Book News

Some of you have been wondering about the next book in the Something Like series. A few of you have even asked if Alex and Spencer would get their story. And I’ve said yes from the beginning. I always intended to write Something Like Want, have had the premise set since I was writing Trust. There was a reason I dropped them in Peace, introduced them to the world, because when I wrote their book next, I wanted everyone to know they existed and want to read their story. I was excited about it, as I am the whole series, and I wanted to tell their story.

But it’s been eight months now since I finished writing Peace and the book hasn’t been written. Because stuff happened.

I don’t want to make any excuses but I would like to explain some of what’s kept me from writing it.

Right off the bat, I had a little series burn out. I’d written the first three pretty much back to back, with a few week breaks in between and a little time out during writing Peace to write Love at Roades End. So I definitely needed to take a bit of time off before I started work on the next book. I got hit with the new story idea for a holiday novella, and I wrote His Needs during the winter months, and that helped some.

So after taking the needed break, I tried to tackle Want. But I had several false starts. I changed the POV character, I rearranged plot points, I tried different things to get it going. The story wasn’t jibing, and I blamed it on the mojo. I didn’t have the right headspace to write, and I was having trouble with the story because of it. In the meantime, while I couldn’t make the story go, I had some stuff happen in my personal life. Family drama and worry, combined with some health issues of my own, and I kept telling myself it was okay to stay on the writing break. That it wasn’t working because I just couldn’t do it at the moment. What I did manage to write was Love and Cupcakes, a short story filled with sweet fluffy and sexy best friends and it was pure indulgence on my part. But it felt good to be writing again, though it was two months ago now. Especially because after receiving the prompt, the story just unfurled before me and flowed as I wrote it.

Not to mention the publisher for the series closing down right after releasing Peace. That whole thing was anxiety inducing and it definitely messed with the series mojo.

I’ll be honest and admit that I’ve had the thought many time over the past eight months that perhaps, just maybe, I shouldn’t even write the story. That I should just let it go, because the plot wasn’t working at all, and there were certain aspects I needed to include because of the way I set it up. Writer’s doubt has been high with this one, because I just couldn’t get the story to go. But it seemed like fate wants Alex and Spencer to get their story, because every time I was honestly ready to just throw in the towel, someone would contact me and ask about these guys, and I would have a renewed energy where they were concerned.

Even if I still couldn’t get their story to go.

This whole time, they’ve been in the back of my head. Not working but there. Which was frustrating and comforting at the same time. And while I wasn’t writing their story, I wasn’t writing anything else either. Long gaps of time without words on the page. The aforementioned reasons definitely played a part, but I was having serious trouble. And I had no idea to fix it.

Just the other day, a reader once again asked about Alex and Spencer, and I answered honestly that I intended to write their story. And then they were once again in my brain, but this time…oh this time, writer’s brain actually worked. They were kind of hanging out there, like a constantly running background program, when suddenly, in a flash of inspiration, I saw the plot point that needed to change. The biggest problem with getting the story to take off was that the beginning was all wrong, only I didn’t know it. And I’m a linear writer. I have to start with word one and write all the way through. So even though I often come up with plot points in a random order, when I’m actually writing, it has to be in order. Since the beginning wasn’t working, I was at a loss for writing the story. But then, with that moment, when I saw the change that would make it right, everything started to flow. Start the story at a different point, change the thing to something else, and the rest of the story all fell into place.

I was able to write my rough outline in just over an hour the other morning. When I was done, I felt so much happier about the story. Excited again. In a way I hadn’t felt about the idea since I’d first conceived of it back in the early stages during a late night conversation with the best friend. I finally, finally, had the plot for the story and I was thrilled.

And then, lo and behold, I actually started writing it. I’ve made real progress on it. It feels awesome. And I’m loving it.

So Want is my focus right now. And I’ll work as fast as I can to get it done and out there for all of you who are waiting for it. I’m not going give any deadlines or estimates on release yet, but I’m working to make it as soon as possible. Watch this space for news!

And thank you to everyone who has stuck by me, and who has been waiting for this one.