That's a Wrap! (okay, not really...)

So, it's 3:00 in the morning. I'm lying in bed. Wide. Awake. And thinking relentlessly about my sequel to my latest novel. I'm excited to say that after 8 months of heavy copy editing. And I mean heavy. I have wrapped up my second draft of my novel! I swear it doesn't even look like the same first draft. It took me 60 days exactly to both write and research that book. Word count to-date: 149,635. Or 509 pages. Dang. I was seriously a girl on fire when I wrote this. Oh, my poor tendonitis! By the last chapter, I was literally writing with ace bandages on both wrists. Tim said I looked like a burn victim.

So, since I wrapped up my edits for my final chapter you'd think I'd be like, oh praise... now I get a break! Wrong. Like I said, I'm sitting here thinking about my next book when I should be sleeping. This is my plague as a writer. My mind literally comes alive at night with all my story ideas when it should be shutting down for some serious shut-eye. And for this reason, I have the worst sleep hygiene and as a result, the worst sleep patterns. I mean, a full Ambien doesn't take me down these days.

I digress. What's next for this novel? Well, a lot before it gets into the hands of my readers. Sorry gals, if you were looking to pick it up anytime soon. I've got my beta readers in line first. And then I will consider their critique and criticism for my third draft. And in the meantime, I'm going to get going on my queries (which I swear are double the work of writing the actual book) and get started on that sequel. The rolling stone gathers no moss... right?

Currently, my work is untitled. I had one that I had mostly decided on until I Goodreads-searched it and found A) over 20 other works under the same title, and B) most of those works were erotica. Now, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the erotica genre... if it's your slice of pie, happy reading! You're reading, and that's all that matters to me. BUT, it's not my genre. And I don't want my work lumped in with it. So the beautiful title Phoenix Rising has been nixed. Next to queries, I might hate titling my work the most. I mean, apparently, if I can't say it in less than 100,00 words, I can't say it at all. 

So I've got my work cut out for me. But as of right now, I can at least say... that's a wrap! On this round anyway, ha!

Don't remember my synopsis from ages ago? Here you go!

Tala Alexander is a woman raised in privilege, the granddaughter of a founder of the Republic of Columbia, a powerful and formidable country built on the remains of the former United States. Kane Ryan is a man from a meager upbringing who has suffered greatly at the hands of the Republic and now lives his life in hiding, with a skillset no man should have. During a brutal attack one night, Tala's and Kane’s lives unexpectantly converge. As they dig into the unprovoked attack, they uncover secrets they never expected to find… secrets that will change everything Tala’s known, everything she’s believed, and everyone she’s trusted. Tala must discern the truth from the lies, her real allies from her enemies. She must decide where her allegiances lie and just how far she’s willing to go to protect what matters most. 

But will the price be worth the cost? In finding Tala, Kane will learn to move beyond his dark past. In finding Kane, Tala will uncover the strength to step out of her family’s legacy and discover her true self. Tala’s strength of character will be tested as she fights for her people, for humanity, for love. And she will learn that not everyone can be saved.

First Glimpse

All right ya'll (I've always wanted to say that even though I'm from Minnesota so I really should be saying Hay der - really draw out the haaaaay, it's a long 'a' sound), but it's Sunday! Which means you're either bummed because it's the end of the weekend, or you're living it up before another Monday knocks on our doors. Either way, happy Sunday!

I've been updating my word count for everyone, just to keep you, and myself, on track with my new manuscript, but I've yet to release any details of my story. I've been asked a lot... when are you going to share??? So since I've passed 200 pages, today I'm giving you a brief preview of what's to come.

*I do have proprietary rights to this, and it cannot be copied or shared without author permission.

ENJOY!

Tala’s eyes opened slowly. She felt lightheaded, her mind covered in a thick fog. Her eyes struggled to focus on anything around her and something strong was pulling her back to sleep. She closed her eyes again, feeling a warmth around her and she began to drift off.

            Tala was woken with a start. She was moving quickly, faster than she ever had before. Fire burned all around her. The large flames licked the walls, higher and higher, reaching for the ceiling. She tried to take a breath, but the air was too hot, too thick with smoke, and she coughed instead. Her lungs began to burn in her chest. But before she could try for another breath of air, she burst through the back door, her small body flung onto the concrete patio. She skinned her knees, elbows, and palms, but didn’t notice. She turned just in time to make out the shape of a person, a man, going into the burning house.

            Taking in the fresh air in gulps, Tala crawled, bleeding, across the patio to the grassy lawn. It was damp when her skin reached it and she collapsed into a heap. Her surroundings began to slip away from her. She tried to fight it, but the darkness was strong and overtaking her. She blinked erratically but couldn’t keep it from consuming her. It was so strong.

            Tala woke a few moments later as Thias was laid beside her in the grass. She reached out for his lifeless hand, feeling it warm in her palm as she gripped it tightly. And then there was a boom, so loud that all that was left in Tala’s ears afterward was a loud, high pitched ringing. Debris began falling all around them, but neither she nor Thias could move. She lay in the wet grass and clasped her brother’s hand hoping it wasn’t the end.

            From somewhere in the distance, she picked up the faint sound of a new ringing. It started to grow, louder and louder and she realized they were sirens. She covered her mouth with her spare hand, shielding herself from the falling ash as she took in deep breaths, coughing in between. The pull of the darkness was dissipating, and she glanced around, and in a moment so brief, she made out the dilapidated figure of a young man, a boy, about her age. She tried to call out to him and then, just like that, he was gone. 

Hello 2019

Welcome 2019... a year of greatness... 365 opportunities to do something big, to do something small... to be happy. I have to say, I rang in my new year firing on all cylinders, with fire and excitement burning through my veins. Started a book... and I'm feeling gooooood about this. I start stories all the times (I don't usually call them a book until I get to a certain point and have a complete vision), but so often they just flop. Which is fine. Not everything is meant to make its way into the world, and the little lives and settings and stories I think up in my head keep me entertained, and well, there's something to be said for that.

Yes, I always have a story in my head. Sometimes I imagine the same scene with the same characters, and even the same dialogue, a hundred times. Sometimes a dozen ideas fill my brain all at once. But believe me when I tell you there's always a story up there. I truly have voices in my head, haha.

I recently had a conversation with a budding writer... a sweet as ever young girl who shares a passion for writing stories that consume her brain, too. She struggles with her confidence and frequently gives up on her ideas. Which is sad. But like I said, not everything is made to be published. My advice to her was simple (and you can take it, too, if you've ever thought of writing something). Observation. As a writer, one of our biggest advantages is to observe and research. If I only wrote what I knew personally, none of my characters would differ from each other and have their own personalities, vocabularies, likes and dislikes, none of the plots would be all that exciting, as nothing overly "WOW" has really ever happened to me. Reading different kinds of genres all across the board is a great way to start. Although I write all my work with a specific audience in mind, I still strive to bring diversity into my stories. Homogeny is so boring. So I read. And I watch TV... again, with all kinds of genres and themes: Criminal Minds and SWAT for both pro/antagonist perspectives as well as cunning plot lines and twists. I watch family parodies and talent shows, and even sappy love stories. I don't, however, watch horror. They scare the pants off of me. I read historical fiction, middle eastern fiction and nonfiction, I read religious work, fantasy, biographies, self-help, young adult, mystery, and thrillers and yes, sappy love stories. And I love British literature. There's just something about that dry, ironic humor that I just die over. Again though, no horror. Steven King would keep me up for days. I'm also not a Fifty Shades girl... let's not even get me started on critique. And for the record, I did start the first book and had so many issues with it that I couldn't finish. I digress.

I told my young, budding writer to go sit in a coffee shop and simply observe and study the nuances of people. Note clothing styles and the sounds of laughter. Do people hunch over the table or sit completely erect as they converse? Are they alone or in a group? How do different genders interact with each other? Does someone have an accent? Do they show manners for complete strangers? What do they drink? Do they sit hidden in the corner or right in the middle of the shop? Bet you never thought you could get all that information from a coffee shop. That's what's so fun about always being in a state of constant observation, everything can be a detail that can be injected into a story. And it's often the tiniest details that complete a picture, bringing a scene to life and making is visceral for the reader.

What I'm working on now is so completely different than anything I've ever done before. And if I can pull it off, I am certain it will be some of my best work. I have created the entire world it is set in from scratch. I'm writing from multiple perspectives and am trying to blur my characters between good and bad in ways I've never quite done before. I'm not even sure where this story was born from inside me. But it is coming out... it is oozing out, and I can't get enough of it. And sadly my fingers just can't type as fast as my mind moves. Which can be frustrating. I really can't wait until it gets to a point when I can share the actual storyline with you all... but right now it's my little secret. Although I will tell you this... I have fully committed to this story. I will finish this. My ending is already written. And when I do complete it I will be over the moon excited to share it with all of you. Until then... follow my word count on the side of the main page.