I've been knee deep in revisions for Foolish Desire for the last few, working very hard to get you all the next installment of the Naughty Holiday Lists as quickly as I can. Unfortunately I'm still not meeting my own deadlines, so for right now, I'm in detention. No more reading, no more fun, until it’s done.
 
It’s interesting to see how I've changed and grown as a writer in the last few years. It’s always amazing for me to see how each work improves. Since being published it’s been a huge increase in proficiency, since my amazing publishers have been great about being honest and forthright and helping me see my mistakes the way I never could on my own. Each work I can feel myself growing.
 
With this revision, it’s been disconcerting how much I've changed. The revisions have gone rather smoothly, considering how horrible edits used to be for me. I used to cringe and slam my head against a wall when it was time to do revisions (and I might be right back there with the next release, cross fingers I won't be). This revision there were no huge sections to rewrite, no horribly crafted passages that made you question why you'd ever started to type to begin with (yeah, I've had some dozes in the past). In fact there were times I was revising, I actually forgot I was revising, I was enjoying Will and Amy's story so much.

Now there are a few reasons why this one is going so much better than others in the past. Part of it is due to the fact I've been in this world so long. Foolish Desire will be the fourth Naughty Holiday List installment, and as a result I know the stories and characters very well. I've been setting up these story lines in all the other books (if you go back and read some of the others you'll see hints of what's to come, but its subtle enough not to give too much away). Since I've known where I was going for almost two years, I'm much better at staying on track than I used to be. 

I've also started using character charts, which have really helped me get the character right the first time. No more writing half the book before I decide who they are and what their conflict is, and as a result no more going back to rewrite sections with a different back story or character trait. Amy is the same she's always been, shy, awkward and just a touch repressed. Just enough to make it so much fun for Will to push her boundaries.
 
But I really think the majority is due to growing as an author. Now I can see the pitfalls before I fall in them. I can anticipate the problems before I even hit them, and I can even wade my way through them faster (since I've done it before) I still have issues and problems come up while writing and revising, and I think I'll continue to. When I stop having anything more to learn, I'll probably stop writing, or we'll evolve past it. But I'm definitely improving, which I hope means I'm writing faster and it will be even sooner you'll get to read another one of my books.

Until then, here's the last snippet I revised on Foolish Desire, Will and Amy are enjoying a late meal after play rehearsal, but Will's got a little more up his sleeve than garlic bread. 

Will leaned towards Amy, taking advantage of her excited state to shift his arm a fraction closer on the table. Her heat radiated his side, offering him a glimpse of how amazing her body would feel pressed up against his. Her soft flowery smell encircled him, his mouth watered to taste her.

“I bet they can’t wait to see their teacher at work. Those sets you made are
breathtaking.” He leaned closer, slipping his hand under the table to graze her knee. Not lingering, but certainly remaining long enough to draw her attention, if the way her soft mouth fell open and her eyes gazed up at him in question were any indication. “And those costumes,” he whispered low, close to her ear, even though no else sat near enough to hear him. “They’re worth the price of the ticket alone. They certainly get my heart pumping.”

It’s been an exciting week for me. To start off with this week I’ve expanded into several different mediums. My first print book, Naughty Holiday’s, which is a compilation of my two ebooks with Siren, Midnight Mirage and Heart’s Ultimatum, has gone live on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. If you’re interested in getting a copy you can order them now, though on amazon it’s currently saying out of stock, that should be fixed in the next few weeks. 

I’ve already purchased my copy. Having my own print book, in my own hands, has been my fantasy since I was four years old. I can’t even express
how happy I am to see this day.

Also I received notification from one of my other publishers that my most recent release, Serving Madame, is going to be released in audiobook. This is my first ever audiobook. I’m very excited at the idea of someone reading my book aloud, and actually hearing what the characters sound like. From the sample clip Romance Divine sent me, the reader sounds fantastic. Though it will probably be a few months before the audiobook is recorded and released. I'll let you all know once I have a release date. I can’t wait.

Also this week I finished my newest work, an MMF ménage geared towards Decadent Publishing’s 1Night Stand Series. The working title right now is High School Fantasies, but I’m not in love with it, so if anyone has a suggestion I’d love to hear it. Here’s a first draft of the blurb for this work, to give you an idea of what’s coming.

Beth has always had one fantasy, to be with two men at the same time, that also want each other. Gifted by her sister Kelly with the services of 1Night Stand dating service for her birthday, her fantasies can finally become a reality. After the month she'd had, losing her job and her fiancée in the same night, she deserved a little fun and to finally live out a fantasy that's been tempting her since high school.

Since his high school reunion invitation came in the mail, Dell hasn't been able to stop thinking about his sweetheart, Beth. When he and his live-in-boyfriend Marcos receive a mysterious invitation to participate in the exclusive 1Night Stand services he suggest they add a woman to their dynamic duo, and Marcos eagerly agrees. What he never could have guessed is that the woman Madame Eve sends them is the same woman that's been haunting his mind since graduation.

But will one night be enough for Dell to satisfy his craving for Beth? Will Marcos be able to handle having Dell's high school sweetheart between them? Or will adding an old flame to their couple turn their duo into a
crowd?

The work is a little long, so it definitely needs some editing. I don’t know when I’ll be submitting it, but I’m hoping to get it in this year. We’ll see.

Next on my to-do-list is to revise Foolish Desire. I want to get that submitted by the end of July to Siren. I really love this book, and Amy,
and I want to get her out into the world. Then I have plans to work on a new Christmas story. More to come on that, hopefully soon.

Now I need to get back to writing, if I’m going to get this all done on this schedule. ;)

It’s been a crazy few weeks (hence the radio silence on the blog). Last week I was finally able to resubmit Wandering Off the Path. I love this story, it’s like my first child (it was originally submitted in 2010 and was the first erotic romance I ever wrote), so I really wanted to do it justice and give it the time and work it needed. Which is why the revisions on it, that were supposed to take two weeks, ended up taking a very hard six. It would have helped if I didn’t break a zip drive and lose several weeks’ worth of work all at once. But regardless, I think the revisions really improved the work and I’m very hopeful about its prospects of being picked up by a publisher. The advice I got from an amazing editor really helped to improve this work, and I believe will help to improve all my works to come.

But now I’m feeling like I’m trailing behind my goal for the year of getting to ten total published works (with the release of Serving Madame I’m currently at six). So I really want to get my butt moving.  I hope to get Foolish Desire in soon, and I’m planning to get my current work done by the end of the month (only two days left…yikes). This work is my first stab at a MMF ménage, and from how much fun I’m having with my guys and all the different positions I can put them in with my leading lady ;D I think there will definitely be more to come from me in this genre. But since this is my first try I went with a shorter story. It was a great little palette cleanser after the intensive revisions of Wandering.

I can’t speak for all authors on this, but I can’t go from revisions straight into more revisions. I need to spend some time writing and creating in between, getting my energy back and remembering why I put myself through the late nights and frustrating revisions I do (if you can’t tell I’m not a huge fan of revisions, but they are a necessary evil, and are getting better the more I write).

After I’m done with this story, its focus time to get revisions done on Foolish Desire and send it in to Siren. My goal is to get it to Siren by the end of June, if not earlier. I’m hoping they’ll like it and publish it quickly. I also have a few ideas in the works I hope to get out this year, including another lesbian romance set around Christmas. But you’ll have to stay tuned to hear more about that (since I don’t even know that much about it yet, it’s still a very new idea). It will be close, but I think I can still hit that ten work mark.

Writing is an amazing addiction. Even though it’s only been a few months since my last release I’m already hungry for another one. I love all aspects of the writing process, but the validation that comes with getting a work published is definitely a high for me. If I had my choice I’d always have something in the coming soon pile.

If you’re hungry for another snippet of my work, here’s a short section from my so far unnamed MMF ménage. I hope you like it.

***Unedited excerpt – subject to change***

He cupped his hand around her jaw, directing her gaze up to him from the floor, where it had been permanently stationed. “This is your fantasy, baby,” Dell eyes stared into hers, so dark and intense she shivered. “What do you want to see? Marcos blowing me? Me fucking Marcos?”

“Yes.” She released on a breath, her chest suddenly tight. Her breath rough and forced.

From across the room she heard Marcos laugh, and heat filled her cheeks, but Dell only continued to stare at her, his fingers shaking around her face, his lips curled up in a decadent smile. “You’re wish, is our command.”

Okay, so I didn’t really go anywhere, at least not physically, but I’ve been all over the cyber world. It’s been a whirl wind of activity for the last few months. Starting with the release of Valentine’s Ultimatum in February, I’ve had a release every month, which also means that I’ve been all around talking them up. I love talking about my works and hopefully opening up
new readers to my stories, but I’m doing it for long can be tiring, and I’m
pooped. I’m ready to go back into my cave for a little while. Why do all my
releases have to happen so close together? Midnight Mirage and Whatever You Want, Sir were only a month and a half apart, and I thought that was bad, but this was…wow.

 The other news of the last few months is that I have been writing (another reason for the exhaustion). I’m not even sure where it came from, but out of the blue, Amy and Will really started talking to me. I was able to finish my first draft of Foolish Desire by the end of March, ironic since it takes place on April Fool’s Day, so it won’t be long until the next Naught Holiday List book is out. I’m really pleased by how together it already is. It definitely needs some revising but I’m hoping to get it off to my wonderful critique partner soon and hopefully submit it in May. 

I certainly don’t want to talk it up too much before revisions and reality comes crashing back to me. It took me a long time to get into Amy’s head, but now that I have, I really love her (I know I say that every time I finish a work, but I really believe it). I still think Callie is more like me than Amy, but its close. Amy’s certainly much closer to my personality that any of my most recent characters. I love how bold Krista is and unapologetic Mallory
is. I love both those qualities and I wish I had more of them, but unfortunately I don’t. But Amy’s shyness and clumsiness I have in spades.

I’m also working on another ménage. This one is an M/M/F ménage, geared towards the Decadent Publishing’s famous 1Night Stand series. I have a few friends that have written for this series and their encouragement, along with a really interesting idea, have pushed me to take the plunge with this series. Only time will tell if it works or not. 

I’m also working on another round of revision on Wandering Off the Path. I’m hoping to get that out this month. We’ll see if it gets picked up this time. I really love this story and can’t wait to see it in print, so I’m going to keep trying until someone else loves it as much as I do. 

As you can see I’ve been a busy little beaver for the past few months. And I can’t say I’m upset about it. I’m hoping to have a lot more books on the coming soon pages for you all very very soon. Until then, here’s a little
snippet from Foolish Desire. This section comes from the first scene, where Amy, the costumer for a Shakespeare in the Park production is fitting our hero, Will, for his costume. 

Unedited. Subject to change and future revision.

 “You’re all set.” Amy set the last pin in place, so she’d know where to sew tonight to fit the costume correctly to his strong muscular body, and stood up trying to hide the slight flutter of her breath when Will looked directly at her with that focused way of his.

There was something about the way that Will looked at her, almost like he could see through her, deep into some place inside of her that even Amy didn’t know existed. No one else had ever looked at her that closely, with that much interest. The intensity of his gaze, just like now, could make her feel tingly from the bottom of her feet all the way to her fingertips.  No one looked at her. Certainly not with that much interest.