Another title change, and possible cover art

Shadows has taken a backseat in the last couple of months as I wait for it's number to be called from the slush pile. In the meantime, I've completed the rough draft of what was Whispers at the Grande. It needs some work, but the bones look good.

It as gone through another change: the title ... again. This one has been hard to title. I just haven't liked anything I've come up with. But now I think I have a winner:

Matter of Choice

I'm also waiting on some information about the book cover. I found one I really love. It's absolutely beautiful artwork, and fits the novel perfectly. Maybe I'll have a big reveal sometime soon ;)

I'll also be giving you some sneak peaks at Matter of Choice soon.

Adventures in Editing (and other things)

On case you didn't already know, TJ Loveless and I began Cliffhanger Editing a couple of months back. When we began the company, we also started a Facebook page for tips and information. It has been a crazy busy experience, and one that I've had a ball with. I've been able to meet so many wonderful people, and giving out tips on how to edit their material and prepare it for publication has been rewarding beyond words. To take the experience that I've gained as an editor, and to share the trials by fire I've gone through as I venture through trying to become published, and share it all with other aspiring authors, is not anything I'd ever thought I'd find myself doing, but am so incredibly thrilled that I am. It's a jungle out there in this world of writing, but maybe us writers can all make it a little less so by banding together and finding the way to the light!

In the meantime, Shannon has begun monopolizing my time with Whispers at the Grande, my contemporary romance. I'm still completely committed to seeing the second two novels in the Shadows trilogy completed and published (and the first one is still out there in the trenches), but finding the time to sit and create something new for a moment has been wonderful.

Oh! And I've seen some great movies. The Call with Halle Berry is unbelievably good. If you haven't seen it, like a good thriller, and want to sit on the edge of your seat for a couple of hours,run, don't walk, to your nearest Redbox and SEE this movie. WARNING: If you have kids, you may want to hold them just a little closer after seeing it. I know I did. Another good one was Dead Man Down. Lots of action, a little bit of a strange love story, with some revenge thrown in. Kind of a guy flick, but I still really enjoyed it.

That's it for me for now. Back to writing, back to editing, and hey, catch me on FB or Twitter. I'm nearly always around :)

Unbelievable!

I can't get a grip on the fact that it's almost August already.

Oh wait, it IS August, isn't it? Good gravy gracious, where has this year gone?

So much continues to happen, both personally and professionally. I won't get into the personal stuff. It's boring anyway, but the professional, well, that's something to share.

Shadows still cools its heels in the slush pile of a really awesome agent, and hoping to hear back sometime soon. Thank goodness for so many other projects that keep me busy so I don't spend too much time thinking about it. Wait, was that the phone? Oh, no, just my imagination!

Working in Whispers at the Grande with Shannon, Triston and Gary are doing their thing, and making me work for their story. They've been so angry and jealous of all the attention Leonardo and Rachel have had that now they are being stubborn and difficult. But that's ok, because Shannon's love is the prize and both Triston and Gary have stakes in the playing field, so they won't be able to hold out for long before they stop pouting and allow me to get their story out.

Speaking of which, it is in consideration to self-publish Whispers, so you may see it even before you see Shadows. All depends on how things play out. But I've been building a FB author page and working on my website. It's all fun stuff!

I've also been very busy with my editing day job. With three full novels, two short story compilations and one short story in the past two months, most of my time has been spent helping other authors making their work shine and shimmer. No complaints though, because, man, it is FUN. So many great projects out there, and I get to see them first. Kind of a reader's dream come true, you know?

Oh, and that's right. I've been promising some votes on my favorite movies of this summer. Okay, here goes:
Safe Haven
Beautiful Creatures
The Host
and just because it's my favorite movie of all time: Pride and Prejudice.

I know I've seen more than that, but goodness, right now I can't think of them. I'll have to get back to you.

And I'm also looking at doing a couple of author spotlights. I'll get back to you on that too :)

'Til next time, enjoy your summer :)

My success rate is dropping

After months of Internet impairment, I am happy to say I am connected to the world again. Good stuff. I felt so lost and alone without Twitter, FB, and all the other modern day conveniences that didn't exist until, well, they weren't around when I was a child, let's just say that.

And I grew up just fine, healthy and happy to play outside.

So what in the world happened that two months of phone based internet and frequent stops to McDonald's (and not necessarily for food, although I like burgers as much as anyone else) left me feeling like an appendage was missing? Sigh. I think I need a life.

But now that I'm breathing again, I thought I better improve my success ratio and write a quick blog before I get back in the editing trenches.

Cliffhanger Editing is alive and thriving, and morphing into a bigger beast that isn't quite ready to be left out of its cage.

And Rachel and the gang are seeing their second book improve and grow as the third and final chapter of the Bitterroot Mountains starts its long journey into light.

Shannon and her complicated love life hasn't received their just attention, but that's coming too. She's knocking at the door, waiting to be left in. Everyone just has to wait their turn.

And my favorite recent movie pick? Well, we'll get into that next time.

So many changes

Okay. I admit. It's been forever since I've written anything for this blog. I am totally, 100% guilty.

But there's been a lot of changes too.

My personal life has been absolutely insane for the last 10 months, and that takes a lot of the blame.

But my writing life has been really busy too. Rachel, Leonardo, and the gang are in their first stage of revision for the second book. The first draft came up several thousand words short, and so there's been a lot of detail that has been needing attention.

Another book, Whispers at the Grande, a romance, has been working its way from my mind to my fingertips. It's still a work in progress, but its coming along. I suspect you'll be hearing a lot about Shannon very soon.

Also, querying has been going better. And that's to say, someone is taking a good ol' looksey at Shadows. (Shriek, eek, ahh, and all the other kind of screams you can imagine). There are no guarantees, but Rachel and Leonardo are itching to begin talking to you all very, very soon. :)

And one other thing. My friend and writing partner in crime, T.J. Loveless, and I have began an editing company. That's right. I'm a regular entrepreneur now. LOL! We'll be talking to you all about our adventures in querying and helping you with editing your manuscript so you can get into the trenches yourself. :) Check us out a cliffhangerediting.com.

So that's the update for now. I promise, I will try to pick this blogging thing up and do it right this go around. We can talk books, editing, and one of my other favorite pastimes - movies! I mean, hey, why not, right??

Moving Forward

So, while this blog has been focused on Shadows book one, I have been ironing out the other two books as well.  In fact, working on writing book two now.  Chapter Three.  It's such a different end of the spectrum to be working on a first draft again after so many months (literally years) of editing and rewriting.  A bit refreshing and a big daunting at the same time.  The roughness of a first draft has a much different feel to it than a work that is more polished.  Of course, as you can guess, I'm sure.  But it's fun to be writing something fresh and giving Rachel, Leonardo, and the gang to voice something new again.

I've read a lot about not continuing work on the rest of a series before it's clear that the first book is going to be picked up.  It makes sense, of course.  There is SO much work to the entire process.  It would make more sense to spend that time on something fresh to present to someone - just in case.  And it's not that I don't have other ideas rumbling around in the my head - even on paper in the form of other WIPs (first couple of chapters anyway).  But honestly, Rachel's story has to be completed in my mind.  If I can find the time, I may begin working on one of the others at the same time.

For now, though, stay tuned.  Rachel and her friends have A LOT more to tell you about, and some of their surprises are going to shock you :)

Discouragement and well... encouragement...

I'm quickly learning that trying to get a novel to see the light of day is a mixed bag of emotions.  Excitement that you are actually going down this road.  Encouragement when beta readers come back having actual feelings towards the world and characters you've created, and discouragement when the form rejections begin coming in.  It's not an easy thing, trying to get published.  Worth it all in the end, I'm sure.

But it puts a whole new meaning behind the phrase "enjoy the journey, not the destination".

Just my thoughts for the evening.  Be back soon!