Heart Search Is OUT!

Heart Search is out -- reports of it captured. ;) And, in the spirit of images of the heroes/heroines, here's Laev and Nivea Sunflower (ex), and Camellia Darjeeling (HeartMate).





Naturally, I'm nervous and hoping you all like it! Good reading in whatever world you're visiting!
Robin

Falling Over -- Hearts and Swords Copy Edits DONE!

Falling Over -- Hearts and Swords Copy Edits DONE! Literally worked FIVE hours on chapters one and two of Heart and Sword yesterday. Read through it about three times, 5 outside critiques. About 50 hrs on the edits, I think, because the stories are so close to my own heart. DUH! How come what's in my head isn't as brilliant on the page? Thanks for all the support.

May you enjoy your day.
Robin

Is This Something You Want to See? Heroes of Hearts And Swords

Is this something you want to see? Images of the heroes of Hearts and Swords. I spent way too much time making these on City of Heroes, for myself and for you. Is this something you want to see, or are they too cartoonish for you? They help me, and I send them in to my ed as rough images for the art dept (and have since Heart Fate).

Or do you want any images at all?

Let me know before I do a composite of the heroines...

Robin

Oh, and left to right in chronological order of the stories (and as they are in the collection): Kelse Bountry, Captain of the Starship Nuada's Sword when Celta is discovered. Next is Dri Paris, HeartMate to Arbusca Willow, Arbusca was in Heart Dance. Third is Cardus Parryl, and I'm not quite satisfied with him, but he is Genista's Holly Furze's new love. Finally is Walker Clover, who has been mentioned in Heart Change, he wins the noble title for the Clovers.

Many thanks,
Robin

Stories on my Mind -- Spoilers

Spoilers -- Stories on my mind: what I know about my stories and when I know them. HeartMate was manuscript #4 for me and one of those just-sit-down-and-write-whatever, but I'd been telling myself the Summoning stories before I went to sleep since my teens.

When I wrote HeartMate, I had the first two scenes only, and not all of them, and I didn't know what would happen. When my critique group asked, I had no answer and ideas flew. Having the HeartGift stolen wasn't my idea, but it sounded right and I went with it. Just like, when I was writing Heart Duel, and talking about the charm key that would let you into a HeartMate's house, one of my friends said that if she had such a key she'd go door to door. So Trif did in Heart Quest.

What stories did I know about? Before I was published I had finished HeartMate, I had two versions of Heart Thief -- one for the sf/f market and one for the romance market. I also was a few chapters into Heart Duel. I knew Signet Marigold was standing on a cliff (though I didn't know her name), I knew about a nameless Avellana Hazel and what her talent was and how she demonstrated it and where (Ashes) and that Signet saved them.

I knew about Antenn Moss and what he would become and WHAT his HeartMate was. Antenn's book is still 2-3 books in the future, but I am setting up for it. I had an idea for Tinne Holly's story, but it didn't go the way I thought...I wonder where that microcasett is?

So those are the stories I knew/know if in kernel form. I didn't know Holm would be disinherited, though I knew that the older Hollys would break their Vows of Honor.

Some stories are amorphous in my head and change. I have two coming up that keep changing -- as well as the one I'm working on, Heart Secret. ;)

May you enjoy your own silliness today.
Robin

Liking your own work.

Liking your own work -- I've just finished the copy edits of three of the four stories in my Hearts and Swords collection. The last (chronologically last) is Noble Heart, which I think of as The Clovers Win A Noble Title. I like all the stories a lot. They move me. And I believe that's very important. Why write what you won't want to read?

Sometimes, of course, I'm tired of the story and the work by this point, but I turned these in the beginning of March, so they've had time to be forgotten.

Noble Heart has a good deal of humor in it, so that pleased me, too.

May you enjoy your creative work.
Robin

Copy Edits -- Hearts & Swords

Hearts and Swords WILL be out in December. I finally got the copy edits, which, I believe is because my editor is busy and trusts me to deliver good stories ;) Unusual for me, I was in a near panic. I want the first one, Heart and Sword, the story of the discovery of Celta to be PERFECT (I try not to expect perfection from myself, because, you know, it's impossible. Best I can do is enough for me.)

But I still have some hefty rewriting to do on Heart and Sword.

So I decided to work on the others first. I've finished the short (15K) Heart Story about Arbusca Willow (mother of Heart Dance's hero). And I'm most of the way through Heart and Soul, Genista Holly Furze's story). I am liking it a lot. I'd already read through it and tweaked it a little, so I added those changes in first.

Then on to Noble Heart, and after that I'll rewrite Heart and Sword. I think I want my male critique buddy near by, because Kelse's reactions when he is awakened on the ship needs to be right.

The Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer picnic is today, and the announcement of the Writer of the Year. On pins and needles since I'm up for it.

Love,
Robin

Missing Local Colorado Woman

Amy Ahonen has been missing since July 8, when her car was found abandoned in Clear Creek Canyon on U.S. 6. Her belongings — including her purse and cell phone — were still in the vehicle.

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/helpfindamy
Twitter hash: #findamy

If anyone has info, please contact the Denver Police Department.

Thanks, Robin

Camp NaNoWriMo

Yes, NaNoWriMo has a summer camp this month. 50K words. Not as packed with people as November and NaNoWriMo itself, but I'm struggling valiantly to make up the first six days that was a wash for me due to RWA and house stuff.

Working on Heart Secret and I posted a (lame) cover (lamer than I wanted, but it has trouble uploading anything but my first effort), and a "book blurb." The blurb is a little more dire than the actual story... I don't have an excerpt up yet, am contemplating what scene to put there.

Anyway that's what I'm up to. Spent a lot of June and July on revisions, time off for conferences and judging contests, etc.

Merry meet and Merry Part and Merry Meet again.
Robin

Plot Device

This is making the rounds it's fabulous and funny.

http://fpdorchak.wordpress.com/2011/07/07/plot-device/

May you laugh a lot today.
Robin

Writer's Self in Books

Writer's Self In Books -- I realize that bits of me fall into my books from my head and my heart through my fingers on the keyboard. Writer's VOICE. Sometimes this is planned -- working through issues, Protector of the Flight was like that. Sometimes it just happens.

I was recently asked what book I liked best. Now my usual answer is the one I just finished or will just be coming out. That's the fun one, all new and shiny. The one I like least is the one I'm working on now. (Though since Heart Secret is also new and shiny in Chapter 4, that's not too true. Maybe Enchanted Again since I had to slice and dice).

But I amended my answer this time. The one that is probably most personal to me is Guardian of Honor (which was the right answer for this particular person). I consider Alexa Fitzwalter to be the real daughter of my father. The daughter most like him. Make of that what you want. ;) Also, like Alexa, I had just lost a good friend, a young friend. I wasn't able to attend her memorial service (though I had attended her graduation from law school) so Guardian of Honor was dedicated to her.

Most of the time I'm not really aware of putting stuff in. My beliefs and feelings show in my themes: Know Thyself, Everyone Makes Mistakes, Live for Today.
(Whining is ok in small amounts?)

Just my take on writing today, may you enjoy your work.
Robin

Good & Tiring Confernce, Elec out at home

I had excellent conversations with my agent and my Luna editor, and NY was, as always, tasty and interesting. However, once I got home things went downhill. A tree fell and took out my electricity and cable AND my clutch went out on my car, 3rd time this year. So I've been frazzled. The tree "branch" was over a foot thick, and I was without electricity for about 24 hours, and, of course, stuck.

Naturally I have good friends and family, so things are getting back to normal, and the car will go in tomorrow, hopefully. I don't want it in the shop and to be without a car for 3 days again, though. Not this time.

Writing wise, I am hopeful to sell again to Berkley and Luna, and maybe get the two Regency historical romances I wrote before HeartMate out in e-form.

May you have a wonderful Independence Day if in the States, and a good Monday everywhere!
Robin