This was pretty much the view from my house this past weekend. An arsonist decided on Saturday that it would be fun to burn down some houses and send a few neighborhoods into evacuation. Fortunately, we have great firefighters, and equally great air support. No one was injured except the arsonist. (hah!) Three separate fixed-wing aircraft spent Monday morning (5/17) dumping fire retardant along the fire front, so all evac orders were lifted that evening. It’s the price for living in one of the most peaceful and lovely places in the world.
Eddie and I remained safe during the entire event, though it was adding insult to the year-long lockdown! But we’re back to routine already, with her sleeping on my lap as I work. Such a sweet kitty. I don’t know what I’d have done without her this past year. She saved my sanity, that’s for sure.
Back to work now. I should have news on NICODEMUS’s release and pre-order this week. The release date is still the end of May, but I’m waiting on the specific date and to learn when the pre-order will go up. The process moves a bit slower with everyone at the publisher’s working from home, plus the printer running a reduced schedule because of COVID slowdown. But I expect the pre-order to go up very, very soon, plus I should have a cover this week.
Stay safe out there, and get vaccinated for yourself and your community. ❤😷
xoxo
DBR
I’m sorry for the long silence. I’ve actually been working hard on Antônio’s book, doing lots of research. I visited Portugal not too long ago. In fact, it was part of my last trip to Europe before the pandemic shut the world down. But Antônio is vampire old, which means lots of history that’s well before the dates of my real-life visit. So…research. Not my favorite part of the process, but it must be done. I’m writing, too, of course. I’m not spending all my time in the dusty halls of history. But it’s early going in the writing process, which means I’m still learning and refining my characters as I go. I do love Antônio, who’s the one character I know well. He’s a complicated guy, though, because that’s always been the kind of man I’m attracted to. Brilliant and neurotic? Lemme at him! lol
I’m currently waiting for the final cover, so I decided to share Nick’s baby picture instead. I’ve always pictured Nick as a teddy bear kind of guy. What do you think? But I digress…I now have news on the release date for NICODEMUS! At last! It’s May 28, 2021, and as usual it will be available for pre-order before then—probably a couple weeks. I expect that date to hold, though as I’ve said before, it’s a long book, which means every step toward release takes longer. And there’s our old friend the pandemic, which has at least partially shut down many printing facilities. But for now, NICODEMUS looks good for May 28th! I’m so excited to share Nick’s story with all of you. So many times and places he had to visit and/or live, before he could finally find his own HEA. 
And while you wait for NICODEMUS, you can console yourself (or your friends) with 
Revisions on Nick’s book (NICODEMUS) were finished a couple weeks ago and sent to my editor. I’ve been pretty much sleeping since then. I keep saying it’s a big book, by which I mean it’s long. Much longer than any previous book in the series. But it’s the final book in the series, and there was a lot of story to tell. I don’t have a release date yet, but should have one soon. There are still some editing passes left, but they go much faster, and don’t affect the release date. My job now is to find the perfect cover image for Nick. He’s nearly as tough to match as Raphael…nearly.
So what have I done when I wasn’t sleeping? Well, Eddie and I took some car trips together. She was NOT enthusiastic, although she’s a little better about it now. She’s still very happy when I pull back into the garage. I’m trying to condition her for longer trips ahead. (Fingers crossed.)
Hi everyone! This is just a very quick note to let you know I’m still breathing and still deep, deep in the cave, which is why you haven’t heard much from me. You (and I) will be happy to know that Nick’s book will be finished THIS WEEK! (if you hear sobs of relief, that’s just me.) I had to trim my original outline, because it would have taken two complete books to do it right. Nick’s had a very, very long life, so I had to do some judicious editing about the details of his history between soon after he took that big leap into the maelstrom of time, and his modern day present, which is his life and adventures once he reunited with Antonia (which he did at the end of DRAGAN.) I don’t know about you, but I wanted to learn how Nick, Antonia, and all four warriors get their revenge on Sotiris. I’m happy with the way it’s turned out, though being a trained historian, I cried a little. There’s a reason I don’t write historical romances, I’m too big of a stickler for accurate details. 
Other than writing, I’ve watched the occasional movie (WW1984!) I’ve also bought a frontpack for my 6 mo. kitten, Eddie, so we can take walks together. Where I live, it’s not safe to walk her on a leash. She needs to be secure and protected against marauding coyotes. The pack does have a bubble front though, so she can see where we’re going. We’re taking a road trip later this month, so she’ll be ready for walks in the great outdoors.
For any of you who want to read the earlier books, or if you know someone who does, 
And finally, I hope you’re all enjoying (is that a word we can use these days??) the new year, and are holding out hope for a better 2021. By the end of this year, maybe we’ll be able to travel again? Maybe? I live in California where things are bad right now, so…fingers crossed for better times for everyone, especially those fighting for their lives, and the ones helping them fight.
So, it’s November, which means NaNoWriMo, even in 2020. I’m NaNo’ing this year, combining it with my work on Nick’s story (officially NICODEMUS.) This story has turned out to begin differently than I’d originally planned. My first thought was to hit the moment Nick’s four warriors disappeared, finish off the battle, and send Nick on his way after the warriors. And that’s what I wrote. But then I realized…we need to hear Nick and Antonia’s love story. We need to know who Antonia is! And I loved writing it. This is a less cynical Nick, younger in many ways, a powerful sorcerer who’s never really faced any problem his power couldn’t solve, much less any real tragedy. But now it’s back to the battle and the day he lost everything. He’ll be heading for our world, during the Bourbon Restoration in France. I’d like to give you a snippet…but maybe next time.
Since this IS 2020, I’m in my house most of the time, with (mostly) daily walks out into the fresh air. I did manage a weekend to attend my niece’s softball tournament, and was once again impressed by the physicality and discipline of the players. Great “heads-up” playing. But mostly I’m home, so when I need a break from writing, or just something to watch while I eat dinner, I’m searching Netflix and Amazon, along with everyone else. In the interest of saving others the search time, I have recommendations. “The Queen’s Gambit” on Netflix is excellent. Whether or not you’ve read the book, you’re going to love this. “The Impossible” also on Netflix, is the story of one family in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia. Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, and a very young Tom Holland lead an excellent cast. And finally, on a much lighter note, Dash & Lily is a sincere but lighthearted look at two 17-18ish kids who don’t quite fit in, and the unique way they find each other. Oh, and if you want something with more episodes, but requiring less attention to watch, there’s always Emily in Paris.
Just so you know, this is whom I’m spending Covid with…my sweet (sometimes) Eddie, who’s got her eyes on the squirrels outside my bedroom window. She was a tiny kitten, weighing about a pound, when she first came to live with me, but she’s officially mine now. The adoption went through and I’ve registered her chip. Sharing lockdown with another living creature makes a difference, especially since it seems we’re about to lock everything down again.
And now back to writing. Nick’s about to take his great leap into the future. 
Heart of the Wolf, an e-novella available in