Writing Update for May 28, 2015

Not a bit blog post, but at least I’m still writing. I was really afraid that with the move and everything, the stories would be shoved to the back burner, so to speak. It’s nice to know that isn’t happening. I’ve got a pile of other things on my plate too, and I think I’ve found a schedule that incorporates all of it and still leaves me time to do other things. Like eat and sleep.

Novel: The Saints of Belvedere Road (paranormal)
Is off at the editors. Finally this book will be unleashed to the public. I’m thinking of a late June/early July release so keep your eyes peeled for this cover.

Novel: Survival Rules (zombie)

I’ve managed to work a bit more on this novel, but it’s not getting the attention it deserves. Partly because my day is distracted, but that won’t be forever. Once things are more settled around here, I’ll be able to focus more. I would like to get all three books in the series done by the end of the year, AND I came up with a plot idea for a fourth stand-alone novel in the same universe as the series. I’ll be adding some crossovers for sure.

Word Count: 93,972 [fourteen chapters written]

Novel: Down Finnegan’s Hollow (paranormal horror)
Revisions have begun. This is the first stand-alone novel I’ve not only finished, but I think, ever written. Well, you could include SAINTS in that category too, but as I added it into a series so I don’t think it counts anymore. I’m sending this out to a small publishing house and I hope everything works out with it. I’m taking my time, revising two pages per day. I don’t have an overall word count on the rough draft, but I’m hoping it’s about 70k or so.

Word Count: 12,398 [three chapters revised]

Novel: Cache (cyberpunk)
Yup, you read that right. Muse poked me with it last weekend and I’ve been working on it all week. This one too, is part of a series, but I’m not sure yet if it’ll be three books or five or a series or not. I have three plotted, but that’s about it. Maybe it’ll be a crime novel series. Not sure.

Word Count: 4,071 [one chapter finished]

How is your writing coming along?

Writing Update for February 20, 2015

I booked my editor for May. It’s been almost five years since I finished this book, and finally, it’s going to be out in the world. I’m so glad I didn’t decide to publish it back then. I think adding it to my paranormal series was the right thing to do.

Novel: Survival Rules
This is going to be a long book. I’m up to chapter twelve already and about 2/3 finished. Mind you, this is just the first draft. I’m positive there will be a lot of editing when it comes to revisions.

This has been an interesting story for me to write. The research I’ve done, has at times, left me a bit unsettled. Not so much about a plague wiping out the majority of the population, but the aftermath and survival. We rely so much on modern technology and infrastructure, that to have it all collapse around us is a frightening situation, but an interesting one as well. What would you do if there was no clean water? No food? None of the modern conveniences that we’re so used to? Would you know how to purify water for drinking? Keep warm? Find adequate shelter? Many apocalyptic novels I’ve read deal with survival in warm climates, but as I like to base my stories in Canada (Ontario to be exact), the stories take on new dimensions. Not only do my survivors need to look for all the same things as other zombie novels, but they have the added problem of weather and climate. This also will have a direct effect on the creatures as well. It’s been an interesting journey, and I hope people will like it too.

Wordcount: 80,019

Short Stories
I’ve got a couple requests to write shorts for two anthologies. One is a horror one, and the other is with the same publisher that I worked with before. I have an idea for the first, second might be a little harder. I have several ideas, but it’s collecting my Muse long enough for her to help me figure it out.

Writing Update for May 30, 2014

Book Five: The Prophecies of Mortals:

As we speak, my beta is looking over it right now. I had hoped to have it ready by mid-June, but there’s been a slight hold up. Nothing I can’t fix, but it’s just another pain at this point. I think I’m going to stop giving release dates for my books and just announce when it’s up and post links. Less pressure that way.

Book Six: Awaken the Herald

First chapter of this is written, and the second is looking good. I’d like to get the first draft done by the end of the summer, at least, that’s my goal. Summer always has a way of messing with my plans.

Companion Novels: The Saints of Belvedere Road, Crypt of Souls

The Saints of Belvedere Road – This book is a bugger. Nothing to do with the story itself, but rather the punctuation around the dialogue. For some odd reason, it’s different from anything I have in any of my other books, so I have to replace all of them. Ugh. I’m also cleaning up the format as I go; getting rid of extra spaces, tab indents, making sure there are the proper amount of spaces between the lines, etc. Makes things so much easier when I go to upload the file. I think this is the reason I don’t have any problems with the Smashwords ‘meatgrinder’.

 

Crypt of Souls – Okay, for now, this is the title. Knowing me, it will change. This is the second side novel and once you read PROPHICES OF MORTALS, you will know who’s in it and what it’s about. I’m just on the first chapter and doing something I don’t normally do; winging it. Well, as much as I can. I have a rough outline of where the story is to go, but just letting the characters dictate, is interesting.

 

Slaughter Rules

Have I told you about this? This is my zombie story. It follows a group of people who cross the border into the States looking for survivors of the zombie outbreak and…well…run into some scary individuals. That’s all I’m going to say.

 

Scripts:

Two new things on this. First, I’ve take my paranormal flash story and put it in script form. I want to enter it into the Canadian Short Screenplay Competition. I’m not sure what to expect from this, but I thought it would be fun.

Second, I’m working on the pilot episode of a paranormal show based in Kingston. It’s a combination of Ghost Whisperer meets The Dead Files, with a bit of Paranormal Activity thrown in for good measure. Again, I’m not sure where this will lead, but it’s fun writing it.

 

NEW PROJECT ALERT!!!

Guess who’s writing a pirate book! It’s not a romance, just a somewhat honest depiction of life in Port Royal during the 17^th century. There’s a strong paranormal element (naturally, it’s one of my books), and I’m lining the plot up with actual events and situations that occurred in the port. I haven’t started writing it yet, still working on the outline, but so far it’s about ten chapters, but I’d like it to be closer to twelve. Also, this might be a three book series. So much happened in the forty years of Port Royal’s existence. I’d have to break it down to the beginning, middle and end.

 

How is you writing coming along? Anything new to report? What are your writing goals for the summer?

Friday Writing Update

This has been a long time coming. It’s been seventeen weeks, just over four months since I did a writing update. Wow. I didn’t think it was that long. I’ve managed to get some writing done, but not as much as I do when Sithboy is in school, and not as much as I hoped. Summer has too many distractions and not enough quiet time. I couldn’t write upstairs either because it’s still a mess from renovating the spare room and I have no place to plug in my laptop. The summer wasn’t a complete loss, I may not have written as much as I wanted too, but I did get some things done.

 

The Watchtower Series: Omens and Portends (Book Five)

This story is going to be darker that the others, especially when it comes to Daniel. His backstory is coming out, and there’s more than one reason why they put a spell on him. The revealing scene was hard to write, partly because I had no idea how to word it, but also, it’s Daniel. I always considered him the heart of the group. Writing out his past was intense. I just hope people understand. Good thing about this revelation, I’ve come up with scene idea’s for his side novel. That’s always a good thing.

I’m looking at getting book five and the first side novel ready for the holiday season. Gift cards are still a great present, and I’m hoping to cash in on the post-holiday spending. I can’t really work on the side novel until a rough draft of book five is done. Ugh.

The Watchtower is doing great in the free category. Not a month goes by that it doesn’t make it into the top 100. That makes me feel good. What’s also good is that I have sales of my other books as well, enough so that I should be getting a payment from Amazon soon.

Scifi Series: The Carriers

I fell a little behind on this. I blame the hot weather. I’d like to get the last few parts done, wrap up the chapter and then start again with a new chapter it in the New Year. I think I have three or four parts left to write. It’s been a wonderful experiment for writing short fiction. I really should keep it up.  

 

Gothic Romance Series: The Possession of Mercy Moreau

Oh Goddess, where do I start with this one? I’ve been revising this story like crazy. I want to send it off to Indie press when it’s done, but it is such a mess. I thought about an agent, but I’m not sure. YA is still so hot, and with the new Twitter hashtag #mswl all I see is calls for YA or MG or even NA. Rarely do I see Adult. There are some Indie sites that publish Adult. I’ll have to make a list in a few months.

Steampunk Series: Gutterchilde

Another novel that I’m ripping apart.  I decided to put this in more of a familiar setting rather than make up a world. I don’t know why I didn’t think about this before. For this series, it will take place in Upper Canada. I also want to explore the world during the Victorian Era and visit places that aren’t normally written into Steampunk. One story will take them to France, another to India, and another to China. The final books will be more fantastical as it happens in Atlantis.

I still want to get my Steampunk zombies in there, somewhere…

Short Story: Date Night

I sent this out to an erotic anthology a few weeks back. Still waiting for a reply. No biggie if it doesn’t get accepted. I’ll just go back to the original plan and have it the first short in my own erotic anthology.

NEW PROJECT ALERT!!!

Yes, there’s a new project on the horizon, and it’s another Steampunk. I’ve already outlined some of the plot and three of the characters, but this won’t be erotic. There may be love scenes, I’m not sure, but I’ll fade to black if I do. With this story, I want to focus on the fantastical with brooding characters, sexy villains, weird gadgets and some interesting twists and turns. Oh yes, and the two main characters are in their late forties. Yeah, I can’t write for popular trends.

So how is your writing coming along? Have you written a lot this summer?

Friday Writing Update

Friday Writing Update

Three weeks after my surgery and I’m finally getting back into writing blog posts again. I did a bit in the days/weeks afterward, but I just didn’t couldn’t get into the feel of it. No motivation at all. I haven’t felt like that in years.

 

The Watchtower Series: Sympathy for the Demon (book four)

I sent the MS to my editor. I’m still on schedule for a May release. I must drive her nuts. She’s American (I’m Canadian, btw), and she email me this morning and asked if I wanted the American wording of certain words or Canadian, as I’ll use both. Whoops. Sorry Karen.

 

Omens and Portends (book five)

I have one chapter written so far and I’ll start working on this again come Monday.

 

The Saints of Belvedere Road (Side novel)

I’ve gone through the first five chapters, and so far, there’s not much that has to be revised. I’ve gone through this novel I don’t know how many times, that I hope I’ll remember to add in where it needs to connect it to The Watchtower series.

 

Scifi Series: The Carriers

A slight boo-boo with this. I stated one character’s name at the beginning of the story was Marcus, but then, somehow, I changed it to Alan. Not good. Anyway, easily fixed. There’s supposed to be two adult male characters so I’ll just make them brothers.

 

Steampunk Series: Gutterchilde

I re-wrote the first chapter of this story. I took out the rape scene, and killed off a character. The character death was something I didn’t expect, but as I was going through the revised outline, I realized I would have two characters doing the same thing. Can’t have that. I’ve also introduced both romantic leads in this chapter, and the paranormal element as well. It’s a big chapter.

 

Erotic Romance Series: The Possession of Mercy Moreau

Re-wrote the first chapter of this story as well. I put the MC in more of a dire circumstance that forces her to take the job in the mansion. I’m still unsure about the haunting; whether the spirit should be Victorian era or not.

 

So how is your writing coming along? Anything interesting pop out at you this week?

 

Friday Writing Update

We’re coming down to the wire folks!

Of Covens and Packs

I set a date up with my editor this week. June 15 is when COVENS AND PACKS heads out to be edited. There’s also been a flurry of emails over cover art and things are looking good! Chapter five is revised and half of chapter six is as well. I’m hoping there isn’t too much info dump.

Usually I’m working on the rough draft for next book in the series, but the last few months have buggered up my schedule and now with the deadline looming off in the distance, I just want to focus on one book. I’m getting that excited feeling too. I feel like I’m putting out my first book. I guess I’ll feel like this each time!

Word count to date: 25,445 for five chapters. 42,331 overall.

Coldsgate Manor

Reading Dracula has inspired me. If you haven’t read the book, the whole thing is told through journal entries and business correspondence. I’ve read other books like this and I was thinking about re-doing this book like that. All journal entries. It would be a challenge for me because I normally do my work in tight third. Hmm…I like a challenge.

Marked

I’ve been working on this script lately. I wouldn’t mind having it done before I go to the convention in Toronto. I’d like to have COVENS AND PACKS, COLDSGATE MANOR, and MARKED, all done before the beginning of November.

Racer Movie

So I got several scenes done on this. Still in the first act, but it’s coming along. I’ve got the incident that focuses around the motivation done, but I’m not good with action scenes.

How was your writing week?

Friday Writing Update.

Unfortunately, life got in the way this week and I wasn’t able to write as much as I wanted. That happens to all of us, and then some panic and force themselves to catch up to the word count they planned. Not me. I don’t need that kind of self-induced stress.

Of Covens and Packs

Finished chapter four this week. It’s not a long chapter, but it was difficult to write. So much info had to be placed, and trying to make it not sound like info dump was hard. I’ll probably end up going through the whole manuscript at least one more time before sending it off to my editor.

Chapter five is going well too. Only need to add a couple thousand to make my chapter goal. That is if it needs it.

Word count to date: 19,687 for four chapters.

 

Coldsgate Manor

Still poking away at this and new ideas are popping into my head as I write. It’s driving me nuts! This is why I don’t understand how some writers can whip out a MS and then publish it a few weeks later.

I’ve decided that I’m going to put in some sensual parts. Not sure if I’ll make it erotic, we’ll just see how it goes.

Word count to date: 14, 417 for three chapters

 

NEW PROJECT ALERT

Sometimes I surprise myself when I come up with a new story idea. This time, the inspiration comes from a video game Sithboy was playing- BLUR. It’s a car racing game with a twist. I really like it too. I don’t know why or how, but as I’m watching him play I’m thinking, “Wow, this could be a good background for a story!” Then a plot came to mind.

It’s a movie script idea and I’ve been working on the script at night.

 

Other Update/News

UNDER THE COVER OF WICCA is in the iPad store! Also, Createspace now allows for European selling so I can sell my compilation book over there! Wow, good week!

iPad Listing: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/under-the-cover-of-wicca/id501776914?mt=11

Friday Writing Update.

I hate being sick. Can’t think worth crap which is why I haven’t posted a writing update in a few weeks.

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Of Covens and Packs

Finished the working draft of chapter two this week. It was a slow process. The entire chapter had to be re-written because I took out a scene in chapter one. I didn’t think taking out one small scene would be such a pain. At least it only affects this chapter and none of the others. The rest of the chapters should be easier by comparison, but I won’t know until I work on them.

I did work on the story blurb for this chapter. It’s always interesting to try and condense an entire novel into a few paragraphs. This is where all that hard work I did doing query letters really comes in handy.

Word count to date: 8,841 for two chapters.

The 25^th Hour

I’ve come up with a new title for this book; Coldsgate Manor. I’m thinking it’s going to be a bit longer than a novella. So many little side things I want/need to add. I worked on the query letter for this too. Don’t know why, just wanted too.

Finished the third chapter this week, and I’m toying with putting in some romantic elements. I don’t know why, but it keeps poking at me to do this. Just how graphic it’ll be, I don’t know.

I researched a few small press publishers as well. While I doubt I’ll see any of my paranormal series in small press, I have a few other stories that would do nicely.

Word count to date:  14,417 for three chapters

Other Update/News

Did you see this?

My compilation book is finally in print! The cover looks even more awesome in print!

You can find it here on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Watchtower-Under-Cover-Wicca/dp/0987944711/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1333752109&sr=1-2

Here on Createspace:
https://www.createspace.com/3834555

Friday Writing Update: March 30, 2012.

This was a lazy week. I think because I had one chapter left to do, and it was more of a ‘wrap-it-up’ thing, I gave myself permission to goof around. Hey, still got work done though. Heh, I’ve even been lazy on my blog posts.

 

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Of Covens and Packs

Rough draft is done. It comes in at just over 32k. I read the whole thing from start to finish; making sure everything is in the right place. I added quite a bit from the original outline, and I need to make sure nothing sounds redundant. Monday I’ll start the working draft; adding more details and what not. I’d like to get it ready to send out to the editor by June.

 

The 25^th Hour

I spent last weekend working out the plot details. You know, how can I kill off people and not make it look forced. The first victim needs to be at a certain place, and that should start a domino effect. I’m also not sure how many should die. One is good, but it could be seen as an accident while three would be overkill (pardon the pun). Maybe two…

 

So how was your writing week? Have any unexpected deaths to report? 😀

Friday Writing Update: March 23, 2012.

I did quite a bit of writing this week! 9k so far! Not bad. If I get another thousand words in this afternoon, I’d have set a new personal record for writing! 10k in one week! W00t!

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Of Covens and Packs

This is going much faster than before. I finished chapter seven earlier on in the week, and started and finished chapter eight by Thursday. I’m still shocked. I’m up to 29k, but this is just the rough draft and I still have chapter nine to work on. I’d like to get this up over 40k.

The 25^th Hour

Chapter two is in the bag. I’ve been forcing myself to write 2k every day, including weekends and it’s helping to get these damn stories out of my head. Not that I have to force the words out. I seem to be having no problem there, it’s just steering my butt back into the writing chair when there are so many other fun things to do. Like playing Tropico 4.

I’m also thinking about querying this novel to small press. I’ve found a few places that look good and as much as I dread diving back into these waters, I think it would be fun to see it published with small press. I didn’t realize there were places that took novella’s. Had I known that, I might not have done self-publish with my paranormal series.

NEW PROJECT ALERT: Wisps

I came up with this idea while we were driving into town last Friday. The fog was just like out of the Stephen King movie, The Mist. Creeped me right out. Anyway, it’s still in outline stage and I’m hoping to work on it after The 25^th Hour. I think this is going to be a MG novel. I tried to vision the characters older, but it didn’t feel right. There’s something special about a bond between grandparents and grandchildren. Especially young ones between the ages of 9 to 15, and I need that in order for the story to progress. It’s got elements of the paranormal and science fiction, so I guess that makes it science fantasy? I don’t know. I heard this new genre name a few weeks back. Bound to happen sooner or later, right?

So how was your writing week? Any new projects?