Kindle Unlimited versus publishing WIDE

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I’ve really been struggling with trying to decide whether to stick with Amazon exclusively, or to go with WIDE publishing. In order to have my ebooks available on Kindle Unlimited (free to read with monthly subscription), they have to be exclusive to Amazon. That means they’re not available in Nook (Barnes & Noble), Kobo, Google Play or Apple Books. So I might be missing out on sales by not having them available on those platforms. But… MOST of my royalties at this point (about 70+%) come from KU page reads. A full read-through on KU pays about the same royalties as if I’d actually sold a copy of the book. So I might lose the current royalties I already get. Keeping mind my books will still be on Amazon, just not *exclusive* to Amazon, just not in KU. On the other hand, we’re not talking about a significant amount of money; I can take myself out to dinner someplace reasonably nice for a steak once a month on my royalties. No risk, no gain… and the financial risk is, honestly, pretty negligible.

But there’s a happiness risk. It’s not just about the royalties for me. When I see a book sale, or a bunch of KU page reads, I don’t squeal “money!” …. I’m jumping up and down squealing “somebody’s reading my book!” and I get all excited about that. That’s what keeps me going, that’s why I write and publish… to have people read my books. No, I don’t have them for free, because I do believe my stories, my creativity, my effort, have value, but it’s never been about the money (not that I’d object to making more, of course!). LOL. But I do risk losing those KU page reads, and being left with the sprinkle of eBook sales.
So… what do I do? Honestly? I don’t know. I joined the Wide for the Win Facebook group for writers who have published WIDE, and I’m taking 3 of my books… Truck Stop, SwanSong and Castles in the Sand… out of KU when their contract term ends May 22nd, and going WIDE with those, while keeping the paranormal romance series on Amazon and KU. But part of me keeps whispering “Just DO it with all of them…”

I’m seriously torn *le sigh*

Release Day! A Cat for Troy is available NOW!

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Finally the day is here, A Cat for Troy goes live on Amazon! Get it as Kindle or paperback, or read it for free with Kindle Unlimited 🙂

Synopsis: 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.

Check out the cool book trailer while you’re at it!

Review: Witch’s Return by Sionna Trenz

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I’ve never read anything quite like this… it was a fun read, and kept me glued to the edge of my chair til the very end! I got a real kick out of all the different types of supernaturals residing on the island, and impressed with the world building that had them living there all in harmony… the abrasive element came from outside the island. The tension was kept notched up, enough to keep me turning the page to see what happened! A great story and I can’t wait to get to the next book!

Review: A Christmas Demon for Clara by Chloe Balkin

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I almost passed this by, because I thought it would be scary (there aren’t that many demon romances out there, right?). Instead it was an absolute treat! I loved every minute of it. It was funny, it was charming, it was steamy… just a FUN read! I couldn’t put it down until I’d finished the last page, and then I rushed to my computer to order the next book in the series! Really, do yourself a favor and get this book. You’ll enjoy it tremendously, I promise!

Review: Her Fake Fiance by Karen Fox

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This was an unexpected find. I was truly charmed, and couldn’t put the book down til the very end! The characterization was superb, and while I felt impatient with Steven’s denseness, well, he is a guy after all! And he did come around in the end. The plot was well thought out and well executed, the pacing was great and the author voice terrific. The scenes with the former girlfriend were also well done, not over-the-top, and her escalation slow but steady.

Overall this book was a pleasure to read, beginning to end!

My Writing Plan: Week of February 13

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I’m still working on ShadowCat… and no! we still don’t have an official title for this story yet. Working on it!

 

With the deadline for A Cat for Troy looming, I”m starting to feel the nerves. I’ve gotten Vellum and formatted my own books before, but it’s been almost 2 years, so it’ll be like starting over learning it. On the bright side, instead of using Mac-in-Cloud I now have a dedicated Mac Mini… yes, just for formatting my books. Go figure. And honestly, last time it took me about an hour for the first book, and about 15 minutes for each other book after that, so there’s no need for me to be panicking. Except, of course, I am!

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.

Remember, 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!

 

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. Format A Cat for Troy (once I receive it from the proofreaders).
  2. Working on When Darkness Falls and/or ShadowCat.
  3. Come up with an official title for ShadowCat.
  4. Working on the February newsletter.
  5. Keep staying home and safe.

 

Review: Shattered by Bree Lewandowski

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It was great!  I totally LOVED this story! The suspense was steady and believeable, and I love how the hero and heroine got their second chance, and the way it was done… quite touching! And the surprise at the end with the villain was totally unexpected! A very moving, satisfying story with great characters. I highly recommend this!

Review: Falling into Magic by Elizabeth Pantley

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Just Delightful!

And frankly, Sassy-Latifah stole the show! She had the perfect amount of cattitude without being snarky, and still loving! What an adorable cat, and her side kick, Chanel. Oh, right, about the book! I don’t normally care for first person, but this was fantastic! I got immersed in the story from the first paragraph, and stayed up half the night to read it til the end, because I simply could not put it down! The characterization was spot on, the suspense carried through the story with the right amount of emphasis. Really, this is a terrific story and I’ve already pre-ordered the next book! I can’t wait!

Review: The Jaguar Drum by Fenton Kay

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Don’t let the cover put you off this hidden treasure!

I almost passed this book by, because of the really bad cover. I kept coming back to it though because the synopsis intrigued me, and I wondered if I was bypassing a real treasure of a story because of a home-made cover. And I was right! This is a FANTASTIC story, very well-done plot, likeable and relatable characters, and a strong sense of history, place and time. Don’t pass up this historical gem for your children, to give them a good look into the Mayan and Spaniard cultures and histories of the time of Philip and Elizabeth of Spain.

My Writing Plan: Week of February 6

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I lost steam on book 2 of When Darkness Falls, I’m not sure why, but Saturday morning I woke up with a scene idea for ShadowCat, which is the next book in the Wishes & Dreams paranormal romance, after A Cat for Troy. Since I have no deadlines on anything, and no particular reason to not change WIPs, and both are about 50k from being done, I switched to ShadowCat and added a couple thousand words to my manuscript! I’m thinking of continuing on that one, since reviews are starting to trickle in for A Cat for Troy and also the first two books in the series, saying they want more!

ShadowCat, by the way, is a working title. I’m currently brainstorming with my daughter for an official title for it! Stay tuned!

For now, I’m remaining flexible on which of these two projects I’m working on… until one of them takes off! Then I’ll stay with that one and see it through to publication.

Also, 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 and/or ShadowCat.
  2. Come up with an official title for ShadowCat.
  3. Working on the February newsletter.
  4. Keep staying home and safe.

 

REVIEW: Werewolves of London by Angie Fox

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Angie Fox is a superb storycrafter! I haven’t enjoyed a book so much in months. She had me at the opening scene… a poker game in a MASH camp between paranormal players. The world building was dead-on, you could almost imagine yourself right there. The characterizations were dead-on too, with absolutely no info dumping yet still when they were introduced I felt like I knew them. Humor was threaded throughout the book, but the priceless line that had me laugh so much I almost dropped my Kindle was: “You try finding a sitter at the last minute.” I just howled! I am definitely going to go look up more by Ms. Fox!

My only negative thoughts have nothing to do with the story, but with the title, Werewolves of London, as it has nothing to do with the story itself at all, aside from having one secondary character who was a werewolf and apparently from London. But that’s a minor picky point. The story was fabulous!

*I received this book for free, in exchange for an honest review.

A new venture… NetGalley!

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Professional ReaderSo, since I’m always trying to find new authors to follow, I decided a great way to do this, AND give back to the writing community, is to join NetGalley and (selectively) choose some books to review. It’s not an avocation, and will be random, but I’ll still faithfully post my reviews here and on Amazon and Goodreads. And NetGalley gave me this cool badge! LOL!

I’ve put my first few requests in for books to read. I’m an unknown, with no reviews posted yet on NetGalley, so it may be awhile before I start being approved to read. In the meantime, I’m back to work on my own books!

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.