The Alpha’s Dream (10 Months After Publishing) & What’s Coming Next

The Alpha’s Dream

(10 Months After Publishing) & What’s Coming Next

On the tails of The Alpha’s Dream’s success I have high hopes for 2018.  Here’s a taste of the goodness to come…

The Alpha’s Dream was a lifesaver in so many ways. In part, because it renewed my hope in creating a career out of writing beyond freelancing. That isn’t to say that I haven’t made any mistakes. You can read all about the rookie errors I made to get a taste of what I would do differently. I’ll be re-releasing The Alpha’s Dream with edits later this year. I’ll update you with the final date once, I have a few more technicalities sorted out. All in all, I can still say that  Euphoria and Nathaniel’s story was a great debut. I’m still so very fond of them. I’m also very biased. #AuthorRights

My plan for 2017 was to immediately follow-up The Alpha’s Dream with others from the series. Some of you have  already picked up on the fact that their friends seem to be itching to tell their own stories. (Some of them more ready than others. I am bursting with ideas!) So for those of you who have been asking, yes there will be sequels with Nathaniel’s close friends/pack brothers and Euphoria’s friends. But, not yet.

Well, The Alpha’s Dream was my only release last year. It was the worst thing ever!!! (Kind of.) I was so disappointed in myself for not keeping the deadlines that I’d wanted. Knowing I would give birth, I worked hard to keep a sensible writing schedule, and timeline for publishing. I didn’t account for how exhausted I would feel running behind three littles ages three and under. It was chaos around here for months.

When I finally came up to breathe, I had no idea how to talk about anything except the diapers I was changing and the immense parent joy/stress my husband and I were feeling. Writing was a task I wasn’t up too. Not the greatest thing for my career, but I didn’t know how to change it at the time.

We’re eight months into our new normal now. Working around our beloveds has not gotten easier, but we’ve gotten better at it. I’ve figured out how to squeeze a hair more out of our day. The wobble is still real, there is just less of it. 2017 wasn’t what I expected it to be, but it made room for what I want now. While I was sulking about what I didn’t get done last year, I came up with a plan to keep myself writing and sticking to the deadlines in this one. No matter what, I’m determined to make 2018 an engaging and fulfilling publishing year for me.

To begin…2018 will see 6 releases from me.

Lofty goals should really be my middle name. I say that because the six releases aren’t a bad idea on their own. The additional things, the day to day of life, projects requiring my attention etc. make 6 releases ambitious. Very ambitious. I believe I made a similar claim last year. Only this time, I’ve planned better. I plan everything now. From snack times to reading breaks, I have to account for my time in order to get anything done.

I’ll be writing around the clock. Working hard to bring you great shifter romances,  and a few surprises. I made a ripple last year. This year, I’m making a splash. That isn’t just the New Year high talking. I’ve gotten a taste of publishing as myself and I never want to let it go. I’ll bring you all the stories my characters want to share with you.

I’m also updating my blog, again. You’ll still get all the fun details of my upcoming releases but, there will be even more. I’ve learned a lot as a freelancer. I’m learning even more as an Author. I’m going to share it with you. My blog will be an amalgamation of writing details, and writing tools. The plan is to give you the confidence to write your own masterpiece through the lessons I’ve learned. The information I share with you will be specific and contain  actionable tasks to help you along your writing journey. What book would you write if you had the tools? Let me know in the comments.

And Then… A Writing Course you can sink your teeth into.

They say that I’m a dreamer. I’m not the only one. Comment below on the song title for a little fun.

I’m putting this out there. I’m creating a course on writing this year.  I keep repeating myself. I have a lot of information in me and I want to share all of it. I WANT TO READ YOUR BOOKS. I can’t do that if you don’t write them. So, I am going to help you.

All through the year, as I am filling my blog with useful, actionable information  I’ll also be creating a full course for your use. Everything at your fingertips and on your own time to create your great work. I’ve built the skeleton and now I’m filling in the details. I’ll keep you posted along the way.

To be clear, I am doing this because of how difficult it was for me to learn some of the things I know now. I ran into all sorts of obstacles. One of them being, peers who didn’t want to share the information they’d gain even when it was mutually beneficial. It does not benefits us as writers to hoard the lessons we learn as #authorprenuers.

Knowledge is power. Shared knowledge is shared power. I lose nothing by sharing information with you.  You’ve gone on this journey with me, and I will go on this journey with you.

By this time next year, I will have a complete course to jumpstart your writing career. This is exciting!!! Are completely insane of me to attempt, but I am going to do it none the less.

Right now… My first release of the year is in four weeks.

Woot, Woot! I’m currently wrapping up my first release of the year. I’m tingling as I think of all the fun facts I’ll  give to you as we get closer and closer to the release date. My newest characters are not part of The Alpha’s Dream series. It’s still a curvy woman romance and a sexy werewolf shifter. My heroine is at a cross roads with a life changing decision to make. Aren’t they all?

Over the next  few weeks, I’ll give you even more information about them. So what would you like first? A character interview? A synopsis of the story to come? Drop me a line in the comments section and let me know what you think.

The Alpha’s Dream continues to be an amazing experience for me. More and more lessons pour from it and I’m anxious to build on its legacy. I’m working very hard to prove to those who loved it, that it wasn’t a fluke. Hold on tight dears, we’re in this for the long haul.

Joy.

 

 

 

5 Essential Lessons I Learned as an Author in 2017

 

There were no shortage of lessons to be learned in 2017. I did my best to gleam all I needed from every blessing, every heartache, and every single dream I postponed. From those critical experiences came some very important lessons. Here are a few that I carry with me into 2018

 

Self-care must come First.

I’m an author to my core. What I love above most other experiences is sitting down to write. Even when my fingers don’t dance over the keys in the ways that I want them too, I feel a sense of amazement at being able to do what I love and make a living.  However, some times I go to far.

My work is important, but so is the family that I’ve been blessed to come to have. There is hardly if ever a dull day in my house, and not one day is completely empty. In my attempts to meet all the demands of my life, I sometimes take things to far.

On one such occasion what started as a three day break from all things writing and business related turned into a two week rest and recoup. From headaches to extreme exhaustion my body was on the verge of breakdown. My husband; had been asking that I take a few days off. When I took my weekend, he took a few days of his week and he made me sit down.

There are no words to explain how grateful I am for his insistence. Had he not, I likely would have pushed myself further and ended up needed more than just a little rest.  My career is a driving force in my life, but that it is not the only force. If I am going to continue to be the mother that I’ve always wanted to be and have the life that I wanted to have, then I have to take care of my body. I have to eat well, sleep adequately, and work within reason. It means I will have to be more realistic with my deadlines, but I will be here and I will be healthy.

Get Organized, and then Get On With It.

I’m multi-passionate. That is to say that writing is my first love, but not my only love. I’m never working on just one thing.

Working on several passions at a time isn’t always a bad thing. It is always a balancing act. Deciding what is priority and what can be pushed aside is a daily battle. For years, I was the woman who would just wing it. There was always a running list of things I needed to do, but no plan as to how they would be addressed.

It only took my third child to realize I couldn’t live that way any longer.

Now, I plan everything. My to-do list is still nearly endless, but it is not as fluid as before. By organizing my needs, and planning I’ve taken the guess work out of what needs to be done and when. It fills me with pride to get through my daily list and removes some of the anxiety I have about not getting things “the right” things done.

It is a simple task to write to-do list or otherwise plan my week, but it is not a trivial one. The organization helps me to keep my life in order and ensures that I am making time for my needs.

Stay Diligent.

One thing I regret from 2017 is that in the hustle of my life I lost the rhythm of keeping up with my blog and my Instagram posts.  Several times I went back to the beginning and tried to pick up where I left off. After all, I knew I was taking time off for my darlings birth, but I had no idea how difficult it would be for me to get back to my norm. Life is fuller with three littles. It’s busier too. It’s more exhausting and definitely more expensive. I had to shift, but when it was time to come back I didn’t have the energy.

I needed to build a following, but found it even more difficult to connect. The introvert in me didn’t know where to start the conversation. The author in me obsessed over who was reading my books and how to reach out to them. I wanted to express my gratitude, but I didn’t know how to say thank you to people I couldn’t speak too.

Ultimately, I lost a few readers. I lost a lot of momentum, but I gained a new understanding of what it takes to get the job done. I’m learning to simplify. I’m narrowing down what platforms I use and how. I’ll be updating all of my social media accordingly and working harder to regain those connections.

With a new plan in place, It is already easier for me to reset. My littles are all a bit older now. They don’t like it that I steal away to work, but they tolerate it. I tolerate it too. If there was some way I could work with a little on each knee and the other strapped to me I would go for it. However, they’d never sit that long. 🙂

I remind myself I am a professional. Writing is not simply a hobby for me anymore. I have to stay diligent. I have to continue to work when I am tired and frustrated and emotionally spent. I work my balance, I schedule as much as I can, and I remain on task. I won’t let fluctuation in my day to day deter my plans for my career or my beloved family.

Do not wallow in mistakes made.

If you’ve been following along in my blog, you know that I have some major mistakes made in my publishing of The Alpha’s Dream. My biggest was with editing.

I have to admit, It’s a problem I still haven’t fixed.

The thing is, my nature is to become really influenced by problems I can’t resolve quickly. I hate that everyday more readers are exposed to the failings my debut work. I love the book. I hate that I didn’t do it justice with a great edit. I owe the characters at least that much.

That being said, I can’t continue to dwell on it. I will fix it. When I can, I will devote every minute it deserves to polishing it up perfectly. There are some things I know I need to tweak and now that I’ve found an editor I trust with the work I look forward to improving on it further. I can’t let every thought about it suffocate under the heaviness of what I should have done to begin with. There is a difference between taking ownership of my mistakes and being owned by my mistakes.

I do the best I can with what I have. The mistakes I make have to be addressed in a manner that doesn’t truncate the work that still has to be done. I in order to protect the balance, I have to remind myself to do what I can when I can.

Own your joy.

I am happy. I am not ignorance is bliss happy, but I am happy. I work hard. My darlings are thriving. My husband and I are still making it. Our needs are met. There are things I want to enrich our lives. Their are still moments I wish had gone differently, but what is true above all else is that I am happy.

I love this little life I live.

I love that no matter how rough the patches we get through it. We are thriving. It is sometimes hard to see that. There are days that I can’t see past the heartache in front of me. It is easiest to own the regret. The joy however takes a little work.

I’m vowing to do whatever it takes to keep the joy in the forefront of my mind. I have much to be thankful for and my gratitude is boundless. This is my happiness. I am living a life that I only dreamed possible. It is imperfect, but it is mine. I have to own that. The same way I own my failures, I have to won my joy.

What about you? What lessons did 2017 teach? comment below.

Joy.

The Alpha’s Dream Revealed

The Alpha’s Dream. Release date April 23, 2017.

It will take a curvy and talented entrepreneur

A New Orleans summer is nothing if not hot. Talented and curvy entrepreneur Euphoria Atkins is learning that the hard way. After a calculated risk draws her from her cushy career on the West Coast, Euphoria has to figure out how to turn her dream company into a profitable one. She never could have predicted the decision would force her from her fear zone, and sprinting into the arms of a tall, dark, and handsome undeniable opportunity.

to influence a logical and single-focused Alpha wolf

Former running-back, and current Alpha Wolf businessman Nathaniel Blanchard will not be denied. Alpha Athletics will be his crowning legacy no matter what it takes to get it right. He doesn’t have the time or the patience for any distractions from his ex-girlfriend. Nor, does he have time for his wolf’s insistence that their newest hire is more than just inviting hips and an alluring scent. Nathaniel has never trusted his wolf, and he doesn’t plan to start now. But, some attractions are too difficult to ignore.

how to drop his rigid ideas

One hiccup after another threatens to keep the pair from trusting the ties trying to bind them.  An unplanned pregnancy only heightens the stakes. One false move and everything they’ve worked for could come crashing down. Unless Euphoria and Nathaniel can be convinced they are worth fighting for, and heart scarring end awaits them.

Thrust into each other’s dreams, Euphoria and Nathaniel must unpack the years of self-doubt, distrust, and fears that have plague them to create the lives they’ve always wanted. However, their resistance to doing what it takes threatens to deny them forever. Reservations and secret fears must die, but are they willing to go where this love could lead?

and take an unpredictable leap.

The Alpha’s Dream. Release date April 23rd, 2017.

#ReviewersWanted

 

Calling all bloggers, romance readers, and lovers of books! Reviewers wanted!

I’m an #authorpreneur. I started a small publishing company called Moody Writer Publishing, because I believe in my work. That is to say there is no big house behind me pushing for readers or mass marketing my releases. As is the case with many of us who self-publish, I’m doing all the work.

I share this with you, because I need your help. The fact is that with the rise of self-publishing has also come a rise in demand for quality reads and readership. There are so many options for most of us in our preferred genre, that it is difficult to look pass our favorites  for new authors. The chance that we may have spent our hard-earned money for a book we will hate is a little harsh. Our, because I read as much as I write.

This is where you come in. Your honest reviews will help other readers decide if they should take the plunge.

As I work on polishing my second draft there is a definite need for readers to preview and review my work. The exchange is simple. Sign up with your email address to receive an Advanced Reader Copy or ARC of my upcoming release and I will send you a version FREE! It will be pre-professional edit, but there will be enough there for you to formulate a true idea of my work and the story at large. In return, I am asking for your honest (and hopefully Positive) review on Amazon and/or Goodreads.

Whether you are a blogger, or casual reader you have what it takes to be a reviewer. All you need is a love for shifter romances and an opinion of my work. Call me crazy but I have faith in you. Reviews don’t have to be extravagant, and shouldn’t contain spoilers. They should give a clear picture of whether or not you enjoyed reading it.

What’s in it for you? In addition to the free book, those who posts their ARC reviews on day one will be included in a raffle drawing for launch day swag. Your information will be completely confidential, and you an opt out at any time. You are not obligated to do or purchase anything further. You only have to sign-up one to receive all of my Ebooks for free preview/review unless you decide to opt out.

ARC reviewers who remain will also be eligible for exclusives prizes, releases and other swag throughout the life of their reviewership. All you have to do is sign-up. It only cost  a little bit of time, and you get rewarded for doing what you love. (Reading)

ARC’s will be sent out two weeks before my release launches and I promise I will not badger you about getting it read. Once launched, you’ll only receive one email  from me to gently remind you to review. I’m at your disposal in the meantime. So, let’s get acquainted.

So, if you would like to be one of the first to read my first release and more. Just  sign-up to be one of my ARC reviewers here!

Joy.

 

 

#HeroIntroductions

I love my characters and I want you to love them too. So here is the first of a series of introductions to my loves. Shifters lovers meet our hero Nathaniel.

Nathaniel Blanchard is a 27-year-old, chocolate-brown werewolf with savior intentions. He’s a former Pro-Football player and aspiring business owner. He’s made a good living for himself and now he is reaching back to help anyone who might need a little guidance. He’s plagued by feeling disconnected from his werewolf, so he compensates by being the best “man” he can. This of course often puts him at odds with his beast.

Anyone who is anyone knows that denial of self is the easiest way to lose sight of everything in your life. It will take his willingness to delve deeper into why he feels split into two before he can have all that he’s dreamed.

What I love about Nathaniel is the very thing that threatens to bring him down-his stubborn pride. Nathaniel is not a werewolf who would ever be easily convinced of anything. He is hell bent on thinking for himself and coming up with his own answers. The hard truth about only trusting his own voice is not having room for other visions. He doesn’t want to be proven wrong and he holds on to his “wrongness” as long as possible.

It will not be easy for him to get passed this major flaw in order to fall for Euphoria. She is busy battling her own flaws. It is a struggle from start to finish as they work through their private matters to find their way to each other.

It is a battle that Nathaniel never expected to fight. Though he never stays single long he doesn’t actually believe in finding true love. The idea that his wolf heritage would mean one day finding his life mate is an even further stretch for him. Throughout his life, there is only one woman he ever believed loved him completely. His mother. Yet, it is her secret that could be the key allowing him to unlock his carefully guarded heart.

You should know that Nathaniel is just as loyal as he is stubborn. He will always stand by those who are close to him. Once he is sure of his love for Euphoria, he will fall on his sword to let her know he’s serious. Then, he will make peace with all the things that have kept him from revealing himself to her.

Nathaniel’s story comes full circle, but not without some intense private scrutiny. There  is so much he has to learn, but men like him never give up. And the women they love need only have faith.

Sounds like someone you could fall in love with. Leave a comment and let me know.

Joy.

 

#shiftersmateforlife

My husband is one of the reasons I write romances. He is the absolute love of my life.

When I first met my husband we were both poets enjoying a vibrant and inviting spoken word scene in the city we live in. I was a naïve, very green, little woman. He was a self-assured, smart, and inviting man. I enjoyed his gregarious nature, and his ability to work seamlessly within whatever crowd there was to be navigated. He could shift into whomever the moment called for and it would still be his authentic self. It still amazes me. It would take years for our very casual friendship to turn into anything more.

We were and still are, polar opposites of each other. His wild, extroverted, Gemini heart is  downright terrifying to my sedated, introverted, Virgo spirit. Yet, we exist. We thrive together because he makes my soul happy. We push toward lives that neither of us could have predicted out of an unrelenting need to hold on to what we have in each other.

He is quiet strength and a complex, brilliant mind. He is a loving father, the kind who stands back patiently until needed/wanted. He is full of stories. Some of them are quite extravagant, but mostly true, versions of lives he’s lived. Most days, I feel like a bystander watching his brilliance unfold.

That isn’t to say we are without failures, and utter disappointments.  We’ve been married for ten years plus. For all the days that I felt awestruck by his human complexity, there are numerous days that I have felt foolishly in love. There is plenty of heartbreak between those years, but we continue. We always find our way back to each other.

“Having him here reminds me of who I am.”

Isn’t that what romance is? Sweeping, inspiring ways to tumble into another flawed person, and layered methods of navigating their flaws? For me it is. For me, my marriage to my husband is one of the best ways to explore romance on a realistic level. When I think of us, there is always a wrinkle in our relationship.  Yet, when he isn’t here with me I am lovesick. It doesn’t matter if it is errands, work, or any circumstances. Having him with me reminds me of who I am.

As I think of my characters, I think of he and I. I think of how we’ve learned each other over the years. I think of the layers we pull back to show ourselves to each other. I think of the ways we’ve healed each other and the new scars we’ve created. I think of how even at the worst of our lives together, we’ve always managed to come out together. I think of the gratitude we feel for each other.

I work to transfer those things into my characters. I want them to know the struggle of having the one you love. It doesn’t mean constant chaos or even perpetual bliss. It means uncovering, delving into who they are so that they are prepared for love in its various forms. I want them to know that finding “the one” doesn’t mean there won’t still be work to do. Every love, needs room to grow. Every partner needs the willingness to make room. There is always more to learn and outlive about the person you love.

Shifter romances lend themselves easily to this premise. The shifter is often keeping a bit of a secret, something of himself from his lover. It isn’t meant to be deceptive in my writing. It is a tool, a type of self preservation. Being a shifter comes with numerous intricacies and a woman who is looking to share her life with one most be adaptable. She must know when to give and when to take. She must be brave and as strong, and fearless of her lover. their place in the pack is critical to it’s survival. So, I work hard so that these qualities are shown. Let them be resilient. Let them fight for what they love, brave the wild of their own fears. when it is all said in done, let them do it for love.

I don’t know if this is a great method for writing just as I don’t know what will happen with my marriage to my husband. I know that right now, all that we are goes into my work. I have his support. I have characters I love. Both of these things are shaping my life into one that I love. My heart spills open  with joy because of it. Shifters mate for life. It is no different for me.

When you read my work, I hope you are able to see a little of you and your lover in its pages too. I hope your happily ever after is just as vibrant and real as these. I hope it lasts your lifetime.

Comment below on some of the things the shifter in your love moves you to feel.

Joy.

 

 

 

#Mamaauthor

My husband and I have been married for ten years (eleven years in August.) My husband and I suffered three miscarriages and immeasurable heartache in the five years we were actively trying to conceive. My husband and I couldn’t afford fertility treatments. If it were going to happen it was going to be the old fashion way. (It did…eventually.) My husband and I are expecting our third child in three years in May. My husband and I adore our little ones.

However, being an author is hard. Not where you thought this post was going? Bear with me. It all comes full circle.

In conventional ways, being a mother and being an author overlap each other by way of time. If I have time to write one of two things have happened. Either my husband has taken our darlings and whisked them away so I can have some quiet time or it is after hours, they are sleeping, and I should be too. To describe the oddity of waking up to the sound of your fingers typing is to live outside your body at all times.

There. I admitted it. I’m a sorceress. I can wrestle with house and husband and children all day and write romance stories in my sleep. Of course that would be first draft, pre-edit writing. What can I say? There are limits to my powers.

As I write this, there is a little darling nursing themselves to sleep in my lap. I should be weaning and I am sort of. Also, I should be editing, and I am. Sort of. Story of my life really.I am always trying to find the delicate balance between getting the job done directly in front of me and the one just inches from my face. Multitasking has its perks, but it also has its pitfalls. Namely everything always feels almost finished in my world, but not quite done.

I am not always up to embracing the challenges that come from mothering and authoring. Mainly, because I’m exhausted. I never feel like I’m doing it right, and at least half the time I’m just doing something I read somewhere. I’m not going to be too hard on myself about that. I read some really good shit.

I’ve had to learn that winging it is absolutely as powerful as knowing exactly what must be done and doing it. As knowing what must be written and writing it.  I’ve had to learn that somethings don’t balance the way you want them to, but there is growth in juggling. I’ve realized that it is okay to take two hard things and admit they are hard while still getting them done.

When the doctor told me my first born existed, I was in denial.  I called him a liar and spent the next fourteen weeks in disbelief. It was a similar experience when I was first encouraged to write for a living. I knew the work I’d put in silently to have these dreams come true, and it felt like I was being mocked to have someone tell me they were possible.

I’ve failed so many times. I would see the finished line only to have it extended another hundred miles. I didn’t want to hear that it would happen in time or keep going or any of the anecdotes and phrases that currently keep me alive.I wanted something tangible to convince me that what I desired could be real.

Here I am touching them both.(Finally.)  Albeit, I am definitely becoming more successful at one than the other at a much faster pace. 😉

I say all this, because today has been difficult. This last week has easily cemented itself as one of the hardest of my life. I’ve had to sit quietly and come clean with myself on a slew of very personal things. I questioned whether I should be doing this-right now.  Motherhood is permanent for me, but authorhood was on the verge of elimination. When I am crumbling, I have to get light. This is my way.

At the end of the day, I had to buck up. I had to think of how long I’d been fighting for the reality that I am living right now. I had to remember, everyday I am living an ideal life that I wanted and didn’t achieve until now.  The reality is I’ve waited too long for the opportunities that I am seeing unfold. I don’t want my unraveling to destroy all that I am working to build.

Then, there is the matter of my children. The is the matter of what I want them to believe about their mother and about life. We don’t give up, just because something is hard. I say that to them all the time. Particularly, my eldest who is fascinated by everything but sometimes intimidated if she doesn’t get it on the first try. I need them to see that difficulty is sometimes the catalyst we need to release fear and get it done.

So I fight through my uncertainty, my anxiety, and depression. I venture forward to prove it can be done. That I an survive my own thoughts and accomplish something great.

I am #mamaauthor. I am two thins I once believed I would never be and it is terrifying. It is also beautiful and it motivates me to keep believing impossible things can happen.

Joy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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#WIP Status Report: The Alpha Dream

If you’ve been following along, you’ve noticed that I’ve finally printed for edits my debut novella. It even has a name, The Alpha Dream or The Alpha’s Dream. I don’t know which one will show up on the cover yet, but you get the idea.

As we speak, I’m taking a break from procrastinating on my edits. Here’s the part where I confess it is because I’m kinda scared of all the chopping I’m going to have to do. There are a few plot holes I have to fill and a few choppy sections that I have to smooth. However, I’m up to the challenge.

Hopefully.

I can’t tell you much without feeling like I’ll be giving it all away. Suffice to say, that my characters are two transplant professionals who take a leap of faith right into each others arms. Yeah…right after they find every decent reason to run screaming in the wrong direction. A turn of events neither of them are sure they are ready to face forces them to confront the issues holding them back. It’s a total disaster…until it isn’t.

My debut hits close to home on a few fronts. It’s based in New Orleans, because I’m a Louisiana girl. New Orleans has always been an amalgamation of transplants and natives for me. It makes a lovely setting for a romance.  Louisiana is the perfect location for all things Shifter. I love when a setting comes together. Don’t you?

It’s hard for me to draw you in without giving you all the juicy details. Honestly, it feels kind of selfish to dangled them over your head. You’ll forgive me when you get the chance to read it. I’m sure of it. 🙂

In the meantime, I can tell you that the biggest hurdle for me was getting it to this point. The initial finish is always the hard part for me. Now, I have to get down to business. The baby-will-be-here countdown is t-minus four months. That’s like two weeks in pregnancy urgency time. I still have a few other books to get written and under my belt before the little love makes it here. Because what being a mother of two has taught me is that I am useless after birth. All I want to do is sleep and nurse my child. In addition to being a mama and eating all the junk food because I’m constantly starving.

In other words, I won’t be writing immediately after baby is born. So, I have to get it done now.

In the coming weeks, I will be posting snippets on my Instagram, twitter, and Facebook. Maybe even one or two will suddenly appear here. Who knows?!? I might get a little spontaneous.

I’ll also be looking for a slew of readers, bloggers, and book lovers to receive a free copy in exchange for an honest review on Amazon and Goodreads.  I’ll give you more details on that when I’m ready to dish it out. I can’t wait to share this with you. Save the date. #April 23rd, 2017. I can’t wait to see you there. Leave a comment on how you’d like to be charmed into reading my debut!

Joy.

 

Author At Work

It’s official. April 23rd, 2017 is the date of my first release.

As I type this, I expected mountains of anxiety or at the very least pressure to sit on my chest. Instead, what I have is a ton of clarity. It feels right. It’s taking a long time to get myself together, and most days I still feel like I’m flying by the seat of my pants. Maybe I am. Whatever the reason, I will take it.

I’ve spent years working hard for other people and watching them profit from my long hours. I loved being a ghostwriter, I still love being a ghostwriter. Income from that  career is what is paying for this one. Eventually, I won’t need to ghostwrite. I will be too busy keeping up with my own work. Until then, I have immense gratitude for even being able to get here.

If you are wondering what to expect from my first release, I will give you a hint. A boy (werewolf) meets a girl(heroine) and they have to overcome their personal hangups in order to be together. It doesn’t say much, right? I know. I’m terrified of revealing too much before it is published and having someone beat me to the press with my premise.

Of course I know all the good tropes are recycled, but I’d like to be the first to tell this story this way. Isn’t that the entirety of what being an author is? Telling an old premise in a way that makes it your own? Don’t worry as we get closer to drop date, I will share more details. Afterall, I can read my work any day of the week. It’s you who I want to be interested.

Mark you calendars, April 23rd, 2017 and be among the first. Also keep posted here for details of how you can receive a free Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review on Amazon and Goodreads. I’d love for you to be a part of my tribe. Comment below with perks you would like me to include with sign-up!

#theshiftersarecoming

Joy.

Execute: My 2017 Goal List.

I am posting this out of a need for accountability. Everything I have ever accomplished has been because I’ve exposed my cards. It’s a trick to keep myself honest and focused on the tasks I set for myself.

The things I list here as my 2017 goals are only a few of the items I’ve assigned myself. My goal list spans everything from financial plans to spiritual growth. I like it that way.

For the purpose of this blog, I am only including  things that pertain to my businesses, and my writing. It isn’t that I don’t want to include all of you in my process, but some things belong to only me. so I protect them for close friends only.

You know by now that this is the Year of the Leap for me. My goals reflect carray that theme. The things on this list may be minor for some of you. However, they are lofty for me. I’ll list my top five below. They are not ordered by priority, but they do have varying values. Can you guess which one is the heaviest hitter? Leave a comment below with your answer!

 

Author goals of 2017, the Shortlist

publish 4 full length (35,000-40,000 words) by December 1

Beef up my Social Media Following to 3000 over 4 platforms

Publish 4 novellas (20,000-30,000) words

publish 1 compilation of shorts (5,000 words)

Become an Amazon & New York Times Bestseller

What made your shortlist? Don’t forget to comment below!

Joy.

The Year of the Leap: A confession.

I am always afraid.

I wish that was a rhetorical statement, but it is the truest of my truths. I am always, always afraid. It has been crippling, anxiety driven, irrational fears that have largely led me to a life of  happenstance. Instead of charging forward for what I want, I have done the bare minimum so that I am not utterly destroyed if things fall apart. There have been some successes, but mostly there has been mediocrity. A mediocre life does no one justice.

News flash things will fall apart. It is sometimes inevitable.

That isn’t to say that preparedness wouldn’t have helped. On the contrary, preparedness at its base allows for worst case scenarios. It is ready for the expected outcome, and the diversion when the plan changes. It is not dictated by fear. It girths itself for battle. It faces head-on the unforeseen war.

That takes courage and courage takes control over fear. I have learned this the hard way more times than I care to honestly relive. Over the last five years, I have faced head on unforeseen wars, because I have had no choice.

Fall or Fly.

I was pushed from those ledges and I have been navigating blindly ever since. Until now.

In the midst of being pushed an opportunity came my way that I was not prepared for. The only difference this time, was that I had already faced some of my deepest fears. I had courage, because I had nothing else to lose.

Sink or Swim.

I took the opportunity, unsure of where it would lead. It brought me to a hidden dream. One that I had spoken out loud, but never believed I would come to see exist. I didn’t know how to draw it out of myself. I didn’t even know if I could.

Tread Water or Drown.

It was overwhelming and far more than I had expected. If I had known then what I know now, I probably would have convinced myself to say “no”. Someone else could have done it more justice, made it more successful. I wasn’t the one who  could do it right, but I did it well.

I surprised myself. I have aimed to keep surprising myself ever since.

This year, is my Year of the Leap.

Instead of waiting to be  pushed, pulled, or dragged kicking and screaming from my comfort zone I am jumping. I am writing the books for myself that I love. I am building a brand even though I know nothing about branding. I am working long hours, away from the children I prayed for so that one day they will see their mother’s name in print and be proud. I am cracking open.

I am afraid. I  am always, always, always afraid.

There are so many unknowns and the Virgo in me hates unknowns. (Hates!) I want guarantee’s and there is none- save these. I have fallen before. I have flown. I have sunk before. I have swam. I have learned how to tread water. I will not drown.  I will not drown.

I am always afraid. But what is a dream if it does not prompt the absolute need to stare into the monster of the abyss and face it down?

As I look out  into this year, and the unknowns curdle like spoiled milk in my stomach, I know this will be another year that shapes me. I know it will mean some very long nights, and longer prayers. I will force me to admit what I want for myself and those I love. It will force me to confront my shortcomings in a way that I will never believe myself capable of doing. I will have to challenge my most private thoughts in order to accomplish my vision over my life.

It is hard leaving the ledge for an unknown landing, but I have decided to be transformed. I hope it transforms you too.

 

Joy.

Brown Women … Shifter Romance

 

I have a mild obsession with Shifter Romances. I can’t say that enough in part because it still surprises me. My love with Romance writings were largely limited to African-American Romance for most of my life. It wasn’t that I hadn’t read other authors. I am surrounded by romance readers, or really readers period with favorite authors of all persuasions. African-American Romance  appealed to me, because I could always find characters who mirrored the people in my life.

There is a beauty in representation. I enjoyed seeing women who looked, moved, and walked through their lives like the women I knew. I felt indulge when a great romantic writer would invite me in to watch these women wrestling with sometimes complex and other times sweet relationships. I was content to have a life long love affair with African-American Romance  and go on with my Happily Ever After. It was perfect.

It would have stayed that way had I never began freelancing. The thing about being a ghostwriter in a fiction romance capacity is that it opens up various subgenres. At this point in my career, I have read and written everything from Historical Romances to Contemporary Romances. Clean Romances with sweet stories and dirty Erotica’s with steamy finishes. I’ve had  and enjoyed them all, but not like this.

What began for research purposes  so that I could learn the nuance and special details of  Shifter Romances soon became something bigger. I found myself scouring the top 100 on Amazon for names I recognized and titles that jumped out to me.

I loved it. From the cheesy and utterly impossible romances to the smooth, and complexly written layered romances. Everything I loved about Happily Ever After’s was there.  Almost everything I loved was there.

I was missing some representation. Surely, I wasn’t the only woman of color who would swoon over the hero’s and root for the heroines as they navigated their love stories. I was convinced there were authors out there writing Shifter Romances with people of color heroes and heroines, but after countless hours of digging I came up short. There are quite a few authors who write Black Women White Men (BWWM) Shifter Romances, and most couplings followed the trend of a women of color lead and white shifter. Beautiful stories, but not what I was looking to find.

I was falling deeper and deeper in love with Shifter Romances and all I wanted was one couple who looked like my husband and I. I wanted our stories between those pages too. I knew I couldn’t be alone. So, when it came time for me to decide what my focus would be it seemed natural to combine my two greatest romance loves.

Currently, I have several plots that aren’t just A. A. characters. There is a blend  of multi-cultural characters in there with a few combinations. What remains the same is that at least one primary character is A.A. at all times. It’s important to me. I’ve been questioned about whether or not  it is a smart idea to focus on minority characters in my writing. Statistically, books with people of color as their primary leads struggle to reach the heights of their Caucasian counterparts. I’ve written with primary characters in just about every race, and I’ve seen the difference first hand.

However, that little piece of information has done nothing to dampen my mood. I love stories of love triumphing. I love stories of werewolves and were-bears and dragons  fighting the same human battles of love and lust with the added detail of their mixed heritage. I love what it feels like when their wolves surface and it is clear they have chosen a mate. I love writing these stories with people of color as the driving characters.

I am not afraid to thrive in a “niche” market. I’ll be writing what I love and offering up something special from me to people who love it too. My aim is just to do it justice.  Romance is for everyone – even those genres built around “imaginary people.” After all, the Romance genre in all of its glory is about the perfect blend of fantasy and reality. We could all use more of that.

Joy.