Bad Reputation

My busy January is nearly over. The month began with my birthday and it proved to be one of my best. I enjoyed my free Denny's breakfast. My new laptop was my Christmas/birthday gift, so I was already deeply in love with Pheebs. Later in the week, I enjoyed a wonderful dinner with Sally, Tigger, and Roo at Cheddar's. Finally, I was able to visit Pooh for the first time in a month.

Damaged and the Saint has sold well and most readers seem happy with it. I admit I was nervous to finish the Damaged series since it was what put me on the map as an author. In 2014 though, my best selling books were Gator and Little Memphis. The time had come to say goodbye and try new things.

Rebound Biker is now nearly complete. The novella is with my beta readers currently and I'll finish the final edits next week. Before I start Broken Memphis, I plan to write my first erotica short. I have the plot and characters sketched out. I only need to get writing. It'll be a fun exercise, but I won't publish the short until I have a few ready. Miranda came up with that idea based on what she's researched in several author forums. Candy Girl remains a badass.

This month, the boys and I adopted a cat from the local shelter. Pixie is a year old Tiger and super sweet. She's smaller than our other two cats. So far, Tinker and Bow aren't thrilled with her. Tinker especially isn't happy with another chickadee in the house. A lot of hissing and growling, but Tinker tolerates Rafe (who she still doesn't like after two years) so she'll learn to get along with Pixie.

February will be a turning point month for me. I need to keep up the momentum of Saint's release and finish my second series with Broken Memphis. In 2014, I got bogged down with personal issues during the beginning and end of the year. My specific goals for 2015 won't allow me to lose focus for a few months. I need to produce books fast and keep them varied. February will be a glimpse into how quickly I can transition from one book to another.

I also need to start designing new swag for this year's signings. I've added a third one for August in Charlotte, North Carolina. Things certainly have changed since my first signing a year ago. Back then, I only had four books out from a single series.The idea then was to sell the series. Now I need to sell the Bijou brand. I can't believe by the two year anniversary of Beast's publication in April that I'll have published twelve books. Well, assuming Broken Memphis is completed as planned. I've decided to frame my series when they're complete. My first inclination was to create large posters, but figured I'd run out of wall space in a year or two since I don't have a designated office space yet.

I'll finish up by sharing my mama pride. My eleven year old Roo showed me new tricks he's learned about Photoshop. He's also promised to help me create book trailers. The little man has mad skills.

Miss World

Hello 2015! Here's hoping we'll get along just fine.

I finally published Damaged and the Saint after over three months of unfocused writing. My readers remained incredibly patient and understanding while I struggled to overcome personal problems. Of course, romance chicks are notoriously loyal and prolific readers.

I have already begun writing Rebound Biker. The novella is the shortest story I've worked on before. RB is for a box set, so the word count is out of my hands. I'm working with several talented authors too. I decided to use the Rebound Biker idea because the story is lighter. The plot will be easier to wind up in the allotted word count rather than something with a lot of angst.

The deadline to hand in the novella is Valentine's Day. I'm hoping to finish RB much sooner, so I can begin Broken Memphis. I'm looking forward to returning to Little Memphis and spending time with the Reed brothers and the girls they love.

I'm praying this year is productive. I get such a surge of energy when a new book is released. All I want to do is write more and create new worlds and characters.

Contrary to commonly accepted wisdom, I want to stay away from long series in the future. I enjoyed each of the Damaged books. I worked hard to ensure each story existed on its own, rather than relying on cliffhanger gimmicks to keep readers coming back. Yet the same world gets creatively tiring after awhile. Plus, new readers have trouble signing onto such a long series.

For 2015, I want to vary things up, writing series of two or three books along with standalone romances. I'm hoping by keeping things "fresh" I can write and publish more quickly than I did in 2013-2014.

I do plan to continue with both darker themes (Gator) and lighter vibes (Little Memphis). I also plan to try my hand at writing short erotica. Doesn't hurt to improve my sexy times and get more creative. I don't want to fall into the trap of only writing what readers liked yesterday and assuming they'll want the same elements tomorrow. As I wrote above, romance readers are prolific. They aren't simply reading my books, but hundreds of others. So as an author, sticking with trends and what was hot before will get very old very fast for these readers.

I'm stoked to have a new laptop even though Queenie remained in solid shape. Now Roo can stop bugging me about borrowing her. My new one has a bigger screen. Better for my old lady eyes. It's taking some getting used to with the different key placement, but I've already finished Saint on the laptop and started Rebound Biker. Princess Consuela Bananahammock has been officially broken in.

Despite all my big plans, real life remains the wild card. I never would have guessed Pooh's health would deteriorate so quickly last year. Nothing is really set in stone with writing either, yet I have some control. 

One thing I know is my family will always support me. They endure my bunker mentality when I'm working against a deadline. Sally gives me pep talks when I'm feeling overwhelmed. My boys hug me when I'm feeling down. In a few days, we'll go out to celebrate my birthday and a new year together.

Miranda and I met two years ago this month. Such an accidental encounter led to her becoming my sounding board and BFF. The other day she was offline for most of the day because of internet problems and I felt like I was suffering through Candy Girl withdrawal.

2014 really kicked my ass, but I struggled my way to the other side. Now, I'm left feeling optimistic and powerful. If I could survive the last few months, I can get through pretty much anything.

Happy New Year!