The Shopgirl and the Vampire and a Contest!

I’m really thrilled to have won Boroughs Short Story contest “@First Sight” (okay, a bit dumbfounded, actually). The story comes out this Friday, and I adore the cover. I adored even more working with the extraordinary Chris Keeslar. Writers will know him as a fantastic editor from now-defunct Dorchester. But that description doesn’t do him justice. It’s like me saying I’m the former Editor-in-Chief at KIII communications (they used to own Seventeen and other periodicals). I am. Or the former candy counter girl at Westview Cinemas. Yup, *cough* years ago. Okay, back to Mr. Keeslar, who is the lynchpin of the exciting new Boroughs Publishing Group. He’s why I entered the contest–part of the prize was getting a full manuscript in front of him and to get a crit of it. Wow, what a great editor, honestly. He pointed out the fundamental weakness and gave awesome counsel for fixing it… just so much fun!

But this story has a very personal backstory of its own. It’s my story. And my mom’s and my whole family’s as far back as I can remember. I started this story shortly after my dear brother, Tom Schneider, passed away in March. My grief, so intense, made me think I couldn’t possibly write. But I did, and I wrote my sadness onto the page. I wrote about my mother, Kitty, who was an incredible painter, but had a somewhat depressed life. I wrote about both my brothers (who became “good” and “bad” vampires–no, I don’t dislike either of them–one is redeemed in the full length novel I’m now writing). Mostly, I wrote about myself. About feeling that the urge to write didn’t die with my brother. That there was some light at the end of the tunnel. That I could still have a “happy ever after.” That’s a lot of stuff to put in 10,000 words. I’ve never written anything so quickly. But oh, those edits! )

So thanks for listening, and as a real thank you, I want to offer you a chance to win your choice of the first three Lunchbox Romances coming this Friday! Three people will win their choice.

All you need to do is leave your name and a way to contact you. And don’t forget to stop by Friday to see if you’re a winner!

xoxo

Ciar

Two new erotic romances!

These are available again, with lovely covers (don’t you agree?) from Sasha White.

New Release! Private Dancer…Mayan Epilogues One

At the end of time and deep in the Mayan jungle, a Sergeant’s cold heart is melted by an enchanting recruit.After “The End,” Sergeant Cliff Roman’s rag-tag unit trudges in the sweltering heat on a pointless mission. One in three people worldwide has already died of the virus, but troops are sent to likely hotspots to collect biological samples.
In the shadows of Mayan ruins, Private Dustin Huang is a fish out of water, drafted into hell. A skilled, artful ballet dancer, Dustin finds a little solace in the enticing form of his Sergeant. Death itself seems to stalk the unit as they near the purported entrance of Xibalba, the Mayan Underworld. But a royal presence from antiquity intervenes to help save the mortals and usher in the next cycle for humanity. What mysterious force pushes Cliff and Dustin together?

 

 

I never thought I’d being participating in something called The Hot Jocks Hop, but lo and behold, my Samhain release Fish Out of Water has a hero who is a jock! A handsome, rich, baseball star. (See the baseball there next to the mermaid?!)

Join Guilty Pleasures and Under The Covers for locker room talk about some of our favorite JOCK romances.

You can win a boatload of prizes and books from these authors. I’m offering four electronic books from my backlist, or a signed copy of Love’s Alchemy to one USor Canadian winner! Leave your name below and check back for the winner!

Lots of authors are participating, so do visit them as well!

Don’t forget to get your book signed!

I’m now on Kindlegraph, so don’t forget if you’ve bought one of my books to get a signature!

How Many Stages do You Go Through?

My spectacularly talented pal Rusty Fischer just posted his 9 stages of a WIP. He’s such a talent, I think I picture him simply cracking his knuckles, brewing a cup of brilliance, and tapping out a completed work in a day or so. Not so, according to him.

About 95% of the time, I live in stage 1:

1. SUPREME DOUBT, in which I wonder if I should write at all, think about taking up basketweaving, and alternately feel a strong compulsion to write. This stage is gruesome, akin to some hormone-induced meltdown stuck in perpetual motion until…. something… happens.

2. AHA is my second stage. This has absolutely nothing to do with anything that happens in stage one–it’s the polar opposite of it, and I can flip back and forth between the two for months. BUT…once in while the AHA actually clicks in. I get an idea. I like the idea. And the key–I don’t care if anyone else could give a damn about it. Don’t care about the market, whether it’s a romance or nonfiction or nuttin. It just is. And I want to do it just because. It’s quite zenlike, and is totally contrary to the “put your butt in a chair for x hours a day/week/whatever” mentality. Unfortunately, I do share the “this sucks” stage that Rusty talks about.

3. THIS SUCKS. I can’t write. What a stupid idea. What was I thinking, who would contract this, I don’t have a plot (I never have a plot). Depending upon the strength of the AHA stage, or upon “real world” mitigating circumstances–work, family, etc., I may move on to…

4. THIS MAY NOT SUCK. I may or may not circuitously run the idea or title past someone. I might noodle around the net, wondering if anyone has mentioned they’re looking for this “may not suck” kinda of title. At this point, I can circle back to number 1, Supreme Doubt. This is where the book may really die for good. I have a folder of them. The sinister cousin of Supreme Doubt, I Don’t Know my Genre, may also rear its ugly head. That can put me out of commission for months. But if I get past this, I usually move onto…

5. WORK. I got this. I know what happens. I will use a lot of dialog because it’s my strength. Each time I sit down, I edit what I’ve written previously. When I get to the end, it’s a pretty clean machine, if I do say so myself. Usually no crit partners, no beta readers. I…

6. SUBMIT. This has typically gone pretty well for me.

So, I have six stages, and I’m wondering what yours are? More like me or more like Rusty? He’s so freaking complicated… Sigh.

The Fish Out of Water CONTEST!

Love–another swing and a miss? Not this time!

In celebration of my new novella Fish Out of Water, releasing July 17, I’m giving away some trinkets that represent my heroine, Caren, and my hero, Eric Fisher.

First up: those really cute earrings from the Margaritaville store in Key West, made locally. Had to buy a pair for myself.

Second: a $25 gift card to MLB.com Now what would you do with that? Well, you could buy a t-shirt like this one, except in your favorite team’s logo. Or gift it to your favorite baseball fan (they’ll know how to spend it, trust me! Think early Christmas).

Finally, you’ll get a Samhain book of your choice, to $10.

How do I get these cute things, Ciar? you ask.

It’s so simple. Take a gander at the cover, and tell me what you find in the water that seems to not belong there… Don’t answer here on my blog, of course! Just pop your answer into an email ciar@ciarcullen.com and I’ll put you in the drawing! Stop back on 7/17 and see if you won!