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. 

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. 

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". 

1/13/18

I have received the first round of edits for Ground of Insurrection.  A glance through says they'll be very straightforward, so hopefully I'll have them completed and back to LT3 for a second round quickly.  The editor said the story was "fantastic", which I was overjoyed to see.  This story gave me some trouble as I was writing it, trouble that is unfortunately repeating itself as I'm trying to write the sequel, so hearing it did turn out well after all that was really wonderful.  Now that the edits are moving along, LT3 can start planning release dates.  I expect to learn a tentative date for Ground of Insurrection sometime after I return the edits, so I had better get to working on them now because I'm as anxious to learn the release date as I'm sure you are. 

I don't really have all that much else to share with you today.  It's been a while since I posted anything so I wanted to say hi and to let you all know that I am trying to work on some of the stories you're anticipating.  Mostly I've been planning, which doesn't sound super exhilarating, but is absolutely necessary to move my stories forward.  For example, in the next Supernatural Consultant book (tentatively titled Dragon Trick, but that might change) I know the ultimate goal of the story, but I haven't quite figured out how to get the characters there yet.  I can't start writing again until I figure that bit out. 

I've been plucking away at Ge-Mi: Part Two as well.  I've said it before in regards to this story, but I'll say it again anyway: it's slow going.  I'm setting up so many little things right now that will have an impact all the way to the end and I really want to get them right.  That means the story is only growing by a few hundred words each time I work on it.  That's better than nothing at all, but it's not a lot in terms of how much I still have to do. 

Aside from that, I'm patiently waiting for the next round of edits for Kelpie Blue to appear.  I'm hoping they'll wait until after Ground of Insurrection is back with the editor, but as March and the imminent release date looms closer, I know they'll have to appear soon.  We're also nearing the time when If A Butterfly Don't Fly should begin the editing process (especially since it was accepted for publishing at the same time as Ground of Insurrection), so I expect that story will also appear in my inbox sometime in the near future.  There's so much to look forward to!

12/31/17

LT3 emailed me to let me know Road to Revenge, the first book in my Road To duology, will be going out of print on January 1, 2018 (tomorrow).  They asked if I was interested in renewing the contract, to which I immediately replied yes.  This isn't going to be a huge rigamarole like with Dragon's Hoard.  Road to Revenge will get shined up a bit with a quick edit, but it shouldn't even have an interruption in sales.  Dragon's Hoard was down for weeks while it went through editing and getting new covers, which Road to Revenge honestly doesn't need.  Still, it's nice to see Road to Revenge getting a bit of spotlight for once. 

On another note, I completed the second round of edits for Kelpie Blue mostly on time.  They are headed back to the editor for another round, but I can really see the improvement in the story so far.  It's far smoother to read through and now that the edits aren't making me want to tear my hair out, I'm relearning to love my crazy kelpie.  March seems so far away, but it will come soon enough, and then all of you will be able to read it too.  I can't wait. 

I have written over 1k words in Ge-Mi: Part Two today and I hope to continue adding more to the story the rest of this long weekend.  It's not even close to being complete, but I'm liking where it's going.  I'm building up right now to introduce a new character that will add some tension to Nevada and Taylor's relationship.  I am also working towards getting the plot reintroduced, which requires setting up some twists and turns that I hope readers will enjoy.  There's a lot of little things to get right, so it's slow going, but it is going and that's what's important. 

10/20/17

When I got the first round of edits for Kelpie Blue, my brain immediately went: how can I procrastinate from this?  It eventually provided me with the next scene in Ge-Mi: Part Two and a lovely plot twist.  As temptation, that worked pretty well, but at this point I'm wise to the wiles of my brain.  I was somehow able to hold myself in check and managed to get the edits for Kelpie Blue back to LT3 before I touched Ge-Mi. 

Kelpie Blue is coming along and I'm happy to say that now that the edits aren't hanging over me like a funnel cloud I'm back to remembering how much I love this story.  The editor really liked it too.  Right now it looks like there's going to be three full rounds of edits, so the release date may get pushed back.  The plan is to wait until December to see how much more work Kelpie Blue will still need and reevaluate the date then.  I will let you all know then what the final verdict is. 

Ge-Mi: Part Two is slow going, but it's so much fun to write, what with Nevada's little cat ears and Taylor being proud he doesn't pee on the carpet.  They're definitely a match made in heaven.  The problem with this story is there is so much going on and trying to keep it all rolling at the same pace isn't easy.  The two big plots are the romance and figuring out who the bad guy is, neither of which reached full potential in Part One and which need a lot of finessing to get to their individual conclusions.  I also don't write a lot of sci-fi so making certain those elements fit into the story adds yet another dimension of awesomeness.  It will all come together at the end, and I know I'm going to love the process of getting there, but it's going to take a bit more time.