 So far, this year has been one to bring about many changes: new jobs, new challenges, new ideas, and new projects. Nothing is without hard work and dedication, but sometimes I wish that wasn't the case because I could sure use a break! But seriously, I've hand to make some calls this year and there's definitely a big one coming down the pipe. LEGACY OF SECRETS: I've decided to revamp the series this year as part of the ten year anniversary! The books will be revamped, edited, updated (maybe even extended), and re-released. They will have new covers and all of the current five will be released along with the next installment that I've been working on recently. I will still be adding another two or three books, depending on how the story flows, but they will come out next year. The current versions will remain available on Amazon for a few months, but I will pull them a few months before release. The old versions will be obsolete and I don't want to cause confusion. I will be looking for some alpha and beta readers, so be on the lookout for those posts. All of those who read for me will get signed ARCs from me and I might even decide to do a few contests. Who knows?! UNDERCOVER SERIES: Book two will be published this year, come hell or high water! My goal is to work on this story next and have it be available before I begin revamping LoS. I've had it buzzing around my head for a while and I'm actually pretty excited about doing something so different from what I'm used to. Fantasy is amazing and I love creating worlds, but the years of binge watching Law & Order: SVU has prepared me for cop drama so I need to cash in on that! XD A SHIFTER'S TALE: I will be pull these novellas and instead publishing them on Wattpad! I realized that with the nature of those stories being relatively short, they would be better suited for Wattpad than Amazon. I will be adding Thea's Reawakening this weekend and then I'll add Layla's Vindication probably within the next two-three weeks. I will continue this series as a side project, but will try to post new tales at least three times a year. OTHER PROJECTS: I'm pretty excited about some new stories that have come to mind that I are only in the conceptual phase as of the moment. Unfortunately, I won't be getting to writing these new stories until next year, but I will post updates when I have them. If everything is completed sooner than I expect, I'll be able to get crackin' on some new stories! Well, that's all I've got, I think. I stay the most active on Instagram so be sure to follow me there. Also, sign up for my newsletter so you will be notified of all the new releases and changes before everyone else! I'll be looking for some folks who might want to lend a hand in various capacities this year, so please follow me! See you around!! Lisa xoxoxoxo
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...to set this world ablaze!
The fire under my ass must be massive to propel it anywhere and I'm reaching out to share it with those who care to partake. I mean, what good is motivation if you don't use it to help someone else every now and again? Of course, I'm not motivating you in the same way a personal trainer might, but I'm going to motivate you in the sense that I'm going to share all the dirt we writers don't often talk about while also reaching my goals because #goals is a thing and we should all be striving for success. Here's what's on the menu: Thea's Reawakening releases October 31st! Originally, I had planned on releasing Blood Promise, but it was just not in the cards this month. I don't want to rush the story, so instead I'm bringing you a BRAND NEW story! You can preorder it now for $.99 and it will also be available for FREE on Kindle Unlimited! NaNoWriMo kicks off November 1st. I might go live on IG here and there to discuss my "process" (which is code for procrastinating because I'm regretting actually sitting down to write). I have no idea if I'm going to write something new or just finish the next book. One way or another, I'll jump in and try to win it this year. Falling Undercover releases November 23rd! That's right, another release!! This book is (currently) a stand-alone romantic suspense novel. The first contemporary romance type of genre I've written, but it's been fun! I'll be putting on the finishing touches and getting it out for those cozy nights when you need a good book to hold you tight. ;) Blood Promise looks like it might drop for a Christmas release, so be on the look out for that update. Legacy of Secrets is so near and dear to me, I just can't rush the release. The last night I'd ever want is to skimp on the story for the sake of a deadline. Stay tuned -- it's coming! Print copies of all my books are in the works. I'm working on formatting and cover art for all the books and plan to start releasing some after the first of the year. This will put these books in the hands of customers who still enjoy the scent and feel of prints (and who could really deny that?) and I'm pretty excited about it! I might end up shipping out some signed copies so stay tuned for that, too! Legacy of Stories has been a work in progress, but I'm working on it! I've been sick off and on the last few weeks which has made it increasingly hard to record unless you want to listen to my coughing the entire way through. I don't even want to listen to that if I'm being honest. I do have some guest friends planned to come on the show in the coming months so that's pretty exciting, too. Please be patient while I try to get well enough to record and I look forward to bringing you more chapters and friends! I think that's all I've got tonight. Until next time!! Lisa xoxoxo The worst part of writing are the sacrifices one makes to do what they love. There is a precious amount of time in the day and, for someone like me who works a full time job, that amount of time is an even smaller window.
I do my best to get my writing done when the kids have gone to bed and before I have to go to bed, but some nights it takes longer if the creative juices are flowing or what not. I try to be all the things and wear all the hats, but sometimes my head gets heavy. I am a mom, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a coworker, a peer, a friend, a creator, a writer, and so much more. At some point, all those hats become awfully heavy, so which ones remain? I can tell you, I have struggled with this for years, and I've yet to find a balance. I can never make everyone else happy while making myself happy. Boy, the woes sure are plenty. So, what do we do? The only thing we really can do is keep on keepin' on. I can try doing a little better each day and keep working toward refining my process. It takes time to make time, but it also takes patience, which I am short on pretty regularly, if I'm being honest. Of course, it seems odd not to have patience when I have three kids, but some days are better than others, that's for sure. Well, that's my reflective post for this week. Hopefully I've brought some of my writer problems to light for those who care to read. Leave me a comment or find me on social media to keep up with my story! 'Til next time! Lisa xoxoxoxo Here I am again, doing exactly what I said I wouldn't - disappearing into the realm of reality. I know, how dare I. Just when I was making amazing progress, life had to kick me in the arse. Isn't that just typical?
To recap what has happened over the past few months, I ended up running into some health issues. Luckily it turned out to be nothing major, but I never want to be in the position where I am faced with my mortality at such a young age (I'm only 31!) ever again. For a few months, I was teetering on the "is this cancer" edge only to come out on the fortunate side of the results. I was lucky where far too many are not, and there's no guarantee I'll always be cancer-free. At this point, I'll take what I can get. At this point, I'm focusing on moving forward. I've got a lot on my plate, but with some hard work, dedication, and intense scheduling, I have faith that I can get back on track with my health and everything else I've got going on. So where do I go from here? I think that's the million dollar question. Where do I go from here? First, I will be setting deadlines for my next two books to be released in the next three to four months. I am sending out for cover art and some additional ads before the end of this month as well as finishing the rough draft on at least one of the two. You should see Thea's Reawakening and Falling Undercover come out before the end of the summer! So where does that leave Legacy of Secrets?? While it is still unfinished, it is coming along. Blood Promise will be my third release this year, likely this fall, and I will then be aiming at beginning Shattered Secrets. I'm not going to lie, I'm not sure if Shattered Secrets will be the end of the series for good, but it will be where the story will end for now. Their world exists within mine, so you never know when they'll decide to tell me more tales. Lastly, I have to work on my long awaited science fiction novel. This Stephen King meets M Night Shyamalan lol. Ruination will be an epic tale and equally exciting and terrifying. It's going on be one of those books that I will have nightmares while writing, but it will be absolutely worth it, in the end. I'm hoping to release Shattered Secrets and Ruination next year as they are both large projects. I might have a few smaller works here or there, but only time will tell! I'm working on my online presence and social media posts. Look out for more updates on Instagram as it is the easiest platform to "see" me these days. Keep an eye open for regular stories and exclusives only on IG. If you don't follow me, you should be! Check ya next time! Lisa xoxoxo So many authors I know or come in contact with have somehow managed to skyrocket themselves to the bestseller lists of various publications or organizations. I think it's great to see traditionally published and independently published authors on the charts, but I can't help asking myself what they are doing to get there!
The only books I've published are Legacy of Secrets and that has hurt me, to a degree. As an independent author, I've heard that the more book we put out, the better off we're going to be with rankings, etc. The problem is, how am I supposed to put out quality work on a regular basis? And how regular is regular, anyway? Wouldn't it make more sense for me to release fewer works that are quality versus quantity? I just don't get it!! I think we independent authors get so caught up in how to get ahead and stay there, we lose our spark. We didn't start writing to compete with algorithms, we started writing to tell our stories and live out our dream as published authors. How do we break the cycle? Short answer: I haven't a clue! I wish I could say I wasn't one of the authors who've been rank-obsessed, but I'd be lying. It's hard not to watch your ranks at any given point throughout the day, week, month, etc. When we're responsible for our own marketing, we want to see if any of it is working and rankings are the fastest way. So how to we measure our success? This one, I can answer. Your true success isn't measured by your rankings or sales, but rather by the act of publishing in the first place. By living your dream, you already are successful! Does it mean you're the most successful you'll ever be? No, but it means you have done something a lot of people haven't - made one of your dreams come true. So, while I'd love to be in the bestsellers lists and top rankings, I am at least happy with the fact that I'm doing my best to fully realize my dream by continue the journey. There's no telling what I can achieve if I don't stick with it and push myself out of my comfort zone. It's all about the joy of telling the tale, and I do enjoy it! Until next time!! xoxoxoxo -Lisa |
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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