This Week

Hey! I'm going to start this post with this awesome Demain Publishing graphic:

I love how this features all the great Adrian Baldwin covers. These are also the latest Short Sharp Shocks! released last week. And of course, that includes mine. Yay!

I've actually had a really nice week. Even though we had a few rainy days, I didn't let the weather affect me. There were too many things to focus on, that's for sure.

It's tax time here in Oz, so we got some pesky real life stuff out of the way, which always feels good. Now that our daughter is 18, finished school, and isn't even living in this country anymore, this is the last year of long-winded claims.

So, what else did I do? I read a fantastic YA horror book called TEETH IN THE MIST by Dawn Kurtagich and reviewed it yesterday for Hachette. It's awesome. It's also the third book I've read by this author and I enjoyed all of them.

Now, it's time to get stuck into IT. Yep. This'll be my first time reading this encyclopedia-sized book and I'm super excited. I promised myself that I would read this book sometime during 2019 and before the second movie is released.

There's no better time to read it than a month before the movie hits. 😉

Oh, this week my Guest Review of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina prequel, SEASON OF THE WITCH, was posted at Kendall Reviews. It was really nice of Gavin to host my review of a book that I adored.

You know I LOVE the show, and this book totally felt like another season. So cool.

Hubby and I finally watched GOOD OMENS on Amazon Prime. We watched an episode a night for most of the week, then binged the last two on Thursday night. We loved it. This show was heaps of fun, and I have to admit that I enjoyed it more than the book. Yep. I did.

Asides from all this cool stuff, I also received the Flame Trees ARC I won in a Twitter contest. I really enjoyed this author's first book, so I'm looking forward to this one.

Now that most of the reorganising of my writing & reading nooks are done, I started writing a new short story. Yes! This one is an unexpected idea I had about a character from my Sierra Fox series. It's strange how many of these are hitting my brain years after I finished writing the series. And the five books are no longer available.

BUT, a story that is available is BREAKING THE HABIT. Actually, today, the first two fantastic reviews posted made me grin like an idiot because both readers totally got this little story of mine. If you're curious, you can read them both on Goodreads. 😍

You can also grab yourself a copy for 99c. That's a bargain! Here are the links.

Well, there you have it. This turned out to be a great week. And now, we've got the weekend ahead of us...

Have a good one!

Well, it's official...

I'm now a published author with no currently available published books. 

Yep. It's so weird to say that out loud. O_o

Last week I received my return of rights letter for the 10 pubbed and 2 contracted books I had with Samhain Publishing. That's two UF series and one SFR series.

I'm really happy with how quickly Samhain got these letters out. In spite of everything, I will always be super grateful for the opportunity Samhain Publishing gave my books. As well as the editors I worked with, because I learned a lot from each of them.

Like I've mentioned before, and as sad as it makes me, I have no immediate plans to submit or self-publish any of these titles at the moment. I'm not saying never. Just right now. I didn't buy any of the covers, and am not going to rush out to get new ones. I also won't be proofreading or re-editing any of these just yet.

Maybe I'll consider doing this one day. But not right now.

So I have to say Goodbye for now to my beloved Sierra & Co. and my Recast kick-ass guys & girls. *sniffle* Besides, I still have my paperback editions to help me reminisce. But I need to let go. Even though the last book in the Elsewhere series--the one that pretty much ties up the whole of the Sierra series--hasn't been published at all.

Hopefully Willow will get her chance someday...

Funny thing about all of this is that the other day I sorted through all my previously published novellas and novels, and discovered that I've had over 40 stories published. But because of publisher closures and many other problems, none of them are currently available. It's bizarre. But it's okay.

I have to look ahead now, not back. I need to keep writing the many ideas that hound my brain and hold me hostage until the story is written. I also need to start travelling a new path, and never stop the pursuit of my dream. Because at the end of the day, the fact that I get to write all these stories is a dream come true.

I have several projects (in different stages of completion) in another genre for another market that I want to focus on. I need to see how that goes, and if it leads anywhere. I'm also enjoying the short story writing and will continue to send them out to anthology and magazine markets.

I'm a writer. 

Writing is what I do. 

Being published is what I'll continue to strive for.

Happy writing!

A Sudden Change

The current and  very sudden shift in my author life has really thrown me into a bit of a dizzying spin. 

So I wanted to write a blog post about it...

While it hasn't changed the fact that I'm still an author and will never stop telling stories, it's definitely thrown all the hard work I put into TWELVE books (10 pubbed, 2 contracted) into disarray. Regardless of wherever my writing journey was headed, I guess I always counted on Sierra & Co. + Recast to be out there and available for new readers to discover.

That's not what's happened. Every single one of these books disappeared as soon as the Samhain website went dark. And soon, they'll also disappear from other retailers. I'll even--eventually--get my rights back.

Do you know what that means for me? It means that as of right now, I have ZERO published books. It almost feels like the hard work I put in during the last eight years has resulted in nothing. Of course it doesn't really mean that, because I'll never regret writing these books and will always be grateful for the opportunity to have them available to the world. But the fact remains: I now have nothing to show for all that writing, revision, editing and marketing.

And that makes me sad. 

There's no point in denying it, because deleting all of these books from my website is going to be sad. 

I've now become a published author with no published books. 

What does that mean for me? Well, I won't be rushing out to self-publish these 12 books. They'll just sit for a while. I'm not sure what I'll do with them, if anything at all. And if I did decide to sub or self-pub any of them, it wouldn't be right away.

So, I'm just going to keep writing. I'm determined to keep telling the stories that I can't shake. And I'm going to get back into the submission cycle. Maybe this time I'll target several places, and not put all my eggs in one basket. I don't know.

The one thing I will NOT do is give up. I've been here before and I'm determined to move forward. Besides, self-publishing is something I would like to do in the future. But I won't jump into anything until I'm comfortable with the idea. 

Well, that's about everything I've got crowding my head right now. This is a melancholy post, but not in a negative way. It's just my way of dealing with this situation, letting go, moving on and being honest. As well as realistic.

Don't feel bad for me, I'm cool. 

This is what I intend to do:

Keep writing.

Keep submitting.

Never give up.

Wish me luck!

Scary Publishing Thought

The other day I posted this on Twitter:

Yep. This thought really hit me the other day. And it's kinda scary. 

I've currently got TEN books published, but--because they're all available at the one publisher--when Samhain Publishing closes at the end of this month, I will no longer have any published books in the wild.

O.o

It's going to be strange, that's for sure. But there's nothing I can do when the company is closing. At the moment I just want to concentrate on writing and starting again. 

Not entirely sure how I'm going to tackle that just yet...

Okay, while I'm here I might as well mention that if you're interested in any of my books, you can get them really cheap on their website:

SIERRA FOX SERIES

RECAST SERIES

HELL OF A RIDE

None of the above books will be abailable to buy anywhere after February 2017. It's sad, but it's a fact. And since I'm not sure what I'll do with them yet, you won't be able to buy/read any of these for a while. Maybe ever. I don't know yet.

There's a lot to think about, that's for sure.

Anyway. Just wanted to share this.

Here we go again

By now, you've probably already heard about Samhain Publishing closing at the end of this month.

I heard about it in a blanket email sent to authors yesterday. While I was working on the second round of edits for a book that was scheduled to be released by Samhain in April. That's right. I spent all week--and two whole weeks last month--busting my chops editing a book that I thought was going to be released in a few months...

And found out it wouldn't be happening in such a generic way. I really wish someone had given the authors and editors who were currently working on stuff a head's up.

Oh well. I'm getting used to people treating others without mutual respect. O_o

Anyway, the bottom line is that all of my Sierra Fox Stories UF series (5 books), the Recast SFR series (4 books), and the first Elsewhere UF book will no longer be available after February 28th.

So if you're interested in checking out any of my books, there's only a few weeks to do so. You can check them out HERE.

After they're removed from the Samhain website and third party online stores, they won't be available anywhere.

At this stage, I have no idea what I will do with the ten published and two unpublished books after I get my rights back. (Which according to the email, I'm supposed to get shortly after the closure.)

Maybe one day I'll decide to self-publish them. Maybe I won't. Right now, I just need some time to think about it. Wait a sec... why does that sound familiar? Oh yeah, maybe because I went through this already last year. :/

Well, there you have it. Not great news, because I'm super proud of all these books, but that's okay.

It's (now definitely) time to move on.

Raising Some Progress

Remember this beautiful cover? The always awesome Kanaxa made it, and it's absolutely perfect. So perfect for the book that I was devastated when I thought it wasn't going to make it to publication.

But, that's changed now.

This book is the second Elsewhere book. It's also the last book in the duology. The original release date was supposed to be late last year, but then Samhain Publishing closed down. So I got the rights back. When the publisher opened again, I decided to sign a new contract for this book. 

You might be wondering, why? Why did I re-sign with Samhain after everything that happened? Well, after some thought and chatting with hubby about it, it just made sense for THIS book--as I said above, the last installment in a duology, and technically the last book in the Sierra Fox world--to be published in the one place.

So, RAISING SOME HELL has been added to the 2017 New Release schedule. Yay.

I'm really excited.

I actually spent the last two weeks working on the first round of content edits, and it's been nice to return to this book after a longer than expected hiatus. Though I have to admit, it was hard work because my editor, Laura, spotted a bunch of things that needed to be fixed. Nothing huge, but cosmetic things that totally made sense. Not to mention that after such a long time, I found quite a few things I wanted to fix myself. :)

It's amazing what a difference distance makes. I was very critical about every word. But you know what? It's awesome, because after the extensive work, the book is going to end up being SO MUCH better.

So, what's this book about?

It's Willow's book. If you've read the Sierra Fox series, you'll know who she is. ;) This book takes place five years after the first Elsewhere book.

So, there you have it. This is not only the first project I'm focusing on in 2017, but also some cool news.

I'll post the blurb soon...

Words, Sorting & Reading

Yikes! Can you believe another week is almost over? This year is going way too fast.

Anyway. The production line must keep moving, so I had a bunch of things I wanted to achieve this week:

• Write 5k UF short story featuring a character from the Sierra Fox series
• Brainstorm another shortie
• Clear my out-of-control stationery clutter
• Organise my writing stuff
• Read 13 MINUTES by Sarah Pinborough

Here's what I actually did:

• Wrote first draft of UF short story (6,447w) 
• Cleared all the stationery clutter & actually reorganised everything
• Organised my writing stuff to make it easier for me to file & access notebooks, pens, sticky notes, etc.
• Brainstormed & figured out the start (plus other details) for another horror shortie
• Read and reviewed 13 MINUTES by Sarah Pinborough
• Finished reading EVERY EXQUISITE THING by Matthew Quick

There you have it. Another productive week! Yay. :)

I have to admit that I didn't plan/expect to read two books this week, but I'm glad that I did because they were both AWESOME! I've been having such a cool run this month, which is great after so many DNFs last month. LOL.

Oh, you know what else I really enjoyed doing this week? Because I was writing a short story set in Sierra's world I actually grabbed the books in her series and read through them to check some details. And I loved it. It's always a nice combo of exciting and weird when you can read back one of your stories and still love it.

The Sierra Fox series will always have a special place in my heart.♡

The shortie might be set in her world, but it focuses on different monsters and myth. Plus Sierra isn't in it. I can't promise she's not mentioned, though. ;)

Today was my daughter's last day of Term 3, so she now has two weeks off school. I'm still hoping to get a few things done next week, because the week after that, hubby's home. Can't wait!

And on that note, I'll sign out.

Have a great weekend!

A Writing Decision

Hey! How's everyone doing? I'm good at the moment, though I wish hubby was still on break. He took a week off from work recently so he could spend my birthday with me. It was really nice and relaxing, but I feel sad that he had to go back. :(

Anyway. I made a decision a few weeks ago. One that might surprise some authors/readers. But I feel is right for me right now.

A few months ago I posted a sad and confusing blog post about what would happen with the last unpublished book I had contracted with Samhain Publishing after they closed their doors.

I ended up getting my rights back for RAISING SOME HELL, but it left me feeling bittersweet. The thought of having this particular book homeless and separated from the others was very disappointing.

There were several reasons why I was upset about the book not being published:

• Willow's book is one I really wanted to share because the story takes place five years after A STITCH ON TIME.

• This happens to be the final book in the Elsewhere duology.

• It's also the last book set in the Sierra Fox World.

• The kick-ass cover was perfect.

• I was hoping the whole series would be published in one place.

• I didn't know what to do with a book that continues the story of an already established UF series.

The above are all very relevant reasons to be concerned and upset. So when I found out that Samhain Publishing is not closing after all, it got me thinking...

I suddenly wondered if it might be a good idea to consider re-submitting RSH to Samhain... I mean, the other books in the series are already there. After some serious thought and several chats with hubby, I decided that it was definitely something worth doing.

So... I dit it! I've re-signed a contract for RAISING SOME HELL! Placing RSH with Samhain Publishing is the right thing for this book and series.

Willow's story is back on. I don't have a new release date. I don't know if the cover will be the same. I'm not even sure when the next step will happen. But to be honest, I'm in no rush. I'm just happy to have made this decision.

I know that Samhain's sudden No Longer Closing announcement has stirred very mixed reactions. But for this particular book, staying with them just makes sense. I hope that the company gets back on track and re-establishes the reputation it carried for so many years. It would be a real shame if it didn't.

So, there you have it: a real writing update.  :)

I'll be sure to post more as I get the details. 

So, I got my rights back...

Yep. That's right.

Remember that book I was really excited about contracting with Samhain Publishing last year? It was called RAISING SOME HELL and had an awesome cover made by the brilliant Kanaxa. RSH also happens to be the second book in the Elsewhere duology. The first one, HELL OF A RIDE, is already available, and will be until Samhain closes its doors.

As it turns out, the timing for RSH was (unfortunately) all wrong. Because we hadn't started the editing process at the time Samhain announced it was closing, this book didn't meet the cut-off. The positive outcome is that I was eligible to get my rights reverted. And last week, I got the letter. But, getting the rights back turned out to be a lot more bittersweet than I expected.

While it's awesome that Samhain Publishing were super efficient and emailed the letter to me ASAP, this story is now left in a weird spot called Limbo. I don't know what I'm going to do with RSH. The duology has been split. A duology I was very excited about sharing. 

You see, I was lucky enough to have the Sierra Fox series entirely published (in both eBook and paperback) by Samhain Publishing. Then I wrote the spin-off duology featuring two of my favourite secondary characters: Lavie and Willow. These two girls had a LOT more stories to tell and I was ecstatic about sharing their separate novels.

These two books were supposed to round out all the stories I had planned to write in Sierra's world. Willow's book takes place 5 years after A STITCH ON TIME, and we get to find out where Sierra is now. So it's disappointing that it wasn't released alongside the others.

Yeah, a total bummer.

I don't know where to go from here with this story. Not yet.

Do I sub RSH somewhere and hope someone is willing to publish a stand-alone that fits into a larger world? Do I think about self-publishing? Or do I just let the book sit on my hard drive? I honestly don't know. I've already got a bunch of homeless books sitting on my hard drive from the DB/EP debacle. 

So...

The state of the publishing industry is too shaky at the moment. Too many companies are closing, others are merging, a lot of authors are choosing the self-pub route. The competition is fierce, it's hard to stand out. It's all too hard and confusing right now.

I feel like I've reached a crossroads in my writing adventure. I'm looking to my left and right, trying to figure out where to turn.

One of these days I'm sure I'll make a decision about RSH, but for now--since no one's honking behind me yet--I'm just going to keep the engine idling at the crossroads.

Hold on, is that a semi I see in my rearview mirror? ;)

Decisions, decisions.

I'm still here!

And it's about time I popped in, right? :P

See this picture? That's me as a Mii. Hubby introduced me to the Miitomo app and I have a lot of fun changing her outfits. Plus making cute/cool pictures I can post on Twitter. As well as here.

This one seemed very appropriate since so many of the things that have happened this year have left me with more questions than answers.

By now you've probably heard that Samhain Publishing is closing down. And since I have all of my currently published books over there--that's 11 books--there'll come a time when none of these will be available in the wild.

Yikes!

So if you're interested in my Sierra Fox or Recast series, there's still time to buy the books from Samhain's website, as well as other retailers. You can check out all the buy links HERE (SF) and HERE (R). The publisher hasn't actually set a definite closing date, so it's business as usual until she does. The thing that's affected me the most is that even though RAISING SOME HELL has a beautiful cover, it won't be published. Which means that HELL OF A RIDE will be the only Elsewhere book available.  

I find this really sad because I always visualised Elsewhere as a duology. Bummer. :(

The above is not an ideal situation to be in and it kinda feels like being stuck in Limbo Land, but I'm just glad that, for now, my books are still available for sale. When Samhain actually closes, I don't know what I'll do with them. I mean, the Sierra Fox series is done and I'd kinda decided not to continue with the Recast series, so... Who knows what I'll do. 

I guess I'll have to think about this. But not today. 

I've already mourned this situation and am ready to face whatever happens next with these already written/published stories. I think that the best thing for me to do now is to concentrate on new stuff. I need to stop thinking about this and just get on with the actual writing. It's so easy to get caught up in the negativity of publishing, and I don't want my writing to suffer again like it did last year. 

Anyway. Like I said, nothing I can do about the above. I'll just announce when any sales are going on and keep hoping that readers get a chance to experience these 11 books before they're pulled. :)

So, what else have I been doing? A LOT of stuff. I've been hanging out with my hubby more than usual since our daughter got a weekend job. I've also caught up on a bunch of shows, become hooked on others, read many books, and keep trying to figure out where to go from here. I mean, the publishing industry is in a very unstable position at the moment, so it's hard to determine which way to go. The best thing to do is just write and revise, get caught up in what I love the most: writing!

Thanks to my very supportive husband, I actually get the chance to do that everyday.

This week is going to be another bits and pieces kind of week, but next week I'm going to work on the third draft of my 1980s YA novel. I had a blast writing it during NaNoWriMo last year, and am looking forward to finishing it so my daughter can read it. After that, who knows? But the one thing I do know is that there are several stories battling to get out of my head.

I'd also like to start blogging about my word/page progress, inspiration, etc. while I'm actually working on a project. Think I'm starting to miss blogging. I used to blog daily, and it became a part of my every single day so much that I never neglected my website like I do now. :/

We'll see what happens...

HELL OF A RIDE is now available!

The first ELSEWHERE book is here!

Lavie & Saul's road trip story is now in the wild... 

 

It only takes one spark to start a bushfire…and no one sparks like a demon. 

 Elsewhere, Book 1 

 Lavie Grye has everyone fooled into believing she’s over the untimely death of her aunt. Truth is, she’s stuck in struggle town, dealing with bottled up grief by kicking some demonic butt. But when a hot, tempting demon named Saul comes knocking for help, she can’t turn him down. 

There’s a high-ranking demonic duke loose on the eastern side of Australia, literally scorching his sigil into the land. Unless he’s stopped, he’ll destroy the world’s intricate network of ley lines. 

 Lavie and Saul head out on a road trip to the next city Saul thinks the three-headed demon and his crazy conjurer partner will be targeting: Melbourne. Along the way, Lavie discovers the danger burns a path all the way back to a well-hidden family secret. And, with Saul’s help, begins to learn how to be comfortable in her own skin. 

 That is, if they can defeat the threat, ensure no more safe havens are destroyed—and manage to evade the killing shadows of Saul’s past. 

 Warning: This book features a feisty demon hunter and a demonically sexy prince, embarking on one hell of a road trip. Buckle your seatbelt—jumping the fire line can get dicey.

Samhain Publishing | Kindle | Nook | Kobo | iTunes | Google Play | ARe

Also available in print:

::: THIS IS A SIERRA FOX SPIN-OFF NOVEL :::

Samhain Publishing is having a SALE!

Check it out:



From the 7th February - 15th February you can get 40% off all romance eBooks.

That of course includes both my SIERRA FOX series and my RECAST series.

Even HELL OF A RIDE is reduced right now!

So if you're looking for a bargain, go over to their website and check it out!

I have some news!

Last year I wrote two Sierra Fox spin-offs.

This year, I revised and submitted them.

In June I signed a contract for Lavie's spin off, and then shared her awesome cover in August.

 Now I'm very happy to announce that I just signed a contract for the second ELSEWHERE book.

So, yep, I signed another contract with Samhain Publishing.

The second spin-off book features Sierra's younger sister, Willow. She's a necromancer and parapsychologist, so her story deals with the darker side of the poltergeist phenomena. Willow also shares my love for 80’s horror, so her story is full of movie references.

Now all of the stories set in Sierra's world will be available in one place. :)

BTW, Willow's stand-alone book is called...

RAISING SOME HELL.

Print Release: A Stitch on Time

The fifth and final book in my Sierra Fox urban fantasy series is now available in print!

 

Like the ones before it, this paperback is absolutely beautiful.

All it takes is a little death and mayhem to make a spook catcher’s day.

Sierra Fox, Book 5

Sierra Fox has finally inherited her grandmother’s power to destroy demons, but what good is it when her werewolf boyfriend still lies in a coma? Worse, the decision she’s about to make could save him—but ruin their relationship.

If that’s not enough bad stuff on her plate, she’s got a soul to save—the soul of her closest friend, killed by the Lamia that got away.

Another untasty side dish: The Obscurus refuse to give up their relentless pursuit, and they’ve upped the ante. Mace is dead set on blowing up the Spook Catcher Council Tower, and the blowback will have devastating effects on Sydney and for Sierra. At least these demon-obsessed freaks aren’t counting on Sierra having a Goddess and a trusty demonic conduit as backup.

All of this leads to a one-way ride into the abandoned part of town, where the Obscurus plan to summon Legion. With her demon hunter friend by her side, Sierra prepares for the final battle…because even she knows this will be The End.

 

Warning: Phantasms, wraiths, orbs, demons, all guaranteed to ruin any spook catcher’s day. But you can always count on werewolves, land spirits, and a Goddess. Beware of explosions, demonic obsessions, and the battle that will tip the scales and change Sydney forever.

 

 

Samhain Publishing | The Book Depository | Amazon | Amazon UK

 

 

 

I have a new cover!

Hey!

 

I've been so caught up working on HELL OF A RIDE first round edits during the last few weeks, that I totally forgot I hadn't shared the awesome cover yet.

 

So... here it is:

What do you think?

 

I think it's kick-ass awesome.

 

Kanaxa has done it again! She made all of the Sierra Fox covers, so she knows what I'm looking for better than I do. Seriously, she came up with this exciting concept. It might be a spin-off book, but it stands on it's own. That's for sure.

 

I love Lavie's stance, and that she's holding her wicked machete. Not to mention her scars.

 

Like I said: Awesome!

 

This is one of those covers that I like more every time I see it. It's SO cool.

 

I haven't got the final blurb yet, but this is how I summarised Lavie's story previously:

 

This is a road trip story about a kick-ass demon hunter with a bunch of issues, a hunky demon with mischief on his mind, and a gorgeous red & black VW Kombi. Not to mention, a whole LOT of demonic trouble.

 

This might be Lavie and Saul's stand-alone story, but if you've read the Sierra Fox series, you'll recognise a bunch of people in it. ;)

 

If you're interested in finding out more about Lavie Grye before the release of her book, she's in every instalment of...

 

THE SIERRA FOX SERIES:

 

Hey, June is almost over!

Can you believe it? Yikes!

 

Well, it looks like this is now my go-to pic whenever I blog. But how can it not be? I mean, it pretty much captures me during winter: a robe-wearing, book-reading, tea/coffee-drinker who breaks up her hibernation for daily walks. :)

 

Seriously, though. These cold months just don't agree with me. I've been feeling a little under the weather. I'm constantly clogged from nose to throat, keep sneezing, and feel like I'm catching a cold. Which is bizarre since I got the flu shot several months ago. 

 

It's very uncomfortable, but there's not much I can do really. Doctors have already told me several times that there's nothing wrong with my throat or nose, it's just something I need to live with.

 

Yeah, well, sometimes it's easier said than done.

 

Anyway. Let's concentrate on the good things.

 

Last Friday I filled out the blurb and cover art forms for HELL OF A RIDE. That's Lavie's story, in case you forgot. ;) It's always exciting to dream up different versions of a cover and then look up pictures to give the cover artist a peek into what you see inside your mind. Funny thing is I've found that the cover artist I work with at Samhain Publishing always comes up with something WAY better than what I imagined. I really (really) hope that I get Kanaxa again. She's made most of my covers.

 

I also found out that Lavie's book will be released next year, probably around spring 2016. That's the American spring, so we're looking at autumn for us people in the Southern Hemisphere. :P

 

I'll be sure to post the blurb once it's approved, and of course will share the cover when I get it. I can't wait to see this one! In the meantime, I've got my fingers crossed for Willow's story. It's on submission at the moment, and I'd love for her tale to be published as well. That would wrap up all the stories I've written in this world.

 

Well, except for that 50k in-between story that fits (and ties in) Sierra's last book and Lavie's book. But that's another story...

 

The thing about Lavie and Willow's stories is that they're Sierra Fox spin-offs that demanded to be told. Seriously, I couldn't write anything new until these persistent women told their stories. They're also (kinda) companion books that make up a series--or duology--that's called Elsewhere. Why did I call it that? Well, the events of Sierra's series take part in a fictional suburb in Sydney, but Lavie's takes place in multiple locations and Willow's is in an actual coastal NSW city. I wanted to do something different for them. Besides, I thought Elsewhere fit perfectly. While Sierra's story is here, Lavie and Willow's is Elsewhere... but in the same world.

 

Makes sense, right?

 

Last week I didn't binge watch anything new. Thought it was best not to get stuck into anything since my daughter's going to be home for a bit. Haven't decided what will become my new lunch-break show yet, but I'll think of something. ;)

 

I did read, and think a lot about the stories I want to write once RECAST is finished. I get really excited at the prospects and really need to brainstorm before I lose the thread of the many tales I want to tell. So many possibilities, so little time...

 

Oh, and we finally watched FURY ROAD. While we all liked it, none of us loved it. It was good, but not amazing. I mean, sure, it's visually beautiful and there are plenty of kick-ass women in it, but there were just too many plot holes. Too many things didn't make sense. And although I think Imperator Furiosa was an amazing character--seriously, I would love to watch/read her origin story because you just know it's heartbreaking--the movie just wasn't as awesome as I expected it to be.

I think the hype built it up WAY too much. It's also a shame that because Hollywood is seriously lacking in the Female Characters That Are Real People Department, when one does come along (no matter how mediocre it might be) we latch on.

 

Hollywood needs to get their act together and stop being so sexist. Movies with female leads DO SELL. People want to see good characters, and women can be amazing characters. Plus they'll definitely sell. Just look at the book industry and see how well heroines sell. Seriously, man, get with the times! It's the 21st century FFS.

 

Well, have a great week!

New week, new month...

Whoa. It's been another very busy couple of weeks!

 

As you probably noticed, last week the fourth book in my SFR RECAST series was released. Yay. To help celebrate the occasion, I stopped by a few places to chat about robots and answer some cool questions. It was a lot of fun, and I hope that you all now understand just how deeply I love robots, AI, androids, cyborgs... ;)

 

I have a soft spot for them. Always did.

If you missed any stops, you can catch up on all of them HERE. I'd like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who had me over. You all helped make New Release Week a lot of fun!

 

But celebrating my latest new release from Samhain Publishing isn't the only thing I've been doing. Nope, I've been busy finishing up another project.

 

That's right. WILLOW is finished. *happy dance*

The second Sierra Fox spin-off novel is done & DONE! It took me about a week to read the final version on my Paperwhite, and several more days to wrap things up because I kept tweaking stuff. All small things, but definitely important to finalise the story. I just wanted every single thread to be tied, didn't want to leave anything hanging in the breeze. After all, this is probably (never say never) the last story I'll write in Sierra's world. So it wasn't just about tidying up Willow's story, the other characters needed to be mentioned too.

 

I even wrote the synopsis and updated the Series Bible. Ended up being more work than expected, but it was very much worth it. I can't believe Lavie and Willow are both done. These are stories that I've wanted to tell for a while. Even before Sierra's last book was written, I knew these ladies had their own tales to tell.

 

Only thing is that I won't be submitting this book to my editor yet. Not until I hear back about Lavie. For obvious reasons, I don't want to get ahead of myself. The main thing is that it's totally done. :)

 

So, remember how I mentioned I started watching CW's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST? Well, I've got THREE episodes left of Season 2. Yeah, this is a very addictive show that I've been binge watching during my lunch breaks and as a reward for getting work done. So, I'm almost caught up. Which means that when Season 3 starts on June 11, I'll be ready. Have you seen this show? It really is amazing. I love the characters and the story just keeps getting deeper and deeper into the beast mythology. I'm looking forward to seeing the show's next direction...

 

Last week I even managed to catch up on the library books I borrowed a few weeks ago but couldn't read because I was totally consumed with Willow's world. When I get to that stage of the story, where everything is soooo close to being over, I can't shift out of it until the book is done!

 

I think I'll read review books this week. I have two YA books that I received--fantasy and contemporary--and it's time to give them a go.

 

This week is going to be all about watching, reading, brainstorming and taking a deep breath. But next week, I'm hoping to get stuck into some new writing...

 

Well, that's pretty much it. Life is super busy, and I can't believe it's already June! Ouch.

Print Release: Torn From the Shadows

The fourth book in my Sierra Fox urban fantasy series is now available in print!

 

The paperback cover looks absolutely beautiful. Actually, the whole book looks lovely. I'm so proud of it. :) 

 

All it takes is one goddess-affiliated demon to seal the deal.

 

  Sierra Fox, Book 4

 

Sierra Fox knows better than to believe the demon-obsessed freakshow has given up on her. She’s settled into a nice routine of living with her sister, enjoying her relationship with a sexy werewolf, and staying on top of work—and always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

 

Predictably, things start falling apart as she’s suddenly swamped with surprise visits and unwanted advances, and someone she despises wants her help.

 

When a spook-catching training session goes horribly wrong, she encounters a man who’s not quite as dead as she’d hoped. Mace is now more than human and still determined to get his hands on her. But not if Sierra accepts the strengthening gifts her grandmother bestowed at her birth.

 

Having the good guys put a price on her head is enough to ruin anyone’s day, but Sierra refuses to give up or give in. Even if it means exercising the last option on earth she wants. But claiming the ultimate power may not be enough to save the man she loves before his werewolf past destroys him.

 

 

Warning: Phantasms, pookas, werewolves, and demons, oh yes! And a spook-catching heroine who must choose to take what’s rightfully hers—even if it means walking the shadows with a demon.

 

 

Samhain Publishing | The Book Depository | Amazon | Amazon UK

 

 

 

   BTW, this book got a 4-star rating from RT Magazine!

 

TORN FROM THE SHADOWS!

I'm not sure if you've marked your calendars yet, but the TORN FROM THE SHADOWS paperback will be released on April 7! ;)

 

In case you haven't read it yet, it's the fourth book in my Sierra Fox series. It's the penultimate instalment and a lot of bad things happen in this one. Sure, it's peppered with some good stuff too, but because the series is on the brink of being over... You know how it goes.

 

Over the weekend, Samhain Publishing tweeted about this review:

Wow. That review is from RT Magazine, who have reviewed a few of the other Sierra titles but didn't seem to be huge fans of the series. So reading this review made me smile. It actually made my day since the day before I received this mysterious box:   



 

 And this is what I found when I looked inside:

 

 

OMG. The photos turned out nice, but they really don't do the book justice. The cover looks amazing, it's just such a gorgeous book! I'm SO proud of this series, and receiving the paperbacks only makes me realise that one of my writing dreams has come true.

 

I've actually had an entire urban fantasy series published.

 

And in October, I will have the whole series on paperback.

 

Yay!

 

Anyway, if you'd like to know more about this book, here's the blurb:

 

All it takes is one goddess-affiliated demon to seal the deal.

Sierra Fox, Book 4

 

Sierra Fox knows better than to believe the demon-obsessed freakshow has given up on her. She’s settled into a nice routine of living with her sister, enjoying her relationship with a sexy werewolf, and staying on top of work—and always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Predictably, things start falling apart as she’s suddenly swamped with surprise visits and unwanted advances, and someone she despises wants her help.

When a spook-catching training session goes horribly wrong, she encounters a man who’s not quite as dead as she’d hoped. Mace is now more than human and still determined to get his hands on her. But not if Sierra accepts the strengthening gifts her grandmother bestowed at her birth.

Having the good guys put a price on her head is enough to ruin anyone’s day, but Sierra refuses to give up or give in. Even if it means exercising the last option on earth she wants. But claiming the ultimate power may not be enough to save the man she loves before his werewolf past destroys him.

Warning: Phantasms, pookas, werewolves, and demons, oh yes! And a spook-catching heroine who must choose to take what’s rightfully hers—even if it means walking the shadows with a demon.

 

So...hey!

Man, as far as trying to blog on a somewhat regular basis goes, last month was a bit of a bust. It just didn't work out like I planned.

 

Mostly it was because I felt like crap. I was tired most of the time and just didn't feel like sitting behind the computer for any longer than I had to. Not to mention that I was trying to meet my March Lavie Deadline.

 

There's always so much to do, but everything kinda fell apart when I stopped eating because I just couldn't swallow. It hurt to eat anything, felt like it was getting lodged in my throat. Anyway, to cut a long story short I went to my GP and he referred me to an ENT who put a camera up my nose and down my throat. He didn't find anything wrong. Actually said that my throat was in great shape.

 

So, where does that leave me? I'm going to have a Barium Swallow next week to see if there's a problem further down. Not sure what they'll find, but there has to be something because although I'm now eating, my portions are very small. I can't eat too much without feeling like I'm super full. O_o

 

The doctor also mentioned that I need to calm down and try to keep my anxious nature under control. Maybe a lot of the problem was psychological rather than physical. So I'm trying not to sweat the small things. I guess we'll find out soon enough if that's the case.

 

So that's the health side.

 

Now here's the TV situation side: a few weeks ago our tele started playing up. Everyone onscreen looked like they'd gotten a really bad tan and there was a black smudge in the middle. We have an extended warranty so we called and they sent out a repairer, who took the TV and kept it for almost 2 weeks without doing anything. They said they replaced some bullshit connector thingy or something and brought it back. The next day, the same problem started again. So, off went the tele again.

 

To cut this story short as well, we are getting a replacement TV. I don't understand why it took so fucking long to write it off when it was obviously stuffed. But, whatever. We will get a new TV on Friday.

It's so strange not having a television in the living room. I didn't miss it at first, but now I'm like: Where the fuck is my TV? :P

 

As you can see, there's been some pretty shitty stuff happening around here. But there's also some very cool stuff. Like, new IKEA furniture--which I will blog about this week--and finishing my current writing project.

 

That's right! This morning I wrapped up the synopsis for LAVIE and I've sent the novel to my awesome editor at Samhain Publishing. This is a spin-off book from the Sierra Fox series which is published with them, so I hope she likes it. Fingers crossed.

 

I want to spend the rest of the week reorganising my bookshelf (yet again!) and I'd also like to read a bit. I haven't read anything but Lavie for the last week and a half. It's time to move on.

 

 Well, that's my update for now. :)