Spring Musings

Good Evening Lovelies,

It's the middle of April, and spring is officially in full swing. Admittedly I live in Miami so technically I experience a year long spring/summer, either way Happy Spring! I've been running around like crazy lately tiling soil, planting seeds, pruning bushes and what-not for my next book releases (hooray metaphors hyperbole...whatever!) This is what I get for trying to look smart. Anyway I've basically been busting my butt, making sure that I have at least three new releases for 2013.

The first book officially completed this year was Persuasion Skills, the second book in my Boardroom Acts series. This is a stand alone contemporary romance that shares the co-worker theme/trope from Negotiating Skills but with a whole new set of characters. I teetered back and forth for months trying to decide whether I was going to self-pub this book or submit it for publication, and finally decided to send it out for publication. Fingers crossed that it will be picked up because aside from the fact that I wrote it, I really do think that its a great story and has mile long legs to stand on. I'll let you know how it goes. According to experts/people out in the interwebs, I shouldn't talk about this. Mainly because it will look bad if the book doesn't get picked up. Thankfully not only do I think that's a load of bull, I also want to provide any insight into this process as I can for those of you embarking on your own journey into writing.

I finally figured out how to fix my How To Kill Your Immortal, dilemma and have decided  to release a few books set up in the HTKYI world, prior to releasing Dante and Jasmine's story. I've struggled with this for over a year. No matter how I looked at it, and no matter how much I love their characters, I just don't think Dante and Jasmine are ready for prime time. It's funny actually because a writer friend of mine told me I would have separation anxiety when it came to releasing my first book and she was sooooo right! Although Negotiating Skills was my first published book, HTKYI, was my first completed book. I hyperventilate every time I think about publishing it. It's crazy, I know. It doesn't make a lick of sense, but there it is. I'm absolutely terrified of putting my baby out there.  But, thankfully, I can't put it off forever. When I first came up for the idea for my current work in progress, Frosted Bites, it was intended to be a short three book PNR series, but somehow my characters found their way into Dante and Jasmine's world and wouldn't leave! Next thing I knew I had half a book completed with Dante and Jasmine doing cameos. Talk about my subconscious kicking my ass! The awesome thing is that it totally works and I'm crazy excited about it!. So sadly, my lovelies you will have to wait a little longer for HTKYI, but before you get it you'll have:

1.) Sweet Dreams (A Frosted Bites Prequel)

2.) Cupcakes at Midnight

3.) Death by Chocolate

4.) Whipped and Chained

Sweet Dreams is already completed and as soon as I have a free moment to edit the second draft it will be off to my editor. I'm also already two chapters into Cupcakes at Midnight. It was originally intended to be a short story, but after outlining it, I realized it will be another novella. *Sigh* One day I will master the short story. I swear it.

Okay those are the updates I have for now, hopefully in a week or so I'll have good news to share regarding Persuasion Skills. Either way I'll share with you my mental breakdown over query letters and the like soon.

Talk to you soon,
Laurel

Writing When You Have A Full Time Job

Good Morning Lovelies,

Things have been hectic as usual this new year, but in a good way. I've somehow managed to stick to my writing schedule despite working full time and running around like a headless chicken since January. My next book, Persuasion Skills, is out to my editor, I've already started working on my next release, Frosted Bites, and the hubby and I are in the middle of buying a new home. Yes it's been crazy! With a full time job, a husband and a guilt wielding mother that has been no easy feat! 

So how the heck have I not gone off the deep end (much) and still managed to maintain the writing schedule I set at the beginning of the year?  Sadly the answer is actually relatively simply stated but hella hard to implement. All it took to maintain this schedule was....

            1.) 90% dedication (saving room for sleep, food and sex) and...

            2.) 100% REALISM.

Yes you read that correctly. This year when I set out to list my goals and schedule to obtain them I decided to actually try being realistic with myself and how much I could actually get done with the state my life is in. With a full time job that requires far more than 40 hours a week, I didn't lie and convince myself that I could write 1,000 to 5,000 words a day. Instead I told myself that I would start every week with a list of mini-goals related to my current work in progress (ex. finish one chapter, research a character, read a new book etc.). If at the end of the week, there were items still lingering on my list, I would look at my calendar and see what activities would have to be cut to incorporate the additional items. Yes I sacrificed, yes I missed a party or two, but guess what? It kept me motivated. Knowing that I might miss out on a Louis CK concert, didn't magically clear my hectic schedule, but it did help me use my writing time more effectively.

Part of my being realistic campaign also included (gulp) only working on one project at a time. Yeah I know! That was actually the hardest rule to adhere to. With limited time available I had to be honest with myself and understand that streamlining (ie. uncluttering my mind) would be the best recourse. So out went the working on multiple books at once (*sigh*). But even within the rule I forced some realism. I knew that I would be tempted to work on something else I also refused to shove good story ideas aside, so I gave myself a ting concession-I was allowed to note the idea and even jot down mini outlines. That's it. The good news? My works in progress list has grown to epic proportions AND I know that they will actually get done. Sweet! 

As an aside, notice that I've included reading a new book each week. Why you ask when my schedule is so tight? I do this for various reasons:

1.) I love to read and if I don't reward myself with a good book, then what would be my incentive for writing one?

2.) As a writer you have to perfect your craft. You are not perfect. It's good to see how other writers do things. When I read a well written book this is my progression...ooh and ahh over things like voice, emotion and just sheer awesomeness-->be green with jealousy-->become inspired-->become determined to be better myself. These are all good things.

                         

3.) It's good to check out who is publishing what (self-pub and trade). Is the editing done well? How about the cover art? If it's a trade pub, is the book selling well and being marketed effectively? These are all things a writer should look at especially if you're interested in going the trade publication route. If you plan on submit your book to a publishing company you want to know which ones would be the best fit for your book. Obviously, you can tell I plan on going this route this year :). 

Okay that's my spiel for today. I hope you're all doing well. I'll be posting lines from Frosted Bites soon so stayed tuned!   

Talk to you soon,

Laurel  

Persuasion Skills #amwriting

Hello Lovelies, 

It's been a while since I dropped you all a note on my works in progress, so I just wanted to give you all a quick update. Here goes...

1.) I'm finishing up the final touches to Persuasion Skills (formally titled High Stakes). This book is next in the Boardroom Acts series that began with Negotiating Skills. Persuasion Skills is a stand alone contemporary erotic/sensual romance using one of my favorite tropes, friends-to-lovers. For those of you who enjoyed the tension and banter between Veronica and Victor in Negotiating Skills, you're sure to love the romance between Pepper and Jaxon. She's a savvy and successful business woman and he's a mischief making computer engineer. Trap these two together in a romantic cabin and smexy hilarity smoking hot encounters ensues. 

I'm still debating on whether I'm going to self pub this book as well, or submit it to a publisher. I keep teetering back and forth on it but, you'll know one way or the other :).

2.) Frosted Bites is a trio of paranormal contemporary short stories that will definitely be released April 15th via Amazon, BnB and All romance. These short stories just kind of happened out of the blue. I was sitting in yet another round of Miami traffic one day when the idea came to me. Each story focuses on one of three siblings in the Graves family. I had a lot of fun with these characters and I hope you will too!

UPDATE: Did I say definitely? I meant definitely, maybe, if my muse got her sh%! together...

3.) WIP#3:Title Unknown-I still haven't settled on the title for my third work in progress. However, this one for sure will be an industry submission. It is another paranormal contemporary that I plan on making a series. The heroine is a little quirky and was a little inspired by Samantha from Bewitched, Martha Stewart and Tank Girl. Yes you read that right :) I don't really have a timeline for this one yet, but I'm definitely hoping to have it ready for submission by August of this year. I know that seems like a long way out, but the storyline requires a lot of research and fact checking so yeah...

So for now that's it! I do have several other WIPs that are still in the outline stages and I'll let you know more once I decide to add them to my queue. 2013 is going to be a busy year!

Talk to you soon,
Laurel