New!

So much NEW to tell you about!!!

Did you see my NEW website? I'm still working out the kinks but it sure looks awesome, no?

Aaaand NEW editions of Game Plan and Aptitude!!! Aptitude is now available :D Did you see the NEW deets to the cover? I love love love it. And when you open it up and re-read Aptitude, you'll find my favourite NEW touch, the notes Aubin and Hessa write are shown in their own handwriting! I'm absolutely tickled purple about that.

Game Plan will be re-released soooooon! I have my expert designer making the inside look awesome and then the cover will be done.

And that's not all that's NEW... Februrary brings out a NEW release! Take These Broken Wings will fly on February 28th! Of course there'll be a GoodReads Giveaway! Seems like a good way to weather the end of winter.

N

Self Control Lacking

Writing takes a certain fortitude and self control... there's no boss, no manager, no dictator standing here making sure I'm on task and getting stuff done. Just Wilbur, Luna and Hazel and they don't care how much I write. In fact, it would be just fine with Wilbur if I wrote nothing and rubbed his belly all day.

But then I'd be a belly-rubber not a writer.

And while there's no fortune flowing my way as a writer, the only one who wants my services as a belly-rubber is unemployed and lazy.

So this:

A frightening looking app that is counting down until my death.... ooor until I'm allowed to log onto Facebook again.

The battle starts today, between this Boney boss and me.


N

Dreary

I'm feeling a bit lost, literarily... and impressed that the spell check did not pick up 'literarily' which means it's a real word, not one I invented.

My WIP is at the editor. I've been tossing ideas for the next story around in my head, but none of them have stuck. I'd like to write an urban fantasy, I think, nothing too out there but a story that makes you think maybe it's possible... but I haven't figured out what it's about yet. 

Geez, even my blog updates are

I wonder if this worry of never again having inspiration will ever go away? How many books does it take to build confidence that there are more books to write?

N

No Showers, no Flowers or Ducks.

That's a very vague title... and comes from a very convoluted region of my brain. I skipped April! There were no posts in April, I'm sorry. I've been in a weird combo of nose-down in edits and completely absent from writing - one or the other and nothing in between. 

My latest WIP has been sent off to the editor. The working title is Penny Layne. I likes it so much it may end up being the final title. This story had a weird gestation - I spent months thinking it was terrible - wait, no not terrible, but not up to snuff compared to #GoodDay and Aptitude. It doesn't hit on important issues or huge creative ideas like #GoodDay and Aptitude did... it didn't feel worthy.

But then a wise person said, "It doesn't always have to be heavy"

And then a few beta readers gave really great feedback.

And I started to like my ugly little duckling. Now it's on it's way to the editor to figure out if it's really a swan. Stay tuned.

N

First Draft

There's this period between completing a first draft and figuring out how the fizzle to fix it. It's like shopping at Ikea - you go through their displays, get all excited about the piece of furniture you want, order it and bring it home in the box - First Draft complete!

Then you open the box and the ergonomic standing desk is in 47 pieces. It's totally not what it needs to be, though you can still picture the desk with the lamp and the cup of pens and the blotter and the coffee mug in your head. Figuring out which pieces to bang together first is daunting. Often there is crying at this stage.

(Seriously, go google 'ikea instructions' and click on 'images'. It's worth it.)

So that's where I'm at. I finished the first draft, went back and added the parts I knew needed to be added and ordered my box o' pieces (the printed hard copy to mark up with a pen). But I have yet to OPEN the box b/c I can already hear the rattling of random screws and pressed wood and I'm scared. Very scared.

N