Well, I did it. I survived edits with little to no injuries to my soul or liver, and with a shred of ego intact. Psych! I have no soul, I pickled my liver with Fireball whiskey, and my ego is decimated, though it wasn’t very perky to begin with, so I’ll probably live. My perfectly demanding editor (Rafe Brox, aka Bossyboots McMeaniepants) has given me the green light,  the publisher has accepted the manuscript with care, my crack team at Booktrope Editions has abandoned their cupcakes & wine and is stirring into action, and–omigawd, *ninja kicks & confetti*– Last Impressions has an online release date: Friday June 13. WOOHOO! There will also be several print signings at various book stores etc., the dates of which I shall post as soon as I know them. Then you can come see me! Unless you’re a clown. No clowns allowed. (I might make an exception if you’re a clown with cake. Or a gift of sex toys. Wait, that’s not something I want to encourage, that’s horrifying! How would I get the cake? How would I get the greasepaint off the dildos? That might be the best sentence I’ve ever typed. *phone* “Hey, Mom, um, how do you get greasepaint off a dildo? WELL YOU SAID I COULD ASK YOU ANYTHING.”)

But I digress. Wildly.

Marnie Baranuik has been a blast to write, and there is a fourth book in the Marnie Baranuik Files brewing, but first, this little Writerghoulie is taking a short side trip into the world of murder mysteries. After four long years of being ridiculous with miss Marnie and her crew (can you believe it’s FOUR years already since I first loosed Marnie on the world?), it’s time for something a bit darker. This will be no cosy mystery, though by the sounds of one character, there will be cosy elements. It will not be a police procedural, though there will be plenty of cop stuff (cuz what kinda whackadoodle doesn’t love handcuffs? Mrowr, wink-wink.), and it won’t be heavy on the forensic sciences, though I doubt I could write a book without a dash of science.  I’m up for new characters, a new genre, new challenges, and a chance to stretch my literary legs. I’ll be all Miss Serious and stuff for a while. I can totally do that.

<No, really, I can be super-serious. Well, I CAN TRY. Sheesh.>

Not to fear, for Marnie fans: she’s never far from my heart, and my muse is already suggesting ideas for the fourth in the series, and several ideas for Marnie shorts. While Last Impressions took a serious turn (as did my life, so it was no surprise that seeped into my work), the next Marnie book will be far lighter, a return to the Great White Shark of Paranormal Investigations in her full and dubious glory.

On a personal note, for those in the know, my daughter seems to be making strides to improve her situation, and while the doctors say that some adolescents can actually completely recover from her condition, I’m not expecting miracles. What I am hopeful of is a return to happiness, and some semblance of normalcy. She’s worked very hard to crawl out of a dark space, and while she’s got a strong support system, most of the work and the triumphs are her own. That’s a lot to put on a little girl. She’s going to be an extraordinarily strong woman someday. The fallout of these issues, family-wise, is trying to settle back into the comfortable routines of life. Writing/working is one of those routines that often gets sidelined by emergencies (as it should, of course); the muse, in particular, shuts right up when the shit flies, because he knows damn well that he comes pretty low in the pecking order. Now, as the waters smooth, the muse is tentatively clearing his throat and wondering if it’s okay to come out and play again.

I say we let him.

New books, new challenges, a new season is upon the house of Writerghoulie. Cupcakes and wine! Ninja kicks and confetti (neither of which I have, obviously). Greasepaint and dildos (neither of which I–oh, who are we kidding?). Onward and upward, thanks for your support and love, and happy Spring, ya kooks!

(Touched, the first book in the Marnie Baranuik Files, is available for Kindle here and for your Nook here.)