big news within; keep reading

This week has been full of ups and downs. We got stuck in the mountains due to a blizzard (love that word. No one uses it anymore but it reminds me of Laura Ingalls in her little log house with Pa playing the fiddle). It seemed like a fun idea when we were talking about it on Sunday night during football (GO BEARS). But in reality it's more packing everything up and then waiting. No snowboarding; too windy. No sledding; too cold. I did get a nice lunch out of it. Anyway, we were stuck through Tuesday, which gave the kids just enough time to contract a nasty coughy virus. Finally got the boy off to school today. The other girlie kid is still all limp and sad.

It was cool though cuz we got to drive home through a different canyon. It had lots of geographical features which I can't name but trust me, were very neato. Every time I get in a canyon, my muse goes all LOTR on my ass, and I start imagining Frodo and the gang, (or in my story, Ashetan and Eriq) on their quest.  Problem is, Ashetan and Eriq don't have an actual quest yet. I think it has to do with that pregnant chick that's with them, and that's all I know. And that Ashetan and Eriq are hot and NOT GAY.

image appears above text cuz blogger is being a pain in the patootie

not Clear Creek but a reasonable facsimile thereof
Anyway, that's why Castile lives in Clear Creek Canyon, which looks like the above. There's this beautiful creek (that would be Clear Creek, for those of you not paying attention) and it's all snowy on the banks with water still rushing by.



Work has been fabulous and even so for the husband. Sometimes we look at each other with a happy sigh and say, "It's only mid-January." Which really isn't working anymore cuz it's now Mid-to-late January. That woudln't sound as good with a sigh though, so there ya go.

I managed to get some writing done despite all the people waltzing (literally) in and out of my office at all hours, even a sex scene, which I'm a little shy so I'd prefer to write them in an empty house. I have a 12 year old now; mental note to snap down the laptop lid when I walk away. I'm working hard on LOST PRINCE cuz I've promised it "soon" to my editor at Whiskey Creek. That was in early January. It's now mid-to-late January, so...  Hopefully she likes it and buys it, etc.  I really like it better upon rereading, but it's not finished yet. I just found this whole thing to drive my poor insecure  couple apart. (They really do have good reason to be insecure, not the least is that they should be sworn enemies.)

Last night we watched Daybreakers, which probably was a fabulous story until the director went all arty and did lowang pans of people walk places without any dialogue to explain what the hell was going on.  It got better about 20 minutes in. Overall, it was mildly entertaining but I hate when I'm watching or reading a story and thinking of how I would have done it. Worse is editing: like I've been reading the MISTBORN series and I like it quite a lot except Sanderson writes stuff like "she jumped out of the window" and stacking up prepositions drives me fucking crazy. I'm going back to reading some Charlie Huston next, just to get a clean, clever writing fix, and my friend's new book. I've been waiting for it for years! Can't wait.

Oh, and I sold a novel.

Okay, ya, that's The News.

Grins all around. It's called SENTINEL: ARCHIVE OF FIRE. It's an urban fantasy, the first of a four book series employing the four elements, and it'll be released by Whiskey Creek's regular side. Here's the tentative back cover copy:

Aidan and Kaelin Trevet grew up in the Colorado Rockies with a mother who schooled them in the art of war. It all seemed normal until they realized their fellow university classmates hadn't learned five ways to kill a man by the age of fourteen. Still, since their estranged father descends from a demon named Asmodai and works as a mercenary soldier, it's probably worth knowing how to defend themselves. But as years pass and threat never materializes, the twins suppose their mom is just paranoid - until she disappears. Certain their father abducted her, the brothers approach him. But their father claims their demon ancestor has taken possession of their mother's soul in order to infiltrate Sentinel, a treacherous coalition of demidemon rebels determined to protect humankind from their evil forebear. The twins form a grudging alliance with Sentinel to rescue her, but the ancient demon’s ploy works. When it murders their father to incite war, Sentinel starts to implode and Aidan and Kaelin must battle an enemy who wears their mother’s face.

15 comments:

Alan Orloff said...

Congrats! That is BIG NEWS!

Tia Bach said...

Congratulations! Savor every moment. 2011 is shaping up already to be a good and productive year for you. Hats off!

Stephen Parrish said...

Congrats Bets. 2011 is gonna be tits.

Sergio DS said...

Great blog
i like it!

Laurel said...

AWESOME! Congratulations! Can't wait to read it! And I know that is a lot of exclamation points! I can't seem to stop!

PJD said...

Sounds like a great story. Congratulations on the big news writ small! Smiles all around? I'm guessing there are songs and random outbreaks of laughter. Zip a dee do dah. Wonderful day!

Bonnie Ramthun said...

Hooray for Betsy! Congratulations on the book deal. I can't wait to stand in line and buy it at Colorado Gold. :-)

ssas said...

Thx. You guys are all awesome. :)

carolwriter said...

Fabulissimo!! Dance, dance, dance!

Travis Erwin said...

Sweet. Congrats.

Beth Partin said...

Demidemon! Ha!

Jeanne Stein said...

You go girl!! Congrats, Betsy.

ssas said...

:) Thx Jeannie and all.

Erica Orloff said...

CONGRATS!!!!!!! :-)

ssas said...

:) Thx Erica!!