Forbidden Magic finished and beyond

FORBIDDEN MAGIC is finally finished. Final word count is a little over 21k. I've already done my read through and have submitted it for consideration to a publisher.

Which means I can finally start something new! I'm also changing my writing goal. When I first started writing, my goal was to get my work published. A fantastic goal, one many writers never reach. I've reached it, but only in the ebook market. I want more. To get more, I have to write more.

New Goal:
Write 80k or more per book
Submit to print markets

I want to walk into a bookstore and see my book on the shelf. So I will work harder. Which means that I will start outlining and preplanning my books. I tend to get carried away and the book is finished before I mean to and I suck at going back and adding stuff once it's done.

Today I will be researching methods to  help me with this new process of planning my books. Hopefully this will help me reach my new goals.

:)

As it stands, these are my current works in progress.

WIP:
DEMON SCORNED: Sarah Vargas 4
     *  I'm still outlining this. Writing about Sarah isn't coming easy this time. Maybe she doesn't want to fight demons?

ACROSS TIME
     * Story of Amythist and Dalamar. I've published several short stories about these characters. I'm looking forward to write a book to finish their story.

UNTITILED Beauty and the Beast
    * A twist to my favorite classic

UNTITLED Firestarter
     * Set in same world as my books

Back in the saddle

I finally submitted Of Wolf and Man, in its entireity, to a publisher yesterday. With all the personal crap going on, I was in no mood to edit the manuscript in its current form... until this past weekend. I had the completed manuscript printed, however computer issues meant that I was three drafts behind on the file itself. I had to sit down and go page by page, line by line, until what was in my notebook matched what was on the file. Tedious, as this book is over 45k in length, but I'm hoping it was worth it.

Now that this is finished, I'm trying to figure out what to work on next. Sarah Vargas 4 is outlined, and I think I have a page of it actually written. I also have Forbidden Magic that's 2/3 of the way finished. It's a toss up, and as long as my Muse isn't going anywhere I'll leave it in her capable hands.

Time flies...

I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted on here. I wish I could say I've been busy, but I haven't. I'm currently working on the edits for White Wolf, due out in April with MuseItHOT. "Raising the Dead" was featured in Shelter of Daylight and can be purchased on Sam's Dot Publishing's website. "Wedding Wizard" has been accepted by Residential Aliens and is due out in the near future. Other than that, nothing. Nada. My muse has gone on vacation, leaving me all alone.

Okay, it's not as bad as I'm making it sound. I've been catching up with my reading (almost finished Mortal Coils by Eric Nylund right now, and will start reading Secret Circle by LJ Smith next) and watching Supernatural via Netflix. I've got ideas for my future WIP, but right now I'm just going to relax some more.

And I just rememered....NaNoWriMo is next month!!! Holy crap I'd forgotten. Dear Muse, please come back from vacation. It's NaNo time! You can follow my progress on NaNoWriMo.org. My handle is dadewrites.

Busy busy

The moment I get my new ac adapter in the mail, the motherboard on my laptop craps out on me. I've spent the last week redownloading things that I use and trying to get the info I have off of my old laptop's harddrive. And there are some things on there I really want, like the book trailer for Dream Lover.

It also means that I'm trying to catch up with updating my website and blog. I know I forgot to post on here that I was guest blogging at Creative Chatter last week. I also got the link for the roundtable interview I did with Romance Radio Network. Today I'm guest blogging at MuseItUp Publishing. That should be it for guest posts until Dream Lover is released in August.


WIP update:

Of Wolf and Man has been sent out to publishers. I'm shooting for the stars with this one, so it may be a while before it actually sees the light of day.

Gray Magic is on hiatus. There's something about that story that just isn't doing it for me right now. Don't know what.

"Smut story" has a new name, White Wolf, and I will be editing and submitting it this week.

Sarah Vargas 4, 5, and 6 are outlined. They will be a stand alone trilogy, meaning that you don't have to read the first three to enjoy these. Maybe I'll label these Part 2: Book 1 or something of the sort.

The End

I love those words, especially when I can type them at the end of a project. For those of you who follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you'll know that I've been working on a project that I've called my "smut" story. I finished it today, and no I don't have a better name for it yet. It's a 5k erotic paranormal romance (M/F & F/F). This is the first time I've looked into the world of my werewolves through a born Were's eyes. Before, it's been through Sarah's eyes but she's a converted Were. Kalia, my main character, was a born a werewolf. It's interesting to see how animalistic some Clans can be, especially when it comes to their females. I've discovered that aparently Weres don't approve of same sex couples, oftentimes destroying them rather than banishing them. So, what happens when your the daughter a Clan's alpha and you discover that your Mate is a female? Do you run from your feelings, or do you stay and face them head on?

Blurb: Kalia Seffmoyer is a rarity among werewolves. She's albino, a trait that is coveted by Clans worldwide. She is sent from Clan to Clan, bedding every eligible male she comes across hoping to find her Mate. Kalia doesn't expect to find love, but the second she looks into Sophia's eyes she's done for. Never has Kalia had feelings like those she has for Sophia, and a night of passion quickly leads to dire consequences. For in the supernatural world, it seems that humans aren't the only ones who discriminate.

That's what my smut story goes into. :o) It really needs a better title than "My Smut Story." LoL

And a new year has begun

Happy 2011 everyone! I hope you all had a fun and safe holiday. Just a day after 2011 began, one of my resolutions have already panned out. I had two goals for my son during 2011; to get him out of his crib and into a twin sized bed and to have him potty trained. Potty training is still in the distant future, he's already in his twin sized bed! *happy dance*

Last night I jumped back on the writing wagon (after having not written a word since November) and added 3k to my WIP, Gray Magic. Gray Magic was my NaNoWriMo 2010 novel, and after reading through it I discovered that it made very little sense. I've had to toss a lot of it, and try to make sense out of what I've decided to keep. I'm about 15k into my rewrite. I don't think the final product will be 50k, since I'm a chapter away from hitting a vital turning point before wrapping things up. My goal right now is 30k.


In other news...

Blood Moon is due to be released in two months!

Epiphany has been submitted to two other publishers. It's almost been a year since I submitted it to my first choice publisher. A year with no response leads me to believe that it's a rejection.

Congratulations to Ashley Verdi. She won a $25 Amazon gift card from my Bitten By Books contest back in September.

WIP List

What I consider Works in Progress (WIP); A WIP can be a short as a scribbled idea or as long as a finished manuscript that needs serious editing. Above my computer I have several WIP’s ideas taped to my wall. This is what my Works in Progress list looks like right now:

GRAY MAGIC – My NaNo2010 story needs a lot of work, which is why I still consider it a WIP. Synopsis: Tabitha Desdamona Drake is an Enforcer, the person that does the dirty work for the Conclave of witches. The Conclave orders T.D. to find the gray magic witch. A witch wielding gray magic would be able to use dark or light magic without cost, able to end the world with just a thought. The Conclave wants the gray magic witch. With it, they can rule the supernatural world with an iron fist. However, once she gets there T.D. finds that there are more pressing issues to take care of rather than the Conclave's agenda. Witches are being murdered and drained of their magic, and it's up to her to put a stop to it. Enter Dez, a vampire that works for the Lord of Charleston. As mysterious as he is annoying, Dez accompanies T.D. on her search for the witch killer claiming that the vampire Lord has ordered him to do so. But what does a vampire care about murdered witches? Dez's agenda mirrors the orders from the Conclave, and T.D. quickly realizes that she is in more danger than what she's bargained for.


OF WOLF AND MAN - I had just gotten through the hard scene when my computer crashed and I lost a good chunk of it. Tells the story of Juliet and Jensen; Juliet discovers Jensen's dangerous secret and now a Clan of rouge werewolves wants her dead. Synopsis: Juliet knows that Jensen has a dark secret, especially after he uses his super strength to fight three wolves and save her life. Imagine her surprise when she figures out that he's a werewolf. Imagine her greater surprise when she discovers that this knowledge puts her life in danger. The three wolves that attacked her were also Weres, and they want Jensen to themselves. Jensen has to do what he can to save Juliet, when she and her best friend are kidnapped by the Weres during Homecoming. Will he be able to get to Juliet in time, before the Weres change her into one of them? It's my first attempt at YA. I’m currently 33k in, and am at the climax of the story. However, I keep getting sidetracked by other projects. I hope to have this one finished by the first of the year….maybe.


ACROSS TIME - A novella about Amythist Dyier finding love again. Her short stories came out in quick bursts so I hope her novella does the same.


UNTITLED Technopath Story - Originally a short story, I realize that I have more to say. Samantha lives in a post apocalyptic world where a human created microbe can infect technology, making it alive. It needs the earth's resources to survive, and the humans are just scum standing in their way. Samantha is one of only a handful of technopaths, a person that can control technology, that can defeat them. The short story is finished, but I want to add more parts to it and see more of the world that Sam lives in.


UNTITLED Sarah Vargas 4 – I’m taking my sweet time before coming back to Sarah. I want to make sure that her story really needs to continue past Blood Moon. Synopsis: With the Blood Moon Corporation behind her Sarah is ready to start her life with Jared, but a phone call from Donavan puts their well deserved bliss on hold. There's a serial killer murdering humans on the loose in Brainerd, MN, one that changes with the full moon. If the human police catch him, it will put the Seffmoyer Clan in danger - the very Clan that Donavan's sister is in. Will Sarah and Jared be able to catch the supernatural killer before the police do?


UNTITLED Beauty and the Beast – Modern day telling of an old story, with a unique twist. That’s all I’ll say on this project.


THE WRONG MAN – A contemporary romance about finding love in all the wrong places.


UNTITLED ghost romance – The title says it all…


UNITITLED Dreamscape – Jasmine McGovern has the ability to control her dreams, a gift that sets her in the crosshairs of the Blood Moon Corporation. Except they don’t want to kill her. They want to use her ability to assassinate and control. How can she escape them?


AN UNEXPECTED LOVE – Originally a short story about Amir and Phaidra, I want to flesh it out and turn it from a 3k romance into a 15k romance.



And this isn't even all of it! I have ideas scribbled in small notebooks that I carry around with me. So add another 15-20 ideas on top of these I've listed. Sometimes I wish this list was carved in stone. A new idea will crop up, making my long list of WIPs even longer. But at least I can't complain that I don't have anything to write. :)

The inspiration for my latest WIP

Ever wanted to know how an author gets inspired to write a certain story? This piece of artwork is the inspiration for my latest WIP.

BTW: My favorite movie of all time is Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

Especially the library scene

Busy busy

NaNoWriMo is coming to a close, and I've already finished Gray Magic...sort of. Because it's a NaNo creation it's going to need a lot of work, and I have a feeling that there is going to be a lot of scenes cut out of it. I hate useless filler, so if it doesn't help to forward the plot or enhance character development then it's going to have to go.

Tabitha Desdamona Drake is an Enforcer, the person that does the dirty work for the Conclave of witches. The Conclave orders T.D. to find the gray magic witch. A witch wielding gray magic would be able to use dark or light magic without cost, able to end the world with just a thought. The Conclave wants the gray magic witch. With it, they can rule the supernatural world with an iron fist. However, once she gets there T.D. finds that there are more pressing issues to take care of rather than the Conclave's agenda. Witches are being murdered and drained of their magic, and it's up to her to put a stop to it.

Enter Dez, a vampire that works for the Lord of Charleston. As mysterious as he is annoying, Dez accompanies T.D. on her search for the witch killer claiming that the vampire Lord has ordered him to do so. But what does a vampire care about murdered witches? Dez's agenda mirrors the orders from the Conclave, and T.D. quickly realizes that she is in more danger than what she's bargained for.

I can't wait until the manuscript is polished enough to share. T.D.'s story is just begging to be told and Dez's big secret will finally be revealed (for those of you who have been reading the Sarah Vargas Series). As usual, I'm putting Gray Magic aside for a while to let it cool (so to say) and I'm picking up Of Wolf and Man....again. Maybe I'll finally finish it this time.

Of Wolf and Man

I'm going to be complaining about this story for a while, so it's only fair to give you all the back story so you'll understand my frustration.

OF WOLF AND MAN was started over a year ago, maybe even two, and by 30k I was just a mere five chapters away from the end. Then, in September of 2009, my computer crashed. I lost everything; pictures of my newborn son that weren't backed up along with this story. I had an earlier draft backed up and printed, which was good. The bad was that it was only 21k. I was missing three pivotal chapters, one of which was a pain in the ass to write. After that happened, I put the manuscript up. I just didn't have the heart to rewrite what had been lost.

Well, yesterday I sat down and made some changes and I'm almost at 22k. I'm going to finish the tweaking today and start off where I left off. I feel good about this, because I'm adding an interesting subplot that will throw a wrench into Jensen and Juliet's plans. Also go to make sure that I add a meeting with the DeLocket Clan in there as well so that the end makes sense.

I'm sure I will be complaining a ton about this story, because I feel like I should be closer to being finished than what I already am. I hope to have it finished by December.

"Get the hell out of my city."

BLOOD MOON is finally finished, and Damian got to say one of the best lines ever. "Now," Damian said with a wicked smile. "Get the hell out of my city." Couldn't help but grin when he said it. BLOOD MOON's final word count is 22,065, which is all over where I wanted it. FADE TO BLACK was 21,200 and MALEVOLENT DEAD is hanging around 21,936, making BLOOD MOON's length fit in perfectly. Now I just have to edit it and submit the manuscript to a publisher. Ugh, I hate editing! LoL

Don't worry, I don't think this is the end for Sarah. That's why I call this a series and not a trilogy. I have other books planned, but for now I am going to be working on other projects. When I get the itch to write about her again, I will.

And speaking of other projects....

I have a T.D. book outlined. Can't wait to get my claws into that one.

So close...

I ended up adding two more chapters to what I already had in BLOOD MOON. Come to find out, the location was not realistic for what was happening. So I had to back track and change the setting. Voila! Problem fixed. But that doesn't change the fact that writing this book is like pulling teeth. I just keep telling myself that I have 4k left until I'm done, and the final fight is being set up. I hate to say it, but I think I'm tired of writing about Sarah. It's all I've done it seems since FADE TO BLACK was accepted for publication.

I sent a query for DREAM LOVER to a publisher and they wanted to see the entire draft. Yayy! I sent it to them last night and am praying for an acceptance. Here's the blurb for DREAM LOVER:

Denna Rainerd has dreamed about Warren Connelly for the past ten years, their relationship in the dream world hot and passionate. Pity he isn't real...or is he?

Warren wishes that Denna was in his real world, but a human in his world would be a liability. He's a Hunter shapeshifter; sworn to protect his world from the darkest of creatures while he's focused on revenge for the death of his brother.

Their worlds collide when Warren saves Denna's life, setting up a chain of events that will change their lives forever. Will Denna be able to accept Warren's supernatural secrets?

My next project is finishing OF WOLF AND MAN. The almost completed draft was lost in the computer meltdown of 2009, but luckily I had the majority of it backed up and printed. I haven't worked on it because my back up stopped at a scene I had a lot of problems with and I really hate rewriting. But I think I'm going to edit the entire draft and then see what happens. It's so close to being finished that it wouldn't be fair to just let it collect dust. The story is a paranormal YA that centers around Juliet and Jensen.

Juliet knows that Jensen has a dark secret, especially after he uses his super strength to fight three wolves and save her life. Imagine her surprise when she figures out that he's a werewolf. Imagine her greater surprise when she discovers that this knowledge puts her life in danger. The three wolves that attacked her were also Weres, and they want Jensen to themselves. Jensen has to do what he can to save Juliet, when she and her best friend are kidnapped by the Weres during Homecoming. Will he be able to get to Juliet in time, before the Weres change her into one of them?

I am actually looking forward to tweaking this a bit.

Back to the drawing board

After the rush of writing DREAM LOVER, I had hoped I could get into the same groove with BLOOD MOON. No such luck. I spent all day staring at my computer screen, trying to force out scenes and dialouge. I am no further than I was when I began. *sigh*

I printed it up and am going to read though it. Obviously something just isn't right, and I had complained before to my husband that I thought it was going too fast. Maybe if I backtrack and add some stuff in it will flow better. That's usually what happens when I get stuck, aka writer's block. Something isn't right with the story and I have to figure out what.

I must say that I'm still feeling the high from writing DREAM LOVER. When books all but write themselves, it's a heady feeling.

It took only 5 days

I started writing DREAM LOVER, my Denna and Warren novella, on Friday night and finished it this morning. I thought I was loosing my writing mojo, but instead I churned out a 14k novella in less than a week. WOOT!

I feel so good about this story. I can't wait to edit it and submit it. I can't wait to have the chance to share it with everyone.

It's a party

This week FADE TO BLACK is a guest over at http://deejulian.jimdo.com/blurb-party/ I had originally thought about participating in this after MALEVOLENT DEAD is released, but decided against it. With MD's release a little over a month away, I want new readers to have the time to catch up with the series. Luckily MD is only book 2. When book 3 comes out, I'll probably do the same thing then; promote FADE and MD until the month before the release. Makes sense?

And speaking of book 3...

I've been writing BLOOD MOON since April (probably even before that, but April's the earliest I can think of at the moment). I'm only at 11k and I want it to be around 22k like the other two books. I've been struggling through BM, until Friday. On Friday I reminded myself that BM isn't contracted and I don't have to write it if I'm not currently feeling it. So, I opened a new word document and started writing about Denna and Warren. No, I've never mentioned these characters before. They popped into my head on Friday and haven't left.

Currently I have a little over 10k written, and I can tell that it's going to be a novella around 15k like EPIPHANY. I think it's really funny that I've been struggling to get to 11k in BM for four months, but I did it in two days thanks to Denna and Warren. I hope to finish their story today and then start editing.

On most days I write around 2.5k, when I'm on a roll 5k (and that only happens once in a blue moon). The last two days have been so out of the norm for me that it makes me giddy. I have such a good feeling about these characters and their story. It's set in the same world as my other books, but has a totally different feel. If Nocturne Bites rejects EPIPHANY, then I'll try sending this new story to them. No, I don't have a title yet. I'm thinking about DREAM LOVER or maybe MIDNIGHT DREAMS. What do you think?

Time to Write

I'm so jealous! Many of my author friends on Facebook are talking about how they can get so much writing done during the summer. I wish I could say the same, but since I'm a mom my schedule doesn't really change with summer. I am still getting up early, taking care of the kiddo and our home, and struggling to get chores done during his naps. By the time he goes to bed at night I am so exhausted and wanting to spend a little quality time with my husband. I do get a little bit of writing done here and there, but not enough to keep up with the ideas in my brain. This is what my Works in Progress list looks like right now:

1) BLOOD MOON (finish by Sept at latest; you see, I like to have a book ready to submit when a new release is coming out. I submitted PROMISES when FADE came out, MALEVOLENT when PROMISES came out, and I'd like to submit BLOOD when MALEVOLENT comes out.) The final (?) book in the Sarah Vargas Series. The Blood Moon Corporation is coming for Sarah, and even she doesn't think she can make it out alive.

1.5) Xmas story for charity anthology. Theme: Just another Paranormal Christmas. Problem: I've never written a Christmas story before. I hope to have this one be about Damian from the Sarah Vargas Series.

2) OF WOLF AND MAN. I had just gotten through the hard scene when my computer crashed and I lost a good chunk of it. I have 25k written and printed out right now and I think if I go back through and polish it up I may get the inspiration to finish it. Plan to start polishing during July. Tells the story of Juliet and Jensen; Juliet discovers Jensen's dangerous secret and now a Clan of rouge werewolves wants her dead. It's my first attempt at YA.

2.5) ACROSS TIME. A novella about Amythist Dyier finding love again. Her short stories came out in quick bursts so I hope her novella does the same.

3) Untitled Technopath Story. Originally a short story, I realize that I have more to say. Samantha lives in a post apocalyptic world where a human created microbe can infect technology, making it alive. It needs the earth's resources to survive, and the humans are just scum standing in their way. Samantha is one of only a handful of technopaths, a person that can control technology, that can defeat them.

4) GREY MAGIC. T.D. Drake novel. T.D. has been assigned by the Covenant to find the Grey Magic, a witch with the ability to use both light and dark magic without being morally affected. For some reason unknown to her, Dez (my blue haired vampire) tags along and adventures ensue.

All of these characters are yelling at me, and I wish I had the time to write about them now but I'm having to settle with outlining. I hope when I get around to writing them that they are still trying to claw their way out of my skull like they are doing now.

Website Updates

I've been updating my website lately. Just small things, nothing major.

You'll see that I added my new review for PROMISES TO KEEP up on the review page as well as on P2K's page. I've rearranged The Books section. I've updated my bibliography.

On the main page, you will see that I've added a Works in Progress (WIP) and Submitted section. This way, you can track what I am working on or submitting...assuming you'd want to. I'm always fascinated with authory stuff like that on other author's sites. My favorites are Kim Harrison's drama box and Amelia Atwater-Rhodes website. You can get a look into the mind of the author. Maybe get some ideas on how to improve your own writing process.

Don't forget I'm at Wordshaping on May 23rd! Come on by and don't forget to leave a comment!