meredith_shayne

Tinsel & Dust is now on sale at Dreamspinner! You can get it here. I hope those of you who do buy it enjoy another glimpse into how Michael and Ryan are doing.

I'll be giving away one copy each of Tinsel & Dust, Equilibrium and Rust Red: Galvanized at Reviews by Jessewave's huge Christmas book giveaway, which I believe will start on December 22nd, so look out for that post to go up over there for a chance to win those and many other fabulous books. At some stage soon (when I can stop doing something other than counting down the days until I finish work for this year) I will probably run a little Tinsel & Dust giveaway here too.

In lieu of all that for now, here's another excerpt from the book:

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( Jack thinks that if we stay in a motel for Christmas, Santa won’t be able to find us )

Music is very important to my writing process. I only write without music if I absolutely have to, which thankfully isn't often. The music I listen to while writing has an impact on the mood of the story: a dark story has to have a soundtrack full of dark music, while a more lighthearted story can have a more lighthearted soundtrack. Each of my published stories has a soundtrack, either a mix of songs from different artists, or a single artist; for Equilibrium it was a mix of songs, for Reasonable Force it was Velvet Acid Christ, for Eyes Wide Shut and Rust Red: Galvanized it was Midnight Oil. For Tinsel and Dust, my upcoming Equilibrium sequel, it was the John Butler Trio. Music actually plays a larger role in Tinsel and Dust than it ever has before, in that the music of the John Butler Trio actually features in a scene.

Now, I'm not going to give away what that scene actually is, because that would be telling. :) But what I will tell you is what songs I was thinking of when I wrote it. To me, they fit Michael and Ryan's situation to a tee.

Both of these songs are off the album Sunrise Over Sea. The first is called Peaches and Cream:

For so long I've sung this sad ol' song,
And it feels like my time is up.
For she came and landed in my arms,
And she filled my half empty cup.
Yes she filled my half empty cup.

There you are right in front of me, 
A brand new day sunrise over sea.
No longer my cup half empty cause there you are...



and the second is called Seeing Angels:

Why do I deserve such a visit
From the one I thought I'd never meet.
Beyond my greatest expectations.
You exceeded everything. 
Well here I am 

Take me for what you see
For I'm transparent in the light of you. 
And look inside,
See that fire burning bright
The same one you rekindled inside me 

My mouth was dry
only you quenched my thirst
I thought I was last
You told me I was first. 




So there you have it, two great songs for my boys. Tinsel and Dust should be released mid-December, I have a tentative release date of December 14th for it. That's not set in stone at the moment, but if I learn any different I'll be sure to let you all know.

 

From September 15-30, All Romance ebooks are offering a 25% rebate on all Dreamspinner titles. The rebate comes in the form of ebook bucks, ARe's in-store currency, which get credited to the customer's account. If you click on the banner above you'll get to all Dreamspinner's titles; if you want to pick up a copy of Equilibrium, you can go here. :)

Speaking of Equilibrium, I'm pleased to announce that I've sold a short story that's a mini-sequel to Equilibrium. It's a Burreela-based Christmas story called Tinsel and Dust, and it will be out in December, just in time for Christmas. :)

At the end of this week I'm going to have quite a lot of work to do, because I've got publisher edits on a novella due and I'm also trying to write something new in time for a deadline of September 1st. So of course I'm procrastinating like my life depends on it. I do have a cover art questionnaire open even as I speak, but I keep getting distracted by pictures of the West Australian outback and lovely panoramic photos of Perth. But if I don't write down anything about these photos I'm looking at one the questionnaire, then I won't get them on my cover, will I? No. No, I will not.

But mostly I'm thinking about getting a puppy. An opportunity has presented itself, and while it's the absolute worst time for me to be getting a pet I am seriously considering it. Because I am the least practical person in the world when it comes to tiny, supercute little puppies. And I haven't had a dog in a long time and I'm finally starting to miss it.

Anyway. I'll make that tomorrow's problem.

Today's problem, which is not a problem at all, is that Equilibrium has gotten a lovely review on Amazon. Greek Reader gave it 5 stars and said:

I liked this one a lot. Both main characters and those surrounding them are described in well-rounded and lively detail. Michael has flaws and issues, some of which he'll always struggle against, but he tries not to wallow and ultimately won't be defined by them. Ryan has led an easier and more charmed life, but he has a streak of realism that allows him to understand Michael and to stand by him.

It's a rather quiet and tender love affair, as they often are in real life, but never boring. Highly recommended.

So that's got me all warm and fuzzy today! Puppies and a good review = a pretty good day, really.

I've been posting a little bit over on Dreamspinner's blog today to celebrate the release of Equilibrium. So far we have:

The beautiful cover, which I can't get enough of, plus the blurb

Excerpt #1, and a contest to win a copy of Equilibrium in ebook format

An explanation of why I set the book in Australia, and the origins of Burreela

Excerpt #2

An explanation of campdrafting and tent pegging, with a few illustrative videos

Excerpt #3


The contest will run for quite a while, to give everyone who might actually be having a life on a Northern Hemisphere Friday night a chance to comment, so. There's still a chance to win something.

To celebrate the release of Equilibrium on the 24th, only a few days away now, I've got a little freebie story for you all. This one starts about a week before Equilibrium does, and continues on through the first meeting of our heroes, Michael and Ryan. This time, though, we get to see things through Ryan's eyes. We also get to meet Murphy the Labrador. :)

Thanks to misslj_author and empty_tea for the read through.


These Days, an Equilibrium short

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Eleven o'clock was too early for lunch, but Ryan had been up since five and he was starving. There were no parks in front of the pub when he drove past, and the supermarket was his final destination anyway, so he parked there instead and walked down Burreela's main street to get back to the pub. It was a stupid decision, because it was stinking hot, like it always was in January, with the new year barely a week old. There wasn't a cool breath of air to be had, and he was only saved from the beating sun by his battered old Akubra hat and the shop awnings shading the footpath. Even with the shade, by the time he reached the door of the pub his face was damp and he could feel his t-shirt sticking to his back. He closed his eyes when he opened the pub door, stepped inside, and was hit by a blast of cold air from the air conditioners. He took his hat off and swiped the back of his arm over his forehead before walking toward the bar. At that time of day there was only a handful of patrons scattered around the bar, and there wasn't a single stranger among them.

"Well, well, Ryan bloody Mitchell."

"Jonesy," Ryan said as he took a seat at the bar. Peter Jones had played on the footie team with Ryan at school, almost ten years previously; when Ryan became a policeman and moved to Sydney, Jonesy had stayed to help his dad run the family pub. He was built like a brick shithouse, a volunteer fireman when he wasn't at the pub; he was also one of the most heterosexual men Ryan had ever known. Sadly. "How's it hanging?"

Jonesy grinned. "Down to my knees, matey, down to my knees."

At the other end of the bar, Alison, Jonesy's wife, made a disbelieving noise as she wiped down the bar.

Jonesy laughed. "Take no notice of my missus, she just doesn't want you to be jealous. What can I get you?"

Ryan laughed. "Just a Coke and a menu. The kitchen's open, right?"

"Yep," Jonesy said, and handed him a laminated menu. "Coke coming right up."

Ryan studied the menu until Jonesy brought him his drink. "Thanks." He picked it up and took a large mouthful.

Jonesy watched him. "You met the new vet yet?"

Ryan put his glass down and shook his head. "No. The only thing I've heard is that there is one." Ryan tried not to involve himself in gossip. "Girl or guy?"

Jonesy leaned on the bar. "Guy. I heard he came up from Sydney."

Ryan's stomach flipped, but he ruthlessly shoved down any spark of hope he felt. The likelihood of the guy being gay was slim. Not everyone from Sydney was gay, or even open-minded about gays. He took another mouthful of his drink. "What's he like?"

Jonesy shrugged. "Dunno. Okay, I suppose."

Alison, who'd moved closer with her cleaning cloth, rolled her eyes. "Honestly, babe, God help us all if you ever have to give evidence in a court case." She looked at Ryan. "His name's Michael, and he seems nice enough. A bit shy, maybe, and nervous, like he's just about to bolt for the door all the time, but I suppose it's hard moving somewhere like here when you're used to Sydney." Her gaze sharpened, turned calculating as she sized Ryan up. "He's a little shorter than you, I reckon, about six foot, and he's got dark brown hair and eyes that are that blue-grey colour. He's a little on the thin side, and kind of nerdy-looking, like he's done nothing but study chemistry all his life. Even if he hasn't, I don't think he's spent much time outside, because he's as pale as pale can be." She smiled. "He's pretty though. Really pretty. So he's just the sort of fresh meat we want around here." Her smile turned into a grin. "Anything else you want to know?"

Ryan felt a little wide-eyed, and when he looked at Jonesy, he looked that way too. "Ah... No. I don't think so. That's... Wow. He's only been here a few days, hasn't he? That's a lot to notice in such a short time."

Alison shook her head at him. "No, it's not, it's just that you men don't notice anything at all about anyone. If it were up to you lot, we'd have to get around in total ignorance." She gestured at the menu he held. "Decided what you want yet?"

"Oh. Ah..." Ryan looked down at the menu again, and chose the first thing that he saw. "I'll have the steak sandwich, thanks. Medium rare."

"Medium rare steak sandwich," she repeated, taking his menu and walking through the door to the kitchen.

Ryan and Jonesy stared at each other for a minute. "Wow," Ryan said again. "Fresh meat, huh?"

Jonesy nodded. "Be afraid. Be very afraid."

Ryan took another mouthful of Coke, suddenly wishing it was beer. "Mate. You can say that again."

( Read more... )




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Copyright © 2011 by Meredith Shayne – All Rights Reserved

Thanks for all your comments about titles guys, it was interesting to see how everyone approaches them, from a writer's and a reader's perspective. I ended up calling the story "Equilibrium", for reasons that will hopefully become obvious once I've got an official blurb to share with you. It definitely satisfies my need for the short and the snappy, and like I said, it even has something to do with the story, so it ticks the boxes on all counts, yay.

Happily I will have an official blurb to share with you eventually, because Dreamspinner have accepted it, with publication slated for June. I am very, very happy about this, since it will be my first novel-length publication, and it'll be available in paperback as well as ebook. Very exciting!