The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance is now available in both the US and UK. As I mentioned on the front of my website, this is the anthology that features Dreams, the short story from Quinn’s point of view. So if you were ever wondering what the hell was going on in our favorite (or not so favorite) vampire’s mind, this is the story that’ll give you a clue. :)   Here are the covers (US first, UK second)

In other news, I have my computer back and it’s almost up and running properly. There’s still a couple of programs I’ve yet to load, but at least I can now write, and edit my blog. But as often happens, other vital appliances are starting to go. The washing machine has decided to crap out, and the microwave is on the way out. I guess that makes it three, though, so hopefully nothing else will now go wrong (because these things always do happen in threes).

Writing wise, nothing much is going on. I’m still contemplating how to start Riley 8 (I might have the plot, but I haven’t yet figured out where to jump into the action) and I’m continuing to plod along with Mercy. It still feels like teeth being pulled, but I figure it can be fixed up at a later date. Right now, I just need to get words on page–and the damn book finished!

well, on top of everything else going on, I now have computer troubles. So I’m typing this on my laptop while my main computer is in the shop getting fixed. So if you’ve sent me an email in the last month or so that hasn’t been answered, please resend it, because my c drive is wiped and I’ve lost all emails.

In other news, I’ve done more edits on Deadly Desire and have my fingers crossed that it’ll now move on to line editing. At the moment, I’m still writing Mercy Burns, even though that’s not the next contracted book (I thought it was, but Bantam want another Riley). I’m afraid if I stop writing it now, I’ll lose the flow of the characters and story. It’s happened before — which is why there probably won’t be follow ups to the Spooks series (sorry to all those who keep asking me for it!)

to go see the movie Mamma Mia. It’s the funniest, happiest movie I’ve seen in ages. I can’t actually remember the last time I came out of a movie crying from laughter!

I never did go see the stage play–as much as I love Abba’s music (they were HUGE here in Australia–and way before the rest of the world caught on to Abba goodness), the stage play just never appealed. To be honest, I just couldn’t see how they were going to get a story out of a string of Abba songs–no matter how good those songs were. But the movie looked like fun, and it had Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan in it, so I figured it had to be at least watchable (because, hey, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan are good scenery at the best of times :)  ).

But it was a whole lot more than that. Meryl was brilliant, and she has a great voice. Her version of The Winner Takes it All was absolutely heart wrenching. Pierce Brosnan can’t sing a note to save his life, but he tries sooooo hard and looks really earnest doing it, and it just adds to the fun. Colin Firth was only a little better than Pierce in the voice department, but he has that whole ’stuffy Englishman trying not to look silly and managing to look adorable’ thing going, and it really just works. The rest of the cast were great, especially Julie Walters and Christine Baranski as Donna’s (Meryl’s) girlfriends and singing partners.  The plot itself was on the silly side but it really didn’t matter because the movie was just too much fun and it sweeps you along. I really can’t recommend this movie highly enough. The critics may be calling it a bit of silly nonsense, but sometimes silly nonsense is just what our souls need. I’ll certainly be going to see it again

And I don’t know whether it was having so much fun at the movie, chatting to the Lulu’s afterwards over dinner, or a combination of both, but I now have a plot line for Riley 8. The bad guys have changed, but all the little bits and pieces I wanted to include in this now tie together really nicely, and I think it’s going to be a ripper. Now I just have to write the thing

So, what’s been happening in my life of late? Let’s see…

I’ve finished the Deadly Desire edits, and have handed them back in. I currently have my fingers crossed that my editor will approve them and I won’t have to make many more changes.

I’ve checked the galleys for Wolfsbane and Mistletoe, and choofed back the few corrections I found.

Hotter than Hell made the USA Today bestseller list, which was pretty cool. There hasn’t been many reviews around that I can share with you all, though.

My current house is up for sale, and I’ve bought myself a new one, so keep your fingers crossed for quick sales and smooth hand overs.

The contemplation of the storyline for Riley 8 continues–I think I’ve pinned down what the bad guys are, but as yet, I still have no idea what they do to bring them to the Directorate’s–and Riley’s–attention.  I do know what happens with the emotional plot line in this one, and it involves a few surprises….  

I’m still sorting through the mess of my private life at the moment, but I heard some news on the audio front that I thought I’d share (especially seeing I get lots of email asking about this).

The Darkest Kiss has been licensed for audio to Recorded Books, so sometime in the next year or so, you should be able to get The Darkest Kiss in audio format. Recorded Books also purchased Tempting Evil last year, so with any sort of luck, that should be hitting the shelves soon.

In other writing news, the edits for Deadly Desire continue. I’m about half way through, and I’m hoping to finish them in the next week or so. Then I have to sit down and try to think of a plot for the eighth Riley. I know where the emotional plot has to go,  but the main action plot line remains a total mystery. But I’m thinking I need to kill someone off….

that I haven’t been blogging much of late, but my personal life has gone to hell in a hand basket and I’m in the process of picking up the pieces. So, expect sporadic blogging for the next few weeks.

Writing news–Bantam have decided that they want Riley 8 next rather than Mercy Burns, the second of my myth and magic series. Which has thrown my writing schedule out the window as well. I hadn’t even begun to think about Riley 8–oh, I know where the emotional plot is going, but the rest is totally up in the air. Now I have to sit down and try to pin things down–not easy when my head is still filled with Mercy and Damon. The other problem was the deadline, which is November. Now, normally I could write a pretty reasonable book in three or four months but I also normally allow at least a month ‘resting’ time before I go back and edit.  November would have been tight, but with all the other crap going on at the moment, it’s just impossible. So, I’ve asked for a three month extension–first time I’ve had to do that, and hopefully the last.

I also won’t be going to San Francisco now (and I have my fingers crossed that I can recoup the costs of the airfares!). Which is sad, but unavoidable. But I am still planning to go to RT, so hopefully I can see you all there

Bantam sent me the cover for Deadly Desire (Riley 7) today, and I thought I’d share:

I think it’s stunning