Back, Finally!

I know I’ve been conspicuous by my absence of late. It feels as if I’ve been traveling one way or another since I got back from Lori Foster’s event in Ohio. I’d be home for two or three days, only to scurry off somewhere else for a few days, then back for a few days, then off somewhere else. It’s been crazy! June has flown and all I really have to show for it is a HUGE gas credit card bill.

The good news is, I’ll be spending July 4th at home. *whew!* That gives me a few days to get back on track and get some serious work done. I hope.

Of late, the muse has been rather silent — probably because I’ve been exhausted from all the traveling and seriously out of my “comfort zone.” But all the driving has given me a great deal of time to think. I don’t know about other writers, but I do some of my best plotting in the car. As the miles roll by, my mind works out all the little details of where I want to go with my books. It’s a fun way to pass the time, but it’s impossible to make notes.

So I’ll try to be a better blogger this month. Heck, it’s July 1st already? Where did June go??? Ack! I’d better get to work.

Computer Woes

I’m on a deadline. I need to finish a book. I also have an old desktop that takes FOREVER to boot and has little to no space left on the hard drive. It’s running at a snail’s pace.

So yesterday, I planned to take an hour out of my writing schedule to clean up the hard drive and defrag it - you know, spruce up the place to hopefully let it limp along a little longer until I have time to buy a new computer and spend the WEEKS I’d need to get it up and running with all my software, peripherals and connectivity just the way I like it.

SEVEN HOURS later I finally went out - after an embarrassing meltdown witnessed by my family - and bought a new computer. I fired it up and tried to decipher that newfangled Vista thing. It’s going to take some getting used to.

I now have to clean my office (ACK!) and find a place to hook it up alongside the old system while I search for and locate my various software disks/downloads and load everything onto the new computer. I also have to hook up peripherals (I have a lot of those) and locate drivers/software (which is ALL over the place - I’m not very organized) for that. So if you hear screams and curses coming from the NY metro area, you know it’s me, trying to sort out this new computer.

And did I mention? I’m on a deadline.

Finally Home!

I finally made it all the way home and have been sleeping pretty much non-stop. It’s amazing how little sleep I got at RT and how much I needed to catch up on. Today is a lazy day… I’m sitting here, still in my jammies, doing some odds and ends while I write furiously on Jaci’s Experiment, my August ebook release from Samhain, and the third in my Resonance Mates series.

Jaci was left hanging in the middle of her story while I finished edits on Perfect (my May ebook release from Tease), and FireDrake (my May ebook release from Samhain and the next of my Dragon Knights books) and then went to RT. Now I can devote time to Jaci and the story is really moving along again. I’ll be working on her book for the next two weeks or so, until I finish it. It’s getting to that really interesting part — at least for me! LOL. The part where I have to tie up all the little plot points I’ve been toying with throughout the story.

And there’s a new character in this book who is really blossoming into a larger-than-life personality. I’d planned to write only five books in this series, but I may just have to figure out a way to give him his own story in there somewhere. I can probably do it within the context of the planned books, but I’m toying with the idea of giving him a separate book of his own. We’ll see how it goes. Either way, you’ll be hearing more about “Wild Bill.”

Almost Home

RT is over for this year and a good time was had by all!

I drove through a whole lot of rain to get to my half-way point - a family member’s home, where I am now. It’s nice to be in familiar surroundings and able to decompress a bit. The week was long and adventurous, but very good. I met some incredible people and learned a lot. I also got to sign a lot of books, posters, bags, T-shirts and other things. The two signings - the ebook fair on Wednesday and the book fair on Saturday were great successes!

Getting back on track here will be somewhat difficult, but once I catch up on sleep, things should look a bit easier. For now, I’m planning on going to sleep early!

RT Update #2

It’s been a hectic few days! Yesterday at RT, we had the ebook fair - the first of its kind in RT history. There were hiccups, of course, but I did have a good time chatting with folks who’d brought some of my print books with them for me to sign. I also had about a dozen copies of Sons of Amber (the new print version) with me, which I was allowed to sign at that event because for some reason, the bookseller for the big Saturday signing couldn’t get that book. My wonderful friends from FAR were gracious enough to set up my little section of table (put out bookmarks, set up my poster, and make it look pretty) while I wrangled with the “powers that be” to get my books into their system so they could be sold at the event. THANK YOU FAR GALS!!!

When I finally got my books all checked in and legitimized, I returned to my table and found a gorgeous display - much better than I could have done on my own! I also found two small statuettes waiting for me from All Romance eBooks (ARe), commemorating the two awards I won a few weeks back from them - a Best Book of 2007 for Hara’s Legacy and a Best Author of 2007. I hadn’t known there would be statuettes involved, so it was a very pleasant surprise. They’re really pretty - with a sort of flame-y cut in the acrylic that makes it look very ARe-ish, since their logo always has those eye-catching orangey flames.

Club RT opened today and I had another hour or so chatting with folks and signing things. It was great fun! I also heckled some of my friends from Samhain at our Publisher Spotlight, then manned the publisher table in Club RT, giving away lots of goodie bags and chatting. Then we had the Fairy Ball tonight and the costumes were incredible. Actually, I was really impressed with the way the entire room was set up. The sparkly drapey things hanging from the ceiling were great, as was the lighting and the meal was very good indeed.

Tomorrow I’ll be giving a talk in the morning after starting off the day at Jacki Frank’s Muffin Mixer. Then it’s off to attend panels and do another appearance in Club RT. It’ll be nice to get the workshop out of the way so I can: #1 clear some of the MANY boxes out of my room & #2 relax! LOL.

I’ll try to check in again and let you know how it all goes, but for now, it’s time to get some shut-eye. Happy Friday!

Update

Been a little lax on the blogging of late with the holiday and various issues. I was watching a lot of the coverage of the space shuttle and it’s amazing mission to expand the International Space Station. Next up - the new European unmanned vehicle will be attempting to dock with the ISS next week, so I’ll be watching that with interest. (I know, I’m a big geek! LOL)

In other news - I’ve been asked to escort Charlaine Harris around the sci fi con I’m attending next weekend (April 4-6). Pretty cool, huh? See, I’m local to the con and have gone to it for several years. Ms. Harris is a guest of honor and they like to make sure those folks have someone nearby to guide them to the right building/room - the con is held on the campus of Stony Brook, a very large SUNY (State University of New York) campus. You seriously need a map to figure out where you are. So I’m the talking map for the weekend. Plus, I get to be on a few panels with Ms. Harris and my friend, Michele Lang, as well as some very notable sci fi authors. It should be great fun! If you’re going to I-Con, look me up.

Happy Friday - hope you all have a great weekend!

Checking In

Lots of stuff going on here…

I’m in the midst of edits on FireDrake, which are light, but I’m having a hard time finding time to actually DO them! Ack! Speaking of FireDrake, I got a proof of the cover and it is AMAZING! As soon as I hear it’s been approved, I’ll be posting it all over the place. Believe me, I think you’ll LOVE it. Very dreamy and fantasy-ish.

I’ve also been asked to fill in for my good friend Stella who cannot be at RT this year. (We’ll miss you!!!) She was scheduled to give a workshop on inexpensive promo materials - which is a subject near and dear to my heart - so I’ll be filling in for her. I’m in the process of gathering promotional items to share with the attendees and planning my presentation. I’m really looking forward to it!

I’m also still checking in with NASA TV to see how the shuttle mission is progressing. I love watching those space walks. It’s just SO cool!

March Newsletter

The D’Arc Side NewsletterIssue 25 - March 2008 To view the newsletter Click Here.   There’s a super sneak peek excerpt from a work in progress in this month’s issue, along with information on Bianca’s upcoming releases, awards and appearances. And check out the new, free, desktop wallpaper featuring the Sons of Amber print cover. There’s a super sneak peek excerpt from a work in progress in this month’s issue, along with information on Bianca’s upcoming releases, awards and appearances. And check out the new, free, desktop wallpaper featuring the print cover.

New Contest for March Click the graphic above to learn about the fabulous prizes this month and how to enter!

Website - Chat Group - Newsletter Group

All Kinds of Book Related News

A bunch of things have happened in the past day or two…

First, I turned in the manuscript of FireDrake to my editor, so the rest of the process should begin shortly. I’m really happy with the way it turned out. Lots of action, lots of romance, lots of dragons and knights and a very cool heroine I think you’ll all like a lot.

Second, the print edition of Hara’s Legacy seems to be making an early appearance in some book stores. Joy (of Joyfully Reviewed fame) reported in on my chat group yesterday that she just picked up a copy at her local Borders. I also received a copy I’d pre-ordered from Amazon as a test. It showed up in the mail yesterday afternoon and may I say, it looks really GREAT in print!

Third, I had dinner with my publisher in Manhattan on Saturday night and a great time was had by all. I love it when she invites me places - we always have a gab-fest talking about anything and everything.

Now that FireDrake is finished, I’ve been giving some thought to what I’m going to work on next. I have one more contractual obligation to write Book 3 in the Resonance Mates series - Jaci’s Experiment - and then I’m free to do some other projects. I’m just not sure where to start.

Also, yesterday I got a great email from a reader asking if Prince Wil would get his own story in my Dragon Knights series. He most definitely will! I just am not entirely certain where to go next with the Dragon Knights. I had intended to do a time/dimension travel thing with the older set of twin princes, but given the way FireDrake ends - on a very action-oriented scene - I thought maybe I should pick up directly from that point in the over-arcing story and write a different story altogether. I’ll probably do that, and save the twin princes for the next book. Believe me, they’ll be worth the wait.

January Newsletter

I forgot to mention that my January Newsletter is now out. You can read the online version by clicking here. Here’s the official announcement:

The January Newsletter from Bianca D’Arc is now available. Inside, find a sneak peek of Davin’s Quest, the winner of last month’s contest and a new contest for January. Also find reviews, links to polls, some great online jigsaw puzzles and other links to all sorts of D’Arc Side features and mentions.

New Contest for January This month’s prize is a package of D’Arc Side goodies including the new promotional bath salts for my upcoming Sweeter Than Wine promotion. Plus a magnetic 2008 calendar, Czech glass earrings, and as much Bianca SWAG as we can fit in the package! How to enter: Sign up for my NEWSLETTER by midnight on the last day of January. Anyone who is a member of the Newsletter Group on midnight of that day is automatically entered! One winner will be chosen at random and announced in my next newsletter, so stay tuned…

Come over to the D’Arc side… WWW.BIANCADARC.COM