You know the expression, “It’s a good thing?” No, I’m not particularly a Martha Stewart 
fan, but lately that’s been my motto because my life seems about as full and busy as humanly possible! I love to joke around that authors don’t exactly live the glamorous lives you might imagine. Most of my weekends are taking up by writing and doing the laundry. Sometimes, though, our lives really are a blast (and VERY hectic!). What I am up to this week? I’m about to burst because of all the cool (and I mean COOL) writer stuff I have on my agenda! (NO laundry in sight!)
First up, Bent-Con 2013 in Burbank, California! Bent is often called a “gay Comicon.” It’s my first, so I’ll have to tell you if it lives up to its name. Dreamspinner Press and Harmony Ink Press (DSP’s YA imprint) will have tables at the con. Some of the writers I know are attending: Lou Sylvre, Grace Duncan, E.M. Lynley, Rhys Ford, and Nessa Warin. We’ll be staffing the tables, so stop by, check out the pretty books (because they really are GORGEOUS in paperback!), and pick up some swag. I’ve still go a few of my treble clef Blue Notes Series pens I’ll be handing out. We love to meet and talk to readers, so even if you’re not looking to pick up discounted paperbacks, just stop by and say “hey!”
Next up is Encore release day this Monday, November 11th! I’m SO excited for you all to get to know Roger Nelson and John Fuchs! Encore, the fifth Blue Notes novel, is chronologically the first. It begins in the 1970s, when Roger Nelson and John Fuchs meet in high school, and ends in the present day. The story of modern day star-crossed lovers, Encore is both a coming of age and, later, an adult romance.
Last, but not least, I’m putting the finishing touches on the manuscript for the second Mermen of Ea Series book, Into the Wind, which I’ll be shipping off to the publisher by December 1st. If they chose to contract it, look for publication sometime around May of 2014.
With the release of Encore, I’ll be starting a 6+ week blog tour to celebrate that release and the release of Symphony in Blue (Blue Notes holiday novella) that includes a grand prize drawing for a Kindle loaded with some of my books. Contest ends at midnight, New Year’s Eve. You can enter more than once, and you can get more than one entry for 
tweeting and posting about the contest, too. I’ll post a Rafflecopter link here so you can begin to rack up entries this Monday. Prizes include:
- Grand Prize: A Kindle loaded with the first 4 Blue Notes Series books and some of my other back titles
- 1st Place: A sterling silver music themed necklace
- 2nd Place: Winner’s choice of one of my back titles in paperback (i.e., not including the 2 new releases)
- 3rd Place: Blue Notes t-shirt, cover of the
winner’s choice
Note: Prizes are for U.S. winners, but I will provide alternate prizes to overseas winners!
Here’s a list of the currently planned stops on the tour and the dates of each stop:
November 11th (release day – Encore): Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words (Melanie Marshall)
November 12th: Live Your Life, Buy the Book
November 14th: Michael Rupured’s Blog
November 15th: Joyfully Jay (Blue Notes Cover Art – Interviews with the Artists)
November 18th: Elin Gregory’s blog
November 22nd: Aisling Mancy’s blog
November 26th: Andrew Q. Gordon’s blog
December 6th: Oscar’s Bruised Petals (Sandra Gardia’s blog)
December 10th: Brilliant Disguise (Tali Spencer’s blog)
December 16th: Rebecca Cohen’s blog
December 20th: Purple Rose Teahouse (Charlie Cochet’s blog)
December 23rd: Mrs. Condits and Friends
December 27th: Helen Pattskyn’s blog
Enjoy the rest of your week, and stay tuned for Encore on Monday, right here! Want to read an excerpt from Encore? Click here. You can pre-order Encore at Dreamspinner Press by clicking here. Be well! -Shira