Archive for the 'Eye of the Tempest' Category

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Yay San Francisco!

Today’s my last day in San Francisco. In a few hours the shuttle will come retrieve me, and then it’s back to Greensburg.

I’ve had such a great time here! First off, it’s always such a delight to see my friend Jana. We’ve been friends ever since we were wee girls, so it’s so satisfying to see her life here develop. She just bought a beautiful place with her brother, and they’ve got themselves a lovely life on the Bay.

The day I arrived, I puttered around the Marina area till Jana got home, and then we were off to the San Francisco Whiskyfest. We tasted tons of great stuff, although I don’t think Jana is a convert. After Whiskyfest, Jana took me to the most amazing Italian restaurant, the name of which I’m entirely incapable of remembering as it’s just a number. But it was delicious: really fresh ingredients served beautifully and simply.

The next day, we went to Jana’s friends to watch the Blue Angels. Good news? It was a gorgeous day and we had a blast. Bad news? I got ridiculously sunburned on my neck. Like stupidly sunburned. So when I did LitCrawl that night, I seriously nearly fainted. I think to the audience I just appeared a bit breathless, but inside I was like, “Dude, I’m totally going to faint. How rockstar is that?”

But I didn’t faint, and LitCrawl was very fun. The people at Borderlands were really kind and very good hosts, and it was great meeting the other authors. I also got to spend time with Gail Carriger, and she was nice enough to invite Jana and me out with her friends for dinner. We had Senegalese food, and it was delicious.

The day after that, we went to meet Alice Gray, a writer friend of mine, for brunch. Again, it was super fun and the food was delish. That night, Jana and I rallied for another big meal, this time at the House of Prime Rib with Sophie Littlefield, Juliet Blackwell, and Rachael Herron. All I can say is that we needed a cordoned off area around us, or some sort of zoning, as the smutty talk was flying thick and fast. Jana and I laughed so hard our ribs hurt the next day, and I know the ladies adored Jana as much as I do. The food was also amazing, and I highly recommend that place. Not least because the zeppelins of meat are REAL, people:

Yesterday was another fun day. Alice’s hubs works in the wine industry, and invited us out to a vineyard in Napa. Who can resist an invite like that? After a long day in the sun, wine tasting, we spent our evening watching movies and relaxing.

So it’s been a great vacation. I feel recharged and ready to tackle the second half of our semester, and to finish writing Eye of the Tempest. It’s nearly there!

In other fun news, the audiobook for Tempest Rising has it’s sample up! I think it sounds great, and I’m very pleased with the actress choice. There are a few f-bombs littering this piece, so careful listening:

Tempest Rising Sample

So yay! Thanks to everyone in SF for showing me a good time, especially Jana. She’s the best friend a gal could have.

I’ll see you back here in a few days. But until then, do something fun to celebrate October.

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Published on October 12, 2010 in Appearances, Eye of the Tempest, My Travels, Nicole Peeler and Tempest Rising. 5 Comments Tags: .

Git Yer Updates Here!

Lots of updates today, folks!

Probably my most exciting news is that Eye of the Tempest has its release date! My fourth book (eep!) will be coming out August 1, 2011. The cover is almost ready to be shared, and, again, I’m really happy. It’s super fun! Everything should be up on Amazon, shortly.

In other news that makes me incredibly proud and happy, my mentee, Lauren Stone, has just signed with my very own agent. I loved Lauren’s project, and was thrilled to pass her work to Rebecca (my agent), and even more thrilled when Rebecca also thought it was something special. You can read Lauren’s own take on her signing with her new agent, here.

I’ve also just announced a new signing in November, in Lancaster, PA. You can read about it on my appearances page. And don’t forget that in October I’ll be at Borderlands, in San Francisco, for LitCrawl!

For those of you interested in my newest new role as a creative writing professor, I’ve done an interview with Creative Writing Now, here.

In final Me! Me! Me! news, I’ve set up a Formspring account. This is a place people can ask me questions, and both the questions and answers will become part of this website’s FAQ. So ask me some questions, here, and I’ll be sure to answer them.

And now I switch the spotlight, only to use the distraction to doff my PIMP HAND. This week we saw many new releases, and I’m very excited to tell you about some of them!

First of all, one of my absolute favorite people, Carolyn Crane, saw the release of her second Disillusionist book, Double Cross:

I adored the first book, and can’t wait to read the second! If you’re intrigued, Carolyn made her own AWESOME book trailer for the second novel. I often hate book trailers, but I thought this one was so clever and awesome. It’s located here, and there’s also some other fun, book related things on her YouTube sight.

Another exciting release is Jeremy Lewis’s Revamped, now in mass market!

My old buddy from Shreveport, Rachel Vincent, has number six in her Shifters series, Alpha, out. This series has been on my TBR list forever, and everyone raves out about it. Can’t wait to dig in!

And last, but certainly not least, is Cherie Priest’s latest steampunk, Dreadnought:

Boneshaker’s cover was gorgeous, and I think this one is even cooler. Congrats, Cherie, and to all the other authors with Book Birthdays this week. Huzzah!

OH, I almost forgot! And speaking of Huzzahs, CONGRATS TO DAKOTA AND ROB! Love you guys! YAY FOR GETTING HITCHED!

See y’all back at the Emporium shortly! In the meantime, ask me some questions! ;-)

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Published on September 30, 2010 in Appearances, Coming Soon!, Eye of the Tempest and Pimpage!. 4 Comments

Still Off Visiting!

Where have I been, you ask? Well, I’ve been off visiting!

The lovely Jaye Wells and I are still going strong over at Border’s Babel Clash. We’ve talked about all sorts of interesting things involving heroines, humor, and urban fantasy. In my last post, I talked about why I added hedonism to the list, or why I chose to write a female character who’s so unapologetically self-indulgent.

In other news, I want to send out HUGE congrats to one of my fave UF authors, Carolyn Crane, whose sequel Double Cross just received a starred review from Romantic Times. I absolutely adored Mind Games and I can’t wait to read Double Cross. Carolyn’s created a world that’s truly unique in UF, and I find her books thrilling to read.

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Check out Carolyn’s books if you haven’t already. The first one was great, and the second looks like it’ll be even better.

All rightie, folks, with that I’m off to write more Jane. I’m at over 25.000 words on Eye of the Tempest and it’s going great.

I’m leaving you with this video about Newport, in Wales, that Dr. Ruth showed me and that I find endlessly entertaining. Ohhhhh how I love a Welsh accent.

See y’all back at the Emporium, soon. ;-)

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Published on August 25, 2010 in Eye of the Tempest, Guest Blogs, Pimpage! and Reviews. 1 Comment Tags: , .

Updates, Updates, and More Updates

Well hello, everybody! Life here at Casa Peeler has been all about ORIENTATION. I had new faculty orientation last week, and this week we had regular orientation. As with all orientations, I’m feeling very disoriented at the moment. Lots of new people, new procedures, new ideas…but it’s all good! Everything will settle in soon.

And speaking of settling, my new apartment is getting there. I’ve got lots of new furniture. Here’s some random pics:

Yay! Eventually, when I can afford them, I’ll buy dining room chairs. Then I’ll be domestic as a plate!

In book news, Eye is coming along nicely. There’s something about me and work: the more I have to do, the more I do do. I’m so anxious about the deadline for Eye that I’m sort of obsessive about working on it. I’m also having a huge amount of fun writing it, and I find that it becomes its own stress relief. I get anxious, I write, and then I feel 100% better about myself and the world. Funny, that!

TR and Tracking have also both come out in the UK, and I’ve got some extra copies of the British TR. I’ll definitely be doing a contest in a few weeks, once things settle down, to give some away. They look stunning! Slightly larger than the ones in the US, with covers that are Sharon’s original art with a sort of Frank Milleresque wash to the color scheme. Love them!

And speaking of contests, for those people to whom I owe prize packs, THEY HAVE BEEN UNEARTHED! Now I just have to make time to go to the post office. ;-) That WILL happen in the next week, come hell or high water. If it doesn’t you can send your people after me. I’ll deserve it.

In very, very exciting news, the lovely Psynde has created a line of jewelry inspired by Jane! I absolutely adore this stuff, and I get to vet all the pieces, so you guys have to check it out! Jane doesn’t wear a lot of jewelry in the books, but if she did, this would be it, for sure. I love this stuff!

Finally, for the next two weeks, things will be pretty quiet over at Dr. Peeler’s Emporium, because I’m squaring off with Jaye Wells at BABEL CLASH. Hopefully no chairs will be involved, although I’m perfectly willing to cut a bitch if that Wells woman gets out of hand.

So see you over at Babel Clash! Until then, I’ll keep the Emporium warm for our return.

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Published on August 17, 2010 in Contests, Day Job!, Eye of the Tempest and Guest Blogs. 12 Comments Tags: .

Seattle: The Beginning

Hello everybody! I wasn’t going to blog until after my vacay, but then I realized that was dumb. I’m here for like a week and a half, and if I don’t keep up with the blogging it’ll be ridiculous. I’ll end up with a monster blog post that NEVER ENDS, plus I’ll have forgotten everything from the beginning of the trip by the time I get to the end of the trip.

So I’m going to be a Good Blogger and blog every few days or so, depending on what I’ve done and whether or not I’m sober. There will be no drunk-blogging on this site, let me tell you! Not after that last time, with the team of oxen . . . ;-)

To tell you the truth, I couldn’t have been happier to leave Pennsylvania when I did. It’s not the state: I’m actually really enjoying my new home. It’s the BOXES and the never ending unpacking that was getting to me. Plus, I made another move from a place where I had tons of friends, love, and support to another new place where I know virtually no one. I know I’ll make friends quickly and everything will be fine, but for right now I’m a bit lonely.

So this trip to Seattle is perfect. I got into my new place, and could (mostly) unpack while ordering the things I really needed right away. Then I left as soon as I started to get bored and feeling a mite solitary, to go to a city where I already know quite a few people, and to which a load of my closest friends will shortly be descending. Which rocks! Plus, I’m here till the day before my orientation at my new job begins, where I will (hopefully) meet some people to bother incessantly with my need for human contact and social drinkiepoos. Score!

Because I was feeling a bit morose the day I left PA, I indulged myself by eating a Platter o’ Fat from the Pittsburgh airport’s TGIFridays. It was horrifying and delicious, as only a platter of American appetizers can be.

I ate about a quarter of it, and felt sick for about an hour after. But I gotta say, there is nothing more glorious than a fried stick of cheese. And then I proceeded to eat even MORE cheese, that night. Cheese baked, whipped, and/or set on fire, but I’ll get to that…..

Miraculously, especially as I was flying through O’Hare, all of my flights were on time. Which meant I got to join Kat Richardson and Mr. Kat’s anniversary dinner. They were so sweet to invite me, and I really appreciated the invitation, the kindness of their friends, and the deliciousness of the restaurant, Panos Kleftikos. The food was amazing. I’m a big fan of Greek food, and in my time I’ve done my fair share of damage to the baked feta. But this place was really, really good and the homemade pita nearly broke me with tastiness. There was also a LOT of red wine consumed from little highball glasses, my favorite way to drink it. Here’s Kat and me:

And Kat’s friend Lance, doing a fabulous impression of how everyone should leave a Greek Taverna (ie, carried out by friends):

I had such a blast, and I really appreciated how welcoming everyone was on my first night in Seattle!

This morning I woke up, showered, and immediately headed to the Starbucks downstairs to write some Jane. On the flight over to Seattle, I got my outline all sorted for what should be a very tight, very fast-paced, and pretty awesome fourth book, Eye of the Tempest. I already have fifty pages I’m fairly in love with, but had gotten stuck as I had NO IDEA what the middle of the book would contain. Luckily, my amazing Ideas Factory, Christie Ko, helped me out and after a few powwows with her, I knew I was ready. So I got the book all outlined on the plane, and this morning I did a Shit Ton of writing. I’m loving this book, so far. The “point” of this book is Jane, alone, really coming into her own, which I find such an exciting and inspiring idea. There’s also a lot of shenanigans, and an early scene that I think will make all my Anyan fans happy.

Around lunch time, the ever fabulous Psynde came to pick me up from Starbucks. For those of you unfamiliar with Psynde, she makes amazing jewelry for Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series and for Jaye Well’s Sabina Kane series. She’s also thinking of picking up Jane and doing some jewelry for my series. I loved her ideas (think a gothier, punkier Betsey Johnson look) and I think my characters (Grizzie!) could inspire some great looks.

What do you think? Do you guys like that idea? Would you buy some Tempest inspired jewelry?

I had a great time with Psynde. She took me to sign stock at the downtown Barnes and Noble and Borders, and we did some shopping (hello, Fluevogs!). We also went to the most amazing place for lunch, which I can’t recommend highly enough. It’s called Dahlia Lounge, owned by celebrity chef Tom Douglas:

I had the most delicious thing I’ve eaten in a long time while I was there: a super-posh grilled cheese with this absolutely gorgeous tomato soup. It was heavenly, as only really simple comfort foods made with the best ingredients can be. Here’s a pic:

After lunch we shopped around more, and Psynde took me to some other great places. We also had really delicious coffee at The Chocolate Box. All in all it was a fabulous day. Right now it’s early evening, however, and I am beat. Partly I’m tired from the time change, but partly because I think this is the first day I’ve been able really to relax in a while. I think I’m going into crash mode, which will probably mean watching a movie and falling asleep early. Both of which sound absolutely delightful.

Tomorrow I’m seeing my friends who are getting married next week, and Sunday I’m headed out to Mark Henry’s abode to do some writing and play with his tiny, tiny dogs. I can’t wait to meet Yoda for realz! Maybe I can star in that day’s Yoda Break.

Don’t forget that Mark and I are doing a signing next Wednesday. It will probably be very, very inappropriate and very, very fun. So don’t bring your kids, but feel free to bring your potty mouths, snark, and maybe a bottle of cheap hootch in a paper bag.

Ciao for now!

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Published on July 30, 2010 in Appearances, Eye of the Tempest, Food!, My Travels and Nicole Peeler. 6 Comments Tags: , .

Pennsylvania or Bust!

So this has been a dramatic few days. I’m gonna go ahead and bullet point this week’s events:

  • Movers came and packed up my house. I am now living with a card table, one chair, my pilates ball, and a blow up mattress.
  • While I was running, someone broke into the Hippie Spaceship, smashing my rear passenger’s window.
  • I received my publication money for Tracking the Tempest. Of which, I still haven’t actually SAT DOWN AND LOOKED AT A COPY because I’ve been so flat out crazy busy.
  • I received, signed, and sent back my contracts for books #4, 5, & 6.
  • I received, edited, and sent back my final pass manuscript for book #3, Tempest’s Legacy.
  • Had about a million lunches/dinners/farewell gatherings. I HATE MOVING AND I HATE SAYING GOODBYE. So I don’t! I say, “See y’all later,” because I will. ;-)

There was some other shit, but that’s the big stuff. I’ve managed not to have a nervous breakdown, although when I waddled up to find my window broken I nearly succumbed. But the good thing about always living on my own and traveling around on my own so much is that it has made me pretty resilient. . . mostly because if I do curl up in a ball, there’s no one there to poke me with a stick until I get back up. ;-)

(For those of you who know how commitment phobic I am, that’s actually the only reason I think I might one day settle down . . . so there’s someone around to poke me with a stick if I collapse. It’s on the same imagery-continuum as Bridget Jones’s “Eaten by Alsatians.” And, yes, my friends get mad at me when I say things like this.)

All in all and despite the car drama, I’m very well and very much looking forward to getting to my new apartment. That said, I’ll basically have enough time to unpack and maybe have a meal before I’m off to Seattle to do some book stuff (including a book signing with Mark Henry that y’all should come to) and attend my friends’ wedding.

But then I’ll go back to PA, and my new life! I’ll be really busy with orientation at my new college, as well as prepping my new courses. I’m going to have to do a lot of Computer Things for them, which makes me a bit nervous. But I think it’ll actually be straightforward once I sit down to figure it out. That said, I know there will be Much Swearing and probably a few Threatening Fist Shakes. Definitely some Moments of Panic.

So that’s me for the next few weeks: move, Seattle, prep for teaching. I’ll also be fitting in some Jane time. I’ve put Eye of the Tempest on hold, for a bit, mostly because I had abso-fucking-lutely NO idea what the middle bit was going to contain. I have the beginning  fifty pages (which I think is the strongest opener I’ve ever written. Although that doesn’t say much, as my openings have always sucked and gotten cut, entirely). I also know what a couple of scenes in the middle will be, and I know my AWESOME ending. But, yeah, that was it.

Luckily, I sent forth a plea to my AMAZING Ideas Factory, Christie Ko, who is beautiful and wonderful and BRILLIANT. She gave me some great ideas that have been percolating away in the dreaded brain pan . . . and I think everything is coming together. So I’ll work on my outline on the road, and then git to writin’ again soon.

In the meantime, there’s still people sending me adorable pics of Jane in the Wild. Here’s Angie’s pic of both books being guarded over by Tofu, the Vegetarian Zombie:

Is it a zombie meerkat, or am I seeing things?

As if to combat the last post’s iPad pics, Kristy sent in Kindle pics of Jane. She looks stunning even in black and white, if I do say so myself:

I think the most dramatic story about purchasing Tracking (besides the broken-car-cord-thingie) comes from Suzanne, who actually left the dentist’s office, after having something painful done to her teeth, and walked across the parking lot to the bookstore to buy Tracking. That’s real commitment, people! Here she is, nursing her sore tooth as she holds Jane, and with it a less-sore picture of Suzanne with TR. Glad you’re feeling better, Suzanne, and I hope the book didn’t make it hurt any worse!

Finally, we have pictures from Raelena and Katia, of Jane lounging about like the strumpet she is. But she’s our strumpet, and we like her that way!

Thanks to everyone who has sent in pics, sent in kind words about the book, and sent me message about my move. I appreciate it so much . . . you guys make everything worth it!

See y’all in Pennsylvania! ROAD TRIP! ;-)

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Published on July 18, 2010 in Appearances, Contests, Eye of the Tempest, My Travels, Nicole Peeler, Tempest Rising and Tracking the Tempest. 6 Comments

This Just In!

Book 4 is no longer merely Book 4. It is now Eye of the Tempest. Yay!

I had that name picked for one of the later books, but it made more sense to use it now, for reasons that will become very apparent.

Teases! Teases!

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Published on June 3, 2010 in Coming Soon! and Eye of the Tempest. 4 Comments Tags: , .