Mini Writer's Retreat

I had that most rare and lovely of experiences this week: my husband left town. For four days.

Four blissful, productive days.

Now, I'm not saying I don't love my husband or that I didn't miss him. But as a work-from-home, childless person, having all that free time with no interruptions, no cleaning, no cooking… it was amazing.

I dubbed it my writer's retreat, and at the outset of it, I decided I was going to write 10k words while he was gone.

…

…

**crickets**

Of course, that didn't happen. But what did happen is I wrote when I had words in my head. I read. I watched a couple movies. I slept at weird hours. I took time to get my head in what I was doing.

You know. I retreated.

It was definitely what I needed. He comes home today, and I am soooo ready to see him, but I really enjoyed my time by myself to just be.

What would you do if you had four days to yourself?
 -Jeanette.

PS – In other news, Unacceptable Risk received its first review today! Bitten by Paranormal Romance gave it FIVE HOWLS!!!! I might be howling myself…

New Release: Higher Learning anthology from Dreamspinner Press

Just a quick note that I have a new short story out. It's part Higher Learning, an anthology of M/M stories set in college.

My story is called "Bug Boy." Here's the blurb:

Dan Holbrook remembers Jesse Milner as the social misfit from his third grade class—the quiet boy in the glasses who liked to play with bugs. When he encounters Jesse again as a junior in college, the glasses and the bugs are still there, but in every other way he’s changed. Handsome and self-assured, Jesse is exactly Dan’s type, but a decade of resentment over past rejections has made Jesse wary. Dan resolves to do whatever he has to in order to crack that prickly exoskeleton and get close to Jesse, no matter how hard Jesse tries to push him away.

News Roundup: Cyberpunk and Christmas and College Boys, Oh My!

So. Um. I have a lot going on right now.

First off, I have THREE (count 'em, THREE) stories releasing between now and the end of the year.

1- Unacceptable Risk: This novella-length m/f cyberpunk romance comes out December 13, 2011, from Samhain Press, and I am so, so excited about it. Because it's my first m/f book of this length, I'm running a blog tour and everything to promote it, including guest posts, interviews and, most importantly, giveaways. Stay tuned for more news.

2- A Gift of Trust: A contemporary, m/f Christmas short story, due out December 7, 2011, from Silver Press.

3- Bug Boy: This contemporary m/m romance short story will be included as part of Dreamspinner Press's Higher Learning anthology, and it will be out super, super soon – October 17, 2011!

Second, I've recently received contracts on two more short stories. "Seriously" will be included in Going Down, a Cleis Press anthology edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel all about… ahem, er, going down. Y'know. And I just found out yesterday that "Gretel's Lament" has been selected as part of another Cleis Press anthology, Lustfully Ever After, a book of fairy tale-inspired erotica edited by Kristina Wright. Both are m/f stories with lots of heat. I don't have release dates for either, but chances are they'll be out in 2012.

Finally, if you haven't read my FREE m/m short story Heart and Soul yet, you can now read it as part of Don't Read In TheCloset, Volume 1, a free collection of short stories compiled by the amazing people over at the M/M romance group over on GoodReads.

I know I've been posting a bit sporadically, but that's the scoop. It's been a busy season for writing, editing and submitting – and that doesn't even count the major verbiage I've been putting into my novel-writing. Hope the fall is treating you well!

Unacceptable Risk: Ten Weeks and Counting!

Excitement abounds over here in the Grey house. The cover, blurb and excerpt for Unacceptable Risk are now live on the Samhain web site!

Equally awesome, it was featured on The Galaxy Express over the weekend as part of a look at upcoming cyberpunk romances.

In support of the release, I'm working on putting together a small blog tour in mid-December, which will involve ebook giveaways, so keep your eyes peeled!