The Writer's Blog

My new mystery novel will be published in November, 2009, by Bold Strokes Books.

The biggest news I've had as a writer was that the prominent LGBT publisher, Bold Strokes Books, was offering me a contract for my new mystery, Veritas. I signed the contract last week but was unable to tell anyone until the contracts had exchanged hands via the mails, and the delay was undeniably hard. I wanted to shout it out. My goal as a writer has been to keep moving the ball forward with everything I do, but in a steady way that extends my reach rather than exceeds it. And I'm discovering that my reach is farther ahead than I thought.

Bold Strokes Books publishes lesbian-oriented genre books - mysteries, romances, sci-fi, fantasy and erotica. And it has grown very quickly by publishing a reliable read for its base - good stories with exciting lesbian characters. My admiration for BSB would be great if that was all that they do, but BSB is clearly extending its reach also, signing gay authors, some literary authors, moving into e-book publishing, reprinting some LBGT classics. It's exciting stuff, and I'm very happy to be a part of their shop.

Veritas will be available from BSB in November 2009. You'll hear more from me on events surrounding the publication, plus other appearances I'll be making with BSB.

In other news, the Obama inauguration is one week from today and I'm predicting that there will be some trees knocked down from the exhalation of collective breaths being held around the country and the world. There's a lot of fear out there waiting to be soothed when the man takes office. Can you imagine having his job? I sometimes despair at my to do list, but all I have to do is think of his and I relax. In my real estate practice I have definitely seen people holding out, waiting to see where the new administration is going to take us. It's a good time to buy, but is it a good time to buy if things get worse? It's a bad time to sell, but will it be even worse down the road? Or better? What to do? It's a paralytic time, in a country usually agitated by motion, not inertia.

I'm not holding my breath. But I'm taking very deep ones.