R.L. Griffin's Blog: The Blog I must have, I'm told

Under Glass

I have uploaded a quickly updated version of Under Glass, which was my first book published in 2004. If you're interested head over to wattpad to read it for free.

https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/61851...

I need a break!!!

So I put out three full length novels in 2015 and a children's book. I'm tired. I haven't really written anything in a while. Manbuns & Martinis comes out next month, but I have to be honest when I tell you I'm simply exhausted. You know it's not really the writing, it's everything else. RL has really kicked my ass recently and I just want a break.
So I told myself. You will have a break. You will not write. You will not. Guess what? I haven't, but damn it if I haven't jotted my seven million new ideas down for sometime in the future when I am writing. (Okay so I've snuck in a bit of writing here and there)
I've really decided that I am unable to relax unless I'm in a certain place or on vacation. There I totally know how to relax. I don't know what my problem is, it's not because I don't want to relax. My mind works all the time. I have coping strategies that I implement to stop myself from thinking of characters, plot lines, tropes...I'm having a hard time not writing.
I want to not write.
I cannot stop it.
It's pretty damn annoying.
Someone help me.

This Book Is Different.

Quiet Lies is my next book that will be released in November. It's different than anything I've ever written. Every single person who has read it so far has been shocked, baffled, flabbergasted I wrote it after Sunshine & Whiskey. I'm not. I have dark places in my mind that I unleash in books, that's the only place for them. After I write them I feel lighter.

Quiet Lies is an unsettling book. Look at this part of the blurb:

This book isn’t for anyone who needs a happily ever after.

This book isn’t for anyone who needs a fun time out from their life.

This book isn’t for anyone, but me.

This is my story. I won’t apologize for it.

I feel like I need to give another disclaimer. This book isn't a romance, not even close. This book is the total opposite of Sunshine & Whiskey. This book will make you question everything. I like this book. I am preparing myself for massive love/hate of this book. This is a hard feeling, but it is what it is.

Do not go into this book wanting jokes. I'm not sure there is one joke in this book. Do not go into this book with some anticipation based on my other books. It's totally different, but I hope y'all will give it a chance anyway.

How to Stump me

I write stories. I've found I'm ineloquent about what they are about. I'm not a good salesperson. I'm headed to Vegas for the LoveNVegas signing and I'm really excited to meet everyone, but I know what come with signings..."Oh, what are your books about?"
This gets the same deer in headlights look from me every time.
One of the things that worries me and brings me joy is that fact that I write such a wide variety of books. The By A Thread series is a suspense book and I love that sort of book. I read those more than any other books. Razorblade Kisses is a coming of age, overcoming obstacles sort of book. Heart in Wire is a get your heart broken move on love story that holds a special place in my heart. Sunshine & Whiskey is a romantic comedy about finding yourself. As an author this (these summaries above me) hurts me to say because it really isn't what the books are about.
Writing different sorts of stories in all different genres and categories causes me great consternation because I worry that readers want to know what to expect from an author. That's not me. I constantly ask my betas, is this really okay? With the romantic comedy I was like this was so fun to write it has to be shit.
It's so difficult for me to boil down my books, maybe because I feel like they are my babies?
Every single one of my books has a strong female lead character, sometimes two, with a really strong supportive cast of friends. Why? Because that is how life works, right?
We have to be strong in this life, it is hard as fuck sometimes and we adapt and grow thicker skin. Also, because we have to have supportive people in our corner to make it. Emery is alone most of the time in Razorblade Kisses and it almost breaks her, she needed Rachel, needed Tim, needed Lucas in order to be a better person.
We are not islands, nor should we be. I have always been a pretty closed off person. You have to work hard for me to trust you. I recently took a break from that mentality and it bit me in the ass, but what if I wouldn't have met some of the people closest to me now because I didn't want to give them a chance.
Sometimes people are thrown in our life and the connection is immediate, don't throw that away because one time that happened and the person turned out to be a liar.
I'm rambling and have no idea how this blog ended up here, but I have to say that my books are about life and the friendships we have to have to survive. My new book is no different although its a psychological thriller. I can't wait to introduce you to the thoroughly fucked up Rebecca Pryor. She's unlike any character I've ever written. What's this new book about? Fuck if I know.

It's summer time and the living's easy

Summer time is packed for me. It's full of family, of fun, of vacation. What it's not full of is writing. I don't write that much in the summer, it's just a reality. However, there is a book that is pulling me in and throwing me around, yet I just don't have time to write. This is extremely hard for me because I'm a better person when I write, but I don't have the time with my family during the year that I do now. So, I type ideas out on my phone, I record scenes in my phone recorder app. All this has to get me through the next few months.
Fall is my all in writing, I usually write every day. I write every weekend in the fall, which is why I always publish in the spring and then nothing.
I'm about to send Quiet Lies to betas. This is my first draft and it won't be ready for a good bit. This is a book I have to put away and come back to. This is a book that is soul crushing in a way. The way I've had to write it though is super frustrating because I want to immerse myself in the characters, but I haven't had time. Maybe in the second draft I'll cocoon myself around this woman and dig in. It may never be published, but at least I'm letting betas read to tell me if it's worth working on.
I've been working on Laura's book on and off too. This book will probably be published before Quiet Lies and it'll be very different than Sunshine & Whiskey, but still funny because it's Laura and Megan. I've even thought of a third spin off for the series and I'm very excited about the idea. I always have about four different stories in my head at one time.
I hope the voices never stop. Happy Summer peeps!

My peeps!

So I want to thank every single person that bought and reviewed Sunshine & Whiskey. Really a thank you to all of you that have done this for any my books. I love to hear peoples thoughts on them, good and bad. I think with Stella people either love or hate her. With Emery, people feel her heartbreak. Megan, they laugh at her shenanigans, but know there is a smart woman trying to find her way. I have strong women in my books. I honestly have a hard time writing anything else. I want the woman in the story to handle things in a realistic way (sometimes...it is fiction) and I want to cheer for her eventually. I want mistakes that make you cringe, I want lines that make you clap and I want a love that grows from truth, not the instant lust.
I love that people who enjoyed my other books, which aren't funny at all, took Sunshine & Whiskey in stride. I wrote it book after ripping my own heart out writing Razorblade Kisses. I needed a break and it was the most fun I've had while writing, ever. I love writing, but I would never characterize it as fun until now. Megan and Laura were so much fun, I laughed while writing it. I loved getting to live in a world where you didn't have to worry about much. That world really doesn't exist in people's lives so it was a pure escape to write and read this story.
I'm writing right now. I don't really have any plans on publishing anything, but I'm writing. If you don't know me, this is my process. I don't publish things I write all the time. Writing is a necessity. I will always write.
The book I'm writing now is hard. It pulls me in directions that I've never been, which is a good thing, but it drains me significantly. My plan is to start writing Laura's story to repair my soul after I finish my current WIP. I know this makes some Billy lovers mad, but you know this is how I write. It's organic and what comes, I have to be true to that and this is what I'm seeing the brightest in my mind.


I'm extremely humbled and blessed that people read my books. I will never forget that you are the reason that I publish.

Unfamiliar Territory

Sometimes life is so good it scares the fuck out of me. You? Oh, it's just me. Well, here's the thing we get so used to the fighting that when there isn't anything to fight we stand there looking around like what now?

The what now for me is getting really excited that Love N Books is publishing Sunshine & Whiskey. Not only am I really excited about this, but I'm still amazed that anyone likes it, let alone wants to publish it. It's funny. Like, inappropriate humor, my mom hates it funny. I've never written anything like it and it shocked the hell out of me that writing can be so...fun.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy the fuck out of writing. I have to write in order to be sane, but this book was like watching a movie that I'd rewatch a million times because it just made me happy. I don't write like that. I write books that make me depressed (Razorblade Kisses). I write books that stretch my imagination and make me fall in love with my own characters and believe we will be friends some day (By A Thread Series). This book makes me want to join this pair of besties for a selfie in Vegas, drink lots of alcohol and laugh for days. I'm astounded that happened.

It comes out on April 21, 2015 and I timed it that way because I wrote it based on my sister challenging me and her birthday is this month. If you hate it, like my mom, it's her fault. Really.

Also, for you people that are meh about a fun, beach read, don't worry I'm writing a book about a marriage that will make you want to curl into a ball and thank whomever you believe in you aren't these people or know these people.

So cheers to Love N Books for wanting to take this book on. Cheers the boys we love, Cheers to the boys that love us, if the boys we love don't love us, fuck the boys and cheers to us.

I'm Inspired!

I had a shit week last week. I won't go into details because they are boring and include deadlines, yada yada. I finally crawled out of my hole of finishing Sunshine & Whiskey and being in a foul mood. I have to tell you I'm inspired. Sometimes as authors we get so bogged down in social media, write, promote, rinse and repeat that it does good to put everything away and look around. I did that this weekend and I'm inspired.

I'm inspired to be a better friend because I got to hang out with my group of women, we call our village, and it makes me miss them and want to hang out more. I'm inspired because we are all so different and have different experiences. I'm inspired by a friend dealing with a divorce. I'm inspired by a mom doing the best she can for her kids. I'm inspired through all this we need each other.

I also limited my social media which inspires me to do it more often. I'm still responsive, but I'm inspired to know you people don't care what I'm doing all the time. Nor does it impact whether you read my books or not, unless I'm an asshole.

Cindy Crawford released untouched pictures of her body and she looks amazing. E.L. James wrote a story that came from a book she loved and she ruled the world this weekend. Women, we should be supporting each other. Look at these women…how can you not be inspired to follow your dreams?

Also, when I did go on social media I was delighted to see that I'm friends with amazing people who write stories that other people love. Some of these women are finally getting the attention they deserve, whether it's a list or a movie deal. I'm so happy for them. I'm so enamored with women that deal with really tough situations and take those hardships and turn them into something beautiful. I'm drawn to women who are so remarkable that they share their struggles and journeys with all of us. I'm talking about a cancer diagnosis or a loss of a baby. It makes me want to be a better human and acknowledge that everyone is going through something. It might not be big to you, but it might be to them. I'm inspired to support them.

Last of all I'm in awe and inspired to be a better wife. If you know me I'm not romantic at all, but my husband makes me want to be. He makes me want to tell him how I put a piece of him in every (good) male character. That when he comments on a picture that I'm his valentine after all these years, it makes me smile. I don't really swoon, but you know what I mean. When he's considerate about the little things it makes me want to be better. Tell him I love him more often, which would be annoying because I tell him all the time.

Who knew that being sort of an asshole and isolating yourself could give you so much insight? I hope when you look around and hear people's stories that you're driven to do better. Be better. I have always lived like today could be the last day of my life. I don't have regrets and try to be a decent human. Sometimes I am…sometimes I'm not, but I'm inspired.

Funny?

So I just released a book called Razorblade Kisses and honestly that book ripped my heart out while I wrote it. It was the most difficult book to write for me, but I feel like I've grown as an author, as a person. So after I wrote this book I felt I needed a reprieve of sorts for my poor, poor heart and I started writing this story about a female lawyer from Atlanta.
It's funny. It's actually a romantic comedy, which is crazy because I've never written anything like this before in my life. I may suck at it. I know for sure I can make people cry, so now I'm going to try to make you laugh. It sort of scares me, but I live by if my goals don't scare me a little then they aren't worth much.
So RBK scared the crap out of me and Sunshine & Whiskey, that's the funny one, scares me in a different way. I know this world is "you're only as good as your last _____," but I keep learning and growing. I keep moving and seeing what else I can do.
What do I want with this book? I want you to take it to the beach or the pool and laugh while you read it. I want people to ask what are you reading, because you're face is red from trying not to laugh in public at a book.
I may fail at this, but I'm trying. I'm learning. I'm growing.

Oh, don't worry my next book will serve to rip your heart out and confuse your mind, but I hope you laugh first.

Thank you again if you've read and reviewed any of my books. It means the world to me.

I'm Fine with my Epic Fails

This holiday season more than most I've already experienced so many times I've failed to meet my own expectations. I miss things I should've put on my calendar, but don't. I get to things at the wrong time because I put it down wrong. I used to hate people like me. I'm a pretty A-Type and people flying by the sit of their pants really annoyed me.

I still try to be mindful of others' time and my own. I try to do everything I sign up for, the reality is I try to do too much. I have to do too much. I fail, a lot.

My kid was very upset this morning because he knocked over the laundry basket in his room. He couldn't get over it. I asked him what was wrong and he said, "I just want to be perfect."

I just want to be perfect. How many times have we all thought this? How many times has it actually been perfect? Sometimes you just have to throw away all of these thoughts of perfection, it's unattainable.

I told him. "Dude, no one is perfect. You remember last night when I showed up late to my own dinner at the house? I messed up big time."

Sometimes it's fine to mess up. Other times it's not as fine, but you repair what you mess it. It's not a big deal. I hope my attempt at doing everything, being everything to him isn't causing him to think he has to be perfect. I know I'm not perfect, as a matter of fact I fuck things up on a daily basis. However, I fix it. Those are small things. I couldn't imagine worrying about small things anymore.

Worry does nothing except make my stomach and brain hurt. I usually don't worry. There are big things that happen that you can't stress about, like your loved ones. Make time for the big things. Don't stress about the small ones. I hope everyone can follow my advice and enjoy the holidays. So I burn my cookies and they fell apart, it was fun making them with my kid. So I bought someone something they already have, they can return it. So my wrapping looks like I'm five, if you don't like what's in it, I'll take it.

Failing makes you realize sometimes those expectations are ridiculous and no one cares about them. It makes you have more realistic expectations, like I just want to hear my dad laugh. I just want to hug my mom. I just want to talk politics with my brother-in-law. I just want to hold my husband's hand. I just want to read to my son.

I just want to say thank you to readers that have picked up a book a wrote. That's a really big fucking thing to me. Join me while we fail together.