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I’ve basically been one big ball of stress for weeks now.  Mostly that has to do with the day job: a lot of problems with the new system plus having to constantly play catch up equals long hours and a constant level of tension as we all try to deal with it.  In some ways, it’s getting better as we work through all of that.  In other ways, it seems to be getting worse.  I don’t know what’s what anymore, and I go in every day not knowing exactly when I’ll get to leave again and just constantly reminding myself I need to get through one task at a time.

So.  Yeah.  Stress.

So as you can imagine, that hasn’t been the most conducive to writing.  I haven’t gotten much on the page the last few weeks.  I think that things are finally settling a bit a work now and I might actually get to leave on time, or at least a more decent hour, and that means I can actually get some writing done in the evenings.  More than that, it means I can take some time off.

Which I’ve done.  My vacation time starts in a week and a half, and I’ve take four whole days bracketing a weekend.  And not only have I taken the days off from work, I’ve also book a couple of them away a nice little B and B.  And I’m going by myself, to relax, decompress, rejuvenate, and write.  No agenda.  No schedule.  Just me, doing as I please when I feel like it…if I feel like it.

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I’m looking forward to it.

Okay, so I’ve never been the greatest at managing my time.  I’ll admit it.  I get distracted by the shiny, and put necessary things off until the last possible second and start kicking myself, hard and repeatedly, for doing it.  Every dang time.  Despite my propensity for procrastination, I’d been getting better about it.  Making time for things that needed doing and the ones that I just wanted to do.  Not great, mind you, but better.  Not as many things were getting left to the last second, and when I started to slide too much in that direction, I was able to pull myself back.

And then everything went freaking nuts at the day job.

Now, my day job is the evil variety and of course I wish I didn’t have to do it.  (I like my people, I’m not a fan of the work itself) If I could walk away from it I would. But I’m not in a position to do that, and so I must toil away.  And lately, that’s been meaning 10-12 hour days while we try to clean up a huge mess from the transition we made.  Right now, things don’t seem to be getting much better but I have faith that they will.  Until then, I’m the one taking care of a bunch of things that no one else can do yet and it’s making for long, stressful days.

As a result, I’ve been neglectful of the writing.  I was going to start Something Like Peace this week, but now I’m not sure that will happen.  I still haven’t finished edits on Something Like Trust.  I haven’t even started Friday’s flash fic.  I’m feeling like a slacker and I’m feeling the missing part of me.  And as much as I want to just dive in and write, it just doesn’t seem possible at this moment in time.

I need to get through this week, get the necessary things accomplished, and then, hopefully, this weekend I can stop being neglectful and start being productive.

Okay, so I had the Something Like series all planned out.  You know I did.  It started with a standalone and quickly morphed into a trilogy because of a request that got put into my head.  And then it changed some more as I met a few different characters, and got this whole other idea, so I thought there was going to be five books in total.  And there are, probably.

It’s just not the five that I originally envisioned.

Things got tweaked and changed around early on in the process when books two and three swapped places.  That was, mostly, because of timeline issues.  And then I dropped book four off the roster (to be considered as standalone project in the future), and added a new book five.  And I thought that was it, I was good to go.  I had book three plotted, and then replotted, and books four and five were waiting patiently.

And then every dang thing changed.

An off hand remark by me, telling the Admiral something I’d dreamed, led to a discussion and suggestions, and before I knew it, everything was different.  And I felt a little guilty at first, a little like I was cheating on the plan by making the change.  But with this change comes a refueling of my fire that I didn’t even know was starting to burn out.  I have the passion.  And I’m excited for this book.

The idiom says the third time’s the charm, and I think it is right.  I’ve replotted the third book yet again, and I’m raring to go, ready to write this story.  Though I’m still taking a few more days off before I dive in, I’ll be ready to go when I do.

It’s going to be called Something Like Peace.  It’s Dan’s story.  And I’m betting it’s not what you think it is.

It’s been a really long time since I’ve not posted a flash fic on Friday.  43 weeks in fact.   The last time I didn’t post a fic on Friday was September 12, 2014.  The challenges the Admiral issues have given me the motivation to always have something go up on Friday.  The releases I’ve had this year have fueled it further so that I could happily bring you the continuation of my boys’ stories.

And despite having a challenge this week to fulfill, and more of Aaron and Lucas’s story to tell, the reality is that life has severely gotten in the way this week.  Stress and long hours at the day job have taken their toll.  So I’m taking this week off from posting a flash fic.

Tune in next Friday to find out what happens next for Aaron and Lucas.

…will hit shelves around the end of August. Yay!

So if you’ve read Something Like Hope and you want to stay in that world, and see who falls in love next, then your chance will come in about six weeks.  And if you haven’t yet, then there’s time to give it a read before the sequel releases.  Now, these books can stand alone, so you don’t have to read one in order to read the other.  But you might want to think about doing it anyway.  The choice is up to you.

Each book takes place after the one that came before, but each book features a different set of MCs, so the story is complete within the confines of the pages.  I’ve just barely begun the third book, and I know there will be two more after that.  It’s all the same world, with the same cast of characters, but new couples every time.  Something Like Trust is Jared and Brandon’s book.

I’m working on the blurb and all that good stuff, so I’ll share when I have it.  In the mean time, rejoice that you don’t have to wait too long between books.  And I’ll endeavor to make it happen again!

I had the plan.  Y’all knew it.  I was going to hunker down and finish writing Something Like Trust this past weekend. I got to start on Friday, right off the bat.  And I wrote and wrote and wrote. I’d written 6.5 k words and it was a quarter to 6 in the evening when…pop.  The power went out.  I was all Luke Skywalker, “Noooooooooo!”  Why did that have to happen?  On my writing binge weekend?  And why was it not a simple fix?  I was doomed!  My big plan was foiled!

Four hours later, the power company finally fixed the issue and it scared the crap out of me when the power came back on.  I’d been dozing, hoping that it would get fixed and I wanted to have caught a catnap so I could write some more.  Which I did.  After I got the fish tank working again, of course.

So I started writing again, and I finished the chapter I’d been writing when a wonderful realization came over me.  What I had previously thought was two more chapters, was, in fact, one more chapter.  I went to bed in the small hours of Saturday morning with the knowledge that when I woke up again, I only had to write on more chapter and I’d be done.

It took me an hour and a half, but I finished the novella.

Yep, you read that right.  Something Like Trust is no longer in progress.  And I’ve given it a scrubbing and it’s out to my trusted betas right now.  After that, I’ll polish it a bit more and then send it off to the publisher.

In the meantime, I’m looking at some other submission calls that have caught my interest.  And I will be starting work on the third in the Something Like series, just as soon as I tweak the plot a bit and sort some things out with that.  So the writing schedule is still full and I’m going to do my damnedest to keep checking things off the list.

Having a long weekend to celebrate the country’s independence is great and all.  I think it’s an important holiday to remember.  I’m all for the barbecues and the fireworks.  Go for it, have at it.

I’ll be celebrating independence by chaining myself to my desk.

I’m a woman on a mission, and I have book to finish writing.  It’s almost close enough to taste and I’ve been dragging it out long enough.  So with the extra day of Friday off from the day job, I’m going to hole up and write, write, write.  And when I emerge, I hope to have a completed draft.

Tune in here tomorrow to see the first flash fic featuring Aaron and Lucas and catch a glimpse of their life as it is now.  That’s going to be fun.  If you haven’t purchased Something Like Hope, it’s available so far at Amber Quill and ARe.

In the meantime, I’ll be writing the sequel.  Happy weekend everybody!

It’s both nerve wracking and very exciting when I release a book.  Something Like Hope is now out there in the world, and I really hope people like it.  Because I do.  A lot.  😀

There’s a fun little bit of promo over at Thorny’s today, where we did a little interview.  It’s about me, my writing, and the book.  It was fun for me to answer the questions, and made me think too, so I hope you enjoy it!

Aaron and Lucas have wormed their way into my heart, and I adore them.  They’ll be visiting us again for a few flash fics over the next few Fridays, so we can check in with them again and see how things are going. I always love revisiting my boys, and if you’re not quite ready to let them go either, then tune in to see what happens next.

Happy reading!

Oh guys!  It’s here.  Something Like Hope is out!  Right now you can get it directly from Amber Quill and when other places become available I’ll update with links.

In the meantime, how does an excerpt sound?

I got to the set at three minutes after seven the next morning, and when I saw the Camaro in the parking lot, I moved quickly.  I walked straight to Lucas’ dressing room.  The door was cracked open, and I could hear the soft strains of some 80’s rock ballad.  I didn’t knock, didn’t ask for permission, just walked in the room and shut the door quietly behind me.

            It took him a second to realize I was there.  When he did his face lit up with a grin, before a scowl quickly took its place.

            “I wanted to say thank you.”  I kept my voice soft and calm.  “They’re beautiful, and I really appreciate it.”

            He opened his mouth, and for a second, I knew he was going to deny that he knew what I was talking about.  I could see it all over his face.  But then he deflated and blew out a breath.  “You’re welcome.”

            I waited, but he didn’t say anything else. Okay, then.  It was up to me.  I cleared my throat.  “Look, Lucas, I think we need to talk—”

            “Yes,” he cut me off fast, his gaze darting wildly around the room like the thought there might be someone spying.  “But not here, okay?”

            I nodded slowly.  I didn’t know the source of his nerves, but I didn’t want to spook him.  “Okay.  Not here.  Where?”

            “Um.” He licked his lips, and then his gaze finally settled on a spot somewhere over my left shoulder.  His voice dropped even lower, like he didn’t want to be overheard.  “Come to my place tonight?  I should be done and home by eight.”

            I weighed that for a long moment, really thinking it over.  It had to be a good thing that he was inviting me over.  He must finally be ready to talk, and I took that as a good sign.  As I stood there studying his face, I saw something like hope in his eyes.  He was a terribly confusing individual, and I didn’t understand anything about him or his motivation. But there was only one way to find out.

            “Okay, yeah.  I’ll come by tonight.”  I hadn’t taken my gaze off him, and I did not miss that brief flash of relief that crossed his face.

            “Good.  Okay.  Good.”  He blew out a breath, and he focused on me.  His lips quirked into a tiny smile.  It wasn’t much, but it was nice to see.  “I’ll pick you up on my way through, okay?”

            But I didn’t want to be stuck there if things went south.  I wanted to be able to leave if it got ugly.  I shook my head, but softened it was a smile.  “Just text me the address.  I’ll find it.”

            “Um.  All right.”  Lucas looked disappointed, but he dutifully rattled off his cell number for me to put in my phone.  I quickly shot him a text, a smiley face, so he would have my number as well.  That concluded, we both stood there, awkwardly staring at each other. 

            I broke first, laughing at the situation.  Lucas’ smile was sheepish, and he shook his head.

            “I’ve got to go to makeup,” he murmured.

            “Yeah,” I responded.  Then looked him straight in the eye.  “I don’t have to be here today.  I came to track you down.”

            His nostrils flared as he sucked in a deep breath, and his pupils widened.  “We’ll talk tonight.”

            My gaze didn’t waver.  “I’m looking forward to it.”

Television actor Aaron Zeller is thrilled when the character he plays on a popular primetime crime drama begins a gay relationship with one of the main characters on the show. While the cast and crew are mostly supportive, lead actor, Lucas Logan, is not. Aaron feels nothing but inexplicable coldness from the man.

Lucas admits his attraction for Aaron, but he is reluctant to act on his desires because of the potential detriment to his career should his sexuality become public. What they have between them could be sizzling hot, but is it worth the risks?

So here’s a story about how I was surfing around publishers websites months ago and looking at submission calls.  It’s something I do.  Because I really like writing to sub calls.  In fact, everything I’ve ever published has been a direct result of a sub call inspiring an idea.  (I need direction, just ask the Admiral).  So I saw this sub call and immediately my brain starting writing the character of Aaron Zeller.  I knew who he was and what his story was, and a quick discussion with the Admiral cemented who his love interest was.  And when I had those two pieces, the story just happened.  I wrote it over a couple of months, and before I was even that far into it, the Admiral planted the idea for a series.  And once that was in my head, there was no stopping it.  It went from one standalone book, to a series of at least five stories.  And  Something Like Hope, the first one, will be released on Sunday, June 28th.  That’s, you know, six days from now.

There’ll be links and stuff once they become available, but until then, the unofficial blurb:

Television actor Aaron Zeller is thrilled when the character he plays on a popular primetime crime drama begins a gay relationship with one of the main characters on the show. While the cast and crew are mostly supportive, lead actor, Lucas Logan, is not. Aaron feels nothing but inexplicable coldness from the man.

Lucas admits his attraction for Aaron, but he is reluctant to act on his desires because of the potential detriment to his career should his sexuality become public. What they have between them could be sizzling hot, but is it worth the risks?