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! 

8/20/18

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. 

7/14/18

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. 

6/8/18

I had a conversation with LT3 about the release date for If A Butterfly Don't Fly and the decision was we ought to push it back.  I expected this to happen once I saw the scale of the edits and LT3 came to the same conclusion.  This was a mutual decision that takes a lot of pressure and stress off of both of us, and allows us to properly prepare Butterfly so we release the best possible product to our readers.  Trying to force a July release date would not have been fair to you. 

• So, the new release date for If A Butterfly Don't Fly is: November 14, 2018. 
  

It's only a few months more, but I have a feeling I'm going to need all of it.  I received the second round of edits and have glanced through them briefly.  There's plenty to do, but with every round I can see amazing improvement with the story. 

The reason I only glanced through Butterfly instead of delving right in is I am behind on the edits for The Coup and the Prince.  My goal is to spend this entire weekend getting Coup completed.  It's doable as long as I can stay focused.  Wish me luck! 

If I need to step away from edits for a moment, I might take a few hours to finally read through The Sentinel's Prophesy and get it formatted for submission.  I think I was able to smooth out the transitions the last time I looked at it, so this time is a last check for anything that jumps out at me. 

Plus, don't forget Ground of Insurrection comes out next week!  You only have a few more days to get it for a 32% discount (LT3's having an amazing sale right now!).  It should be up on Amazon soon too.  I'm really excited for the start of this new series and I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! 

5/20/18

Given the number of questions (and quite a few demands) regarding when Ge-Mi: Part Two is coming out, I know many of you are anxious for the second half to be in your hands.  My answer for the last few months was "I'm working on it", but progress has been painfully slow.  That's finally changed.  I wrote 6k words this month and have planned the next part out.  The story is basically at the halfway point where all the set up is complete and now it's time for the drama to really begin.  Drama isn't easy to write because of the complexities that go into it, but it keeps my interest better than set up.  If I can keep the momentum going, I can really make a lot of progress in this story. 

Last month I went through The Sentinel's Prophesy one last time to try to smooth out some of the bumpy bits and set the story aside.  The plan was to pick it up mid-May--so as soon as I get a free moment--and give it one last thorough edit.  I'll get it formatted for submission and then I'll see whether LT3 will accept it. 

The problem with continuing work on Ge-Mi or Prophesy is that I got more edits and those take precedence.  Instead of going for round two, it appears Ground of Insurrection went directly to copy edits.  That makes sense, given most of the questions I had were simple ones that could be answered by any editor.  I've started going through them and it's fairly straightforward.  I've made a lot of progress so far.  They're due at the end of this week, and I should have them completed on time.  Ground of Insurrection is coming out really soon, so make sure you get your pre-order in before June 13th: https://lessthanthreepress.com/books...

I also received the first round of edits for The Coup and the Prince.  I wrote the story to be short and sweet, but apparently I was a little too short and not quite enough sweet.  There are four or five places where the editor recommended I add scenes and there are a couple of other significant changes I need to make.  These edits are going to take time and a lot of work.  Luckily there is still plenty of time before this story is slated to come out in September, but given I know the second round of edits for If A Butterfly Don't Fly will be coming my way very soon, there might still be a bit of a time crunch. 

Speaking of Butterfly, it is now up for pre-order at LT3.  You can get it for a 15% discount:  https://lessthanthreepress.com/books...  I have seen the first draft of the cover, which is lovely and I can't wait to share it with you.   Butterfly is also up on Goodreads for those of you that like to mark books as "want to read". 

4/22/18

It only took me an extra three weeks, but the edits for If A Butterfly Don't Fly are finally back with LT3.  They need to go back to the editor for another round, but I think (I hope) I was able to make a lot of progress this time around.  We'll see how I did when I get round two in a month or so.  Right now I'm going to take a deep breath and try to let the stress of overdue edits finally fall away. 

Of course, now that those edits are done for the moment, I'm sure the second round for Ground of Insurrection will arrive.  Insurrection is starting to head quickly towards release day, and getting the edits complete is a big step towards making sure June 13th happens.  I'm not expecting anything too crazy for this second round, so it'll hopefully go quickly.  Don't forget, for the rest of April LT3 is having a huge birthday sale and you can pre-order Insurrection for 40% off: https://lessthanthreepress.com... 

With editing done for the time being, I can finally turn to writing again.  There are so many stories to work on, but right now my muse has the next scene planned for Dragon Spy, book seven in my Supernatural Consultant series.  Lumie decided he needed to come say hello and I have a hard time saying no to Lumie.  It should be fun to write and I'm hoping that will also help me get further along with planning out this story.  It's been stalled for a while because I'm not entirely certain how I want to organize it all.  I also want to get back to finishing Ground of Resurrection, but I've lost the momentum I had a few months ago.  Basically, whichever story grabs my attention and keeps moving forward is the one I'll be working on. 

4/11/18

This past month has been a bit crazy, so I haven't been able to keep you all updated with news as I learn it.  I do have a lot of fun things to share!  First, I have potential release dates.  They're subject to change, but as long as I get all my edits done on time (which as you'll see below I'm not doing too well at) they shouldn't change too much.  Mark your calendars:

• Ground of Insurrection: June 13, 2018
• If A Butterfly Don't Fly: July 11, 2018
• The Coup and the Prince: September 5, 2018

Insurrection has already gone through one round of edits.  I'm expecting the second round to appear sometime this month, which should finish up the editing process for this story.  Insurrection is now available for pre-order at LT3 for a 15% discount (plus more because of LT3's birthday sale), so you can get your copy now.  It's also been listed on Goodreads if you want to add it to your to-read list: https://www.goodreads.com/book...

I received the first round of edits for If A Butterfly Don't Fly, so that story has started moving forward too. At first, the edits for Butterfly didn't seem to be too bad, but then I found where the editor asked me to add in a new chapter.  The reasons for that new chapter are solid, so I started writing it, but it's been fighting with me and now the edits are late.  LT3 was kind enough to grant me an extension for the edits, so I'm hoping to have them done really soon.   

The reviews for Kelpie Blue have been beyond stellar.  Everyone that has left a comment has agreed that Blue, my lively Kelpie with the sharp teeth, is adorable and the story itself is a ton of fun.  If you've read Kelpie Blue, it would be awesome if you could pop over to Goodreads or Amazon and leave a quick review.  

As for writing, unfortunately edits take precedence.  That means I didn't finish writing Ground of Resurrection in March like I had hoped.  However, that doesn't mean I can't plan the rest of my stories out mentally.  The main characters in Codified, the third book in my Magnified series, have been stuck in the basement and I've been struggling to figure out how to get them out.  I think I've come up with an idea, but until I see how it flows on paper I don't know whether the idea is a viable one.  In Ge-Mi: Part Two, they've all arrived at the graveyard, but I need to figure out the ceremony there in order to get them out of the graveyard and into the scene that really starts the romantic drama.  I think I'm starting to get a good idea of how to move it forward, but until the edits are out of the way I can't work on it. 

1/17/18

Three day weekends with very few plans are a wonderful thing when you've got edits that need to get done.  I spent just about every free moment this past long weekend editing Ground of Insurrection and was able to finish it early.  I've just sent it back to LT3.  They do need another round with the editor, but I don't foresee any serious difficulties arising.  Additional news about potential release dates, covers, and everything else will hopefully be forthcoming at the end of the month.  I'll keep everyone in the loop as I learn more. 

I was checking the links on my website this past weekend and I realized the Satisfaction Guaranteed Anthology is no longer.  According to my records it went out of print this past September.  I totally missed this fact.  Heartbeat, my story from the anthology, is actually the prequel to my Trickster's Eye series.  I gave it a read-through, fixed a few small issues, and have resubmitted it to LT3.  I hope they will accept the story a second time. 

I don't know how long I'll have until the next round of edits appears, but I'm hoping to get some writing done in the interim.  I have three stories open on my computer right now: Ge-Mi: Part Two, Ground of Resurrection, and my untitled Coliseum Story.  I have plans for what happens next in all three and all three are clamoring for me to write them.  Whichever one screams loudest at me will win, but any writing at all is good progress.  I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.