Saturday, May 31, 2014

The Cavalier Bemoaner

This is the last evening post. Beginning tomorrow, June 1, this blog will absolutely still be daily, just not twice-a-daily (yeah, ok, “twice-a-daily” sounds like a frilly cocktail or a square dance, but you get the idea.)

A jolly uptick in my writing career has led to this very hard decision. But you’ll still be able to find me here every day, just a little earlier.

And here ends all bemoaning. Time to move forward.

Tomorrow, the aforementioned June 1, will see the release of “Ravenscar” at Dreamspinner Press!!!

For those of you anxious, antsy or just plain excited to see what all of our hard work (your support was priceless in writing this story) in January and February can camp out at this website: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5134  “Ravenscar” will go live here as soon as it hits the world’s bookstands.

It’s weird… *”You’re weird!* the guy from the back row shouts*… but I’ve felt a little lost as to what to work on today.

I don’t want to sink my teeth into Writhe’s sequel, as I’ll be constantly chewing on that for a month starting tomorrow.

Diving back into my mainstream romance thriller which is ¾ complete would take too much effort to swim out of at the end of the day. (I love writing about Africa and I always find it very difficult to pull myself away from that story.)

The Six Brothers historic romance project can’t just be dove into. It requires repelling and a crap-load of equipment.  I might do a little base-jumping tonight, though, if I’m feeling particularly cavalier.

Most likely, however, I’ll be fighting off the Bemoaning Bug. I still hear the sad little guy buzzing around my head. *chuckles sadly*

Until tomorrow, thank you for joining me in all these tonights…

Chloe

Closing Time with Mr. Jones

And so here we are.

The last day of my daily double posting.

Tomorrow, an era will have officially come to an end.

Would somebody care to write an ode? Something brief, angst-ridden and haunting? Perhaps I’ll hire James Earl Jones to read it?

*chuckles*

All kidding aside, it is a bit sad to think I won’t be chatting at you every morning and every evening.

*some guy in the back row yells, “Yeah, no more yak-yak-yak-yak-yak. What a freaking pity, lady!”*

*Chloe rolls eyes and threatens to get Kenny G to score the darn ode*

So, please if you’re an evening post kind of a follower be sure to check out the morning blog. I’m told it goes wonderfully with brandy and a smoking jacket…

Of course, if you are an evening blog follower than you wouldn’t be reading this early blog, so I’ve basically just wasted two sentences of valuable cyberspace.

Pardon.

*smirks*

Of course tomorrow also heralds the beginning of writing lunacy as Writhe’s sequel takes front stage with 1k of wordage added every day. I believe a “Yikes!” is in order at that. Maybe a spot of your brandy as well.

Have a wonderful Saturday, everyone!

And for the final time let me say:

Until tonight

Chloe

Friday, May 30, 2014

Fool, I Am

I’m proud to report that I finished my interview with MM Good Book Reviews this afternoon and, I believe, managed to not make a complete fool of myself… When one is an actual fool this task is a lot trickier than it appears.

I’m mulling a decision that may affect a great number of you. (Wow, now doesn’t that sound ominous? *lol* No worries, however, the Four Horsemen will not be making an appearance.)

Beginning June 1, I am seriously considering cutting my daily blogs down to a single posting every day.

*half the world shrugs*

*the other half asks, “What? She wrote 2 a day? She really is a fool.”*

This is entirely a time management decision.

As I’ve stated before, beginning Monday I will have a 1k word quota a day for Writhe’s sequel (whose deadline is July 1), I’ve got 10k left to go on The Sun and the Sand Cat as my agent prepares to send feelers out for that Romance Thriller and I’ve got my Six Brothers Revolutionary War romance to flesh out into a strong outline for Tish (my literary agent… still can’t believe I have one of those *giggles*).

Add to all that the release of “Ravenscar” with Dreamspinner in June and I’ve got a plate grotesquely overloaded. Cutting the daily blogs down to one posting (most likely an early posting) I feel is my only option.

Rationally, I do realize that very few people actually tune into Chloe-World twice a day, but for me it’s been a challenge and I feel kind of like I’m throwing the towel in.

But…

Since the end of January, I have not a missed a single post. In fact, I have composed over 240 blogs in that relatively short span of time.

I think that deserves at least a little “Wow!”

Right?

This is a tough decision and it’s still not final yet, but I did want to give you guys a heads up.

*kicks a tiny rock dejectedly*

I really hate these kind of decisions.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

Salting the Skies

I wish.
Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” accompanies the first cracks of my Friday with its silent monumentality. Perhaps its brilliance will lure the creativity back to my head? A mad author can only hope.

Anyway, on the books for today… (Notice the play of words there? “Books” and I’m a writer of “books”?... yeah, I told you the dearth of imagination in my head is staggering. *lol*)… I must, MUST do the interview with MM Good Book Reviews for “Ravenscar.”

I so want to be brilliant, but I’m afraid all I’m going to be is blah.

Is there a rain dance for creativity?

Is there a way to salt my mental clouds to coax a little literary pizazz to fall upon my head?

Maybe Home Depot has a few scraps of imagination on their nuts and bolts aisle?

Thankfully I still have a few days before returning to real writing on Writhe’s sequel is required. (We won’t mention all the work I MUST be doing on my mainstream Romance Thriller and my mainstream Historic Romance. Right now I’m running so dry I wouldn’t know the waters of the main stream if I fell face first into the stupid thing. *chuckles*)

Wish me stormy clouds and I’ll wish you smooth sailing…

*rolls eyes*

Told you the imagination is kaput.

Until tonight…

Chloe

Thursday, May 29, 2014

The Ratting Horde of Creativity

Creativity fled today like a horde of rats out of a burning barn.

Admittedly not a very pretty picture, but sometimes the truth is a little wretched on the senses.

I had nothing today.

I plopped down the interview with MMGoodBookReviews in front of me and raised my trusty pen in the air fully prepared to thrill the reading masses… and I went blank.

All power to the “thrilling the reading masses” station had not only been turned off but the darn wires had been disconnected and sold on Ebay.

It was ugly.

Rats out of a burning barn ugly.

Thankfully, the rest of my day went a lot prettier.

A trip to the nursery with my mom led to a glorious Penta invasion. Pink, white and red petals have flooded my front yard in a cascade of summer.

Unfortunately the Pentas did not halt the fleeing of the rodents… You know, only a wacked out writer would find that thought disappointing. *chuckles*

Hopefully all of your rats stay put tonight, fellow authors.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

A Scant Blush of Giddy

Beaver.
Thursday has arrived in a hush of gray. Milky white skies hang low over a scant blush of fog.

Not a particularly inspiring start to a day but when you’re #37 on Amazon’s Best Selling Gay Erotica List things even gray seems to brighten.

To be perfectly honest with you, I have no idea if Writhe’s #37 rank is objectively good or not. All I know is that I’ve never been a number on any Amazon Best Selling List, so I will take my 37 and wear it proudly (at least around the house, maybe not out in the yard *lol*).

Work on Book Two of “The Lion and the Steed” series will resume Monday. June will hold over my head a daily 1k word quota on Writhe’s sequel. Definitely doable but not necessarily easy.

With the two blogs I write every day, averaging about 500 words total, plus the requested fleshing out of my Six Brother’s novel (request by my AGENT!!... sorry, still can’t believe that I have one of those yet *giggles*) and finishing up The Sun and the Sand Cat (another 10k to go on that beauty Tish will be expertly peddling for me) I will indeed be a busy little beaver. (Isn’t it freaking wonderful?! *grins*).

Today, I’ve got my interview for MMGoodBookReviews to do. Time to slip back into “Ravenscar” mode for a bit. I can’t believe that’s coming out with Dreamspinner next month. Still can’t believe I wrote that story in 2 weeks. Still can’t believe I sold the story where I wanted it. *shakes head and smiles a bit proudly*

Alright, I’m off to ride this “feeling darn good as a writer” high for as long as this happy will take me!

Until tonight…

Chloe

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

There's Always Time for a Flute

Signed, sealed and delivered, I come to you this afternoon as an official agented author!

*fireworks fill the sky*

*the marching band plays a peppy tune*

I have signed with Tish Beaty of the L. Perkins Agency. She will bring her expertise to selling my f/m, totally mainstream, Romantic Thriller The Sun and the Sand Cat and to republishing my f/m historical romance novella “To Steal the Sunrise.”

And she also wants to see more of what I’ve got on… are you ready for this?.... my Six Brothers Revolutionary War era novel you’ve been witness to me going ga-ga over the last two months!

Woo-hoo!!!

The point that I might never sleep again as the work is stacking up exponentially at my door I refuse to worry about. (There’ll be time enough to panic over all that after I collapse from exhaustion, right? *lol*)

The rest of my working day has been spent on Facebook.

Have I mentioned my dislike of Facebook?

I havent’?

Chloe Stowe dislikes Facebook.

Lots.

And lots.

But I accept its importance as a tool, and I am trying to learn its intricacies again.

I have managed to get a web address for my fan page on there.

*slaps on the table a tattered slip of paper that reads: www.facebook.com/mmauthorCStowe then steps back and sighs*

Hours of work comes down to that.

Hours.

Comes down to that.

Nope, not bitter here.

*chuckles*

Have a great rest of the day, everybody!

Until tomorrow…

Chloe, officially agented author

When the Poultry Polka...

Even the chicken are dancing!
A sweet Southerly breeze brings a delightful sense of calm to the world this Wednesday morning.

Release day is past, the mania spent.

Success seems to be had, and I smile.

*the world breathes a collective sigh of relief*

Shall we return to our regular blogging?

Hell yeah, I think we shall.

*bows in gratitude to the patience shown to this author these last few days*

I have news.

Or, I believe it would be better stated as…

I have brilliant, stupendous, out of this freaking world news!!!!!!!!

Chloe Stowe, your intrepid blogger, has just been offered a contract with a literary agent!

EEEEK!

*happy dances*

*jigs*

*throws in a sloppy and surprisingly painful cartwheel*

*giggles happily while reaching for the Aleve*

More details to follow tonight, but the bottom line is this: I have a contract waiting for me to sign this morning!

Of course, you, lads, come first. So, here I am, spreading the good, good word to all my loyal followers before getting down to the nuts and bolts of business.

You’re welcome.

*winks*

Go have a smile on me today, friends!

Until tonight…

Chloe, soon-to-be agented author

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

SPECIAL EDITION: Have you Writhed today?

Welcome one and all to the “Special Edition: Have You Writhed Today?” blog.

To celebrate the release of Writhe, my 15th novel, you will find below a spicy smorgasbord of sizzle. From the official blurb to a reveal of the cover, you may find yourself tantalized to the writhing point… or so an author with spirited delusions of grandeur can hope. *grins*

At the end, you will also find an excerpt from the novel. In fact, you will find the entire published Prologue to Writhe.

I guarantee the Prologue will not be what you expect.

At the very, very end, you will find a list of, what I hope will be, helpful links.

Please enjoy and spread the word!

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

 
Now available!!

Writhe by Chloe Stowe

(Book One of “The Lion and the Steed” Series)

 

Trauma surgeon. Widower… 28 year old Samuel Lyon defined his life by these words alone. Five years had passed since the car accident that had stolen his wife and only child. Five years in which Sam simply survived but no longer lived.


Black market art. International rings of thieves... Brevyn Steed’s world pulsed and thrummed with these. Chasing down stolen masterpieces around the globe defined this 28 year old’s very existence. He wanted for nothing more.

 
But when the case of a stolen 19th century painting sets these two opposing men’s lives on the same course, Sam and Brevyn collide in a heart-stopping mystery in which their hearts slowly weave together and blazingly writhe.

 
A romantic thriller from the author who brought you Forever Bound, Taken and the “Hellesgate” Series, Writhe is the story of an extraordinary love born of Fate and forged in passion.

 

Prologue to Writhe

 
On a bright winter’s day in 1787, Caspar, a boy of just thirteen, stood at the edge of a frozen lake and cried.

The wails of his aunt and the frantic screams of his father, the young man ignored. Caspar’s world had narrowed down to one finite point—

Johann.

Younger by two years, Johann always trailed behind his older brother like a puppy. Caspar didn’t mind. He enjoyed the little boy’s company; in fact, Caspar pandered to it—

But now, Johann was dead.

The ice had broken.

The boy had fallen in.

Stunned for a fatal instant, the eleven-year-old child had drifted away below the ice.

No one could reach him.

Now, an hour later, the sun beat down on the little body, trying in vain to warm the pale, pale skin.

Caspar watched, tears burning down his cheeks, tightly fisted hands trembling at his side.

“My fault … my fault …” he muttered under his breath. A thousand times he hiccupped those words that day, but no one heard him. So lost in their own agony, no one paid Caspar any mind.

By the time night fell, the young man had gone silent. When he spoke again, three days later, Johann was not mentioned.

In fact, Caspar never spoke of Johann and that terribly bright winter’s day again, until fifty years later—

Caspar stood in front of an artist’s easel and spoke of the tragedy not in words, but in paint. The truth of those fateful minutes when young Johann fell beneath ice, Caspar laid out across the canvas as his confession.

Furiously he worked, finishing the piece in less than a single day.

                Standing back, satisfied though terribly sick at heart, Caspar David Friedrich, a painter now of international fame and regard, raised his brush to sign his name—and collapsed from a stroke.

                Friedrich would survive, but his once-heralded career was over.

The subject of Johann, in neither word nor paint, would ever be brought up by Caspar again.

The painting, Caspar’s lone confession, disappeared. When the artist returned home from his long convalescence, the piece he had simply entitled “Johann” was nowhere to be found. Only the rumor of the painting’s existence remained.

As the decades passed, the rumor itself was even lost to all but a few.

In carefully worded whispers, the gossip of a missing masterpiece was kept alive by eager, often unscrupulous, collectors. These people, in their tight circles of high art, made it perfectly clear they were willing to pay any price and go to any length to own the lost confession of Caspar David Friedrich—

A painting known simply as “Johann.”

 

 

Links…

To purchase Writhe from the Ravenous Romance publishing house… http://www.ravenousromance.com/modern-love/writhe.php

You can also find Writhe at these major markets…

All Romance Ebooks:


Amazon (it should be up sometime today):


Barnes & Noble (hopefully today):

Release the Madness!

The words “writhe” and “release” twist and tangle in the morning’s breeze distracting me in the most beautiful way.

Release day is upon us and the sun in my world burns bright and troublingly hot.

Nerves.

Panic.

All those tiresome things that strangle me more times than not are already having a field day this morning.

*angrily sighs*

I get awful tired of me from time to time.

*shivers and gets her crap together*

While Writhe will not hit the bookshelves for a few hours yet, I will not bombard you with promotional teases or pleas to throw a few coins my book’s way (that blog post will come later today *innocently grins*).  I will however give you newbie authors out there a taste of how release day operates for me.

*chairs scrape as 99% of the audience rises and hurries toward the exits*

Ignoring all such clattering like a girl with delusions of grandeur must, I begin…

1) Check Ravenous Romance’s website (www.ravenousromance.com) every few minutes until I see “Writhe by Chloe Stowe” blazing across their homepage as the Book of the Day. (Usually this occurs somewhere around the 11am hour.)

2) Shoot off fast and furious tweets to my followers announcing the initial outing of book #15.  

3) Start the laborious task of posting in all my groups around the web spreading the good word along with a link back to Ravenous (the only place at this early hour for them to buy my masterpiece.)

4) Write and post a “Special Edition” blog complete with official blurb, cover and loooong juicy excerpt for those hungry.

5) After obsessively checking the various ebook suppliers for Writhe’s arrival, I will start peppering out word of my baby’s availability at each of the major outlets. All Romance Ebooks usually comes first with Amazon pulling in the caboose.

6) Once a fair amount of outlets are selling Writhe, I craft the lone promotional email I will send to all my friends and contacts on Facebook, Google, etc. (I never send more than one email to these lists, EVER. They only receive email from me on the day of release of one of my novels. Being thought of as spam is what you’re trying to avoid. So be very creative and as personal in each letter as rationally possible.)

7) Continue checking Ravenous Romance’s Best Selling List. This has been going on rather obsessively since the 11am release, never mind the fact that Ravenous does not update their Best Selling List on any kind of schedule or regularity I’ve been able to figure out over the years. (The OCD tendencies are really out of control with this, but such is life as a crazy person, I suppose. *lol*)

8) Drop exhausted to the bed convinced not one single person in the entire universe has bought my book. Frank, my specter of Writhe’s imminent failure, has by this point reappeared and offered marriage.

Ok, boys and girls, let the madness begin!!!

Until the Special Edition Blog this afternoon…

Chloe

Monday, May 26, 2014

On Hoedown's Eve


Brevyn peeled back his lover’s hands to only find tightly closed and scrunched-up eyes. Samuel looked no more than four and Brevyn had to fight down the urge to scruff his little blond head. “Oh, but you’re going to love this one, Samuel,” Brevyn purpose- fully purred.

Sam moaned. “Just spit it out, alright? Are we parachuting into a demilitarized zone between hostiles to save some kind of ancient crockpot?”

“An ancient crockpot?” Brevyn repeated with a smirk. (Writhe, page 142)

 

 
And there you have it! The final Taste of Writhe before its release tomorrow…

Puking my cowardly guts up at this point would be gauche, right?

*giggles nervously while keeping an eye peeled on the waste basket only a lurch away*

You’d really think I’d be over all of this mental melodrama when it comes to the release of a book. This is my 15th time, for pity’s sake, but I’m still as skittish as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs (always wanted to use that old saying somewhere *lol*)

I can feel my OCD tendencies gathering themselves up for one heck of a hoedown tomorrow…

Did I just use the word “hoedown?”

Jeez.

The hillbilly blood has picked a darn fine time to peek out. *snickers*

Enjoy the rest of your Memorial Day weekend everyone and I’ll see you tomorrow for the long anticipated release of Writhe!

BYOPB… Bring your own Pepto Bismol.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe
 
POST NOTE: I've updated the homepage of my author's website! (www.chloestowe.com) Please check it out if you're keen for some juicy details on Writhe and "Ravenscar".

Streaking Through the Zinnias


“The pulse beneath the folds of her neck took on a frantic quality that really must have been hell on the old girl’s heart. Her voice, however, retained the frigid, unaffected quality she threw at every- one not of like mind. (Writhe, page 131)

 
Palm tree in its new home.

Raise your hands everyone who thought I wasn’t going to make it?

Who erroneously believed that the streak ended here?

That Chloe Stowe, the mad, intrepid blogging author, wasn’t going to post a morning rambling for the first time since January?

*3/4 of the world’s population sheepishly raises a guilty hand*

Shame on you!

*lol*

I am indeed here. And I have come bearing your daily Taste of Writhe (which releases TOMORROW!!!) and two photographs I’d like to enter as evidence as to the legitimacy of my lateness this morning.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the images accompanying this post show my labors this morning.

1. The repotting of my palm tree… a mammoth undertaking that required my mother and I breaking and then peeling the old pot away from the 30 pounds of dirt and roots before hoisting the big guy into its new home.

2. The repotting of my olive tree… no breaking and peeling of pots necessary but it was a troublesome brute coming out of its old pad.

3. The repotting of my most favorite rose in the whole, wide world… Thorns. Enough said.

Please note, also, that all of this activity was done under bright and fiery Florida sun.

All of this evidence points to only one conclusion… I should be dead.

So, please pardon my lateness. At least I’m not bloating on my deck.

*grins cheekily*

Until tonight…

Chloe
Palm tree and olive tree enjoying their new digs.
 

Sunday, May 25, 2014

All About Eaves


“Goosebumps still lazy from their afternoon in bed tumbled down his spine, pooling into the crease of his ass. It made Sam want to bend over, offer his body right back to the man who already held his war-weary heart. (Writhe, page 124)

 


Writing a Sunday evening blog in the middle of Memorial Day Weekend is a little like preaching to an empty church. The thought’s darn good but the resulting silence is just damned discouraging.

Yet, I will persist like the true glutton for punishment I am.

However, I will keep this brief. I wouldn’t want any hot dogs going cold and droopy because of me. You can thank me for this grand gesture by visiting your favorite ebook provider Tuesday and putting a little Writhe in your basket… 

*the lone church mouse in the eaves shouts “You’ve got it, man!”*

Despite my big words this morning, I didn’t do a scrap of writing during the Indy 500, a race in which Kurt Busch (NASCAR guy) finished 6th!!

*”Busch! Busch! Busch!” the chants from the lone mouse echo through the cavernous church*

Before the rodent starts wearing pants and asking for a contract from Disney, I’ll leave you to your Sunday. Have a fantastic one, guys!

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

Lost to the Sand-Weevils of Time


“Brevyn Steed.

Just the sound of his name sent something hot and melty pull- ing at Sam’s heart. It tinted everything a warm umber, casting all in an imaginary candlelight. Reluctantly, Sam closed his eyes. He didn’t trust this thing between them, didn’t trust its staying power past this one current breath.” (Writhe, page 120)

 


Today is indeed brighter.

The panic which had been frothing up from its poorly buried depths yesterday has calmed to nothing more than an occasional murmur of ill-content.

I can handle a murmur.

Writing will be a matter of my spiriting the boring stretches of car races into something fruitful, or at least trying to.

Both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 will be taking up huge stretches of my attention today. Luckily, racing is a sport ideal for accompanying writing jags. (This might be one of those Chloe-things not applicable to any other human being on the face of the planet, but I share it nonetheless.)

It’s funny but I’m having to dig up from memory how to promote a release day. All the little tricks, all those juicy nooks of the web where a post announcing the arrival of a book on market truly gets noticed I’m having to scrounge up from my still-with-a-uterus days of 17 months ago.

I can’t believe it’s been that long since I’ve had anything published.

Wow.

I took last year off from the m/m romance market. After my hysterectomy I wanted to take time to enjoy a life without deadlines every three months, without word quotas, without the hurry-up-and-wait of the writing world. So I did.

Of course, I could hardly give up writing. It is my passion after all. Other projects such as The Sun and the Sand Cat f/m romance thriller off at a literary agent’s office right now filled last year. So it was definitely time well spent.

But…

Seventeen months is a long time.

I just hope the m/m bandwagon still has room for Chloe Stowe.

Until tonight…

Chloe

Saturday, May 24, 2014

The Frothing Darkness


“Sam found himself smiling, although he couldn’t pinpoint exactly why. He just felt good, better than he had in a very long time, and he knew Brevyn Steed was behind it, in his own unique, overbearing, foolishly cavalier way.” (Writhe, page 80)

 

With an alarming sense of certainty, I come to you this afternoon sure that I can’t write.

Before alarms are sounded or eyes are rolled at my overplayed pathos, I am simply speaking of writing on Book Two today.

It’s a nervous day for me, one in which my panic disorder is bubbling up to the surface from the depths my meds and years of experience have buried it.

It is not pleasant.

Thankfully, unlike in years long past, I know that it will pass. Tomorrow will be a better day, at least in that respect.

I sometimes forget (possibly block out with all my wishes) that this is how I used to be every day. That how I am right this minute would have easily been deemed a “good day” in my twenties.

I’m sure there is a reason for such reminders to strike, for such hours to blacken and darken all the progress that has been made.

Yes, I’m sure there is a reason.

But I don’t know what it is.

Perhaps tomorrow when my literary escape is once again open to me, when I can string a romance together with laughter and angst not my own, I’ll find that reason.

Perhaps.

But on days like this, I doubt it.

And isn’t that a crying shame?

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

Writhing in the Sun Garden

Salvia, Gaura, and Agastache.
“Strangely unbalanced without the touch, Brevyn grabbed the doctor’s hand and placed it flat against his heart. Only then did he open his eyes.

There was a knot, a wretched tangle, of something unspeakable in his throat that Brevyn desperately wanted to cough out. It was stuck, though, wedged firmly between “I can’t” and “I can.”” (Writhe, page 155)

A good Saturday morning to you all!

I must confess that it is somewhat weird finally having a release date for my 15th novel (this Tuesday, May 27, by the way *grins*).

For so long I’ve been bellyaching about it sitting in limbo somewhere out there in publishing-house-land that promoting a book I wrote so many months ago is a little strange. It’s like raving about the Thanksgiving Dinner you fixed in November while sitting amongst the daisies in June. It’s a bit freaky and I feel like everybody is thinking me rather odd.

Oh, well. I’ve been thought of far worse.

Sprinkled in and about today’s writing will be a spot or two of gardening.

A few days ago I bought three new beauties to put in my freshly established sun garden. From left to right in the picture above, the lovelies are… Salvia, Gaura and Agastache. I hope to get these settled in their new home today.

Everyone, please have a spectacular Saturday!

Until tonight…

Chloe

Friday, May 23, 2014

BREAKING NEWS... from, well, me

I know you're chilling this weekend but...
Creeping in a little late this Friday evening but I come carrying big news.

I, Chloe Stowe, mad authoress extraordinaire, received word from Ravenous Romance this afternoon that my 15th novel Writhe will be released this Tuesday, May 27!!!!

Let’s all take a moment to enjoy each and every one of the above exclamation points. They have been a very long time in coming.

Tomorrow, I will rev back up the promotional motors on Writhe and tease a little excerpt from the last six chapters each day.

*the world cheers*… at least in my enthusiastic imagination it does.

Expect a cover release this weekend as well. (Now, if I was a pessimistic soul whose glass was eternally half empty, I’d point out that this being Memorial Day Weekend there will not be a soul reading any of my blogs. But since I am a glass half full gal I’m not going to think that way. Nope. Glass half full, baby. *forces a grin*)

So if you could spare a moment between your barbecues, car races, and summer lovin’ to tell family and friends “Chloe Stowe’s Writhe is coming Tuesday!!” I’d appreciate it very, very much. (Imagine the looks you’ll get as you’re passing the potato salad to Great Grandma Edna.)

So, with big news unloaded at your feet I will leave you all to your Friday nights.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

Braving Stagnant Waters

Uneasily I step into Friday. There is no reason for this trepidation other than perhaps a paranoid fear of this being the calm before the storm.

The calm before what storm? That is the question.

As I’ve stated before, I’m weathering a lull in my creative processes and battling the occasional gremlin of discouragement.

If I was a hobbit with a band of elves and dwarves at my side, I might not mind so much the occasional gremlin scuffle. But seeing as I’m not (I’ve checked: no big feet on this girl) the struggle gets rather tiring.

I’m sure every writer faces bouts of perceived stagnancy in their career.

This life is so much a process of waiting and waiting and waiting, with the occasional triumphant highs having to rise above the seemingly constant swells of rejection or indifference, that it’s no wonder that a bit of calm, that a moment of stale status-quo, is seen as nothing but disquieting.

So it is with this unease I step into this new day.

If only I were a hobbit...

*smiles wistfully*

Until tonight…

Chloe

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Keeping the Cogs Running Through an Inspirational Rut

The time for blogging has arrived and I am little more prepared for it than I was this morning.

Neither inspirational bolt, bulb nor seed has miraculously appeared in my writing sphere. (I always hold out hope for a Star Trek “Beam me up, Scotty” type of arrival for creativity. Suddenly a brilliant idea or a symphony of perfectly joined words could materialize out of thin air. Alas, Gene Roddenberry I’m not. *chuckles sadly*)

Despite this utter scarcity of fresh creative juice, I have managed to eek out several hundred, more than passing, words on Book Two. Whether this is some inborn talent of mine to make something out of nothing or if it’s merely a case of being darn-good at sweeping up crumbs left from previous literary spurts, I have no idea.

Ultimately, however, I doubt the readers will care how my next novel came about. Quite understandably, they’re looking for end-product. The process means diddly-squat to them… and let’s face it, the process will mean diddly-squat to me once the book is finished.

The end justifies the means, I’ve got to remember that.

Whether I slaved over every word of a book, giving birth to it after three months of authorly labor pains, or if it simply materialized in a sparkly rush of dazzling inspiration, doesn’t matter…

Only that final product proudly sporting its very own ISBN number does.  

At least that’s what I keep telling myself as the inspirational dust bowl continues.

*bravely smiles, while still keeping hope alive for Scotty to come through*

Until tomorrow…

Chloe