Goals for 2015

2014 was a rough year, but I managed to reach most of my goals. I took some chances and many of them didn't pan out. Countless rejections and many hours of revisions threatened to take me down. I refused to give in. What I did accomplish was to set the stage for a fantastic 2015.

1. The Dice & Debauchery series. This was an unplanned project. I wrote the first book on a whim and the publisher loved it. This Friday, Loose Corset (D&D #1) will be released from Ellora's Cave. I have two tours planned and ready to go. I do not have release dates for the second two books in this series which have been written and submitted to my publisher, but they will be out at some point this year. My goal: promote and expand my audience.

2. Of Blood and Sorrow. I spent over six months last year revising this urban fantasy novel. I queried it to five publishers that I was interested in. All of them rejected it. I'm excited to self-publish this story. I already have an awesome cover. I'm in the last stage of polishing it up. This will be my first indie published novel. My goal: to publish it by mid-February or mid-March.

3. Super Famous. This superhero novel took a backseat last year to my D&D series. I have all the critiques back from my CPs and betas. It's ready to be revised and polished. I'll likely not get to it until late spring or the summer, though. My goal: revise and self-publish in October.

4. New urban fantasy novel. I have this awesome new shiny idea. I want to write it. I want to write it now. Maybe I'll get a chance to start by the spring. My goal: write the first draft and start to revise it.

5. Short stories. I really want to participate in Write 1 / Sub 1, but I'm uncertain if I'll have the time. If I can manage to write one flash fiction piece a month and submit it somewhere, I'll be happy. I also have to write a new story for the next Untethered Realms anthology. I'm going to stick with what I did last year. I was short-listed on pro venues five times last year, but rejected. So close! My goal: Write six short stories and submit them.

6. Blogging. I had trouble sticking to a strict schedule last year. I have a three day a week schedule. If I do any more, I fall out of balance with my writing and home life. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are my days. Of course with touring, it will be a little different, but that's expected. My goal: keep to a three day a week blog schedule.

7. Reading. I managed to achieve last year's goal of 100 books. Woo-hoo! I'm setting the same goal for this year. My goal: read 100 books.

What are your goals for 2015?

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Speaking of starting the new year on the right foot,
check out Angela Brown's gorgeous new covers
for Neverlove and They All Fall Down.

Duty or love... there can be only one.

A love worth fighting for...

These are awesome reads. I highly recommend them.
And Angela has a new book out from Evernight Teen Publishing,
Beacon.

Wicked Wednesday - what do you as readers want?

It feels like it's been a long while since we've had a Wicked Wednesday post, hasn't it? September was a busy month, and October is going to be even busier with The 13th Floor Collection blog tour. November and December will be a break time except for a few special events. I need to get working on what comes next now that my series is done.

I want to revise and query one of my unpublished novels. I considered a sci-fi or dystopian, but I don't think I'm quite ready to delve back into those yet. My focus is still on the paranormal romances. I have three options I'm considering. I'd appreciate your opinion. What catches your interest as a reader?

1) WITCH'S FIRST RULE. This is the first book in a completed trilogy. Before my son was born, I queried this book, and it got some interest, but eventually, everyone passed on it. I realized I was marketing it all wrong. I also did some major rewrites. The protagonist is a witch and professional marriage therapist named Magena Silver. She uses love potions to reignite the passion in broken marriages and boost her success rating. Magena has been with me for several years. Every time I take a break from her story, I eventually find myself coming back to her. Magena is strong, opinionated, and in charge of her life. She doesn't like it when I ignore her.
Overall story: A powerful witch demands Magena reverse the effects of a love potion on two of her clients. She must create an antidote or lose her life.
Romantic plot: Nathan is an empath sent to watch over Magena as she tries to create the antidote. He's the only man that has ever been able to get past her emotionally cool facade.

2) SUPER FAMOUS. This was my NaNoWriMo book from last year. It's a superhero romance. I thought it was a bit silly at the time I was writing it, but I've recently read it again, and I liked it a lot. It would need a lot of revising, but it could work. Oakley a.k.a. The Silver Skipper is the leader of a group of superheroes. They're on the rise to international fame. Unfortunately this draws the attention of some scary super villains. With super crime increasing, the government is cracking down on all people with superpowers including the heroes. The heroes are forbidden to use their powers lest they become criminals too.
Overall story: Oakley and her team risk their freedom and lives to save the innocent as the villains kidnap children with superpowers.
Romantic plot: Oakley is the ultimate superhero and never lets her guard down, but Benniton sees her more than just as The Silver Skipper.

3) SORROW PHAGE. (That's only the working title.) This is a paranormal romance where the protagonist works at a supernatural funeral home. Hey, paranormal beings can die too. Erinys is a demon that feeds on people's sorrow. See, it's handy she works at a funeral home! A new and gorgeous vampire wakes up in the mortuary, and she finds herself tangled up in a whole load of trouble.
Overall story: Supernatural drug war reveals itself as something much more horrifying, and Erinys is caught in the middle of it.
Romantic plot: Erinys helps a new vampire named Nicholas and starts to fall for him even when he brings death to her door.

If only I could write better taglines! So what do you think? What catches your attention?