. Whatever I do today will be gravy. I wrote 53 pages on the big book (and passed the halfway mark!) and have sketched out ideas for three short projects. I started work yesterday on a quickie-length story. Thanks go out to the ladies who attended my Friday night chat. As always, they had ideas for what they wanted to see next, and that set the spark to my brain.

This week will be another 50 page push. I want to have the pages done by Saturday because I will be heading to Little Rock for an RWA chapter meeting.

My sister and I received word that a workshop proposal we submitted for the RWA National conference in Nashville was accepted. We will be presenting “Seriously…a series?“.

That’s all the news/progress to report. Remember that tomorrow I’ll start a short countdown to the release of Fun With Dick and Jayne. ~DD

Just a couple quick notes before the really, really important question of the day.

He didn’t know the nightly peepshow was just a naughty invitation…

Monday, I’ll start a mini-countdown contest to celebrate the release of Fun With Dick and Jayne. The book releases next week, February 17th, and you can read a short excerpt by clicking on the link. Be sure to stop by Monday and see what I’m up to. If you loved Jane’s Wild Weekend or Raw Silk, and like your heroes to come in pairs, you will love this one too!

Expect magic when one determined woman dons a legendary pair of red stilettos and bares body and heart to get her man’s attention…

I have a release date now for Bad, Bad Girlfriend—March 24th! You’re going to love the book. The hero’s a wounded, clueless (when it comes to women) cop. The heroine is sassy, larger than life and courageous. And the book has one of the funniest scenes I’ve ever written. I can’t wait for you to read it!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

So now to the question. You know I love to do these. Not only because I can’t think of anything witty to say of my own today, but because your answers reveal a little bit of yourselves to me. So have fun with this.

If you could have the original of anything in the world, what would you want it to be? (Assume that you would never be allowed to sell it for money; you must simply enjoy it for what it is.)

Quick note: Join me tonight at 9 PM ET for a live chat at Fallen Angels Reviews.

Snow began falling right around dusk last night, so I had to get my camera. Remember, I live in Central Arkansas and we don’t get this kind of weather often, so it was a treat. This first picture was taken from my front door. That’s Yoshi, my little Scion. And all those shiny spots aren’t ghost orbs or the moon and stars—they are snowflakes!

Here’s the view from my back door. The pond in the back is a view I’ve shared a few times, so I thought you might like to see it surrounded by a thin blanket of white.

And this is just to tantalize you. I’m loving this new cover!

Yeah, the Matchbox Twenty song is playing on my iPod and I couldn’t help but laugh. It’s 3:39 in the morning and I can’t sleep. So I decided to go ahead and work on today’s blog, and maybe by the time I’m through I’ll be more relaxed. I haven’t been troubled with insomnia for a while, but I never worry too much about it. It’s not like I have a regular day job where I have to keep to a schedule anyway. Just another reason I really love my job.

Work’s been going well on the big book. Or at least the page count is steadily rising. There are some rough spots I have to go back and fix, but that happens. I just have to think on how for a while. I have other works I need to begin soon, but I haven’t been able to settle on plots. Maybe you can make some suggestions…

First is a short story I want to submit for consideration for a romantica collection. If you can think of a premise for a short, romantic hot-as-hell story—fire away! I also have to settle on an idea for the next couple of cowboy novellas for Samhain. I loved writing Unbridled and Unforgiven and having them so closely interwoven. I’d like to do that again.

Oh hell. Falling in Love at a Coffeeshop is playing now.

I never knew,
just what is was
about this old coffeeshop I love so much.
All of the while I never knew,
all of the while it was you…

I really, really didn’t need that song in my head before I crawl back into bed. I’ll be dreaming about being naked in coffeeshops or about aliens cutting in line ahead of me in the line at Starbucks ordering mocha cappucinos. Oh, okay. V is for Vampire by Powerman 5000 just started. Should have more interesting dreams now.

V is for vampire
V is for blood
So give me your money
I’ll give you my love.

Later! ~DD