Category: Heartbeat - Mell Eight's Writing Blog

2014 Goals Results

12/30/2014

One of the things I started doing in 2014 was posting my monthly goals. It's worked really well, so I figured I might try doing the same thing for the entire year. Here is how I did in 2014. Look for my 2015 goals to come out in a few days!

Book Releases:

Paint, Guns, Money, and Love came out in February and ran as a serial story with LT3. It came out in ebook and print few months later in June.
The Oracle's Hatchling, book two in The Oracle Series, came out in ebook in March.
Wings of the Stars, part of LT3's A Loose Screw collection, came out in ebook and print in April.
Heart's Tournament, part of LT3's Won't Back Down anthology, came out in ebook and print in May.
Heartbeat, part of LT3's Satisfaction Guaranteed anthology, came out in ebook and print in September.

Books Ready for Release:

Road to Home is edited and ready to to arrive in stores in January.
The Oracle's Golem, book three in The Oracle series, is also ready to be released in January.

Submitted Manuscripts:

The Oracle's Sprite, book four in The Oracle series, has been submitted to LT3.
Dragon Consultant, book one of my new Supernatural Consultant series, was also submitted to LT3.

Completed Manuscripts:

Thunderbird, my submission for LT3's Intertwined collection call, is back from a beta reader and almost ready to be submitted.
Ground of Insurrection, my submission for LT3's Devil's Land collection call, is in edits.
Dragon Deception, book two in my Supernatural Consultant series, is completed and in need of editing.
Magnified, the longest story I've ever written at 60k words, was also completed. I want to finish writing the sequel, Justified, before getting Magnified ready to submit.

Writing Progress:

Dragon Detective and Dragon Spy, the next books in my Supernatural Consultant series are growing daily.
The Oracle's (Water) and The Sentinel's Prophesy, the next books in The Oracle series, are also taking form.
Kelpie Blue wins the award for the most progress made this year. It's only reached 20k words, but it took the most research and planning of any of my stories to get there.

Other Accomplishments:

I started posting monthly goals to keep myself on task and have had a fair amount of success with it so far.
I created a monthly newsletter to help keep readers and fans informed.

News: Writing Progress

10/12/2014

10/12/14

I got my paperback author copies of Satisfaction Guaranteed in the mail. My dog immediately started sniffing them, as she does for all my LT3 books, to see if she smelled cat. She was very disappointed in the smell as there was nothing to growl at. I was very excited. The paperback copies of the anthology are gorgeous! It's a bright addition to my bookshelf so make sure you check it out for yourself.
I have reached 10k in the story that still lacks a title. It's my submission for LT3's Devil's Land call and I'm really worried that if I haven't figured out a title by now I might not have one by submission time. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to comment!
I have also been working on The Oracle's Sprite. I think one of my ideas may pan out into full plot, so I'm going with it. I might end up deleting it and trying again, but some writing is better than none at all! Of course, while I'm working on Sprite I've been staring at the blank hole in The Oracle Series' webpage where the cover for The Oracle's Golem should be. I'm hoping that it will be out soon and I'm really looking forward to what the cover artist comes up with. She's amazing and I know it will be as beautiful as the rest, which makes me impatient to see it.

Out Now: Satisfaction Guaranteed

9/24/2014

Satisfaction Guaranteed:
Heartbeat

Nothing is more frustrating than getting screamed at, spilled on, and talked down to while doing a miserable job just to make ends meet. Less Than Three Press offers a collection of romantic shorts about the people who work the daily grind to keep the world turning, and toil away so others can have fun. Because everyone deserves a happy end, especially those who work so hard in the service of others.

Stories in this anthology include:

» Robillard's by R.D. Hero
» No Complaints by Diana Sheridan
» Fair Weather for Airstrikes by Mina MacLeod
» Heartbeat by Mell Eight
» Deliver Me by J.D. Walker
» A Bird in the Hand by Ils Greyhart
» There is Light by Blaine D. Arden
» Stableboy by Leona Carver
» Flip Flops & Tennis Shoes by Bettina Kaipling
» Single Vampire Seeks Consort by Cassandra Pierce
» My Sexual Superhero by Talya Andor

News: Coming Soon and Writing

9/22/2014

9/22/14

Satisfaction Guaranteed is coming out in two days! There's only a little time left to get it for 15% off at LT3. My story is titled Heartbeat and is about a vampire and how he meets his mate. It was a lot of fun to write and I hope everyone will enjoy it.
Magnified is complete! I am so excited! I've been working on it for over a year, which is a very long time. Most of my stories only take a few months to put together. I think Road to Home was the most time at six months. None of my stories have been nearly as long as Magnified either. At 63k words, Magnified is over 20k longer than any story I've written previously. That feels like a huge accomplishment. I'm happy to see how much my writing has grown.

The next step for Magnified is a quick edit. I want to read through the story while it's still fresh to double check that everything currently in my head actually made it onto paper. Then I'm putting Magnified away. I would love to give it a thorough edit (and I might see if a beta reader is interested in going through it), but I won't get it ready for publishing until after Justified is written. There's too much overlap and plot continuation between Magnified and Justified for me to feel comfortable setting Magnified into stone just yet. I want to make sure both stories flow the way they're supposed to first.
The other project I'm currently working on is my story for LT3's Devil's Land call. The overall plot is starting to come together in my head. I'm hoping to start putting it onto paper this week, but Rosh Hashanah is going to take up a lot of my writing time. I'll see how much I'm actually able to get written.

News: Today I am at the beach...

7/15/2014

7/15/14

Today I am at the beach. It's 10 am and the first hint of sunlight to break through the near-constant cloud barrier since I've been here is shining through my window. By the time I actually get my bathing suit on and get to the shore, the sun will already be gone. It will probably start pouring just as I've settled in. Sand and computers don't mix well, so I've been catching up on my reading instead of writing.
My birthday is next week. For those of you who remember last year, I did a big giveaway. I don't think I'll have the energy for that this year. I have a summer job that starts two days beforehand (it's six days a week, full time for six straight weeks) and I'm still hoping to get the advent story done for Dreamspinner's Celebration call. Keep an eye out next week in case I manage to put something small together!
I have seen the cover for Satisfaction Guaranteed. It's adorable! I do not yet have a copy of my own to share, but feel free to check it out on LT3's site where all the information about the book is available.
Knoty Love was not accepted by Riptide Publishing. :( If one publisher doesn't want it, I'll just have to keep trying until another one does; that's how the publishing business works, after all. I'm going to shine it up for a general release story (instead of as an anthology submission) and see who else might want it.
I don't think I'll be able to get Dragon Consultant finished in time for Riptide's deadline, so I'm probably also going to change it into a stand alone story (or a series, depending on the dragons). Instead, I'm going to try putting together a shorter sports story for a different Riptide anthology call.
I have also been working on Magnified. At this point I know how part one is going to end and how part two is going to begin. It's just about writing it. My other stories have been waiting for me, and will probably continue to wait until after my summer job is done.

NEws:

7/2/2014

7/02/14

The edits for Heartbeat are back with LT3! That story is ready for publishing. Look for it in September. Of course the second I got the edits done, LT3 sent me more. The Oracle's Golem and Road to Home are sitting in my inbox right now, waiting for me to get started. Sigh. It's never ending!!!
I have a new release date for Road to Home. It's set to come out November 26, 2014.
I have finished writing Thunderbird. It still needs a thorough edit, but I've decided to put it aside for the summer. It's not due until January, so I have plenty of time. I want to focus on some of my other projects for a while instead.
Heartbeat is set in the same world as my Trickster's Eye series, which I haven't worked on in over a year. I decided since I was working on those edits I ought to dust off book one and give it a read through. I really like what I've written, but when I reached the end I came to the same problem that caused me to put it aside for so long. I have absolutely no idea where the story should go next. I'm hoping to figure out the answer to that problem, but not until some of my other big projects are also taken care of.

News: Writing and Edits

6/21/2014

6/21/14

Writing has been an interesting endeavor these past few weeks. I wanted to work on Dragon Consultant, one of the two stories I'm writing for The Oracle Series, or even the story I'm hoping to finish for Dreamspinner's Advent Calender that's due really soon. That hasn't happened. Instead I've been working on Thunderbird, my submission for LT3's Intertwined anthology call. Thunderbird is both a very easy story to write and a very difficult one. It's easy because I already know exactly what will happen. The entire story is planned out in my head; I just need to get it onto paper properly. I've passed the halfway point and I'm nearing the home stretch. Yet, this story doesn't lend itself to easy writing, which is why it's proving to be so difficult. Have a look around the internet and you'll find what I've found: reliable sources of the Thunderbird legend are few and far between. It's a paranormal fantasy story, so I'm allowed to have some leeway, but I want my characters to be as accurate as possible. Every time I reach a point in the story where a bit of legend or lore would help the world grow I run into a wall. I've put many more hours into research than I ever thought I would. Despite that, Thunderbird is coming along nicely. I'm hoping to have it completed in the next few weeks even if I won't submit until closer to the due date.
The other story I've been working on is Heartbeat, the edits of which are due very, very soon. Because I've been so preoccupied with Thunderbird, I took a few days off of editing. That will have to change this weekend. I'm really hoping to have Heartbeat back to LT3 by Monday. I don't want to make any promises, but that's the plan I'm I am going to force myself to stick to it. There really isn't that much more to do, so I think it's a feasible plan. Still, please wish me luck so the procrastination fairies don't strike again!

News:

6/11/2014

6/11/14

Paint, Guns, Money, and Love is now available in print! Get your paper copy today!
I am seventy percent done with the edits for Heartbeat and I don't foresee that last thirty percent taking more than a week or two to complete. I'd say I'm looking forward to not having edits on my plate for a while, but Third Time's The Charm, the free short story I'm working on eventually publishing with LT3, is still sitting there mocking me. I will finish Heartbeat and then I'll tackle TTTC.
Knoty Love has been submitted to Riptide Publishing. I will hear yes or no in November!
I am working on two other anthology submissions that I really hope to have completed soon. For LT3's Intertwined call I'm writing Thunderbird. I have the larger plot planned out, but putting all the smaller pieces onto paper will take a while. It's not technically due until January, but Dragon Consultant is due around the same time and DC is a much longer and more involved story. I'll be working on DC until the last minute, so having Thunderbird out of the way sooner will help me a lot.
The other anthology I'm working on is for Dreamspinner Press's Celebrate call. They're asking for an end of the year themed short story based in another country. I couldn't resist the lure, so I started working on it. I don't have a title for it yet. The call closes in August, which is an unbelievably short amount of time. I think I can make it.
My other stories are all coming along. Magnified is attempting to become a series in my brain and I'm trying very hard to contain it into a two part story. The Oracle Series is plucking along steadily. I'm still hoping to have Sprite and Prophesy submitted within the year. If a Butterfly Don't Fly is growing steadily, but my Out of Underhill series has a long way to go. I'm writing as much as I can and hopefully they'll all be ready for publishing soon.

NEws:

6/2/2014

6/02/14

There's only a few more days to pre-order Paint, Guns, Money, and Love! It arrives in stores on June 4th.
I finally finished the edits for Road to Home. They're going to be put into the hands of the wonderful editor who did Road to Revenge for a full editing job. I'm hoping not to see it again for a few months, at which point my frustration with the story should have faded. There's still no word on a new release date, but I'll keep you posted when I know more!
I am working on the edits for Heartbeat. Most of the changes are fairly straightforward. There's one or two things I need to add or fix, but I don't need to do any major rewrites. I should have the edits done and back to LT3 soon!
Now that I have more free time I've been able to get some writing done. I've been working on The Oracle's Sprite and The Sentinel's Prophesy, one of which I really hope to have ready to submit in the next few months. I have also been fleshing out my submission for LT3's Intertwined submission call. It's titled Thunderbird and is about that creature and its Native American mythos. In addition, Dreamspinner has an Advent Calendar call for end of the year stories set outside the U.S. that I am planning to put something together for.
I haven't had time to work on any of my longer stories, but my plan is to get a large portion of Magnified and Dragon Consultant finished this summer. The submission call for Dragon Consultant ends January 1st so I have a lot to write in very little time.

I'm So Close!

5/28/2014

Except for the fact that I'm not at all... Edits are cruel, cruel taskmasters and for some very strange reason I can't get the edits for Road to Home done. It's only twenty pages--if you remember I mentioned that there were so many issues the editor sent it back to me to fix before she continued on to the rest of the story--yet it's acting like it's one hundred twenty. Every time I feel like I've made progress I reach another hiccup that takes days to wade through. After which I feel excited that I've made progress, which only spins me back to the new hiccup. It's a never-ending cycle of doom and it's infuriating! I should have had Road to Home back to LT3 weeks ago and I haven't been able to come through.

I really am close this time. I think. I only have six more pages to go and I've already gone through them once. I can do it! Until the next damned hiccup appears, at least.

I do have progress to report elsewhere:

Lynden Leaves will have a new title in just three days! I do admit I have already picked the one I like best out of all the wonderful submissions to my contest, but there's still time for one I like even more to appear. Once I have the title I'll go through the story again for any last minute edits and have it submitted before the call closes on July 1st. It's always nice to feel like I accomplished something!

I have the edits for Heartbeat, my story for LT3's Satisfaction Guaranteed anthology call. I've glanced through them quickly and I'm happy to say that there doesn't appear to be any major rewrites or plot issues. There's definitely work to be done, but nothing near the scale of Road to Home. I'm saving these edits for after Road to Home is back with an editor, but I'm definitely looking forward to edits that don't fight me every step of the way.

I can't forget to mention that Paint, Guns, Money, and Love is coming out on June 4th, which is less than a week from now! The final chapter is up on LT3's serial page at the moment. What I don't understand is how the two people that negatively rated the story on Goodreads months ago had read enough of the story to downgrade it so heavily. The story hadn't even reached midway on LT3's serial release and they apparently already hated it. They weren't even kind enough to leave a review as to why! I hope everyone else has been enjoying it!

Speaking of feeling accomplished, Magnified is now the longest original fiction story I have ever written! It's currently at 46k and I haven't even reached the midpoint! I suspect it will take a long time to finish, but the journey has certainly been exciting so far. I'm still diligently working on all my stories and hope to have something from The Oracle Series ready to submit next.

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I should probably stop procrastinating and get back to Road to Home. I will have the edits done before June! I can do it! And, yes, the pompoms might be necessary in this case.