2/21/24
Today it feels as if I'm behind on everything. One of the things I'm delinquent on is keeping all of you in the loop about my stories, so writing this post is a good start at catching up. There's a lot of information about what's going on to share, so here we go! The reception and reviews for Soul Bond have been excellent. Everyone seems to have enjoyed my Valentine's-themed short story! Mixing illegal magic with a good mystery and sweet romance appears to be what everyone wants to read this time of year. I don't currently have any plans for more short stories, but I will make sure not to ignore a plot bunny for one should it hop into my brain. Gifting a Dragon's Heart is my next story getting released. You can pre-order it at NSP, Amazon, or Smashwords right now! If you want, you can also add it to your Goodreads list, where positive ARC reviews are already coming in. Gifting officially comes out on March 19th, just over a month away. As usual, if you pre-order with NSP, you can get it four days early. For a sneak peak of the cover, head over to any of those sites. I should have the official graphic to share really soon! The Prince, book two in my Princes of Toval series, was accepted for publishing with NSP! I'm really happy, as this means it's just as good as the first book, The Chef. I expect the editing process for The Chef to begin really soon, but The Prince likely won't start that process until fall. I've made great progress writing the third book in the trilogy, The Spy. I have written over 30k words, which is more than halfway. I will definitely reach 50k total words, although I'm still aiming for closer to 60k. There was some major action right before the halfway point, which means this story needs to enter a lull as I set things up for the final punch. Making sure the slower build-up is as interesting as the fast-paced action is always a good challenge so I'm very hopeful the next few scenes turn out.
0 Comments
Soul Bond is normally the most romantic night of the year, but for Hew, that night promises to be a nightmare. Afflicted by a terrible curse, Hew knows he must either submit to blackmail or get help. Magic is illegal, so Hew must break the law and dive into the seedy underbelly of the city, where he finds more than he ever believed possible. However, even with Ren’s help, breaking Hew’s curse might ensure their executions on Soul Bond Night, rather than experiencing the romance the holiday usually promises.
1/26/24 For those of you who pre-ordered Soul Bond at NSP, congrats! You can download your copy today! NSP releases their catalogue four days early. If you buy through them, you get to read my books that much sooner. I hope everyone who has gotten their copy already is enjoying my magical Valentines-style short story! The ARC reviews so far have all been excellent, with high praise for the world building and the romance. For everyone else, I applaud your patience! Soul Bond will be available for download at most major retailers on January 30th. Here's a few links for pre-orders: Is there somewhere else you guys prefer to purchase ebooks from? I would be happy to link those too, if you let me know. Unfortunately, I can't link Amazon to all your different countries, but at least I could include a more comprehensive list for you!
Soul Bond officially releases in just four more days! I can't wait to hear how much you all are enjoying reading it, so look for my official announcement then. 1/21/24
I have been so busy with writing stuff and chores lately, which is phenomenal! I'm feeling really accomplished. I know this level of work ethic will fade away whenever whatever adrenaline or manic energy fueling it is used up, but I'm taking advantage while I can. The most exciting thing is Soul Bond is completely ready for release. Those who pre-ordered at NSP will get their copy in a few short days. I expect the purchasing information for other retailers to be available imminently, and I will share as soon as it's there. Soul Bond comes out on January 30th! As promised, I pulled out The Prince and gave it a final edit. I was able to shine up some rough spots and I am very, very happy with how it turned out. I went ahead and formatted for submission, and sent The Prince to NSP for their consideration. I do think they'll like it, but I will let you know what they say as soon as I hear. Editing The Prince was exhausting, though, so I did pause in the middle for a mental health break. Rather than work on something else, for some reason I found myself up in my third floor library, putting together a bookshelf that had been languishing in pieces for over two years. If only all my procrastination efforts led to getting old tasks accomplished. Lol Thanks to the bookshelf actually being able to hold things, I was able to take piles of books that had been sitting on the floor and put them away, which means my library is less of a mess than before. I still need at least one more bookshelf, but for now it's a step in the right direction. After The Prince and the bookshelf, I turned toward editing tasks. I received the copy edit for Gifting a Dragon's Heart. The copy editor called the story "sweet" and loved the world building, so I will happily call this story a win. After I finished that, I rewarded myself by working on my latest paint by numbers project. The next step for this book is getting the cover, so I'm very excited! I should also have a potential release date to share soon too. Lastly, I have been writing! The Spy has reached 26k words and I haven't even reached the halfway point. However, I am about to write a big battle scene, after which the plot does shift into the second half. I think there's a good chance this story will reach 60k, so closer to the length from the first book (The Chef). While all the books have very intriguing magic, I'm finding the magic in The Spy to be the funnest, which makes writing this story very interesting. I am hopeful I'll have this story completed in the next few weeks, and can therefore start focusing on some new material soon.
1/1/24
My memory is comprised of Swiss cheese. I swear. I've written three separate posts in the past month, and said "I'll edit and post it after I [insert random activity here]." The realization that I never got around to actually posting came about two days later. By the time I found five free minutes, the contents were obsolete. I ended up writing a new post, and the cycle continued. I swore to myself that this weekend I would absolutely get my post actually posted. (You'll notice today is Monday...so I failed...sigh.) Anyway, I hope everyone had a very happy holiday season and a happy New Year! Here's what I've been working on the past few weeks: The draft of the cover for Soul Bond is absolutely perfect. And pink. I can't wait to share it with you, as it's completely different to every other cover I've ever had. I'm so excited for my fantasy Valentines story to come out. It was so much fun to write, and we're reaching the final countdown to release! Soul Bond is currently scheduled to come out at the end of January. I expect to have pre-order information to share very soon. Gifting a Dragon's Heart has completed both rounds of edits and is off to the copy editor. This story is moving through the editing process at a lightning pace. I expect to have a scheduled release date sometime soon. Generally, NSP likes to schedule releases after copy edits are completed, so keep an eye out for that step in the process. I have gotten a ton of writing done in The Spy, the third book in my Princes of Toval trilogy. I'm at 24k words, which means I've written about 15k in the last three weeks. The Spy is on track for at least a 50k, if not a 60k, final word count. My characters spent a long time stuck in the woods, and I couldn't figure out how to get them moving on to the next bit of plot. Chapter 8 is therefore a good bit longer than I usually want, but I'm finally on to chapter 9 and a new setting. I have almost finished the build-up for the midway point in the book, after which the story switches gears. I'm excited to write the next half, so I'm really hoping to get to work on it soon. My plans for this new year haven't changed from what I've said before. Now that it's January, I get to pull out The Prince, book two in my Princes of Toval trilogy. The Prince will get a final edit, I'll format it for submission, and send it off for NSP's consideration. I'm also expecting the first round of edits for The Chef, book one, very soon. Once I finish writing The Spy, my plan is to see about getting some of my older, languishing stories completed. I have so many ideas for new books, but my to-do list is far too big. Fingers crossed I can finish some of them in the next year! 11/19/23
After all the edits I completed two weeks ago, I hit a wall. Major burnout. Of course, burnout is always coupled with writer's block. Yep, I said the dreaded two words. I completed two rounds of edits for Soul Bond, which is off to the copy editor; one huge round of edits for Gifting a Dragon's Heart, which is back with the editor for round two; and I completed my own edits of The Prince, which is now in hibernation until January. After all of that, all I wanted was a nap. What that means is I haven't written anything more in The Spy in two weeks. I am just starting to work on chapter two, so there's a whole lot of story left to go. I do have all the major plot points mapped out, but getting it all onto paper requires the time and energy I just don't have at the moment. Instead, just this weekend I've washed six loads of laundry (and if there's time, will possibly do a seventh), cleaned one of my bathrooms, vacuumed the entire second floor of my house (which required clearing the floors first), filled, run, emptied, and refilled the dishwasher, and the chores keep coming! It's a never-ending cycle of figuring out what I need to accomplish next. Last weekend I baked apple bread and pecan pie, because those freeze well, and this week I also need to bake pumpkin pie and blondies, all to bring to Turkey Day dinner. I also need to vacuum the first floor of my house sometime after work next week. None of that is conducive to fighting off burnout, so it doesn't look like I'll be able to write at all in this coming week. Maybe after Turkey Day is over and things finally settle down, I'll be able to get back on a more even keel. A lazy winter with no plans to travel or see anyone is exactly what I have coming, so fingers crossed I'll be able to get a ton of writing done then instead! 11/5/23
This weekend has been all about edits. So many edits! First I received edits for Soul Bond, which needed to be completed quickly because of the time crunch. Soul Bond is absolutely adorable, so working on the edits wasn't a chore, but they still took some time. I would say we are ahead of schedule in terms of a February release, but considering mine won't be the only story coming out then, being ahead is a good thing. I expect to have the second round of edits for this story soon. Next I received the first round of edits for Gifting a Dragon's Heart. That is the title my editor and I have decided on. It's shorter and more direct, and still has excellent connections to the book itself. You Can't Sell A Dragon's Heart is therefore no more, and I will be referring to this story moving forward as Gifting a Dragon's Heart. The edits for this story took a lot more time, mostly because this story is three times longer. Months have gone by since I last looked at this story, and I forgot how charming it is. The combination of sci-fi and fantasy, plus the very interesting main characters, and I've fallen in love with it again. I'm looking forward to the second round of edits, but those won't be ready for a while. I hope to have more information on release dates to share soon. Once I was done with both of those, I was finally able to return to my own edits for The Prince. I'm really, really happy with how this story turned out. It's got a sweet romance, some great action scenes, and a plot I enjoyed rereading. Despite taking longer than I would have liked, I was able to finish this round of edits. The Prince will now go into hibernation. At this point, I'm thinking late January would be the best time to pull it out again for a last edit and formatting for submission. The timing depends entirely on whether I'm editing other stories then, of course, but I'm already looking forward to getting this story submitted. I wanted to work on The Spy this weekend too, but the edits were too much. Fingers crossed I'll be able to get a lot of writing done this next week, but I have a feeling I'll be getting more edits again instead. Either way, I know it will be fun! 10/31/23
First off, Happy Halloween or Blessed Samhain to everyone who celebrates! I am writing this while waiting to see whether I'll get any trick-or-treater's this year. In past years I haven't gotten any, but I live in hope. My fake pumpkin is lit up (we have critters that eat real pumpkins, so it's fake or nothing), my candy bowl is full, and my porch light is on. We'll see if anyone rings the doorbell. With my luck, it'll be another political solicitor, of which I'm currently averaging one a week. Something about my neighborhood apparently attracts them. No idea why. Also, I'm eating the candy, but that's a different issue. As everyone who reads this blog probably knows, I struggle regularly to come up with titles for my books and my series. I can create a complex magic system and figure out how to incorporate it into a Valentine's Day plot, but deciding on a title for that story took me much, much longer. I eventually decided on Soulbond, simply because that's what the holiday is referred to in the fantasy world of this book. My editor loved the story and NSP has accepted it for publication. (I'm very happy!!!!) But. You guessed it. Soulbond is now Soul Bond, two words, to make it easier for readers to find. I told you my editor is brilliant! She's the one who pointed out something that simple. Soul Bond will presumably be released sometime around Valentine's Day 2024. When exactly is dependent on how editing goes, which should begin this week, and how many other themed stories are coming out at the same time. I'll let you know when I learn more. Another story having title trouble is You Can't Sell A Dragon's Heart. The title is apparently too long and will mess up all sorts of formatting. I didn't exactly consider the formatting when I thought of the title, but it's something I'm going to have to remember in the future. My editor offered a couple ideas, and I've thought of some, but finding something perfect is proving difficult. I'm going to have to sleep on it, but if anyone has a good idea, please feel free to share. We will also be starting the first round of edits for this story this week, so I'm hoping inspiration strikes while I'm neck deep in grammar clauses. Since I forgot to formalize it, I did decide on the official title for the series that includes The Chef, The Prince, and The Spy. I'm calling it Princes of Toval, for reasons that become clear in the books. If I tell you why, I might ruin some surprises, particularly in The Spy which I'm writing right now. Thank you so much to everyone who suggested options! I really appreciated it, and it helped me solidify which direction to go in for the series name. 10/29/23
Sometimes it's the little things that really make me feel like I've done a ton. Filled and ran the dishwasher? Check! Gotten to the grocery store? Check! Sorted the dirty laundry and put a load in the wash? Check! Submitted a new story to NSP? Check! All of those combined make me feel like I've accomplished something, and that's the positive mindset I need to delve into writing and editing. When all those chores and tasks start looming over me, each one demanding I take care of them first, I start to feel buried and overwhelmed. Not that I don't procrastinate like the best of them. The only reason my dishwasher got run was because I literally ran out of cups and had no choice but to muster the extreme effort to deal with it. And yet, somehow I felt really, really good when the dishwasher made that beeping noise four hours later, telling me it was done. Yes, I also submitted a story to NSP! I told you I had completed writing my idea for NSP's internal Valentine's Day call, a fantasy/romance story called Soulbond, and I wanted to give Soulbond a bit to rest before the deadline. Well, my editor requested I submit Soulbond as soon as possible, to ensure she had enough time to review it too. Since my editor is the absolute best, I had to do as she asked. Soulbond received my final editing round much sooner than I prefer, but it is shined up and good to go. I think my editor will like it as much as I do, but I'll be sure to let everyone know as soon as I learn more! Of course, focusing on Soulbond exclusively to ensure it was done in time means the rest of my stories had to be set aside for the moment. I am a little over halfway through with my post-writing, first pass edit for The Prince. This is the quick edit I give a story when it's all still fresh in my mind, before I leave it to sit and marinate for a few months. I had hoped to already be done and The Prince in its waiting phase, but I've learned sometimes you just have to roll with whatever comes. Getting Soulbond submitted was more important than getting The Prince to its next step. I should have plenty of time to work on The Prince this weekend, but at this point I likely won't pull it out for that final edit and preparation for submission until late January at the earliest. Writing is where I've fallen short in my accomplishments this week. I haven't had time to write anything because I've been so focused on getting all those edits done. That said, there's a good chance I'll finish editing The Prince soon, so I might be able to get some work done in The Spy this weekend as well. |
Coming Soon
Gifting a Dragon's Heart
March 19, 2024 Soul Bond
January 30, 2024 Twin Elements
October 17, 2023 Witch
April 15, 2023 AuthorMell Eight is an author writing with NSP. For more information about Mell and her writing, please visit her website: http://melleightfiction. Tags
All
|