Publishing is an odd business. I’m still learning the ropes, but the more I know the more I realize I don’t know. For example, there is a lot of “hurry-up-and-wait” in the business. Considering patience is not my strong suit, can you imagine my frustration these last 20 months? I’ve often said me getting published is penance for my lack of patience. First, my sale came quickly–a week after my agent sent out my manuscript (now known as The Prey. This was in March of 2004. The book hits the shelves December 27, 2005. That’s a long time. I know… Read More

Yesterday over at the toberead blog, I posted a little thing about Random House making a deal with a production company to purchase film rights of Random House books, if available. As an author for Ballantine (an imprint of RH), I was of course intrigued. What author wouldn’t want their book made into a movie? The same author who says they “don’t care” if they hit the NYT list — one who lies. One of the caveats is that they’re not looking at the mega bestsellers (like John Grisham whose books are already turned into blockbuster movies); they’re looking at… Read More

I’m really a very nice person, but my thoughts aren’t always so pleasant. I tend to think of the most macabre thing that can happen in any given situation. When I hear a news story, my imagination goes wild. Even the most benign story has dark overtones. People have always been fascinated and repelled by evil. I think it’s hard-wired into us from the dawn of time. Look at Eve. She knew damn well she shouldn’t touch the apple, let alone take a bite from it. The lure of the serpent was powerful. In The Hunt my heroine thinks about… Read More

Karin gets credit for the name of this new blog. (Applause.) Titles are not my strong suit. I thought they were when I first started writing. My first manuscript I called Hot Latte because the heroine went to the corner coffeehouse every morning. Then I came up with the catchy Protecting Hart, which was my female-bodyguard-protecting-sexy-politician story. Watch Your Back was my attempt at a real mystery (as opposed to suspense). Then came Fatal Secrets . . . my paranormal romantic suspense set in the future. None of those books will be published. And the titles? I tried to resurrect… Read More