Heat Wave...

Timing. It's such a crucial thing in any person's life - and for me it's no different.

Right now, I'm sitting downstairs in my outside she (where we park the cars) as our house is being sprayed. That doesn't sound too bad, does it? Except when I booked this, little did I even think they would do it in the middle of a heatwave.

So here I am... droplets of sweat trickling down my back with a grouchy cat, a sad dog and a throughly peeved teenager to keep me company.

Thank heavens for my trusty Mac.

But, as they say on the commercials...

Wait! There's more!

Oh yes, the paying day job has some work that needs doing this week... and files arrived last night for coding and uploading...

Annnndddd.... Edits for The Illuminated Witch turned up too....

Oh and I have to make the round trip to collect the oldest from work (and yes, she is driving.)

In Australia we are suffering from extended periods of severe to extreme heat waves - At the moment, where I am, it's in the severe category...with the possibility it could reach extreme. We are hoping for rain, but that's a looooong way off.

But I am thankful for small mercies... At least so far we haven't had any snakes :)

Well anyway, I just thought I'd log in and let you know what I'm up to... As always, I'm busy but loving my writing job!

Imogene

News!

Woot! It feels like ages since I've visited the blog!

Well, if you haven't seen my Facebook posts lately, you may not be aware that I've been super busy.  While I'm still working away on my Indian book, it has gone onto the back burner while I concentrate on the million and one things I have coming up.

But I have been writing.

Never fear! Imogene Is Here! (Sorry Dr Smith!)

Ahem... Back to my matter at hand. Yes, I have been busy. I'm working on a novella series (trilogy only thanks) which revolves around one family... On a planet far far away...

... I did say Planet....

Thank you... (Okay, so you may need to suspend belief a little bit...)

Enter the Ito Family of Reunion...

Back Story:

Renjiro and his cousins Kumi and Tomi are from one of the "best" families. They are the law makers and enforcers. 

Reunion is a member of the Federation of Planets, a long time entity formed to support and reinforce the planets that are members. They've had an ongoing truce with the Independents (non aligned planets) until those planets made overtures to the Federation to allow them to join.

Not everyone is happy though and we have the rebels who refuse to join. These are the Indy's... Warriors. They are now defeated but pockets of resistance still exist.

The tales begin with Reunion - War's End.

Selina Codecko is an Indy Pilot… without the citizenship of the Federation, she’s treated like a second class citizen. But when she’s caught up in a brawl she’s arrested and in the hands of the Justice Officers.

Renjiro Ito has dreamed of a woman for five long years. As the Commander of the Justice Officers, the plight of one woman will turn his life upside down.


But there’s more going on than just the fate of one woman. The chances of a future together are slim, but they’ll take any chances that come their way. Will it be enough?

War's End is now contracted to Beachwalk Press... and has an expected release date of March 2014 (already I have 3 releases planned... I foresee another busy year!)

Book 2 is Kumi's Story... It's called Reunion - The Assassin and is ready for me to begin the pre-submission edits.

Book 3 is Tomi's Story... It's called Reunion - Executing Justice. Currently it's still in my head.

Okay that's the writing stuff out of the way, but as you've mostly guessed, I'm not a person to just do one thing...

Tomorrow my baby girl makes the transition from Student to Adult. Her last day of school will hopefully dawn bright (gee I hope these nasty storms go away) and she enters the next phase of her life.

Having indoctrinated her well, she's already confirmed her placement at Charles Sturt University to study a Bachelor of Information Management with a specialisation in Libraries.

Beginning at 10am tomorrow, we begin the path as I collect her from school... She has to ring the School Bell (Apparently it's a tradition with the Seniors) then we head home for little while before lunch and then begins the process of getting ready. Starting with hair, then make-up and finally dressing in preparation for her Formal (or as American's call it... The Prom.)

It all feels rather odd... Yes I will upload photos.

Youngest is going to have a night at home with movie of choice and takeaway... Not quite as nice as the dinner planned, but they have limited the attendance numbers.

We had to get her into the dress a couple of weeks ago as I had to make a small change to the strap on the back of the gown, so we did a make-up practice too. There will be some slight changes, but not too much...

Besides that, we are in the grip of Storm Season. Big nasty electrical storms are beating down on us, so we are trying to work around them and hoping for no floods this season.

Over the next few weeks, I will also be showcasing a range of other authors, through my association with Shades of Rose. Please take the time to have a look and comment.

Lastly, if you haven't yet signed up, pop along to my Facebook Release Day Party page for A Bar In Paris. It releases on the 18th November and is getting very very excitingly close!

So that's the latest news from me! Have fun and I'll catch up with you all really really soon!

Imogene

Absent Authors

Hi Folks

Well , it seems like winter has finally arrived.  If you are following me on Facebook you'd know I've been very busy.  Firstly, with my oldest daughter in her last year of high school we are trying to focus on her needs... but with the year starting out as it did, with not one but two major flood events, the cruise (which was fun despite hearing about the floods and being unable to get home) and youngest daughter starting her new part time job... life continues to be hectic.

Beyond my writing commitments, I am also a member of the local Rotary Club so that takes up a lot of my spare time... but I have been busy. 

I also have 6 chicks growing nicely.  At just over 3 weeks, they are now in a brooder box, where they are kept warm, fed and watered.

There they are! All fluffy and cute and getting their first feathers.  They will stay in there another 3 - 4 weeks until they are big enough to go out into a pen with lots of shredded paper. 

They've about quadrupled in size since hatching... 

And I think Winter has finally arrived... 

Today it is so cool and wet.  I think many of us are over that whole wet thing right now.  This is the view from the back steps.  The lovely lush green look has left the grasses in the cattle yards behind us and become a drab olive.  But we have to be patient as we suffer through this next season. At least it isn't as bad as sweltering through summer.  (Which is not my favourite season.) 

Even Teddy has got into the act with his tshirts.  The nights are cooling down and on cold days he snuggles into his shirts. As you can see though, he's not exactly overly concerned, is he? Oh and I'll only be intermittently online over the next week... I'm heading for ... Tasmania!  Checking on my parents and attending a conference with the darling hubs... So if I get a few minutes, I'll try and upload some pics of that too.

Apart from that... Writing... Yes, I'm still working away, though at the moment I'm working at the dining table while we have the chicks in the brooder... 

I've finally finished the rough draft of Dark Souls!  After 18 months I am soooo pleased to say "The End."  It's horrendously dark... and in need of a very heavy edit.  But I won't be getting to that in the next few weeks.  

I've also submitted the sequel to Blame The Wine and fingers crossed my lovely Total-E-Bound editor Sue loves it.  It's not anywhere near as light but it promises a bumpy road to love.

And I'm working on a piece, currently titled A Bar In Paris... Oh this one is really different... 

I also have a couple of Blog Tours lined up and ....

I'm going to be on radio again!  Tomorrow night I am joining Elaine Raco Chase on Triangle Radio's Authors Corner. More details soon, and I even promise to upload the link to the pod cast. If you happen to be around at 10.00 pm Eastern, make sure you log in and listen. This is my first ever US radio interview and I'm stoked!  There's also an added treat for listeners!

With a range of books releasing between now and August I'm beavering away at the computer. So keep an eye out... follow my facebook or twitter pages for excerpts and updates (and other little things!).  Just click on the links at the top.

So that’s all  my news...

I’ll be back again soon!

Imogene

2013 - Starts with a Bang!

So the first quarter of 2013 is nearly done.  It's been a huge year for me.  Starting with floods...  (Yep we had more than one...)

Then comes releases - I have now got a whopping 9(?) titles that should be releasing in 2013...

STARBURST

THE PLAN

BLAME THE WINE

THE BLOOD BRIDE

HESPARIA'S TEARS

THE SHUTTLE

THE SHOE SALON

THE CHOCOLATE AFFAIR

And of course, there is one more which I still can't tell you about. (Hopefully soon I can announce the who and where...)

On the blog I've been inviting lots of friends to come talk about their journey in writing... Have you been enjoying that?  I do hope so.  If not, please let me know.  I love to make the blog as interesting as possible.

On the writing front:

I've finished one novella (which is currently on submission), nearly finshed the sequel to Blame The Wine (Hiding In Plain Sight), started the sequel to The Blood Bride (The Illuminated Witch).

(And this is the year I promised to slow down... uh huh!)

On a personal level - traveled to New Caledonia and Vanuatu... (hence my great new Facebook profile pic!!)

My oldest has started her last year of high school and my youngest is now also a senior at high school.  I've continued on my Rotary commitments :)  And applied bunny ears to my car - yes, I'll even add a photo later! (Thank heavens for the joys of the editing widget on Blogger!!)

 Attended the ARRA Conference in Brissy and met up with some super fabulous authors!

The second half should (hopefully) be a little slower.  (Well mind you, with my release schedule, I think I'll be hopping from one blog to another over the next month or three...)

So - have I been busy enough?  Let me know your thoughts!

Imogene

10 Questions to Delight and Despair with Natalie Nicole Bates

Continuing our 10 questions series, today we are visited by Natalie Nicole Bates, author of Antique Charming, Change of Address and many more titles.

Welcome Natalie Nicole Bates!

Could you give me a brief rundown of your currently available items with Secret Cravings?

Change of Address
Josselyn Adler’s dreams of home ownership are dashed when Dr Ben Parnell claims to be the rightful owner of the house—and Ben has a will to prove it! Although he is attracted to the dark haired beauty, he is still suspicious of her true motives and her past involvement with his father.Bio
Natalie-NicoleBates is a book reviewer and author.
Her passions in life include books and hockey along with Victorian and Edwardian era photography. Natalie contributes her uncharacteristic love of hockey to being born in Russia.
She currently resides in the UK where she is working on her next book and adding to her collection of 19th century post-mortem photos.

Wow, post mortem photos can be really interesting! They give you an excellent insight into the way people used to view death! Onto the 10 questions...

1. What is your main genre, and how did you get started in it?
My main genre is contemporary romance, but I do write paranormal romance as well. I originally started as an avid reader, then a reviewer. I only started to write seriously about a year ago.

2. Okay, what is the most exotic location you have written in?
And how did that come about? I would say the most exotic location I've written in would probably be the few weeks I spent in Spain. I rented a villa near the beach.

3. Have you got a current WIP and can you give us any hints as to what we will find within the book?
I have a few things in the works right now. I am continuing with the idyllic setting of Unity that I used in Change of Address, In COA we briefly meet Ryan Maine and Amii Sloane. They are the duo featured in my current WIP. I'm also working on a paranormal novella that I'm hoping to sell as a series.

4. Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate or something stronger? And why?
I favour the flavoured teas. I'm currently drinking a lot of blackberry. I enjoy the occasional coffee as well. I have one of those Krups Dolce Gusto machines that make the fancy coffees. Ohh man, envious look happening here.

5. What was the hardest scene you have ever written, and why do you think it was difficult? (emotionally for you and/or your character)
I think the most difficult scene to write was in Change of Address when Josselyn finally tells Ben about her traumatic past. It was a deeply emotional experience that I drew from my own past to write. Very difficult, but liberating as well.

6. If you had the opportunity to try something in your books, what would it be?
Being a contemporary writer, I was always interested in paranormal as well. I knew I would only do it if I could come up with something new and fresh. I wrote Antique Charming this past summer and was fortunate enough to sell it as a stand alone short story. I had never written a short story, so I accomplished a paranormal and a short story in one go--and sold it as well.

7. If you could invite 3 of your characters to a dinner party, who would you choose and what do you want to learn from them?
Adam Nichols from Antique Charming. I would love to learn his secrets of where he has been for the last 100 years. Josselyn Adler from Change of Address. I would like to know her secrets for perseverance and character strength. Lynsey Lincoln from my upcoming contemporary Back To You. I'd love to hear all about her world travels, her romance with a rock superstar, and her fabulous career as a true-crime novelist.

8. What would you do differently on your road to becoming published? I would have been more trusting in myself and my gut feelings. Early on, I took too much critique that messed with my mind. When I stopped taking critique, I sold Change of Address, Antique Charming, and Back To You all in a span of four months.

9. You are going on a holiday and can only take 5 things with you. What would you pick and why?
My husband, because he is my best friend and my rock. Teeble and Ryan, my stuffed bear and rhino, because they've always been in my life and got me through the rough times. My Blackberry, because I have the world at my fingertips. Blackberry tea, because I can't face the morning without it. Sunscreen, because I am literally the most pale girl you'll ever see.

10. If you could give a piece of advice to a reader who wants to write a book, what would it be?
Take a very good course in how to construct a novel. Too many writers with wonderful potential fall down because of poor story structure.

You can catch me at: www.natalienicolebates.com, BatesNatalie at Twitter and http://www.facebook.com/natalienicole.bates at Facebook.

To check out current releases, try any of the following:
Change of Address at Secret Cravings Publishing available December 16 2011

Antique Charming at Books To Go Now Publishing available now

Back To You at Bradley Publishing available January 30 2012

Competition Time:
Natalie-Nicole Bates has kindly offered a PDF copy of Change of Address + a limited-edition Change of Address solid perfume, so, in order to win, name their most recent release with Secret Cravings.
Prizes will be drawn randomly on the 20th January, 2012

Websites and Writing

So I was reading a dead interesting blog by Dear Author about the importance of remembering that the website is for the benefit of your readers, not the author and I sat and mulled it over for some time. Made notes of the elements that were suggested as essential and you know what? Each item made sense.

I went back to my new website (which I crafted - how I love saying that!) and checked that I had most of the elements in place... Then I turned back to my blog and to my horror, realised I was missing a heap of information ... always the way isn't it? You don't realise what you are missing until someone points it out. Things like links to my Facebook page etc., So now, when you look on the right hand side of the page, all the links are there. >>>>>

So how is a website like writing, you ask? Writing is like building websites, in that we can check and work and polish but at the end of the day, it is only as good as what the reader (or in the case of a website), visitor sees and is hoping to get out of it. I can read and read and read my manuscript until my eyes are just about bleeding but miss things that should be easy to spot. Maybe that is because I am too close to it. Maybe it is because my brain knows what should be there, rather than the actual items I am searching for. But at the end of the day, if it is missing information, you miss the point.

So with that in mind, I am off to work on edits for Book 2 - Starfire .... I have a sneaking suspicion that I may need to find someone not to close to it, to read it through ....

Till next time

Be good and have fun!

Imogene

Have you ever....

...had a day when you just wish you could crawl back into bed? Yesterday was one of them. So there I was, big plans for the day. Reached nearly 45 000 words on my second manuscript and then without a fizz, pop of bang first the desktop screen goes blank. Ok, that was bad luck, but we have a spare downstairs, then the laptop fails and lastly my external back up drive....uh oh, cause now I do have a problem....see everything is saved on both the computer and the back up drive....dearie dearie me.

Thanks to super hubby though.

He is organising for the computer and an old computer to be sent off to another town in our region to have repairs and back ups done. Bummer though about the external drive as I was going to organise to have it all backed up and brought back to me this week. But beggars can't be choosers.

So, while this is all really bad luck, it is able to be recovered from (I hope anyway) just going to slow down my efforts at world domination via books anyway.

Anyway, not that I am "stalking" my email client as someone lately suggested I should, but I am back to waiting on hearing from the publishers.

Have a great day

Imogene

Conundrums and more Conundrums

So here I sit in my cold cold office, with fingers that feel like they are likely to break off as iciciles in the freezing weather if it gets any colder. I can hear the chorus of "Hop Into Bed!" running in my mind, but with kids about to go to school and more work including re-writes for the book calling, I know I will have to soldier on. Which leads me to the main reason for today's blog:

Sex, Sex and More Sex....(at least in a romance book or Sci-Fi if you are me.)

One thing I learnt while I was away is that some guys just don't get the whole romance aspect of a sci-fi romance. A friend of hubbys (who is a really nice guy, with a fabulous wife, both professionals who have known us for over 10 years and we consider them good close friends) settled down with my manuscript while we were away, flicking through the pages. Hubby had called it raunchy (in warning to him) to which I valiantly disputed it wasn't (well not by most of today's standards anyway.) Flick, flick, flicking through the pages he found the first of what my CP calls my intimate scenes. Uh huh, watching his face turn shades of red, but you know what? He kept reading. He had no clue I could write like that or even knew some of that information!

So I thought about it, the expectations people have about women who are WAMP's (White, Anglo-Saxon, Married & Professionals) and it occurrs to me, that for all our hard work at changing peoples perspectives of women and their needs, there is still a core (and a strong core at that) of people who believe that it is still Great Auntie Mary who never married who read these books for the titilation value. Now we know that the romance readership is varied and includes Men and Women of all ages, walks of life etc., From Accountants, Solicitors and even Barristers through to the lowliest cleaner...(not that I think they are lowly personally but you get my drift.) I am not sure how we overcome this except by coming out of the closet about our reading choices, what appeals to us and why we read these books.

For me, it is escape, sure I would be the first to agree to that, but also that instinctive need for closeness, romance and love. The concept of hope that seems to thread through a lot of the stories....and yes I get my HEA (Happy Ever After.) To be fair sometimes my HEA waits 3 or more books (bummer!) but I keep hanging out for it because I believe that I have invested emotion into those books - formed a bond with the characters, and I want to see them finally find that special man/woman/relationship. Yes! And I want to be challenged, either in seeking new worlds or just thinking about what is a reality for that cattle farmer down the road. (Not looking for much am I?)

So the next time you are in a bookstore, be loud and proud about your romance novel. Don't hide it in a brown paper bag. On the train, on Facebook or anywhere else you can think of, show off the book you are reading. It is only with a concerted effort that we can change the societal concept of romance readers and our expectations.

Okay, now back to my normal program.....Chloe Neill here I come :)

Happy Reading
Imogene Nix

Here and Back Again`

Okay so my first manuscript is in the hands of another writer at the moment, and I have to say I am so nervous. I remember reading Dee Davis describe it a bit like sending your kid off to college, you know you have to let it spread its wings, but nevertheless you find it difficult to just say "Go!"

So instead of working on the second book, or even working on more rewrites - I am kinda waiting on her feedback anyway.....not that I am rushing anyone, but I guess it is a little bit of avoidance at the moment so I am on a reading binge... So far in the last week it has been Darkscape followed by My Immortal Assassin. (love that Carolyn Jewel). Anyway, so by my desk as I am typing this is 2 Susan Grant books - Your Planet or Mine? and Sureblood.... and of course I have a copy of the latest Carolyn Jewel book - My Dangerous Pleasure.

I keep looking at the manuscript though and thinking should I start on it? But you know what? I am going away for a week on Friday so I think I will throw it and my mulitcoloured gel pens into my laptop bag and take it with me. Apart from that there are 2 eroticas waiting to be read....life in a bookstore is great :)

Meanwhile, I will leave you with this thought:-

'No matter how good I might think it is, it is only as good as the next person who reads it'

Happy reading and writing
Imogene Nix