2019 Writing Agenda #amwriting #lookingforward

Looking forward to the new year and the goals I want to set is always exciting. Part of looking forward requires that I look back and I will admit that sometimes I cringe when I do. 

2017 was a crap year for me. Grief and depression did its best to swallow me whole. I barely got any work done. I did work on getting Sūnder published, but for the most part, writing new words was not in me that year. However, I did do a ton of world building on a couple of projects. By the end of the year, I had started the blog story, Assassin's Retirement and the next book in the Valespian Pact, Constant.

I had been excited for 2018 because I was crawling out of depression, and I thought I was ready to publish something, Constant, to be specific. But after the beta review, I realized that I still had a lot of work to do. I wasn't where I thought I was mentally. Writing while depressed is hard. It's like depression sucked the life out of my creativity and put my memory in a blender--demonic little turd. Unfortunately, it showed in Constant. The story went from 35k to 67k to I'm-still-working-on-it-135k. LOL!

2018 Writing Agenda

I did a lot of things wrong with Constant that all boil down to I didn't allow it to be the story it wanted to be. I was trying to force it to be something else from word count size to content to how the romance played out. It just didn't work which resulted in me rewriting much of it and adding what should have been there to begin with. I've been pushing to get it finished, blowing by both the deadlines I set for myself. LOL! But it will get there.

And more of the board

This year I did accomplish getting Caledonia Destiny published. Twin Flames and Songs of the Earth were also released on audiobook. 

I went to GRL and had fun, plus I gave away books and stuff. 

For 2019's planning, I am going to attempt to be... conservative. 

If you noticed, my 2018 goals were very... enthusiastic. It is a ton of fun putting projects on the writing list, but it's the pits when I keep looking at it, realizing in June that there is no way any of that is going to come off the list. It's like having 'eyes too big for your stomach'. Everything looks soooo good and you want to eat it all, only to be stuffed 1/4 way through, leaving you staring forlornly at all the wonderful food you cannot eat and will go to waste. The only difference, instead of me noting that the projects aren't going anywhere--they won't spoil and will wait for me when I get to them--I sort beat myself up about not being able to do it ALL.

So, for this coming year I'm going to outsmart myself... LOL! I am only adding two main projects to the project list. This will also allow me time to work on other things, such as expanding an existing story. It will also allow me to work on what I want to work on instead of what I feel obligated to (even though I'm not feeling the story-line). The planning for next year goes something like this:

Writing Projects

Akira (Darksoul, 2) - estimated word count 90k

Legacy (Nathan's Story) - a Sumeria's Sons standalone - 120k

Salvaging Toby's Heart - expanding from current word count, 33k to 60k

Assassin's Retirement (Scion of Beowulf, 1) (an I.O.N. universe story) - finish the blog story and self-publish it. Current word count 70k. Estimated 100k at completion.

Republish the Unshakable series since Gentleman's origins begins there.

Publish a Valespian Pact flash fiction anthology.

Send Sūnder to audiobook

Send Dreams of the Forgotten (Sumeria's Sons, 3) to audiobook

And finally,

Wingless (a Valespian Pact universe standalone) - replacement blog story set on the GyrFalconi's homeworld after the Twenty Year War.

Basically, that is what this coming year will look like. I'm really excited to dig into my project list. I should add another category at the bottom of the whiteboard for finished projects since I'm still working on Constant and it will be finished in 2019. And if I finish everything on the board, then I pick from stories waiting in the wings. :)

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Release Day!

Today is the release day for Sūnder! Be on the watch out for the release day blitz from different blogs that will include a giveaway!

Title: Sūnder

Series: Darksoul, 1

Author(s): Lexi Ander  

Categories: Romance / Gay / Paranormal / Urban Fantasy / Futuristic Sci-Fi /  Mpreg /

Word Count: 120,000 words

Cover Artist: Kirby Crow

Release Date: September 4, 2017

Pre-Order Links: Amazon | Kobo  | iTunes  | B&N | 

Blurb:

If Sūnder Alārd was born female he would have been cherished for being faeborn—born with magick—and his birth celebrated. Instead, his L’fÿn mother insisted on his death. Only his Panthrÿn father’s desperate escape through the forest saved him.

With most Chándariāns uneasy in his presence due to rumors he is doomed to become a darksoul, and unlikely to find a mate because of it, Sūnder has nevertheless carved out an honorable existence as a warrior and commander. Serving as a bodyguard and chaperone, Sūnder accompanies the Chándariān prince to the annual mating festival on Earth, and when the prince is injured, he can’t help but be fascinated by the tongue-tied nurse who attends them at the hospital.

At sixteen years of age, Gabriel St. Baptista came home to discover his parents had taken off into space, leaving him behind to look after himself. Gabe never recovered from the unexpected desertion, and keeps everyone at arm’s length to avoid the pain of being abandoned again. However, after meeting Sūnder, Gabe finds himself unable to resist the bond between them and breaks his carefully crafted rules to spend time with the Chándariāns, regardless of the fact that Sūnder will soon leave. Scared by what he feels for Sūnder, Gabe can only hope his heart won’t be too broken when Sūnder returns to Chándaria.

But deceit and treachery surrounds them both, and when Gabe saves Sūnder’s life, it sets off a chain of events that could either tear Gabe and Sūnder apart… or give them both exactly what they want.

Blitz Schedule

September 4th	Boys on the Brink	http://www.boysonthebrink.com/release-blitz-and-giveaway-sunder-by-lexi-ander/
	Drops of Ink	https://annebarwell.wordpress.com/2017/09/04/book-blitz-sunder-by-lexi-ander/
	Love Bytes Reviews	http://lovebytesreviews.com/2017/09/04/blog-post-guestpost-excerpt-giveaway-lexi-ander-sunder-dark-soul-1/
	MM Good Book Reviews	http://mmgoodbookreviews.com/sunder-by-lexi-ander-release-blast-guest-post-excerpt-giveaway/
	All in One Place	http://kirstylovesbooks.wordpress.com
September 5th	Bonkers about Books	http://felinewyvern.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/book-blast-giveaway-sunder-by-lexi-ander.html
	Archer Kay Leah	https://archerkayleah.wordpress.com/2017/09/05/sunder-by-lexi-ander-blog-tour-giveaway/
	MJs Book Blog and Reviews	https://www.facebook.com/MJsBookBlogandReviews/
	Making It Happen	https://moonangel23.blogspot.com/2017/09/new-release-excerpt-giveaway-sunder.html
	Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews	https://wickedfaeriesreviews.blogspot.com/2017/09/sunder-by-lexi-ander-book-blast-with.html
	LM Brown	https://lmbrownauthor.wordpress.com/2017/09/05/sunder-by-lexi-ander/
September 6th	AL Boyd	https://alboyd9.blogspot.com/2017/09/sunder-by-lexi-ander-giveaway.html
	Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words	https://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords.com/2017/09/06/3-day-release-blitz-for-sunder-darksoul-1-by-lexi-ander-excerpt-and-giveway/
	Bayou Book Junkie	http://bayoubookjunkie.blogspot.com/2017/09/book-blast-sunder-by-lexi-ander-excerpt.html
	Whatever Floats Your Boat	https://www.facebook.com/Whatfloatsyourboat/
	Louise Lyon	https://louiselyonsauthor.com/2017/09/06/new-release-sunder-by-lexi-ander/
	Velvet Panic	https://velvetpanic2.wordpress.com/2017/09/06/book-blast-sunder-by-lexi-ander/

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Pre-Order Now Available for Sunder (Darksoul, 1)

There are just 10 days until the release of Sūnder! 

A couple of years ago I wrote Darksoul: Part One where I hastily wrapped up the romance with a Happy For Now ending, but there were loose ends. As I was completing the story, I realized I didn't like how part one concluded and ended up rewriting and revising until I was satisfied. Then I could concentrate on the rest of the book and 30k became 120k. LOL! The story is now a standalone in the Darksoul universe. 

I worked hard to make Sūnder something different, something special, and honestly I couldn't have done that without the help of my editor, Alison. I also wanted to be able to add more stories to this universe that were also complete standalones. Despite where a reader started in the series, they could sink right into the story and not feel lost. 

Now my first self-pub baby is ready to out into the world. *sniffle* I hope y'all love it as much as I do!

Title: Sūnder

Series: Darksoul, 1

Author(s): Lexi Ander  

Categories: Romance / Gay / Paranormal / Urban Fantasy / Futuristic Sci-Fi /  Mpreg /

Word Count: 120,000 words

Cover Artist: Kirby Crow

Release Date: September 4, 2017

Pre-Order Links: Amazon | Kobo  | iTunes  | B&N | 

Blurb:

If Sūnder Alārd was born female he would have been cherished for being faeborn—born with magick—and his birth celebrated. Instead, his L’fÿn mother insisted on his death. Only his Panthrÿn father’s desperate escape through the forest saved him.

With most Chándariāns uneasy in his presence due to rumors he is doomed to become a darksoul, and unlikely to find a mate because of it, Sūnder has nevertheless carved out an honorable existence as a warrior and commander. Serving as a bodyguard and chaperone, Sūnder accompanies the Chándariān prince to the annual mating festival on Earth, and when the prince is injured, he can’t help but be fascinated by the tongue-tied nurse who attends them at the hospital.

At sixteen years of age, Gabriel St. Baptista came home to discover his parents had taken off into space, leaving him behind to look after himself. Gabe never recovered from the unexpected desertion, and keeps everyone at arm’s length to avoid the pain of being abandoned again. However, after meeting Sūnder, Gabe finds himself unable to resist the bond between them and breaks his carefully crafted rules to spend time with the Chándariāns, regardless of the fact that Sūnder will soon leave. Scared by what he feels for Sūnder, Gabe can only hope his heart won’t be too broken when Sūnder returns to Chándaria.

But deceit and treachery surrounds them both, and when Gabe saves Sūnder’s life, it sets off a chain of events that could either tear Gabe and Sūnder apart… or give them both exactly what they want.

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Reader ARC Sign-up for Sunder (Darksoul, 1)

Hey guys! I have a release coming on September 4th. I'm looking for reader reviews and if you are interested you can sign-up through google docs. I'm giving out about 30 copies so don't wait to sign-up because the slots will fill quickly. The rules for participation so make sure you read before fill out the form. Good Luck!

Coming Soon: Sūnder (Darksoul, 1)

The fun announcement I have for today is regarding Darksoul.

The completion of this story has been a long time coming, but I believe that the time was needed to make the story what it is today. A ton of changes and improvements have been made to Part One that was made free through the MM Romance Group on GoodReads. I thought Gabe was too quick in his acceptance. I also wanted to write more standalone books in this series but there was material missing that would enable me to do so. And as you can see, I not only changed the cover but I also changed the title. 

A special thanks to Kirby Crow who created the beautiful cover of Sūnder. 

Sūnder has come in at 120k words. It will include a map, a glossary, and a lexicon. It is a standalone in this universe so the romance and the plot are both wrapped up at the end with an HEA.

Last but not least, the release date for Sūnder is September 4th.

Blurb:

If Sūnder Alārd had been born female he would have been cherished for being Feaborn—born with magick—and his birth celebrated. Instead, the L'fÿn insisted on his death. Only his Panthrÿn father's desperate escape saved him. With most Chándariāns uneasy in his presence due to whispers that he is doomed to become a darksoul, and unlikely to find a mate because of it, Sunder has nevertheless carved out an honorable existence as a warrior and commander. Acting as bodyguard and chaperone for the Chándariān prince, Sūnder attends the annual mating festival on Earth with his charge. He can't help but be fascinated by Gabriel St. Baptista, the tongue-tied nurse he meets after the prince's accident.

When he was sixteen, Gabe came home to discover his parents had headed out into space, leaving him behind. Gabe never recovered from the unexpected desertion and keeps everyone at arm's length to avoid being abandoned again. However, after meeting Sūnder, Gabe finds himself unable to resist the bond between them and breaks all of his carefully crafted rules to spend time with the Chándariān—regardless of the fact that Sūnder will soon leave Earth. Scared by how fast he is falling for Sūnder, Gabe just hopes his heart won't be too broken when Sūnder leaves.

Neither expects the deceit and treachery stalking them, and when Gabe saves Sūnder's life, it sets off a chain of events that could either tear Gabe and Sūnder apart—or give them both exactly what they want.

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

DarkSoul Part... Wait, I changed that!

What am I doing? 

Why I've been editing Darksoul. The manuscript came in earlier this week. I'm really excited with this because it's so close to being finished. I need to complete my part of the edits this round. Then have a discussion with the editor about the lexicon (which I have yet to put together), send it out to be proofread, then formatting, and then Viola! Fine! I still have to decide if I'm going to release the book wide through D2D or go the Kindle Unlimited route. I don't know. 

I was thinking this morning that the prose has changed to the point that it will read a bit differently than before. The essence of the first part is still the same, but the writing has been tightened and some elements added to support other standalones in this universe... like an insect shifter. He's really not a shifter because he is from a different planet but that is the easiest way to describe him. The Mantids of Earth don't technically shift just like Dargon in The Valespian Pact doesn't technically shift. It is how their body is

made. I got off track! Anyway, the prose... the plot of the first half doesn't change though, just how it reads. It's much better and expanded.

Besides changing how the first part reads, I changed the name of the book to Sūnder (DarkSoul, 1). I wanted to write a series of standalones (Ronan, Akira, Paulo, Ayre, Pip, and Wyn... too many ideas!) in this universe and couldn't come up with a series name I liked until I realized that DarkSoul would be perfect.

That change brought me to another one I'd been contemplating for months. The Cover. I should have let the group take this illustrated cover to use. But over time and after going through the rounds of edits, I realized that this is less Sci-Fi than I'd intended. Yes, Sūnder is from another planet but the Feyborn abilities with "magick" pushed it into the Fantasy/Sci-Fi realm. So this month I commissioned a new illustrated cover from Kirby Crow. I've seen bits of it and I'm excited to see the end result. I'll have to do a cover reveal when I receive the final product. :)

So that's all the news. The book will be finished soon. The title and series name have changed. The prose of the first part changed. And I cannot wait until I can share it all!!!

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

What Am I Up To? #DeathMask #Darksoul #amediting

What am I doing? Writing guest posts for the Death Mask blog tour that will begin November 14th. There will be at least two (2) rather long flash fiction pieces (2k each). I'm thinking about writing one or two more but it depends on time. 

I got lucky. I completely spaced that I should set something up for Death Mask's release. When I asked on Facebook if anyone minded hosting me, I received several replies back. The tour is one week and my hope was for five volunteers. I received eleven (11) which was completely awesome. So there are three interviews, two flash fictions, and five guest posts that I'm going to be putting together. The guest posts are the hardest, in my opinion, because I have to make sure that I don't give away spoilers while talking about elements of the story. 

The flash fiction never stays below 1k or less for me, which shouldn't surprise me because I can't write the short stuff. Flash fiction isn't any different. But while writing the first one, Opium and Lung, I suddenly wanted to drop everything and write another installment of Black Harbingers. The story that came to mind wasn't even one I've been considering writing for the MC. 

This is me throwing a fit because I just can't right now. I have to finish this stuff for the blog tour and then move back to the edits for Darksoul--which are taking forever.

You don't even know how much I want this story off my plate. I'm so tired of looking at it. If I don't hurry up I'll end up commissioning a new cover which would make the money I spent on it earlier this year a waste. I should just quit complaining and get back to work because it will be finished soon. I am considering turning this one into an audiobook... maybe... perhaps... it just all depends on the sales. 

But once I get this off my desk then I can truly start on Bespoken. Freaking finally. With the exception of the flash fictions and I haven't worked on a new story, put down new words since I finished Releasing Chaos in July. That's a freaking long ass time to be doing edits. Since then, I've worked on edits for Werewolf's Tale, Death Mask, Darksoul, Devil's Heart, and organized and wrote materials for two blog tours. (And there was the week-long Birthday Bash.) Here in the next couple of weeks I'm expecting the galley for Death Mask, so there will be a additional round there, too. 

Of those projects listed above, Werewolf's Tale is released. Death Mask will be released soon. I'm hoping Devil's Heart will be good enough to send out to beta readers (I just might torch that ms if I have to do anymore edits on it). And that leaves Darksoul currently on my desk. 

I'm so tired of edits that last night I dreamed of spending the next year writing stories in a house out in the middle of nowhere. All I did was write. If I'm dreaming about it, I'm in agony. Something's gotta give.

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Birthday Bash: Video Reading Darksoul #Giveaway

Yay! Thank you for participating in my week long Birthday Bash. This is the first time I've done something like this and it's been just as crazy as it's been fun.

Over this coming week, I will be posting video readings for a selection of my titles. I'll talk about my plans for the books or the series that are in the works. Plus there is a giveaway (see below).

The first excerpt that I'm reading is from Darksoul. For those not familiar with the story, part one was written for a GoodReads group summer of last year. I had anticipated the complete story would be released already, but things happened that delayed the progress. I quit trying to forecast the release because I'm always wrong.

I'm feeling optimistic at the moment. I've received the first rounds of edits from the editor. Still not forecasting, but we are definitely closer to the end.

About the readings!

There is a reason why authors don't narrate their own books. You're going to spend a week listening to me read different excerpts. They are all all right, barely. I can't read in different voices, my facial expressions are odd, and I stumble over words. It doesn't matter how many times I've read a section aloud, something will trip me up. So beware! :)

Blurb:

If Sūnder Alard had been born female he would have been cherished for being Feyborn—born with magick—and his birth celebrated. Instead, the L'fin insisted on his death. Only his Panthrin father's desperate escape saved him. With most Chandarians uneasy in his presence due to whispers that he is doomed to become a darksoul, and unlikely to find a mate because of it, Sunder has nevertheless carved out an honorable existence as a warrior and commander. Now bodyguard and chaperone for the Chandarian prince, Sūnder attends the annual mating festival on Earth with his charge. He can't help but be fascinated by Gabriel St. Baptista, the tongue-tied nurse he meets after the prince's accident.

When he was sixteen, Gabe came home to discover his parents had headed out into space, leaving him behind. Gabe never recovered from the unexpected desertion and keeps everyone at arm's length to avoid being abandoned again. However, after meeting Sūnder, Gabe finds himself unable to resist the bond between them and breaks all of his carefully crafted rules to spend time with the Chandarian—regardless of the fact that Sūnder will soon leave Earth. Scared by how fast he is falling for Sūnder, Gabe just hopes his heart won't be too broken when Sūnder leaves.

Neither expects the deceit and treachery stalking them, and when Gabe saves Sūnder's life, it sets off a chain of events that could either tear Gabe and Sūnder apart—or give them both exactly what they want.

*~*~*~*

There is the rafflecopter widget below for the giveaway. Details can be found here. 

Rafflecopter Giveaway

( Click here to see prize list.)

** Note: Participants will be required  to comment (at least once) the list from most to least which series--Sumeria's Sons, Valespian Pact, and I.O.N.--they'd like to win. (The rafflecopter widget will have this.) Entries will remain open until October 1st.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

What's Happening In My Neck Of The Woods

Many different things are going on this week. Ruby Red releases on March 2nd (this coming Wednesday) and I turned in the galley.

There will be two giveaways. A publisher giveaway hosted by Hearts On Fire Reviews starting February 28th. (I'll post the link here on the blog for easy access, as well as Tweet and FaceBook the links.)

On March 2nd, Queer Sci-Fi is hosting me and there will a different giveaway happening (choice of my backlist. I'll also post the link here).

Yesterday, I signed a contract with Less Than Three Press for Death Mask, my submission to their Roughhouse Raiders call. Totally stoked about that. I really loved Death Mask but I was a bit apprehensive at first, but the beta feedback was awesome. Can't wait until it comes out!

I'm commissioning a map for Darksoul. I'm really excited to see the end result. :) (Note: I don't have release info for Darksoul yet. >.< Several things happened to push the editing process back. I'll post updates as they come.) I am also thinking about commissioning Darksoul into audio. I'm still researching the possibility. To be honest, it will depend on cost and whether or not I can afford it. But I'm hopeful. :)

With the exception of four or five days, February has been the month of edits. Yesterday, I received the 2nd round for Werewolf's Tale. I've also seen edits on Darksoul, Ruby Red, Fate & Destinies, Devil's Heart (editing and writing), and pre-sub editing for Death Mask.

I've also been reviewing Releasing Chaos, the last book in the Sumeria's Sons series. I ran into several stumbling blocks last year and I'm hoping the fixes I have in mind will push the project forward to completion. Reviewing has flipped over to editing as I cut out the parts that caused the problems and rewrite them. I'm linear and so I can't start where I stopped without fixing what came before. It helps to rearrange my thoughts and put me on the right path the story needs to go in. A pain in the ass, I assure you, but it's how my brain works.

Oh! I almost forgot. LT3 will be translating both Ruby Red and Werewolf's Tale later this year. That's pretty awesome. They will be the first of my work that's translated and I'm excited to see how the outcome. 

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Really, I'm Not Slacking! Death Mask Excerpt

The blog has been quiet lately. Even my weekend wishlist has been absent. I've been really busy editing Werewolf's Tale and a Druid Sword, the second book in the ION series. The publisher sent the manuscript to me right before the New Year and it's sucked up all of my time.

This must be a writer thing, because there was a point where I wanted to print out the ms and have a bonfire in the backyard. ...okay, so there wouldn't have been that much paper for a true "bonfire", but still, the action would've been cathartic. I was very dissatisfied with the prose, but it was fixed and sent back recently.

Now, I'm working fast to finish up my Roughouse Raiders submission. Then, I can move on. But like I was telling a friend this past week, I'm now in the mood for the ION world. I have a partial standalone waiting for me. It is on the, "What Else I'd Like To Squeeze In" list. And if I'm in the mood, then perhaps it will be written faster, and it is already partially written... Hmmm. I'll see after I finish with the sub call. Right now, it feels like a very big, yes.

Actually there are a lot of projects that I would like to work on r.i.g.h.t. n.o.w. and unfortunately, I'm just not that talented to get it all done together. Plus, I promised myself that I would work in more family time, which makes me feel like I'm a slacker for not always working on something. :)

Saturday's wishlist posts will go back up this coming weekend. There are a couple of guests on the blog in February. Soon, I should have an update on Darksoul. In the meantime, I'll leave you with an excerpt from Death Mask. Enjoy!

Death Mask
© Lexi Ander

Blood.

When I went to ask what the fuck he was waiting for, Night placed a pale finger over his lips, biding me to listen. The sound was faint, but the soft whines of some kind of dog or… Well, fuck me sideways.

"Someone find Hog and Lalios." My request was made in a low voice, but the brothers jumped to it as if I had yelled. Perhaps they could feel the tension coming off of me or they too scented the blood wafting from the back of the truck, now that the door had been raised.

More than one person drew a weapon. Grabbing the handrail on the side of the door, I readied to climb into the back.

"Misery," Night called to me softly, but I ignored him.

Even if werewolves had hidden in the truck, I didn't worry about my safety. The sound of the pitiful tiny snarls and growls intensified when my heavy boots struck the bed. Pausing to listen, I couldn't hear an adult werewolf voice among the pups. With the scent of blood heavier in the confines of the cabin, I could only surmise the parent was severely injured. A werewolf in pain was a dangerous creature, more animal than man. Blinded by the agony, instinct would take over, and he, or she, would attack first to protect their young. If that were to happen, then I was the only one of the brothers best equipped to handle the werewolf. Sure, I could be hurt like anyone else, but I was very hard to kill. Living for over two hundred years had proven that.

Listening intently, I could make out three, perhaps four distinct voices which was surprising. Nowadays, werewolves lived much longer than they did five hundred years ago. When they became the stuff of folklore, instead of legends, people stopped hunting them. Living a more peaceful existence, the number of litters they had dropped off to where now pups were born singly to couples every hundred years or so. Now more than ever, the young were precious to the packs. That there were four together here made my skin crawl with foreboding. This just kept getting fucking better and better.

Gabbing a box, I crouched and handed it over to Nightingale. Several brothers jumped forward to help. Before Hog and Lalios hurried onto the loading dock, I had removed several rows of merchandise, uncovering a pocket. When I removed a box near the ceiling, instead of another box behind it, there was only darkness. The scent of blood was stronger, sharp and metallic…and fresh.

The angry frightened growls didn't sound menacing, but I still moved with caution, alert to any additional noises to tell me whether or not the adult was conscious. I didn't want to lose fingers—or an arm—while removing the last of the barrier between me and the werewolves.

Hog, the club's doctor, and the only hedge witch, hopped into the bed, his nose wrinkling in distaste. His short dark hair dripped as if he jumped out of the shower and neglected to dry off. He wasn't wearing his cut, the leather vest that held motorcycle club's patch. Hog was a big man whose lazy rolling stroll and the size of his gut caused people to underestimate him. Lord help the poor bigot who called him fat. The last arsehole who did spent two months in the hospital.

"What the—"

Hog didn't get to finish because Lalios leaped and landed in a crouch in the back of the truck. With hair almost as red as my own, but whereas mine was long and wiry, his was short and artfully spiked. The visible scars on his person and an intensity of power made humans and preternaturals alike give the half-werewolf a wide birth. The only exception were full-blooded werewolves who felt they had to test the alpha power rolling off the "half-breed". Lalios never lost. Even so, the packs shunned him because of his mongrel status, but neither could he build a pack of his own.

The tiny snarls turned to high whines which Lalios answered with one of his own. "Well, shit," Lalios rumbled when the pups went quiet. "Let me, Misery."

I stepped back and Lalios removed the last two layers of boxes to reveal a fucking nightmare. There on the floor lay a man, not an adult werewolf. His back was to us, but the blood pooled around him and soaking his clothing allowed no doubts where it came from. The pups paced between us and the man, tripping over the long dreads, tracking the blood all over the front of the end of the box truck. With that much blood loss, the man should have been dead, but I could see the slow rise and fall of his chest.

Then I felt the hint of passive magick, sensed several threads of life intertwined. "Motherfucker," I said under my breath. The club didn't need this kind of trouble knocking on our door. The packs would demand a life for this broken law.

"Lalios, did those little ones do what I think?" After all of these years being away from the land of my birth, the Irish accent I worked hard to hide emerged when my emotions ran into overdrive—like now.

He crouched, but the pups didn't make a move toward him. Instead, they huddled closer to the unconscious figure. In fact, inhaling deeper, I caught the whiff of a specific magick I hadn't run across in quite some time—with good reason.

I smelled a warlock.

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Looking Back and Going Forward, Writing Goals for 2016

January of 2015 I set up an "agenda" for the year, and it was the first time I put a plan of action in writing. I was so sure  I could accomplish everything on my list and went forward into the great beyond... 

Yeah, not so much. 

I did accomplish part of my list, but at the end of the year when I looked back for some reason I felt I hadn't accomplish much. So, before looking forward, I'm going to recount what I accomplished. (This is more for me than anyone else, a trail of positive thinking to help me set up 2016.)

By May 2015, I had somethings marked off. Dragon's Eye was accepted by Less Than Three Press in February, as was the Interlude, A Child's Wish. Also accepted around the same time was the second book in the ION series, Werewolf's Tale and a Druid's Sword.

I was feeling pretty gung-ho and volunteered to write two free stories for the GoodReads M/M Romance group.

After reading a slew of Motorcycle Club books, I approached Kenzie Cade to co-author with me an urban fantasy version, and in June we brainstormed a six book series

with a possible spin-off. On Sept. 1st, we began writing the series, Devil's Dawn.

Around that same time I approached an editor for my poor Fate and Destinies manuscript that had been languishing on my hard drive for over a year. She gave me some great feedback which I'm only part way through establishing because of... stuff. And that stuff kept happening so that I pushed back working on it.

Round midyear I got a bit overwhelmed because I took on too much at once. It was great learning experience, one I will try not to go through again. Less Than Three was awesome and worked with me. Ruby Red Booty Shorts and a Louisville Slugger which was supposed to release in September was pushed back.

In July, I went to Rainbow Con in Tampa, Florida and met some really great people and was reacquainted with old friends. July was also the month I played catch up, trying to get back on track so I could accomplish the second half of my agenda. That didn't go as I expected. 

Releasing Chaos was/is giving me fits, and it was the first time I rued writing a book in first person. I guess you could say that is the issue of being a 

pantser instead of a plotter--not being able to foresee all the many details of the final books in a series. But on the flip side, I don't think the ending would have been as good if I set everything in stone from the beginning. On the upside, in November I woke up in the middle of the night with a resolution to a part of Releasing Chaos's problem.

In the meantime, prints were made of the illustrations of the Valespian Pact around the time Alpha Trine and Striker came out

on audio book. I was interviewed for the first issue of the MCB Quarterly. In May, the anthology Keep The Stars Running released. My short story, The Aurora Conspiracy, was included with other fantastic shorts. The anthology went on to receive and honorable mention in the 2015 Rainbow Awards and later tied for first place in the LGTB Anthology / Collection category. 

In June, Salvaging Toby's Heart was released for the GoodRead's M/M Romance group Don't Read In the Closet event. In December, the book was nominated for Best Sci-fi/Futuristic/Post-Apocalyptic/Steampunk and Best Love is an Open Road Story.

In August, the second DRitC story, Darksoul: Part One was released, and it too received a nomination for the Best Action/Suspense/Adventure story. 

I went on and completed Darksoul, moving the story from 44k to 112k. Currently, the manuscript is with an editor. It'll need to also go through proofing and binding before I can self-publish the story in 2016.

Keeping Faith was a finalist for the Best Gay Book in a Series and Playing for Keeps and Keeping Faith released together in the paperback title, Unshakable.

Several of Sumeria's Sons made The Romance Reviews Top Picks and Dragon's Eye made several favorite reading lists for 2015.

If I wanted to look at the bare bones of 2015 releases, the list would look like this:

January - Songs of the Earth

March - A Leap of Faith

March - Audiobook for Alpha Trine

April - Dreams of the Forgotten

April - Unshakable released on paperback

May - Audiobook for Striker

May - Keep the Stars Running

June - Starting Fires

June - Salvaging Toby's Heart

July - Surrounded by Crimson

September - A Child's Wish

September - Darksoul: Part One

October - Dragon's Eye

Okay. Wow. I have no idea why I was thinking I hadn't accomplished much. What a busy year!

Now the question is, what will happen in 2016?

In this first quarter, Darksoul: The Complete Novel will be self-published. The Novel will have both part one and two published together in one volume. There were changes made to the first part of the book, additional information, changes made to race names, and such, as well as the last couple of chapters moved further back in the story.

This is where I'm laughing at myself because I thought that self-pubbing would be quicker, but honestly, not so much. It's been a learning process and I don't see myself doing this very much in the future. I like spending my time writing. :)

Ruby Red is back on the release schedule! Whoot! It is now up on the LT3 Press website for pre-order, releasing on March 2, 2016.

Talking about adding to a story. Ruby Red Booty Shorts and a Louisville Slugger started out around 22k. I'd originally wrote it for a holiday sub call, and it wasn't accepted because it was part of a series but was published separately. Shortly after it was originally released, the publisher went out of business. LT3 accepted the little guy, but while going through edits, there were several suggestions made that I agreed with. The story grew from 22k to 49k. In order for me to spend time on it, things were pushed around last year. Even though I was a little harried at the time, I'm glad I took the time because the story is so much better than it was.

As I'm typing this up, book two in the ION series, Werewolf's Tale and a Druid Sword is waiting for me to get back to editing it.

What else is on the 2016 "agenda"?

Everything above the green line is what I would like to definitely accomplish this year. 

Death Mask is due in for the sub call at the end of the month. Fingers crossed. I'm not quite finished. I've been trying to work on it while editing Werewolf's Tale but honestly, the editing has been taking up my time. ION 2 needed some serious TLC. I'm praying that everything about Death Mask will fall into place later this month. Seriously, it's bad form to not submit a story to the sub call you asked your publisher to do. :)

Once Death Mask is off my plate, I'm going back to Releasing Chaos. I'm 30k into the story and I think I know what needs to be done (deleted) to get the story past this part. The good news is the last interlude is complete. I need to edit it and such, but short story is close to being ready to submit.

The first book in the series, Devil's Dawn, that I'm writing with Kenzie Cade is almost finished. If we pushed, it could be finished before the end of February. 

Fate and Destinies will be brought off the back burner. The changes from 1st to 3rd person completed and I'll be able to hand it over to the editor. (Someone please say, "About time, woman!")

Then comes the third book in the Valespian Pact. Is it crazy that writing this book scares me the most? I have a bare bones outline of what needs to happen in Bespoken, but I couldn't hear Prometheus's voice. Without that voice, the story would've been flat. The last week or so, he's been talking, which is excellent.

The rest of what is above the green line will come after the projects above are completed. I won't be participating in the DRitC event this year. If I get a wild hair then I can put that energy into anything below the green line. I'm pretty sure Wolfe's story will get told. Honestly, Salvaging Toby's Heart practically wrote itself. Oh! I'll give you a bit of information on my sci-fi stories, Salvaging Toby's Heart and Darksoul and The Aurora Conspiracy takes place in the same universe. So you might see some character crossover.

That's it! That is what I would like to accomplish in 2016. The little whiteboard will be marked up by midyear but did you know that there is a bigger board? Would you like to see what the next few years could bring? Haha! :)

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!