9/15/18

Ground of Insurrection is 99 cents at LT3 this weekend only!  If you don't have a copy, now is the time: https://lessthanthreepress.com/books...  Insurrection has been getting truly wonderful reviews and it has one of the prettiest covers I've seen.  I'm sure you'll enjoy it too, so get your copy today!

Heartbeat is now available on Goodreads. Feel free to add it to your to-read list if you're interested: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41830430-heartbeat

I have completed writing Ground of Resurrection, book two in my Wizard Wars series.  I have set it aside to marinate for about a month, so sometime in mid-October I'll get it edited and formatted for submission.  I'm excited about how it turned out.  It answers some of the questions I know you had from book one and expands the world and the story.  I'm hoping you like it too!  Next for this series is book three, which I have the barest outline for.  I'm not planning on starting book three for a while (I have a few others I want to finish first), but I'm looking forward to it. 

Otherwise, I haven't done much the past few weeks.  I had a good new year celebration with my family, which was nice.  I'm behind on the edits for The Coup and the Prince.  I'm hoping to make some progress on it this week around Yom Kippur, but it's going to be difficult.  There will be more time to focus on the edits next week.  Once the edits are done I'll return to writing and will hopefully begin to make real progress on some of the other stories I know you're waiting for. 

9/6/18

I've have been making some more progress on my to-do list!  There's still a lot left for me to get done, but I like what I've been able to accomplish so far.  Here's what I did:

First, I was able to complete the edits for Heartbeat and get them returned to LT3 on time.  (Okay, one day late, but that hardly counts when you consider how late I returned some of my previous edits...)  Heartbeat is therefore complete and ready to go for October 3rd.  It is available for pre-order at LT3 and should be out to other retailers soon.  Heartbeat is a reprint, so only go get your copy if you don't own the original. 

Another big ticket item on my to-do list is finishing writing Ground of Resurrection, which I have almost completed.  The story itself is done, but I'm only halfway through the epilogue.  I'm of two minds when it comes to the epilogue.  On one hand, it's a cute bit of fun extra that I want to give to my readers.  On the other, it really serves more as a vignette rather than a full epilogue.  I'm still going to write it and include it in the submission, and then I'll see what the editor says.  If they think it's okay to keep it in, I will, if not I'll release it on my blog as a deleted scene.  Either way, you'll get to read it, which means I need to finish writing it.  Once the epilogue is done, Ground of Resurrection will be complete and all I'll need to do is edit and format it for submission. 

I have also written a few hundred words in Gi-Mi: Part Two.  I had the day off this past Monday, so I was able to spend a good chunk of time focusing on this story.  I really want to get it complete this year, but I still have approximately 15k words to write, so I'm not sure that's possible.  Hopefully I can get it done by early next year. 

Lastly, The Coup and the Prince.  The second round of edits arrived and are sitting on my computer waiting for me.  Now that Heartbeat is done, I've decided to take a few more days to complete Resurrection, and then all focus has to go towards getting Coup done.  I've read through the edits already and I know they won't be easy.  There's still a few things to rewrite and a couple of other things to tweak.  It's going to take time, which means I need to get cracking.  Wish me luck! 

8/21/18

Despite the constant edits, I have managed to squeeze a little writing in.  There are so many stories I want to get complete, but finding time to work on them has been difficult, especially when so much of my writing time has been stuffed full of editing.  Here's what I've been able to accomplish the last few weeks:

I added a few more drips and drabs to Dragon Spy, book seven of my Supernatural Consultant series.  Mostly I'm trying to figure out the balance between Nickel's role and Lumie's role to the overall plot.  They're both big personalities that demand focus and attention, and giving it to them both without losing the essence of the series is going to be an interesting task for this particular book. 

I also added about 1.5k words to Ground of Resurrection.  I've said this before, but all I need to finish writing this story is time.  There's about 4k more to go and it's all planned out, so it's really just about finding a few stolen moments to work on it.  As soon as I'm done with edits, I expect this story to be the next add to my completed list. 

LT3 also posted a new collection call named Bound by Nothing.  It's about shifters and injuries that I thought was really interesting.  I've got an idea for it and I managed to write about 3k words, but I don't know if I'll be able to complete the story by the deadline.  It's due at the end of January and it's only asking for a minimum of 20k words, but I have so much else to do that this story might unfortunately not get there in time.  Which doesn't mean I'll abandon the story, of course.  It wouldn't be the first time I've missed the deadline for a call and later published the story anyway, but I would like to try.  You can check out my tentative summary on my current projects page and I hope to have a title to share soon too. 

But what about Ge-Mi: Part Two, or the fairy tales I keep insisting I'll work on?  I fully admit, I've gotten distracted from these two endeavors.  Ge-Mi is another story that I just need to find free time to work on, but because the story is so involved, it's got to be more than a few brief moments stolen here and there.  Usually that's all I have, which is perfect for all the other stories I've mentioned so far, but not for Ge-Mi.  That's going to take a few weekends of no other distractions to really get into and right now that time is being spent on edits instead.  As for the fairy tales, I've got two left to complete and one still to rework.  I can work on them in the stolen moments, but I'd prefer to finish Resurrection first, so once that story is done I know I'll return to my fairy tales. 

8/20/18

I finished the second round of edits for If A Butterfly Don't Fly and sent them back to the editor for the third (and hopefully final) round.  I ended up having to add a big scene to the end of the story and a large section to the beginning, both of which should collectively fix the last of the continuity issues the editor pointed out.  I'm really hoping the third round of edits will only be line edits, ie. grammar, spelling, and sentence structure, as those edits are much faster and require much less work.  I should see Butterfly again in approximately a month or so. 

I have also received the edits for Heartbeat.  Since Heartbeat is a reprint of an old story and has therefore already gone through the editing process once, it only really needs line edits.  I have been working on Heartbeat a lot these past few weeks and now all that's left are two very small sections that should be a fairly straightforward fix.  Overall, the story will not have changed much, so if you have the old version, don't feel like you need to purchase it again. 

The second round of edits for The Coup and the Prince have also arrived.  I have been dreading these, but they're a necessary evil.  I've glanced through them once and I can tell you they're not going to be fun, but hopefully they won't be nearly as draining as last time.  I can also tell you that it's going to be worth it.  I can't wait for it to be done and in your hands. 

7/31/18

There's a lot on my to-do list (I feel like there's always a lot on my to-do list), but this week I've found myself focusing on two specific items.  The first is, of course, the edits for If A Butterfly Don't Fly.  I'm making progress, but as usual it's slow going.  The editor has again requested that I rewrite large portions of the story.  I understand why, but a) it's painful to do, and b) it's ridiculously time consuming.  Still, I want to try to get it done quickly so I can really start digging into the second thing I've been working on this week. 

Dragon Spy, the seventh book in my Supernatural Consultant series, has been languishing for far too long and I've finally taken the time to get some work done on it.  Chapter One is from Nickel's perspective, which is always a bit more serious, but Chapter Two has decided it wants to be from Lumie's perspective instead. There's a bit more levity when Lumie is around and causing problems.  I can't say it's more fun to write Lumie instead of Nickel, but it's easier to find the right flow.  This means I can finally start figuring out the second half of the blurb for Dragon Spy.  It also means that I'm planning for a future book to be in Platinum and Goldie's perspectives.  Admittedly, the main characters of that future book will depend on who is speaking to me at the moment, but I'm having fun planning ahead. 

The two additional books on my radar right now are still Ge-Mi: Part Two and Ground of Resurrection.  Part Two is at the halfway point and I'm having a bit of trouble getting it over that hump and into the start of the build up for the final battle scene.  I'm hoping to take some time to refocus the plot and get it moving again.  Resurrection, on the other hand, is just waiting for me to have time to return to working on it.  I only need to write about 5k more words and the story will be complete, which is basically the last battle and the romantic conclusion.  When I finally have some free time to devote to writing, I'm hoping to get Resurrection completed. 

7 /26/18

The release dates for all of my books coming out in 2018 have been decided.  The Coup and the Prince was pushed back, as I thought it would have to be, and I have the official date for Heartbeat:

• Heartbeat: October 3, 2018
  
• If A Butterfly Don't Fly: November 14, 2018
  
• The Coup and the Prince: December 12, 2018
  

I would say these dates are not going to be changed, but I'm still working on the second round of edits for Butterfly and am expecting to have to deal with the second round of edits for Coup fairly soon.  If I can get the second round of edits for Butterfly back to LT3 within the next week or so, that story will be in good shape.  Heartbeat, on the other hand, will only be getting a quick edit.  It's a reprint, so it's already gone through the editing process once.  The plan is to clean up anything we might have missed last time, which won't be a difficult lift.  (I'm kind of looking forward to an easy round of edits, to be honest.) 

LT3 accepted The Sentinel's Prophesy!  The contract is signed, so in about nine months I'll start seeing edits and such.  What this means for me (besides the fact that I'm excited to have the story accepted) is that for the first half of 2019 I won't have ANY edits at all to deal with.  None!  I'm going to have to take a mental health deep breath first, but once I'm centered again I will be able to devote all of my writing time to actually writing.  With no edits with their due dates hanging over me, and no stress from having to take an axe to a story I've worked so hard on, I expect to be able to finally start making real progress on my to-do list.  Ge-Mi: Part Two is at the top, but I also really want to get my fairy tales completed, and it's been far too long since I've played with Lumie and the rest of my Supernatural Consultants.  It's a lot to look forward to, which is one of the main things pushing me through getting all the editing completed, and I can't wait to be able to get started. 

The finals for the two covers I mentioned in my last post have arrived and they are gorgeous!  The Coup and the Prince is set in a city ravaged by the aftermath of a coup.  The rebuilding process and the struggles the characters have to endure are perfectly exemplified in the broken castle.  Heartbeat is a reprint, but this is its first original cover and I have to say the artist outdid themselves.  The purple and gold are striking and the moon and the wolf provide the last bit of oomph.  I really do love everything about these covers! 

I don't have any official information about release dates.  The Coup and the Prince will be pushed back, but the new date has not been decided as of yet.  It is available for pre-order at LT3 if you're interested in reserving your copy.  Heartbeat also does not yet have an official release date.  It's still a few months out from that information becoming available.  Until then, I hope you enjoy the covers:

7/14/18

I have so much news to share.  Some of it's good news and some of it's bad news, and I'm really hoping you and LT3 will forgive me for the bad news.  Let me get all of the bad out of the way first. 

I am a very, very bad author.  I struggled so much with the edits for The Coup and the Prince.  It was ridiculous considering how short the story is, but for some reason those damned edits just wouldn't go.  I finally got them back to LT3, but I was beyond late.  There is no way Coup will be released on time and it's all my fault.  I'll let you know what LT3 decides to do about it, but for the interim I will continue to wallow in misery for my incompetence. 

The next bit of bad news is that the audio book for Supernatural Consultant: Volume Two will be delayed indefinitely.  I know some of you had expressed interest in Volume Two, which is why I reached out to LT3 about it.  Sales for Volume One just weren't high enough to justify putting Volume Two into audio.  LT3 is still interested in doing it, but it's been pushed back to the bottom of the to-do list.  The second that changes I'll let you all know. 

The last bit of bad news is Paint, Guns, Money, & Love is out of print.  It wasn't selling well and it wasn't my best work, so it was decided to let it go.  I have a feeling it won't be missed, but I'm still sad it's gone. 

And now, finally, on to the good news! 

The response for Ground of Insurrection has been phenomenal.  I haven't seen a single negative review!  A few bits of constructive criticism, but overall everyone has really enjoyed it.  Reading all those wonderful reviews really lifted my spirits when I needed it most, so thank you to everyone that read and reviewed. 

The Coup and the Prince is available for pre-order at LT3 for a 15% discount.  You can get your copy reserved today: https://lessthanthreepress.com/books...

I have been working on Ge-Mi.  No, part two hasn't grown, but I finally started organizing book two.  Each book in this series will be split into two parts and Di-Na, the second book in the series, not only has a name, but it has its two main characters.  I hope you'll love Kay and Sierra as much as Taylor and Nevada.  Now that I've gotten all of that figured out, I'm really hoping to return to finishing Ge-Mi: Part Two.  Feel free to check out the summaries and such on my current projects page. 

I have seen the first draft covers for The Coup and the Prince and for Heartbeat and they are perfect.  I'm really looking forward to sharing the final versions with all of you, so check back for a cover reveal post soon! 

All I have left on my to-do list this weekend are the edits for If A Butterfly Don't Fly.  I put them off while I was figuring out Coup.  I'm hoping because this is the second round, the edits will be easy.  We'll see, but I'm going to start working on them as soon as I finish giving The Sentinel's Prophesy one last check.  I am going to get Prophesy submitted to LT3 today. 

And that's it for all my news.  I'll keep you all appraised as I learn more and I'm hoping next time it will be all good news. 

Ground of Insurrection begins with a disemboweled body left in the middle of the village square and the main character, Ruse, has to get his wheelbarrow and cart the body away.  There's blood and intestines and Ruse with his trusty shovel to pick it all up.  I admit that I was a bit leery with starting the story on such a macabre note, but as I wrote and planned I realized that it was the only way for such a story to begin. 

I first conceived of the idea of a village whose residents were criminals when I read LT3's Villains Inc. anthology call from a few years ago.  As I began delving deeper into writing, I quickly realized the story didn't fit the call.  There was too much focus on how the villains had gotten to the village and why and not enough on the evilness of the villains themselves.  I knew I wouldn't be able to change and write a revised plot within the deadline, so I put the story aside to work on other things.  Then LT3 added a new collection call called Devil's Land.  I quickly realized that my village of criminals could fit with this call even better than with the Villains Inc. one!  I pulled out the old story and started writing again. 

A village full of criminals would, by necessity, have different laws than a regular city.  I felt that nothing would offset that dichotomy better than the dead body that Ruse has to deal with on the very first page.   Murder isn't just legal, it's expected.  As is thievery and spying.  The fact that all the criminals also have magic to augment their criminal activities adds yet another dimension to the village.  Of course, now that villains were no longer the center of the story, I had to add in a new twist: the location.  The village couldn't be a modified penitentiary or a work camp in Siberia.  Rather, it is located in the inhospitable prairie borderlands disputed between two countries: Ammet and Oshe.  The prairie is a living thing of sorts that doesn't appreciate interlopers, including the armies both countries have sent to attempt to claim the entirety of the prairies for their own.  The prairie ate those armies.   Instead, Ammet decides to send their country's criminals to colonize the prairie.  No one in Ammet cared whether the prairie killed those criminals and the prairie itself was willing to allow a few to build a home there.  Thus, the village was born. 

As I wrote I quickly realized there was a problem: I had reached the upper limit for the word count for the collection call and I still had to write the second half.  I sent it off to a beta reader and they agreed.  There needed to be more to the story to make it feel complete.  I ended up deciding not to submit Insurrection for any anthology or collection call.  A few years went by and I slowly kept plugging away at this story.  As I kept working, I found that suddenly having the freedom to write outside of the specific parameters of a call really helped the story grow.  Ruse as a character became more three dimensional and the story itself became less about the blood and gore and less about the prairie, and instead became more about the relationship between my main characters and how they learned to survive in such a difficult environment. 

There's a lot more to the story than that, of course, but if you want to find out why Ruse is still carting around dead bodies you'll have to read Ground of Insurrection to learn more.  It comes out in just a few days, June 13, 2018, so preorder your copy now.