WIP Progress Report (#6)

To recap, these "progress reports" are basically a way for y'all to know a little more about what I'm working on and to be able to follow along with the process. The main update will be on my solos, but at the end, there will be quick updates on other projects. 

When working on the latest chapter of Brittany and Trace's story, I knew it was time for another WIP PR. Let's go over the quick details first.

- Untitled. (However, I have an idea, but not sure if it'll stick.)
- Genre: New Adult Romance w/ Anxiety/Depression 
- Word Count/Goal: 51,636/80,000
- Release Date: Tentatively, the summer of 2016
- Series? Will be book 1 of 2.
- First Sentence of Last Chapter Written: “I'm calling the grinch, babe,” I whisper, pulling the covers over my head, so I don't have to look at him.

There are two reasons why I wanted to give an update. One is because I passed the 50K mark, and that's worthy of an update. The other is because I felt compelled to give an update, mostly for myself and the need to talk about these characters. As you may remember from the last WIP PR, Brittany and Trace deal with anxiety and depression. That alone makes me love them a little more because these are my favorite kinds of characters to write.

However, this book is making me feel guilty. Here is a troubled pair and I'm putting them through hell right now. Usually, this would make me feel a giddy kind of evil, but this time, I just feel guilty. Poor characters! They're gonna break my heart, y'all.

I've known where this book was headed since I started writing it. It's finally catching up to me now because I'm having to write it. In an odd way, I'm eager to write it, too. That's all I'm going to say because I don't want to give anything away. Let's move on to the short updates on other projects!

Other Projects:
The final touches to get Bending Under Pressure ready for release are happening this month.

I'll be writing and doing edits on books from The Ninth Inning series to prepare for the upcoming season.

And that's it! As of right this second, I'm on my way to the airport to fly to Pittsburgh for a few days. I can't wait!!!

WIP Progress Report (#5)

To recap, these "progress reports" are basically a way for y'all to know a little more about what I'm working on and to be able to follow along with the process. The main update will be on my solos, but at the end, there will be quick updates on other projects. 

Before I get started, you should take a quick look to your left! I've added WIP Word Count section. It's just a little way to get a quick strictly numerical update on WIPs. It's updated every chapter pretty much.

So, based on that, you see that I have two WIPs listed: Brittany & Trace's and Noah & Meredith's. I ended up having to set Noah and Meredith aside while I figured some things out and ended up reshuffling my WIP To-Do list. 

Therefore, my main priority is now to write Brittany and Trace's books and then Noah & Meredith's. I'll work on them here and there, of course, but they aren't #1 right now. Let's talk about who is!

- Untitled.
- Genre: New Adult Romance 
- Word Count/Goal: 17,772/80,000
- Release Date: Tentatively, the summer of 2016
- Series? Will be book 1 of 2.
- First Sentence: My stomach heaves, the retched sound of vomit falling into the toilet echoes in the air as my hands grip the seat.

Nice start, huh? What better way to start a book than with the main character throwing up? Haha!

Anyway, I think this WIP will excite fans of Nepenthe. Not because of any characters are crossing over, but because of topic. These two characters both deal with anxiety and/or depression. With Nepenthe, only one person suffered. I wanted to have both of them in the same boat.

I want to write about how they'll deal with it differently. This book, in comparison to Nepenthe, shows more of the physical affects, hence how the book starts. These are the kinds of books that I love to write more than anything, so I'm really happy to bring Brittany and Trace to you for two books.

Another thing that has me excited is the dynamic of the two. Trace is older, divorced, and more settled in life than she is. Brittany is trying to survive her last semester of college. And Trace was Brittany's therapist before she left for college.

A lot of different little and big things are going on in this book. That's all I have for now though! Just wanted to give an update.

Other projects:
Mary and I are cracking down on the rest of The Ninth Inning series and making beautiful progress!

Without a Doubt releases this month on the 18th! SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!

Bending Under Pressure, Haley & Keelan's book, will release February 20, 2016. Check out the details here.

Without a Doubt: Chapter Reveal

Last month, I shared the prologue and first chapter of my next New Adult Romance, Without a Doubt. Today, I added the second chapter for you to read. As I said before, every month from now until the release, I'm going to reveal a chapter from the book until you've read the first five chapters.

If you want to read the chapters before I post them on the blog, then you should sign up for my monthly newsletter because my subscribers get the link first.

Without further ado, here is the Prologue-Chapter Two of Emerson and Eva's story. Enjoy!

Emerson Montgomery loves his high school sweetheart, Kelly Price. He'd do anything for her, including agreeing to a break where they'll see other people as he heads off to college. Struggling with the break and guilt over dating other people, Emerson meets Eva, a beautiful, funny, easygoing, and nosey junior.

Eva Harvey chose this particular college with the hopes of fulfilling her own fairytale and falling in love at the same college where her parents met. She does her best to go with the flow and simply see what happens, but Emerson simultaneously causes her to fall in love while making her second guess everything along the way.

There's some things you know without a doubt. However, Eva causes Emerson to doubt everything he believes about his future while he causes her to doubt what's right in front of her. Can they find a way to erase all doubts or will it tear them apart in the process?

Preorder Without a Doubt on iBooks, B&N, or Kobo, and add the book to your to-read shelf on Goodreads. WaD will be uploaded to Amazon later this month.

Without a Doubt, I'm Revealing This Chapter!

Oh, I think I'm having too much fun with the title of my next New Adult Romance, Without a Doubt. ;) Anyway, today, I'm sharing with you the prologue and first chapter of WaD. Every month from now until the release, I'm going to reveal a chapter from the book until you've read the first five chapters.

If you want to read the chapters before I post them on the blog, then you should sign up for my monthly newsletter because my subscribers get the link first.

Without further ado, here is your first look into Emerson' and Eva's story. Enjoy!

Emerson Montgomery loves his high school sweetheart, Kelly Price. He'd do anything for her, including agreeing to a break where they'll see other people as he heads off to college. Struggling with the break and guilt over dating other people, Emerson meets Eva, a beautiful, funny, easygoing, and nosey junior.

Eva Harvey chose this particular college with the hopes of fulfilling her own fairytale and falling in love at the same college where her parents met. She does her best to go with the flow and simply see what happens, but Emerson simultaneously causes her to fall in love while making her second guess everything along the way.

There's some things you know without a doubt. However, Eva causes Emerson to doubt everything he believes about his future while he causes her to doubt what's right in front of her. Can they find a way to erase all doubts or will it tear them apart in the process?

Preorder Without a Doubt on iBooks, B&N, or Kobo, and add the book to your to-read shelf on Goodreads.

I Have No Doubts About This

First off, I think I'm being clever with my title. But anyway, back to the point of this post. I'm so excited about my next release that I've decided to go ahead and share it with y'all. While I'm sharing some information now, you might as well get comfy because we've got quite a bit of a wait before this book releases.

Why?

Because it's not coming out until December 18, 2015.

The anticipation is what makes waiting worth while though, right?

RIGHT!

Next!

This is Emerson and Eva's book (you may have seen me talk about them on Facebook or Twitter), and it'll be titled Without a Doubt. (Now do you see why I think I'm clever with my title?)

This story came out of nowhere in the sense that I was working on two other projects when this one popped into my head while I was washing dishes (as good as the shower and driving when it comes to thinking of new ideas). It took me a little bit to figure out the details, but once I did, I couldn't stop writing.

Be sure to read the blurb below, adore my gorgeous cover, and add this book to your Goodreads shelf! It's available for preorder on iBooks, B&N, and Kobo! It won't be on Amazon until closer to the release date due to Amazon's preorder policy.

I'm so excited about this book and I hope you are too!

Emerson Montgomery loves his high school sweetheart, Kelly Price. He'd do anything for her, including agreeing to a break where they'll see other people as he heads off to college. Struggling with the break and guilt over dating other people, Emerson meets Eva, a beautiful, funny, easygoing, and nosey junior.

Eva Harvey chose this particular college with the hopes of fulfilling her own fairytale and falling in love at the same college where her parents met. She does her best to go with the flow and simply see what happens, but Emerson simultaneously causes her to fall in love while making her second guess everything along the way.

There's some things you know without a doubt. However, Eva causes Emerson to doubt everything he believes about his future while he causes her to doubt what's right in front of her. Can they find a way to erase all doubts or will it tear them apart in the process?

Writing Update: What's Next?

I haven't written a What's Next post since Nepenthe released in January and since I've gotten my writing mojo back, I figured it's time. I've broken it down between solos and coauthored books. :)

Solos:
Firstly, I've taken a break from the Bracing for Love series (Patrick and Bo were tentatively going to get a book). I hope to write their stories, but they have their lips sealed right now.

Instead, I've been alternating between two works-in-progress.

One features Brittany and Trace and will be New Adult. Brittany has a lot going on in her life while struggling with anxiety. Trace is her former therapist who is now divorced and works at the college she attends.

The other features Haley and Keelan and will be Young Adult. Let me just say that I'm SUPER excited to be returning to YA after last year being full of New Adult and Adult age-categoried books. Haley is a tennis player who learns her family has some secrets after moving to a new town with her mom and stepdad. Keelan is a football player who was adopted and is dealing with his own family issues.

I've been having a lot of fun with these characters when I've been able to work on them.

Books with Mary:
As shown on the Schedule page, Mary and I have three books coming out starting this month. We're wrapping up the Oh Captain, My Captain series.

We have already started our next project. Of course, I can't say much about it yet. We probably won't announce any details until June at least. All I'll say is that we're very excited about and of course, it'll be a series. If all goes well, we'll have a couple more releases this year. That's all I'm sharing! :)

There you have it! That's the full update on what's coming in 2015.

All about the Penalty Kill!

 

This week is all about the Penalty Kill trilogy I wrote with Mary Smith. It was our first series together and we had a blast writing them. It's hard to believe that with our anniversary this year, we've only been writing together for two years. Two years and eight books. It's crazy talk!

Anyway, we loved these characters and still think about them from time to time. I'll be posting more this week (either here or on Facebook) about this trilogy, so stay tuned!

Levi Carr is captain of the Roxboro University Lions hockey team. His rival is James Wayne University and their captain, Trevor McCarthy. After an incident in high school and his mother’s death, Levi does whatever he can to make McCarthy’s life a little harder. When leaving the rivaling campus one night, Levi meets one person who can unknowingly help him mess with McCarthy. 

My one job in this is to mess with McCarthy’s head and all it has done is mess with mine.  

Presley McCarthy lives in the shadow of her twin brother, Trevor. After being separated when their parents divorced, all Presley heard about was Levi Carr being a bully to Trevor. Now in college, Presley is trying to be her own person, but when she meets Levi Carr, it all changes. But will the changes be good or bad? 

He is nothing like my brother described. Maybe I’ve been wrong all along.

You can follow this link to learn more about each individual book. Be sure to add the trilogy on Goodreads, too. Plus, Breakaway is free! If you haven't snagged it, I have no clue what you're waiting for! You can check out the series on Amazon, iBooks, B&N, Kobo, or Smashwords.

And, here's a giveaway! :)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nepenthe Cover, Preorder, & First Chapter!

Here it is! The cover for Nepenthe (Bracing for Love, #2)! I'm SO excited about Corey's book and I hope you are too! I'm in love with this cover. I can't wait to get my hands on a paperback and the swag I've ordered!

In case you don't remember, here's what Nepenthe will be about:

Corey Kennedy was once a star on the football team at Salem University with his two younger brothers, Jonathan and Patrick. He lived and breathed football, hoping to follow his father’s dream to make it in the NFL. His chance was stolen from him when he was injured and his future in the sport ended.

As did his long-time method of coping with depression, a battle only he knows about and one he refuses to acknowledge.

A year after moving an hour away from his siblings, Corey hits rock bottom. His life is falling apart piece by piece. He’s too lost in his mind to see a way out. Slowly, with the the help of Olivia, a pushy new neighbor, Corey begins to learn healthier ways of dealing with the problems in his life.

His ground is already shaky and unstable while he struggles to stand on his own two feet again. He must find the strength to withstand what life throws at him, or crumble and fall back into his bad, unhealthy habits, which could end the relationships Corey very much needs.

Make sure you add it to your Goodreads. You can also read the first chapter here. Nepenthe releases January 24, 2015, but it's available for preorder on Amazon, B&N, iBooks, and Kobo right now!

And don't forget that if you sign up for my monthly newsletter before January 1st, then you'll be joining my lucky subscribers as they'll exclusively be able to read the second chapter and have the first chance to win an ebook! Learn more perks and sign up here.

A little about the next book

I posted on Facebook yesterday that I might share a little info about the next book. That's what I'm doing today!

The next release is about the guys! Neil, Winston, and Grant, in case you didn't know. I'm already so nervous because I've never written anything like them before. This book is a lot of firsts for me.

-My first book that is told entirely in male POVs.
-My first book that is told in 3 POVs.
-The way it is written is new for me.

This will be a standalone NA sports romance book. Each guy, each relationship, each history is different yet intertwined together. I'm really excited and really nervous, but hopefully you'll like it.

As the image above shows, I'll post the title and release date in July. My newsletter subscribers will know those things on July 1st. If you want to know all the new information first, then you should sign up. :)

Teaser Thursday - You Before Me

It's time for the eighth You Before Me teaser! There are only two more left before the release! Holy moly, right?! Check out the first two, the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh if you missed them. Don't forget that you can also read Chapter One.

As I said Tuesday, this week's teasers revolve around a shooting scene that happens in the book. This time, we're in Gabe's POV.

Before I can answer, Owen bursts, “You've already slept with her?”

God, what is wrong with him today? He's acting worse than usual. All eyes are on me, waiting for me to confirm or deny. Especially my father. He's been quiet, but he's been listening. Ryan watches me, waiting as well.

“Don't y'all know it's rude to talk about this in front of Ryan?”

“Better you say it in front of me than behind my back. Topic doesn't matter,” she inputs.

“Yes, but we're supposed to be gentlemen.”

Before anything else can be said, my father clears his throat. “Enough. We're out of ammo and skeets. Time to pack up. My wife is fixing supper as usual, if y'all want to head there.”

That's my father's way of testing me. To see how serious this thing is with Ryan and if I'm ready for her to meet my mother. “We already have plans. Thanks, though.”

You Before Me will release on June 21, 2014. You can pre-order it for the special price of 99 cents on iTunes or B&N. You can also subscribe to my monthly newsletter and elect to receive the release day email for a chance to win a YBM swag pack! Be sure to add it on Goodreads and follow the Pinterest board for weekly pins.

Until next week when I'll share the final two teasers! Let's all take deep, calming breaths. Ryan and Gabe will be here soon!

Teaser Tuesday - You Before Me

It's time for the seventh You Before Me teaser! There are only three more left before the release! Check out the first two, the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth if you missed them. Don't forget that you can also read Chapter One.

Remember last week when I shared a mini teaser on Facebook to go with the shooting pins I posted on Pinterest? Well, both teasers for this week are from that same scene! Enjoy.

“Are you doing okay, Ryan?” He asks carefully.

“Are you sure you know what you're doing?” I hate that I can hear my apprehension in my voice.

Gabe gives me a hearty laugh. “I'm a cop. Of course I know how to use a gun.” He stops what he's doing and walks over to me, running his hands up and down my arms between my elbow and my shoulder. With his lips against my forehead, he soothingly adds, “If you don't want to, you don't have to.” Gabe looks down at me, waiting to see if I'm going to bail or not.

“I'm just nervous. That's all. Let's do this.” I have no confidence in myself at all, but I trust Gabe, especially with this.

He nods and leaves to go set up the target. There's a post about the height you would use for a fence, and he tapes it to a board that's nailed to the post. He also places two stacked cans of soda on top of it. Gabe walks back to me, grabs the shotgun, the largest of the guns on the table, and tells me to get the earmuffs.

My eyes widen, my jaw hanging down by my knees. “That's what you're starting me with? A shotgun? Are you sure?”

“Yes, stop questioning me.” He doesn't snap at me like I was expecting. Instead, his words are gentle and sure.

I grab the protective earmuffs and follow him.

You Before Me will release on June 21, 2014. You can pre-order it for the special price of 99 cents on iTunes or B&N. You can also subscribe to my monthly newsletter and elect to receive the release day email for a chance to win a YBM swag pack! Be sure to add it on Goodreads and follow the Pinterest board for weekly pins.

YOU BEFORE ME Description!

I think it's time for y'all to know this, don't you? In case you've been out of the loop, You Before Me is my New Adult Romance standalone releasing in June featuring Gabe and Ryan. View the book's page, add to your to-read shelf on Goodreads, and follow the board on Pinterest for weekly pins leading up to release!

Without further ado, here is the official book description for You Before Me.

She’s too young for him. 
He’s too good for her. 
She seduces him away from the gentlemen he tries to be. 
He leads her to her own hopes and dreams.

Ryan Kavanaugh isn’t the kind of girl guys bring home to their moms. She’ll have sex on the first date, she’ll drop the f-bomb without a second thought, and she’ll answer the door in jeans and a bra.

Gabe O’Connor is exactly the kind of guy girls want. He’s a police officer and the classic good guy who takes his family’s opinions seriously and strives to be the best person he can be.

Two people in two different places in their lives, both being pulled in directions they don’t want to go. Ryan and Gabe both struggle with what they desire in life and in each other as well as what their families expect of them.

Sometimes, you have to think of yourself first.

EEK! I hope that gets you even more excited about this story because I'm beyond thrilled about it.

This Is a Pinterest Board You Will Want to Follow

I’m here to share that I have a new board on Pinterest! Why does this matter? Because it’s a board for You Before Me. I was going to post last week, but due to my hands, I stayed off the computer as ordered. I still have a few days off, but a few minutes to post this won’t hurt anything.

Anyway, back to the You Before Me Pinterest board. Every week, I’m going to share a pin or two that relates to the book. This will give you a sneak peek of sorts, so you better make sure that you follow it! There are a couple of pins on the board right now that links back to some posts regarding YBM, and I’ve already added this week’s pin.

Go check it out!

Also, make sure you subscribe to my monthly newsletter. When I send it out on the 1st of next month, they will read the description before anyone else!

My Next Release & Teaser Tuesday!

Today is a BIG day and I’m glad you’re here with me. I have some angry butterflies in my stomach right now, and I’m only announcing a few details! I’m so very excited though. You’re probably thinking, “Excited about what?!”

My next book, of course!

I’m about to announce the title and the release date!

But first! I must tell you something.

Do you remember that poll where I wanted you to pick a number and I promised that “you’ll learn why later!” Well, later is now. I picked those numbers as possible release dates for this book. All I knew was the month I wanted it to release and about which week. I put a date range in random.org and then got those four numbers. So I figured I should let y’all in on the action and have YOU choose the actual date.

And y’all chose 21.

Now, let’s get back to this title business. This is for Ryan and Gabe’s book, a New Adult Romance stand-alone. You can learn more about them here in case you missed my birthday post.

On June 21, 2014, you will meet Ryan and Gabe in You Before Me. I’m crazy excited about this book and I hope you are too. Go ahead and add it to your TBR on Goodreads. I'll share the description with y'all soon.

However, if you are a subscriber of my monthly newsletter, then you’ll be able to read that on April 1st when I send out the next issue. If you haven’t signed up yet, learn more and subscribe here.

Before I go, I'll share two small teasers, one from each POV.

Ryan's POV:

He gives me the vibe of a pure, 100 percent good guy. Maybe it's that stupid girl in me, but it makes me a little wary. There has to be a kink in his shiny exterior. It's so the stupid girl talking, trying to rationalize it because guys can't simply be good.

Gabe's POV:

As our night dies down and we head to back to her place, Ryan becomes a dangerously enticing woman, slowly luring me in. There are the simple touches like her hand high on my thigh as I drive with those fingers of hers trailing a carefree pattern. There's her laugh, which is ridiculously sexy. It's almost as if she knows just the exact laugh that will turn a guy on. And then the tempting, dirty words she seemingly casually throws out about what could come.

By the time we make it up the stairs and stand outside Ryan's apartment door, I've been captured. My mind and body are capable of thinking of only one thing. She's lets go of my hand to unlock her door, but she doesn't push it open. Instead, she turns, leans against her door, and tugs me towards her with a sexy, sly smile. My chest is flush against hers, my hands clutching her hips. A fog officially clouds my mind as my senses zone in on her lips and this killer body. I don't even get the opportunity to be the one to lean into her first because Ryan does it.

That’s all for today, folks! Stay tuned for their Pinterest board to be unveiled later this month.

What is this “WIP” I speak of?

I’ve been talking about my WIP (work in progress) a lot on Facebook lately. I even shared a tiny teaser in December. But who are these characters and what is this WIP about?!

I’ll tell you all about them!

Not really. Sorry.

I’m only going to give you a bit of information. As an awesome perk, my newsletter subscribers already know all this because I told them first in February’s newsletter.

This book is a New Adult Romance standalone featuring female lead, Ryan Kavanaugh, and male lead, Gabe O'Connor. Ryan is a 19 (almost 20) year old college student. Gabe is a 25 year old police officer. This WIP is set in eastern North Carolina and that is all you get to know for now.

Maybe I’ll share more about this pair later this month.

Or maybe I won’t.

You’ll just have to wait and find out.

If you want to be the first to know new information, learn about other perks of being a subscriber to my monthly newsletter and sign up here.