The Summer Fizzle

So I came to the conclusion I have no time to be an author and, therefore, I should just give it up. But then, after several weeks of moping over that heinous thought, a good friend pointed out that I was simply experiencing the same summer fizzle which I go through every year. She also threatened mass injury if I did stop writing, so it appears I won’t be quitting after all.
The whole summer fizzle thing definitely resonates with me. As my stepson isn’t at my house any more in the summer than other times and my daughter goes to preschool year round, it isn’t the kids at home that is the issue for me. It’s the light and brightness. The draw of the morning sunshine and the breaking dawn wonder and stillness that I know will be gone with the coming of the fall and winter months. Oh, the dawn still breaks and often glorious, but the ability to step out on the porch in my sleep shirt and nothing more, and draw in a breath of fresh, warm country air will soon be passing. And the light is an issue because my daughter can’t sleep if it’s light out. I can close up the house to utter blackness and her inner light vamp somehow still knows it’s light out and she must be up and “entertaining” mommy….in other words the writing time, which is only ever at night, goes kaput.
In the midst of this summer fizzle, I stopped the other day to find I had a new book release. I honestly missed its release day. I knew it was coming, then it blew past and it was a few days later before it occurred to me it had come and gone. Wow, that is so not like me. I must be fizzling more than usual this year. Anyway, the book in question is Sweet and Sinful, my latest out of Kensington Aphrodisia. When I got the cover art (see pict above) for this book, I wasn’t sure what I thought. Hot or just cheesy? Honestly, I still don’t know. I do think it’s cheesy, but maybe it’s also hot…enough so to outdo the cheese?
Speaking of covers and the like (and, yes, this is a jump in topic, but my brain is fizzling as well), how do you feel about receiving cover art and bookmarks in the mail? Not really talking about from an author you enjoy here and are on their reader list for that reason. But, rather, do you like it when authors you enjoy send other author’s material to you with their own? I ask as I often pick up various items at conferences. The marketing specialist in me is in love with anything shiny and bright and printed. But then, I get home and realize I have way too much stuff to contain. So is it good to share it, or is that cheesy, too?
~ jodi
www.JodiLynnCopeland.com































I have long dreamed of writing for a big New York City publishing house. At the top of my list for years were Kensington Brava and Silhouette Desire. Well, I don’t write for either of those imprints, but I do write for their sister imprints, with Aphrodisia and Spice. And I am currently trying to plead (okay, propose) my way into Harlequin’s Brava line.