erastes

Only one “professional” review as yet, but I live in hope.

For Transgressions

Library Journal

“this story exudes historical detail and will please historical fans”

Hans is Great

“the development of David and Jonathan's characters was outstanding…..I don't mind telling you I had a hard on the entire time.”

And for False Colors

http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/2009/04/15/false-colors-a-giveaway/

“It was truly brilliant. …  The writing is exquisite; the romance is lovely; the research is meticulous; and the action keeps going and going.  It breaks your heart and then keeps going on.”

Well, Transgressions is done.

Galley proof cut into pieces, edited, scanned, emailed off. I just hope that someone else other than me is editing it (i'm sure there is!) as I'm sure I didn't catch all the errors.  Thanks to Lisa (the editor) it's a much better book now. This is the scary part - because that's it. There's nothing now I can do. It's out of my hands and for better or worse, I've pushed it out into the world to be trampled!

May I just say that our New Year's Fireworks (at the London Eye) were a bit rubbish?  Designed by some enfant terrible of the Firework World apparently, and I for one, wasn't impressed.  Bring back the old school, I say.

As to Hangingstone Hill, it's all changed. As I posted on The Brit Writers recently, I was going to set it in Dartmoor, but then realised that 1. I don't really know much about Dartmoor and 2. It's been done to death and 3. I can only research online as it's a bit blooming far to drive.  So - as I live in one of the most evocative mysterious beautiful places in England, and certainly it's unique, I've decided to set it on the Norfolk Broads instead.  No hills, though, so the name will certainly have to go.

I have a very aggressive little robin in the front garden this morning.  I bought a packet of "song bird mix" which is probably like caviare to birdies, and he's been guarding the bird table all morning!  Every time the sparrows try and get some he charges at them. I knew that they were territorial with other robins, but I'd never seen them chase other types before.  I'll have to put some up in a different spot so the sparrows have a chance - and hang some peanuts up.  It's nasty weather now, so they need the help.

I've been trying to do more editing--I say "trying" because the furry monsters are driving me mad. everytime i sit down at the table one or other of them joins me, sits on the warm pile of paper and then flops onto their side and bats their eyelids at me.  Severus was patently BORED this afternoon and kept biting my free hand as if to say, Don't keep doing that, tickle me!!!

I wish I had a camcorder so I could record it for you lot, like that chap did with the cat on his shoulders when he was trying to write.

Most amusing line found in the editing so far: He left the kitchen to see to the livestock. Now while this makes sense in a literal way, if you read it the other way it's hilarious. I doubt the kitchen will be any help with the livestock at all. When Jonathan comes back he's going to find the cows unmilked and the chicken unfed. Kitchens can't do animal husbandry!  No thumbs!

Ok. I've been sitting on this news for WEEKS and I thought at one point I was going to explode with excitement. You'll see it everywhere I am, so I apologise for the cross-posting but hey - I never do it normally.

Ready?

Perseus Books has picked up Transgressions!!!!!!  Running Press to be precise.

I KNOW!!!!  *bounce*  It's a long story, which I can't really detail yet because the other person involved hasn't signed their contract yet, but they have said that I can go ahead and squee due to my recent bad luck. And the publisher said that I could announce it weeks ago but I didn't want to for superstitious reasons. And I signed my contract today!! So. SQUEE!

Perseus have a good name, but this is a new venture for them and a risky one too I suppose, they do a little bit of gay fiction, Simon Shepperd and others, but not a huge amount.. The idea is (as far as I know at the mo) is to try out some gay romance - put the books into bricks and mortar stores and see how they run. It's all still very much ground floor stuff so I have no more details to share but.. well, let's say that the author advance is an average for a new author in a genre market - proper professional rates. (Although - unless it's £500,000, I'm not that bothered about an advance because it just means you wait longer to earn anything else, but still, it's still nice to get a professional rate!)

I'm excited personally, of course, but more than that I'm excited for the genre as a whole. Both Transgressions and the other book being published at the same time (Spring 2009) are gay historicals so I hope that people buy these books and it will lead the way for Perseus picking up more and more gay romance in the future. With Alyson selling, and with pubs folding left right and centre, it's great to see someone running with a new venture isn't it? And yes, it's risky but where's the fun in life if you don't risk? 
 
It was also nice to see recently that Waldenbooks were putting gay romance on some of their shelves and it was running out of the store!

In other news: I found it very amusing when Catherine Tate relayed the story of her cat's adoption. Apparently she was going to take one cat from the shelter but they said "there's a problem" - turns out that it had a prolapsed anus so she decided not to adopt.  A little later they called her and said they had another she might like... "but... there's a problem" they said. "What's the problem?" she asked. (thinking it would be more icky medical stuff "Well... he's GINGER..." 

In fury, she adopted him immediately!!