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Time is flying by, isn't it? I can't believe it's September.
I know I've been a bit absent for this blog, but it'll pick up again as soon as I finish all the stuff I've promised myself, so please bear with me. I've been traveling a lot, looking for and doing roofing jobs out of town, so much of my energy is expended in moving around and yeah, sweating my butt off. By the time I get home, it's sometimes 9pm and I'm too exhausted to write more than a sentence or two.
Strangely, I've grown very fond of Facebook because of this. One sentence or two? Perfect! I can update a thought or some news quickly and reaching many readers without them going to multiple blogs. Also, it's fun to have a quick thought about reading, writing and roofing while eating one's lunch. Or a picture of MikiSquirrel posted just before I run off for work.
But I wanted to update you guys on what I'm doing, that I haven't been ignoring the "author" part of my life :P. It's been frustrating because the last two years have been a lot about trying to survive the economy's downturn. My writing checks weren't enough to pay my bills, so I roof more and when I roof more, I can't write. Vicious cycle.
But those earlier plans I outlined at the beginning of the year are coming to fruition. First, MikiSquirrel's book is done and is just waiting for final Amazon approval and my getting an advanced copy to review before going live. It's my first children's book and wow, was it a learning experience writing and publishing it. I had fun writing it, but man, incorporating the photos of MikiSquirrel and getting each to look good was a lot more work than you'd think. I made a few major mistakes (which gave my formatter, the multi-talented Jax Cassidy, a huge headache and thank heavens she likes me enough to help me get things done right) and hopefully, if this book sells well, I won't commit them again!
As you know, I finally received my rights back to The Hunter and Sleeping With The Agent, and so, TADA! I have all three SEAL books back from my Crossfire series. So, I've commissioned new covers for them (also from Jax...did I tell you she's multi-talented? She's also a writer too!) while trying to edit in between roofing, taxes and writing MikiSquirrel's book. The first one out will be The Hunter, maybe within the month, and it'll be available through Kindle, Nook, Smashwords and as PRINT too, through Amazon.
Why not The Protector first, you ask? Well, there are so many missing lines and a few scenes missing from the book due to a major edit from the previous publisher that some of the plot is missing. For example, a crucial conversation that reveals Stefan's identity to the reader at the end of the book? MISSING. Taken off due to length or whatnot. There are other little things like this in that book and I have to go through it with a fine-toothed comb, using my old manuscript (which has so many editor and copy-editor marks and cross-outs, it looks like a very wordy treasure map with arrows and ominous words like "MOVED," "MISSING," and "NO NO NO.") to compare. This project is going to take time, lots of it, and I want the books out ASAP. Hence, The Hunter comes out first and then The Sleeper (YES I'M CHANGING THAT TITLE, DAMMIT).
Actually, the "THE" is going to be really tiny on the cover, so the title will emphasize PROTECTOR, HUNTER, SLEEPER, etc. And when I do add Cucumber's and the rest's books, they will look like (the) WARRIOR, (the) BIG BAD SEAL (guess which one of the gang this title refers to, heh heh), etc. What do you think of this idea?
Next thing to expect after that and, yes, this is BEFORE the year ends (!), is Grace's book, which is done but needs editing. It's going to be titled Trouble In Danger. Yes, it's before Virtually One. Why? Because Virtually One also needs a lot of attention and I can't seem to write that story in short little spurts like I did with Grace's story. Basically, ONE needs me to not work so I can concentrate on it, and right now, I can't because I need my roofing job to feed myself and my animals. Sniff. Hunger and poverty aren't conducive to artistic endeavors, no matter what romantics tell you.
I realize it's not what most of you want to hear, but I do intend to finish ONE and get that plot hole in it resolved. It's just not happening with the "half hour here, fifteen minutes there" schedule I currently have. I do want it out soon, and hopefully, my editor at Samhain will give me a slot next year :P.
Then there is the SEAL short story coming out in the anthology, SEAL OF MY DREAMS, with 17 of the best romantic suspense authors today. It comes out on 11/11/11, Veteran's Day, and all the proceeds go to the Veteran's Research Corporation. Belle Books is our publisher and they'll make it available in print and electronic formats. Ck out www.sealofmydreams.com for information.
See? I have plans. And three and a half more months. I will conquer this economy, my wallet, my lack of time, and make all of you and myself happy :D. Told you I wanted to be Wonder Woman when I grow up.
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF
