the journal of r. cooper

Soooo guess who is finally writing again?! This girl! (It started out about a grumpity dragon and then somehow my haughty, arrogant dradon turned into an adorable little powderpuff, and that human needs to stop being so stubborn already and cuddle the loneliness out of him. Aaah sorry. The story is new and Zarrin the dragon needs so much love. It's okay though. Joe the human acts cranky, but he's just as lonely. Aw, babies.)

It will be slightly slower going than usual, for work reasons, and I have to get back in the swing again. But it's happening! I'm very excited. It's been too long since I've had a real story to work on. I guess I needed my lonely dorkbabies.

At least I did a lot of writing last year, which is about to pay off, well for you guys anyway. (I got my pay off when I wrote them.) Dancing Lessons is going to come out in about two weeks. January 20, in fact. Another story I needed to write, even if I don't really know why. (Well I do. Rebuilding your life in a new town, feeling sad and uncertain, just like Chico. I needed to talk about it.)

Dancing Lessons is a contemporary story, with no magic in it. I write those occasionally. Weird, I know. It does contain a fairy tale however. Imagine a senstive little pretty thing, his self-esteem destroyed by a jerk ex, scared to try again, encountering the flirtiest of flirty dance teachers, who is also patient and charming and aaahhh. And who makes him laugh.

I don't know how to celebrate it. Q&As on Goodreads don't seem popular, and Tumblr seems to scare people. I'll have to think about it.

Then, in a month, you get another story. This one has all kinds of magic, although it is not a beings story.

The Winter Prince. I confess, this is a personal favorite of mine. I don't know how popular this will be, considering it's fantasy, and not urban fantasy but fairy tale-ish fantasy. But aaah, I just love it. There is a noble prince, who is missing his heart. A prince who perhaps gave it away to a beautiful pari, and now must have it back, or he will die. And there is a quest.  And there is a wizard, clever and brave, and so, so devoted to our prince.

They are so lovely I can't stand it. But, they're mine. So they're also complete dorks.

I thought that was all the news I had for you, and such good news it is. (Writing again! I'm so happy with myself! Yay brain! Thank you!) but today I received an email telling me Dreamspinner would like to publish Tulip's story. Oh my patient, patient Tulip. He's waited so long. I don't have anymore details yet. You guys are so awesome, btw, putting up with all these different sorts of places the beings keep taking me to. I love you.

Hello, hello!

I've been frantically working on finishing up the collection of short stories I wrote in the Being(s) In Love universe, and I submitted them today. It's not the usual thing Dreamspinner publishes, so we'll see if they want it. I hope so, if only because I'm kind of in love with some of those characters. (As I generally am when done writing. Sometimes it never goes away either. Chaaaaaaarlie.) It's basically glimpses of different beings (and some humans) during the hundred years since the beings emerged from hiding. Every story is linked and there are all sorts of cameos and references to the books. Like I said, kind of not what DS usually does. But I was compelled, I tell ya!

I have also, in this frenzied rush before I have deal with a bunch of personal stuff in the coming months, been doing that thing where my brain goes all over the place. So if you follow me on Tumblr, by now you have seen trying to match Beyonce songs to all my characters. Just ignore me when I do that. ...although I will now and forever think of Tim singing "Ego" about Nathaniel, and "Green Light" has always been Cal's song to Ray.

Anyway. It's official, A Beginner's Guide to Wooing Your Mate is due out in March, although I don't know the exact date yet. It will be Being(s) In Love #3. Here is the blurb:


Zeki Janowitz has returned to his hometown of Wolf’s Paw to start his wizarding career. Unfortunately, Wolf’s Paw, a werewolf refuge, follows centuries of tradition and shuns human magic and a very human Zeki. He knows he’s in for a struggle, but a part of him has always belonged in the mountain town, or rather belonged to Theo Greenleaf. Years away at school haven’t lessened Zeki’s crush on the quiet werewolf. When town gossip informs him Theo still suffers from his mate’s rejection and does not date, it does little to ease Zeki’s embarrassing feelings. He decides now’s the time to get the man he’s always wanted.

Werewolves usually don’t recover from losing their mates, and Theo barely pulled through by focusing on his love of baking. It’s a daily struggle, and Zeki’s return to Wolf’s Paw shatters his peace. Theo doesn’t know what to think when Zeki attempts to woo him, talking about his wizarding business and settling in town for good. It’s like Zeki doesn’t have a clue how his words years before left Theo a shell of a werewolf.

Beginners in love, Theo and Zeki must seduce each other with a bit of heavenly baking and magic.


...so a werewolf baker. Oh yeah. I'm bringing it. I am definitely bringing... something... to the table.

And then a few months after that, Being(s) in Love #4 should come out. Little Wolf. Prepare yourselves. He is... um. He is.. spiky? Difficult? Scared and so in love he can't see straight but no one ever told him what love felt like? Aw.

That's all I have for updates for the moment, although I might try to do another interview or chat or something in March, or maybe later when Little Wolf comes out. (Yes, I have Tulip in mind still. And also a few other, non-being things if life gives me the time.)

Hey! I said I would pass on the release date when I found it out, aaaaand then I forgot. I am such fail. I can't even tell you. Tsk.

JULY 7. IT'S JULY 7. THE RELEASE DATE IS JULY 7. (Oh right the poison. The poison for Kuzco. The poison chosen especially to kill Kuzco. Kuzco's poison.)

Sorry about that. However, I've been informed that pre-ordering is possible. Which is good, because Dreamspinner sent me about twenty sheets to sign to put in the paperback copies. Now I just have to actually sign them. IDK. If I were Rhoades, and I were signing a book, I would sign with something smart and classical and Greek. If I were Wicklow, I'd probably just slash an "X" and be done with it. (Yes, I make things too complicated. I should just sign my name. But where is the fun in that?) I signed A Boy and His Dragon as if I were Bertie autographing books. Why can't Rhoades sign some books?

Still with me? Sorry. Scattered thinking today. But um, yes, July 7 for the release date. July 12 for my Meet the Author thing on Goodreads (not nervous about that at all oh wait I am actually incredibly nervous and trying not to think about it.)

In other news, Dreamspinner has a new Author Arcade feature going up, in which you can access information about the author more easily, including links to social media and all that. I haven't filled out my profile yet (shocker) but I will. :)

I also submitted a novella-ish Being(s) in Love story a few weeks ago. So hopefully they will want that and soon you will get to read about the baking werewolf in love. Then I am finishing up getting Little Wolf ready for submission (which, okay I just want it done). This exciting!! Even if, somehow, it ended up at about 360 pages. (!!!) This is too many pages. I know this. It's a nightmare and yet they are so cute and precious to me. We will see.

To recap: July 7. July 12. Arcade thing. A Beginner's Guide to Wooing Your Mate. Little Wolf.


And um, sorry about my crazy. Here:

Tim watched Nathaniel take another steadying breath, then quickly glanced away when Nathaniel opened his eyes again. Tim wondered if he knew how Tim had been studying him, because his voice was as warm as his scent. “May I touch you?”

Tim had to be hearing things wrong. He tugged at his ears. “What? You’re asking to touch me?” He recognized that Nathaniel was trying to respect his feelings but that wasn’t a request Tim could be expected to answer calmly. He licked his mouth. “Yeah okay, sure, why not?” He could do breezy, really. Breathless-breezy, tense with anticipation-breezy. “Knock yourself out, you beautiful weirdo.”

Nathaniel crossed the rest of the space and stopped in front of him. Then he reached out and let his palm rest on Tim’s neck. “Beautiful weirdo?” he echoed, almost tenderly, and Tim pulled in a quiet breath. Nathaniel brushed his hand up over Tim’s throat, his fingertips trailing over Tim’s skin before he took his hand away.

I never know what to say in these blog posts. Sure, if you want fannish squeeing and random pictures of food and porn there's always my Tumblr, but an author-y blog posts people are supposed to be more author-y, have things to say about writing or the world in general that aren't just notices about upcoming release dates, all that. Only honestly I know next to nothing about the publishing world, and I feel like everything else comes out in my stories anyway. What does that leave? Just the updates. *sigh* But, you know, they are exciting to me and exciting things are fun to share.

First things first, everyone knows I posted a free short story, right? Well, I did. It features a slightly cracky (a lot cracky) fairy tale version of two characters who have been TORMENTING ME FOR OVER A YEAR NOW.

Ahem. I suppose that is something to talk about. Some stories are like that. You know exactly what is going on and you're compelled to write them as quickly as you can get the words out and you remain obsessed with them even once you are done. Wicklow and Rhoades were like that for me. But other stories are just a big mess. They keep growing and nothing ends up as you originally planned until you finally make yourself finish after many stops and starts and then suddenly it's exactly how you wanted it. But different. Will and Charlie were more like that. Er, Nathaniel and Tim are apparently like that as well. They insisted on writing themselves and that is always a struggle.

And can I tell you how much I regret giving werewolves quick healing powers and a fast refractory period? And how much I regret writing a sexual frustrated, *incredibly* confused young werewolf? Because I have spent hours upon hours upon hours writing porn and I'm not done yet! At least they have kind of reached an understanding, the two of them. Soon Tim might even understand what cuddles are.

(He needs lessons. Wicklow, now, you could give Wickow cuddle lessons and he'd still stare at you like you're crazy... So, I write characters with space and touching issues. So I write characters with issues. Ah well. That isn't news.)

Hmm. Updates. So. Wicklow and Rhoades were accepted (yaaaaaaay!) Preliminary title: Wicklow's Odyssey. That might change. Expect Civil War Steampunk sometime in July or early August.

Meanwhile, I was sent notices that audiobooks are going to happen for both, "A Boy and His Dragon" and "Play It Again, Charlie." I even got to listen to some samples. That was thrilling! And anxiety-inducing. And strange. And fantastic. And I don't generally listen to audiobooks so I hope those turn out okay. I will let you guys know what they are coming out.

I continue to write Tim and Nathaniel (working title(s): Little Wolf. Or The Alpha of Wolf's Paw. Or What Wolves Do. Or... something chess related. Because when you think werewolves, you think, chess.) Getting closer to the end. Woo hoo! I still don't know what to do about my short Beings stories. I want to write a few more and put them all together, but then again I don't know if Dreamspinner would want that. I'm such a weird writer.

And um, oh hey. Conventions and things. Fun? Something people in more than a hang around the comic book booths kind of way? What kind of conventions do people go to where they want to interact with authors? *Do* they want to interact with authors? (Or m/m authors for that matter?) What's that like? I have only ever gone to one convention and it was a very large one and very expensive and well... I did not enjoy it much despite my nerdiness. So I am trying to see the appeal. They aren't something you can explore on a whim when you are on a budget.

Depends on what you want to get out of them I suppose. y/y? y/n?

A couple of things. (Oh hey anyone new who might be reading this. Hey! I just met you, this is crazy, but here's my number...)

First things first, ( LOOKIT IT'S A BOOK!!!! )

I know it's expensive and a big purchase and maybe I'm no one's favorite author, but OMG! It's a book! I'm having a moment. I'm getting all verklempt!


In other news it's Dreamspinner's Fifth Anniversary, so they are having sales all month, but I guess they are surprise! bonus extra special sales and other deals and treats that you have to watch their FB or Twitter feed to find out about. Just letting people know. Sales! Sales are always good.


In *other* other news, I seriously might be no one's favorite author (as far as I can tell anyway) but screw it, I'm going to go ahead with my charity thing. What I am most likely going to do is set up a post with a starting bid price (something low, like $5) and offer to write a new story of at least 5000 words based on a prompt from the person with the highest bid (if I have a bidder. If not I might write something anyway, but charity would get no money. Boo). I am still considering the details, but the charity will most likely be for this place or someplace like it The San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center. But again, I'm still working out the details... with myself really, and my schedule and moods. (Damn moods!)

Anyway, BOOK! It's pretty to hold I must say. Now back to work for me... or sleep. I might sleep now. Work tomorrow.

"Have to". Silly me. I want to, and now I could buy something with all the sales. I don't need to buy presents for other people, do I? Not really I mean, isn't my love enough? I know I'll just write them some pron or boyfluff.

Anyway, back to the promoting, for anyone else looking for bargains...


Dreamspinner is having a We Are Thankful Sale, 20% off everything on the web site through Nov. 30 *AND* there's a code on their Facebook page for 15% off one order of any size over the next year.

And then every purchase between now and Nov. 30 enters people in a drawing for a Kindle Fire, to be drawn on Dec. 1. Which I ought to buy something today so I don't have to read stories on my computer all the time when I do read.


Dude. Fiddler on the Roof is on tv and I got sucked in again and now I'm depressed and cold. Dammit! It's definitely time for porn and/or boyfluff. I think I have a wishlist somewhere of books to buy. Somewhere.

Also, this is completely random but the Red Riding Hood trilogy...is it good and worth watching?

I was going to, you know, be dignified and shit, but eff that, my friends. Something of mine is up on a Coming Soon of an actual, legitimate publisher!!! I know!!!

Wanna see? Just click the link and scroll down to see and check out the cover art as well. (There's *cover art* too!!! Yes I am a dork right now but I don't even care. Squeeeee!)


Coming Soon at Dreamspinner Press


And yes, much thanks to Dreamspinner, because just seeing that is awesome. :):):)