By Jove is here!!

I am thrilled, delighted, and generally dancing in my chair to announce that By Jove, my very first book for adults, releases today from Entangled Publishing! It’s a kind of a romance, kind of a contemporary fantasy, and totally a book of my heart. Most authors have books of their hearts—stories that for one reason or another mean a little bit more to them no matter what others think. By Jove is one of mine, and I hope you’ll give it a chance to find its way into yours!

What’s it about?

For Theodora Fairchild, returning to graduate school after three years of teaching Latin to unenthusiastic middle schoolers is a dream come true. The professors in the Classics Department at John Winthrop University in Boston are the best in their field; the classes are varied and intellectually stimulating…and she meets brilliant, sweetly nerdy post-doc Grant Proctor.

As she gives in to her feelings for Grant, someone seems determined to keep them apart—no matter the consequences. Things are not quite what they seem in the Classics Department, and someone there has plans for Theo that don’t include Grant. When Grant disappears, surviving the semester becomes only one of Theo’s worries; her wits and wisdom may be the only things that can save the man she loves.

Why did I write it?

I wrote this book before Bewitching Season was even thought of, which is quite a while ago...so it’s really, really cool to have this story finally see the light of day. It was inspired by a dream—yes, really!—which is why I always keep a light-up pen and notebook next to my bed. That actual dream doesn’t appear anywhere in the book, but it’s amazing how a small thing can inspire an entire book. I also studied Latin for eight years in high school and college and loved it almost as much as Theo does, so it was probably inevitable I’d write about Latin some day.

Where can you get it?

You can get By Jove now as an ebook at all the usual sales outlets...and today through June 28, it’s at Entangled's special introductory price of 99 cents. So if you think you’d like to give By Jove a try, now is the time!!

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Apple itunes

Kobo

Anything else?

Yup!

I'll be doing a blog tour over the next few weeks, so if you'd like to follow along, I'd love to see the friendly faces of regular NineteenTeen readers on my journey through the blogosphere. The schedule can be found here...do stop by!!

If you'd like to read the first chapter of By Jove, it's right here on my website as well as on Entangled Publishing's site.

And thank you for happy-dancing with me on my book birthday!

It’s Name that Book Time again...

Aaaaand it’s time to play everyone’s favorite game, help Marissa come up with a possible title for her new book because she’s reeallly bad at titles.

This one is forthcoming from Entangled Publishing some time in the first half of 2014 (the first round of edits is in, and I hope to have a release date for you soon!) There are some slightly different rules in play this time, though. For one thing, this isn’t a young adult story or set in 19th century England—it’s an adult contemporary fantasy set in Boston with some slightly spicy content. Here’s a blurb...

*****

It’s been two thousand years since the fires burned out on the altars in the temples of Greece. So what’s a god to do?

Teach, of course.

Theodora Fairchild has had it with teaching Latin to apathetic middle school students and enrolls in the Classics program at prestigious John Winthrop University to get her Ph.D. and pursue a serious academic career. Falling in love with brilliant but mysterious visiting fellow Grant Proctor isn’t what she expected to find on the syllabus—at least she thinks they’re in love...nor is her flirtatious relationship with the charming head of the department, Julian d’Amboise.

Soon Theo finds she's been assigned a new major—divinity! She’ll need to learn how to be a goddess fast in order to rescue herself and Grant from Julian’s clutches. After all, Julian’s track record with his women was spectacularly bad—they generally ended up turning into cows or burning to a crisp...and Grant’s last meeting with the department chairman left him chained to a mountaintop for thirty thousand years having his liver pecked out by an eagle. Drugged Riesling, power shopping with Aphrodite, and an eerie labyrinth all make an appearance as Theo struggles to win her eventually happily-ever-after fate—with a twist.

*****

So what do you think, dear readers? The tone of the story isn't terribly comedic though it does have its light, tongue-in-cheek moments...but nor is it dark and gritty because I just don't do dark and gritty. I’m trying to avoid titles with the word “god” in them or other overtly religion-associated words since we don’t want the algorithms at on-line booksellers to assume this book should be listed under Christian Romance and possibly offend innocent readers. But mythological or classical references are definitely a possibility.

Anyway, have fun trying...no suggestion is a bad one, because it might inspire the perfect title. And most of all, thank you!

Good News, of Various Sorts

Bit of Good News #1: A few weeks ago I dropped a cryptic hint or two about a mystery that I was keeping secret...and now, to my delight, I can stop being all cryptic and mysterious and let you all know that I’ve signed a contract with Entangled Publishing for three new books for their Entangled Select line. The first book will be an adult contemporary fantasy...yes, I know, that’s a bit of a change from my usual fare. But it’s fun as an author to stretch out in different directions, and while I know that my adult books might not be of interest to all NineteenTeen readers, rest assured that I haven’t given up on Young Adult or historical fiction...not by a long shot! No details yet on release dates, but once more is settled, I’ll let you know. I’m very excited, and thrilled to be working with Entangled and Liz Pelletier!

Bit of Good News #2: Courtship and Curses has been getting some love from the Romance Writers of America, finaling in two RWA chapter contests this spring. A happy lead-up to its trade paperback release, which will be happening this summer (on July 30 to be exact, from Square Fish/Macmillan)

Bit of Good News #3: After a lot of thought, brainstorming, and private hand-wringing, I'm happy to announce I've got a title for the novella I asked for your help with a few weeks ago.  Look for Charles Bewitched sometime this summer...and I can't wait to show you the wonderful cover designer and YA author Lisa Amowitz is creating for it!


Bit of Good News #4: We’re tickled to be welcoming a guest blogger next week in the form of author Patrice Kindl and her enormously fun YA historical romance, Keeping the Castle. Please stop by next week and say hello!

Bit of Good News #5: The Young Bluestockings Book Club will read again! In honor of the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice, Regina and I thought it only proper that the Young Bluestockings Book Club should do a group reading of the oft-imitated-but-never-equaled Jane Austen masterpiece. The discussion week will begin May 28, so you can spend some time in a hammock over Memorial Day weekend re-reading it.

And speaking of re-reading...there are numerous editions of Pride and Prejudice out there, of course, but there are a couple that I’d like to call special attention to; both are annotated, which will enhance the experience of readers not thoroughly steeped in the minutiae of early 19th century life. The first is The Annotated Pride and Prejudice, annotated and edited by David M. Shapard. This goes into great detail on a page by page basis, with notes covering everything from vocabulary and changes in word usage and grammar to bigger historical and cultural context...and includes lots of black and white illustrations. And then there’s Pride and Prejudice: An Annotated Edition, edited by Patricia Meyer Spacks. I haven’t seen this one in person, but it’s a large and lavishly color-illustrated edition, and looks to be worth a bit of a splurge if you’ve got a gift card burning a hole in your pocket. So get reading...and we’ll look forward to a lively discussion at the end of the month.

There, I think that’s enough good news for now, or I shall have to resort to my vinaigrette.