I’m knee-deep in writing and working at the moment so rather than waste time rattling on about nothing in particular, I thought I’d share my newest cover with all of you. If you can’t see the cover on this post, go here. What do you think? Destiny’s Warrior hits book stores this December! I’ve also included the back cover blurb.

A love more powerful than magic.

 

Laird Gavin McCain, heir to the throne of fae, was raised as a human in order to preserve his life. Now, with his location discovered, Nakkole, a female guardian, is sent to protect him—and return him to the home he never knew…

 

But Gavin was raised not to believe in such things, and Nakkole must come to his aid in disguise. Convincing him of his dormant faery powers should prove a challenging task—especially when the very air seems clouded by the undeniable attraction they feel for each other.

 

And when an attempt on his life lands Gavin in a dream-like world, they discover their destinies entwined. While he must save the kingdom, she carries its future…

Ah, love is in the air.

And so is pollen, dust, grass and allergies. Woe is me. I suffer from bad migraines and as beautiful as spring is, it’s hard on my well-being! Not to mention the fact that, like a lot of people, I get all *nesty* this time of year. Nothing is clean enough. The windows, the baseboard, the linen closet that, for the rest of the year, I avoid like the plague. Oy! My back. My nose. My knees.

I have a card system of chores that my family performs each day (courtesy of the Fly Lady’s system - I highly recommend!). It works out lovely because my husband can never claim he forgot to take out the trash and my kids even have 2 cards that state seperately: Brush your teeth in the morning & Brush your teeth at night. As I say goodbye to my kids each morning, I routinely change out the laundry. It’s as natural to my day as waking up. But I still have a card for myself that says "Laundry" simply because I like knowing I can file it away as complete. (I’m an obsessive list maker who adores checking things off as well. Sick I know.)

But I created that box of cards about three years ago when my kids were about 5 & 7. Their cards have not changed since. Feed the dog. Walk the dog. Make bed. Brush teeth. Now, however, they are soon to be 11 and just turned 9. My question is for all of you with kids this age, or with kids who are older. When is it time to introduce more family responsibility on your children? Are they old enough now to wash dishes? Or clean windows? Is it horrible that I’d rather do it myself to avoid the streaks I know will be left across the glass? Should I forgo perfection and let them take more on, or is that not the thing to do anymore?

I was raised as an Air Force brat. A pretty strict father balanced by a lenient mother. But I was a disciplined child who knew when to speak and when to shut up. My room was always a disaster but I had chores I had to do until the day I moved out - chores that were to be completed before I was allowed any privledges. At the time, I hated it. Now, however, I realize that I rarely got into trouble as a teen and pretty much kept my nose clean. Was that discipline and responsibilty partly the reason? I want to instill that in my kids, but don’t want to rush them into growing up at the same time.

So how do you know when your kids are ready to be more active in helping out in the family? I’m waiting anxiously for your thoughts as Spring Cleaning lays just around the corner…..

Heather

Ok, so coming out from Between the Covers to talk about what’s ON the covers for a moment. My second book, Destiny’s Warrior, went to cover conference this week. This means I dutifully pulled the images that inspired me throughout the writing process of that book and pasted them into a document to be discussed. I made notes as to my preferrences, descriptions of setting and characters. But I have to wonder if any of that matters - likely not.

For the writers out there, I’m curious. Do you have a cover in your head when you’re writing a book? If yes, has the real cover ever come close?

For the readers, I’d like to know what catches your eye? Do you prefer a hero or a heroine? Neither? The setting? An object? Dark colors or bright colors? Will you ever pick up a book and buy it based on the cover alone? (I admit to doing this on one or two occasions.)

I’m really interested in this topic and can’t wait to read your thoughts!

Heather

I live in Florida, so I’m used to being surrounded by retirees and jokes about the older communities here. (Jokes usually made by those who don’t live here and see the overwhelming, annoyingly high number of surfer teens etc to outnumber the retirees!) But I was a little bit clueless about the retirement communities within the "retirement state."

But last weekend we took my kids to Disney as part of my son’s birthday and on the way home, my father asks if I’ve ever been to Cassadaga.

"No."

"Really? Seems right up your alley."

"Why’s that?"

"It’s a cute little town where all the psychics go to retire."

O I AM SO THERE! Chauffer dad is commanded to take us through this quaint town (which he did without one complaint.) I can almost hear my husband rolling his eyes though, but I don’t care. I HAVE to see this place! I think half of me thought my dad was full of crap. But the other part of me was itching to jump out of the car and run around talking to everyone there. I believe in the woo-woo. But I also believe there’s 5 fraud mediums for every real one. I don’t consider myself gullable in any sense, but I think I always WANT to believe that there’s things out there I can’t explain.

So, we drove through Cassadaga, me wide-eyed with my nose pressed to the window. (I had laundry waiting for me so we didn’t really have time to stop). The houses themselves are quaint (some more quaint than others), but the whole town just looks…historic. So today, I thought I’d share some photos of "Where the Psychics go to Retire…CASSADAGA"

 

 

 

In this photo, notice the name of the streets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost every house, every building had a sign similiar to this one, advertising aura readings, past life regressions, palm reading, hand-writing analysis etc. Something for everyone!

 

 

 

And my absolute favorite………… (sorry about the quality but we were in a moving car)

 

 

 

 

 

If you can’t read the street sign, it’s a Caution: Spirts X-ing ahead sign.

Seriously.

I didn’t make that up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heather

This week, my youngest child is turning 9 (Happy birthday, Hunter!). I had him just before I turned 21, so basically I gave birth then went out and had my first legal drink (kidding. kinda). Each year on our kids’ birthday, rather than buy them toys that will be lost by early next morning, we spend an entire day that is strictly THEIR day. It’s rarely cheap, always exhausting, and forever filled with laughs and memories. This year, my son decided Hunter Day would be spent at Animal Kingdom in Disneyworld. Great. We went once, but they had just opened and half the park was still being built, so we’ve all been wanting to see the "whole" park. So we’re going down this weekend to spend the day seeing everything he wants to see there (and a few things we want to see too!).

But it occurs to me this year that mom and dad (namely, me and the dh) don’t get this same gift on our birthdays. I don’t get a full day of doing whatever floats my boat. Well, I turn 30 next month and I’m jumping on the nice set up my kids have going!!!!!! I’m not sure what I’d like to do or where I’d like to go, but 30’s a pretty big birthday, and I should do something, right?

There’s a resteraunt by the beaches called Crab Shack Joes that I’d love to go eat at, for the crabcakes alone. But they make you wear a coconut bra and dance around the resteraunt while everyone sings happy birthday to you (and by everyone, i mean every single body in the place). If you refuse, they’ll simply carry on until you’re want them to shut up so badly, you comply anyway. So, maybe I won’t go there after all. Or, maybe a movie. But it would have to be animated because I can’t celebrate my birthday without my kids! But I’m slightly sick of talking cows and singing princesses, so that’s a no, too.

So how should I spend my big THREE OH? Any suggestions or things I might like to check out? My next post will be around my birthday, so I’ll let you know what I’ve decided!

Heather

I have admitted numerous times on my own blog that I’m a reality television junkie. I can’t explain why and even admit that some of the shows bother me to my very core, but I can no more turn away from watching them (i.e. The Bachelor) than I could a gruesome train wreck. I’ve been good lately, but then, nothing reality-related has been on T.V.

But they’re coming back, and I see my quiet nights soon becoming filled with gasps of outrage as I watch Survivor, American Idol, and the Amazing Race. These shows are roaring back for a new season, and before I get to breathe when those finish this go-round, a new set of shows will pop back up (Big Brother, where are you???????). Why the fascination? As I said before, some shows, namely The Bachelor, turn my stomach on premise alone. Yet I couldn’t help but watch the Italian prince meet his match last season. Then there was Outback Jack, much the same as Bachelor, that I simply had to watch for the yummy, accented Jack, all the while wanting to talk to the women’s parents to find out how they could allow their daughters to compete for a man.

I get aggravated at the fame-hungry repeats like Rob and Amber from Survivor All-Stars (now married). They got their own reality show soon after their wedding was broadcasted (and paid for) by the television station who aired it. Now they’re back, racing for more money and another 15 minutes of fame on the upcoming season The Amazing Race. They make me slightly nauseaus. But will I watch? Probably. I just can’t help it.

Top that off with some of my favorite Non-reality shows (Gilmore Girls, Medium, Men in Trees) and I’m wondering how much space I really have on Tivo. After all, I have to write sometime!

Heather
The Devil’s Possession - (8/07) Available for pre-order at Amazon.com

Cover for Japanese Edition

I don’t speak Japanese. I don’t read Japanese. I live 7,000 miles from Tokyo, and I’ve never even been to Japan - although I would love, love, love to visit that amazing land one day. (Nalini, you are so lucky!) So it blows my mind to know that my Coffeehouse Mysteries have gotten there before me! They are now being published in Japan by Random House/Kodansha.

My publisher recently sent me the Japanese editon of the book, and I thought it would be fun to post the Japanese version of the On What Grounds Coffeehouse Mystery cover. (Note the kitty drinking coffee!)

It’s always a bit of a shock to be reminded that books published in another country and/or in another language can have drastically different cover art, interior design, and even be a different size and shape.

Cover for American Edition

I think it’s adorable that the Japanese publisher put a kitty drinking coffee on the cover and continued the kitty motif with the interior design. But at the same time…it’s a little puzzling…There IS a coffeehouse cat in the book, but Java plays a very minor role in the story. This series certainly isn’t part of the cat-solves-mystery genre - not even close! Hence the scratching of my head over the cover design. It’s cute, don’t get me wrong. But the Japanese cover designer REALLY got into the kitty thing.

Japanese Title Page

Then I remembered the whole Hello Kitty movement, which is Japanese, so I’m guessing kitties are popular icons for young Japanese women, hence a cozy mystery series cover with a kitty drinking coffee would prove especially attractive to the Japanese target market.

Do you think I’m on the right track for this Japanese version of cover strategy? I’m totally guessing, so feel free to set me straight - or share your own foreign language edition anectodes!

In the end, I really don’t care what sort of cover is on my book. I’m really just thrilled and happy that it made it to Japan at all, even if I haven’t.

P.S. Hey, Nalini! Given your Japanese themed post, I have to ask…did you ever go to a coffeehouse in Japan? Was there a kitty drinking coffee there? And do you think this cover will fly in Tokyo?

Luv, Cleo Coyle

Author of the Coffeehouse Mystery series: #1 On What Grounds, #2 Through the Grinder, #3 Latte Trouble, #4 Murder Most Frothy, and coming in July 2007 #5 Decaffeinated Corpse…

Happy Wednesday everybody!

I used to love Wednesdays because it meant I didn’t have long to wait for the weekend. Now, Wednesdays usually have me spinning because by that time of the week, I’m finally starting to get back into the routine of the work week, but what’s the point? It’s almost over.

Le Sigh.

But that’s not what I wanted to post about. I wanted to post about the Grande Dame of romance, Nora Roberts, for a moment. Starting Jan. 29, Lifetime Movie Channel will be premiering the first of four movies made from her books. They’ll be shown pretty much one right after the other (day after day), and surprisingly, the movies are based on her newer titles, not her long ago back list. I believe (she’s so prolific I could definitely be wrong here) that Angels Fall is her most recent book, and yet it the kick-off movie for this Nora-thon. (You can see the line up and great photos taken on set of her movies here.)

So why am I writing about Nora? Well, she’s a fellow Berkley author, and yeah, she’s a master at the publishing game, but I’m writing about her because I’m wondering how effective the "based on the novel by __________" really is to those who watch movies. Danielle Steele has had countless movies made of her books. As has Stephen King, John Grisham, and countless others. I love to see a "based on the novel by ________" when I watch a movie because if I like it, I have a new author to buy. I like it, too, because if it’s based on a book I’ve already read (i.e. Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Eragon) I get to see how closely the movie-makers came to matching the descriptions I pictured in my mind.

But what if the movie sucks? DOes that taint an author’s name? Do movie-watchers even care who wrote it? If a watcher sees "Based on a book by _________" in the movie credits and hates the movie, she’s likely to never buy a book from that author, right? So, that being said, the potential to LOSE readers comes with having your story translated into another artform. Not that it’s hurt Danielle Steele, Stephen King, or John Grisham one bit.

So I’m curious. If a movie is being released that was originally a book YOU’VE ALREADY READ, do you look forward to seeing the movie or not?
If you watch a movie that’s originally been in book form and you hate it, does it turn you off that author? If you love it, would you go shopping for their other books?

JUst curious

Heather

Christmas is over. New Year’s is over a week old. But I still got a present a couple of days ago — my very first quote for The Devil’s Possession, and from someone I admire immensely, no less: Best selling author Sharon Sala.

"Heather Waters debut novel is without doubt, one of the best
stories I’ve read in years.  The Devil’s Possession has it all.  A
sit-on-the-edge-of-your seat story line, a memorable heroine and a hero to
die for.  The magic of the land in which she’s set her story is a marvelous
match to the magic of her storytelling." – Sharon Sala

What do you think? Pretty nice, right? And I didn’t even need a bow to make it pretty.

Merry Christmas to me, ‘cause it’s already turning out to be a pretty nice New Year

Heather

I usually try to post here early in the morning, but I’m running late. 19 people to shop for and I only have one shopping day left. Oops?

But I have good reason. My brother and his family are in town. I haven’t seen them in three years. He’s in the Air Force, stationed on the other side of the country in Las Vegas, and is now heading to a three year station in Italy. 45 minutes from Venice, the lucky dog. Needless to say, my time is being eaten up (deliciously of course) by spending time with my neice and nephew, brother and sister in law. Somewhere in the midst of all this, I still have to hit the grocery store and cook Christmas Eve dinner for 10 as well.

But hey, I’m a writer, and if writer’s are good at anything other than writing, it’s multi-tasking. So in an effort to save myself as much precious time as possible, I’m going to go ahead and wish everyone a Merry Christmas (or Happy Holiday) and get my butt to the stores.

Blessings to all!

Heather