So... Close... To... Done...

My work in progress writing wise is called Sidecar.  It's sort of a paean to the '80s/'90's, and I love it a lot.  It's not as painful as Keeping Promise Rock, and I tried not to go camp on the details that would take us back to that time period.  I remember noticing change, but not participating in trends, and since my characters are up in the Sierra Foothills, I gave them the same sensibility.  I hope the effect is subtle--but not... colorless.

And speaking of not colorless...

You may have noticed I got my cover suggestions for Chase in Shadow.  Yeah-- they gave me chills too.  I went with the one on the top left-- red door, razorblades, guy who looks not quite sane and yet obscenely pretty.  I felt like that captured the absolute gut-whopping "Oolf!" of the book, and it still does, even as Chase looks at me accusingly, because I fucked him up in so very many horrible ways.  So, that could be my most disturbing cover yet, but I was tempted to go with the one on the right.  But, as someone said, "That one looks hopeful!"

This book does have a Happy Ever After-- but the thing behind the red door is NOT hopeful.  I went with the hottie and the razorblades instead (although my love of painted covers has not yet dimmed) because the hottie with the razorblades seemed most iconic of suicidal porn star, right?  Right.


I also liked the one on the left here, with the red smear--but it didn't quite have the "Oolf" factor.  (And something about the pale background left the model's eyes looking not quite so summer-sky blue!  Dudes!) And since I was posting pictures, I thought I'd post a picture of the two models who inspired Chase and Tommy, so you could get a look at what inspired me.

 Spot on.  Almost creepy close, right?  And Tommy... Well, let's just say... yeah.  Tommy is described as Loki-the-manic-sex-god--and this guy does that for me!  Anyway-- so, these are the leads in Chase in Shadow-- and I'm biting my nails until its release.

And in other news?  Well, not much, actually.  I've been writing a lot--and not just on my own stuff.  I recently made the boneheaded move of starting a project with a co-writer (Aleksandr Voinov) as sort of a lark.  It was boneheaded because I'm already hyper committed, but I can't regret it because it's been a BLAST.  It all started when I pwnd Aleks on Twitter (yeah, even he admitted it was masterful-- it doesn't happen often, I'll savor it!) and someone said, "Write together!" and he said, "Wanna?" And I lost my mind.  It's fun-- it's ADDICTING--and that's why I don't think I'll do it often.  I've got a whole big bad queue I've got to mind--but damn.  A new challenge and a new idea?  Always a rush--and Aleks is an AMAZING writer--gritty, erotic, and just damned fun to work with.  I'll let you know when that comes out--our tentative title is Country Mouse, but, yanno, subject to change:-)

And I finished my Art Docent presentations this week.  I know that Matisse was a wild beast, Rousseau was self taught, and Van Gogh died at 38 and loved color, and the sea.  Not bad for a week spent snarling at the family and saying, "Leave me alone I'm trying to work here!"

Oh yeah-- SPN tonight.  Last week ended with this song, and it's been haunting me ever since.  No one's come up with an actual video yet, but the look on Dean's face?  Haunting all on it's own.