Sneak-Peek Observations

My publisher just sent me the final artwork for The Keeper's Journal:

 

The cover accurately depicts my fictional city of Larkin, Maine and the character on semi-transparent display. It could only be achieved successfully by someone who has read the book from first page to last, which my editor has already done.

Larkin is a harbor town, with the beam of the lighthouse near the bottom right of the cover.  The woman's face on display is Angela Page, who finds Colm Sullivan's old journal in the lighthouse keeper's cottage on Banshee Point. Angie is the only daughter of Shannon Larkin, who figures prominently in the Collective Obsessions Saga beginning with Book Three: The Twain Shall Meet through the finale, Book Eight: Megan's Legacy (coming in 2013).

Angie has striking green eyes, also evident on the book cover. A few months ago I received a rather curt e-mail from a reader who complained "if I see another major character with green eyes I'm going to scream – green eyes are unusual but made so typical in fiction novels featuring a woman as the main character."

I beg to differ. Green eyes are not so unusual, at least not in my family. I can safely say 45% of my circle of family members – including myself as well as cousins, aunts and uncles – possess hazel eyes. Green peepers are very common in my world. Besides, how many hues can I use in a fictional family saga that spans more than one-hundred-sixty years? Should I invent my own eye color – perhaps orange?

To see a larger depiction of the book cover go to my special Pinterest page for the novel.

In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for the official book release of The Keeper's Journal on or around December 23rd December 28th…

Hints & Chirps

A little bird just told me The Keeper's Journal is going to be released on or around December 23rd. Gulp!

The excitement of a new book coming out never gets old…

Seasons Greetings

http://deidredalton.com/

Holiday Reads

Read special holiday excerpts from The Twain Shall Meet:

Shannon Larkin loves the holidays! Recall the rocky beginnings of her romance with Scott Page during Thanksgiving at the family mansion . . . Experience their first kiss under the mistletoe at Christmas . . . And hear Scott's declarations of love on New Year's Eve . . .

Click here to begin reading online holiday excerpts from The Twain Shall Meet, or click here to download holiday excerpts from The Twain Shall Meet (PDF, 888 KB).

The Twain Shall Meet is the third book in the Collective Obsessions Saga. The novel was released by Club Lighthouse Publishing in January 2012.

Keeper Coming

I just received word from my publisher that The Keeper's Journal will be released at the end of November or early December 2012.

Needles to say, I'm very excited.

The novel is the fifth book in the eight-part Collective Obsessions Saga.

Keep your eyes peeled...

Revisions, Round One

Over the weekend, I decided to revise the first chapter of my upcoming novel Bloodlust. While I'm well beyond the first chapter in terms of overall writing, I've found myself returning to the beginnings of the book many times in recent months. Something was tugging at me, making me think of other ways to introduce a mature Kate Grady into the Bloodline Trilogy. The scenario finally revealed itself fully to me, mindfully speaking, so I was able to write the revision in fairly short order.

Inevitable revisions are the main reason I prefer not to predict the release date of a specific novel. As most authors know, the writing process can go along smoothly for quite awhile and then all of a sudden a mental wrench is thrown into the works. It is not writer's block per say, but rather a new direction which can develop over the passage of time. In other words, the author can sometimes be inspired by new ideas that only become feasible as the storyline unfolds and ultimately progresses in their imagination.

Not to worry, though. I've been writing this way for most of my life, so I'm accustomed to the pattern.

More Enthrallment

Carly's in trouble…

IT WAS STILL DARK when Carly awoke fully dressed in the front seat of her Camry. At first she thought she was coming out of a horrific nightmare, but then she felt the pain and sticky wetness in her lower and upper body, and the pounding throb of an enormous headache.

She tried to adjust her eyes to the inky darkness. The street lamps on Larkin Highway helped bring her vision into focus, and then she knew where she was.

Her Camry was parked on the soft shoulder of the highway, underneath an awning of pine branches one-quarter mile from the entrance road to the mansion. She could smell the clean freshness of rain in the air even though her car windows were closed.

She found her voice, which was working now. "How on earth did I get here?" she wondered aloud. "What did I do? What in the hell happened to me?"

Bits and pieces began to flood her memory as she sat there. Despite the chill in her car, she felt the heat of shame rising in her body and flaming her cheekbones. She saw Jack in her mind, and two other men, taking turns on her body and then joining with her all at the same time – something she had never thought possible even in her wildest fantasies…

Click here to read more excerpts from "Enthrallment."