My Writing Plan: Week of January 23

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Another fabulous week, working on When Darkness Falls, I am so thrilled with how book 1 is coming along! I’ve just been doing revisions, but I’ve also added a couple of exciting scenes! To be honest, I think it’s actually done but I can’t quite stop pouring over it yet. Book 2 awaits!

I have the covers for When Darkness Falls for my In the Loop patrons on Patreon … please consider supporting me as an author, and enjoy seeing these lovely covers long before anyone else!

Do remember that A Cat for Troy is available for preorder on Amazon at the special pre-order price of 99 cents. Release day is March 4, 2021, and it will be available as paperback as well as Kindle.

 

Also, last but not least, please subscribe to my monthly newsletter and keep up on important news, previews, and pre-cover reveals!

 

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)
  6. A Cat for Troy (Wishes & Dreams #3)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (208,900 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (79,000) (almost done… really!)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500) (up next)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Working on When Darkness Falls.
  2. Working on the January newsletter.
  3. Working on When Darkness Falls some more!
  4. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of January 16

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This last week has gone GREAT! I’ve been working hard at revisions on When Darkness Falls, Book I: The Palace. The book trailer has been ordered and should be here soon. I’ve really been pulled into the story, which is a good thing! I’ve taken to dreaming about it (not so sure that’s a good thing, LOL). Also, I got a new desk chair that is already helping a LOT, it’s made for gamers and typists, not executives, so it naturally forms the body toward good posture rather than slouching/relaxing like the executive chair I’ve been using for years. I got this chair put together yesterday and last night I sat and shot off about 1,500 words! yay n stuff for feeling *right* sitting at the computer, finally!

I have the covers for When Darkness Falls for my In the Loop patrons on Patreon … please consider supporting me as an author, and enjoy seeing these lovely covers long before anyone else!

Do remember that A Cat for Troy is available for preorder on Amazon at the special pre-order price of 99 cents. Release day is March 4, 2021, and it will be available as paperback as well as Kindle.

 

Also, last but not least, please subscribe to my monthly newsletter and keep up on important news, previews, and pre-cover reveals!

 

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)
  6. A Cat for Troy (Wishes & Dreams #3)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Working on When Darkness Falls.
  2. Working on the January newsletter.
  3. Working on When Darkness Falls some more!
  4. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of January 9

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Well, so that week didn’t go as planned. For reasons that I won’t go into but I’m sure you’ll understand, the last few days my concentration has been shot to hell. However, on the bright side, the FIRST half of the week went great! I was working like mad on When Darkness Falls, and got two entirely new scenes written for the first book! Of course, I only remember one of them <grins> but I know there were two! The one I do remember is an entirely new chapter, and I put it up on Patreon for my Excerpts Galore patrons, as well as the brand new, amaaazing cover that I got for When Darkness Falls Book I: The Palace! 🙂

Today my concentration seems a lot better, so I plan to get back on track with getting Book I finished and polished, and work on feedback as it trickles in from my beta readers.

Do remember that A Cat for Troy is available for preorder on Amazon at the special pre-order price of 99 cents. Release day is March 4, 2021, and it will be available as paperback as well as Kindle.

 

Also, last but not least, please subscribe to my monthly newsletter and keep up on important news, previews, and pre-cover reveals!

 

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)
  6. A Cat for Troy (Wishes & Dreams #3)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Working on When Darkness Falls.
  2. Working on the January newsletter.
  3. Working on When Darkness Falls some more!
  4. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My First Writing Plan of 2021!

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May I get a LOT more written in 2021 than I did in 2020! I’ve already been hard at work on When Darkness Falls. I’ve done a read-through of book 1, followed by a pass thru all my beta reader feedback for book 1 to be sure I’d addressed any and all issues (I had), and have currently been working on adding some crucial scenes which have been coming to me in the wee hours (naturally!). Book 1 is up to 75,000, I consider book 2 more or less finished at 90,000, and book 3 needs the most work, at 37,00 words. Right now, however, I’m working on polishing just book 1, and getting a second round of beta reading started. I already have 4 beta readers, which is pretty much all I need at this point, I think by and large, it’s in pretty good shape. My hope (I’m not close enough to being done on book 3 to make it an actual goal yet) is to have all 3 books finished and ready for publication by mid summer. I don’t plan to bring them out individually ,but as a set, at least for the Kindle books. And oh my gosh have we got gorgeous covers for you all to drool over!

I got my marketing/promos set up (and paid for!) for the release of A Cat for Troy on March 4, 2021. Yesterday I had my first pre-order for Cat, which was also exciting! I’ve gotten the covers for all three books of When Darkness Falls, and there’s a full book trailer in the works, but that will be a couple of weeks.

All that, and it’s only the 3rd of January! I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself!

Do remember that A Cat for Troy is available for preorder on Amazon at the special pre-order price of 99 cents. Release day is March 4, 2021, and it will be available as paperback as well as Kindle.

 

Also, last but not least, please subscribe to my monthly newsletter and keep up on important news, previews, and pre-cover reveals!

 

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)
  6. A Cat for Troy (Wishes & Dreams #3)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Working on When Darkness Falls.
  2. Working on the January newsletter.
  3. Working on When Darkness Falls some more!
  4. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of December 26

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I DID IT! I FINISHED A Cat for Troy! Now it’s going out for proofreading.I finally broke down and got my hands on an older Macbook Air to use Vellum to format my books. But until it comes back from the proofreader, I’ll start work on When Darkness Falls. In the meantime, A Cat for Troy is available for preorder on Amazon at the special pre-order price of 99 cents. Release day is March 4, 2021, and it will be available as paperback as well as Kindle.

See this amazing book trailer of A Cat for Troy, done by Eeva Lancaster of The Book Khaleesi:

 

Also, last but not least, please subscribe to my monthly newsletter!

 

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)
  6. A Cat for Troy (Wishes & Dreams #3)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Working on A Cat for Troy.
  2. Get my December newsletter out.
  3. Taking lots of cat and toddler and tree pics and videos on my new iPhone.
  4. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of December 19

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A Cat for Troy is really coming along! There’s very little in the way of revisions that my 2nd round of beta readers are finding, which is a real relief! Yes, I fret! Most of what they do find is easily addressed. My specific goal is to have A Cat for Troy completed by Christmas Eve. One of my beta readers was so excited about the book, not only has she gone back to read the others, but she’s volunteered to beta read for When Darkness Falls!! Which, if I get Cat done on time, I’ll dive into the day after Christmas!d

You can preorder A Cat for Troy on Amazon at the special pre-order price of 99 cents.

 

Also, last but not least, please subscribe to my monthly newsletter!

 

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)
  6. A Cat for Troy (Wishes & Dreams #3)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Working on A Cat for Troy.
  2. Get my December newsletter out.
  3. Taking lots of cat and toddler and tree pics and videos on my new iPhone.
  4. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of December 12

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I’ve been hard at work on A Cat for Troy. I’m sending it through one final round of beta readers, but I am really SUPER pleased at how it is, right now. The beta readers aren’t finding much, just little things I need to fix, and not many of those, either. I’m getting totally excited about calling this a wrap! In fact, this morning I opened up Scrivener, planning to start on going through the new round of beta reader feedback, and I didn’t want to.. I wanted to sit and bask in the feeling of being pleased with the manuscript! LOL. So I let myself do that, and I’ll get back to it this afternoon. I’m hoping to call this a wrap by the time I write next Saturday’s writing plan!

You can preorder A Cat for Troy on Amazon at the special pre-order price of 99 cents.

 

Also, last but not least, please subscribe to my monthly newsletter!

 

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)
  6. A Cat for Troy (Wishes & Dreams #3)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Working on A Cat for Troy.
  2. Get my December newsletter out.
  3. Taking lots of cat and toddler and tree pics and videos on my new iPhone.
  4. Keep staying home and safe.

 

It’s Official!! A Release Date for A Cat for Troy!

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It’s now totally official! A Cat for Troy will be released on Thursday, March 4, 2021. This is the third book in the Wishes & Dreams paranormal romance series. You can pre-order it on Amazon at the special pre-order price of $0.99. It will be available as Kindle or Paperback.

Here’s the back cover blurb:

Veterinarian Troy Shelton has no idea what he’s letting himself in for when he rescues a friend’s cat from the shelter after a dog attack. The friendly but demanding calico soon has Troy and his pregnant collie wrapped around her furry paw. But strange things begin happening in Troy’s home when he’s away, and he could almost think someone else was living there besides him.

Torn and hurting, Katerina appreciates Troy’s gentle care. She also appreciates his strong form and handsome face as much as the way he cuddles her. She’s trapped in her cat form until her wounds heal, but once she’s well again she finds herself oddly reluctant to resume her human form and life away from Troy. But someone else is interested in Troy, and that someone else has already tried to kill Cat once.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of December 5

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Well… NaNo is over and um. Well. Nope. I didn’t win this time. At least, I did win, because I’m up about 14k more than I had on October 31st, but I didn’t come close to the 50,000 for an official NaNo win. I was having a really hard time getting invested in the story and ideas just weren’t coming. When, 2 weeks into November, I identified the problem, it was that what I was really WANTING to do was to work on A Cat for Troy and get that out the door so I can finally tackle When Darkness Falls. This whole thing was set off incidentally by my son-in-law, who chanced to ask me in the course of a conversation about I don’t remember what, how happy I’d be on a scale of 1-10 if I had to publish Cat right now, as-is. I thought about that, and decided really? A 9. I think it’s in good shape. There are some areas I’d like to work on, but overall I wouldn’t be too unhappy or disappointed if I had to publish it today. So that set off a desire to get those areas worked on, and the book published (though not today, of course!).

So… that’s what I did. I abandoned NaNo, and I’ve been revising my lil heart out. I’ve set a release date of March 4, 2021, and have it set up on Amazon for pre-order. I got some great banners made up, and … THIS amazing book trailer from Eeva Lancaster of The Book Khaleesi. Watch carefully toward the end, as Cat morphs into Katerina!

So the plan is to keep working on A Cat for Troy. I’ve finished all the edits from the first round of beta reading, and am going through now and doing some global type changes (like taxi’s to Ubers) and characterization work, while my second round of beta readers get their feedback to me.

I’m still actively seeking beta readers for another round of Cat before I send it off to an editor for a final read-through and corrections. I have a webpage that explains what beta readers do, and my own process for handing beta reading, and some links to youtube videos for those new to the process. If you’re reading this and you’re interested, please go to my Beta Readers webpage, then give me a shout!

 

Also, last but not least, please subscribe to my monthly newsletter!

 

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

  • I got an iPhone 12 ProMax. I’m spoiled. Sue me 😛 This is my first foray into the world of Apple (aside from iTunes), and I am LOVING my new phone, it takes amaaazing pictures and videos.
  • Coronavirus, of course. I’ve been in self-imposed #stayhome since March 15th, when I read this article by a journalist in Italy. I’m staying home and safe, and hope you are, too!

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Working on A Cat for Troy.
  2. Get my December newsletter out.
  3. Decorate the Christmas tree.
  4. Taking lots of cat and toddler pics and videos on my new iPhone.
  5. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of October 31

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This comes as no surprise, I’m sure, but this week’s plan is to WRITE! National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) begins tonight at midnight, and I’m primed to go! I have my plot roughly figured out, especially after a great brainstorming session this morning with my daughter (best brainstormer EVER!) and son-in-law. Today I can’t actually start writing (til midnight), but I’ll be working on characterization: first, I do a Character Interview, based on Alicia Rasley’s Character Interview that I got from a workshop she gave years ago. It takes 3-4 hours to finish *per character* so I only do them for main characters, but by the time I’m done I have a really great handle on that character. Once I’ve gotten to know them, then I set up character archetypes and interactions, using The Complete Guide to Heroes and Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes. This has been incredibly helpful to me, I’ve been using it since 2000 when I first started writing seriously.  Actually, now that I’m using Scrivener for writing (which is amazing!!!), I’m going to switch things up by splitting the screen and working with the archetypes and interview at the same time, as I think it’ll be even more effective than doing one, then the other, then going back to tweak the answers, etc. Honestly you need each to do the other, so it should work well to do them together.

I have yet to come up with a working title. It’s another shapeshifter romance, the second book after A Cat for Troy, which is the  manuscript currently in final revisions for a possible January 2021 release. The book in between (tentatively entitled ShadowCat), was my last year’s NaNo project and is at 50,400 words. In this year’s project I’m changing things up by moving into non-cat territory; although the heroine is a clouded leopard, the hero is a Great Pyrenees shapeshifter.

I’m still actively seeking beta readers for another round of Cat before I send it off to an editor for a final read-through and corrections. I have a webpage that explains what beta readers do, and my own process for handing beta reading, and some links to youtube videos for those new to the process. If you’re reading this and you’re interested, please go to my Beta Readers webpage, then give me a shout!

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

  • Granddaughter Ms. Sophia! She’s now officially a toddler, and can toddle from one end of the house to the other, AND back! 🙂 She also loves carrying things around. The most common refrain heard at any given time of the day is “Have you seen my phone?” and “Where’s the remote?” Once my son-in-law’s phone was lost for three days, he’d about given up hope when he found it underneath the cat track toy… we’d moved it around, but never had thought to look *under* it, LOL!
  • Coronavirus, of course. I’ve been in self-imposed #stayhome since March 15th, when I read this article by a journalist in Italy. I’m staying home and safe, and hope you are, too!

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Characterization work on hero & heroine for my NaNo project
  2. Midnight tonight: WRITE!
  3. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of October 24

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I’ve gotten some work done on revisions, but not as much as I’d planned (or hoped). Yesterday was my granddaughter’s first birthday, and we had two parties, one on Friday for immediate family and Saturday for close friends. Be assured, we ALL practice safe social distancing and masks, and are careful about who we invite! Anyway, the last half of the week was spent frantically getting ready, which for me included doing final moving-in tasks, things that I hadn’t unpacked (or put away) needed to get done. The baby has just started walking, literally in the last week! Last Friday she took her first few steps alone… but THIS Friday she was walking across the room and back!

Anyway! Now that we’re all done with that (plus I’m ALL unpacked now, LOL), I’m back to the writing part. Today I’ve been going over the NaNo website and got my participant badge, yayy! I also looked through the previous projects and found last year’s project that… not only do I not remember writing any of that, I don’t even remember the STORY! ROFL!!!! I’ll be spending this week brainstorming that story, and another partial one I’ve started in the same Wishes & Dreams series. These are both shapeshifter stories, one with caracal hero & heroine, and a clouded leopard heroine with another shifter of unknown type for the hero.  The feedback I’m getting from my readers (as well as from beta readers for A Cat for Troy) is that they want to see more of the djinn Jacinth, from A Gift of Jacinth so she’ll be a recurring major secondary character throughout the series. I’m loathe to keep adding in all the characters from each previous book, which I’ve seen done in a few longer series and it gets confusing to the point of overwhelming, so I’m picking a few to focus on as recurring characters.

I am actively seeking beta readers for another round of Cat before I send it off to an editor for a final read-through and corrections. I have a webpage that explains what beta readers do, and my own process for handing beta reading, and some links to youtube videos for those new to the process. If you’re reading this and you’re interested, please go to my Beta Readers webpage, then give me a shout!

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Brainstorm for next week when NaNoWriMo begins!
  2. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  3. Find more beta readers for A Cat for Troy.
  4. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of October 17

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These last 2 weeks I got behind in writing efforts. I was over in SecondLife, moving my roleplay city to a different sim, which took freakin’ foreeeeeeeeeeever! Besides just moving over everything, I also boxed it all up in rez boxes so the next time things will go a  lot smoother (and faster). I actually had fun doing it, it was just very time-consuming. However, I’ve gotten everything moved, and rental boxes out for the various homes and businesses, and oh I also re-built the Djinn Realm from scratch while I was at it, as I’d never liked the first one I built, and this one is incredible! I love it so much I’ve been reluctant to leave it and go down to my tower above the palace in the city, LOL!!! However, I’m back to writing starting as soon as I get this blog post published 🙂

I am actively seeking beta readers for another round of Cat before I send it off to an editor for a final read-through and corrections. I have a webpage that explains what beta readers do, and my own process for handing beta reading, and some links to youtube videos for those new to the process. If you’re reading this and you’re interested, please go to my Beta Readers webpage, then give me a shout!

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Begin advertising for beta readers for A Cat for Troy.
  3. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of September 26

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Soooo I’ve been working on revisions from my first round of beta reader feedback, and my 26-chapter book is now 28 chapters <laughs> It just… I mean, everything worked, but the ending came on too fast, you know? So I got a BRILLIANT idea (she said, modestly) of bringing Cat’s older brother in from California, NOT pleased that his sisters were in danger and didn’t tell him. And this TOTALLY  works because he’s the hero of the next book, Shadow Cat (just a working title for now til I come up with something better). So this gives me a chance to introduce his character into the series, although he’s been referenced before but we haven’t actually *seen* him.

I am actively seeking beta readers for another round of Cat before I send it off to an editor for a final read-through and corrections. I have a webpage that explains what beta readers do, and my own process for handing beta reading, and some links to youtube videos for those new to the process. If you’re reading this and you’re interested, please go to my Beta Readers webpage, then give me a shout!

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

  • Moving. I’m pretty much settled in. I’m still arranging my pantry and kind of organizing things, but most of the crucial stuff is unpacked and in place. Two nights ago I found the cats’ kick sticks, and that was a tremendous success, with the baby too, LOL!
  • Coronavirus, of course. I’ve been in self-imposed #stayhome since March 15th, when I read this article by a journalist in Italy. I’m staying home and safe, and hope you are, too!

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Begin advertising for beta readers for A Cat for Troy.
  3. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of September 19

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Yes, I’ve been gone for a month; however, I have a GREAT reason! I was moving 😛  It was a major move, too, I drove a 26-foot moving van across the burning desert, pulling my car, and with 2 very unhappy cats in the truck with me, and I’m now a resident of cheery (slightly smoky) Southern California. The cats are a lot happier now, they are loving this big house we’re living in. I’m still in a lot of pain, but I’m *mostly* unpacked (at least the important parts… my desk and my bedroom, and yes, in that order,  LOL). And just the last couple days I’ve finally settled enough to be able to work on the revisions.

I am actively seeking beta readers for another round of Cat before I send it off to an editor for a final read-through and corrections. I have a webpage that explains what beta readers do, and my own process for handing beta reading, and some links to youtube videos for those new to the process. If you’re reading this and you’re interested, please go to my Beta Readers webpage, then give me a shout!

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Begin advertising for beta readers for A Cat for Troy.
  3. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of August 15

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This week I’ve made GREAT progress!!! I’m up to chapter 19 in revisions on A Cat for Troy (total of 26 chapters). It’s really shaping up well. I’m working my way through feedback from my beta readers, going chapter by chapter (I LOVE Scrivener!). One thing I realized… I first began writing this, well before Uber became a Thing… so now I’m having to seek out all references to taxis, cabs and cabbies, and change them over LOL.

At this point, I am going to be actively seeking beta readers for another round of Cat before I send it off to an editor for a final read-through and corrections. I have a webpage that explains what beta readers do, and my own process for handing beta reading, and some links to youtube videos for those new to the process. If you’re reading this and you’re interested, please go to my Beta Readers webpage, then give me a shout!!

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

  • Coronavirus, of course. I’ve been in self-imposed #stayhome since March 15th, when I read this article by a journalist in Italy. I’m also tracking the coronavirus in Tucson, where I live. The curve is definitely not flattening, in fact, it continues to rise.
    • Tucson: 19,164 with 524 deaths (probably lots more deaths than this, as we’re now sending patients out of the county and even out of state, so more could be dying far from home)
    • US = 5,289,196 with 170,577 deaths

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Begin advertising for beta readers for A Cat for Troy.
  3. Keep staying home and safe.

 

The first review for Castles in the Sand! 4 stars!

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At long last, a review of Castles in the Sand! She gave it 4 stars 🙂 🙂 Here’s what she had to say:

Read book 1 first!

This is part 2 in a series and I would recommend reading part 1 first to get to know all the secondary characters. This book is less good than part 1 in my opinion. It is less love story and more family chronicle. But I liked reading it because it tells us a lot more about the people in book 1 and I liked them a lot.

An orphaned physiotherapist is hired to help Bennett, Khalid’s brother, back on his feet after he got severely hurt by a landmine.

A lot happens in the extended family. I have the feeling Allie used a lot of her experience in the medical field in the Arab world for this story.

If you liked the love story of part 1: it might be oldfashioned me but I thought it a bit shallow and the bed activities are less sizzling.

By Tulip on Amazon and Goodreads on 8/14/20

A 4-Star Review for Wishes in a Bottle

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No, a 4-star review isn’t as exciting as a 5-star review, BUT… when it comes from a not-a-romance-reader, it’s just as good as a 5-star review from someone who does love romance! So yay n stuff!!!

Fun read

I concidered not leaving a review because I’m not really a romance reader, but I’ll share a few thoughts. As a not-romance reader, there were 3 scenes I skipped over. I did enjoy the characters and their journeys, and the positive themes of selflessness and service. The paranormal aspects were interesting and well thought out. The story was fun but a bit predictable, which killed the tension for me. Overall I enjoyed the read.

By Christie Powell on Amazon and Goodreads on 04/19/20

 

A not-quite-new 5-star review for Truck Stop

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Okay, so I was a little late finding this, it was posted in April. The world has been kind of distracting, but I did find it, and was so thrilled!

Just couldn’t out it down .

What a beautiful brilliant story , you felt like you were actually there with them all the time , never quite knowing were it was going to take you next with all the twists and turns it took you too ,yep a fantastic read , if there had been more stars to give I would have given them all.
So much looking forward to reading the other books advertised .

Posted by Pamela Beavis on Goodreads on 04/17/20

5 Stars on Amazon for SwanSong!

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Yesterday there was a new, wonderful 5-star review for SwanSong!!

Very authentic and believable lovestory
by Tulip on Amazon

My Writing Plan: Week of August 1

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I took this entire week off. After the stresses leading up to last week, I just needed some down time. I’ve been spending a lot of time in my recliner, re-reading Dianne Duvall’s “Immortal Guardians” series (which might have something to do with my lack of progress, LOL). The last 2 days I also did a bit of building on my SecondLife RP sim, just for fun rather than any compelling need. Now I have  a ton of tasks to get done this weekend, to clear off my slate so I can dive back into revisions Monday (or tomorrow, if I get these all done today) without a bunch of stuff niggling at my brain trying to distract me.

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

  • Coronavirus, of course. I’ve been in self-imposed #stayhome since March 15th, when I read this article by a journalist in Italy. I’m also tracking the coronavirus in Tucson, where I live. The curve is definitely not flattening, in fact, it continues to rise.
    • Tucson: 16,167 with 459 deaths (probably lots more deaths than this, as we’re now sending patients out of the county and even out of state, so more could be dying far from home)
    • US = 4,557,067 with 156,168 deaths

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Begin thinking about advertising for beta readers for A Cat for Troy.
  3. Keep staying home and safe.

 

COVID in Tucson… tracking

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I’ve been following the coronavirus here in  Tucson using the United States Coronavirus Tracker Map. There’s been a sharp upswing in cases in the last two days; we’ve gone from 15-20 new cases a day, to over 40. I’m neither an expert nor a mathemetician, but even I can see that it’s just getting started here! Probably this is from all the people who did not #StayHome (or even take precautions, if they couldn’t stay home) who were infected by people who themselves were still in the incubation period, which can last up to 14 days. And these 40+ people a day have in turn been spreading it to people they came in contact with while they were in the incubation period and thought they were perfectly fine since they had no symptoms.

Dr. Fauci said that the original estimate of the mortality rate was 1% …. which is 10% higher than the seasonal flu which is 0.01%. That was a few weeks ago; the numbers we’re seeing, not just in Tucson but nationally, are consistently well over 5%.

I’m not an alarmist… in fact, alarmists tend to make me roll my eyes until my corneas detach… and yet, I”m alarmed, especially when I see all these people out and about with no masks, children running around. I guess I just don’t understand how, at this point, people can not take this seriously!

TUCSON TOTAL + New Cases/Deaths:

Progression:

March: 202 cases, 4 deaths
April: 1,241 cases, 80 deaths
May: 2,290 cases, 186 deaths
June: 8,004 cases, 272 deaths
July: 16,475 cases, 462 deaths

AUGUST 2020:

In July, Pima County has begun sending their covid patients to Phoenix, Wickenburg and Albuquerque. Therefore, the death toll isn’t accurate as those dying in those other places may not be counted here.

Aug 1 16,475 +308 / 462 +3
Aug 2 16,475 +0 / 462 +0
Aug 3 16,655 +180 / 462 +0

NATIONAL TOTAL + New Cases/Deaths:

Progression:

March: 189,800 cases, 4,086 deaths
April: 1,082,035 cases, 64,137 deaths
May: 1,795,878 cases, 105,169 deaths
June: 2,634,495 cases, 128,833 deaths
July: 4,557,067 cases, 156,158 deaths

AUGUST 2020:

Aug 1 4,613,664 +56,597 / 157,164 +1,006
Aug 2 4,613,682 +18 / 157,166 +2
Aug 3 4,661,209 +47,527 +411

My Writing Plan: Week of July 25

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I have to admit it. I hardly did any revising this week. I’ve been over in SecondLife, working with a scripter on the custom meter for my roleplay sim, and it’s taking oooodles of time. It’s almost ready to go, and I spent the last two days… well… you’d have to be a SL’er to understand so I won’t go into it, but I’ve been SUPER busy! However, we’re finally done and I’m rolling out the new meter later today (the scripter is doing a last-minute glitch check right now as I’m typing this) so I’ll be back to revisioning today.

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

  • Coronavirus, of course. I’ve been in self-imposed #stayhome since March 15th, when I read this article by a journalist in Italy. I’m also tracking the coronavirus in Tucson, where I live. The curve is definitely not flattening, in fact, it continues to rise.
    • Tucson: 14,428 with 409 deaths (probably lots more deaths than this, as we’re now sending patients out of the county and even out of state, so more could be dying far from home)
    • US = 4,120,780 with 147,785 deaths

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Begin thinking about advertising for beta readers for A Cat for Troy.
  3. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of July 18

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Revisions are still coming along slowly. Not from any particular reason, my mind is just kinda scattered. But I’m still plugging along on A Cat For Troy. I’ve taken several days working on Chapter 12, which involves an engagement dinner (Jacinth and Douglas, from A Gift of Jacinth) and the need to write… <shudders> conversation!!! As an introvert, I find writing conversations in a group of people particularly difficult. However, I’ve about got it nailed, with the help of my wonderful beta readers! I’m hoping to have it finished by tonight, in fact, and to be able to move forward to Chapter 13, which my beta readers didn’t have any issues with at all. Which, of course, doesn’t mean I won’t find something to tweak or fix or whatever!

I’m waiting to start advertising for beta readers, since I want to be a bit farther along with revisions, since I haven’t been able to concentrate yet as well as I like. Things keep happening out there in the Real World to throw me off my stride (most recently, anonymous secret police picking up protesters in Portland) and that just makes it so hard to focus on writing! But I’m trying, I’m trying!

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

  • Coronavirus, of course. I’ve been in self-imposed #stayhome since March 15th, when I read this article by a journalist in Italy. I’m also tracking the coronavirus in Tucson, where I live. The curve is definitely not flattening, in fact, it continues to rise.
    • Tucson: 13,058 with 360 deaths (probably lots more deaths than this, as we’re now sending patients out of the county and even out of state, so more could be dying far from home)
    • US = 3,633,825 with 141,107 deaths

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Begin thinking about advertising for beta readers for A Cat for Troy.
  3. Keep staying home and safe.