Hi all,

I know I have been absent from writing for a few weeks. I have a confession to make...I'm in a bit of a slump right now. Just a slump. I can't even really call it writer's block, since the ideas in my head are flowing at a fair clip. No, I simply have no motivation.

It's a terrible state of affairs.

I open my manuscript. I write a few sentences here or there. Sometimes I even go back and fill in a few known plot holes. But really, I'm lucky to be writing 500 words a week, when I should be writing at least twice that much each day.

My slump will lift, this I know. I'm filling my time, instead, by catching up on some reading that I have neglected. My unread pile of books on my coffee table is becoming smaller, and I can feel myself rising out of the slump. I'm not quite there yet, but I'm working on it. Slowly.

New Release

And now the wait is over. My new release is ready and is officially launched!

Western Secrets

            In the midst of the Colorado mountains, lived three brothers who were driven by love, loyalty, and secrets. In this wild, untamed land, each brother would find scandal, betrayal, and a love that threatens to burn out of control.

The Agreement

A young widow, Rachel Waters, is in search of a better life for her son after leaving her home in New Orleans. Warner Ellis needs her help. After the untimely death of his wife, he is left alone caring for his infant son and trying to run his ranch. The agreement between them was meant to be strictly business, but they could not escape their longing for each other. Now her life has been threatened, and Warner’s resolve to protect her will be tested to the limit.

  

Now available on Amazon here: http://tinyurl.com/zohd8eh

The release of my second book is behind schedule. I fully acknowledge my time management problems.

Now that that is out of the way, I have good news! It is ready for release...almost. It is written, edited, re-edited, re-re-edited, and formatted. I am now simply waiting for my cover art to be completed. Also, A Dream and A Kiss has been renamed to "The Agreement." I thought this title fit the story better.

A new post will come as soon as The Agreement is ready to go live. 

Happy New Year!

I'm a day late, I know. I have a good excuse, though, as I have been sick. Quite the lame way to ring in the New Year, indeed.

In other news, I'm putting the final editing touches on A Dream and A Kiss. I will be working on the cover art (or rather, finding a good cover artist). My new expected release date is February 1, 2017.

In the newest installation in this series, you will follow Warner Ellis' journey. A recent widower, he needs someone to help tend to his infant son and is in dire straights until Rachel Waters, a widowed single mother in need of work, comes to town. What started off as merely a convenience quickly becomes something far more. That is, until several untimely accidents begin to befall Rachel.

Who is trying to harm her? Can Warner keep her safe?

Well, stay tuned...

November is coming

So, it is now T minus three days to the beginning of November...aka, National Novel Writing Month. I have been participating for the past five years. Since I started participating, I have started a new story each year. With the exception of one story, all of them remain unfinished.

Therefore, this year, I'm going to defer starting something new so that I can focus my energies on finishing a couple of the others I have been working on.

NaNo is great. NaNo is intense and stressful. Inevitably by mid-month I will be fully in the weeds with my story and half-convinced that this writing thing is totally for the birds. Then sometime in the third week, I start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Plot holes start getting filled (or at least flagged for later review) and somehow I crawl, exhausted and emotionally beaten, across the finish line.

Luckily for me, I have a relatively clear calendar, lots of coffee stocked in the pantry, and a brand new laptop at my disposal. A couple write-ins are already scheduled each week throughout the month, and of course there are all of the various online forums where I can go commiserate with other writers (of course, this won't be used as a procrastination tool...that would just be silly! Pfft!).

I have been hard at work getting A Dream and A Kiss ready for its release. I am behind schedule, but I am making amazing progress on the story.

I have also been absent from my blog for, oh my, four months. In that time, I have gotten a promotion at my day-job and have taken a few trips out of town. Now that autumn is just days away, I am trying to focus on sitting my butt in the seat and getting words on (virtual) paper. I am also looking ahead to the continuation of the Ellis family saga. Book 3 in the series will feature Porter, the strong, sensitive, silent type and by far the most dynamic of the brothers. I have his whole story mapped out in my mind, but I have to finish Warner's story first. He needs his happily ever after.

"It's an honor to even be nominated..."

I don't know how many of you watch award shows, but in nearly every award ceremony (Oscars, Grammy's, Golden Globes, etc), you will see interviews with celebrities on the red carpet. Inevitably, someone will say something to the effect of "It is an honor to even be nominated." I used to think that was a faux-humility BS statement that they said just to save face in case they lose.


I have since seen the error of my ways.


A few weeks ago, on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I checked my email and found out that I have been nominated for an award. Specifically, the RONE award through InD'Tale Magazine. My debut novel was reviewed in 2015 by that publication and was given 4.5 rating (out of 5). That put me in the running. Needless to say, my ego was stroked.


I now know the feeling of being flattered just by getting the nomination. To me, it's a pretty big deal. Yes, I will be disappointed if I don't win, but that doesn't take away the fact that I did well enough to be in the running.


Voting goes from May 9-15, and this is the link: http://www.indtale.com/2016-rone-awards-week-four


Of course, there is no pressure, but I would really appreciate the support if you want to help out.


Regina




P.S. Oh, and I'm still working on my follow-up novel. I'm getting close to having a completed manuscript.