A New Direction in My Career

I've been sitting on some news for a few weeks. It's been so hard to keep it to myself, but I've been afraid I'll jinx it. However, things are shaping up exactly as I'd hoped and now I can share it with you.

Have you heard about a new writer named Mia Marlowe? There was a notice on Publisher's Lunch recently about some multi-books deals for her. Guess what? She's me!

Alicia Condon of Kensington has acquired my Touch of Seduction trilogy for their Brava line. Since my first book for them, Touch of a Thief, has paranormal elements, Alicia requested I take a new pen name. I chose Mia Marlowe. If you'd like to know more, please visit Mia Marlowe, a little blog where I've been quietly cataloguing my writing odyssey as I expanded into a second publishing house. There is a static page with an excerpt from TOUCH OF A THIEF I hope you'll enjoy. (And please click to follow my blog there. It looks so lonely with no friendly followers!)

I say second publishing house because I'm thrilled to report that Leah Hultenschmidt of Dorchester wants three more books from me as well. And since she realizes how difficult it is for an author to promote more than one pen name, these books will also come out under the new Mia Marlowe name.

If you're a writer, you are allowed to hate me a little. Six contracted novels and a novella is an embarrassment of riches. But remember, now I have to deliver those 7 manuscripts over the next 15 months. It'll be a little like doing NaNoWriMo every month.

But I am thrilled and terrified in equal measure and hope you'll come along with me as my career takes a new direction.

Thanks to all of you who've been dropping by the blog this week while I've been gone. I'll enjoy catching up once I'm home on Sunday.

So, any questions about my news or about my time at RT?

New Contract!

Last Friday I pitched my proposal for STROKE OF GENIUS to my editor and today, she called with an offer! Here's the blurb:

Stroke of Genius
Grace Makepeace, an American heiress, is determined to marry a titled English gent, but her Back Bay bluntness wins her the title “Least Likely to Succeed.” When she takes flirting advice from the acknowledged artistic genius who’s engaged to sculpt a marble model of her hands, she garners the attentions of a duke.

A cynical, but brilliant artist, Crispin Hawke is a keen observer of the ton and enjoys the challenge of helping Grace beat them at their own game. But he begins to wish he was the object of her passion.

STROKE OF GENIUS will be out in June 2010 from Leisure Books. Guess I need to get it written!