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.

WIP Progress Report (#4)

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. 

So, what is going on with my WIPs?

Haley and Keelan are finished. Sort of. Right now, some betas are reading through it and will be providing me feedback. I'll start working on revisions next. The tentative title is Bending Under Pressure. 

My main focus next will be on writing Season 2 of The Ninth Inning series with Mary Smith. We're almost half way through Season 1, so we'll be working hard to get those in the next set written.

However, the next book I planned to write has been on my mind, so I started that as well. Here's those details, plus the first sentence of the first chapter!

- Untitled.
- Genre: Sports (Hockey) Romance.
- Word Count/Goal: 13,822/80,000
- Release Date: If all goes well, hopefully by summer 2016!
- First Sentence: "The worst part of flying somewhere is waiting in the airport beforehand."

This WIP features Meredith Quick and Noah Ramsey, a couple who have a history. Meredith is a retired pro tennis player and Noah is currently a pro hockey player. Here's a little unedited snippet to give you an idea of what Meredith is feeling when the book first begins: 

How do things get so far off track? I had dreams and a plan to make them all come true. Instead, my dreams have run into reality to come to an end before I'm ready. This isn't how I imagined myself at twenty-six. Everything is wrong and in pieces. It'll be a miracle if my spontaneous decision actually helps. I can't help but to be skeptical since I've tried to always plan my life. Look at where that got me. Recently retired with a called off engagement and a broken soul.

I've spent the last six months retracing my steps. Where did I go wrong? What part of my planning caused the first misstep to land me where I am now? Every time I come back to one decision.

Leaving Noah.

That has to be where I went wrong.

So, with her life as a mess, she's hoping to come up with a new plan, starting with reuniting with Noah. The words are flowing like crazy with this book and I'm already in love with this story.

This is another one that I outlined, so I'm excited to get my ideas and plans for this couple down in words. I almost want to rub my hands together and laugh evilly for all that I have planned. Plus, I'm stoked that I'm finally tackling a second chance romance, something on my Writing To-Do List. I love reading those kind of books and I'm tickled to have Meredith and Noah be the characters for such a story.

It's kind of weird to think that with my last three projects I've gone from a New Adult Romance, to a Young Adult Romance, and now to a Sports Romance. I'm a little all over the place, but I'm not complaining! It's cool to be in slightly different areas while all under the romance umbrella. 

So, that's it for this WIP Progress Report! What are some of your favorite second chance romances?

Until next time, happy reading!

WIP Progress Report (#3)

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.

If you missed the first two, you can check them out here.

I have exciting news to share about Haley and Keelan! Let's have a quick update first.

- Still untitled. It's time to start figuring out possible titles, though!
- Genre: Young Adult Romance
- Word Count/Goal: 83,478/70,000 (Told ya I would go over my goal!)
- Release Date: Hopefully, sometime in early 2016. I have a date in mind, but won't say when until I've scheduled my editor and formatter. 

My main thing to report is that this book is almost finished. I probably have 3-5 chapters left. I can see the finish line and I'm so happy about it! 

I initially hoped to have this book done by the end of August, but I just couldn't make it happen. I am certain it will be done by the end of the month though. If I'm not, I may just cry a river for me to drown in haha. Once I do finish, that means revisions start as well as sending it to my betas/critique partners.

Right now, I'm at the point where I'm not sure if it's any good. I haven't read it from the beginning in a while, so that could factor into what changes need to be made and so on. I'm so excited about seeing the finish line and knowing that I'm close that I had to celebrate a little.

This is the first book where I placed a self-imposed deadline on it. Considering I'm a month behind, it's caused me to stress a little and it's one reason why I'm excited to be finished. It's also time to start stressing about a title and what in the world the cover will look like. Don't get me wrong, it's exciting too and I'm looking forward to it.

So, anyway, my progress report is that I'm close the wrapping this one up. At least, with this part of the process.

Other Projects:
Felix releases Friday! (Did you see what the paperbacks look like?) Mary and I are preparing the fourth book in the series for edits as well as working on finishing the other two books in season 2.

Without a Doubt is currently with the formatter. I'll be able to upload it to Amazon as soon as I get it back, so be on the lookout for that if you're a Kindle reader.

I'm also working on outlining two of my next four books. Whenever I finish Haley and Keelan, I'll start posting about the next project! :)

WIP Progress Report (#2)

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.

If you missed the first one, you can check it out here.

Let's start with a quick rundown of things for Haley and Keelan's book.

- Still untitled. 
- Genre: Young Adult Romance
- Word Count/Goal: 53,609/70,000 (I'm so going over 70K words.)
- Release Date: Hopefully, sometime in early 2016. I have a date in mind, but want things to be more concrete before I say what it is.

As I've said, I want these PRs to give y'all more of an insight into a my writing process and to start getting you excited about my next project. I'm really excited for the progress I am making on this book, although I won't be finished by my self-imposed deadline of having the first draft done by the end of the month, but that's okay.

So, this is my first YA book since late 2012! What you may not realize is that it was a semi-conscious decision. You see, my characters (for the most part) aged with me. I started worrying that I would never be able to write another YA because I was growing older. 

Ridiculous, I know, but when you're still learning what you like to write and getting better at writing in general, things like this can go to your head. (Or, at least mine.)

Never mind the fact that plenty of adults, older than I am, write in that genre all the time. Never mind that I love the genre. For an insane reason, I was worried I wouldn't be able to write YA again.

When Haley and Keelan's story came about, it was originally New Adult. Things weren't working, so I tweaked the story. I tweaked again and again and again until I realized why their story wasn't working.

They were too old!

I needed them in high school, not college. 

I needed them younger, not older.

As soon as I made that change (and other adjustments, of course), the story and characters fell into place. I was still semi-worried about going back to YA, but I was so excited about the story, that I decided to push my worries aside.

And y'all, I've missed the YA genre. It's felt so good to return to it. I just needed the right story to bring me back. 

Now, for my YA lovers, don't get too excited yet. This is currently my only planned YA for 2016. The rest will be in the New Adult age range. BUT, it doesn't mean I won't go back to it. Like this book, I just need the right idea to come along.

Other Projects:

Mary and I are working on The Ninth Inning series. We just got Hector back from the formatter, and OMG. I can't wait to get my hands on the paperbacks. SO pretty! 

I should be getting Without a Doubt back from my editor soon. I'll be working on those before I send it to the formatter next month.

That's all for this progress report. Until next time, happy reading!

WIP Progress Report (#1)

I have a pretty hectic schedule for the next five months. Not only with traveling, soon-to-be schoolwork, and regular everyday life stuff, there's a lot on my writing plate as well. There is so much going on with my writing right now, which is why I thought it would be cool to start a new feature.

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. Hopefully, you'll enjoy this feature. :)

Onward!

My next WIP is Haley and Keelan's story.

I started writing it prior to working on Without a Doubt, but I put it aside when I became obsessed with WaD. I am back to it and excited to be reunited with them.

Here's a quick rundown of things.
- Currently untitled. I usually don't know this until later in the story anyway.
- Genre: Young Adult Romance (I know! I'm going back to the genre I started in. Fun Fact: My last YA was Don't Panic in 2012.)
- Word Count/Goal: 34,244/70,000
- Release Date: Hopefully, sometime in early 2016. I want to release five solos next year, and this will be the first of those five.

With every new WIP, I feel like I can say, "I'm doing something I haven't quite done before." That holds true for this book as well.

How so?

Well, there's a new element to the story, which I've never done and no, I'm not sharing what it is yet. Both characters are athletes (Haley - tennis; Keelan - football). Their story isn't just about their romance. It's about their relationships with their families too.

While this doesn't necessarily pertain to the story itself, I sort of outlined the story. *gasp* I never do this. Brainstorm and have notes, sure. But to get a rough outline of the story? Nope. Usually it blocks me, but I tried something different this time and it's jumpstarted my brain even more. (I've done it with two more books now, too.)

Other Projects:
Mary and I are juggling a few things in preparation for the releases in our The Ninth Inning series. We're working on edits, getting the books formatted, and writing those in Season 2.

Lastly, my December release, Without a Doubt, is with the editor.

That's it! I'll share another progress report whenever I make some decent progress, haha.

Until next time, happy reading!

Plenty of updates to go around

Let's kick this post off with a positive.

The next six months are going to be awesome and I can't wait! I want to spill the beans about everything, but a few of those things have to be kept secret, only to be told at the right time.

In my personal life, I have three exciting things happening in the coming months. I'll graduate with my Associates degree and will transfer to a university to continue with my Bachelors in January. And Mary and I are going on a writing retreat/birthday trip in February for my 21st birthday! We're going to be having a blast in Pittsburgh!

Writing-wise, I'm going to start with this crazy fact: between now and January 2015, I'll release SIX books. SIX! So, I sure hope y'all are ready for more. 

Of course, this month is Bracing the Blue Line. Then in October, it's Looking for You, book one in Mary & my new series. The other three Oh Captain, My Captain novels will release one-a-month until the fourth one in January. 

PLUS, my secret WIP *may* come out in January too. So yeah, hope y'all are ready for more because they're coming.

Speaking of that WIP...

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.

Winners of the Name the Next Duo Contest!

The contest is over, and it’s time to announce the winning names. Thank you so much to everyone who entered the contest! You all submitted great names and it was hard to pick two favorites. But these characters need some names, so I can get them out of my head. That said, meet the next duo:

Jessica P. submitted the girl name and Kim C. submitted the boy name. Thank you! You should have already received an email from me. If you haven't, let me know!

This pair will be featured in a six-novella series centering around one holiday per novella. That’s the basic description. I don’t want to say more until I start writing to make sure that it will work like I want and then we’ll talk release dates. I’m really excited about these characters already!

What Will 2014 Bring? Plus, the Cover for Our Happily Ever After!

I have been brainstorming and planning new things for 2014 since August. I'm so excited to tell you all about what is coming in this new year. It's a bit long of a post, so I will love you if you read all of it! Especially the last part. But first, I would like to reveal the cover for Our Happily Ever After.

I hope you love it as much as I do. I can't wait to share it with y'all! January 13th is right around the corner!

So what all is happening in 2014, you ask? Keep reading to find out!

New Stories and New Characters

I have a 2014 Release Goal Schedule, which means I have tons of stories planned for 2014! I've been busy working on those since I finished OHEA. Once these projects are closer to completion, I'll start announcing what exactly they are. For now, I'll give a sentence and one word hint for both of my major projects.

1. One is a series that will consist of six novellas. One word hint: Holidays.
2. One is a stand-alone that I've been working on for most of December with characters who are more than meets the eye. One word hint: Sexy (<according to Mary Smith haha!)

I hope you're ready to meet new characters, because I'm dying to share them with y'all!

My Monthly Newsletter

I've already announced that this is being revamped. I sent out the first newsletter today and I hope you are all enjoying the new features. Visit this page to subscribe and learn more to about what you would receive by signing up. 

National Mental Health Awareness Month

I wanted to do something last year, but thought of it too late to really do anything. NMHAM occurs in May and I'm planning various things to do during that month. But I need your help! To get things organized with an ample amount of time, I'm starting to get things together this month. Please share with anyone you think would be interested to make this a success!

Throughout May, I would like to share two types of guest posts.

I'm looking for authors for a feature tentatively called Anxious Authors. I would like to have authors write about their experiences with mental health and why they would like to raise awareness. They could share something that happened to them or someone else. If you are an author or know someone who would be interested in this, please fill out this form and I will contact you soon.

I'm looking for readers for a feature tentatively called Nervous Readers. The premise is the same, but I want to hear from readers and would like for them to include any books they've read that helps make them more aware of mental health or helped them through a situation. If you are a reader and interested in this, please fill out this form and I will contact you soon.

If you know of any fiction books that feature main characters with a mental disorder, please submit it here! Bonus points if the characters suffer from depression or anxiety, as that's my central focus. I will be taking submissions until mid-April.

There is more that I plan to do, which I will tell about closer to May. A group will be created on Facebook too once things start coming together. If you would like to help out in any way, please send me an email!

That's about it. Happy New Year, y'all!

Untitled WIP on Pinterest

As some of you may know, I've started a board on Pinterest to give clues about one of my current work in progresses. I hope this is a fun and interesting way to inform you about a current work. There are a few pins up there right now and I'm going to add more and more as the story progresses.

I may post a teaser later this week, so keep an eye out for that!

Anyhoo, the point of this post is to formally introduce you to the characters. Appearing in this order, please meet Trace Lexington, Kelly Price, and Emerson Montgomery.