Weekly update: October 9 to 15

Weekly word count: 2700

Editing countdown: 7 chapters this week, 11 chapters total, 49 days left to deadline

This week was the release of Rose on the Grave and to celebrate I put Revelations on sale.  There's been a lot of interest and I've learned a lot about targeting Facebook ads.  I was surprised when one of my ads got rejected for having "too much text" even though it had considerably less text than an ad which ran fine a few days earlier.

Definitely a busy week with the latter part spent plugging a plot hole.  I think it flows much better now.

It's been a grueling schedule but so far, I'm keeping up with it.  I'm a little brain dead (at least the part of my brain which isn't preoccupied with editing), so I'm afraid I won't be doing much on social media.  I'll try to stick my head up periodically and remind people that I'm still here.

Weekly update: October 2 to 8: Release of Rose on the Grave

Weekly word count: 2800

Editing countdown: 4 chapters done, 55 days until deadline

I'm trying something a little different this year.  Last year, from October to February, I concentrated almost exclusively on editing Metamorphosis, with only brief periods of new writing.  This year, I'm going to try and give myself one or two big chunks of writing time per week as well as my goal of editing one chapter per day.  I'm hoping that I can get some good progress on the first book my new series.  I've still got the fourth book of the lalassu simmering in my back brain, though.

On Tuesday, I will be releasing my latest Spirit Sight short story, Rose on the Grave.  It's in review on Amazon right now.  I'm very excited to share the beautiful cover done for me by Samianne.

Rose on the Grave is a continuation of Jessica and Greg's story, begun in Whispers In the Dark.  After their harrowing encounter with the demon box, both of them are dealing with fresh scars.  Jessica's freshly bloomed medium gifts seem to have shut down and Greg isn't sure if his continuing nightmares are signs of trauma or of some dark entity still lurking in his mind.

When the pair are invited to investigate Rose on the Grave, a haunted bed and breakfast, they find themselves increasingly on opposite sides.  They are quickly drawn deeper into a world of ghosts, fraud and strange powers.  Otherworldly messages warn of dramatic changes to come and send them on a mission to rescue a little girl named Bernie, a name that readers of Revelations will find familiar.

As part of the release for Rose on the Grave, I'll be putting Revelations on sale on Amazon.com and Amazon.uk from October 11th to the 17th.  I wish I could put it on sale in Canada but unfortunately I don't have that option.  (Maybe some of my Canadian readers can contact Amazon and ask for Canada to be included in the Kindle Countdown deals?)

I'm very excited to share this newest installment of the lalassu world and can't wait to hear what people think.

Weekly Update: September 25 to October 1

Weekly word count: 5300

I've finished my draft of Rose on the Grave and it's going for a final read-through.  And I got started on a new story for a new series.  I'm giving myself a couple of months to see if I can get the manuscript done, which will give me something to pitch to agents.

I'm also working on the plotting for book 4 in the lalassu series.  I've got most of it laid out but there are still a few big choices to make.

I saw the preliminary work for the Inquisition cover this week.  There's just one final tweak that needs to happen but it's looking good.  I'm hoping to be able to send out the cover at the same time I announce the publication of Rose.

I should get my developmental edits from Inquisition back soon, so it's going to make this next month a busy one.

Weekly Update: September 18 to 24

Weekly word count: 3350

I was hoping to get an hour or two on Saturday to write but since my husband spent most of Friday night at work, I am on parenting duty while he catches up on some sleep.

The ORWA/OPL event went great despite a couple of goofs on my part.  It was my first time moderating and, although I think I did fairly well keeping people on time and moving forward, there were some inevitable mistakes.  I think we generated a lot of interest and hopefully we'll get some new members from it.

Rose on the Grave is coming together but probably won't be ready for October 1st, but should still be out in plenty of time for Hallowe'en.

I should be getting my cover for Inquisition soon and I'm excited and a little nervous.  There are a lot of changes going on right now for the trends for romance covers, so I'll be curious to see whether the cover follows the familiar tropes or if it breaks into developing territory.

And the other fun development this week was that the San Diego Romance Writers got in touch with me and we're looking at arranging for me to fly back out to San Diego and give my Beyond the Furrowed Brow workshop sometime in 2017.

Lots of stuff on the go but things are definitely moving in the right direction.

Weekly update: September 11 to 17

Weekly word count: 3300

First off, congratulations to Agnes C who won the draw for the $20 gift card at Can-Con.  It's lots of fun being the prize-giver.  :)  I hope she finds something that she really enjoys.  I know I'd spend it all on books, but I hear that Amazon sells other stuff, too.  

Now, back to the writing update.  Between Can-Con preparations and back-to-school drama, my day job got kind of crunched for the first two weeks of September.  So this week required some overtime to get back on track.

However, I insisted on taking time to write, which meant that I spent four hours on Saturday morning locked in my room while my husband did the single parent gig.  4 hours, 3300 words.  A fairly good result and one I'm pleased with.

I'm working on the final draft for Rose on the Grave right now and eagerly awaiting my cover for Inquisition and the first round of edits.  I've also been doing some plotting for the first book in a new series, which I think might be something that I can pitch to traditional publishers.  I'm also thinking about book 4 of the Lalassu.

The new series would focus on the individuals who have to investigate and deal with superpowered individuals but may or may not be gifted themselves.  A sort of X-files vs X-men kind of approach.  

I have my new cover for Rose on the Grave and it looks awesome.  Once again, Samianne has done a fantastic job.  I can't wait to share it all with you, which is why I've made myself a deal.  I can share the cover once the new draft is done.

Next weekend, September 25th is the Ottawa Romance Writer's panel on How to Write a Romance Novel at Ben Franklin Place (2-4 pm).  It's going to be very informative and I get to host, which should be fun.

Weekly Update: August 21 to August 27

Weekly word count: 2000

Not my most productive week, but I was on vacation and I finished my manuscript last week (still doing some happy dancing over that one).  I got to take my kids out swimming and to museums and other touristy stuff, so I'm still calling it a good week.

This week, it's back to work.  Aside from the final preparations before school starts, I need to get Inquisition to the editor, my two short stories polished for the anthology submission and Rose on the Grave ready for publication in late September.

I also have to get everything ready for Can-Con and my table and workshops.  It's going to be a lot of fun and it's creeping up fast this year.

Back to the grindstone.

Weekly Update: August 14 to 20

Weekly word count: 12000

It was a very productive week.  Here's the checklist:

Inquisition: Finished!  <happy dance>
First story for anthology: Finished <more happy dancing>
Second story for anthology: 2/3 done <still more happy dancing... cause that's still good>

I even got some extremely good news that the editor has a spot for mid-September, which means I still have a chance to make a February release!  I've also got a mid-September slot with the cover artist, so look for a cover reveal in early October, which should pair nicely with the release for Rose on the Grave.

I'm feeling quite pleased with myself, and I'm giving myself permission to have a quieter week next week for writing.  Instead of writing every afternoon (which is what I have been doing for the last two months), I'm going to take my boys out to do some of the fun summer stuff I've been wanting to do with them.  They both have the week off from camps and the week after that will be back to school blitzing.

I took another look at my 90 day goals, which have 10 days left.  I will not have my Scrivener notes complete, but I will have Rose on the Grave and Inquisition on track.  I think doing the short stories to submit to the anthology instead was the right choice.  I'm not sure I'll try to do another 90 day goal set, at least not right away.

With luck, I can get the two short stories fully polished and ready for submission at the end of next week.  I've got about 1500 words left to go for the second one, which should be doable.  I'm actually quite pleased with both of them.  They both tie into the lalassu universe.  One is an independent story and the other features Vapor.  If the anthology isn't interested, I'll definitely be publishing them independently as a bonus.

Weekly Update: August 7 to 13

Weekly word count: 5100

It's been a little strange going back to only writing part time.  I'm so close to the end of Inquisition and yet it's remaining stubbornly out of reach.  I'm hoping that by next week's update, I'll be able to report a finished manuscript.

This week I received my scores from the PRISM and RITA contests.  (Prism is the contest for the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Romance chapter and the RITA is the main contest for Romance Writers of America.)  Although I didn't final in either of them, my scores were respectably high, which is encouraging.  I got one 9.5 out of 10 for the RITA, which boosted my pride and ego considerably.

Once Inquisition is done, then I'll spend some time working on the short stories I want to submit for the Behind the Mask anthology and getting the final draft polished for Rose on the Grave.  And after that, I have a tough decision to make.

I've been considering having another push at traditional publishing.  But to do that, I need a manuscript that I don't intend to self-publish.  In order to pitch to editors and agents, that needs to be a completed manuscript.  But that would mean delaying writing and publishing book 4 of the lalassu.

It's a tough decision.  Right now, I'm leaning towards giving myself a few months to try and push through a completed manuscript for the first book in a companion series to the lalassu.  But I can't let myself get too distracted from the tasks at hand.  First, complete my obligations, then I can make decisions about what to do next.

Weekly Update: June 19th to 25th

Weekly word count: 5000

The word count is slightly less impressive than it looks on first glance.  I went back to the beginning of Inquisition and began doing rewrites, adding description and changing some details to improve flow and consistency.  I've done 6 chapters, adding or redoing 500-1000 words for each of them.

I've also been working hard on getting my blog articles ready for Superpower month on the Fantasy-Futuristic and Paranormal online chapter of RWA.  One is a look at the downside of having superpowers (the cape doesn't come for free!) and the other suggests ways to make sure that character's powers stay consistent and as realistic as possible.  

And the other project occupying my attention is putting the final polish on my workshop for RWA's national conference in San Diego.  I want to make sure that my speaking time only goes for 45-50 minutes, so there's time for questions if people are interested.

There's a lot to take care of and I'll be honest and admit that I'm feeling overwhelmed by it.  I think I have somewhat overextended myself and while I'll be able to get it all done, I won't be taking on any new projects until I have Inquisition and Rose on the Grave more in hand.

Weekly Update: February 7 to 13

Weekly update: 3900

So close but not quite for my word count this week.  I've also been working hard on getting my new website ready.  And rediscovering that my brain does not work at all like a coder's.  Wordpress is not intuitive for me (like most programs).  However, after much trial and error, I think I have something functional.  It should be ready to go live sometime later today or tomorrow.

The new site is simpler than my old one, but should be easier to navigate.  I'm of two minds about it.  On the one hand, the new one is cleaner and more professional looking.  On the other, I liked my landscape background.  For now, I'm going to keep the old site for reviews, my blog and upcoming events.  I haven't decided yet whether or not to redesign it to match the new site.

I've also been having quite the inspirational burst for the next Spirit Sight short story.  I did over 2000 words in just over an hour.  It's going to have a direct tie in to the third and fourth lalassu books.