Getting Back To It

This Friday afternoon will mark my first day back in the office at my regular job (the one that pays the bills) since Friday, March 20th. For ten weeks I've been able to work from home, something I've considered a privilege. My office is unique in that there are only six people in a lot of space. Technically, we could've stayed working there, but the boss gave us the capability and the option to work from home. I am very lucky to work where I do.

This isn't the first time I've worked from home, but the past couple of times were by choice not necessity. Once was an attempt at advertising sales, the other was an attempt to make money solely as an author. Neither worked out in the long run. Whether it be from age or the different type of work, this time I enjoyed being stuck at home a lot more. Of everyone in my family I'm the only one not suffering cabin fever. I have gone grocery shopping every week the past month (as soon as the store opens on Sunday morning only). Plus we've picked up to-go orders and such, so I haven't been stuck completely at home the entire time.

Since my life will be getting back to a semblance of normal by the weekend, I'm hoping to get back into a writing groove. I've received an order of bags with my logo on them and am considering some other promo items. I really miss going to book events and meeting readers. One of the items I'm considering is a credit card sized magnifier that can be used as a bookmark. I might do a FB or Twitter poll, but feel free to comment below on whether that's something you would pick up (for free) at a book sale or if there are other items you like to see as giveaways on authors' tables.

It's going to take a while for everything to feel "normal" again, or for us to get used to our new normal. I hope all of you have stayed healthy and safe during this pandemic, and I sincerely hope we're on the homestretch. Keep reading and take care.

Thoughts on Hoarding and Other Things

Calico cat named Jessie

It's Thursday afternoon and I'm in my office trying to ignore the television in the living room, just on the other side of the wall. Kid #3 is home from college and is watching Hoarders with kid #4. I've told them my grandmother might have had hoarding tendencies, but there was a very distinct reason. 

I grew up visiting my Nana in El Paso every summer and Christmas break. I clearly remember her saving food scraps to feed the neighbor's livestock. I remember her making every meal from scratch. So many memories of pennies pinched and things that I didn't understand at the time are much clearer now. Nana grew up during the Great Depression. She became the single mother of four children when my mom was eleven, and worked as a nurse at a hospital near her home for as long as I can remember. 

There are so many things we take for granted when we're children. My kids want for nothing that my husband and I can provide and I've always told them so long as there is breath in my body they will never be homeless and never go hungry. In these uncertain times there are so many people without that family safety net that my kids have always known. It's something I was blessed with myself, and I don't know what I would've done without it. So, I'm sitting here thinking about that and how such things, lack of family and security and/or growing up as a child during a depression, might have effected the hoarders on the show.

I'm not a TV watcher myself. I leave that for my husband and drown myself in books instead. This year I've been more determined than ever to record every book I read in order to keep track. I use Goodreads and am always happy to add a friend to my roll if you're interested. Unfortunately, I haven't been adding to any bookstores myself. I'm almost halfway to my desired word-count for the third installment of my Gargoyle Masters series. Kid #2 (a great artist in my opinion) is working on a new cover for Day Shift. I want it to have more of a comicbook feel to it this time. The sequel is done but needs to be edited and covered as well. Hopefully, by the summer I'll have at least one new release. 

On June 15th I will turn 45. My goal is to release Born of the Forbidden: Gargoyle Masters Book III by that week. Technically it will be my twenty-third manuscript to be published since I started this journey in 2008. The first couple of years were very productive, but the knocks from a thieving publisher, the closing of my favorite publisher, and then be completely ignored by my final publisher, really took its toll on my muse. I'm trying to find it again one sentence at a time. So you may be seeing more blog posts as I work out my writing muscles over the next few weeks. I hope you'll join me on this leg of my journey.

Writing to Write

I'm the first to admit that I'm a terrible businesswoman. I'm also very lucky and hardworking. The luck comes in the form of a hardworking husband who doesn't mind that I spend money on books. The hardworking part of me takes care of the rest. What does this mean for me as a writer? Well, I don't write to make money.

This might be considered a good thing for most things, but it's a bad thing when it comes to actual production. I feel no rush to get books published. I write when the urge to write takes me, and hopefully I have time to write at those moments too. 

When I began this crazy journey to be a published author I wrote the stories I wanted to read. That hasn't changed. However, now that I'm not under deadline with a publisher I find myself writing those stories in my head more often than on my computer. I can't even list how many different stories I've written in my head. So, lately actual writing has taken a backseat even though I have at least four series to finish. 

I'm also trying to quiet my daily life enough to hear my characters' voices again. I'm going to start carving out more time to concentrate on my worlds. I'm also going to try blogging more because the act of writing in any capacity helps keep the wheels spinning.

I would also like to point out that just because I don't depend on my royalties to eat doesn't mean I'm cool with anyone stealing my books. Piracy sucks, so don't do that.  

Another struggle right now is deciding which stories to finish. I'm decent at starting books and getting close to the middle, but then the ending eludes me. A lot of times that's because another idea pops in my head and takes over before I decide how the first one should end. What I really need to know is: are erotic stories in just as much demand as non-erotic romance? I'm writing mostly paranormal with a medium heat level but I have contemporaries started that are highly erotic. What to do, what to do? I also have eleven books that were with EC and are now fully my property again that are collecting dust. 

So, overall I've been a very lazy author. I very much want to write. I just need to remember to actually publish books too. Maybe someone needs to come over and delete spider solitaire from my computer. Couldn't hurt.

And Now it Begins Again...

For anyone who has been paying attention to my Goodreads activity the past few days, you may have noticed an increase in books read. I decided to take a break from writing after the marathon I put myself through in August to finish the sequel to Trusting an Angel. That book will soon be in edits and I am hoping to have a sequel to Born of Stone complete by the end of this year as well. But I was feeling a bit burned out creatively, and definitely physically. I've been having problems with my right arm from elbow to palm, and it scares the hell out of me. I spend all day at the weekly job on the computer, so writing when I get home isn't the ideal activity for me. But I'm working on solutions to take some stress off my hand. My husband has endured three hand surgeries (yes, three) and I really don't want to have to go through what he's been through. So, I'm taking it easy and giving my hands as much of a typing break as I can, when I can. The only problem is, the muse is bugging me again and I can hear the Gargoyle Masters clamoring for their mates. Time to give them what they want.

It's August!

It's August, almost the end of summer, and we're on the home-stretch to the first day of school. So, here's my latest update: 

• I still haven't tackled Pinterest and/or Instagram. However, I did take quite a few photos when we took our road trip to Austin that will look great on both sites.
• I'm under deadline and probably going to miss it. I feel terrible about putting the sequel to Trusting an Angel off even for a minute, but these characters aren't talking to me without serious prompting and tears of frustration.
• I have a TON of books added to my TBR pile. Since I'm under deadline, I'm trying not to read other author's books. It's hard...very hard. The newest Christine Feehan has been screaming for my attention for days.
• I have a book signing coming up! I now have four books in print and will be signing a limited number of each on Saturday, August 9th, at the Half Price Books in Humble from 5-7 pm.
• My newest newsletter is out here. There are a couple of other things going on next week that involve prizes!

So, how is your summer going? Are you ready for it to end?

Where Did March Go?

I just realized I didn't post a single thing to this blog in March. It's April already?! My god, where did March go? I've been working and doing the mom/wife thing mostly for the past few weeks. I did begin the sequel to my Gargoyle book, which will be out from Samhain at the end of May.

I'm also preparing for a couple of appearances in May. One will be at the Romantic Times convention in NOLA from May 14th-17th. The other will be at Comicpalooza in Houston. I'm really excited about both and hope to have lots of new stuff to share with everyone even before those appearances. We'll see.

For now, I'm just writing as I can fit it into the crazy mom/wife/work schedule I hold each day.

Want to keep up with my news? I'll have a newsletter soon that will go out when I have new releases or other exciting things to share. The first one is in the works but you can sign up here:

http://eepurl.com/QZ4Hn

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Humpday! Whatever you may be celebrating today, I hope it is joyful and fun. I hope you're with someone you love, or at least like a whole lot, and I wish you peace and goodwill.

My Christmas morning began at 5:01 am (the girls said let me sleep in an extra minute) and ended about 7:30 am for a quick nap. I'm awake again now and will be crawling back into the editing cave for a bit. If I don't check in again before next week, then I wish everyone a Happy New Year's too!

It's September!

September has arrived and with it almost nothing on my writing calendar. I don't have any signings, releases, guest posts, etc, scheduled so far this month. But that's probably a good thing since I'm still trying to get used to my new work schedule. I do plan to attend Kerrelyn Sparks' signing at Murder by the Book at the end of the month. I also will be preparing for the JDRF Walk for  Cure. So don't worry, I'm not going to be completely silent this month.

If you'd like to meet me, make plans to attend Readers n' Ritas in Allen, TX in November. I'm hoping to have a new book out by then but I don't have a release date for what's in edits right now yet. I'm working on some hot stuff for Ellora's Cave and just finished edits for my part of an anthology from Just Ink Press. The first release in my gargoyle trilogy is also in edits with Entangled. 

What do you have cooking in September?

July is Gonna Be Busy!

Happy Independence Day, America!!!! It's July and I've got a lot going on this month. No new releases unfortunately, but lots of promo. 

First up is the Summer Author Blitz. I'll be joining quite a few other authors in posting blogs and/or interviews, giving away prizes, and just trying to reach as many new readers as possible. My post will be over at Demons Do it Better on the 10th. I will be giving away a prize so be sure to stop by and say hi.

Next, all through the month of July All Romance ebooks is celebrating popular Romance novel tropes. Do you have a favorite? My books will be featured on three different days:

July 3rd: Enemies to Lovers - They Call Me Death

July 12th: Social Class Differences - Two-Week Trial

July 20th: Boss/Employee Romance - Heather's Redemption (with blog post)

And last, but most certainly not least, I'm also participating in the Digital First Read-a-Thon. My blog will be posted on The Book Reading Gals on the 27th. There will be a prize offered there too.

I also plan to participate in a chat with Cynthia Sax (date TBA), and of course you can always find me on Facebook and Twitter.