I read a lot of romantic fiction. Adult romantic fiction. But it feels like I've practically just graduated high school and should be reading something more juvenile. Now I do appreciate juvenile fiction. How can I not when I write about it? I grew up on young adult romantic thriller fiction and fell in love with books like Hunger Games, City of Bones, and the Darkest Powers series. At one point, and I'm not ashamed to admit it, I was a part of the Twilight craze until my senior year.

My favorite book from the adult world so far has been Secret Fire by Johanna Lindsey. She's amazing. Some of her books I hate, but a lot of her books I love too. I've read other harlequin authors as well and I have to say that there's a reason these books are generalized and scorned by male readers. They all have a LOT of similarities.

But hell, the similarities work. They got my attention and had me chomping through Lindsey's entire conquest. Readers will buy books from authors they like. It's that simple. That's why I ache to have more books out. I have two in the process and one already completed, yet not all the way edited. If I play my cards right I hope to have Witherheart out within the next 2 months, the third book in the Dragons of Witchcraft series sometime within the next 3-4 months, and Girl in the globe out sometime after that, even though it's the only one out of the three that actually has a completed rough draft.

I've been watching and rewatching Social Network and Dark Knight lately. They're amazing movies and I love them so much. Dark Knight because, you know, Christopher Nolan is God, and because Social Network I just love. Mark Zuckerberg really did put in an extraordinary amount of work to get facebook going, and that if nothing else is something to be admired. I just love it when people put their hearts into projects that they really believe in.

I myself wish I could work harder. I think I'm stupid for putting so many projects on my list at once, but I have a goal I'm trying to achieve. I'll get there one day!

Witherheart

I'm currently in the process of setting up an e-list. I would like readers to be able to subscribe to a newsletter for information on future books, release dates, and so forth. This is the cover for a new book I'm writing that will soon be offered for free for those who sign up for the newsletter. That vampire novel I mention before? This is the one. It's called Witherheart. It won't be as long as my other books, I'm hoping, nor do I know yet whether the end will leave room for sequels, but I'm anxious to find out. Here is a brief summary of the book for those of you that are interested.

Anjette is the only one who believes her mother has died by the hands of a vampire, one who was also her lover. When three years pass and she is sent to live at boarding house by an aunt who claims she can no longer support four children, things start to happen which lead her to believe that the vampire has not only come back, but he's not done. Witherheart, deemed a retreat for troubled teens, shelters a variety of people who all either seem afraid of her or defer to her, one being a boy named Kegan who she believes will keep her from knowing the truth. Unless she can get around him.

The story is set in Chicago near Lincoln Park during the fall. Anjette will be different from Paige in that she is more reserved and more tactical. Paige I've come to like, so it'll be interesting to see how this new character deals with a chain of events just as mysterious and threatening. Also, it will be from third person perspective.

Finished but Not Really

It’s a glorious thing when one finishes a book. Be it the first time, the third time, or the tenth. Now don’t give me that look—I’m only at #3—and it’s not even the third book in the series. But I’m pleased that it didn’t take me that long to finish this time. Girl in the Globe is 68,000 words, unedited. I expect that number to change by five or so thousand words, up or down. Maybe more. It’s impossible to tell.

I can’t wait to start editing. I’m so excited to start working on the third book in the 3^rd Dragons of Witchcraft series. If you asked me, I couldn’t rightly tell you if it’s going to be the last book. I’ve tried to make it only three books, but we’ll see. For a trilogy they’re not very long books, roughly 70,000 words each. The second one is way longer than the first, but that’s only because more happens and there’s more back story.

In the third book I’m going to try to develop Andre a bit more. I don’t think we see enough of him. Paige even made a comment in the second book about how much more time she spent with Bishop despite being more like Andre. That could either be true or not true. I leave it up to the reader to decide.

I wonder what I’ll do after the next book in the series? I’m really trying to shoot for five books. I’d love to have five books out. Don’t give me the stink eye when I say this, but I’d loooove to write a vampire novel. I don’t think they’re a ruined species yet. Vampires are still the most romantic supernatural creatures to ever exist besides angels. I don’t know if I want to do an angel book. I have reservations about using them (that are in no way religious, mind you, but more literary).

What's Happenin'

As an indie writer sometimes I just have those days where I'm typing something and think "What the f*ck am I doing this for?" I won't say today was one of those days, but trust me when I say I've had plenty of em. But then I think back to everything I've written and done and think, "Wow. It's only been 4 months."

 4 months and three books. Not bad. Like I said before in one of my previous posts, it feels like it's been years. I think that's really great. The second I graduated it just seemed as if time was flying by, that one day I would wake up and be 30. Then 40, then 50, then writing a will. Writing makes time go by slower. Whether or not my writing becomes popular or recognized, it leaves evidence of all those months left behind. Wait, what am I saying? I'm too young to be talking like that. I'm only in my 20's.

Anyway, KDP Select sales are finally dwindling. I put my second book out for free for a couple of days last week and got more returns from the first book then when I made it free. I'm not disappointed. Hell, it's only been two books. Why am I so impatient? Probably because I'm young and I feel like I've put so much time and energy into those two books. Which I have. Writing is hard work. But! It's hard work I enjoy.

I finally got my first 5 star review on Amazon some time ago for my first book. That made me incredibly happy and inspired me to write faster. I'm sooo looking forward to finally working on the third book again. Several people have said they look forward to reading it, and I'd love to have them read it! I've missed the trio quite dearly.

One thing I aspire to do with the third book is include more characters. I don't think I have enough characters in my series. Ben became a new addition in the second book--kind of an asshole--but at least he was there for the party. I try to keep count with my fingers sometimes. Paige, Andre, Bishop, Phillip, Ben, and Ellis, which are mostly all my plot characters, and then my other characters which serve as support beams for Paige's life, like her parents, Arthur, and even her brother Daniel.

Third Book, New Book, More of KDP Select

Alright, I’m 27,000 words into this new book (Girl in the Globe), and still about 30,000 words into the third book in the Dragon’s of Witchcraft series. I’m not working on both books simultaneously, because that would just cause too much confusion, not to mention that both books are in different tenses. 

I’m having fun, albeit some trouble finding out where I want to go with this new book, but I’m writing more and more every day. The book is about Sunny, a fairy in a snow globe with a conscious mind who wishes to become human. Drew, the mean and spoiled girl who owns Sunny’s snow globe, unconsciously makes a wish that they could switch places after having a fight with her boyfriend.

It happens, and Sunny finds herself living Drew’s life, except a few people in school realize that’s he’s not really Drew. One of them being Drew’s boyfriend, Julian. Sunny’s character is meant to be bubbly, fanciful, and caring, but with a tendency to worry and over think things. I don’t have a cover page for the book yet, but I’m eager to get working on it.

The last free promo for Dragons of Witchcraft is going on now and tomorrow, for Easter weekend. I’m still thinking about entering the second book in the KDP Select, which I haven’t even done yet, even though I should since I’m not and can’t sell it anywhere else, according to KDP Select guidelines. In fact, I’m going to do it right now, this very second.

…

There we go. It’s done. Only took two seconds. I’m going to work harder so that the next couple of books come out sometime within the following few months. With editing and everything it might take longer than expected, but it’ll get done by the time Summer is over, I promise you that.

First Free Promo Results

I just did my first free promo for Dragons of Witchcraft. It lasted two days, from Friday to Saturday. I would like to say that the results were spectacular, but all I could do was shrug my shoulders and go “Eh.” Nearly 600 downloads, so it’s not awful, and in fact I’m quite pleased with it, but it just isn’t as good as I wanted it to be. Only a small percentage of those that download free books actually read them, and probably even fewer who go on to buy the next book, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. The next free promo I do will be on Easter weekend in April, so look out for that. I don’t know when or if I’ll enter Cinder Halo in the KDP Select.

What I’m really working on now is getting more books out. That’s just it. I really want more books out on the market, so I’m writing all the time. I seriously don’t like taking days off. In fact, the second I upload a new book I get right to working on the next one. It’s crazy. And still, despite all that, I’m not prolific.

Girl in the Globe is about 5000 words in. I have a whole guideline laid out, and I’m very anxious to see how it plays out. I haven’t even looked at the third book in the DOW series, but that’s only because I desperately need a break from it. When my next book is done, hopefully sometime within the next two months, I’ll go back to it and start working on it again because I do so love my characters.

Finally Did It

I'm looking at my clock right now and it reads 5:39am (oh yeah) so forgive me if I make mistakes.

Anyway I finally entered into the KDP Select. I know I've been talking about doing it for a week now, but yesterday I finally clicked the button. I'm going to have my book free for two days, starting this Friday. I'm kind of excited. Since I don't have a lot of books out I'm not expecting a LOT, but it never hurts to cross your fingers. I'm desperately trying to get the editing done for the second book so I can put it out before the free promo launches for my first book. I'll also have my first review out so, that'll be something for me to look forward to. I really forget that it's only been two months since my book's been out, if even that, but it feels like it's been years. Maybe because I'm working so hard.

I really want an editor for my second book. As soon as I can afford it, I'm getting one. I'm also working on a novella. Only recently have I thought about putting up shorter stories, and I'm quite excited to do it! It'll be so nice to take a break from first person POV. I really should have stuck with that POV in the first place, but it's too late now. Just as well, I'm already used to Paige's sarcastic voice and I've grown quite attached to it.

The third book I'm working on for the Dragons of Witchcraft Series won't be out for months, but I'm almost 30,000 words into it. It's like running a never ending marathon. You get water breaks, but ultimately it never stops. The novella I'm working on (and it's the first time I'm mentioning it anywhere) is called Girl In The Globe. Pretty straight forward title. I'm a lover of fantasy and I see potential there.