What's Up With Canice?

It's been hectic the past few months since my last entry. I was 6 weeks late getting any edits from my editor on The Learning Curve. That threw it late getting to the proofer. The Proofing Dept. was on the ball and I even got an unsolicited "kudo" for the book! However, it needed to go back to the editor, because the publisher says there is a limit on the amount of words in one chapter. Some of mine were double what she quoted to be the norm, so that had to be fixed. This pushed it up to Christmas. Revisions done, I sent it back around the end of December and the first of January. It was suppose to be released by the end of January, but I'm still waiting for an actual announcement from the publisher. This is the first book of five in the Yesterday's Innocence series.

This novella - Virtual Lovers - is a sci-fi erotica. Not my normal writing, but certainly a mind-boggling and thought-provoking read. This has absolutely nothing to do with online relationships. This propels the idea of interactive gaming to years ahead.

I subbed it last month to Freya's Bower, but got a rejection with invitation to re-sub to them from the editor, if I develop the characters and scale down the sub-plots within it. Not sure what I'm going to do with it, although I will develop the relationship between one of the main characters and her contrived lover. I have had an inquiry from the managing editor who would love to see me re-sub it to Freya's Bower perhaps around May when she can actually have a look at it herself. That is encouraging. Although I had originally written this book with two other publishers in mind, I decided to sub it to Freya's Bower because they have been so supportive of my work right from the beginning. I don't know if I want this manuscript to sit around until May though. So, it's still up in the air. I'll decide once I've gotten the rewrites done on it.

I entered the Amber Quill Press contest on January 15th. The last day to sub an entire manuscript of no less than 10K words. Something Strange About Angelina is another uncommon area of writing for me. It is a Dark Fantasy/Contemporary erotica. Amber Quill holds this contest each year and it is the only time a new manuscript can be subbed to this publisher if you are not already published with them. They announce the winners of this contest on March 1st, and publish the winning manuscripts in June. This is the first time I've subbed to them, so I'm hoping to get in. You can visit their website at http://www.amberquillpress.com/. I've got plenty to keep me busy, so this month will go by quickly.

Other writing projects include: A BDSM novella for Freya's Bower's upcoming anthologies. They have two planned. One with female Dominants and one with male Dominants. I also have to have a 700 word Foreword written for each of the books. Although I don't need to have a cover for it, I always design one. My novella for the male Dominant anthology is titled Servitude: a submissive journey. This manuscript has to be in no later than March 31st. The story is based on a submissive woman who has been trained for several months by a male Dom who has now completed her training. The day has arrived that He will now remove His training collar from around her neck. No longer under His tutelege, the submissive has spent the preceding weeks practicing her offer of submission to Him. It is only in her POV, and she goes over in her mind all the trials and errors of her training under Him. The reader will "get inside her head" and understand the attraction of this lifestyle. Why would anyone want to serve another? With little or no say in choices made daily? Be prepared to empathize, sympathize, and visualize the beauty of a lifestyle that eliminates the power struggles of a "vanilla" relationship. Understand how a submissive actually controls the relationship through set limits. Understand how a submissive is not anyone's doormat in this lifestyle. Understand how strength of mind, character, commitment, and soul are required to kneel before any Dominant. Many may ask how I could write an introspective piece such as this. It's easy for me. I've been there, done that. I have first hand experience in this lifestyle. Eight years worth.

I'm also up to my eyeballs in polishing the 2nd book of the Yesterday's Innocence series which has to be to Freya's Bower by the end of February. Innocent Lies/Dangerous Truths follows the two main characters from book one, The Learning Curve.

I also wanted to submit a manuscript to Freya's Bower for their T.R.O.U.B.L.E. line, but that has a February 21st deadline, and I'm just not sure I can crank out a novel/category length by then, even using one of my manuscripts already in progress. Another time perhaps.

I have another historical time travel erotica that has laid on the back burner for a year now. I've wanted to work on it and get it ready to sub, but right now that's still on hold. I actually have this one earmarked for my search for an agent. You have to have a completed manuscript for the majority of them, so this one is the chosen one.

Goals for 2007: I want to seriously seek an agent. I want to start and complete another paranormal/shapeshifter set in Rouses Point like the novella published last November titled The Goblin, The Witch, and the Single Girl.

Okay, this post is getting annoyingly long. I'll post more later.