I have one major project to work on, one deadline, and do you think I can open the document and get to work?

I think Christmas is getting to me. I’m not the sentimental type by a long-shot, but there’s so much going on, so many advertisements spamming my email, so many postings about people baking and shopping that I’m feeling like I must be a total scrooge, and that maybe I shouldn’t wait this year until Christmas Eve to do all my shopping in one day.

I’ve done that many times. I HATE shopping, get nauseous in mall air, and Christmas songs make my head pound. I’ll have a honed-to-the-last-detail list, start at 10:00 AM when the mall doors open, then rush through the stores before the crowds get too thick and I have a panic attack. Okay, so I’m exaggerating a little bit, but only very little.

What’s the difference this year? Maybe I’m a bit burned out with stress. Back-to-back books and facing the end of the last contract I have to fulfill. Always a worrisome place to be for a writer.

And it might have to do with the little face of a four-year-old who likes to sneak into my closets because she knows mommy hides her presents there, but my closets only have shoes and clothes and stuff.

Enough. Time to get to work. I wish you luck wrapping up your shopping, and be thinking of me, the last person on the last day before Christmas looking for that perfect gift as I whoosh by with my shopping cart and scoop the present into the basket.

Progress for Dark Realm-4

A couple of announcements, first.

I made two sales recently. The first was for a little short story called “The Hired Hand” that I wrote for a lesbian cowboy collection for Cleis coming out next June. Cleis is an erotica imprint, and I love their collections. So I was thrilled to be included even if the payday is less than thrilling. I’m a full-time writer, but I do still like to write stories for the sheer challenge. Okay, so maybe it’s not quite a sale yet. The editor wants the story, but I have to wait to see if the publisher wants it. I’m hoping that just means the approval is a formality.

The second announcement is that a story I submitted last week to Samhain, that today remains untitled because I can’t make up my damned mind, sold! It’s about two cowboys who rescue a woman from a storm and get it on. Huh! Didn’t know I could describe a story is so few words. And tentatively, it’s set to come out in March 2009.

So, after taking the first three days of December to take care of other bizness, I’m back at the main job. Pounding pages. Mostly on the Dark Realm story, but I’m playing with a cowboy story on the side too. Something to do with a bull and a girl’s underwear. Do me a favor and send me some notes of encouragement or some jokes. I know I’ll be ready for both.

I’ll be blogging today at the Aphrodisia Author’s website. I’d love it if you stopped by to keep me company!

Since I’ll be away from the computer tomorrow for doctors’ appointments, I thought I’d give you a quick update on DD’s doings and then pose another burning queston.

Yesterday, I finished a short story for a collection of erotic romance shorts. On spec. Which means no contract and no guarantee of publication unless they love it. I loved it. That’s what counts. And if it gets passed on, no doubt I’ll find another home for it. Thanks to Virginia and Maura for giving it a read and showing me the errors of my ways.

Today, I worked on an interview for RWR Magazine’s Writers on Writing column. I’m sure I sounded like a complete flake, but I couldn’t very well ask someone else to make it up. It will be published pretty soon, so I’ll let you know when you can find it.

On Wednesday, it will be back to the quarry for me as I dig back into my Dark Realm book, which is getting away from me at the moment. I’ve asked a good friend of mine to give it a read, and since she’s taking so long, I know she’s trying to figure out how to throw up all over it in a nice way.

So until I get back to my computer tomorrow night, here’s the question I want you to think about:

What is your all-time favorite scene from a movie?

I’m playing at Ellora’s Cave’s chat loop all day today along with Shayla Kersten and Myla Jackson. We’ll be serving up warm, witty conversation, scintillating excerpts, and running contests with multiple drool-worthy prizes all day long! If you’re not a subscriber to EC’s loop, just send an email here: Join EC’s chat loop

Okay, so that’s the administrivia note for the day. Plenty other stuff is happening! Did I mention that I sold another Spice Brief to Harlequin? I don’t know when it will come out, but I have the contract ready to mail on Monday. Woohoo!

I met and exceeded my NaNoWriMo goal for the month of November, ending the writing challenge with 50,700 words! Okay, so non-writers are going to say, what’s the big deal? *I’m blowing raspberries at you*

The big deal is I showed fortitude, discipline and kicked ass (at least on paper) for a whole month. And it was fun—posting my progress, trying to find buddies to join me for timed writing sprints, and watching a story come together in just a month.

I cheated a wee bit. I worked on two stories—one of which I finished! That’s my yummy cowboy threesome story I mentioned yesterday. Do you want to see an excerpt?

And last, I wanted to remind you that I have a free story on my “For Readers” page. I recently uploaded chapters five and six of Knight Dreams, which continues my Immortal Knight series.

Readers at The Cave asked for a peek at the cover for Unleashing the Tiger, which will be out in March. And here it is!

Thanksgiving passed in the Devlin household without any fuss. We’re waiting until tomorrow to have our turkey feast. The red-headed hellion’s hubby had to work last night at the prison, so we decided to hold off until they both could join us. Today, I’ll be cleaning house. Mom and daughter will be cooking. They never ask me for help with that (possibly because they want to be sure no one gets poisoned!).

The quiet day gave me a chance to finish up a novella. Think cowboys rescuing a woman from a frigid creek and you’ve got the gist. Add lots of nasty sex. Some questionable postions and acrobatic moves. That about sums it up. Yum!

I have a short story to wrap up today and Sunday, and then all my goals for the month will be accomplished. Did I mention I’m at the halfway point for the fourth Dark Realm story too? I’ve had a very productive month.

December won’t be any easier. I might be posting my “to do list” a time or two to keep me motivated. I’ve been doing a lot of reading. Mostly Mesopotamian myths and witchcraft books. Trying to play with some things for future stories. Research isn’t really work though. It doesn’t add page count. And I enjoy it way too much to take it seriously. Work’s supposed to be hard, right?

On Sunday, I’ll be hosting Ellora’s Cave’s chatters loop, so be sure to pop in and say hello. I’ll be posting plenty of sexy excerpts, running scavenger hunts and generally having a really good time. ~DD

Squeeee! Okay, so I never really squeal. But I do pump the air with my fists when I’m really, really excited. So, imagine me doing that right this second.

When I found out Down in Texas would be featured in the Rhapsody Book Club, I joined so that I could receive the mailing with my book in it—and so that I could get a hardcover edition to my story. The mailing arrived today, and while I would have been content just to see it offered like most of them with a tiny little picture, it looked so much more impressive than that! I’m thrilled and hoping the attention actually translates into sales, because, man, would I ever love to write more of these books.

Take a peek at the page in December’s Rhapsody catalog: