Weekly Word Count #167

Word Count: 130

What story I’m currently working on:

Since I didn’t update the last one, consider this the shortest week ever! The word count should’ve been zero since I spent a ton of time catching up on beta reads, working on content editing jobs, and the rewrite for The Lies We Weave (Musketeer Pirates), BUT I may have scribbled down the opening lines for Forged Futures. Those shifters keep “hounding” me. Still, I’m determined to put down 10k into Hypnotizing Beat by the end of September.

What I’m editing/marketing:

I’m moving forward with The Lies We Weave. It’s got a fancy new name, is getting a total quality rewrite, and then I’ll be weaving in like 8 new scenes. Also, rewriting is a bitch and takes forever. WAY longer than fresh-writing a book. The next thing out on the horizon will be Bustles and Bells sometime later this year, probably closer to Christmas. I know our stories are due October 1st…mine may already be turned in.

Join my brigade:

The best ways to get involved with my work is by joining my ARC List, my Facebook Group, or sign up for my Patreon!

Teaser of the week:

Line of the week:

The house never felt as empty as it did in mid-winter.

Lana thought the loneliness would’ve gripped her by the throat those early summer nights after Kyle died, but those didn’t compare to the brittle ache that had descended with the new year.

Weekly Word Count #166

Word Count: 12,000

What story I’m currently working on:

Oh man, guys! I forgot to update last Thursday! Since I don’t remember what my word count was that day, I’m just going to update with the totals–Forged Contracts is FINISHED at 67k! My god, it was an intense book. I’m not sure at all which book I’m going to tackle next, Hypnotizing Beat or the next Tribal Spirits book! (Only two more in that series left!) It’s currently out with beta readers! If you’ve got a preference for what I write next, feel free to comment.

What I’m editing/marketing:

I’m still moving forward with Musketeer Pirates, which I still need to come up with a name for–I’ve been thinking on that for some time now. I’m moving at a much brisker pace since I just finished writing a book. Also, The Airship Also Rises came out, which means the Take to the Skies series has ended. I’ve taken a chance to clean up all my loose ends, so I’ll be able to plunge forward full force!

Join my brigade:

The best ways to get involved with my work is by joining my ARC List, my Facebook Group, or sign up for my Patreon!

Teaser of the week:

Line of the week:

This time, Christian charged for her.

The distance closed between them in a blink. One moment he was pacing before her, the next he bared his fangs leapt.

Raven tried to veer out of the way, but he moved too fast. His paws caught her side first, the claws scraping against her skin. He landed on top, his full weight slamming into her. They tumbled around across the wooden floorboards, splintered wood scraping against her back.

This floor. That sensation.

Her entire body locked up as her mind screamed and screamed and screamed.

Music Monday- The Airship Also Rises

Getting my Music Monday on with the release of The Airship Also Rises!

1. Up- Ships Have Sailed

This song has a bouncy sort of optimism that I loved, something hopeful that reminded me so much of this crew.

2. Rapunzel- Emilie Autumn

I wanted this song for the more subdued, emotional moments in the book. While most of the story is that wild, uproarious adventure, this is also highly charged. After all, it’s the final book, the resolution of a story that was introduced back in An Airship Named Desire.

3. Chasing Twisters- Delta Rae

This one’s another classic that I’ve listened to on repeat for all three Take to the Skies books, because there’s this wild, Western feel to the music, and Bea’s constantly chasing twisters.

4. Beneath the Black Flag- Miracle of Sound

This was a new addition to my Take to the Skies soundtrack that had a fun swashbuckling feel that helped with a lot of their scenes.

5. My Silver Lining- First Aid Kit

This will always be the theme of the Take to the Skies series. Every time I hear this song, I’m transported to the Desire with Bea and that lively crew, of heavy nostalgia and the lemon zest freshness of new adventure.

What’s your next project on the horizon: A Christmas short involving Bea and the crew will be coming out in Bustles and Bells!

Dive into THE AIRSHIP ALSO RISES now!

The crew of the Desire returns for one final, thrilling adventure.

Ever since Bea and the crew stole that box from the British Merchant ship, they’ve been drowning under enemies. The Brits, the Morlocks, and the man who started it all—their ex-employer.

However, Bea finally tracks him down and prepares for one final fight against the man who made their life hell. He’s got superior numbers and more weapons and wealth than she could dream up, while she’s got a threadbare crew running on grit and dreams alone. The crew of the Desire doesn’t stand a chance.

But Bea’s spent a lifetime defying the odds, and she and the crew will risk it all—their livelihood, their ship, and their lives, for the chance to fly the skies free once more.

Secrets will unravel and loyalties will be tested in the smoking conclusion of the Take to the Skies series.

The Journey of the Take to the Skies Trilogy

Today I want to talk about journeys.

Six years ago to the date, my first book was published: An Airship Named Desire, through Hazardous Press. Back then, I had submitted it around to the big leagues with no luck and hadn’t even considered smaller presses, until I ended up giving it a try. An Airship Named Desire got picked up, and funny enough, that choice paved the way for me becoming a romance author. I was determined to write scifi/fantasy until my fingers bled, but when my publisher mentioned they were looking for paranormal romance submissions if I had any, I decided to give it a shot. …that ended up becoming By the Sea, which was published by Decadent Publishing two years later.

Life is weird and unpredictable that way. You never know where the path will lead you. And over those years, I dealt with a couple publishers closing, including Hazardous Press, which gave me the option to continue the series on my own. I continued working with other romance publishers and found myself writing more and more in the genre, completely falling in love with it. But a part of my heart will always belong to Bea and her ragtag crew of misfits aboard the Desire.

Their journey has taken me from never-before-published, to next year when I’ll have reached twenty books out. Six years, an explosive amount of growth, and a whole lot of memories and lessons along the way. When it came to writing/publishing, I took Bea’s approach the entire way. I’ve submitted even when I’m terrified, I’ve collected so many rejections I’ve drowned in them, I’ve gotten so, so close to goals I’ve only dreamed of just to plummet to the ground. Yet, I’ve continued to get back up. I’ve continued to slam my head against that wall until one day I’ll break through the damned thing. Bea and her crew taught me a little about resilience back then, and I’ve carried that lesson with me the entire way.

So I seriously hope you enjoy this final entry into the Take to the Skies trilogy, because I adored writing this series. However, even though it’s the end to Bea and her crew’s tales, I have so very many stories to share with you, and I hope you’ll stick with me for the adventure.

The Airship Also Rises Release Day!

The crew of the Desire returns for one final, thrilling adventure.

Ever since Bea and the crew stole that box from the British Merchant ship, they’ve been drowning under enemies. The Brits, the Morlocks, and the man who started it all—their ex-employer.

However, Bea finally tracks him down and prepares for one final fight against the man who made their life hell. He’s got superior numbers and more weapons and wealth than she could dream up, while she’s got a threadbare crew running on grit and dreams alone. The crew of the Desire doesn’t stand a chance.

But Bea’s spent a lifetime defying the odds, and she and the crew will risk it all—their livelihood, their ship, and their lives, for the chance to fly the skies free once more.

Secrets will unravel and loyalties will be tested in the smoking conclusion of the Take to the Skies series.

Buy your copy HERE!

A Tale of Two Airships for 99 Cents!

Get the second book in the Take to the Skies series for only 99 cents!

Bea and the crew of the Desire are back, and there’s one fierce storm brewing on the horizon. When Isabella’s old clan delivers a letter that sends their crewmate into a funk, Bea’s suspicious. However, when they’re intercepted by gypsies on the way to their meetup for the next smuggling job, her suspicions switch to pissed off. Yet none of that compares to the rage that ignites after Bea and their recon team return to the docks to find the Desire missing. Stolen. By those goddamn gypsies from Isabella’s old clan.

Which leaves Bea and her four crewmates stranded in Shantytown, home of redcoats who want them dead and Morlocks who want them deader. On top of that, she has no clue if her crew aboard the Desire is still alive. And once the Morlocks spot them in a bounty bar and put a price on their heads, if Bea doesn’t find a way to the skies and fast, they’re screwed six ways to sailing day with their home flying further and further out of reach.

Weekly Word Count #165

Word Count: 8,500

What story I’m currently working on:

Forged Contracts is MOVING along! I might be a smidge behind because there was a lot going on last week and will be a lot going on this week, but I’m still pushing forward with it. Last week I thought that this book would be 60k, but since I’m currently at 55k and there’s a significant amount of stuff that still needs to happen, I’m thinking it’s going to be closer to 65k, which is great. The book has a lot going on, esp emotional stuff to unpack, so I think it’s good for it to have more room to breathe.

What I’m editing/marketing:

Currently, I’m still slugging away at Musketeer Pirates. I will finish that book before the end of the year, even if it kills me. It just might. The Airship Also Rises comes out TOMORROW, which marks the end of my Take to the Skies series. I’m thrilled, but also sad. It’s a bittersweet thing, since An Airship Named Desire was the first book ever published for me. Right now though, the entire series is available for under 5 bucks, so yay!

Join my brigade:

The best ways to get involved with my work is by joining my ARC List, my Facebook Group, or sign up for my Patreon!

Teaser of the week:

Line of the week:

A knock sounded on the door.

“Who the hell is knocking on my door this time of day?” Jer muttered, running a hand through his curls.

Raven snorted. “You mean lunchtime? Because I’m pretty sure it’s lunch time. Might want to throw a shirt on, stud.” Her fingers trailed down his chest before she snapped them away and headed for the door.

Jer couldn’t help the grin that rose to his lips as he stalked over to his bedroom and snagged a wrinkled shirt from the floor.

An Airship Named Desire Free Day!

Start the series for FREE today!

Airships, sky-pirates, smugglers, and soldiers…An Airship Named Desire will take you for a thrilling ride.

Ever since their last botched smuggling job, First Mate Bea and the crew of her airship can barely afford fuel, let alone a barrel of grog. So when a gentleman from Old Germany offers them a fortune to steal a locked box from a British merchant airship, they jump on the opportunity. However, their employer forgot to mention the box’s military escort and the Morlock mercenaries who would slit throats to get their hands on it. Oh, and if made public, the contents could engulf Europe in another devastating war.

Stealing the box was the easy part. Now, with a target on their back and some of the toughest characters in the skies after them, if the crew of the Desire doesn’t polish their pistols and prepare for a hell of a fight, they’ll end up worse than grounded. After all, everyone from the Brits to the Morlocks will kill for the contents of that box, and no one survives an airship crash.

Weekly Word Count #164

Word Count: 10,606

What story I’m currently working on:

Am I really closing in on the last 10k of this book? It’s been such a wild ride. It also may end up being a little over 60k since stretches of the book took longer than I thought. I’m currently at 47k and I haven’t even gotten into the last stretch of the book yet! Then I’ll need to take a short break from Tribal Spirits to jam out some more words on Hypnotizing Beat. Yet, I’ve got so many ideas for the final two books of the series, eeeeeee.

What I’m editing/marketing:

Legends of the Veil came out last week, and The Airship Also Rises is on pre-order, so August is out to a rip-roaring start! I’ve already submitted An Airship Carol to my editor as well, so now I’ve switched attention back to Musketeer Pirates. It’s moving slowly, but I finally hit the midway point of this baseline edit. There’s still a lot more work to do, once I finish this massive overhaul, but getting through it would put a huge dent into things.

Join my brigade:

The best ways to get involved with my work is by joining my ARC List, my Facebook Group, or sign up for my Patreon!

Teaser of the week:

Line of the week:

Ava shrugged, slipping onto her feet as she grabbed the tube for the pills and popped them back into it, snapping the lid back in place. “It’s part of the job description. I wouldn’t have taken you on if I couldn’t handle it.” She walked over to him and pressed the pills into his palm. “Paypal me the funds. You’ll get faster service if you pay in advance, FYI.”

Jer grabbed the pills, staring down at the bottle. Ava still stood in front of him, not moving away. Her brows drew together, and she passed him an irritated look.

“Are you waiting for me to perform a dance or something? I need my nap, stat. That’s your cue to take the cute little bike you drive and haul on out of here.”

Jer didn’t hide his grin at that. “You’re sort of standing right in my way.”

Ava opened her mouth and then closed it before she strode back over to her couch. “Right, that would help. Good meeting you, Jeremiah Taylor. If your pack needs a shaman, shoot me a text. I won’t respond to any phone calls.”

Mid-Year Review

Well now, technically I should’ve written this at the beginning of July, but it’s been a crazy year!

Things I’ve Written:

The Airship Also Rises (set to release in late August)- Steampunk Adventure

A Card of Shadows (submitting out)- Young Adult Urban Fantasy

Taking Root (also out on submission)- Contemporary Romance

One Shot for the Sky (featured in Corsets and Cogs)

Colors of a Soul (featured in Legends of the Veil)

 

Things I’ve Published:

A Reflection of Ice– Young Adult Fairytale

Corsets and Cogs – Steampunk boxset featuring 26 authors!

Gaslights and Graves -Steampunk boxset featuring 6 authors!

Captivating Melody (Discord’s Desire #1)- First book in this paranormal rockstar romance!

Legends of the Veil  -Fae boxset featuring 8 authors!

 

Planned Projects for the Rest of the Year:

Forged Contracts (Tribal Spirits #3)

Hopefully, Hypnotizing Beat (Discord’s Desire #2)

And hopefully, finishing my second Cupid’s Cafe book!

 

Projects to be Published Later in the Year:

The Airship Also Rises (Take to the Skies #3)- The final Take to the Skies book, a steampunk action adventure

Bustles and Bells- Christmas related steampunk boxset