Characters, Characters Everywhere

My hands simply aren't fast enough to keep up with the voices in my head. And that makes me sounds just a little crazy...or a lot...but then we already know this about me: odd comes naturally. After years of denial, I've chosen to embrace it.

So, what do you do when your characters are vying for control of your brain and each one is from an entirely different story set in vastly different atmospheres? Right now, I'm mentally traveling from Christmas to vampires to angels (Mr. Sorta-Angel, to be precise) to a cozy mystery to a summertime romance.

I'm convinced these characters have grossly overestimated how quickly I'm able to write.

(And this would be two months in a row of posting! Definite progress!)

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, 

Watercolor Hearts Is Here!

Now Available on Amazon!

Watercolor Hearts Now Available on Amazon!

Money, supremacy, exclusivity, and owning the finest of everything define the upper echelon of New York City’s elite. Yet within the lavish lifestyle of New York’s wealthy and ruthless lives a mysterious group with a twisted past and dangerous future—a group one woman is determined to join for a single, all-consuming purpose: finding and exacting revenge on her parents’ killers. 

Since witnessing her father’s murder, Maggie Harred has traveled a rough road in her quest to right the past, her anger and pain fueling every step, every decision. With a little guidance, she sets her sights on the one person who would be the means to her ends. Thus, upon receiving an invitation to compete for a position with the enigmatic Manx, world-renowned cat burglar and procurer of the rarest forms of art for the world’s obscenely rich, Maggie will stop at nothing to win.

Maggie has learned to work and fight for what she wants and to expect danger and intense moral ambiguity in the process. Very little surprises her anymore. There is, however, one thing she never expected to find: love. Witty, handsome, and intensely sexy, this man slowly begins to shatter her armor, an outcome that terrifies her more than anything, particularly when her past and present collide in an utterly shocking way, threatening the one person who brought her fading heart back to life.

New Novel...finally!

WATERCOLOR HEARTS, book one 

of the upcoming

Watercolor Love series

Coming July 25th 

Well...it's finally time again--a new novel from my crazy brain. After the events of this last year, I can't tell you how much this moment means--just to be able to release a book again. 

So...here we have a new Romance-Suspense trilogy. Granted, it's definitely a little different from The Merworld Water Wars, but there are a few quirky characters, crazy twists, and maybe even an unexpected turn or two. 

WATERCOLOR HEARTS

Money, supremacy, exclusivity, and owning the finest of everything define the upper echelon of New York City’s elite. Yet within the lavish lifestyle of New York’s wealthy and ruthless lives a mysterious group with a twisted past and dangerous future—a group one woman is determined to join for a single, all-consuming purpose: finding and exacting revenge on her parents’ killers.

Since witnessing her father’s murder, Maggie Harred has traveled a rough road in her quest to right the past, her anger and pain fueling every step, every decision. With a little guidance, she sets her sights on the one person who would be the means to her ends. Thus, upon receiving an invitation to compete for a position with the enigmatic Manx, world-renowned cat burglar and procurer of the rarest forms of art for the world’s obscenely rich, Maggie will stop at nothing to win.

Maggie has learned to work and fight for what she wants and to expect danger and intense moral ambiguity in the process. Very little surprises her anymore. There is, however, one thing she never expected to find: love. Witty, handsome, and intensely sexy, this man slowly begins to shatter her armor, an outcome that terrifies her more than anything, particularly when her past and present collide in an utterly shocking way, threatening the one person who brought her fading heart back to life.

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.)

Houston, We Have a Newsletter Sign Up Form!

Cross all fingers and toes because I have what might be the last procedure to tackle all the snot & infection monsters this Friday. This has been an ongoing thing for over a year now. Just a giant pain in the buttocks. This one is a pretty gnarly procedure. I'm a little nervous, but more than ready to get this crap done. 

Now, let's get to some fun stuff...

Some small corner of hell must have frozen over. Why? Because I have a sign up form for a newsletter. 

<I sense the blank expressions and confused blinks coming from you>

But this is a huge, epic level achievement for me. 

<Hmm...I'm now sensing the expressions are no longer blank and the blinks may have turned to arched, are-you-kidding-me brows >

Okay, yeah, I admit, this is technically easy stuff...unless you're me. Apparently, my brain accepts stuff like calculus, but rejects nearly all things technology. The last time my noggin attempted to add a newsletter sign up form, I ended up with a botched blog sidebar, a non-working form, and a whole lotta foul words. 

So, now that I've unveiled some of my stupid... 

If you'd like to receive a newsletter featuring information on upcoming book releases, sign on up! There is a form located at the top of the right sidebar and one at the bottom of the blog. 

Don't worry about me inundating your inbox with pointless e-mails or crazy LSU fan outbursts. Y'all know I tend to hibernate a lot (as evidenced by my pathetically minimal Facebook and blog posting).  Whenever I send a newsletter, there'll be a darn good book-related reason.

And for the absolute sweethearts who have been asking for a newsletter: thank you so much for your infinite patience. At least I figured it out eventually! :/

Back Now

First and foremost, much love, many thoughts, and countless prayers to the brave people of Houston and surrounding areas devastated by Hurricane Harvey. You will get through this and be stronger than ever before, that much I know. <3

Well, it was a long winter. And spring. And summer. The bottom line: The sinusitis that ultimately led me to some not-so-fun procedures between January and July is still an ongoing thing. Yeah, the infection was really, really bad. Snot monsters. Who knew? Then, from December through March and some of April, my dad could barely walk (and sometimes just plain couldn’t) due to gout and the return of a medical condition that nearly took his life. During the same time frame, my poor mom struggled and is only just now feeling better after going back and forth to the doctor since February.

On the bright side, Dad is pretty much back to form and Mom is doing much, much better. As for me, I’m praying there are two more procedures before everything is back to normal again. I feel horrible for my absence and more so that my writing has been slow going since all of this started. I’m trying like all heck to get back on track, but it is a slower process than I would like.

At the very least, I plan on keeping the blog & FB updated more regularly, even if it’s with a bunch of nonsense (kinda like most of this post, right?). Twitter, however, will be where I release my annual crazy. Yes, it’s that time of year again: LSU FOOTBALL. All sense of reason (what little remains, that is) quite literally flies out the ears when LSU takes the field. Apologies in advance to anyone who may witness my wackiness—you may conclude I need professional help. To those cheering for teams who may take the field against LSU: Nothing but good sportsmanship here & may the best team win…so long as it’s LSU (just kidding…kind of).

Now for the big news: In December, before the chaos unleashed, I became a mama to a precious little angel. Please meet my fur-baby, Crosby St. Nick (yep, he was totally named after my favorite crooner, Bing Crosby, and the one and only Santa Claus). I realize my holiday addiction comes through in his name. Well, I've never hidden my crazy, so...yeah. 

Baby Crosby

And, yes, he's fast becoming a big LSU Tigers fan! 

Okay, I will see y’all soon with new puppy pics and new updates…including one that has been requested a few times from readers. ;) In the meantime, I hope to see you on Twitter for some serious fun on game day & Geaux Tigers.

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.

There's A Wave Coming...

In one week, the Mer-Nor Gang and I will reveal the cover and blurb for the Final Wave of the Merworld Water Wars series. 

After over a decade with my family of characters and living in their world, it's almost surreal that the last chapter in this series is complete. The characters and I have had some rather intense reactions: Polly's eyes went black, Meikle stirred the contents of her bag, Airi rocked back and forth on the edge of the couch, Jex flexed his wings, Ophelia went into cleaning mode, Camille baked, and Marina and I gagged. Good times. 

The Final Wave Is Crashing Soon!

*waves* Hiya! Been a while, huh? I know, I know, it’s unforgivable...but maybe this will help: Wave Five, the final wave in The Merworld Water Wars series, is complete! And it is one long novel, let me tell you! Phew! 

Over a decade in the making, the final installment in this series had me on a seriously possessed emotional roller coaster—I cried and laughed…and cried and laughed some more.  Honestly, I was such a mess writing Wave Five, you’d think I’d lost the few marbles I have left. I know I’ve said it before, but these characters have been my family and there for me during some not so sunshine-y times; they’ve meant a great deal to my mom over the years with all she has had to deal with. They’re more than paper and ink, silly as that may sound.  

Anyway, I just wanted to give a quick update and let you know the Mer-Nor Gang will be returning very soon now! Details to follow about Wave Five, along with the cover reveal and blurb. 

Oh! And I haven't forgotten about introducing you to some wonderful fellow Indie authors! From the computer situation to the cruddy winter & spring, I just haven't been able to devote the kind of time these authors and their wonderful books deserve. But I'm getting there, slowly but surely! 

Lots of Love to You <3

Roping the Roundup: Merworld Men, Wave Five, & Computer Woes

Computer Woes. Well, my computer has turned into a massive drama queen. Her ‘attitude’ started over the summer. Initially, I wrote it off as computer PMS, but, alas, her bitchiness just raged on. Thanks to the saga-coaster my computer strapped me into, I’m limited with my time online. Fortunately, I’m able to borrow a computer on weekends, just in time for game day—I need to vent my LSU crazy on Twitter…it’s therapeutic. ;)

With all my claims of technology idiocy, you probably know by now that my brain doesn’t exactly skew to the techie side (oh, how I wish it did). Frankly, it makes me uncomfortable. As a result, I haven’t brought myself to try the whole phone-to-tweet or phone-to-email thing. To me, that’s beyond my scope of comprehension. Maybe I’ll try eventually…one day…possibly.

The whole thing kinda sucks because I love my little drama-happy computer! You get to know your computer, and it gets to know you, you know? The one I’m borrowing is an uber-sensitive jerk and clearly doesn’t ‘get’ me. So, there’s that. 

Wave Five, the final book. Is the computer drama affecting Wave Five? To some extent, yes. I’m doing a lot of handwriting, which is a bit slower. BUT I’m still on schedule for a summer 2016 release. I will definitely keep you updated.

Wave Five hints. I can tell you that the final wave in The Merworld Water Wars series is shaping up to be one wild, emotional ride. Huge secrets will finally be revealed. Think I’ll leave it at that for now. ;)

Spin-off series: The first book in the spin-off series featuring the plane full of characters you met in DOWNDRIFT begins the editing process next week! The new series will consist of 3 books full of wacky, crazy fun. 

Men of The Merworld Water Wars. Speaking of merps and an impending water war, the men of the Merworld recently dropped by Bookish to answer a few fun questions for Tiffany! Some replies were sweet, some sexy, some severe, and some were downright saucy.

Due to my computer issues, I’m behind in posting this, but if you have a minute for some hot supernatural men, stop on over for the naughty Q &A session with Troy, Jex, Trey, Kyle, and Doctor Tenly! 

Visit the Men of the Merworld Water Wars here. 

Lots more updates to come! Many Mer-Hugs~

DOWNDRIFT Now Available on Amazon!

Available on Amazon

The fourth wave has landed! DOWNDRIFT is available in the Kindle Store! The estimated page length listed on the Kindle product page is 288 pages, but the actual paperback length is just over 350 pages. It may correct itself once the paperback and Kindle versions link up. I'm not too clear on all the technical parts--surprise, surprise, right?  lol

 Available On: 

Amazon

By the end of DOWNDRIFT, you'll see just how big the final wave is going to be... 

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! 

Contest: What tale do you have to tell?

 

 

Last spring & summer, I had the honor of working with several wonderfully talented groups of authors, one of which was in the Somewhere South of Normal, Volume I, anthology. Serena, the brilliance behind creating False Key, invited us to introduce our characters to the sexy dangers of the island and put our own special twist on its sandy shores. Now, Serena & The Howl at the Moon are presenting you with the chance to set your characters loose on an island where the only thing that is predictable is its unpredictability. 

*****

Sponsored by Howl at the Moon Writers Jam.

Intrigued by the fantasy world of False Key? Want to get published? Win prizes?

Enter your best short story (1,500-8,000 words) and/or poem (up to 3 pages) set in the world of False Key, Florida.
Grand prize winner(s) will be published in an upcoming False Key anthology and receive $25 cash and their choice of a False Key mug or t-shirt. Second and third place winner(s) will be published online.

The setting should be the island of False Key or surrounding waters.

Story prompts to inspire you:

1. Account of a trip to False Key including a narrow escape. Or not.
2. The Howl at the Moon Writers Jam in False Key is having a short story contest. Meta!
3. Dive into the music scene of False Key
4. “My name is Sharkton, and I’m powerless over eating people.”
5. Choose your own theme.

Work must be original, unpublished, and in keeping with the spirit of island. Read Somewhere South of Normal for clues!

Submissions open Jan 5 and close Mar 19. 

Winners will be announced on April 16 at the Howl at the MoonWriters Jam in Stuart, Florida.

Winners will be published online. Grand prize winner(s) will be published in our 2015 False Key anthology.


Read the official contest rules and fine print here.

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! 

Somewhere South of Normal Release Day!

Happy release day to the Somewhere South of Normal anthology!

Scroll down to enter the giveaway.

Blurb:

Shed the humdrum mainland routine, and escape into our adult fantasy. You can raise a glass with locals masquerading as humans, or slip into extravagant costume for our parade. Until we find you appetizing. We do love our visitors.

Somewhere South of Normal is a anthology of fantasy stories and poetry from False Key—island of dreams and nightmares, shifters and mermaids. Come and disappear. We’ll neither judge you nor promise your safety. Check your ego at the bridge. False Key is the premier tourist destination for shape-shifting mammals, predatory marine life, and the humans they snack on. Enjoy stories from authors such as Amber Garr, Sutton Shields, and many more. 

Buy now!

 Amazon 

Book Website:

Watch the trailer. Visit False Key. Read an excerpt. 

Find out more about the authors. And come take a swim in our dangerous waters.

www.falsekey.com

Authors:

Amber Garr, A.P. Kelly, Mark V. McDonnell, Corina Pelloni, Serena Schreiber, 

Sutton Shields, Kathleen Spalding, Sterling Stone, Kathryn A. Thomas

Genre:

Fantasy, horror, supernatural romance and poetry.

Age Group:

New Adult and Adult (sex and language)

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway