I think I finished revising Mistress by Midnight, which will be out sometime in the first part of 2011. This involved rearranging 100 pages of the history between Con and Laurette, and rewriting/adding some scenes. I have come to the conclusion I could fiddle with a book forever—every time I open up an old file, I see something I could have/should have done. I love this book, though—it’s Cathy and Heathcliff with a couple of kids and without the crazy.

Here’s hoping my editor likes the changes—she already told me last week my novella Not Quite a Courtesan (in Lords of Passion, Kensington Brava, Novemver 30, 2010) is good to go with no revisions. Yay! It was such fun to write. There’s a line in it she loves: “I will do it and you will like it.” I’m practicing saying that to my husband.

And I’ve started something new—the last novella of my Kensington contract. When I finish it, I will have completed everything I signed up to do last year. Of course, more revisions, copy edits and page proofs will be coming my way, so I’m not about to loll around in the lap of luxury (see below, although my bottom is much bigger). What’s new with you?
<

Despite the iffy electricity lately, I’m close to getting finished with the revisions for Mistress by Midnight. And I’m giving away another ARC of Mistress by Mistake this month to someone who follows me on Twitter/has signed up for my newsletter! All you have to do is fill out the short form on the contest page and/or click on the Twitter button. If you’re already a subscriber/follower, you’re all set.

So, is Spring happening where you are? Tell me and make me jealous. What would you miss most if you traveled back in time?

And now that I’m in my own cozy writing room, I have page proofs to read of Margaret Rowe’s Tempting Eden to keep me busy until their deadline, March 4. The manuscript came in the middle of our trip, and I was reluctant to open it up on the shiny new blue netbook we bought before we left. But when I did—so pretty! I love the font Berkley picked and the curlicues on the chapters.

I also discovered that Alan Ayers, the artist who created my beautiful Mistress by Mistake cover, also painted Tempting Eden’s! No wonder I couldn’t decide which one was more gorgeous, LOL.

The netbook is so damn cute. It fits into my (kinda large) handbag and is light enough for me to carry and not grumble. I’m still getting used to it, but it beats dragging along my husband’s laptop on trips.

Speaking of which, the cruise exceeded all our expectations. I relaxed by the pool while my husband ATVed through the jungle to see a Mayan ruin. I made two visits to the Elemis spa (you should see my red toes!) and ate way too much. I’m not getting on the scale for the foreseeable future. I also drank my first—and last—martini.

And quite by surprise, we were asked at the last minute to dine at the captain’s table the night of the formal dinner. Here’s proof that I can clean up pretty well…or they were really desperate!

We stumbled out of our stateroom and were approached by a crew member to replace a couple who had gotten sick, so we were pinch hitters. I did manage to tell people I wrote hot historical romances—the captain looked a little shocked. We dined with folks from Georgia, North Carolina and Missouri. If they’ve found this website, hi!

So, the question of the day—are you a laptop or PC person? Anyone have a netbook and experience with Windows 7, which I have not had time to explore? Have a fun travel story you’d like to share?

The man on the step was tall. Dark. Too handsome. “You!” she said. “I am glad you are here. We have business to discuss.”

Pru felt the blood rush to her cheeks. “Of course I am not!” She took a step backward. “And you are not my cousin Sophy’s husband, are you?”

In other news, I’m revising Mistress by Midnight, scheduled for Spring 2011. And I’m going on a cruise for the first time ever! We’re flying to Tampa this weekend and getting on a ship bound for two ports in Mexico. I have a new passport with the most wretchedly hideous picture you will never see. So I won’t be back to blogging until the last week in February, when I’ll spill all the details of my Courtesan Court Contest!

Happy Valentine’s Day, too. Any special plans? Have you ever been on a cruise? Any advice to keep me from falling overboard?

From Katiebabs, a picture of her demon sheep King Mho enjoying a snuggle in a slanket with Mistress by Mistake. I could not embed it, but just click on over to Katie’s site and scroll down. I’ll still be here when you come back.

From India, 527 rupees buys you Mistress by Mistake.

A page at the Brava Authors site!

A teaser chapter from Margaret Rowe’s January 2011 Berkley Heat release Any Wicked Thing is going in the back of June 2010’s Tempting Eden.

I’m in great company! Beverley Kendall has beautiful bookmarks to promote The Season. And she has great things to say about MBM right here.

So there’s the latest. Do you spend your rupees ordering books online, or must you hunt them down in the bookstore and hold them in your hand?

There’s a new News page on the menu bar above, with room for reviewers’ comments and what I’ve decided to call The Magical Mistressy Tour—my pajama-clad Internet promotion tour. I will have to polish up my wit for interviews to try to make my bespectacled library-clerk self seem mysteriously interesting. Maybe I’ll listen to some Beatles music to inspire me.

What music do you listen to for inspiration? What’s your favorite Beatles’ song? Mine is I Saw Her Standing There.

And FYI, Amazon is offering Mistress by Mistake for $11.20–in English– (cover price is $14) and Tempting Eden for $10.20 (cover price is $15) on pre-orders! What a deal. They’ve even got them grouped together. Is it embarrassing to say that I ordered some even though I get author copies? Here’s my Amazon author page , basically the same as the website biography.

I love a bargain. My dad was the shopper in our family, and he always came home with strange and wondrous things. It’s amusing to think of him, a chubby, nattily-dressed guy, pawing through the women’s clothes racks at S. Klein, the discount department store not far from where I grew up. He brought home stuff for my mother and me, guessing on sizes. Most of the time his selections were pretty good. I grew up with a ton of clothes, which dismayed my husband once we were married and I took up all the closet space.

S. Klein is closed now, but there’s always T.J. Maxx. Do you like to shop? Are you a bargain shopper or are you willing to pay full price? Do you know what the Thai alphabet looks like? (I had to Google. *g*)

I’ll post the ARC winners from the Vauxhall Vixen and Bradford Bunch posts on January 25. Everyone who signed up for the newsletter and gave me their mailing address should expect something, too.

Well, what are you waiting for? (Comments here have been turned off.)

While we’ve had a PC in the Robinson household now for 20+ years, my kids had priority. But since I started to putter around writing in 2003, I’ve taught myself a thing or two. Here, without further ado, is my Not-At-All-Ready-For-Prime-Time book trailer for Mistress by Mistake. Hollywood will not come calling any time soon, but I’ll admit I had fun fooling around. Just click on the link and be patient through the buffering. Beethoven makes everything better.

MBMistake

Do you pay any attention to book trailers? What have you taught yourself to do lately?