Those Moments That Make An Author Smile.

This one caught me by surprise, and I hope the lady in question doesn't mind me mentioning it.

I love the time any reader takes to write a review and rate. Be it negative or positive reviews, readers put their hearts and souls into how they feel over what they've read, and you can see the passion come through (at times, the gifs still kill me on the likes of Goodreads).

As a debut author, there's an author code that I picked up along the way (thank God for Absolute Write Water Cooler). It's the simple guideline that states an author lets the reviewer, review, and the reader, read (basically: don't be the idiot author who looks over a reader's shoulder whilst they're reading, and certainly don't step in on any review and then review the reviewer). In a way, it keeps the author distant from the reader, sometimes a little too distant in my eyes, but as a reader -- I know how I get when I have someone looking over my shoulder when I'm reading. So I keep to the guidelines on my work: write it, publish it, let it go and just let people read. I don't really get to communicate much with readers regard my work, unless they speak to me directly, or do something away from reviewing, where I can get away with doing a little fistpump in the air and sneak in a quick "Oh yeah, like that, baby."

So when those moments come, the ones away from reviewing, it's nice to grab on to them for a while. This week, it was a simple photo:

 

Seeing my work sitting there on someone else's table (the lovely Vishous's), making the facts and figures come to life... hell, I swore (okay, something a lot stronger than that, lol) then I just grinned. To see it there, it knocked me sideways.

So this is just a post to say a thank you back, to this lady and to everyone else who has managed to knock me sideways: the reviews (positive or negative), the lovely people who take time out to speak to me on here, or on Goodreads, and to the those who just have Don't on their shelves. It's been a tense few months, it will always be a tense few months where writing's concerned, so moments like this break the tension and allow that humbled smile to creep through.

And it makes the writing worthwhile.

Photo taken from: Goodreads 

 

Dark and Delicious: Jack and Cutter

I'm more than a little excited about this *does a little happy dance*. 

I've been given the go ahead to write a novella that will cover, in a special way, Jack and Cutter's time together (from Don't...). It ties into the sequel that's due out in the autumn/winter of 2013 (Antidote), and gets really close to everything Jack is trying to control: his dark and vicious Conduct Disorder side.

It goes back to scenes that show a side to Jack that's not really been explored to the full in Don't or Antidote. I'm not saying readers are going to like this side of Jack, but I'm sure going to love exploring it and sharing it with you. *Grins madly, and somewhat insanely*

DARK and DIRTY; it's what I love about writing, and I'm really looking forward to seeing Jack at his wildest.

Writing Update

I’ve been locked away for a month, mostly due to meeting a deadline that had me climbing walls to get completed. After finishing, it left me taking stock of where I am as far as my own writing goes (well, other than needing serious rehab for drinking away at the creative juice department for far too long!). This includes thinking about the third novel in the Don't series and where to go from there.

Completed works.

Title: Antidote

Genre: BDSM Thriller

Length: Novel

The sequel to Don’t is written and awaiting an editor. It’s rough release date is scheduled for autumn 2013.  Ms. Kelling’s third novel (that brings in the shared-world project between Deliver Us and Don’t) is also now at the publishers too. Both need to be edited together to iron out the wrinkles, or put in the kinks, one of the two! I’ve been lucky enough to be given a copy of Forgive Us Our Sins and I can say, I’m loving seeing Jack, Jan, and Gray being played the way they have been!

To tie into this, there will hopefully be an audio extract from Antidote available closer the time (details pending).

Title: Lie With Me (Working title)

Genre: Dark Paranormal M/M Erotic Romance, light BDSM

Length: Novel

This novel has been handed over to the publishers too and I’m just waiting to see if it gets the green light. It's undergone a huge edit already and challenged me in ways I didn’t think possible. It’s moving away from thriller territory and going dark paranormal erotic romance (with light D/s ties).

The edit has allowed me to get gritty, looking into thought becoming the latest kink-crime that sex-traders can cash in on.

Title: Original Sin:

Genre: Contemporary BDSM

Length: Short Story

This one is written for a charity anthology that’s hopefully due out soon. All royalties will go to a huge, huge, writing site (Absolute Write Water Cooler) who help new and seasoned authors when it comes to the likes of publishing bewares, guidance, and general tips (it’s also a good place to relax). It’s helped me in huge ways over the years, including making choices over employment as proof, then contract editor. The people who run it, all the mods, supermods etc, have vast experience in the publishing world, and for all of their free time that they give to support authors, it’s good to offer something back and just say thanks.

Upcoming Work

Title: Gray Matters (working title)

Genre: BDSM Thriller

Length: Novel

Now Antidote and Lie With Me have been handed in, I’m starting the third novel in the Don’t series. This one focuses on Gray's perspective and deals with the fallout from Antidote. It also ties into the shared-world project with Ms. Kelling, where I’m borrowing Gabe, Dare, and Trace. I love the story plan to this, coming at it from Gray’s world, through his eyes. He’s probably my most favourite character to date, and I’m looking forward to getting up and close and personal with his MI5 and MC focus.

Gray Matters will be my primary focus, but I’d also love to look at covering a novel-length prequel to Don’t, just investigate Cutter’s time with Jack. In between this, there are a few short stories in the works too. 

It’s been a busy year so far on the writing front, but I’m loving it, even when I'm fighting deadlines!