Progress

9-19-14
Final edits ongoing for TYPE AND CROSS. Books 2 & 3 in that series are outlined.

9-8-14
I rolled out a new brand recently. Final edits for TYPE AND CROSS are being done as we speak. It’s still on schedule for a November release date. It’s also become a series, so look for parts 2 and 3 to come in the following months. And a short story (romance) is being released in a Christmas Secrets anthology this November, as well.

4-30-14

Submitted a short story to a contest today. Keeping up with my blog. The changes to the self-hosted site have been… challenging.

4-25-14
After two exhausting weeks of edits, I’ve sent TYPE AND CROSS off to my beta readers. When I get it back, final edits, then off to my agent!

4-10-14
Tentative title for the woman’s fiction piece (which I think is probably more aptly called mainstream fiction) is TYPE AND CROSS. I finished the rough draft around 1:15 am.

2-18-14
I decided to go with the woman’s fiction piece. I’m more than halfway through with it. It still hasn’t grabbed me like my Medici Protectorate Series did, but it’s good. The writing group likes it, my beta readers like it, and the whole thing is outlined. I believe I can have the first draft completed in two weeks, barring any further interruptions in my writing schedule. Iysfunctunallll families intrigue you, this is the book to read.

1-14-14
So, as much as it pains me to admit it, I submitted two stories to Glimmer Train and one to Roane Publishing and didn’t make the cut for either publication. Glimmer Train doesn’t give any feedback (at least, they didn’t give any to me), but I got a very favorable critique from the acquisitions editor at Roane Publishing. I agreed with everything they said; in fact, I pretty much knew what they were going to say before I got the response: the story has too much stripped out of it to be complete as a story. They want more detail in it. So I’m turning it into a novel. I might even be able to make it into a series. All told, as far as rejections go, that’s not so bad. And it’s back to work!

Oh, also, over the last few days I’ve received a couple five-star reviews on Mystery Heir. Makes me think I should consider writing another mystery. Maybe romances aren’t my niche, maybe mysteries are, after all.

11-24-13
My agent wants me to put a hold on the Medici Protectorate Series (Mind Control is book 2 of that series) and try something else, making me more marketable. She says once that series sells, I can go back to it, but in the meantime, I should work on something different so that we have more options available to us. So I’ve begun two different works—a romance and a woman’s fiction piece—and I’ll see which one grabs me.

10-14-13
Mystery Heir went live in eBook format in July. Print copies became available 10-9-13. Mind Control is progressing nicely; roughly 100 pages to go in first draft.

7-10-13
Mystery Heir is in layout. The dedication and acknowledgements are done (although I had to cut a lot out of acknowledgements because my publisher had a size requirement). I think the cover is done. Now it’s just a waiting game!

2-28-13
Got the contract today from the first publisher. Daddy Issues has been tentatively retitled Mystery Heir. Contract negotiations are underway. Revisions for Bleeding Heart have been sent to the agent, along with other three outlines.

2-21-13
Wow. It’s been a while since I posted. I’ve been so busy I forgot to update. In October I won a critique from a NY agent of 50 pages of a novel (45 pages plus 5 page synopsis). That went well, so she asked for the whole manuscript. That also went well. I just received her comments and I’m making the revisions to send back to her along with outlines for the rest of the series.

The publisher for the other book I wrote is finally moving forward and contacted me yesterday. I still don’t have any concrete information, but I am a content producer on their Facebook page and hopefully I’ll be publishing with them soon.

“No Peace in the Quiet” was accepted for publication by TheHolidayCafe.com and will be running in their spring release. See “Published Works” for more information.

Working on a second person short story, “The Choice,” because everyone says it can’t be done well.

Selected by Joe Bunting to be part of the Story Cartel critique group in January 2013.

Working for Pen-L Publishing as an Associate Editor since December 2012.

So those are the current updates. I’ll try to be better about keeping my posts current.

10-17-12
Update: western “Warrior of Blanca Peak” is to be published in High Hill Press anthology Cactus Country III. No release date yet. Also, one of t 4linnnee westerns will be in that anthology and three are on hold for consideration for Cactus Country IV.
UPDATE – CCIII is released. I don’t if I’m in III or if I’ve been held over to IV. I’ll update here or “Published Works” when I know for sure.

9-23-12
Been busy writing novels and 2 full-length western short stories. Both stories are ready to submit to anthologies.

9-15-12 through 9-17-12
Spending time working on four-line westerns. Not a western writer, but it’s a great exercise, and one has promise!

9-17-12
Draft of short story, tentative title, “The Specialist.” Needs one more edit and then I need to find a place to send it.

Mystery Novel – Tentative Title Daddy Issues. Status: complete. Publisher ready to review full manuscript. Enjoyed first three chapters. Keeping my fingers crossed on this one.

Paranormal Romance Novel – Tentative Title Battle Scars. Status: in revision. First draft complete. Fixing some plot issues and adding some details. This novel is the first of four in the series. Haven’t done any pitching for this one at this point.

8-24-12
New beginning for chapter 1. Again. Not sure if I want to keep it or revert back to the way it was before I wrote the newest beginning.

Four short stories ready to submit to conference contest. I’ll be turning these in before the end of August.

8-23-12
Stories submitted

Submitted a short story today to an anthology wanting stories that incorporate all five senses in the piece. (8-15-12)

8-14-12
Worked on chapter 4 edits.