Update – US Book Tours and the DREAD of Author Photos!

OK, that pesky ‘Time Thief’ has been at it again.  So this is the first update of 2017 – can you actually believe it’s 2017!!!!!

So, first off, two new books have been released in the USA – Pegasus 6 and Valkyrie 2   (I love these covers!)

 

And in England  – another beautiful but different cover for Pegasus 6:

So this is a very exciting time for me!!!

And next week I’m flying to the Great Ol’ USA for a big book tour.  Which I can’t wait for and I hope that maybe I’ll see some of you there –

Where? I hear you ask?  Well, there are a lot of schools and conventions that I’m doing that I can’t really list as they aren’t open to the public, BUT, there are some book signings I’m doing, and here is the list:

• Monday, January 23, 2017: Little Shop of Stories (133A East Court Square, Decatur, GA  30030) – 7pm Evening Store event
• Tuesday, January 24, 2017:  Barnes & Noble (2774 N. Germantown Parkway, Memphis, TN  38133) – 6:30pm Evening Store event
• Wednesday, January 25, 2017: Books & Books (265 Aragon Ave, Coral Gables, FL  33134) – 7pm Evening Store Event
• Thursday, January 26, 2017 : Vero Beach Book Center (392 21st Street, Vero Beach, FL  32960)- 6pm Evening Store Event

Next, as I prepare for this event, I will let you in on some of the things I have to do – pack – obviously. But pack a lot of stuff because I’m taking my costumes with me, my big hat and clothing that covers hot weather, cool weather and ice cold weather!

And then, there’s the one thing I hate – and that is needing a new author photo. Here, I’m going to be lazy and copy the post I just put on Facebook about that –

Small writer’s update – not that I am a small writer, just that this is a small update… AUTHOR PHOTOS!

OK, I am sure EVERY author I know or who might see this will agree with me – the stress of the dreaded “Author Photo” It is agony when an editor gets in touch and says, “We need a new author photo of you…” Immediately your stomach clenches, you break out in cold sweats and you look for the closest couch to duck behind.

This has now happened to me twice in the past two weeks from two different publishers (who won’t be named here). But one of them is the one organizing the US tour. So they needed a new photo for the conventions. And I agree with them, a good photo is critical.

But I like so many, hate my photo being taken – especially as this has to be a ‘serious, authorie-looking photo’ So no crossed eyes and tongues out. No silly outfits (my favourite) Just an author photo.

Simple, right?

Nope – not with me.

First, I’m not getting my hair for the tour done till next week before I fly, but the photo is needed now.

(Hey, this short update is getting long…)

And second, well, let’s just say I need a lot more Tomboogie and exercise to look on the outside how I feel on the inside…

And third when there is dog hair everywhere, I have a cold sore and there are ghosts in this house that love to photo bomb all the time… look for the orbs in the photo and you’ll see what I mean.

So I slap on some make-up and fight with my hair – (for the record, my hair won the fight) and I pulled out some hats to hide my hair, pile on concealer to hide the cold sore, and these are the results.

What do you think?

And, is it wrong to send the same style of photo to the two different publishers?

So, here are some of the photos that I had to take at the last minute, and bear in mind, I REALLY DO HATE MY PICTURE BEING TAKEN!!!!!

 

Still I am very excited about the tour and will be back with a full website update once the tour is over!