Had some Doggie Drama over Labor Day weekend. Fortunately, turned out to be one of those things that looks dire, but is treated with painkillers, rest, hugs, and time. He is getting to be a very big boy, though. Labs and shepherds can both get to about 100 pounds, so…wow. That’s a lot of dog. But it’s what we wanted. Looks like his ears are going to stand up one of these days. I’m going to miss the floppy puppy ears. But he will look fierce, especially when his bark gets deeper and less yappy. And that was one of the reasons we chose him.
The combination of the online and face-to-face writing groups is having the desired effect of pushing me out of the Slough of Despond. We’re doing three chapters (from three different people) every two weeks in the f2f group, so that’s making me scramble to get the first 7 in order. By the end of next week, I will be ready to embark on the second half. The finished 2nd draft will go to my other group around the holidays. I have until June to get a submissible draft to BSB, and I’m confident that I’ll finish it well before then.
I hope so, because Ira Adler’s book 2 (of 3 planned) is outlined and burning to be written. Same for the novel I have planned for Amy Archer, who will introduce herself to the world in a short story in the Women of the Dark Streets anthology (Feb/Mar 2012). You can also read an excerpt on my excerpts page.
Now, time for a curry.
Jess Faraday 
Hmmm… I was hoping for a more discrete method of communication, but what the heck… I’ll leave a comment.
I just came upon your site after reading “The Affair of the Porcelain Dog” (which I could not put down), and my first question to you was going to be: will there be a sequel? I’m so happy to see that you’re planning not just one, but two!
I loved this book. I’m usually pretty measured with my praise, but it was amazing. The characters were so engaging, and well developed. Ira was a joy to travel with, and I really felt and sympathized with his struggle of conscience. The other characters were equally compelling, and the situations you placed them in felt so… three-dimensional. This was not just due to the care that you gave to developing the plot, but to the fine descriptions of sound, image and even scent that made each scene, location and interaction truly come alive.
More than just a great mystery, it was also a great romance. You wrote a truly romantic novel, and you captured the nuances of the characters’ complex relationships with skill. Sometimes it was just the simplest gesture that made them seem so authentic. For example, Ira burying is face into Lazarus’s shoulder and, believing that he’s embracing Cain, pleading “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” when he’s being rescued from the police. Another fine example is in the Epilogue when Cain cup’s Ira’s cheek in his hand and Ira revels in the touch, and in the scent of jasmine mingling with bergamot. It’s a decadent style, in the Wilde sense — luxurious, and I greatly appreciated it.
Thank you! I look forward to reading books two and three, and to checking out your other writings.
Thank you so much for your kind words! You really made my day!
There are two more Ira Adler novels in the hopper, outlined and ready to go as soon as I finish the current WIP.
Thanks again for reading!
All the best,
Jess Faraday