Tag: authors

A new book

Thanks to Lisa in Iowa, I just became aware that Bart Yates has a new book coming out. I loved his first book, LEAVE MYSELF BEHIND, so I checked out his site for information on the new novel.

His cover is so close to what Tim had envisioned Alyson doing for us on THREE FORTUNES IN ONE COOKIE. When Tim described his vision to me, I said, “Yeah, and they should make it look a little dreamy, with that kind of colorization that was used on Ethan Mordden’s first couple of Buddies books.”

Kensington has done that for Bart Yates on THE BROTHERS BISHOP. When I wrote our editor there and praised the cover, telling him it brought tears (of envy) to my eyes, he said the novel itself brought tears to his eyes because it’s so good.

Congratulations, Bart Yates. I’m not only looking forward to reading your novel, but I love your cover.

Rupert Everett, Eye Feast

One of Tim’s birthday DVDs, recommended to me by Dean James, was a movie called Unconditional Love. It’s a big old sprawling movie that’s silly, funny, sad, and has the daughter-in-law from hell–or is she? Kathy Bates, Dan Akroyd, Jonathan Pryce, a few cameos, and the delicious and talented Rupert Everett (pre-plastic surgery). Anyone else seen this movie?

A year, already??

So, The Deal is one year old this month.

I can’t believe twelve months have passed since its release. And then I remember writing two books since then and it seems like a decade.

And even though it’s a year old, it still gives us a little surprise now and then. Mail from a new reader. Possible future plans for it.

Thank you, Timothy J. Lambert, for being such a great writing partner.

And now, looking forward to September.

How To Start A Novel (Not)

1. Write a short story. Three months later, if the characters are still with you, decide to write a novel proposal for your editor.

2. Spend all your time on a different novel proposal for a different editor to give No. 1 more time to germinate.

3. Submit what you’ve done in No. 2 so you can have a higher level of anxiety as you get back to No. 1.

4. Now that you’ve worked yourself into a state of finger-freezing fear, come up with an excellent first sentence for Novel No. 1 in your head.

5. Get a migraine headache for three days that requires large doses of painkillers. You can be sure that you will dream whole passages of Novel No. 1 in between clutching your head, cursing your hormones, and having strange dreams about Rio sending the wrong e-mail to the wrong people.

6. Wake up without a migraine on Day 4. Water the flowers and plants in the front yard. Cook breakfast. Pay bills. Wander aimlessly through the house. Write comments in Famous Author Rob Byrnes’s blog. Update your Live Journal. Do anything but work on No. 1.

Hey, Rhonda!

Get yourself a belated birthday present on June 1, when you can buy the U.S. release of “And Tango Makes Three,” the story of two gay male penguins at Manhattan’s Central Park Zoo who get some help with their desire to have a family. (Authors: Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson)

Penguin love! =)

My favorite topic

When I first met Tim, he had long hair, and I loved it. He was still living in NYC when he cut it off, and he sent me a little braid of it as a memento.

After he moved here, I begged him to grow it long again, and he did. He has great hair, so it looks good long. Plus, I don’t know. He does all these cool things that give him a rock star look. I know he didn’t keep it long just for me, but he definitely didn’t want to hear me whining if he decided to cut it, so it got longer and longer. Like this.
Continue reading “My favorite topic”

Impressed

I just finished reading Michael Cunningham’s novel FLESH AND BLOOD. I swear I must have started it years ago and something interrupted, because the beginning was familiar. But a few chapters in, it was all new.

What a fantastic novel. I’ll be thinking about it for a while with admiration and respect. Okay, I’ll gnash my teeth with jealousy. Rend my garments in a fit of pique. Then I’ll let it go and get back to work. After the 15th, according to my horoscope in OutSmart Magazine.

Larry my wonderful friend and hairstylist told Tim and me today that our picture was in the back of OutSmart. So it was! All four TJB writers at our Houston signing (thank you, Cullen and Borders). And thank you, OutSmart, Tim Brookover (editor), and Dalton Dehart (photographer).

Murder! Mayhem!

It’s the theme of the week. My first visit to Houston’s Murder By The Book was for a Q&A/booksigning for two mystery authors Harley Jane Kozak and Randy Wayne White. Both were wonderfully funny speakers (shockingly, many writers are not), and I’m looking forward to reading their books, DATING IS MURDER and DEAD OF NIGHT. Some of you might recognize Harley Jane from the movies Parenthood and Arachnophobia as well as a variety of soap roles.

with photos