A Series!

I am tickled! Just over-the-moon thrilled! Why? Well, I think I've told you all that I've signed a contract with Whiskey Creek Press to publish my book, Sniffing Sand. It is a romantic mystery, set on Chincoteague Island in Virginia. If you know me, you know I love Chincoteague. And if you didn't already know that, I guess you do now, don't you? Anyhow, I spoke with my publisher about this book being the first in a series of books set on Chincoteague--and she loved the idea! Whoopee!! So now the book will be called Sniffing Sand: A Chincoteague Island Mystery, and there will be more to follow. We've decided on a mix of genres, and the second book in the series will be a Chincoteague Island Romance. As I said, I am just so happy about this. I've always loved reading series, and it is such a treat to know I'm writing one of my own. The second book is already being written.

Oh, Sniffing Sand: A Chincoteague Island Mystery comes out on June 1, 2008.

Finally, This Season

I have just signed a contract for a short story I wrote called Finally, This Season. It is a Regency romance, the first I've written, and I've sold it to The Wild Rose Press.

I'm excited about this story, not only in the way that I'm always thrilled to have written and sold something, but in another way, too. Branching out into different areas of fiction is exciting. When I began to write this story, I wondered if I could actually do it. I mean, I love Regency romances, love the way the language is used and I get such a kick out of "seeing" the time period. But could I do it? Write a successful Regency? A daunting task, when I sat down, to adequately portray a bit of the Ton for all to see.

So this contract really tickles me. It appears, my friends, that I've taken a step in a new direction. And so far, I've experienced success.

Now, onto the next adventure...

Hope you're having a nice day. And thanks for savoring this good news with me!

Done!

I'm done! Last Chance is in the bag! I finished the historical western romance two days ago. Yesterday I subbed a partial and synopsis. Today, I cross my fingers. :)

Why am I here?

Title sounds profound, doesn't it? As if I'm questioning one of the great mysteries of life, wondering about my place in the universe and any part in some "Master Plan" I should be, or am, playing, right?

Got you thinking, didn't I?

Hate to deflate the cosmic bubble you're in right now, but my "Why am I here?" question is more about something pressing, something right in front of me at this very moment. It doesn't have any esoteric underpinnings, no ethereal thoughts attached.

I'm wondering why I'm here, blogging, when I'm near-enough-to-taste-it close to being done with my current work in progress, my western historical romance called Last Chance. Yeah, that's right. I'm halfway through the last chapter. Within hours, it will be complete. HA! What a feeling this is, there's just no describing it...

But, why am I here?

I should be writing Chance and Laura's final scene. And let me tell you, the final pages of this book will be very...um, well...let's just say they'll definitely be a good dose of romance in the final few pages!!

Until next time...

Bay Leaves Excerpt

I've been asked for an excerpt from my last short story, Bay Leaves and Bundles. I don't usually do this, I don't know why I don't but I just don't. This time, though, I'm going to give a little taste of the story. I hope you enjoy it!

From Bay Leaves and Bundles, released last week from The Wild Rose Press:

“I have seen my sweetheart—on several occasions,”
insisted Amy, settling her head on the pillowcase with
infinite care. “But it never hurts to have the bay leaves in
place when I dream of him, which I do nightly, I assure
you.”

“Then what do you hope to accomplish? If you’ve
already seen him in your dreams there is no need for the
leaves—or the pins,” Martha said, weaving the final
inches of her long blonde hair into a braid.

“I’m simply hoping to…to…oh, I don’t know. Speed
things along, perhaps? You’re lucky; you’ve already got a
date set for your wedding. But me, I have yet to get a man
to propose marriage, let alone set the date.” Lowering her
voice as they heard their parents climb into their creaky
rope bed in the room next to theirs, Amy said,
“Valentine’s Day is next week. I’ve been praying he’ll
come calling, maybe even ask to spend the night. I’ve been
praying, night and day it seems, that my sweetheart
would come to me and then maybe my life could move
forward. Oh, Martha, I’ve been praying!” Amy laced her
fingers together and waved them toward the low-beamed
ceiling.

Martha shook her head as she leaned over and blew
out the candle. Settling herself on her own pillow, she
murmured, “You’d best pray you don’t poke your eye out
with those straight pins.”

Settling in?

Recently I was in the aisle of a crowded store. I'd had a rough day, or at least a full day. Up at four to write, then early morning doctor visits, errands after that with barely a moment to grab lunch, more errands and finally the crowded store. Let's just say I wasn't feeling my best. All right, I'll tell the truth. By that time I felt frazzled. Hair barely combed, makeup in need of freshening, jeans baggy and me? Just plain pooped.

Then I met someone in the aisle I hadn't seen in a long while. We exchanged the usual banter, a few minutes of polite conversation, and all was going well. My ice cream was melting in my cart but aside from that, no problems. Until the conversation veered toward my upcoming novel's release. Snowdance will be out on August 1st and this person was, apparently, shocked by that idea.

As I write this I'm laughing but at that moment, when she said (in a less-than-whisper-soft voice), "A book?! YOU'RE GETTING A BOOK PUBLISHED?!" I felt my heart stop. Just for an instant, the moment when over her shoulder I saw a few heads turn, a couple of curious stares, a raised eyebrow or two, my heart actually stopped. I know it did. I felt it. Yeah, it stopped.

I plastered on my smile-through-anything smile and nodded. "Yes, I am. Snowdance comes out on August 1st. It's a wonderful thing. I'm very happy about it."

My heart began to beat again. Life went on. I wasn't so horribly embarrassed that I had to run outside and dig a hole to climb into. I didn't die on the spot. None of the author-in-the-closet nightmares I've had happened. Oh, and my clothes didn't disappear. I wasn't left standing naked in the crowded store, like I've always imagined I would be in a situation like that.

So what does this mean? Am I finally getting used to the idea of being, even for an instant, in the public eye? I definitely don't want this to happen again, although I'm pretty sure it will, from time to time. I've found that others are more amazed by the whole book-writing thing than I am, for the most part. But I think this little rumpled episode means I'm maybe...do you think?...could it be?...am I...gulp...settling in to this author thing?

Yikes.

I think it might. Yes, I think it just might...

Me? I'm just glad my clothes didn't disappear. Very glad.

New release!

Yesterday Bay Leaves and Bundles was released by The Wild Rose Press. It is a very short story about a Valentine's Day ritual from the Colonial era.

A blurb:

Amy had her heart set on becoming Mrs. Ben Warner, the handsomest man in Williamsburg. She wanted to toss his tricorn hat to the ground, run her fingers through his soft, silky curls and press her body to his. She dreamed of hearing his declaration of love, of feeling a delicate gold circle on her finger. But in 1775 romantic young ladies didn’t simply toss, caress and press. They waited for the man to declare.

How, then, to encourage Ben’s declaration of love? Amy has a few ideas…

Bay Leaves and Bundles can be purchased here.

A banner day!

How much fun is this?! A banner for my upcoming Whiskey Shots release! Now I just have to figure how to get it in all the places it should be. That's going to be the really fun part!

Well, there was a banner there, but somehow the blasted thing disappeared! Don't even ask how long I've been sitting here trying to get it back...let's just say the banner did nothing good for my blood pressure. For my own sanity, it has been deleted. Sorry to get your hopes up.

*Sigh* It truly was lovely...

Writing, the hit or miss profession?

I just have to share the article I read in the New York Times.

Makes you think, doesn't it? Shows that there's really no rhyme nor reason to the publishing industry. It is all dependent on the whims of the buying public. A good book doesn't mean a bestseller and a lousy book could top the charts.

Arrghh!!

What made me think this was a good idea? Why didn't anyone talk me out of this??

Oh. Right. Now I remember.

No one's ever been able to talk me out of anything. And I write because, welll, I can't not write. I've tried. It doesn't work.

*Sigh* All right, then. On with the week.

Hope you have a wonderful Monday!

Makeovers

Ah, good morning! It's Saturday and I don't know about you but I'm ready for a little down time. Some playing in the sunshine, some time away from the desk.

So what am I doing here? I just wanted to give the blog a fast makeover. What do you think? I figured it was time for a little change, so I've been sitting here playing around with the colors for about an hour. So many choices! But those of you that know me know how I feel about purple -- I mean really, it is the best color! So it's no surprise I chose purple on the blog, at least for a while.

Makeovers of a bigger sort are less easy to find a direction, or a color, for. We are going to have new siding installed on our house in the next few weeks. Talk about choices!! Egads, there are so many to make! New front door, a window or two...those bits are relatively easy. But siding? We've decided what kind of siding, now we choose the color.

I shudder to think of it. We have a good idea of what we want, and are leaning toward a color choice but there are so many things to consider. Will it look as good in ten years as it will now? Will the color be so out of style the house is dated looking? But really, the house will be dated no matter what color it is...won't it be?

In the end we may toss a coin. No, not really. We've pretty much chosen the color, and it was honestly pretty easy to do. Because really, is a color choice that important? And who cares about what it looks like tomorrow as long as we're pleased today?

And now that we've got all the color choices settled, I'm ready for some fun. Although my hair is starting to call for a change...red?...blonde?...brunette?...

Whiskey Shots Volume 6

Just a few weeks till Whiskey Shots Volume 6 releases. It comes out on June 1st and is available elcectronically from Whiskey Creek Press.

The Whiskey Shots volumes are single volumes of two short stories each. Popularity of short stories continues to rise, in part, I think, because people are so rushed in their daily lives that they don't always have time to commit to a full lenght novel. But a little story here and there? That's an easy squeeze. Whatever the reason, short stories are popular and I'm glad for that because I love to write them!

So I'm finally posting the cover for my WS Volume. I like the rugged western feel of the covers, and it is a treat to see my name on one!

First lines

First lines. People often ask where they come from. I know where they come from--the question is, how do I stop them from coming?!

Ack! They come to me at all times.

Riding in the car can give me a sudden "burst of inspiration" in the form of a first line. I never said this burst results in a good first line, or even a passable first line, but simply a first line. Sometimes they rival the scent of a faulty catalytic converter, but hey, they're first lines.

Water seems to be an impetus for personal first lines. I'm deluged by them (lines, that is) while washing dishes, showering or even watering the lawn. Again, all fairly lousy first lines--for anything, let alone a novel of any value. Still, at least they're first lines.

Sleep brings its share of first lines also. I'm sure this must happen to you...you're sleeping, or semi-sleeping, and a flash of "brilliance" shoots through your almost-unconscious mind. Determined to remember said shooting brilliance the next morning, your grope in the deepest recesses of your mind only to find...nothing. A bit of mental lint, perhaps, but no brilliance. Consider yourself lucky. I remember those little flashes, and believe me, they're not all brilliant. Actually, most of them stink so much that the mossy green leftovers in the plastic containers in the bottom corner of our fridge are more appealing. Believe me, it's true.

But for your early morning viewing pleasure I've got two of the most recent first lines that have passed through my head. Yes, I thought you might need a Thursday morning laugh. Here goes...

A chill of unease shot up Elizabeth Harding's spine as she crept down the dark, musty corridor. Slivers of light outlined the closed door ahead but the murmur of voices reached her. The answers she sought lay just beyond the door, hers for the taking...if she could force herself to open it, that is.

Torturous first lines number two...

I never meant for anyone to die. Not really. Well, not in the beginning, anyway.

See, I told you they were rubbish. So, What do you think? Should I revise these and send them to The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest?

Because really, where else should stinky first lines go?

Until next time. :)

Freedom's Touch Interview!

This is an exciting day for me!

Although it's not the first time I've been interviewed, but the first time I've been interviewed on Carol Ann Erhardt's blog, Inside the Writer's Mind.

I admit that when I first considered the idea of this interview I was a bit...wobbly-kneed. Yep, a little bit anxious about the whole thing. I guess I hoped I didn't sound like a dithering idiot in the interview, hoped I wouldn't embarrass myself. But it was all such a pleasant, fun experience, doing this interview with Carol Ann. She's easy to talk to, a charming hostess and I loved doing this. I'm hoping that she'll let me back on her interview stage sometime in the future, and that we'll get another chance to chat. Because really, I had a blast!

Oh, and did I end up sounding like a dithering idiot? One can never be completely certain of things like that, but I don't think I did. What do you think? You can decide for yourself, here is the link to the blog. Thanks for checking it out!

It's a strange world we live in...

It's Friday and I've been perusing the news headlines this morning while I get my daily jolt of Folgers. So many weird things going on. So many...ahem, unusual people doing interesting things. Just thought I'd share a few headlines with you.

On Justice:

Stolen Wallet Found After 56 Years

Judge Sues Cleaner For $65M Over Pants

The Wild Kingdom:

3,500 Lbs. Of Bat Guano Found In Attic

Museum Pays Cash For Live Cockroaches

Frog Juice In High Demand In Peru

Ugh:

70-Year-Old Ham Back On Display In N.C.

And my personal favorite, the one that brings such a vivid picture to mind:

Nude Man Leads Police On 40 Minute Chase

In the event you feel inclined to investigate any of these headlines further, here is the link:


http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/ap/strange/main501370.shtml

I'll admit I did investigate two headlines for myself. Can you guess which ones tickled my fancy the most?

Happy Weekend!

Temptation

Oh! The azure blue sky...warm breezes, soft as a lover's caress...birdsong...yes, spring is here and it's calling me--loudly.

Writing is joyful, yet there are days--like today--where it becomes a test, a battle of sorts. A fight, if you will, between what you're tempted to do and what you know you should actually do.

I fought temptation all day long.

The morning came so bright and sunny, and we had tomato plants that desperately needed transplanting...so I succumbed to temptation. I played outside.

Then the herb garden...well, it needed weeding so badly, and the breeze...well, it was just so very sweet. So again, I gave in. I played outside.

When I heard the noon whistle, well...I picked daffodils. Why? Because honestly, how could we have lunch at a table where yesterday's daffodils were droopy?

Then it was lunchtime. Everyone knows it's impossible to write on an empty stomach. Impossible! So, of course, I ate. Wouldn't you?

Finally I gave in to temptation completely. I threw my hands up and gave myself over totally to what called me...softly, sweetly, invitingly...deliciously.

I went inside, sat at my laptop and I wrote. Yes, I wrote. I lost myself in the joy and beauty of Chapter Five for long enough to write six new pages. Six pages filled with action and adventure, love and laughter.

Yes, I gave in to temptation today. I gave in in the morning. In the middle of the day. And in the afternoon, too.

Because, you see, for some of us, temptation comes in many forms.

Freedom's Touch - First review!

My first review for Freedom's Touch...

FIVE HEARTS From The Romance Studio!

"Ms. Sarita Leone has certainly maintained the high standard set by the previous book in the series. So much happens in this book that it is impossible to stop reading. The ending is such a shock! The plot is amazing…and the brooch travels again. Don’t miss this second book in the series; you will certainly regret it!"

Overall rating: Five Hearts
Sensuality rating: Sweet
Reviewer: Brenda Talley
April 17, 2007