OUTED!

On September 13^th (last Thursday), I was bouncing all over Facebook and Twitter with happiness, announcing to the world that I, erm, couldn’t make an announcement. Heh.  Yeah.  I’m like that.  Irritating as hell, right?  That’s how happiness works sometimes, though.  You’re just so happy you can’t hold it all in.  Well, you could, but then you’d explode and that would just be icky. :P

 

The reason I was so happy?  At the beginning of August, I’d sent a submission to one of my fabulous editors at Carina Press, Andrea Kerr.  This sub was the 3^rd installment in the 4-part Earth Angels series, WOUNDED ANGEL.  I'll admit, I was worried about this submission. For starters, just because the first 2 books have been accepted in a series doesn’t mean anything else will be accepted.  Trust me, getting a rejection after you’ve been published occurs far more often than you might think (I’ve been rejected 3 times since being published).  So naturally, I was biting my nails.

 

 

 

 

The other reason I was worried about the WOUNDED ANGEL sub—it’s the darkest story I’ve ever written. My heroine, Ella Little, is the survivor of a serial killer’s nightmarish attack.  What’s more, Ella did something EXTREMELY RARE for a romantic heroine—she killed her attacker in order to survive.  Man, I waffled a lot on this plot point, mainly because I didn’t want to turn off the editors reviewing this ms.  But seriously, I couldn’t reasonably have it go any other way.  I also didn’t want to be apologetic about it.  I’d like to think that in a situation where civility is yanked away by a rabid predator, I would be strong enough to do whatever it took to survive.  So, when it came to producing Ella’s character portrait, that was the bottom line I kept coming up with.

 

Thankfully, Andrea not only understood, she APPROVED. (Have I mentioned how much I love Andrea?  ‘Cause I do!)  WOUNDED ANGEL was accepted by Carina Press (no publication date yet), and I couldn’t wait to share this wonderful news with the world.  But I had to.  I know it’s silly superstition on my part, but it’s not REAL until I have confirmation that a contract is on its way, so I wasn’t going to let a peep out about it. 

 

 

 

Then, yesterday, Executive Editor of Carina Press and the editor for my steampunk and sci-fi projects, Angela James, did her famous #editreport on Twitter (for more info on what #editreport is, look here ).  Imagine my surprise and delight when WOUNDED ANGEL showed up in the “Acquisition” section of #editreport!

 

From Angela’s Twitter feed (3 posts in all):

"Acq: 1/3 "Author is a strong writer who creates interesting & believable characters, even the ones w/super-powers" #editreport @Stacy_Gail_ "

"2/3 "There is snappy dialogue, a heroine who refuses to be a victim and a hero who believes in her strength" #editreport @Stacy_Gail_ "

"3/3 Acquired: Wounded Angel by @Stacy_Gail_. Stacy's fantastic holiday scifi, How the Glitch Saved Christmas, releases in Dec"  (*Personal note: I totally SQUEE’D over Angela calling HOW THE GLITCH SAVED CHRISTMAS “fantastic”.  Heehee!)

 

So, there it is!  The news I was sitting on was revealed for all to see.  I have to admit, this unveiling was waaaaaaay cooler than anything I had planned, so thanks Andrea and Angela for making this dream come true.  I can’t wait to share it with everyone!

 

Here’s the unoffical blurb for WOUNDED ANGEL, found on my Latest Projects page:

There was a time when former police detective Nate da Luca could do no wrong. As the descendant of the Angel of Vengeance Nathanael, Nate was born with the uncanny ability to find all that's hidden.  While it might be the weakest talent produced in his bloodline, it still made his job a breeze and as he used it without a qualm, it never occurred to him there might be consequences.  But there are reasons some things are kept hidden, and when his locating skills lead to an entire family’s demise, both his powers and the belief in himself vanish.

The vicious struggle between life and death is something Ella Little understands all too well. After surviving the worst sort of horrors at the hands of a serial killer whom she eventually destroyed, all Ella wants out of life now is to exist in quiet anonymity. Then Nate pushes his way through her protective layers to show her there can be excitement and joy in life if she would just reach for it. But even as she does, strange occurrences begin to crop up. History has a nasty way of repeating itself, but this time she’s more than ready to stand her ground.

 

Once again Nate has been used as a stalking horse to shatter the lives of innocent people. Furious and vowing vengeance on the evil behind the madness, his powers return with a new twist, and just in time. With the strength of vengeance fueling his new abilities, he now sees there is something far more sinister at work than mere human depravity. A demon is playing for keeps in the world of humans, and with Ella being used as bait, will Nate’s reawakened abilities be enough to save them both?

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WOUNDED ANGEL'S storyboard is posted on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/stacygailauthor/building-a-book-wounded-angel/