For the holidays, I thought I'd put some May into everyone's December with two free stories -- one M/M, one M/F, both with May/December pairings.
First up is a totally new M/M short, Sunrise at Mama Irene's. I originally penned it as a stand-alone piece, but now I'm thinking it would make a nice opening for a longer work, possibly a serial story to post in installments. So if you'd like to see more of Tony and Josh, let me know! Word count is 5,620. It may be read or downloaded at either URL:
HTML:
http://katrinastrauss.com/free_reads/sunrise_at_mama_irenes.html
PDF:
http://katrinastrauss.com/free_reads/Sunrise%20at%20Mama%20Irene%27s.pdf
**Update** I've taken down the other free story, m/f piece Efflorescence, as I'm revising it for reprint with another publisher. If you grabbed it before I took it down, I hope you enjoyed it and will give the updated version a try once it's available in both e-book and print!
To my readers, peers, family, and friends -- thank you for your support in what has been a rather "interesting" year. I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season and a very happy new year! See you in 2010!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
State of the Ruin - 2009 Year in Review
My year in review post is a few weeks early, but what the heck? For better or worse, 2009 was certainly different! I enjoyed more publications this year than last, though in all fairness, three of those releases were reprints. I also made my first public appearance as a guest of honor at Bishie Con and was interviewed for St. Louis’s alternative paper Riverfront Times. (Link coming soon!) I'll confess, however, that this year was a rough one for me creatively. A combination of personal and professional reasons has led to my decision to spend more time between books in 2010, so while readers will have to wait longer for releases, I hope to offer more thoughtful, quality work in exchange.
Looking back at 2009, new releases included:
* A Roof for the Rain
* Off the Beaten Path
* Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight
Reprints, including my first release in trade paperback:
* Eldritch Legacy 1: Secrets Revealed
* Eldritch Legacy 2: Lessons Learned
* Windswept (in both stand-alone e-book and print anthology)
I should also mention Sleight of Hand. While it debuted in December 2k8, it enjoyed its run this year and, thanks to the fabulous Anne Cain, won several "best of" cover awards throughout blog-land. (Anne also illustrated the covers for Eldritch Legacy 1 & 2, by the way.) I'm also grateful to have worked with Angela James, who accepted and edited Sleight of Hand while she was still at Samhain. I learned a good deal from Angela, and have taken what I learned from her with every book I've written since.
What's next? Already contracted for 2010:
* Eldritch Legacy 3: Fates Fulfilled
* A Forfeit Owed (first of the Eldritch companion series, Once Upon a Legacy)
As for those books I've vowed to spend more time and care with, I have a few projects to keep me busy during 2010 and beyond. This includes Blue Ruin 5, which may be the series finale, but I won’t know until I finish it. Also on the backburner is a kinder, gentler alternative to Blue Ruin featuring a certain silver-haired bishie and hot mechanic. I’ve got a few other projects in the works, but more on those as they see fruition.
On an industry-related note, the tipping point many of us have anticipated toward e-books is in full swing. Who knew we'd have Oprah to thank, in part, for that? I didn't foresee that recession-related budget cuts in the traditional publishing industry would play a hand in tipping the scales, and wish change could have come about under better circumstances. But transition is never easy, and there's no looking back. To my peers who've patiently sat in the roller coaster car with me while others pointed, laughed -- or worse, ignored us: Buckle in, because here we go! To my readers who've pushed the digital market more than anyone, I'm as excited as you to finally see consumer-driven choices fueling e-reader technology. I think the perfect e-reader we've been waiting for is in the works somewhere, but being kept under wraps thanks to the one element previously lacking from the mix: competition.
On a personal note, my household continued to weather the recession, as I know many of my readers and peers have. As some of you know, my husband was laid off twice last year, including from the job we moved to St. Louis for. He's thankfully continued to find employment in the hard-hit tech field, but this has meant working out-of-state under various contracts. He's seen a lot of the country, but hasn't seen much of me or the kids. My mother, who worked in the harder-hit tourist industry, more or less moved in with us, taking my office as her guest room while I moved my writing desk back to my bedroom. This made for a bit of an adjustment at first, but the groceries she's bought these past several months, combined with my royalties, have kept the kids fed while my husband and I regain our footing financially. On the positive side of all this, our family has re-evaluated what's important to us, and we've determined that it is this: each other.
Here's hoping 2010 sees a brighter year for all of us, with a better appreciation for the things in life that truly matter.
Looking back at 2009, new releases included:
* A Roof for the Rain
* Off the Beaten Path
* Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight
Reprints, including my first release in trade paperback:
* Eldritch Legacy 1: Secrets Revealed
* Eldritch Legacy 2: Lessons Learned
* Windswept (in both stand-alone e-book and print anthology)
I should also mention Sleight of Hand. While it debuted in December 2k8, it enjoyed its run this year and, thanks to the fabulous Anne Cain, won several "best of" cover awards throughout blog-land. (Anne also illustrated the covers for Eldritch Legacy 1 & 2, by the way.) I'm also grateful to have worked with Angela James, who accepted and edited Sleight of Hand while she was still at Samhain. I learned a good deal from Angela, and have taken what I learned from her with every book I've written since.
What's next? Already contracted for 2010:
* Eldritch Legacy 3: Fates Fulfilled
* A Forfeit Owed (first of the Eldritch companion series, Once Upon a Legacy)
As for those books I've vowed to spend more time and care with, I have a few projects to keep me busy during 2010 and beyond. This includes Blue Ruin 5, which may be the series finale, but I won’t know until I finish it. Also on the backburner is a kinder, gentler alternative to Blue Ruin featuring a certain silver-haired bishie and hot mechanic. I’ve got a few other projects in the works, but more on those as they see fruition.
On an industry-related note, the tipping point many of us have anticipated toward e-books is in full swing. Who knew we'd have Oprah to thank, in part, for that? I didn't foresee that recession-related budget cuts in the traditional publishing industry would play a hand in tipping the scales, and wish change could have come about under better circumstances. But transition is never easy, and there's no looking back. To my peers who've patiently sat in the roller coaster car with me while others pointed, laughed -- or worse, ignored us: Buckle in, because here we go! To my readers who've pushed the digital market more than anyone, I'm as excited as you to finally see consumer-driven choices fueling e-reader technology. I think the perfect e-reader we've been waiting for is in the works somewhere, but being kept under wraps thanks to the one element previously lacking from the mix: competition.
On a personal note, my household continued to weather the recession, as I know many of my readers and peers have. As some of you know, my husband was laid off twice last year, including from the job we moved to St. Louis for. He's thankfully continued to find employment in the hard-hit tech field, but this has meant working out-of-state under various contracts. He's seen a lot of the country, but hasn't seen much of me or the kids. My mother, who worked in the harder-hit tourist industry, more or less moved in with us, taking my office as her guest room while I moved my writing desk back to my bedroom. This made for a bit of an adjustment at first, but the groceries she's bought these past several months, combined with my royalties, have kept the kids fed while my husband and I regain our footing financially. On the positive side of all this, our family has re-evaluated what's important to us, and we've determined that it is this: each other.
Here's hoping 2010 sees a brighter year for all of us, with a better appreciation for the things in life that truly matter.
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