Rae Miles's Blog

To my readers…

Hello friends.

Once again I must apologize for my absence. As we all know, life happens and time gets away from us. I wish I had good news to bring to you, but unfortunately I come with the opposite.

The sequel to my debut novel, SUCCESSOR, will be put on hold for the foreseeable future.

This is not a decision I make lightly, as I know some have shown interest in seeing what’s next for Evan and the Laraek clan. While the next step in their story is something I’m excited to share with readers, it isn’t a journey I feel capable of capturing the true essence of at this time. I truly envy writers who can produce a novel or more every year, as that level of commitment is one I will never manage to reach.

So while the sequel is being put to rest for the time being, I do promise it will greet the world one day. And when it does, I hope it will not disappoint those who enjoyed the first book. I truly love Evan and Ren, and I will miss them dearly.

Now it’s time to forge ahead with the stories beckoning my attention.

Stay tuned.

*Secret* Project Excerpt

Hello Lovelies!

As an apology for my absence here, I’ve decided to post an excerpt from a project I’ve been working on for some time now. Currently I have three works-in-progress (WIPs) that I jump between, primarily so I can avoid writer’s block. As I work 65 hours/week between multiple jobs, my free time is limited, so I don’t have as much time to work on writing as I used to. But don’t worry, I’m still plugging away!

And now, onto the excerpt!

Enjoy!

***

The man tosses his shirt aside and splashes more water over his head and shoulders. Rivulets snake down his back, dipping and rising over the ridges of muscle until they disappear beneath the waist of his pants.

“Are you going to spy on me all day?” The unexpected sound of his voice startles my attention back to his face. His focus is on his hands in the water. “Or do you plan to come down at some point?”

My pulse jumps, and without thinking, I ask, “How did you know?”

“Saw you earlier, swinging around up in the trees. Thought if I built a fire, you might stop by. Spotted you on my way back from getting wood.”

I frown. “You saw me? How?”

He has yet to look at me. Standing, he snags his shirt from the ground and uses it to wipe water from his face and neck. “Night vision goggles. Couldn’t sleep, so I came out to keep an eye on the woods. Saw you go by a couple of times. Figured you might do a third lap.”

An unsettled feeling falls over me, and not because I have no idea what night vision goggles are. I’d thought him oblivious before, but it seems I hold that title today.

It’s the first day of the Delving, and already I’ve had a blatant lapse of judgment. Father would be disappointed. As usual.

Remembering who this man and I are to each other, I shift my weight on the branch, ready to move. “You shouldn’t have come here.”

His gaze finally lifts to mine. It’s just as intense as when he stared me down during the ceremony. I swear there’s a hint of amusement in his expression now, but it could be a trick of the morning light.

“There are a lot of things I shouldn’t do.” He finishes wiping the water from himself, then wraps the shirt around the back of his neck, holding onto an end with each hand. “Have yet to let it stop me from doing them.”

Sounds familiar, Micah would no doubt say while giving me a pointed look. I push the thought aside. I don’t want to have anything in common with this man.

“Even when they could cost your life?”

“Especially then.” He roughs his hair with one hand, spattering water across his shoulders and the ground. “A little danger keeps life interesting.”

My free arm comes to rest across my knee. “If danger is what you seek, then you have found more than enough here.”

He tilts his head a fraction. “Are you insinuating you are dangerous?”

A scoff bubbles up my throat, but I swallow it down. Physically I’m no match for him–that much is clear from his build. I’m not sure how he would fare against Micah, who probably has half a foot on this man. Then again, I’ve seen prey defeat predators more than twice their size through will and ingenuity. The confidence this man exudes leads me to believe he would be a difficult match for anyone who challenges him.

“To you? Yes.”

He takes a few steps toward me. The branch I’m perched on is out of his reach, but a nervous twinge pinches my stomach as he draws closer. I force myself to stay still as he comes to a stop, not quite below me, but near enough I could fall on him. Firelight illuminates parts of his face, and there’s definite amusement in his expression.

He takes a moment, assessing me, though his gaze doesn’t leave mine. The corner of his mouth twitches. “I’ll take my chances.”

We stare at each other for a minute, neither of us willing to be the first to look away.

Giveaway!

Enter the giveaway to win a signed copy of Successor!

Goodreads Book Giveaway Successorby Rae Miles

Giveaway ends May 31, 2021.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway

I’ve joined Wattpad!

Writing is tough. It’s a long, tedious process that requires patience and often ends in frustration. There’s writer’s block, plot issues, continuity aspects, and characters who often don’t behave like we want them to. All of this can lead to the writing process taking longer for some than most. And I, dear friends, happen to be one of them.

As you may or may not know, I’ve been working on Successor‘s sequel, along with another project that *isn’t* related to that universe. I hesitate here because I find myself very tempted to do what the MCU does with its various stories. They’re separate but still connected in certain ways. Whether or not I take that road, it’s almost impossible to say at this point.

With that being said…I’ve hit a wall. Not a brick wall or one I can’t scale, but more like a wall of legos that, if I topple it, I’ll have to walk across the tiny plastic blocks of torment. For me, I know what needs to happen in both stories I’m working on, but right now there are certain points missing. To get from A to C, you need B. And right now, my brain isn’t sure where B is. It’s frustrating, as I really, really want to finish these stories, even though they both have a long way to go.

So all of this rambling brings me to the point of this post.

The very first story I wrote was about vampires. I blame the movie Interview with the Vampire. That’s really the only inspiration I can think of for having an interest in writing about vampires at the tender age of 12. Twilight came out long after I’d started working on my story, so it definitely was not what piqued my interest in vampires. It was, however, what got me back into writing. My own story had only 60 typed pages done when I read Twilight for the first time. The story sucked me in, and it really got me thinking that I’d like to write stories that could do the same to others. So I focused on my vampire story after several years away from it.

To make a long story even longer, I managed to finish the first draft of my first novel within 4 months. Looking back, I’m amazed I managed to pull it off that fast. But I’d done a lot of prep work, so it really was quite easy to get the story down once I made myself focus. After countless rounds of editing, I submitted the story to agents and publishers, eventually snagging an offer from Aspen Mountain Press. Contract signed, a few months passed before I was informed the publisher would be shutting down due to internal issues. Disappointed isn’t a strong enough word to convey how I felt at having the opportunity taken away.

Discouraged, I decided to put my vampire story on the back burner and focus on another story I’d been turning over in my mind. That story eventually became my debut novel, Successor. Getting my debut published was a long, rocky process. As tough as it was at times, I wasn’t going to give up on trying to find the story the right home. I’d been offered a publishing contract before, so I knew it could happen again. Thankfully, a pitch contest put The Wild Rose Press on my query radar, and the rest is history.

But now, feeling a bit deflated about my two current WIPs, I’ve been finding myself thinking back on my beloved vampire story. I’ve missed it over the past several years and would love to get back into it to do a rewrite.

So that’s exactly what I’m doing. Only this time, I’m taking a different route to get my story out into the world.

Wattpad!

I love the freedom of posting chapters as I work on them and introduce readers to a world I’ve spent so long thinking about and getting lost in. I don’t know exactly where the story will take me this time around, but I’m excited to find out!

If you’d like to check out my vampire story as it unfolds, Beneath Blood & Stone can be found on Wattpad. I’ll be sure to post updates here whenever a new chapter goes up.

Happy Reading!

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New Audiobook Narration!

Hello Friends!

I’m excited to share the news that an erotic short story I narrated is now available!

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Next Day’s Lover by Evelyn White

This story was both fun and challenging to do. I’ve never narrated something quite this steamy, and I found it to be an enjoyable endeavor! I hope to do more in the future by other amazing authors, whether they be short stories or full-length novels.

In the meantime, I’m currently in the process of finishing up another narration project that I’m woefully behind on due to some recent health issues. But as soon as it’s available, I’ll post it!

On the writing front for myself, I’m still chugging away at my current works-in-progress (WIPs). Both works are a little over 1/4 drafted, which equates to about 90 typed pages (each) in Word. I truly wish I were further along, but as I’ve mentioned before, I’m a notoriously slow writer, mostly because I’m a perfectionist, but also because I can’t help but making things as complicated as possible! So as always, I appreciate your patience. If anyone would like to see some snippets/excerpts of what I have so far, let me know!

Despite all the chaos going on in the world right now, I hope you’re having a relaxing and safe summer. Isabeau, Zaeza, and Achilles all say hello!

Until next time!

~Rae

Writing Update!

Hello friends! First off, congrats to everyone who entered the recent giveaway for Successor! I didn't get a chance to catch the final count, but there were over 800 entrants.

My Mind = BLOWN!

I was absolutely floored that so many people found the premise interesting enough to enter the giveaway. I really hope those who won a free digital copy enjoy the story, and for those who didn't, that they might still be interested in giving the book a shot. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Onto the writing front!

Okay, so anyone who knows me well knows that I am a very slow, very meticulous writer. Most definitely a perfectionist. When it comes to writing a first draft of anything, I'm extremely detail-oriented; the first draft is as close to perfect as I can get it. If I'm writing a sentence and can't think of a word that fits *just right* I will get stuck in that spot until the right one comes to me.

How often does this happen? A lot.

So it's pretty much a given that it takes me forever to write anything. But on the bright side, *forever* usually doesn't take that as long as that. For anyone interested in what's going on with Successor's sequel, it is most definitely my top writing priority. Currently the first draft is nearing 23k words. To get an idea how far along that is, it's just under 70 typed pages. Successor is between 89-90k words, so that should help give a little perspective. And I'm expecting the sequel to be longer than the first book, so there's still a ways to go. But I'm making progress on it every day, little by little.

So take heart, friends! My next book baby is on the way :)

Feel free to say HI if you want! You can reach me here, Twitter, or on my website.

'Til next time!

Dangerous Hauntings audiobook is out!

So do you remember a while back when I mentioned I would be getting into narrating audiobooks?

Exciting news! The first audiobook I’ve narrated is out on Audible!

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It was definitely an interesting process to go through, and like writing, it’s very detail-oriented. I will say it was a little tricky because unlike the visual editing process used with writing, narrating is obviously…audibly. Yes, there are visual elements to it with the audio tracks and the waveforms they contain. But a lot of it is done by ear, and to be honest, my hearing isn’t the greatest. So the process was definitely a challenge, but it’s one I’m glad I tackled.

If you like suspense and romance, check out Dangerous Hauntings by Jo Barrett!

My Love(less) Life: Commitment Phobia and a Romance Novel Addict

I’m a sucker for romance novels. The first one I read was Wild Paradise, written by Patricia Coughlin and published in 1987. My mom had it sitting on an upper shelf in her closet, and I just happened to come across it one day when I was snooping around. Like nearly all romance novels, the cover pictured a beautiful couple in a passionate embrace and just about to kiss. The colors drew me in, too. Overall, the whole thing was just swoony.

So I did what most kids probably do when they find something they’re not supposed to–I snuck it back to my room and played with it. In this case, I started reading.

And oh boy, did I get an eyeful. Especially for someone around ten or eleven-years-old. Yep, I started young.

For a while, I’d read for a little bit, then sneak it back into my mom’s closet so I wouldn’t get caught. This went on for weeks, maybe even months. I could only read a chapter or two at a time.

Then one day I was laying in bed reading, and my mom unexpectedly came into my room. I tried to hide the book, but it was no use. She saw it. Her response?

“Oh, you can go ahead and keep that. Your grandma gave it to me, and I don’t read those kinds of books. There are more in my closet if you want them.”

And so began my obsession with the romance genre.

But what does this have to do with commitment phobia? For me, romance novels offer me something that I’m incapable of attaining in my personal life: romantic emotional fulfillment.

Let me clarify with some of my background. Strap in, this may take a while…

When I was almost nine, my family moved from a small town in NE Wisconsin to another small town in what’s deemed the Fox Valley. Moving is always hard on kids. I went from having lots of friends to having absolutely none. It was worse because we moved right before the end of the school year, so I still had a couple months of third grade to live through at a new school.

When you hear a kid yell, “I hope it’s a boy,” right before your intro to your new class, it tends to stick the Unwelcome label on your back from the start. Not really the best first-day experience. But I did what I had to and pushed through. And overall, it wasn’t the worst experience.

The thing about small towns is they’re often cliquey. And as we all know, kids can be brutal. I wasn’t bullied, and for the most part, I got along with my classmates.

The problem? I was ultimately invisible.

It was a truth I came to realize more and more as the years went by. Sure, there were kids I spent lunch with and went to school dances with. But outside of school? I didn’t have friends. I didn’t get invited over to anyone’s house, and no one showed interest in hanging out or getting to know me at all. It was a very lonely experience for me. And when anxiety, panic, and depression started to manifest around twelve-years-old, it was the start of the worst phase of my life.

My teen years were rough. I hold no fondness for them and all the money in the world would not convince me to relive them. With my emotional issues, the odds were stacked against me. So I did what I had to to survive my lonely existence: I learned to enjoy my own company.

I read. I wrote. I watched movies and TV shows. And back at that time, Yahoo chats were a big thing. I found people to talk to online, to engage with. I’m sure there were plenty of other hobbies I took up to entertain myself with when I wasn’t at school, or work once I turned fifteen. For the most part, I was treading water, waiting for the day when things would change for the better in some way–in any way.

And over time they did. I graduated from high school and went to college. I started working at new jobs and even made a few friends. It was a pretty emotional experience when people started asking me to hang out outside of work or class. I hadn’t had that before, and at times it was overwhelming.

Then came dating.

I dated a couple of times once I started college, but nothing really stuck. One of us would lose interest, and when it was the guy, I had no idea why.

Had I done or said something wrong? Were they expecting something different than my personality? Or had they just gotten bored?

It wasn’t until I had my first serious boyfriend (at 23) that I got my first taste of commitment phobia. We worked together and had been flirting off and on for a bit of time. Once we finally dove in and started dating, we tried to keep it quiet at work. Of course that didn’t last, as we were both friends with several of our coworkers, so the cat was out of the bag in no time. It didn’t really matter, though. Our friends approved, and for a while, everything went well.

On the night before my 24th birthday, I had a pretty bad anxiety attack. Everyone’s anxiety is different. For me, I may have several strong attacks within a couple of hours, then remain in an anxious state for a few weeks after that. If the anxiety doesn’t abate, a depressive episode sets in, and with that is a whole lot of bad stuff. I’ve had a few of these general episodes over the years, and I have a better grasp now of how they operate and how I need to combat them. But back then, it was only the second time I had one of that scale.

It was scary. And the only person I wanted to be around was my mom because she knew what I was going through. And as you can imagine, my then-boyfriend was totally confused and hurt by my sudden avoidance of him. Not that I blamed him; I’d have felt the same way.

But he pushed and prodded. He wanted me to talk to him when I wasn’t capable of doing so. I didn’t know how to explain things to myself, let alone him. And as time went by, he grew more frustrated and pushed even harder for me to confide in him. He didn’t want to be patient with me, to let me figure out what I needed to do to deal with what I was going through. Claustrophobia set in, and one night I’d just had enough.

A switch flipped. I was turned off to him. And the anxiety I’d been feeling? It redirected itself to him. I didn’t want to see him. I didn’t want to talk to him. I didn’t want him contacting me ever again. As you can imagine, it ended pretty quickly after that. Work wasn’t a whole lot of fun after that, either.

A few years later I started dating another coworker at a different job–I know, bad idea to begin with. We had a lot of fun and got along really well. But unfortunately, another anxiety/depression episode came along while we were together, this one landing me in the hospital for a couple of weeks.

He was amazing. He came to see me while I was there and was a great support. Eventually I got better and left the hospital, and for a while things between us seemed like they were back to normal. But soon something felt off. I can’t say what it was after all these years, but I felt myself pulling away from him, even when I didn’t want to. It wasn’t long before things ended.

A couple of years later we got in touch again and decided to give things a second shot. We already knew each other, so we weren’t starting completely from scratch. And again, things were great between us. We even talked about moving out to the Pacific Northwest together, since I’ve always wanted to live there. Having someone to make the move with would be a lot less intimidating, too.

But the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable I became with the idea of making the move with him. And not just the move, but actually living with him. For lack of a better word, the thought of living together started to make me feel twitchy. Granted, I’ve never been good about sharing a living space with another person. Not family, not friends. Hell, there are times I wish I didn’t have to share my space with my pets.

You see, it all stems back to my teen years when I was forced to adapt to my lonely, solitary lifestyle. I’d become so accustomed to having my own time and my own space that anyone entering either felt like an intrusion–invasive. To this day, it’s difficult for me to share much of my time or personal space with anyone unless I’m at work. And the idea of living with someone, even a roommate or friend that can come and go as they please and demand my attention, no matter how small, is utterly overwhelming.

As you can imagine, all of this makes it extremely difficult for me to date in any serious capacity. Demands on my time, my thoughts, and my emotions can make me feel claustrophobic to the point where my anxiety is triggered. And as you’ve already read, things don’t end well when that happens.

So what is the point of this post? There really isn’t one. I was contemplating my nonexistent personal life and the reasons for it, and I felt compelled to share. If you somehow managed to make it through the entire thing and are still awake, I applaud your conviction.

In closing, I guess I’ll just say that commitment-phobes don’t necessarily shun romance and love. Some, like me, truly crave it. But the sad truth is some just aren’t emotionally capable of committing to another person, no matter how much they’d like to. Therapy is undoubtedly helpful in cases such as mine, and honestly, it’s a route I’d be willing to try if the day ever comes when I meet someone I feel deserves the effort.

But until that day comes, I’ll stick with the magic of romance novels.

 

Fox Valley Book Festival

So not long ago I was contacted by a woman named Aubrey, the head librarian at a local library. She asked if I’d be interested in participating in this year’s area book festival, which takes place this coming October. After going back and forth a bit to figure out specifics, I agreed to join as a presenter. Not that I expect anyone to be in the area, but here’s the info!

Date: Thursday, October 10th, 2019 @ 12:00pm

Location: Neenah Public Library, 240 E. Wisconsin Ave., Neenah, WI 54956

Presentation: From Writer to Author: A Journey

In a nutshell, I’ll be going over what’s involved with taking a manuscript from the first draft to a final, polished story that’s ready for submission. Then it’s onto everything that comes after:

Critique partners & beta readers
Preparing a query package
Researching agents and editors, including sources
Submission process–emphasis on guidelines
Pitch events
Dealing with rejection

I’ll also go over my own experience with receiving a full request, a contract offer, signing with a publisher, and the editing process. Basically everything from accepting an offer, up to release day. There will be a lot to go over! But I’m excited to see how it goes.

Wish me luck!

Rae

Review: Ricochet by Kathryn Berla

When I started reading this book, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I don’t normally read sci-fi, but it sounded like an interesting premise. I’ve done the DNA test through Ancestry, so I was intrigued when I saw that was part of the story. Unfortunately, this book didn’t draw me into the genre any more than before. The beginning was slow for me, but it picked up after a few chapters. The world building and writing are both solid, but the characters all blended together for me. I think it would be a tricky feat for anyone, trying to portray what’s essentially the same character, but in four different ways that make each memorable. Overall I’m glad I gave the story a shot, but it just wasn’t for me.

2.5/5 stars

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review*