1. Friending me to post about your forthcoming book is not networking. It is spamming. It is unwelcome and all such posts hitting my wall will be deleted immediately. You have your own pages. I suggest you use them.

2. Putting a bunch of strangers on a carbon copy loop with an invite to take a look at and comment on your work is not networking. It is spamming and spam in my inbox is unwelcome. If you would like for me to take a look at something you have written, email me privately and introduce yourself and your work. If I am interested, I might take a look and comment. If I am not, then I will respond accordingly in private. Subjecting me to a ‘cc loop where I have to waste time deleting everyone’s replies about a subject I am probably not interested in is rude. It shows a lack of maturity and respect on the part of the spammer. Oh, and getting offended when I ask, politely, to be taken out of the loop just continues to prove your lack of professionalism. I am not impressed and I will not be checking out your work. In fact, I will be avoiding it because the person is known to be a troublemaker.

3. Friending people just because they are published (and you want to be) and then asking them to take a look at your book, your first chapter, or help you edit your work is a definite no-no. For one, most writers are tied up with their own jobs and deadlines. This is where you should think about forming or joining a writer’s group and getting critters of your own–just like the rest of us have had to do. This is, believe it or not, the beginning of networking, and the way to do it right.

4. It is okay to drop your favorite writer a note, complimenting them on a recent release and letting them know how much your enjoyed their writing. Not only it is nice to receive notes like this from a reader, most authors will usually respond with a follow up. This can often be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. It can even lead to–gasp!!–your favorite author turning into your mentor,  and a helping hand who will lead you through the pitfalls of writing with the goal of publication. It’s wonderful help to have, and it can happen to you.

Now is that so hard to understand?

Now for the personal stuff:

Darkness Descending, the first book in my “Vampire Armageddon” series is finished. It goes to the editor Sept 15. It’s been slated for an August 2011 release. I’ve also completed chapter 1 of Siren’s Desire, book 3 of the Dark Tides series, and sent that one off to my editor.  So all the stuff on my desk is all caught up and it’s vacation from writing time!

Thankfully, I’m semi-caught up. Well, sort of. Between the Ferret Rescue (and can you believe there are 11 ferts on site) and taking care of house and family, time is just slipping through my fingers. Hard to believe it’s already August (yikes!!!) which saw the release of Siren’s Call, the first book in the DT series–and my first mass market release. I have to admit the book look gorgeous!

So what’s next? Well, I’m going to finish up Bad Demon Rising (title tentative) and take a much needed break from the computer during the month of Sept. Then it will be back to writing the third DT book, as well as plan the second book in the vamp series.

Whew!

The first pix is of me accepting the award (courtesy Kate Douglas), the second is at the Kensington Morning Mixer (again, photo courtesy of Kate Douglas) and the third is  of the award and winning book, Possession. The final is of me and Stella Price at the May 1 book fair and signing.  I have to say that I enjoyed sitting next to Stella, who is wonderful to chat with.  And it was awesome to finally meet Kate Douglas in person.

Devyn Quinn’s DARKNESS DESCENDING series, featuring the beginning of the end; the first seal has been broken and the plague of vampirism has been unleashed upon mankind; the disease is spreading rapidly and humans are unable to resist the infection; of the few who survive the invasion, one victim stands alone above all others and Lucifer’s demons are about to learn that hell hath no fury like a woman possessed, to Jhanteigh Kupihea at NAL, in a three-book deal, by Roberta Brown of the Brown Literary Agency.

Yep. That’s right. I sold a new series to NAL. I’m so excited because the first book is scheduled for a tenetative summer release.

As for book two of the Dark Tides trilogy: Siren’s Challenge is nearing the finish line. And it’s been scheduled for a Feb 2011 release. I’m hoping to get the majority of the book done before I head off to the RT convention in a few weeks. Wow, hard to believe that’s creeping closer every day. Looking forward to attending the convention.

First off, I am going to the Romantic Times convention in April in Columbus Ohio!!! This is my first RT convention and I am majorly excited. Doubly excited because I am an RT Reviewer’s Choice Award nominee for “Possession”, my Sept 09 Aphrodisia release. It came as a huge surprse and I am honored to be included among so many other talented authors. I’ll definitely be taking pix to share! I will be at the May 1 booksigning, and hope that anyone attending will stop by and say hello. I’d love to meet you!

Second is that Siren’s Call has been finished, accepted for publication and is on its way toward it August 03, release! Who-hoo. I can hardly believe I will have my first mass market release out later this year. That’s less than 6 months away now. Damn, the year is flying away already. I’m working on Siren’s Challenge now. Hard to believe that first book is done and another is on the way. I’m loaded down with promo material for the book, and all you have to do to claim some loot is shoot me an SASE. Info is on my contact page.

And coming March 30th, Sexy Beast 8 will be releasing. This will be my final title with Kensington and features “Heart of the Wildcat”, the pre-quel to single title “Soul of the Wildcat.” I am so thrilled to be in the antho with Kate Douglas, also a fellow RT nominee, and Kathleen Dantee. I am so looking forward to meeting Kate and so many others at the convention.

That’s about it for now. I’ll be posting more as it occurs. Be sure and check the giveaway page for the current contest I’m running–One lucky reader will win an ARC of Siren’s Call.

Cheers,

Devyn

Wishing everyone a safe and joyous 2010!

I have to admit that Siren’s Call is one of the hardest books I have ever written. Why? Mostly because I had a really hard time wrapping my head around the concept of mermaids. Yes, I know. A lot of folks love them. Me, I know nothing about them. I’m a desert folk out here in the middle of nowhere. The largest body of water I see is a mud puddle when it rains, and those times are few and far between. So imagining everything that would go with mermaids and a lost civilization absolutely had me stumped. Where the heck do I begin?

Thank goodness for the internet, which I have burned up searching for information and details about places I’ll never visit  (like the Mediterranean Sea) and things I will never do (like deep sea diving). Had it not been for the good folks maintaining various website I wouldn’t know divers can’t ascend past 400 or so feet (and I was going to send my divers down MILES!) or that submersibles cost millions of dollars. While I do write fiction, I prefer to frame it within a believable boundary. Yes, my characters might be able to perform supernatural feats, but I want them to have a reason to do so. I also want to know why they can do it (and I can’t) . And I want them to have to work to get those powers. Nothing galls me more than some fictional character calling up some magic without a source. If I don’t buy it myself, I can’t sell it to the reader.

But enough rant. If I keep up my word count, the book should be finished by mid-November. That will give me time to print and polish before the Dec 1 deadline. Speaking of Siren’s Call, I’ve gotten the cover copy:

Between desire and love there are some things that can’t stay buried, even in the deep of the ocean.

As a woman with a secret, lighthouse keeper Tessa Lonike savors her solitude on the island of Little Mer, off the coast of Maine. During a violent storm, Tessa spots a man thrashing in the ice cold waters and dives in to save him, using her ability as a mermaid to easily pull him to shore. 

 When Kenneth Randall awakens on the beach he is alone, left with the haunting memory of his beautiful, flame-haired savior. But a year later, when Kenneth meets her again, he’s determined not to let Tessa slip away.  Just as the desire between them begins to burn, Tessa’s archaeologist ex-lover comes back to town with a tantalizing clue to her murky heritage.

 The trio travel to the Mediterranean in search of answers, and when Tessa inadvertently opens an underwater portal they find a lost mermaid city. But in the deep, not everything is as it seems, and Tessa must decide if she wants to take her place as the royal heir, or follow the call of her heart…

___

And I’ve gotten a peek at the cover mock-up. As much as I am dying to plaster that sucka everywhere on the net. I can’t show it just yet. I have to wait for a final, but trust me, it will be well worth the wait. The cover is GORGEOUS! It’s absolutely stunning and I’ve gotten the best I’ve ever had, hands down. The model they used is just exactly like I wanted Tessa to look.

Between the writing and work, I’ve been taking care of puppies. You guessed it. The puppies have been sick. We’ve been spending more time at the vet that normal to get them well.  They’re going in for shots and a check, and we’re hoping the little bug they seemed to have picked up has finally passed. Sick puppies are not happy puppies and you are not a happy when your doggie is sick!

Since the cold as set in (it’s SNOWED HERE ALREADY) I’ve been switching out my Red Bull with something a little more yummy for cold days. It’s a spice tea mix and since I love it so much, I’m going to fork over my secret recipe:

1 jar Lemon flavored instant tea (I use Lipton diet)

1 Jar of Tang (can use orange flavored crystal light if you need to cut sugar and calories)

Cinnamon

Cloves

Directions: In large bowl, mix tea and orange drink. Add heaping tablespoon of cinnamon (more or less to taste) and tablespoon of cloves (less if you’re not into that clove flavor).  Mix well, fill empty jars. 

Simple enough, isn’t it? I absolutely love this tea. It’s wonderful, smells good, tasted good and I load mine with tons of cloves.  The cinnamon is supposed to help ward off colds, though don’t know if that’s true or not.

That’s about it for this update. No time to read or watch anything, and I’m still stuck on Nox Arcana, which has become my all time favorite music ever. I did sneak in a download of the Ting Ting’s That’s Not My Name for the iPod. Stupid, but funky beat. I love it.

Aside from writing, not much has been happening. It’s the same old routine, different day. My ferret, Biggie, passed away after a short illness. Big was old, probably far older than a ferret should live to be. I bought her about 3 1/2 years ago to be a companion to my rescue ferret, Coda. (Biggie and Baby came together. Baby passed away in Dec 08). It turned out that they got along pretty well and I enjoyed having them here. My problem with Biggie was that she turned out to be a kitten killer. For some reason she did not like kittens, nor did she allow them to live if she could help it. Since I usually have lots of kittens around, it became a battle to keep the kits out of Biggie’s reach. Though she was vastly overweight (hence her name) she had an unusual knack for being able to sniff out and get to a kitten in the blink of an eye. 

I learned the hard way just how vicious Big could be when she wiped out a litter of kittens in a basket (my first hint there would be trouble in future times). None of my other ferrets have ever bothered the kittens and to have one that was on the rampage was an eye opener. There were times when I didn’t like Biggie, and times when I thought about sending her away. For some reason I hung on to Big. For one, no one wanted a fat marauding ferret. The thing is, Biggie was just fine with older kittens. By time they hit about 6 weeks, she was no longer on the warpath to wipe them out. In between kitten times, Big didn’t really cause any trouble. She was quiet, did her thing. She seemed to lose heart when her long time companion died, though, and I knew she wouldn’t survive 2009. She made it through September, which was a surprise. When I look down, I still expect to see her rumbling across the floor on her way to the food dish. Below is a pic of Biggie and JJ. As you can see, she got along fine with older kittens. You can also see why she got her name.

My reading, movies and television time has stalled due to the book in progress. I can’t seem to sit down and watch the movies I’ve rented, which includes Season 5 of Grey’s Anatomy. I’ve mostly been burning things to the Ipod to watch later. Still slogging through the Bob Dylan book, which is coming to its end. Need to  hit the library and restock my supplies. On music, I’m still stuck on Nox Arcana (predictable, aren’t I?)

Good grief! Is it already going on September? Where the heck did August go? Beats me if I know… It seems like this year is just going by, at top speed. Every time I turn around the calendar is flipping over to another month. The year really is getting away from me!

So what’s been up? Well, Possession came out this month and the reviews have been fantastic. I’m grateful to the reviewers for their kind and generous words about the book. To celebrate its release, I’ve been doing blog appearances and announcing the stops on Twitter and Facebook, so if you’ve been watching the tweets, there have been all kind of chances to enter the giveaways for a signed copy. These giveaways are still going on, so if you’re not getting my tweets, be sure and sign up!  I’m tweeting my heart out, as I have a lot of books to give away!

Started work on Siren’s Call, the official title of my first NAL book (which has been dubbed “Dark Tides” series). I’m happy the book has a final title. That always gives me a feeling of comfort and gives the manuscript I am working on its identity. I’ve gone back to my 1500-2000 word a day goal, and with this pace I should finish the book end of Oct. That will give me Nov to tinker around and polish before the Dec 1 deadline. (Heaven willing). I have to admit that August 2010 can’t come fast enough now. I really want to see this book out, my first mass market release. Just thinking about it has given me several panic attacks, so I am trying not to think about it.

Those of you who come by regularly will notice once again I’ve put the site through some changes. I really like the layout I have, but the colors were not matching up right and I couldn’t get a header I liked. So I tossed everything out and redid the color scheme and the header. I’m really proud I figured out enough about Photoshop to do something I liked myself. No one can satisfy the vision you have in your head, and after many fits and starts, I finally got a look I am happy with. My biggest problem with making goth-urban and erotic all merge into something sexy that said something unique about me as an author. I have to admit it has taken years, but I’m finally getting at my identity online the way I want it. So far I am happy–that is until I think of something else to do, LOL

Several pages have also disappeared; some merging into others, some going entirely. With time getting away from me, I needed to cut down on site maintenance and updates–which I sometimes can’t make. I don’t want to leave the site looking like no on maintains it, but I also need it to do its job, which is feature my books in a manner useful to readers, without bogging them down with unnecessary info. That is why I have pared down several “fun” pages like my TOP PICKS in books, movies and music into one–which will now all be part of my monthly Ramblins blog.  Too much of a good thing is boring right? So without drum roll, here’s Devyn’s Top Picks:

What I’m reading: Down the Highway, a biography of Bob Dylan. Just started it, but so far it’s a pretty good book. Also received a copy of Sliding Home by Kate Angell. I’ve never read any of her books, but I’ve peeked at this one and it has already caught my interest. Plus Ms. Angell has a style that is simply wonderful and I look forward to learning from this accomplished author.

What I’m watching: Movies? Gaa! Have barely had time to get to the DVD player, so the list is small. I managed Valkyrie, which was better than the critics said it was (whoda thunk Cruise would come off as competent as he did? Of course he was surrounded by a lot of veteran British actors like Wilkinson and Branagh and Nighy, so he couldn’t do anything but look good). Also on my list was Watchmen, which I enjoyed despite its length. Yes, some parts dragged. But I liked it, and put it on my highly recommended list. I’m also watching my way through Dexter, season 3. FANTASIC! I love the addition of Jimmy Smits to the cast. Dexter finally meets someone as bloodthirsty as he is. Beautiful. I am 6 eps in and loving every minute.

What I’m listening to: Two words: NOX ARCANA!!! I discovered this goth/classical group through a friend and fell in love. I immediately hit iTunes and bought every damn album they’ve put out. I have yet to be disappointed. Especially compelling is that their Phantoms of the High Seas has a song called “Siren’s Call”, which is the title of my first NAL book. (entirely an accident, my editor titled the book, not me)  That album is now the theme for the book and makes my writing days more enjoyable.  What’s more, someone on YouTube has put together a video of Night of the Wolf that is smashing. I include it below:

Well, that’s it for this month. Gotta get back to my siren…She’s calling….