A New Year, Upcoming Releases

Happy 2013 CE to one and all. I actually celebrated the New Year when the sun turned back on 21 December and many of my Druid and Wiccan friends on Samhain, 31 Oct/1 Nov but the calendar has changed and since we use that for official stuff, happy 2013.

I'm glad the hectic holidays are over. Tomorrow will be Twelfth Night which marks the final official end of the season. My few decorations came down on New Year's Eve and I've been striving to get back on the normal path, getting my goals and affirmations ready (I don't do resolutions) and clearing out the residue of real and mental/emotional clutter to settle down to work. Yes, I do have a writing goal and that is 1500 words a day for at least five of each seven days, allowing myself a mini-vacation now and then or a a 'mental health' day if it is just flat not working. Usually I can switch from one WIP to another if the characters go mum on me and carry on but at times they are all tight lipped and I have to cut them and me some slack.

The first thing that will be out this year happens later this month when Duty and Daring is released. That's a paperback compilation of four of my m/m romances, all work related where the background of the job of one or both of the heroes impinges on their relationship and often forms a barrier to their hooking up. How they juggle the demands of duty with the draw of desire makes the plot of the tale.

I will feature each story on one day in the next couple of weeks with some background on how and why it came to be written and a couple of excerpts. The four tales are Special Delivery, Workin' on the Railroad, Guilty by Innocence and Smoke and ...Spots?  I have a special love for each of them and the inspiration as my dedication explains  to readers:

"To a bunch of unknowing tech advisers who have passed through my life over the years and given me glimpses into the varied industries and occupations which form the background for these tales. I've been blessed to live along the periphery of some of the most challenging and exciting jobs anyone could have. I’m quite a chameleon and a sponge when it comes to facts and information, so such background eventually finds its way into my fiction. My heartfelt admiration and appreciation goes out to those who serve in various law enforcement capacities, as fire fighters and the men who labor to keep those trains rolling. Without you, so much would go bad in our world!"

For now here is the cover for the new print book which I like a  lot. I cannot say enough good about Trace Zabar, one of the owners of Amber Quill and the art and creative director for the firm. His covers are just awesome. I have some faves of course but very few have been a disappointment in any way. He has the artistic eye and the line and color equivalent of Perfect Blarney that lends a bit of magic to every cover. This new addition is a worthy one!

More soon on Special Delivery. And one reader who comments here will receive an autographed copy of Duty and Daring as soon as they are in my hands, hopefully before 31 January!  I might even give away a download of one or more of the stories, too....