Moving Forward

Two posts in two weeks? Guess that means I'm back to work...

Yes, things are moving forward on the Crow Series again - and by forward I mean, I've finally started editing Release and *drumroll please* I've plotted out the final two books, settled on their titles and started writing the first few chapters of the fourth book.

Why have I started writing the fourth book before I've finished the third? Honestly, as I've mentioned before, the third book got complicated and there were aspects and sections of it that didn't sit right with me. It is a large part of why it has taken me so long to get it out to you. While trying to figure out how to fix it, I ended up outlining book four and realized I needed to move things around so they made more sense - so I've written the first few chapters of Curse, and everything is now fitting together nicely - YAY!

In other news, I haven't removed Crow from Smashwords yet but I have uploaded it to Draft2Digital to get the process moving forward on Crow going perma-free on Amazon. Though I've reported the lower price, they haven't price matched it yet, so if anyone is interested in giving it a push forward, please help report the lower price to Amazon through the Tell Us About A Lower Price section at the bottom of Crow's product description page. The free copies are available through Kobo, Oyster, Inktera (aka Page Foundry), Scribd, and Tolino. I have to fix a few things and it'll also be on iBooks in the near future. And as I said, it is also still available for free on Smashwords for the time being.

In other news, Shift is free in ebook form on Amazon again this weekend. Unfortunately, due to a stressful and hectic day at my JOB yesterday, I wasn't able to put together this blog post or announce the free days until it had already started but it will continue to be free until the end of today - so if you've been wanting to read it and haven't gotten a copy yet, you can get it for free HERE.

Speaking of Shift, someone mentioned recently about finding editing errors in the book. I work very meticulously to try and cleanly edit my books to the best of my ability. Since I'm not currently in a position to hire out the editing, finding errors that have slipped through the cracks haunts me. If you've read the book and found anything incorrect, please bring it to my attention so I can remedy it A.S.A.P.
I hate having errors. They must be fixed!!!! Ahhhhhrrrrggggg!!!

Okay, enough drama. Time to get back to work.

Slow progress is better than none...

I've been doing a great deal of thinking about the Crow Series lately and have made a few new decisions (for those of you wondering about my cryptic social media post the other day.)

I still haven't picked an official date for publication, and unfortunately have pushed it back to sometime this Fall. For various reasons, the least of which is Conner and Denora hijacking my story and taking it in a different direction than I originally intended, the third book has been a lot harder to put together than the first two. I've also been very busy with other projects that have sucked up most of my free time the past few months. However, I hate that this book has been delayed so long and I've put my other projects on a temporary hiatus while I attempt to get Book Three finished for all of you. That was my first major decision.

The second was finally settling on a new title, since I'll be using Curse for Book Four. The third Crow book is now called Release. If you remember from my past posts, I choose the name for the Crow books based on aspects of the story that don't always become apparent until the end, but I choose words that can have more than one meaning - as in "to shift" into something else (shape-shifter), or to move and change. In this case, Release as in "to liberate and set free" or "to let out" like a release of emotion or to release a wail of pain (no I'm not giving you hints. You'll have to read it to figure it out muhahahaha!)

I've also updated the formatting on the ebook versions of the first two books. It looks cleaner and has updated links in the back, as well as adding a sneak peek to Shift at the end of Crow. I'll be adding a similar sneak peek to the end of Shift once Release is ready.

I've also decided to finally take Crow off Smashwords and move it to Draft 2 Digital. I've always hated Smashwords formatting and have never sold anything there. The whole reason I uploaded it to that site was with the intention of making the first book permanently free but Amazon has never recognized the free version on Smashwords to price-match so having it there has been completely useless. I've heard good things recently about Draft 2 Digital and will be trying it out soon.

If your ears perked at Crow being perma-free, yes it will happen, just don't know when. For the time being I have set Crow back up to its original price of $2.99 until I get it all worked out.

As long as the editing doesn't get derailed, I'm hoping to have Release finished by the end of August, but I'll say September just to be safe. I apologize for making you all wait so long and I hope you feel it was worth it when it finally comes out.

Thanks for reading.

One Year After Crow (Thoughts and a Giveaway)

I've been gone from the blog for quite awhile, but I assure you I've been VERY busy. I'm not going to get into details, except to say I've got a lot of work in the steampipe, just nothing ready to release (yet!)

The third book in The Crow Series is finished and in the editing stages. I don't have an e.t.a. yet for its release, as I'm also splitting my time with a bit of a sideproject at the moment, but I hope to get it out to you in the next two months *crosses fingers*

Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of Crow's initial release. I can't believe it has been a year already! Though sales have been slow and there have been quite a few bumps along the way, I feel like I have learned a lot and continue learning and trying new things everyday.

To celebrate the anniversary of the series' beginning, the second book in the series, Shift, will be free  in ebook form through Amazon from today until Sunday May 31st. If you've read the first book and have been waiting for a good time to pick up the second, this just might be your lucky day! :D

Shift (The Crow Series Book 2)

And please remember - if you read it, please consider leaving a review! Reviews help author's more than you can imagine and despite being read, Shift is still fairly review-deficient :(

With that, I'll say I hope you're all having a fabulous week and stay out of that heat!

Happy Valentine's Day

Okay, I admit, I don't really do Valentine's Day - though I like the sentiment and have no problem wishing people a Happy Day of Love. 

Love is awesome and should be celebrated - everyday, not just on February 14th.

Perhaps because my birthday is less than a week later, I've always looked forward to that more than to "V-Day", as I used to call it. Flowers are nice, and I like chocolate, but I have no intention of forcing my significant other to purchase these things on a particular day when all the stores jack the prices up because it's "a holiday". As it stands, my husband is annoyed because I forbid him to buy me anything this morning before he left for work. Also, it's practically impossible to get into any restaurant in the city without a reservation months in advance. Not that I mind, 'cause I prefer Diner food.

Okay, end Valentine's Day random rambling...

I've decided to celebrate V-Day with you all by posting a slightly steamy sneak peek at one of the scenes in the new Crow book I've been working on. Please, keep in mind, the third Crow book is still a work-in-progress and none of this has been edited yet (basically, this isn't the final version of this scene and it may change a bit between now and when it's completed).
Enjoy and let me know what you think in the comments below!

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He didn’t respond to my thinly veiled accusation. His eyes were digging into mine and something inside him seemed to snap - his expression changing from sad to seductive, as if he’d been asleep and now suddenly he was on fire. A devilish grin spread across his face, his eyes devouring me where I sat across from him. The look in his eyes, like a hungry animal about to pounce, set my heart racing. I turned my head as we pulled into the next station and watched as the passengers passed in and out of the doors.

The train-car emptied out, leaving us alone. I watched as the doors slid closed, the florescent lights overhead flickering. The train jutted forward, pulling us back into the tunnel.

Silas stood, pulling me quickly up to my feet, and the train rocked, causing us both to topple back into the train doors.

The look grew more intense, his green eyes almost glowing. Silas' hands slid down my arms, pulling my wrists up over my head and trapping them against the cold metal door as he dropped lingering kisses down my neck. He started slowly, just under my ear and traveling across my skin to my collarbone. Each touch of his lips sent hot tingles of pleasure through me - my mind lost in delirious joy. His hands slid back down my arms, his gentle touch leaving goosebumps in their wake before they traced the curve of my waist, hovering just above my hips. His fingers gently caressed the hem of my t-shirt, brushing against the skin that peeked between my shirt and my jeans

Deep inside, my brain was trying to tear me out of my lustful daze, reminding me that we’d be pulling into the next station soon. I slipped my hands under his chin, gently pulling his mouth away. The ravenous glint in his eyes when they locked with mine pulled me back under, our lips colliding, our bodies pressed up hard against the door as the lights overhead flickered again.

“We need to stop.” I whispered into his mouth. He growled playfully in response, pulling me closer. “Silas, I’m serious.” I kissed him hard and he sighed, his grip relaxing around my waist.

“I’m just not ready to let go yet. I feel like I get little tastes of you and it’s never enough. Then I’m left fiending until the next time I have you in my arms again.” His chest was heaving against mine and he leaned forward, pressing our foreheads together as he attempted to restrain himself. “I should get off at the next stop and walk the rest of the way.” He said, slowly prying his hands away from my body. He took a forceful step back before lifting his gaze to meet mine. His eyes were still heavy-lidded as he peered at me regretfully from under his eyebrows.

The space grew slightly brighter as we pulled into the station. When the train shuddered to a stop, Silas took one more step backwards, a determined set to his jaw, and then he disappeared like a blur through the doors as people pushed their way inside. I sat back down in the seat beside the window.

The doors slid closed just as a set of brilliant green eyes caught mine on the other side of the window. His lips spread into a slow smile and he mouthed the words, “Smile, Beautiful. I’ll see you soon.”