Opal Carew - What's New?

It’s a new year and that’s always a good time to try something new.    I’m jumping right in on that one.  First up, I have a serial novel, called His To Command, that started on January 8th—one of the newest trends.  (Yeah, I know they were popular years ago, but they’re back.)  The fourth part is released today.

A serial novel is a book that comes out in pieces.  His To Command is coming out in six parts.  Part 1 and 2, The Chase and The Capture, both came out on January 8th then the other parts come out a week at a time.  Each part is equivalent to about 2-3 chapters.  (I write short chapters, so for mine it would be three chapters.)

People tend to love them or hate them.  I’ve watched the reviews on some of the other novels that have come out in serial form over the past few months and many readers seem unhappy about the format.  I find it funny, though, that many readers still complain about the format on later parts.  You’d think they would have stopped buying them once they realized the nature of the serialization.  (At least that must mean that they are enjoying the story!

For any of my readers who feel they may not like a serial novel, the entire novel will be released in book form in April, in both print and eBook.  I wish it could be sooner, but the publisher can produce an ebook much faster than a full length book that is going to print.

The other new thing I’m trying with respect to publishing is being acquiring editor of an anthology.  I’m a Canadian author and I was asked by a Canadian literary publisher if I would be interested in working on an anthology of Canadian erotic romance.  I’ve never been an editor before, but I love trying new things, and I really liked the idea of being involved in a project working with other Canadians.  I love the fact that a literary publisher—who has worked with authors like Margaret Atwood and Alice Munro—wants to feature Canadian genre authors.

The anthology is called Northern Heat and you’ll probably recognize many of the authors, even though you probably didn’t realize (why would you even think about it?) that they are Canadian.  Authors like Sharon Page and Kayla Perrin.  And me!  The publisher wanted me to include a story, too!

The anthology will be coming out in time for Valentine’s Day, so I hope you’ll watch for it!

The publisher asked me to suggest some images for the cover and I did a couple of mockups and they chose one of them for the book.  They had their artist streamline it and make it more artistic, but it’s fun that they used my idea.  Doing cover art isn’t brand new for me, since I’ve done several of the covers for my self-published works, but it was inspiring that a publisher and their art department felt my idea was good enough to use!

Well, I’m not all work and no play—though I have to work at that (lol).  In my private life, I’ve launched a blog about nail polish.  “What’s so interesting about nail polish?” you might ask.  I just love combining colours and textures and nails are such easy little canvases on which to express myself.  Also, the special nail polishes available today are awe inspiring (to me, anyway).

I am obsessive about my hobbies and I’ve had to put them all on hold because writing consumes most of my time, but with nail polish, I can do a quick coat, write a bit, put on another coat, write, etc.  Sometimes I take an hour out to do something special, like water marbling or stamping, but in general, I can indulge without losing much writing time, thus it’s a guilt-free hobby.  Also, I find I love the flash of a duochrome polish (shows multiple colours) or of a fabulous glitter while I’m typing.  It feeds my artistic soul!

Speaking of hobbies, now that I’ve opened the door to allow myself some, I’ve just started a new artistic endeavour: zentangle.  These are a meditative form of ink drawing done on a 3.5 inch square piece of paper with repetitive patterns.  It allows the mind to focus, thus the meditative aspect.

I bought a book that teaches Zentangles and these are my first two exercises..

There are lots of other new things in my life, too.  Both my sons have moved out, so now it’s just me and my husband at home.  It’s taking a little time to adapt, but it does mean I’ll have more time to write (and do my new hobbies!)

What new things do you have going on in your life now, or do you plan to try soon?

His To Command, #1: The Chase

Strong, independent, smart, Kate is a modern business woman who knows exactly how to run her well organized world. But underneath her professional exterior lurks a secret she's been running from for years...a secret desire to be dominated that both exhilarates her and terrifies her. When an old lover, Matt Pearce, unexpectedly shows up, Kate is bombarded by sensual memories of their affair. Matt was the first and only man to give her a taste of domination, and she's never been able to forget. But though she's spent years trying to forget him, this time she may not be able to get away.

 Ever since the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy started topping the bestseller charts, people have taken an interest in this new phenomenon of erotic romance books.  Only it’s not new.  There are many of us who have been writing in this genre for years.
Featuring some of the best examples of Canadian erotic romance, this anthology includes authors such as Sharon Page (USA Today bestselling author) and Kayla Perrin (USA Today and Essence bestselling author, and one of the inaugural authors of the Harlequin Spice line).
These delightful stories show the broad range of eroticism and romance in stories that publishers label as "erotic romance". Some focus on the burgeoning romance between a couple, whereas others focus more on the erotic situation that hints at a romance to build in the future. Yet others are simply a celebration of sexual intimacy. In all, however, the characters are challenged by some aspect of their sexual desire for each other.

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