Welcoming 2015 …

I’m celebrating the advent of 2015 by opening a fresh notebook, and filling a new fountain pen with brand new ink. It’s time to get Dowser 5 out of my head. Here’s to 2015!

Dowser Series – three paperback proofs

Guess what arrived in today’s mail? The paperback proofs for Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic (Dowser 1), Trinkets, Treasures, and Other Bloody Magic (Dowser 2), and Treasures, Demons, and Other Black Magic (Dowser 3).

I absolutely adore these three grouped together! As I did for I See Me (Oracle 1), I chose a matte finish for the covers and I think it’s perfect.

The covers – front and back – were designed by Elizabeth Mackey.

The inside is also perfectly pretty. Mark over at 52novels designed the interior layout and Elizabeth Mackey designed the knife image for the page breaks.

You know what all of this REALLY means? The Dowser 4 giveaways are on the way!!

I See Me – paperback proof

Guess what arrived in today’s mail a week and a half earlier than expected? The paperback proof for I See Me (Oracle 1).

It’s so gorgeous I can barely contain myself!! I chose a matte finish for the cover and I love, love, love it.

The artwork is by Irene Langholm. The cover design is by Elizabeth Mackey.

And – for the first time ever – the inside is also a thing of beauty. Mark over at 52novels designed the interior layout. I absolutely adore the butterfly tattoo page breaks.

Reading actual paper is expensive, but if you’re so inclined, you can get your hands on this beauty over on Createspace right now. From where – FYI – I, and all other indie authors, receive the largest royalty. Or it will be available on Amazon and B&N in a couple of days.

I have a feeling I’ll be ordering a few myself … for giveaways, of course. Not to just stare at and pet. 😀

Chocolate Orchid

I came up to the office today after two whole days off and found that my chocolate orchid [Oncidium Sharry Baby] had bloomed.

And, yes, it smells like chocolate!! It couldn’t have timed out more perfectly, because today I’m digging back into Dowser 4.

Oracle 1 update – I See Me is with Leiah, the proof reader. I’m still hoping to have the ebook version published by the end of the week, but it’s getting a little tight and I don’t want to put it up if it isn’t as perfect as I can make it.

Kelly’s box of chocolate

I have been exceedingly blessed in the last few years by lovely readers who have become supportive friends, some of whom I haven’t even met in person yet. I’ve talked about Gertie and her cupcake support committee here, here, and here (one for each Dowser book). I also still have Karen’s trinket hanging on my monitor where I get to see it every morning.

And then there is lovely Kelly. She sent this:

<3 I’ve made a screensaver out of the above image <3

I knew a treat was coming, because Kelly and I had been trying to meet for a hot chocolate last month – yes, we know each other in real life, however our paths do not naturally cross 🙁 But life was insanely busy with moving and family. Kelly finally convinced me that she should just mail the package to me as a house warming gift.

This is what was so brilliantly packaged inside – yes, brand new chocolate!!!

Five freaking kilograms of Ocoa by Cacao Barry to be exact!! That’s 11.02 pounds for my American friends. I, of course, immediately opened, poured, and tasted 🙂

This huge box of “support” will get me through writing a couple of more Dowser books, at the very least. I’m thinking of making brownies, cupcakes, and perhaps some Chewy Gooey Chocolate Cookies with it.

In fact, I’m designing up some new cupcakes for Dowser 4 and I’m seriously thinking of using this chocolate to make them, then sending tasters to Kelly for her approval. That won’t even dent this box of goodness – yes, I’m greedy and selfishly-bent when it comes to good chocolate.

Thank you Kelly, for all your support and the chocolate. It is – you are – very appreciated and cherished!

A read-a-long with the author: Cupcakes (Etc)

I’m about to send The Oracle #1 off to the editor – yay – and dig back into writing Dowser #4. Yes, I have titles for both of those books and I will release them soon as well.

During the next couple of weeks as I write Dowser #4 I’m going to be doing some fun things that I thought you might like to know about and/or participate in.

Starting Wednesday, I’m reading through the first three Dowser books. I’ll download them on my iPad, sit down, and actually read them as if I was … well, a reader. I’ll share my favourite quotes and thoughts about certain sections as I read. Perhaps you will have questions yourself? Or favourite quotes to share?

I’ll start a new post here on the blog and a new thread on my Facebook page for each book as I read.

I’m expecting to start Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic on Wednesday. The ebook is perma-free everywhere if you haven’t grabbed it yet (links on the book page). I’m a fast reader, so I expect to have it done in a day, barring any other work that needs my attention. Then I’ll read Trinkets (Etc) and then Treasures (Etc).

The second thing I’m going to be doing is testing some new cupcakes – specifically with some wild blackberries I picked the other day. It has been suggested that my readers may want to participate in this process and perhaps even come up with a name or two, so we will do that as well 🙂

Third, and most importantly because Jade needs new chocolate for Dowser 4, I will be test tasting these:

I know I’m such a martyr for my craft. Yes – if you didn’t already know it from my Facebook post – I went a little crazy and dented my credit card pretty hard at Xocolat right before we moved. Did I mention we just picked up and moved to Salt Spring Island? No? Well, we did. It’s an adventure (more on that later).

I will select a chocolate bar a day … or two or three a day if I run into something I don’t like enough to eat plain (I bake with any chocolate I don’t love enough to just eat). I’ll share the bar and my tasting notes on Facebook and do a digest version here.

Fun, yes?

Okay, so it all begins Wednesday with reading Cupcakes (Etc).

I hope you join me!

New ink, new notebook, new series.

I sent Dowser 3 off to the editor yesterday – YAY! I then immediately found myself writing the opening of Dowser 4, which is always cool, as I wasn’t a 100% sure what number 4 was going to be about (other than the broad strokes laid out in book 3).

So, yes, I’m still working on Dowser 4 today – because the muse will have her way – but I’m also celebrating beginning the first draft of an urban fantasy mystery series, The Reconstructionist. This, of course, is not a straight up mystery series, just like the Dowser Series crosses genres, but I’ve never tackled mystery construction before, so I’m a little nervous about it.

Yesterday I grabbed a new notebook out of my stash upstairs – I went with traditional black, because it suits the main character – but then I started fretting about the ink. I felt like I needed a new ink before I could start, something blue, but I really didn’t want to run all the way downtown (read: ten minutes) and fiddle with parking (there are usually spots a block over) in the rain (I own a rather large, pink paisley umbrella) to get to the Vancouver Pen Shop. Plus, I don’t really trust myself in there alone. So, before I did anything hasty, I double checked the blue/black I knew I had just in case it wasn’t as dark as I remembered. And, low and behold, I’d forgotten that Michael bought me a royal blue for Christmas – yay!

This morning I cracked the seal on the ink, traded the green (read: jade) ink out of my pen for the blue, brewed myself some Chocolate Rocket, and sat down to start writing a new series and a new lead character (hint: you meet her in Dowser 3).

newinknewnotebook_reconscructionist — new ink, a new notebook, and a new series – getting ready for the first draft of The Reconstructionist

I think I may also need to change my nail polish. I’m currently wearing Opi’s Jade is the New Black. Do you think they make a colour called Wisteria?

Also, cookies. Cookies always smooth the transition into a new book. I’m thinking Cowboy Cookies (aka coconut oatmeal chocolate chip).

Sorry … I’ve been sick …

I’ve fallen down on the Writer Wednesday and Fiction Friday posts due to a crazy cold. Gah!

And YES, there is a double paperback giveaway coming – SOON!! I just have to crawl to the post office and get my hands on the pretty books waiting for me there …

Back to regularly scheduled writing and updates tomorrow, I promise. I’m almost done the second draft of Dowser 3!! Maybe I’ll post some teasers this week?? Oh, yes!

Now what photo should I attached here? *digs around in computer vault* How about this snuggle fest?

Guess what came in the mail?

I’ll give you a hint:

YES!!! 283 pages of pretty white paper, a glossy, thick cover, and printed words and all!

You all know what this means, right?

Oh, yeah.

The paperback giveaways are coming soon!!

A trinket aka bookmark from Karen

I just went out to grab the mail and found this waiting for me:

It’s a trinket from Karen – who also made this bookmark – made specifically for me!! So fun! So sparkly! Can you tell that Karen is a fan of Jade and the Dowser Series (& me, YAY!)?