Traveling

With AT THE EDGE on the stands, I'm driving quite a bit. Just took a short driving trip to Kentucky, stopping for drivebys along the way.

I love to drive and the promotion of a book is a good excuse. If you ever go to Lexington, KY, visit Joseph Beth Booksellers, which is quite the place.

Unpacking the car and suitcases is not fun, however. I was glad to receive the following review in my 1600 email posts :)

AT THE EDGE will keep you exactly there...on the edge of your seat. From
the first word to the last, intrigue, danger, and passion are all woven
together to forge a story that will not be forgotten...
First up in a new paranormal series by best-selling author Cait London,
AT THE EDGE is awesome. With captivating characters, a fast-paced
storyline, danger, and passion, Ms. London pens a story that readers are
sure to savor. I can't wait to read the next story in this exciting and
thrilling series.

Sinclair Reid/Romance Reviews Today

Unanchored Writer

A writer who turns around one day to find that they've finished a book sometimes feels like a ship without an anchor.

Adrift. Time to play catch up and time to work up more story ideas. That's me, after turning in the last of a trilogy.

I am a regimented writer, getting up early every a.m. and working, familiar with my setting and characters of the current book. But the book is finished, and I'm catching up with what has waited, either professional or private. The small things of life actually take time, too, plus updating a website, answering e-mail (I love to do that), and rummaging around for a new story idea.

This rummaging around business takes energy, too. I usually keep a "toybox" of themes and ideas at the ready, but am taking a brief hiatus to finish stacks of paper, etc. that have waited, cleaning off my desk of the previous book's materials, etc. The afterbirth, so to speak.

Without my familiar characters to greet me in the morning now, I am multi-tasking, and that is something an author had better be prepared to do and frequently. I miss my characters and my story, now completed--until my editor gets back with her comments.

This is a routine that always happens: cleaning out the old, catching up, and preparing to get into another story.

But emotionally, I'm missing my fictional people and feeling unanchored.

Until the next book. :)

Hauling a Trailer

Ok, I've been out and about signing copies of AT THE EDGE, a couple booksignings in which I really had fun chatting with people, and some drivebys. Drivebys are where authors either arrange (or not) to stop by a store and sign their books.

Writers really need this jolt of affirmation. Writing is said to be a lonely occupation, and most of us are reclusive when writing our books. So it is a true joy to step out and actually meet the readers, especially if they like you. And I'm a talker, so there I was, with people to talk with. :)

In contrast, a driveby can be good, in that you chat with the events coordinator, or the store owner, and talk up your books, leave bookmarks, chat up the next one, etc., and develop a relationship.

Or it can be miserable as some highly notable authors have post online. Even the biggest has been humiliated at some time or another by dropping by a store to autograph books. My preference is to call ahead and say I'll be there on a certain day or around a time. But we can't always do that. Drivebys can be very humiliating.

On Saturday, I spoke about the elements in AT THE EDGE, the protagonists' occupations. The woman was a handbag designer, that's Claire the empath, and the hero's occupation was that of building camper-trailers, the "teardrop" shaped models, and customizing them. Of all the elements, handbags, Montana, psychic ability, romantic suspense, etc., the most lively interest came from a man who had to leave immediately. He had to run out to see where I had mentioned these commercial teardrop camper-trailers. His wife wanted to stay and chat, but he literally tugged her arm, anxious to be off to see those campers.

Quite an interesting crew on Saturday, and I loved every discussion. And I'm getting so many great comments from readers and booksellers about how much they liked AT THE EDGE.

With book 2 and 3 waiting on my editor's desk, I can't wait for the trilogy to be complete.

Right now, I'm building a trailer to suit AT THE EDGE, and using my own photographs, even my son-in-law's eyes. The rough "draft" is done, but I'll have a lot of timing and smoothing to do, then adding the music.

Oh, the things to do when a hard run is finished. Like having hot stone therapy. I'm going to write about that one day, and purchased a small kit to test on my family. My first session was super, but then, I had the facial and pedicure, too. It was one good day :) A gift to myself after a long, hard working session.

After the Deadline

I've just completed the last book of the psychic triplets trilogy. That would be Leona's story, as yet untitled. Tempest's, middle-born, has been done for a while.

This is quite the event and means a lot of catching up with everything that has waited in the last few weeks, personal and business. I'm also doing a lot online and am so thankful for the really thoughtful letters everyone has written about Claire's story, AT THE EDGE.

I've also been signing copies, either at booksignings or in drivebys. So many people are wishing the books would come out sooner, and so do I.

SPA DAY is coming up, letting someone else's fingers massage the typing/tension kinks out of my back and neck, a pedicure and facial. Then a whole massive effort to update everything, including my website.

I am truly pleased with this trilogy. It was a long time coming, one of those back burner ideas that had to wait until other projects were finished. But now, I'm so glad that the triplets are finished, and do love their stories. Loved them from first inception.

The Aislings are not an add book-by-book project as many series are, rather the whole was a composite from the start and each sister knew her place in line and what she was to do. The relationship between the mother and sisters is one I understand well, since I am the mother of 3 daughters, tho mine were born 3 years apart and not 3 minutes apart.

The psychic connection of all 4 women is unique, let alone the birth connection of triplets. Family birth position tends to influence personalities and the Aislings follow that pattern.

Because I have an affinity for water, naturally that was an element, too.

I am so pleased that readers are anxious for the rest of the triplets. I love to hear from them, and am not surprised to read that many of them consider themselves to have that psychic streak.

I also understood Neil Olafson very well (Claire's hero), a handcrafter of 1930s style "teardrop" campers. The male members of my family all are handcrafters of one sort or another, including building rock and log cabins, furniture, carving, toys, etc.