I have to say, I'm really, really, really excited about this. In less than one month, SNUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON: And Other Bombay Bedtime Stories will be available as an ebook everywhere!

Right now, it's available for pre-order at Amazon - which is pretty cool:

http://amzn.com/B00DLIH8IK




Here's the blurb from the site: A collection of short stories from National Bestselling author Leslie Langtry...




What do the Minotaur, Rasputin, the first man hung for murder in America, and the Countess of Blood all have in common? No, they aren’t related. They all appeared on the Bombay Family’s Hit List! In this collection of Bombay Bedtime Stories, you’ll find out what Bombays did before Gin Bombay came along. From pet Dodo birds of the very first Bombay to Ancient Greece and 20th Century Russia, get the stories Bombay children have been told for thousands of years. Stories that have been shrouded in blood-sworn secrecy…until now!






There are six stories in the book - which is about the length of a novella - like PARADISE BY THE RIFLE SIGHTS. And I already have several more ideas for another edition. 

On Tuesday I started my first ever online writing workshop, Book In A Month with Candace Havens. While I've attended workshops at conferences, this is really the first time I've taken an immersive class and I'm beyond excited. Oh, and a little scared shitless.

 The first two weeks of class are Fast Draft. 20 pages a day is the standard goal. *insert psycho music here* Then, we move into Revision Hell for the last two weeks.

Yep, all sounds so fun right?

Since I'm writing this post before class starts - one of the suggestions for the workshop is to write all your blog posts prior to starting - it means I can't tell you how it's going so far. I can say that there are some authors taking the class with me that can’t help but have me thinking, “They write books all the time, how the hell am I going to keep up with that?”

From the introductions so far, it shows that no matter how many books you’ve had published there will always be a time to refocus and work on getting back to just getting your butt in that chair and writing till it hurts. While some might find this idea daunting, it humanizes the authors and the writing process for me. Suddenly, I don’t feel like I’m taking the class because I’m a loser that can’t get her ass in the chair. Having recognizable authors there helps me connect that learning is an on-going activity and not just for writing losers.

I've actually wanted to take this workshop for ages and I'm hoping this class will make me disciplined about moving forward faster. I'm also secretly wishing that this push forces me to write more naturally instead of thinking about how I "should" write. My writing needs to find it's voice and I need to learn discipline. Two birds, one stone.

Many of my illustrious co-pirates have not only taken workshops, but taught them as well. So, I thought what better group to come to for some advice and insight on workshops than right here on The Revenge.

Has anyone taken Candace’s Fast Draft/Revision Hell class before? What workshops have you taken and loved or hated? What advice do you give for getting the most out of an online workshop? If you have a workshop coming up, please share it with us! Oh, and if you want to join me you are only 1 day behind! Click that link at the top to check it out and ignore my evil cackling laugh as I try to coherence you to step into the madness.

I've been popping through some books lately. I read the Scotland series by the Mallory author; and I also read the Three Sisters Trilogy by Nora Roberts (even though I don't have a single keeper book of Nora's on my shelves and I usually will turn up my nose and read the Wall Street Journal than a book by her on an average day); and I even read a sci-fi novel, Grimspace, mostly because it was by that author that all the rude sci-fi male authors were being dillholes about. Okay, not all the sci-fi male authors--the white conservative Republican half--I was reassured to see a more liberal, fair-minded group of male authors who were very supportive of women sci-fi writers and what they bring to the genre. And weren't threatened that the women authors might write about love...and cooties. And God knows what else--a committed relationship, I suppose.

So I do have to admit, I enjoyed all the Sisters books. I just liked the concept all the way around. On a story level, I'd give them all a 5 star; and on my nitpicky writerly-readerly side, I give them a 4, because yes, yes, the great LaNora's writing voice just irks me a tad. It's not "deep" enough for me--and I'm all about the deeper.

Hmm. I just had a giggle. I knew this boy once--Mike--and he used to say that if a girl wanted him to go "faster" or "harder", he was more than happy to oblige her, but if she wanted "deeper", he would have to start talking philosophy. Bless his heart. Anyway, it's a little like that. Nora is great at the faster and the harder--great pacing, lots of action, urgency and danger. Oddly, though, for me, I still feel on the surface of the story, like I'm being told something rather than shown something. *shrugs* Not everything works for everyone, as the saying goes around here.

As for Grimspace, I too would give it a 5 stars for the story, but as for myself, I'd probably give it a 4. 4 is that designation I give books when I think, "Really good, but I'd never re-read this book." That's really what makes a book a 5 for me. Would I take this book to my deserted island? Clearly that's all personal opinion--but aren't all book reviews? Yes, we can say, "Yes, the setting, dialogue, characters--all great--but did I ever buy this as more than a story? Not really." I realize that's expecting a lot of the books I read, but there is something about a Julie Anne Long book, the characters are so real, you know you could go back in time and meet them. Same with Lisa Kleypas and Eloisa James. But eh, not every story is like that. Couldn't expect them to be. How would you know happiness from sadness if you didn't experience both now and again?

Grimspace was a bit like Hans Solo meets The Fugitive--the main character, Sirantha Jax, is trying to escape from "the authorities" and meanwhile she's being helped by, well, another Hans Solo...a Princess Lei (don't let Dina hear you call her that), and Spock. Oh, wait, that's two different sci-fi worlds, isn't it? Oh, well. You experts sort it out. It had its romance, its humor, its moments of near-death experience, but in the end, I'm not sure I'd read it again. But that is just a matter of personality. I have a fascination for history, history's stories, the people in history--so historical novels are much easier for me to slip into, like a warm bubble bath. Sci-fi--like the invigorating cold shower it is--definitely is a nice change of pace but it's not something I would willingly embrace everyday for the rest of my natural life with no warm baths in return. (Whereas I think sci-fi people tend to think of their stories as the warm bath...know what I mean?)

Anyway, I found both the Three Sisters trilogy and Grimspace to be excellent "going outside the comfort zone" type of books. They seem the cream of the crop of their "type"--and I usually find that a good book is a good book when this is the case. So I'm still giving myself a gold star for seeing the greatness in each story, even if I had to decide if I would keep the book or not, they'd be passed along to someone else who would probably value them more. (I have to keep the space for my Harry Potter books, you know.)

What are you doing (or reading) outside of your comfort zone lately? All progress is great progress.

So my hubs, for anyone who doesn't know, is crazy about lacrosse. He coaches the club team at school. He plays on a traveling league. He plays on a local pick-up league. He coaches at (multiple, out-of-state) camps in the summer. He plays in tournaments year round.

Seriously. It's insane.*

He has two tournaments coming up. Each are three-day trips to picturesque spots (Lake Placid!). I've been to a few of these tournaments. There's maybe 20 teams, of 15-25 grown men** per team. They all get sponsors for their uniforms and helmets, and the lacrosse companies set up promotional tents all over the parking lot. There's a big bracket set up and 3 days are spent whittling the 20 teams down to a couple winners. Then everything gets broken down and a couple month later, it all starts over in a different city, with half the players shuffled between teams and new uniforms and helmets for all.

Notice what a big fan I am.

But I'm going to both of these tournaments, and I have a plan. I'm going to make it a writing-retreat-type getaway. Three days of quiet hotel rooms with lake-front views and room service. Nature everywhere to kick start my creativity.

On the one hand, I'm ridiculously excited about this. I've been craving long blocks of dedicated writing time. This is exactly what I need. The end is in sight. With enough focus, I might just get there.

On the other hand, I am my own worst enemy. I am brilliant at staring at my computer screen for two hours without actually writing anything. I can research and research and research . . .

In other words, I could very easily come away from these trips with nothing, even if I had the best of intentions, even if I ignored all the distractions and kept my butt in the chair and my fingers on the keyboard the entire time.

Anybody done this? Gone away for a few days with a primary goal of writing for massive blocks of time? How'd you do? Anyone have some strategies for using the time to my advantage? For staying focused and productive?


*though lets be honest, it's not that much more insane than spending hundreds of hours writing down what the voices in my head say, and swearing it'll pay off one day.
* uh, right.

Having a bit of a Mike Meyers moment. Always did love that skit.

Once upon a time, back when Hellion was a young lass, Hellion read stories set in Scotland like they were Regencies. Instead of Regencies. Instead of most anything. If the hero didn't have a kilt, he was no hero. This can possibly be blamed on Julie Garwood and her string of lovely Scottish books. Who could ever forget The Secret?

Then I stopped reading Scottish set romances. I'm not sure why this was, but again, I could probably make an educated guess it was about the time I took that history research class and did this semester-long paper on William Wallace and the fight for Scottish Independence. This should have made me more of a reader of Scottish romances, but instead, I was suddenly annoyed by all the romances that had a man in a kilt, but seemed as historically significant as grated parmesan cheese in a bottle. Just not the same as the kind grated right off the block, if you know what I mean. Sawdust filler. So I quit reading them...and began avoiding them like vampire novels. In fact, this might have been around the time I started reading vampire novels. I had sunken into the Abyss.

Then I found a series by Monica McCarty, about a high concept series that was like Special Ops forces set in Robert the Bruce's time period. (My own sweet, dear William!) I fell into that series like a sinner falls back into vice, wholeheartedly and wondering where it had been during the last several cold empty years. Gradually, I began tentatively poking at other Scottish novels. Very tentatively. The back blurb really had to get me. I wasn't a fan of the man in the kilt on the cover. I don't care how pretty he looked. What was the story?

I was having a gander at the library selection last week and was struck by a book called THE WARRIOR by Margaret Mallory. Okay, the cover was really nice. And the hero's name was Duncan. (Yes, I was a fan of the Highlander series. Who wasn't a fan of the Highlander series? Adrian Paul is a god.) Anyway, Duncan captured my attention...and he was in love with the chieftain's daughter, Moira, who is wild and reckless and madly in love with him. I read the first page--and before I finished the first paragraph, I put the book in my pile and made my way to the check out line.

In the vein of Monica McCarty's novels, where the heroines feel true to the period--even the chieftain's reckless, wild daughter--this story had plenty of authentic feeling detail. It's not easy being a girl in this time period. The women are forged of steel, and the men better be strong enough to hold them or they're not going to last. These are men who are looking for redemption; and women who love them just the same. My kind of Scottish novel. Dark, gritty, angsty Scottish novels.

So I read THE WARRIOR in about a day...and now I've started the next in the series, THE CHIEFTAIN, and I'm just as delighted by the detail and weave of storytelling in this one. And though I started this series out of order, I've gone back and retrieved the other two in the series because I cannot bear to not read Alex (the Viking)'s story, his book aptly titled THE SINNER.

There you have it. My recommendations of the week...and my newfound delight again in Scottish novels. What are you reading--and have you rediscovered a new interest in an old love?

Today felt like the perfect day for a parody. Bring out your Christmas music because that's what the tune is. Now, all together:

TWO winners!!

Drumroll please....



Congrats to commenter 14 and 8- Julie and Janga!!

Please email Jill Shalvis: jshalvis @ gmail dot com  (please take out the DOT and add a . )

Thank you for coming by and commenting!

Sin

You caught me. I almost forgot. Please understand my pirate boyfriend showed up, and being we're a lot like two ships passing in the night, he's a little distracting, and it was only as I was laying in bed, thinking about said pirate that I went: Shit. JuJuSuCh.

How could I have forgotten?

Ah, well, the first week is always a bit shaky, right? It's okay.

So I'll admit mine first to make you all feel better. I got about 500 words. Yes, not even 600--not even four pages; however, there were 500 more words than I had last week and I'll take them.

How are you pirates doing with your pages and word counts? Any Muses missing or are all your words flying onto the page faster than you can type them?

Me, I keep opening my WIP, staring at the blinking cursor, and then going, "Well, hell, what next?" The Muse and I are at an impasse; and I have the attention span of a gnat. It's like meditation. Just takes time. AND PRACTICE.

Need to work on the second just a little more diligently.

Hope to hear your reports are much, much better than mine.

Fess up. How goes it?

We're celebrating the launch of Mr. Nice Spy, a prequel novella to the novel I, Spy! Read on to find out more about the book, get a cool spy tip for your daily life and download a free copy! You can also find Mr. Nice Spy on Amazon, Kobo, and JordanMcCollum.com!

About the Book

Canada is probably the last place you'd expect to find an American spy. CIA operative Elliott Monteith has made it work, just like he's made things work with his longtime fiancée Shanna. Until Shanna lays out an ultimatum: move forward or move on. Meanwhile, Elliott and his best friend and fellow operative, Talia Reynolds, try to track an elusive leak at the American embassy. But something changes between Elliott and Talia as they close in on the man selling out his country. Professional and personal lines blur and Elliott has to choose—his fiancée or his best friend. More about Mr. Nice Spy | Add Mr. Nice Spy to your Goodreads to-read list!

I, Spy

Mr. Nice Spy is a prequel to the novel I, Spy, available now. To save her country and her secrets, CIA operative Talia Reynolds will have to sacrifice the man she loves. More about I, Spy.

About the author

An award-winning author, Jordan McCollum can’t resist a story where good defeats evil and true love conquers all. In her day job, she coerces people to do things they don’t want to, elicits information and generally manipulates the people she loves most—she’s a mom. Jordan holds a degree in American Studies and Linguistics from Brigham Young University. When she catches a spare minute, her hobbies include reading, knitting and music. She lives with her husband and four children in Utah.

Hone your spy skills

Do spy skills help moms? Oh yeah! Further hone your spy skills by reading Mr. Nice Spy!

The clue!

As part of the debut of Mr. Nice Spy, Jordan is hosting a contest to figure out the "theme" song for the story. Collect clues at each blog stop and use your spy skills to piece together the clues to win a $25 Amazon gift card! How to enter The clue for this stop is:

The freebie!

Thanks for participating in this launch tour! As a free gift this week, Jordan is giving out free copies of Mr. Nice Spy! Simply to go http://JordanMcCollum.com/store/. You can also get 40% off I, Spy!

I'm going to say up front this book isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. It was definitely MY cup of tea, but I own up to the fact that I've always had a soft spot (or several) for the "bad boy"/irredeemable rogue, mind-altering sex, and the demon who gives it to her.

Yes, I've actually thought Incubi were actually rather sexy rather than, oh, demonic with a side of date rape. (I feel a need to clarify: I'm not so much for the rape as the "seduction" which is really ravishing one with pleasure whether she wants it or not--assuming the guy looks like Channing Tatum and she's secretly in love with him but doesn't want to admit it. Tomato, Tomah-toe. I know I need therapy--so does everyone who liked 50 Shades of Grey.)

Anyway to a stickler of romance, a specter who visits your dreams, ravishes you in the night, but doesn't really have a relationship with you in the light of day, probably won't constitute one's definition of a healthy relationship or one that would likely have any sort of Happily Ever After. Then again, this is very Beauty and the Beast in its structure, and everyone agrees that was a romance. And that dude had some severe anger problems.

So if you've stuck with me, you either have a faint appreciation for "seduction" Beauty and the Beast myths, or you're too curious for your own good and are hopeful I'll share something even more damning.

THE DEMON LOVER is the first in a trilogy by Juliet Dark. I discovered it when I found the second book in the series, read the first few pages, and decided, "You know, I think I like this" and ferreted out the other book so I could pathologically read them in order. Which was in my best interest because this is not a series you could just start wherever and hope to know what's going on.

You see, THE DEMON LOVER is more of a sci-fi/fantasy novel. World building. Nerdy facts. The little detail of things that sends me into giddy delight, much like the incubus. I want to visit Fairwick, and not just to meet the incubus.

Callie McFay is a professor at a small college called Fairwick, in the town of Fairwick, which has an interesting lifestyle of being the place where fairies, witches, and otherworldly creatures all live together in relative harmony. The door to Fairy is located there, but before Callie showed up, there hadn't been a doorkeeper for some time. Doorkeepers are uber-important, able to keep the baddies on their side of the line, able to help get those who need to cross back over the help they need to make it there. Unfortunately, Callie doesn't know she's a doorkeeper, or that she's half-witch, half-fairy, but it comes clear pretty quickly.

The world building feels true to the fairy tales and lore we grew up with; and the rituals she practices with the witches also feels true and honorable to the craft. I found her voice very readable; and I'm intrigued to know what will happen in the third book (I've already tore through the second book and also highly recommend). I really really hope Callie is able to somehow work it out with her "beast" without him killing her--after all, it's rather endearing to see what he does to try to win her love.

This series is shelved in the romance section--but I don't think it's the classic romance that will be embraced by the Hoards--you know that whole questionable seduction and demon thing, plus the romance part is still up in the air at the end of the first book...and likely the second. However, I don't see sci-fi/fantasy snatching it up because it has to do with incubi and fairy tales--and that's clearly romance. This is a genuine hybrid and will have a definite following, but I always wonder about books like this.

Do you have any books that you loved/liked that seemed to defy genre or labeling? Anyone else fans of fairy tale settings or fairy tale lore in their books?