Writing Update 03 February 2012

For the people who don't keep up with me on FB, and because I need to update my blog more often, here's what's been happening since 2012 started... in no particular order because I'm writing this as I remember it. :P

I have been writing my butt off. A Changeling Press plot bunny crept into my psyche and shoved all the other books aside. CP's plot bunnies are aggressive like that. Again, I had no intention of even writing a novella for this new series any time soon, but the idea came and well... Foxy: Once Was Lost is finished at a little over 7000 words, submitted to my editor, and contracted. I'll let you know when I get a release date.

Foxy is a multi-author series about a bunch of shifters, mostly foxes, living in Last Chance, Alaska, a small town where people -- shifter and human alike -- go when they want to get lost. A few of the books in the series are already released. Stop by Changeling Press's website and check them out.

Just this morning (read Thursday morning) I did the final read through of my tentacle monster novella -- Taking It Back. I finally, FINALLY finished this story. It's 19,224 words (pre-edits) and was supposed to be done last year but got ousted from it's spot in the writing queue by Cafe Midnight: Chamomile Nights and the Caveat Emptor series.

Fun fact about Taking It Back -- I saved writing all the sex scenes until the book was finished, using place markers to keep track of where each sex scene would happen. Yesterday morning, I rolled out of bed, brushed my teeth, washed my face, got dressed, and then crawled back into bed with my mini laptop and proceeded to spend close to six hours filling in all of those sex scenes. Saying I was burnt out when I finished is an understatement. I hope everyone enjoys the effort when this book releases.

Speaking of sex scenes, I also wrote an erotic fiction title for Razor's Edge Press (an imprint of Changeling Press). It's a little under 7,000 words and NOT a romance. This is erotic fiction. That's the whole point of the imprint. HEA is optional, and most of the titles didn't exercise the option. This is yet another novella I didn't think I would write, but I felt compelled and it should be out in a few weeks. I have the contract and I finished the edits yesterday.

I've gotten the second round edits for my Ellora's Cave Blush release Pet's Pleasure. I plan to jump into those Friday (ie - later today after I get some sleep). Hopefully it won't take that long but I want to tweak some things and this is a full novel (over 90,000 words). Once I get my edits turned in, I should receive a release date. So yippee. Those who have been waiting for this, your patience is about to pay off.

This is going to be a hell of a busy month for me:

- I'm revisiting Yolette. Thanks to some authors at Changeling Press I've discovered a new self-editing technique using MSWord macros. Since I know there is stuff I missed (every author does, that's why we need editors), I'm going to go through the manuscript one more time. As well, I haven't seen it since October so I should be able to look at it with fresh eyes and possibly do some major tweaks to tighten up the story.

- I have another novella that's scrapping 9000 words headed for 12,000 that I need to finish for Changeling Press. That should clear me with them until May-ish... hopefully. This novella will be the start of a new series, which already has three other books planned and partially written.

- I'm a judge in the RITAs and I haven't started my reading yet. I've got eight books. It won't take that long since I usually binge read two or three novels in one sitting when I get down to it. I just need to get down to it... and in the month of February since the scores are due in March.

- The sequel to Serenity hit a snag back in December that recently got resolved a few days ago. My muse figured it out and let me know. Now that I'm over that particular hump, I can focus on this novel again once I finish the above. I'm hoping to get this novel finished sooner rather than later so I can get back to and finish Contractually Bound Love.

In the midst of all this, I'll be finishing the Caveat Emptor series. Book 6 - Determined Lover comes out next Thursday, and then there's only one book left. I've got some notes for Book 7, but it's not written yet. From the way it's looking, this may be the longest of all the CE books. But then it is the finale.

So that's what I've been up to, and February has barely even started. I'm hoping this momentum continues throughout the year because I have a lot of books that need to be written.