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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It seems like just last week when we ushered in 2022 collectively hoping it would be better than the previous years. Personally, this year was full of much growth, learning, and healing on a personal level. I've set and met my goals, read a lot of books, attended therapy, managed my health and wellness, and overall tried to do better. Some of that energy carried into my professional life, which has helped me make new connections and grow my network, which is so important in the indie author world. I've been so thankful to have met some wonderful people who are so fucking talented it's insane! I'm learning so much about this new bookish world—although I'm still behind the curve a bit.
As far as 2023, I've got plans! Currently, I'm working on a revised version of my bestselling Legacy of Secrets series. It will be completely rebranded, reimagined, and rereleased. If you read LoS, you'll be familiar with the characters and some of the story, but the new version is darker, grittier, and spicier than the last and I'm stoked about it, if I'm being honest. While it's been a labor of love, I'm committed for this version to be the last, which means the series will finally have a conclusion after all these years! *crosses fingers* I also plan to have Falling Undercover revamped and released, though it will remain largely the same apart from new editing and some added scenes. This is currently being reviewed with my publisher and once it's been completed, the new version will be available first on KDP and then widely through retailers. The sequel, Loving Undercover, will follow later next year and there may possibly be a third installment, though that is still TBA as I'm not sure how far Kris and Joe's story will go! Shifter Tales will also be getting a bit of a face lift as NLM works through my catalog of books. Currently, there are about seven novels/novellas planned for the series, Thea's Reawakening will be the first to be released and Layla's Vindication will follow. Several more titles will be added between 2023 and 2024. Updates will be in my newsletter. There are so many more projects in the works that I can't wait to announce, but they're not quite ready for that stage just yet! Once I get the green light to discuss future projects, I'll spill the beans because I can't wait to tell everyone! I really hope you all will be as excited as I am! I'll be posting again soon (no seriously, I will!) xoxo Lisa 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!! For many, many years, the world behind Legacy of Secrets has only existed in my mind. I wrote the series long ago, when I was in my early twenties, and decided to publish it since I loved it so much. If I had known then what I do now, it wouldn't quite need a face lift. So, here we are! So what does the world actually look like? What are all the characters? Where do they come from? What do they do? How do they live? How did the world come to pass? What is the legacy of secrets, exactly?
All of these questions will be answered and more! Make sure you subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive access to these tales. The lore won't be available anywhere else until after the reimagined series is published. The first story takes us back to the very beginning of the world, one of the oldest legends, and perhaps the most popular tale they tell. Want to know more? Click to subscribe and get your lore on! ![]() 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 |
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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