For those who've noticed my absence over the past year or so...I apologize! Life has gotten stressful, to say the least. Priorities have shifted, responsibilities have grown, and I have been pretty tired, to say the least. Life has a funny way of doing that sometimes and there really isn't a good way to get through it other than getting through it.
Or in the words of Dory, "Just keep swimming!" A lot has changed for me in the past year, but I had never intended on abandoning my goal of finally finishing the rewrite and other stories which I'd planned to publish. But things happen, you know? It wasn't intentional, but in order for me to move forward, I have to be intentional now. That being said, I'm ready to kick this book in the ass! How might I do that, you ask? Well, just in time for Nanowrimo, of course! In case you didn't know, November is National Novel Writing Month (or Nanowrimo for short) and this is a time where authors are challenged to write 50,000 words in one month. Why 50,000? The standard length of a novel is 50,000 words (where for me, that's about 10 chapters!) That roughly calculates to about 1670 words per day, or 2000 if you want to buy yourself a few days over Thanksgiving (but really you're probably fine to write after the weird 2:00 pm dinner, am I right?) Ultimately, achieving this goal also instills the habit of writing every day, which for many writers is actually pretty difficult. We're the kings/queens of procrastination. Last year during Nano, I wrote about 15 chapters worth of words, however I came to realize that I had made a huge boo-boo and left out a major plot point of my book. I've since been combing through the chapters to make the corrections because otherwise this book will be a giant dumpster fire and I've worked far too hard and too long on it to allow that to happen. So, for Nano, I'll be picking up after these changes and writing the remaining chapters. That also means that I'll be extending Nano for myself into December, because there's no way in hell I'll finish this book by adding only 50,000 more words. (She's gonna be thiccc) So, if you haven't already been following me, head over to my socials and click the things. I'll be providing updates (starting next week!) It's been about five years since I've published and I'm ready to hop back into the bookish world with all the horror and glory it will bring! Are you ready? (I'm not sure I'm ready, but I'm gonna do it anyway!) See ya on the flip side Lisa xoxoxo
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Back in 2008, I made the leap to self-publishing my very first book, Cursed Secrets. Independent publishing was hard - like really hard back then. To be taken seriously as an indie author, one had to make it look like the book was published by one of the "Big 6" houses–this meant professional covers, editing, formatting, etc. It took a lot of work, money, blood, sweat, and tears to make an indie book thrive. There were some who made it and were rock stars to the rest of us because it showed we could do it, too. I thought I could. I was well on my way to a career I'd always wanted, but life got in the way big time.
A little over 10 years later, and I've not accomplished nearly what I thought I would, which is okay. I've had a lot happen in 10 years that has made me into who I am, but that also means I have to face the things I didn't get the chance to accomplish before. As in, I need to realize that while I did publish a book, as I'd always dreamt, I didn't fully realize the potential and so I did myself a disservice. Now, I'm taking control over that dream and recreating it into my current reality. So, in the coming months, I'll be releasing new anniversary editions of all the Legacy of Secrets books, including some new titles never before released! All Legacy of Secrets books will be available for preorder soon! Keep an eye on the upcoming newsletters and social media to learn when you can order your copies of the new versions. Previous versions of LoS have been removed from Amazon and will not be available for purchase/download until the new versions are available. Rest assured, you'll fall in love with the characters all over again! Are you ready for a new book boyfriend/girlfriend? Be careful what you ask for. ;) Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to get these types of updates before ANYONE ELSE!! Alas, here I am, several weeks/months later and I'm still stuck in a reading rut. Somehow, I've managed to download several different types of books, only to be utterly disinterested by the end of the first chapter. I just haven't found that book that's pulled me in and transformed my world. It's annoying and something I've been having a hard time kicking. Perhaps the worst part is the fact that the lack of reading material has stunted my writing goals. I have a book I've been trying to finish for MONTHS and part of the problem is that my head just isn't in it as it should be. Damn this chaotic mind!
So here I sit, trying to muster up the story that has been knocking at the back of my brain for the better part of the last year. I've outlined some parts, flash written others, to no avail. I've even had one of my betas read through it because I feel so disconnected, I wasn't even sure if anything I've written has made sense. I need a saving grace, here. In the meantime, there are other books available for everyone to read, including the newest Falling Undercover novel. I've decided to continue that story as part of The Undercover Series and I've already gotten parts of the next book hashed out. It will be an interesting journey for me as this series is my first attempt at contemporary romance/romantic suspense. It seems I have a bit of a knack for it, so I think while the story has a good direction, I'll continue. I have another potential story along the same type of genre lines, I just don't know much about it just yet. Maybe I can do a stand alone for once! WATTPAD UPDATE: This year, I will begin a story/novel for Wattpad only. I have my PA working on some info for me to get started, and I'm pretty excited! I'm thinking maybe a witchy read with some real world elements and lore as well as the typical fantasy ones we know and love. I hope to have this started by the summer. I will definitely keep everyone posted on that, but in the meantime, head over to follow me on Wattpad for updates when I post new stories, etc. Lastly, don't forget to follow me on social media! I'm much more active on Instagram than any of the others, but feel free to follow me everywhere! Head over to find out where you can find me on the web... Hello out there to all my friends! I hope your Thanksgiving left you fat and happy and perhaps even a little tipsy! If you were not able to have a traditional Thanksgiving for any reason, just know there are those of us who were thinking of you and hoping next year will be filled with all you need and want. Everyone's holidays should be filled with good fortune and fun, so let's try to do something to help out those who may be less fortunate than we are every chance we get!
On to the news! Falling Undercover debuted today and I couldn't be happier with the reception! Thank you so much to all those who've purchased it so far and I hope you enjoy it!! It was definitely a labor of love and I'm already getting requests for the next book in the series, which I've not even started writing yet! I will be putting together my release calendar for the next year soon so everyone can see when to expect their faves! I'm humbled by all of you for helping me live out my dream. I'm hoping to release Blood Promise by Christmas (two months late, I know). Initially, my October release got pushed back due to my being sick, but then I realized I had some preorders setup and I needed to get those out of the way first. I'll confirm the release date as soon as I am able to get the manuscript finished. I was about halfway done before I had to step away, so it shouldn't be much longer. Cross your fingers for me! All in all, I couldn't be more pleased with how things have turned out this fall and I hope you all have been hanging with me through this craziness! Thanks again for your support and I'll keep 'em coming! Lisa xoxoxo When I started writing this post tonight, I was prepared to come out swinging with bold statements and statistics, etc. Then, I decided it was probably to worst thing for me to do right now, and decided to instead discuss what you come here for: books and bookish things.
I don't like to discuss politics and other current events too much, mostly because I don't want to impose my will onto anyone else, but also because I don't think it's fair to make people choose between my beliefs and my work. So, let's all forget about the craziness of the world right now and talk about something fun! If you're not following my on IG (you totally should, btw) I've been posting frequently about my #wordcountgoals. I'm planning to keep going with this until I finish Blood Promise, which will hopefully be in about two weeks. Then, it will be off for editing and I'll be moving on to my next project. Phew! EXCITING NEWS!! Falling Undercover is now available for PREORDER!! You will be able to read it on November 23, just in time for some holiday comfort reads to go with the comfort food!! I couldn't be more excited to be bringing this brand new genre into the fold and see where it takes me. I have a bit more work to do in order for it to be presentable, but I have no doubt it will be, at the least, moderately entertaining (lol). There are so many more projects I have in the works and ideas that are constantly flowing, I honestly which I could just pull the info from my mind without needing to go through the painstaking process of ACTUALLY writing it. I already know all the details in my mind -- it's just so inconvenient to have to type all that shit out. (Am I right?) In all seriousness, I've got some good stuff going on and I'm reinvigorated for this new chapter in my life and career (pun only slightly intended). I'm looking forward to more trade shows in the coming months as well as some local signings and readings. There is just so much to plan!! Off I go to get some more words in tonight. 'Til next time!! Lisa xoxoxoxo |
AuthorI'm a writer, a mother, a wife, a friend, a sister, and a daughter. My journey as a published author is in full swing and I'm inviting all my friends along for the ride! Archives
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