A busy week ahead

Naomi and I just finished a novella for Ellora's Birthstone line, the Topaz. "Showdown at the Yellowstone River" is in edits before submission.

I'm bushed. This thing wrote itself in a little more than a week. That's about 3000 words a day I've been typing.

I can only channel the Creative Fire, the Gotterfunken, so long at that pace. It exhausts me.

I'm taking a week's writing hiatus.

Which is fine because this weekend is Mid South Con and the Looney Tunes Ritual.

I'm up for the Darrell Award, the Memphis SF/Fantasy writing award.
I'm all at sixes and sevens getting my stuff together.

Racing the Past

Racing The Past is now available for $1.29

Ken Dorflinger has come back from Nam with a bunch of invisible scars and a head full of nightmares. He squelches them with weed and speed and blond mechanics. And this time, he finds the hottest fix in the Mojave, Jeff.


Excerpt:

Jeff was just a kid who had a feel for cars. He’d started rebuilding
engines for the guys in high school, married his sweetheart and set up
shop. She ran the business, he did the repairs.
“Sounds like you’re doing okay for yourself. She’s a real pretty little gal.”

“I’ll bet you know all about that. Racers get their pick, don’t they?”
Jeff sounded envious, as if he’d settled down too soon.

“Yeah, of drag-strip trash and cruiser chicks. And they all look alike
after a while: big tits, bigger hair, and clothes a size too small. I
ain’t in it for the girls. Or the money,” he added, knowing the next
question that was coming.

“So why do you do it?” The kid sounded genuinely curious.

“Mechanics. Pretty blond mechanics like you.” He laughed the flirt
off, suspecting he’d said too much, and trying to cover the truth.
“Nah, I do it because not doing it kills me. You shoulda seen me trying
to settle down. Couldn’t hold a job. Too much beer, too many pills,
too much weed and hash. I got on the pipe in ‘Nam, never quite got off it.”

“Driving makes you feel alive,” Jeff said, as if he knew the feeling.
“Yeah. Bet you’re the same way on engines. It’s the only thing makes
me feel real. The only thing that stops the nightmares.”

Mid South Con

Where you can find me:
Friday 10 PM, Reading. I'll be doing "Outfoxed," one of the Darrell Finalists, and "S is for Succubus." "Miskatonic Mistletoe," is the alternate piece.

Sat:
3 PM, Word Catchers meeting--local writing group
5 PM, Banquet
11 PM, Love in the Underworld panel

Sun:
I'm outta there! It's the Looney Tunes Ritual with the local Pagan circle.

Computer troubles, submissions and other stuff

My computer exploded this month, so I've been shuffled to the kids' computer. I could learn to like Linux. the only reason I hung on to windows was for Windows Movie Maker and vidding. Konquerer as a web-browser wouldn't let me post here. I ended up using Firefox.

Nice to be back


So, in writing news,
"For Love of Etarin" has been Joyfully Recommended
Nikolai has been reviewing well.

"A Rose for Nicky" has been picked up for Toybox: Sounds, pending edits.

"Color of Magic/Color of Money" has gone out for the Emerald birthstone.
"Seconds" has gone out for Toybox: Collars
"Crossroads" was rejected for Love Bites, but has been picked up as a stand-alone.

And Naomi and I are writing *gasp* het.
"Yellowstone River Blues" is at about 8000 words out of 18000.

When it's finished, we're on to Lord Withycombe and the Curse of the Pharaoh's Manicurists.

Two nice reviews

Rainbow Reviews covered both "For love of Etarin" and Nikolai.

Etarin is here. S. McDermott says:

Naomi Brooks and Angelia Sparrow weave a sci-fi tale that is filled with interest and romance. I found this to be a very fast and enjoyable read.

Nikolai is here. L. Adlem says:

The plot moves at a fast clip, the characters are drawn in clear lines.
Well written, I had difficulty putting it down and I was sorry when it finished.
It is a fascinating, riveting and very sexy story.