A Wicked Day

Today is a celebratory day for me. I finished revisions on one books (Engaged in Sin, coming in Oct 2011) and have another releasing. My erotic regency-set vampire tale Blood Wicked comes out today.

It's exciting to see a book released. I was blessed by the cover gods for Blood Wicked, which is the story of vampire Heath, the Earl of Blackmoor, who meets his match in Vivienne Dare, a former courtesan who discovers she is a succubus. But one of the best things about today was, for me, reaching the end of revisions. There is nothing quite like the glorious feeling of being done (and on time).

As a writer, you hear alot about the begining of the book. When you are aspiring to be published, you are taught to think about the "hook". What is going to hook an editor and make she (or he) want to read more? Then, when you sell that book, you think about whether your opening will hook a reader. But no one really talks about the end.

I attended a terrific writing workshop given by award-winning author Molly O'Keefe and she gave a piece of great advice. To paraphrase, she said: A whole book hurtles toward the last line. This really resonated for me. I love to start my books thinking about the last line.

And typing "The End" is one of the most satisfying things a writer can do. I've been so euphoric after reaching the end, sometimes all I can do is jump up and down in one spot.

Do you have a favorite ending line from a book or a movie? Have you heard or read an ending line that gave you the feeling the whole story hurtled toward it? Here are some of my favorites from books on my shelf:

From Anna Campbell's Untouched: Love had a last set him free.

From Tessa Dare's Goddess of the Hunt: "But cling as she might to those girlhood dreams"--she craned her neck to brush a light kiss against her husband's jaw--"I am exceedingly grateful that mine did not come true."

From my book, Sin: As his lips lowered to hers once more, he promised, "I have more sinful plans for our future."

And here is my "Reaching the End" drink recipe (the recipe is from supercocktails.com):

Ingredients:

2 oz. light rum

juice of one lime (1 oz - this is generally when I discover the limes I've kept in the fridge for months no longer have juice)

2 tsp sugar

2 - 4 mint sprigs (cut from a handy mint plant in my back window)

Soda water

Blending instructions:

Lightly muddle the mint and sugar with a splash of soda water in a mixing glass until the sugar dissolves and you smell the mint.

Squeeze the lime into the glass, add rum, and shake with ice.

Strain over cracked ice in a highball glass. (Didn't know what cracked ice was exactly, so I put cubes in a plastic bag and hit them with a hammer).

Top with soda water, garnish with mint sprig, and drink.