<splash><splash><gasp><gurgle> Just coming up for air to share the cover of my October release with you. I am eight days from a book deadline—the book that comes out next summer, Book #3 in the Sirens of the Scottish Borderlands series—which is a very exciting time in a writer’s life. Most days, the book comes very slowly and definitely feels like work, especially at the beginning, when you’re just getting to know your characters and their flaws and strengths. The plot is this blurry sort-of mess in your head except for one or two scenes that are bright as diamonds. You write and think and think and write, and at the end of a day you look at your page count and begin to cry. “I’m on page 27,” you say snappishly to surprised friends, who know you started the book several months ago. Reaching page 100 is like finishing a marathon. For the first time, you think, “Maybe I’ll be able to turn this into an actual book instead of going down in a career-ending conflagration of shame and failure.” (The happy private thoughts of writers.) You grind and grind and grind, and then, just about at page 225, after you’ve been praying for someone to put you and your book out of its misery, you realize the story's taken hold, there’s an end in sight, and that you’re galloping toward it with such momentum, you wonder if you can control it at all. But the best part—the best part by far—is when you’re fifty pages from the end. Everything is clear. Everything is cooking. Pages fly off the keyboard. Characters become masters of their own fate, just as they were supposed to. That’s where I am, and it’s a pretty sweet place to be after many months of anguish.

My reward for getting this far? I have several. First, my son’s getting married over Labor Day weekend, and all the people we love in the world will be there in person or in spirit. Then I’m heading to the beach for some much needed R&R. And then (drum roll, please!) First Time with a Highlander, Book #2 in the Sirens of the Scottish Borderlands series, comes out October 6. There's another kick-ass borderlands heroine, of course. Serafina Fallon, the daughter of an 18th-century ship owner, must deal with handsome rogue Gerard Innes, an ad exec from the 21st century. She needs a husband, but only for a night, and Gerard, who's generally a one-night-is-more-than-enough kind of guy finds himself pretty put out about this--literally and figuratively. Far be it from me to toot my own horn, but: Publishers Weekly called First Time with a Highlander (Book #2) "Dashing, breathtaking, and extremely sexy" and gave it a STARRED review. And this was after: Publishers Weekly called Just in Time for a Highlander (Book #1) "Highly satisfying...a wonderful cast of imaginative characters" and gave it a STARRED review. So, yes, two books so far in the Sirens series and two (TWO) (2) starred reviews. Sounds like a series everyone should be reading, doesn't it? Get the low-down on First Time with a Highlander and pre-order it here. I think you’ll be swept into Gerard and Serafina’s story from page one.

Cover Reveal! Here it is, the world’s most beautiful cover! You can actually see how Gerard tips Serafina's world on its end. Click it and see it huge! Contest I'm giving away a signed copy of First Time with a Highlander as well as a pixelated portrait similar to the one to the right done by artist Karl O'Janpa (who also happens to be a major time travel fan--you may remember the O'Janpa Convention from Flirting with Forever.) (The guy in the pic reminds me of Gerard on his day off, actually.) If your name is drawn, you'll send Karl a picture of anything you want--you, your dog, your favorite eggplant casserole, and he'll turn it into a fun hand-rendered pixelated image that you can then use as your profile picture online, in your correspondence, or as a gift for someone else, whatever you want to do with it. Enter here for a chance to win. Enjoy the rest of your summer. I know I will! oxox, Gwyn www.cready.com gwyn@cready.com Gwyn Cready , Romance Novelist on Facebook @GwynCready on Twitter Copyright©2015 Gwyn Cready. All rights reserved. Author photos copyright ©2015 Garen DiBartolomeo.