Sneak Peek at Future Projects

It’s hard for me to believe that it’s only been one year since I released my debut novel, Blue Violet, the first book of the Svatura series. From that moment to this, it’s been a complete whirlwind of writing, social media, self-marketing, publishing – and figuring out how to do all of that a step at a time. I consider my first year to be quite a success just to get the books out there. Although I’ll admit that a big highlight for me was winning Bronze for Best SciFi/Fantasy/Horror eBook at the Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards for Blue Violet.

At the same time, I feel like I’m just starting out on this journey with so much more to learn and to do. Also, in my opinion, my greatest success this year comes in the form of my fans and readers. I have a community of folks who’ve reached out to say they enjoy my books and who are supportive and interested. My readers are the best, and a very big reason why I love what I do!

I could go on and on about my readers, but let me bring things back on track… here I am, one year later, with three books written and published – Blue Violet, Hyacinth and Crimson Dahlia. Not only that, but I am looking at a future packed with more projects.  I thought it would be fun to give you a sneak peek into what’s coming up.

An anthology of six paranormal romance short stories featuring exotic cat shapeshifters. I collaborated with five other awesome authors on this project that was dreamed up and coordinated by the incredible Mia Darien. It is scheduled for release October 6^th and I am super excited about it. All proceeds will support the Exotic Feline Rescue Center (EFCR). More info.

Here’s a little about my story in the anthology:

Cougar shifters have allied into groups, together in a rocky alliance to protect themselves against other shifters. Hannah Keller becomes the targeted Mate for Kyle Carstairs, the treacherous soon-to-be Alpha of another group. Meanwhile, Nick Jensen, her childhood hero and longtime secret crush, has returned home with hopes of claiming Hannah for his own. But will he be in time to rescue her from the Carstairs’s schemes?

I only just published Crimson Dahlia in August. It is the 3^rdbook of the Svatura series and the focus for this Blog Tour. But I am already deep in the works on Black Orchid. It is the fourth and final installment in the Svatura series. Each of the books features a different heroine/hero and their romance while still continuing the overarching themes and storylines. Black Orchid will be told from Adelaide’s point of view and will wrap up the series with a pretty big bang. I’ve had this ending in my head since I published the first book, Blue Violet, a year ago. Look for it to be out at the end of February 2014!

My short story in the anthology, “Hannah’s Fate,” is a lead-in to this new series focused on cougar shapeshifters (although there will be some other kinds of shifters in there too). Similar to the Svatura series, each book will feature a different heroine/hero/romance while moving through a central storyline. The first book is tentatively titled “Ava’s Fall.” I am (finger’s crossed) attempting to have it out Spring 2014.

Those are the three projects coming up soon. I’m finding that the more I write, the more ideas I come up with. I have so many ideas for books and series that I am years out from getting to them. It’s a very happy dilemma. J The good news is, I have a sabbatical from work coming up (one of the best perks my company offers). I plan to take advantage of the time off and will attempt to write 3 books in 3 months: finish up Black Orchid, write Ava’s Fall, and write one more. I haven’t decided yet if the third sabbatical project I tackle will be the 2^ndbook in the Shadowcat series or the 1^st in a different series. I’ll decide after I finish the first two.

My goal is to build up a bit of a “book buffer.” Currently I’m “living paycheck to paycheck” so to speak. I’m writing, editing, releasing, and marketing a book every six months. I’d like to extend the amount of time I spend in the editing phase. Not by much, but it’s my favorite part, so doing more is a good thing. At the same time I’d like to speed up how often I publish if I can. So by having first drafts of several books written many, many months before publishing, I can give myself the space I need. We’ll see if I can do it and if my theory works. Wish me luck!

Thank you to Beth for hosting me!!!