I have a small but choice selection of blogs this week.

Monday, March 29. A couple of years ago Marie-Claude Bourque, a fellow member of Charlotte Dillon's RWC list, offered to check my French in the manuscript eventually published as Never Resist Temptation. Today I'm visiting her blog, MuseTracks, to talk about why you will eventually be happy your manuscript didn't sell. For the record, Marie-Claude sold her first book; I didn't.

Friday, April 2. This is an exciting one. Among the members of the Word Wenches blog are Mary Jo Putney and Jo Beverley, two of the legends of historical romance. Cara Elliot (aka Andrea Pickens) is the very talented writer who interviewed me for the blog. Her latest book To Sin With a Scoundrel is wonderful, by the way.

Friday, April 2. I try not to do two a day, but this one is pure fun. If you are a fan of (or even merely acquainted with) the venerable English Mills & Boon writer Betty Neels, you MUST visit The Uncrushable Jersey Dress, a wonderful site devoted to all things Betty. I've contributed a guest feature on my introduction to La Neels, with reflections of important Betty topics like food, a good suit, careers, and dates with Dutch doctors.

After that, I shall be quiet for a bit while I get on with Tarquin's book. I shall post occasional updates and/or items for interest to me, in this space.

Arrivederci. (Getting into practice because I'm going on vacation in Italy next month. Lucky lucky me)

I'm afraid people are getting sick of me but it's almost over and I've got some fun stops lined up for this week: Emily Bryan, Jaunty Quills, Romance Novel Sluts.

Monday, March 22. Emily Bryan's blog. Emily is a wonderful historical writer I met at the NEC conference last year. She is very funny. And you know I like funny.

Wednesday, March 24: My fellow Avonite Margo Maguire invited me onto her group blog The Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills (great name and some great writers in the group). I shall be walking about the weather. (C'mon, how can you resist such a fascinating subject?)

Thursday, March 25: Romance Novel Sluts are a new group who've been creating quite a buzz on Facebook. They asked me to write about one of my favorite romances. you'll have to stop by to discover what I chose (and no, I didn't write it).

That's it. At some point I'll be celebrating the imminent release of Sarah MacLean's Nine Rules for Romancing a Rake with my Nine Rules for Retaining Your Virtue and Reputation while Consorting with the Marquis of Chase. I don't have a date yet but will keep you posted.

Blogging is playing havoc with the page count on my next book. Never mind, in a few days I shall be able to buckle down and concentrate on Tarquin's story. Meanwhile, I still have a fullish schedule.

Monday, March 15. I'm spending the Ides of March confessing to Writer Envy over at The Season. Writer Envy is a benign sin and no one will be stabbed.

Tuesday, March 16: When I wrote this post it matched my mood: Stress, Regency style. What would my characters do? Find out, and offer your own solutions at Rom Con, Inc.

Wednesday, March 17: Pam Rosenthal hosts me at the History Hoydens. Despite their name, this is one classy group of ladies. I shall endeavor to behave myself.

Friday, March 19: Romance Reader at Heart Fatin invited me to visit. My subject is writing in series. I want your opinion.

The following week: Emily Bryan, Jaunty Quills, and Romance Novel Sluts

It’s book launch week and a friend just emailed me and asked what I was doing about it. The answer is, not a lot. I will be blogging quite a bit; the blogs for next week are all written and sent off. I shall stop by a few local bookstores, drop off bookmarks and sign stock. On Saturday I have a reading and signing at my nearest store.

But otherwise there isn’t much I can do. The books are printed. My publisher has taken orders and shipped copies. (OMG paranoid nightmare! Suppose they forgot!) Starting Tuesday, The Wild Marquis will appear on shelves. I hope readers will snap it up, take it home and enjoy it. But there’s not a whole lot I can do to convince a shopper to buy my book.

Instead of sitting around obsessively googling myself every five minutes and checking my Amazon rankings, I have an agenda for the week.
• Buy a recliner. I wish to write the next book in a semi-recumbent position.
• Buy myself flowers. Tulips are gorgeous right now. And I’m not going to settle for one of those measly bunches of 5 (Didn’t you used to get 6? When did florists get cheap?) I’m going to buy LOTS. More than one vase worth. Maybe enough for three vases.
• Do my taxes.
• Go to the movies. I hardly ever see a film in the theater. I don’t know what’s current but investigating will give me something to do.
• Meet friends for dinner and hear about their lives.
• If I run into an acquaintance and they ask me what’s going on I shall shrug and say “Nothing much. Same old same old.”

OK, not so much with the last one. Not going to happen.

It’s only one week now until The Wild Marquis arrives in stores. And while the entire world may not find this a cause for celebration, I certainly do. If you hang out around the romance blogs the chances are good that you will encounter me in the next few weeks. I’m going to be a busy (and chatty) girl). My schedule for launch week is as follows:

March 8: Anna Campbell invited me to chat with the Romance Bandits. These chicks give the best party in Cybertown, a perfect place to kick off a campaign.

March 9: Fresh Fiction and Romance Crush Junkies. Busy day

March 10: Romance Writers Revenge. These guys are a bunch of pirates.

March 12: I’ll be chatting over at Romance Dish about books featuring booksellers

March 14: Risky Regencies. Sundays with the Riskies are always fun

More later!