I know the mass market paperback world very well. I’ve had 22 mass market originals released … not including novellas in anthologies. I write the book, I revise the book, it goes through an editor, a copy editor, and a proofreader or two, is printed the month before the release date, warehoused, and distributed. I’ve been fortunate that my publishers have, for the most part, been able to prevent too many sales prior to the on-sale date, which helps with opening week sales numbers, which helps with list placement. I understand the process and, even with the rapid and rabid… Read More

Yes, I’ve been out of the loop the past couple of weeks … book deadline, college trip with my daughter, novella I’m writing with Laura, my daughter’s 18th birthday, and just yesterday I received 11 pages of notes from my editor on COMPULSION (Max Revere #2). The good news is that she loves the book and the story — and the other good news is that I have lots of revisions! Yes, I love revisions. I can take a good story and make it the best it can be because of editorial input. Most of the notes are about specifics… Read More

I love reading a series. It’s the same reason I prefer television to movies. I like revisiting my favorite characters, finding out what they’re doing, how they’re growing, how they’re going to solve the Next Big Crime. So when I had the opportunity to write the Lucy Kincaid series I jumped at it. I knew from the minute Lucy survived her ordeal in FEAR NO EVIL that I wanted her to be a series character. It wasn’t until I wrote CUTTING EDGE six books later that I started to think that Sean Rogan might be the best man for her…. Read More

I’m back home after my mini-tour. I blogged about that last week, and all-in-all, I think it was time well spent. Except for the writing part. Usually I can write when I travel, but that’s when I fly to a conference and am at the same hotel for five days straight. I set aside writing time on a schedule so I know I’ll always put in my hours — the time changes depending on what I need to do at the conference, but I usually work either four hours in the morning or four hours in the afternoon. This helps… Read More

I never thought I’d write that! Book Tour! Wow 🙂 I haven’t been blogging much because I’ve been out of town on and off ever since Left Coast Crime in Monterey. And when I’ve been home, I’ve been writing and playing with the kids because they’ve missed me. So my plan to blog twice a week with one guest has failed. Hoping that I’ll pick it up again in the coming month! So, what’s this book tour been like?

THANK YOU to Face in a Book in El Dorado Hills for helping launch NOTORIOUS. And a special thanks to my friend Brenda Novak who co-signed with me. Her newest book in her Whiskey Creek series COME HOME TO ME (set in California’s Gold Country) came out the same day! We had a fabulous turnout, and I greatly appreciate all the support from my friends and readers who came — including those who drove all the way from Napa! I was so humbled and thrilled to talk about Max Revere and meet so many of my readers. My husband took… Read More

Today is the day I’ve been waiting for since last March, when I first turned in the revised manuscript for NOTORIOUS. Today is the day I’ve been waiting for since two years ago, when I signed the contract for my first hardcover thriller. Today is the day I’ve been waiting for since 2006, when my first book THE PREY hit the shelves in mass market paperback, and I dreamed of one day being in hardcover. NOTORIOUS is here.

In two weeks NOTORIOUS will be available. March 25 is the big day. I am very excited and nervous and scared. Most of you who read my blog know about my history. I have 21 mass market originals, numerous short stories and novellas, and 2 original indie novellas. But NOTORIOUS is my first hardcover. Everything has been different. Even the writing.

Look what came in the mail yesterday! The very first copy of NOTORIOUS, in hardcover. To say I’m excited is an understatement. I am THRILLED. It’s as exciting as when I got my very first book in the mail, THE PREY, back in the end of 2005. It’s very pretty 🙂

A little bit of BSP … “Maximum Exposure,” the Max Revere prequel, will be out 3 weeks from today. It’s available for pre-order for Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Apple, and probably all the other e-tailer sites. Maximum Exposure takes Max to Colorado Springs where she investigates the disappearance of a college student on a camping trip six months before. It takes place a full two years before NOTORIOUS, which will be out in hardcover on March 25. The reason I wanted to write about this now is because I’m fielding a lot of questions from readers, and I thought having a… Read More