Fresh Start

This is it. The time is here. It’s never…or now.  

After what has felt like nearly two years of having a demonic automatic baseball launcher aimed right on my family and loved ones, I’m—God willing—finally seeing some signs of a light at the end of a very dark, but substantially shiny tunnel. I don’t know why I think the tunnel looks shiny. You’d have to ask Polls…I feel like that’s her influence.

Anyway… 

Sure, that light might be dim…and, you know, flickering…but it’s there, clear as can be, and I’m trusting it wholeheartedly.

True, the whole family has been sucker-punched with amazing accuracy: Mom, Dad, me, my bestie…and, most recently, my sweet, precious, fur baby. I won’t get into the gruesome details (unknown allergy created a complete horror show; then an unexpected flu shot reaction sent him to be tested and sent my sanity nearly over the edge), but I will say the emotional experience shoved my slowly changing outlook and long-overdue reevaluation of things right up the step I’d been struggling to take.

And if the emotional upheaval wasn’t enough of a shove, the universe seemed to concur, sending some absolutely unbelievable, inexplicable, unmistakable signs.  My characters would unleash all fury on me if I failed to pay attention.

So what does this all mean? Though I have no clue how it will unfold, I am certain it’s time for me to take some chances I’ve been debating for a long while now with my writing and other ventures. Not to worry—Jex and crew will be returning with their own tales, and I will continue to work on them until all the novels are darn near complete before starting to release them (Psst: I’m nearly there with the spin-off series).  My goal is to reduce the wait time between books, yet afford the time to gamble on a few other projects. Oh, I know I’ve said that before--about reducing the waiting period between releases--but this time it’s different. This stretch of obstacles and delays has impacted me in ways I could never fully explain, and if I dared to try, I’d just end up sounding like a babbling idiot...more than usual, I mean…

And guess what? I’m actually making a resolution this year.  Not normally my thing, but this one will stick: KEEPING MY SITES UPDATED! Even if it’s just a lame check-in, I’m going to crawl out of my stupid social media shyness shell. If I can do it during LSU games, by LSU Jesus (LSU fans might recognize this name), I can do it every other time.

There we have it—a mini-rundown, revelation, and resolution post to end the year and start a new one. It’s not much, but it is a start…and isn’t that what the New Year is all about? A fresh start? 

For anyone else out there looking to start fresh in this New Year, please know you're not alone. We can do this--conquer fear, kick doubt to the curb, and face obstacles like a superhero. 

Starting line drawn. 

Let’s geaux racing & make this New Year something special no matter what!

Lots of Love to You All, 

Turning a Corner

Hellllllloooooooo out there! I’ve missed you so much! The big update: The snot monsters have been slayed! I finally surpassed that ‘restricted activity’ recovery mark and am feeling much more like myself…yet not, but in a good way. I can actually breathe better and my sense of smell is as keen as a werewolf’s now. Crazy how the little things can make such a remarkable difference to your quality of life.

Ironically, since my sinuses have cleared, so too has my head. And, Dear Lord, have the characters been impatiently waiting for me to finish their stories…particularly one very naughty, sarcastic, Aussie sorta-angel. I’m working hard to get books ready to go. I have no idea which one will be first—I’m relying on the characters to guide me there. I’m literally at their mercy…and gladly so.

So…time to wave off the stress of this past year and a half, dust off the cobwebs, and get geauxing! (LSU/Louisiana reference there. Totally proper spelling.)

The Final Wave Has Landed! BACKRUSH is Here!

Now Available on Amazon

The Mer-Nor Gang's final adventure has finally arrived! It's the conclusion I've been waiting to write for, oh, over a decade, now, I reckon. Writing BACKRUSH was probably the most emotionally exhausting, yet gratifying journey of the series. So much has happened over the course of ten years--I'm not sure what I would've done without The Merworld Water Wars. This world has been my home and the characters have always been, and will always be, my family.

The Mer-Nor Gang and I hope you will love its conclusion. 

Ride the Final Wave on Kindle (paperback coming soon): 

BACKRUSH, Now Available on Amazon.

Cover Reveal for BACKRUSH, The Final Wave

A long time in the making, the cover of BACKRUSH is very special to me. From the sheer beauty of Marina, the sea, and the sky to the hidden fin and aged, battle-worn typography, I could not have asked for more to close the series. I hope you love it as much as I do. 

From the Mer-Nor Gang, here is the blurb for their final adventure: 

One Final, Crazy Wave

The stakes have never been greater for the Mer-Nor Gang, and for Marina Valentine, a single decision could destroy the Merworld or cost her the life of her soul mate.

With time running dangerously low, Marina and her friends must find a way to defeat Riparian, save Troy, dethrone King and Queen Zale…and take down Zale’s mysterious, powerful ally—an ally whose identity will not only stun the Siren Savior, but will expose one enormous secret she never saw coming.

With twists and turns abound, only friendship, hope, and love will give Marina and her friends a fighting chance against the vicious King and Queen Zale. It will take every ounce of faith and trust to forge ahead, for not everything—or everyone—is what it seems.

There is only one certainty for the Mer-Nor Gang as they prepare to go head-to-head with King Zarius Zale:  the final wave brings the biggest surprises yet.

Coming this December.

Stay tuned for teasers and release details...

DOWNDRIFT, Wave Four Arrives August 13th

Here it is! Wave Four is picking up speed and is scheduled to make landfall on August 13th*!

DOWNDRIFT:

Marina Valentine is one future time-traveling trip away from putting the final trident in King Zale’s reign. The future, however, has a dire message for the Savior: She is one decision away from costing everyone everything.

                                      

Marina doesn’t want the burden of some unknown decision, nor does she want to learn of yet another sneaky trick by King Zale. All she wants to do is focus on her trip with Troy to retrieve the last soul stealing stone—a trip that will not only take them to wondrous, mysterious places, but will bring them closer than she ever dreamed possible.

Unfortunately for Marina Valentine, burdens and Zale tricks are part of the job description.

Only this time, the burden has never been heavier and the trick has never been more destructive. 

*Please note that it can take 12+ hours for a book to appear LIVE on Amazon once it is published, and on occasion there are delays. Because weather and power outages are always a concern this time of year, I may publish early in an effort to avoid any weather-related delays.

**And I apologize for the big gaps between paragraphs. No clue why that happens, but it does now and again. I finally gave up trying to figure out how to fix it--beyond my brain's capability.

There's a Wave Coming!

The Fourth 'Wave' in The Merworld Water Wars series is about to hit the shore! The Mer-Nor gang is back for another crazy, intense adventure!

Stop on by the blog, Twitter, & FB next week for the release date, to see the cover, and read the blurb! 

Roundup: Racing, Writing, Random, & Contest Peek!

Well, I finally did the thing I dread doing: changing my blogger background from Christmas to something non-Christmas. I know, it's pathetic, but I hate seeing all the Christmas goodness disappear for another year. You should see me with the tree and decorations--most depressed self-professed elf EVER. 

On the plus side...RACING IS BACK! Yeehaw! I geaux ('geaux' is an LSU thing for those who haven't witnessed the circus sideshow that is me on Twitter during football season) kinda blah between the end of football & holidays until now, when NASCAR returns. Dale Jr. finished 3rd. Great race. Very glad Kyle Busch is safe after that horrific accident yesterday. Scary, scary thing to see. I felt so bad for his wife--she must have been absolutely terrified. Safer barriers should be everywhere. Just my less-than-two-cents opinion. 

The writing cave has been a busy place. Book 4 of The Merworld Waters Wars is coming along steadily. I'll be kicking it into high gear here soon. I'm still looking at a summer 2015 release date. And...we have a cover!!! It definitely sets the tone for the fourth book, especially since the story really leads to the fifth and final book in the series. I'm a crazy mix of excited, nervous, and sad to be so close to the end of this series. Oooh, can't even think about how finishing the last book will feel! Nope, can't think about that right now. No, no, no, just no.

Anyway...on top of that, I've been working like mad on my first New Adult Contemporary Romance/Suspense trilogy. There will be danger, love, deadly secrets, betrayal, and some, um, steamy-sexy grown-up fun. It's been really fun to write. I've had these characters nagging me for a looong time--kept notebooks in an attempt to keep them at bay while writing Merworld Water Wars, but they finally lost their patience and came bursting out of my brain. I'm not absolutely sure about a release date for the first book, but I'm aiming for the end of summer, maybe sooner.

Oh, and Mother Nature can take the cold away any dang time now. Seriously. Getting just a little tired of having to leave the faucets on a drip and shivering and brrr and blah! Elsa, I most definitely am not, despite 'Let It Go' being a theme song and my love of snow for the holidays. Pre-Christmas snow & Christmas snow...yeah, totally different from after-Christmas snow. This made a lot more sense in my head than it does now, staring back at me. :/ 

Lots of things coming up, including a big contest taking place in False Key...details coming this week! 

Roundup: Shells, Writing, & Unleashing My Crazy

Um, under a rock…or the bed…or in a cave. Okay, not really, but I might as well have been. This summer has been kind of a rough one; I think, in part, this summer’s ups and downs have made me a little extra shell-bound lately. Lots of worry, tears, and fears. My mom means the world to me, so seeing her not doing so great sends me even deeper into that darn shell.

Of course, it’s no secret that my social media skills need a lot of work. For whatever dumb reason, I’m seriously social media-shy. It’s stupid, I know. But every single time I started to write a blog/FB post, I'd just clam up and think, ‘Okay, this is going to sound stupid and pointless. Literally no one will be interested in my babble.’ I realize how foolish that sounds, believe me, I do…I really do. Reckon I just didn’t want to further highlight my inner idiot, not that it needs any help—it does a fantastic job of rocking the stupid all on its own.

Anywhoo, I’m trying to crawl outside the shell I tend to retreat into, which means…expect babble. Apologies in advance. :/

Anthologies.

I’ve had the great privilege to work with several groups of tremendous authors, and all I can say is…get ready for boatloads of AWESOME! And for anyone who has read my Merworld Water Wars series...you’re in for some extra crazy fun in a couple of these anthologies. 

I’ll have special posts detailing these phenomenal books in the very near future. For now, here’s a brief introduction to three upcoming anthologies:

Celestial. In Celestial, readers will see how the presence of a comet influences life, love, relationships, and beyond. For my contribution, Comet Cotillion, I thought it might be cool to give you a glimpse into Marina’s life before arriving in Saxet Shores. You’ll visit Madame Helena’s institution while Marina, Trey, Polly, and Meikle were patients there. Expect wackiness, some rather unfortunate ball gowns, Polly’s bizarre suitors, a glimpse into the strength of Meikle and her bag…and hopefully lots of fun.

Somewhere South of Normal. Here, readers will vacation on an unknown island…where leaving may not be an option. When you visit False Key, you can expect sun, sand, surf…sex…danger…mystery…and pretty much anything and everything you can and can’t imagine. ;) As for my stories (Oversplash & Overbite-Me), well, let’s just say there’s a freaking hot, naughty, Aussie sorta-angel awaiting you. And, yes, he’s working his sexy…oh, Dear God, is he working it. ;)

Candy Cane Kisses. OH HOLY RUDOLPH! I’m going to be part of a Christmas romance anthology! I'm trying to decide whether to write a sexy or sweet story. Hmm. Naughty or Nice. Just can't decide, but I'm totally ready to put on my elf hat!

Author Appreciation Month.

Oh, oh, oh, I’m SO excited to hold my first ever Author Appreciation Month. I will feature four spectacular authors who I feel so blessed to know. Each week will spotlight a different author—we’re talking reviews, character interviews, author interviews, and…a big ‘ole GIVEAWAY! Stay tuned for the next post detailing everything! 

Character voices, that is! And, oh, man, have the characters been talking! I'll have tons more details to come, but basically, there's a little of everything: NA/Adult Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, and, of course...

Book four/Wave four of The Merworld Water Wars! It's  underway! However, there’s an issue—books four and five really should be one book. But, Dear God, it would be absolutely massive! So, I’ve decided to write books four and five back-to-back. The idea is to publish book four when I’m about halfway done with book 5. It may be a longer wait between Rifted and book four, but the wait between four and five will be much shorter.  I just don’t think it would be fair to make anyone who's reading this series wait ages for the final book. I dunno. I just want to do what's right for readers and my characters. Maybe I'm over-thinking. Wouldn't be the first time. lol :/

And finally… If you’ve read my books or any of my blog posts, you know I’m a little wacky. Wacky, crazy, goofy, dorky, or gorky, as Mom says—call it what you want, but whatever it is, it tends to be my comfort zone.

Starting Saturday, I will elevate the weird to a whole other level as LSU takes the field for their first game of the season. I’m a sports fanatic. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m a total girly-girl, but trust me when I say I can scream the stripes off a referee better than half the guys I know. If you’d like to come see the circus, drop by my Twitter page during an LSU game. I’ve been told it’s an unfiltered sideshow. Yeah. Like I said, just point and laugh. I won’t mind.

The Merworld Water Wars: Trey Campbell Answers Mer-Questions, Part II

Welcome back, my lovely little magazine-dwelling noses. I do apologize for the ridiculous delay in getting you the highly anticipated answers from resident hottie Normal, Trey Cambell. It seems our Sandblastwriter technician failed to show up for, oh, weeks.

Anyway, we’re back with Trey. Are you ready?

Trey: Let’s do it.

[Don’t get your hopes up, Clarissa. You’re far too plain] And I see the technician still hasn’t fixed our Sandblastwriter’s cheeky side. [Clarissa turns on the fake laugh. Heh, she thinks by giving me the evil eye that I’ll somehow shut up. I won’t.] Son of a sandbar. Oh, uh, sorry…question time!

Okay, this one comes from Mathilda in downtown Fairla. You alluded to a happy relationship between a Fairhair and Ravenflame. Did you mean Katrina and Troy, once upon a time?

Trey, smirking [he’s not buying Clarissa’s lame attempts to get the scoop]: Nope, sure didn’t. Really? You’ve had all this time to come up with a scheme to coax the info out of me and that’s all you came up with? Did you think I wouldn't do a little digging of my own? Mathilda’s your middle name.

[Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha] SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU PIECE OF…er, yes, well…ya got me! [Insert fake laughing, which isn't fooling anyone because her seriously reddening cheeks are totally calling her out as a pissed off little reporter. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!] I hate you and fully intend to petition for a removal of all Sandblastwriters. [Yeah, good luck with that]. Trey, will you at least tell us a little about the couple you speak of?

Trey: They’re in love and happy. What more do you need?

Names.

Trey: Not gonna happen.

Fine. We’ll turn to the mailbag...the legitimate mailbag. We have a question from Leah in Diagonal North Fairla: Trey, boxers or briefs? My, my! [Clarissa pretends to be embarrassed. Truth is, she’s dying to know the answer].

Trey, smiling slyly: Boxers…and, on occasion, commando. I don’t like to feel restricted.

Well, no, I mean, why would you, right? [Idiotic laughing from Clarissa] And today you’d be rocking which look?

Trey: Commando.

OH MY POSEIDON! Are you really? Oh…that’s…just…YEAH. [The drooling is getting worse. She needs a bucket. Oh, dear. Clarissa has officially zoned out—she’s staring dreamily at Trey, probably daydreaming about his brief-less self. Brilliant, top-notch journalist, here, folks.]

Trey: Uh, do you have any more questions?

Huh? What? OH! Ahem, yes, of course. Gertie from downtown Fairla wants to know if you’re afraid of the Ravenflames.

Trey, clenching his jaw: Fear is your ultimate enemy, not the physical adversary.

But, do you worry about the strength of, say, King and Queen Zale?

Trey: They’re not the only ones with strength. Might serve them well to remember that.

Our next question comes from Cordy on the outskirts of Fairla. Trey, what is your favorite holiday and why?

Trey: Easy. Halloween. I like the hint of fear in the air. It makes me stronger.

Rumor has it, Christmas is Marina’s favorite time of year.

Trey: It is. She has a cynical side, but she loves the jolliest, happiest time of year better than anything else. What does that tell you? She’s a softy at heart.

Will she be mad at you for calling her a softy?

Trey: She’ll pretend to be. [laughing]

I honestly can’t wait to interview her!

Trey: Little tip…don’t try to outwit her. It won’t work.

                          

Noted! Okay, next question comes from Vin, another Ravenflame! Oh…this is, uh, more of a statement than a question: Hope you know you and the Normals are going down. That Savior isn’t worth BLEEP. She couldn’t hold up to our King and Queen. Soon, all of you will be dying a slow, painful death. Hope you’re ready. Know I am.

Trey, smirking: Classy, dude.

Do you have a specific reply for Vin?

Trey, shrugging: I’m glad he’s ready. [smiling…wouldn’t want to test him]

Ooh, good answer. [Sigh] Anyway…next question comes from Janie. She lives near the Gulf Super Zoomway. Janie asks: Trey, do you like racing in your world? Do the other Normals like racing and who do they pull for? Who’s your favorite human driver, and would you ever race a mermobile?

Trey, grinning: Oh, I’m a big NASCAR fan, yeah. Never miss a race. Marina, Meikle, Polly, and my buddy Earl like racing.

And Earl is one of the Normals that left Saxet Shores, right?

Trey: So to speak, yeah. As far as who we pull for…Meikle is a Kasey Kahne fan—she has a crush on him. Earl was a die-hard Tony Stewart fan. And Polly is in love with Kyle Busch, no joke. If she ever got near the guy…he better jump in the car and drive faster than he ever has before, I swear.

My favorite driver is Dale Earnhardt Jr., same as Marina. And, yeah, I’d kill to race a mermobile, are you kidding?! [laughs]

Do you think you could beat Troy Tombolo or Kyle Zale? They’re our top drivers.

Trey, laughing: Hell, I don’t know. I’d give it my best.

Shall we move to our last question? [Trey nods. Duh, Clarissa…just ask the question] Ass.

Trey: Sandblastwriter again?

[Clarissa rolls her eyes and nods] Okay, our last question comes from—oh—Katrina Zale!

Trey: Oh mother[EXPLETIVE]! Let’s have it.

Katrina asks…would you swim with me? [Clarissa’s wide eyes alarm me, not gonna lie]

Trey: That’s her question?

That’s it.

Trey, eyebrows raised: I don’t think ‘no’ is a strong enough word. 

Trey, it's been a pleasure. 

Next up on our interview list is Ophelia Fountains! Let's hope she doesn't faint during our interview!

OVERFALLS is here!!!

 

Fall Over the OVERFALLS here!

OVERFALLS, the second Wave in The Merworld Water Wars series is finally here!!! 

And for anyone looking to meet some quirky, crazy, loveable characters in a wild world full of adventure and fun, FINNED, the first Wave in The Merworld Water Wars series, is now only .99 at Amazon! 

Many hugs and loads of love to anyone who has given my quirky characters (and their goofy author) a chance. <3

Character Interviews: Trey Campbell Answers Mer-questions!

Today, we’re going to dig through our mail and ask Trey all those burning questions I just know my precious readers are flipping fins to know the answers to! So let’s get started.

Pearl from the West Wave of Fairla wants to know how you feel about the ‘Normals’ label placed on you and your friends by the Merpeople.

Trey [shrugs]: I don’t like labels of any kind. You know, all creatures struggle with the same [EXPLETIVE], so what the hell is the point of slapping labels, apart from wanting to be jackasses? It’s a bully thing in my book. But—yep, I have a but [Clarissa giggles like an 8^th grade idiot]—now that I’ve railed on it [laughs with Clarissa], I will say it has grown on me because we are different…and why not celebrate it? We’re special. So, if the merfolk want to highlight our uniqueness with a label, go right ahead. We’re always willing to make it work in our favor. [smiles sexily…Clarissa fans herself]

Tommy, also from the West Wave of Fairla, asks: Did you ever believe in mermaids before learning the truth in Saxet Shores?

Trey: Yeah, I think I did, in a really broad sense. I’ve always felt there was a lot more to the world that we can’t see. When human kids started developing talents, I pretty much figured mythological creatures existed on some plane. Plus, my instinct literally screamed it from the earliest days I can remember of my life.

Ooh, Tay from the Atlantic ocean wants to know if you would ever date a mermaid.

                                                         

Trey, winking: You interested? [laughs…while Clarissa, once again, makes an ass of herself by nearly falling off her chair. She could do with a drool towel as well] Let’s just say I’m not close-minded. [another wink]

Well, that was most enlightening…phew…um…okay…Birdie from the North Wave of Fairla has to know if you would ever consider living underwater.

Trey: If the right girl has a fin I can’t resist, you can bet I’ll make the move…down.

[Good Poseidon. Clarissa unleashed a laugh so wild, even the Normal raised an eyebrow] What a great answer! That was just…what do you want?! [Clarissa notices blue puffs from her editor] It seems my editor wishes to ask you a question, Trey.

Trey: Go for it.

Editor, in the form of blue puff lips: What is the significance of the owl pendant you always wear?

Trey: It’s my luck charm. I’ve had it since I was an infant. For some reason, I’ve always felt it kept me safe. That’s about it, I guess. Meikle thinks it holds some kind of magic. I don’t sense anything magical about it, but maybe I wouldn’t, since it’s an inanimate object.

Editor, in the form of blue puff lips: Thank you, Trey. And, Clarissa…kindly keep it together. [Clarissa blushes madly and stares at me—the Sandblastwriter—murderously]

Next question, then… Oh, this is a good one. From Jack in Diagonal South Fairla: Trey, who would win in a fight, you or Troy Tombolo?

Trey [laughing]: Whoa! Good question. Man, if I don’t say me, then I’ve got no balls, you know? So, yeah…me! Yeah, it’d be one helluva battle, I can tell you that. Troy’s a lurker. I mean, his anger, his strength, kinda bubbles right below the surface. When and if he chooses to unleash it…it could be scary. BUT, I’d still beat him, okay?! [lots of laughs]

Harmony from the heart of Fairla wants to know what you look for in a girlfriend.

Trey: Well, this is going to make me sound like a lying tool, but…eyes, personality, and inner beauty mean everything. I’m not screwing around or trying to say what you want to hear, or bull[EXPLETIVE] like that—I genuinely mean it. My ability to read a person makes it damn near impossible for me not to look at the inner beauty of someone before anything else. And, let me tell you, that’s where guys should be looking—that’s where they’ll separate the real from the fake. Uh, Clarissa? Clarissa? You okay?

[Clarissa, gazing at Trey like a lovesick guppy, is in her world of Trey + Clarissa sitting in a wave, k-i-s-s-i-n-g; first comes lov—] Oh, shut it you enormous piece of whale dung! [Trey is studying Clarissa with a ‘have you been smoking too much seaweed’ look. And, if you ask me, she probably has] I literally hate you, you damn snark-spewing contraption.

Trey: Did we have any more questions?

Oh, yes! One more for today. This one comes from Rella, a Ravenflame! Wow! We don’t have too many from them.

Trey, smirking: Can’t imagine why.

Rella wants to know if you…oh my…would ever date a Ravenflame?!

Trey, eyes wide: Wow. Didn’t expect that one! Well…given some people I now know, things I’ve now seen…I would have to say…yes, IF she’s the right kind of girl.

Ooh, what do you mean by, ‘given some people I now know?’ What people? You mean a Ravenflame and a Fairhair?! Voluntarily together?! Happy?

Trey: Yeah, I’m not going into specifics, sorry.

[Clarissa, biting her lip, suddenly has an idea] How would you like to come back for another round of mailbag fun?

Trey: Sure, yeah, sounds good. But you won’t trip me up.

Oh, of course not. I wouldn’t even try. [And she will try…she has a whole week to plan]