Laurann Dohner's Blog, page 2

September

Where has the time gone? It’s September!!!
 
I know...I haven’t updated my blog and I apologize. Summers are always hectic when you have younger kids still at home. What did my summer consist of? Helping my mom settle in more. She moved from California to Nevada to be closer to us. I got the O.H (office house) up and running. It’s fully functional and even has some bonus features like a pool table and a few large screen TV’s for movie viewing. I had a few guests come visit the O.H too. Author Ditter Kellen stayed at the O.H twice, Author Allie Standifer spent a week with me. Ellora’s Cave has a radio show called Cave Chaos and two of the hosts stopped by on their way to California to say hello. It was fun having Ramrod watch Hansel and Gretel - Witch Hunters at the O.H and Jose from Da Hood spent some time with Mr Laurann at my home. I also had leg surgery to remove a cyst (nothing major - I’m still healing up from it). I’m also gearing up to go with Mr Laurann to Romanticon in Ohio for six fantastic days to spend time with everyone there from Ellora’s Cave, a bunch of author, and readers. The Cavemenwill even be there (Ellora’s Cave cover models).
 
What’s new? I finished writing True - the 11th New Species book! It’s a monster of a book on word count. I hope no one reads it and says “It’s too short.” LOL! There was a lot of story to tell about True. You’ll see some of your favorite Species in the book. A lot more stories are coming. I get many emails asking about that. I can assure you there will be books coming out in that series for years to come. It’s gone into edits and that takes a little time. After they are done, a release date will be set and I’ll announce it. For now...I can give you the cover. I love it. Ready?
 
 
 
In other news...I’m working on Blackie’s story and should have it finished soon. It’s a Cyborg Seduction book. More are planned. Cousin Brand from Mating Heat series will be the next book in that series. More of them are planned as well. I have a to write list that is pretty long. I’m going to finish the last three Zorn books and you’ll see more of the Raines brothers in the not so distant future from the Riding The Raines series. It’s been a hectic year so I’m still behind but I’m slowly catching up!
 
I’ll do a quick most asked questions section since I get a lot of emails. Here goes.
 
Q - Is there anywhere that I can buy New Species, Cyborg, or other merchandise for your books?
A - Not right now. I get that a lot and have looked into it. Right now I’m really just trying to get the books out. Some contests are held on my official Author page at Facebook HEREso like my page and you might win something!!! Author Ditter Kellen runs them.
 
Q - Does (insert name here) get a book?
A - Most of the Species you’ve read about get books. I have a LONG list. The most asked about are Breeze (yes), Ven (yes), Brass (yes), Darkness (yes...NEXT book after True!!!), Jaded (yes), Jericho (yes), Smiley (yes), and Flame (yes...and it’s Amanda). There are a lot more. All the Raines brothers including Trip and Adam get books in that series. All the brothers, including cousin Brand get books in the Mating Heat series...and even Alpha Elroy. There are three more Zorn Warrior books planned for Zorn. Vhon, Vinlotti, and Coto. I might write more later but for right now...that’s it on that list for ZW. Cyborg Seduction and New Species are open series which means I’m always adding names to the lists of books to write so plenty more Cyborgs including Sky, Deviant, and Mavo...just to name a few.
 
Q - Do you REALLY have an O.H? What is the O.H?
A - Yes, we really bought a house that is about a block away from my home to write at. I have three kids at home, 5 cats, and a wonderful husband. I wrote my first book in 1993. I went on to write 54 more until that 55th one was Ral’s Woman and Ellora’s Cave picked it up to make me a published author in 2009. I always wrote in a corner of my living room hunched over my computer screen so my kids couldn’t read over my shoulder. It was grand central because we have four kids (our oldest is married, has a child, and lives on her own now). It was...crazy! Hectic! Now I write full time and Mr Laurann is retired so he’s my wonderful ‘House Hunk’. It’s worth every penny to have a quiet place to write with no distractions. It also gives us space to have visitors stay from time to time. It was a dream of mine since I started writing to have a writer’s retreat. It came true. It’s a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house and I took over the master bedroom as my office. It even has a balcony and a view so I’m inspired late nights when I go outside to sit at the table out there. I needed more room too with all the promo stuff I do. I’ve got it now. It has a loft we turned into a library. The living room has a pool table. The fridge is full of iced coffees. Here are some pictures and you’ll even get to catch a pic of Mr Laurann playing some pool.
 
  Q - What is the best advice you can give an aspiring author?
A - Love to write, write what you love, and don’t give up! I’m going to be blunt. I’m a high school dropout. We were poor with four kids so going back to finish my education wasn’t an option. My spelling sucks. My job history is...if it paid the bills...I’ve done it. In other words...not impressive. I spent most of my time as a housewife up to my ears in dirty diapers and trying to get cartoon songs out of my head when they got stuck from watching so many of them with my kids. I had a dream though. I loved to write. I wasn’t sure how to get published or even if I had what it took. Some people laughed at me or dissuaded me from it. I got the whole...well, I told you my background. They didn’t think I could do it and was wasting my time. It didn’t matter. I was going to write regardless of if I ever got a book published. It’s a part of me and who I am. It’s what I love. Bottom line...don’t give up. You can improve your writing skills. I’m always learning. I’m always pushing myself to write better. My editor is amazing and has taught me so much. Every book edit is my classroom and I try really hard to get an A. LOL. Just hang in there. Don’t give up. Do research online and have people read your books. Stick to it. Ask for HONEST feedback and be willing to listen to any critique. It’s how you learn and get better. It’s how I’m always learning and getting better. Just hang in there and write. If it’s your dream...don’t give up. 1993-2009. That’s how long it took me as an example of clinging to a dream. It was worth it!
 
Okay...last but NOT least...speaking of dreams...my critique partner had a dream too. Kele Moon is an amazing person who wrote for years and finally became published. She wrote a story some years ago in a series that I was lucky enough to read about two years ago. She sat on the series because she was worried people would find it controversial because the two leads are cousins. Remember in the old days when royalty would marry their cousin? Think modern day and they are werewolf royalty. Their entire race depends on them to mate to save the fate of their future. The story made me cry, laugh, and haunted me. I loved it. It’s coming out on September 22nd. Finally. I’m so proud of her for braving her fears and that’s what being an author is about. It’s writing a story that came from your heart and putting it out there for the world to see. So...congratulations, my dear friend. You ROCK!
 
Here is the LINKto the website for the series. Please give it read. Just get the tissues out and prepare to go for an emotional rollercoaster. No one can me feel an array of emotions like Kele Moon when she writes a story.  
 
  
Have a great week!
 
Laurann

Lacey and Lethal has a release date - July 24th!

   Lacey and Lethal is the book linked to Scarred and Kilt (Something Wicked This Way Comes - Volume 2) and Mine to Chase. It’s up at Ellorascave. I’m not sure when it will be added to Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and various other sites. I’m sorry I just have the one link. I know some of you had problems reading the excerpt so I’ll walk you through it. Go to this LINK, look at the cover, and click on the magnifying glass on the top right of the book cover. Another window will pop open. Now look at the bottom left side of that window. Excerpt is right there. You click it and it will show up for you.  Blurb   Lacey hunts vampires—vile monsters who leave death and shattered lives in their wake. They murdered her sister and she wants revenge. Until she captures a big, sexy, blue-eyed vamp, and the strong attraction she feels contradicts everything she’s become. But she can’t resist getting closer. Just looking at him makes her mouth water and her thighs clench. Lethal can’t believe the little lass got the better of him. He’s been drugged and chained, but he’s more insulted than concerned. She’s bold, fearless, as she straddles his hips and threatens to use his body, teach him how it feels to be taken without consent. Now he’s intrigued and eager to get her out of her clothes. She swears he’s the enemy, but he’s determined to be her lover.
A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave
     In other news...Moon hit the NY Times Bestseller list and USA Today’s lists. Thank you so much!!! Sometimes I can’t believe it when I see my name and my books there. It feels surreal. Honestly. I never thought that so many people would read my books. I had a dream but it never involved any lists. LOL. I’ve come a LONG way from writing in my spare time and bribing my friends to read my books just to get feedback. My friends, a lot of them, don’t really read books so you can imagine how challenging it was to get them to sit down for a few hours. Now I get to do what I love and I just feel so blessed that so many people spend their hard earned money to read what I write. THANK YOU!!! (Ellorascave made this awesome banner. I LOVE EC!!!)   (the click link is THIS)
I bought an office house and its operational. I’m putting in the mega hours to work on books. I’m behind...have been for months. I apologize for that. I got ill and then my private life became a bit hectic. Now I have a place to go without interruptions. No phones (I take my cell for emergencies), no one ringing the doorbell (if they do, I ignore it because it’s just someone selling something), and no cats, kids, or loud noises besides whatever music I’m playing. I’ll be turning in books to my editor by the end of summer. I WILL catch up. It was a long and difficult debate inside my head on  if the added expenses of having an office house were justified. In the end...getting the books written and turned in was my priority. So YES. It is totally worth it. LOL!

Writing isn’t easy but it is fun. You are in a story―typing along...and then bam! Something pulls you out. A noise. A kid coming into my office. Someone calling to talk to me. The cats jumping on my desk and trying to lay on my keyboard or scratching at the back of my chair. I would have to reread everything I’d written to get back into the story...and it’s time consuming. Your head has to be in the right place. Sometimes that’s hard to do with constant distractions. Now I’ll get in some fantastic word count and really move forward with each book. It took time to set everything up at the O.H (office house) but now it’s ready to go.

I’ve seen a drastic increase in the amount of writing and editing I get done. Yippee! I really want to get books out for ALL my series, close a few of them by completing the books I want to write for them, and...launch the new 'not so secret' series that I’ve been talking about for about a year and a half. I am REALLY excited about my ‘not so secret’ series and I’ve gotten amazing feedback from the few people who have read the first book in it. I refuse to launch it until at least five books are completed in that series. Why? I get asked that. I don’t want people who read them to have to wait a long time between those books. It’s tough juggling so many series. It really is. I don’t want to neglect them and unfortunately, there’s only one of me. Cloning...I dream...but it’s not really going to happen. Five of me would be AWESOME. I could assign each clone a series and crack the whip to write. LOL! So with that said, I’m going to write books for the current series and close them out. Cyborgs and New Species will remain open. That means that I don’t have a set amount of books I plan to write for them. I keep adding books to write to those two series.

Riding the Raines - all the brothers, including Trip and Adam WILL get books. I have partials on all of them. Some are over half done. I’m dedicating time to get the next book out to you.
 Mating Heat - The rest of the brothers and Alpha Elroy get books. I have partials and Cousin Brand’s book is almost complete. I’ve gotten a lot of requests for Kane’s book. I’ll probably write that one too.
 Zorn Warriors - Vhon, Coto, and Vinlotti get books. I know some of you want books about their children. I’m seriously considering it but those would come at a later date. Much later.
 Once I close at least one or two of those series out...I should have used up enough of my ‘spare/fun’ time to have finished the first five books in the ‘not so secret’ series...and I’ll put out a book trailer for the series so you get a hint about what it’s about. I can’t wait to upload that video. LOL. I have daydreamed about what it will look like. Those first five books will be turned in at the same time so their release dates are set...you’ll know when to expect them. By the time the 5th one is released...I should have plenty of time to write a few more of them.

I hope that answered a lot of the questions I get about books and what is coming in what series. New Species...there will be a LOT of books. You should see my ‘to write’ list on that series. It’s LONG. Cyborgs...Gene, Sky, Deviant, Mavo...and I keep adding names. Vollis is requested a lot. He’s on the list. In other words...I’m going to be spending a lot of time at the office house and doing what I love―writing!

Thank you so much for your support, encouragement, and for allowing me to do this by buying my books. You guys ROCK!
 
Laurann

April update

  Moon releases on April 30th at Amazonand B&N. May 1st in the morning, it comes out at Ellorascave. I have no idea about other sites. The truth is, the files get sent out and it’s up to various sites on how fast they are loaded. I have no control over that. Other book news...Lethal’s novella has been turned in. I’m hoping for a June release but not sure. It’s a story related to Scarred and Kilt (Something Wicked This Way Comes Volume 2 anthology) and Mine to Chase. Here is the cover.
  In other writing news...I’m behind. I’m finishing books but it’s going slower than I intended. Blackie from Cyborg Seduction, Cousin Brand from Mating Heat, and another Raines book is currently on my plate. I’m also working on updating and fixing the 11th New Species book. (I’ll be running a contest a few weeks after Moon is released on my blog to give everyone a chance to read it - to guess who will be featured in the next book so I won’t say the name) It was one of the previously written books but it needs a big overhaul. I do plan to write the final three Zorn Warrior books about Vhon, Coto, and Vinlotti. I have pieces of their books done but their stories connect so I have to finish all three before I can send in any of them. I’m not sure when but it’s on my ‘to write’ list. I’ll be blunt. Life has been hectic and crazy for the past...six months. I got really ill at the end of last year. It was the cold that wouldn’t go away. That set me back big time. I ended up sleeping for about two months. I’ve never felt that horrible in my life. I imagine it was like suffering from narcolepsy. I just couldn’t stay awake for more than a few hours. I also dealt with house hunting to get my mother moved closer to me. She lives alone, was a 4 hour drive each way, and I worried about her. She was ill too when I was so we had to go houses hunting without her. We found a really terrific two story house a block away. She was able to come here and see it around Christmas. While she loved it, the stairs worried her. We ended up searching for a single story house with her, found one she loved, and bid on it. Long story short - it’s tough to write from home, even though I have my own private office. Kids. Cats. The phone. Just...distractions aplenty. I’ll be writing along in ‘the zone’...and suddenly have to stop to address something. Scene lost when I get back to it and I struggle to find where I was. It’s frustrating. We didn’t back out of the bid on the short sale down the street - they take FOREVER to close. We bought it to be my office house. No kids, no cats, no phones, and no distractions. It’s going to make writing easier for me and I’ll be able to catch up...finally. To me...that’s worth the added cost of another house.  Right now I’ve been getting my mother settled in her new place and setting up the office house. Um, they closed within weeks of each other. It’s been...crazy! I have a few more weeks to go before the office house is functional. Who knew ordering a desk could take weeks? Um, not me. I’m distracted, have a million things on my mind, and quite frankly...I just want to get back to writing. I love that. I hate shopping for stuff, worrying about what I have to get, and what is needed. I used to leave the house about once a week. Now it’s a daily thing. It’s too time consuming for me when I just want to finish books and get them out to people who have been waiting for those stories. I totally know how frustrating that is. I read as well as write. It sucks waiting a long time for a book you really want to read. I apologize for that. In conclusion...I’m still behind but that’s the plan to get back on track. Once the office house is functional...I can really put in some impressive word count and focus just on the books. I’ll be able to send them to my editor faster. The release dates won’t be so far apart. My hope is that by the end of September...I’ll be caught up to where I want to be. That’s finishing at least 5 books that I have big partials on for various series. This summer is dedicated to writing.  That’s the plan to get back on track. I also want to apologize for being behind on my emails. There just aren’t enough hours in the day right now. It’s seriously crazy. I spend about an hour a day right now answering them but I’m still...in the weeds. I’ve hired someone for the time being to help me with Twitter and my official author fan page on Facebook (the Laurann Dohner friend one...that’s ALL me). I couldn’t keep up with all three constantly so sometimes the one answering you on those two is an awesome person assisting me named Ditter Kellen, sometimes it’s me. She knows my books back to front and what’s going on in my life so she can answer most of your questions. She gives me a call if she can’t so she can give you an answer. LOL. Last but not least, Ellorascave has signed a deal for audio books. Awesome news!!! 25 of my titles were picked up (not sure which ones exactly...pretty sure the New Species will be included). I don’t know when they will be made but I’ll update you when I hear something. Tiger should be added into print soon too. I’m looking for it and will notify you when I spot it. I hope you have a fantastic day!   Laurann  The office house

Moon has a release date!

The date? April 30th for Amazon/B&N!!! It will release at Ellorascave on May 1st.
Moon is available so far at Amazon/kindle for pre-order HERE. I’ll add the other links (Ellorascave and B&N) as they become available (probably in the comment section). I’ll keep checking those sites.
Whooo Hoooo. I’m so excited about getting his story out to you. Some of those questions will finally be answered that you were left with after reading Shadow’s book. What happened to Moon? Will he recover? Who will tame the beast? LOL. Yes...I said it because he’s feral. LOL!

Here’s the blurb....

Book 10 in the New Species series. While each NS book is a standalone, the greatest enjoyment will come from reading them in series order.


Dr. Joyce Yards has never met anyone as irresistible as 466. Their therapy sessions are growing hotter, his raw sexual hunger becoming aggressive, and he refuses to discuss anything except the possibility of getting her naked. Joy understands the dire consequences if she indulges her passion. It will break her heart but she must walk away.


Moon has been drugged, his memory shattered, and he’s now little more than feral, a dangerous threat to everyone. In their need for help, the NSO doctors turn to the only female Moon ever cared about—the one who left him behind two years ago.


Moon isn’t the same male Joy once knew. There are no rules now. If sex tames the wild beast and triggers his fractured memories, allowing him moments of lucidity, then Joy will give him everything, body and soul. She’ll do whatever it takes to save him—even at the cost of her own life.

 

       So...I hope that news made your day a better one. I am sure happy we know when it’s coming out! More books are coming. I’m working on them. I can say that there’s a novella that should hit edits soon that I turned in. It was originally part of an anthology that has been put on hold so they released the short story back to me. I doubled the word length to add more into the story. It’s about Lethalfrom Mine To Chase. I’m currently working on Blackie from Cyborg Seduction Series and Cousin Brand from Mating Heat. The next NS book....is one that was originally written some years ago and I’m updating it and fixing it. I’m not going to tell you the name because I’d like to hold a little contest after Moon comes out. The person in the next book IS mentioned in Moon’s story.

      Have a fantastic weekend. I’ll be pretty busy. My mother is moving to Nevada to live closer and the house closes next weekend. I’ve got a ton of things to do before she gets here.

     Laurann

February update and some Q & A’s

Ah, February....the shortest month of the year. It always passes way too quickly. It’s already the 11th and I’m wondering where the days have gone. LOL!


So...what’s up with the books? Moon has been finished and turned IN for edits! Here’s the cover. I don’t have a release date yet but I’ll post when I know anything. It shouldn’t be too long.


 
What else am I working on? The Something Wicked This Way Comes anthologies - Volume 3 has been delayed so the short story I had in it has been released back to me. I’m adding word count to expand it into novella length. If you read Scarred and Kilt from Something Wicked This WayComes - Volume 2....and liked Mine to Chase...you’ll be happy to know that it's Lethal’s story. The three are connected. Blaron (Kilt) and Lethal are best friends. Chase works at the club they run together. I’m working on Lethal’s story to hopefully get it out to you soon.

I’m also working on Blackie’s story (Cyborg Seduction series). I get asked a lot of questions about some of the favorite characters you have been waiting on. Sky, Mavo, Deviant, Gene, and a few others are on my list. I’ve got partials for most of them already to work from when I get to their timeline. 

Cousin Brand is on my short list to work on and finish. I have a big chunk of his book done. I’ve had to work on another book in the Mating Heat series because it intersects with his story so I’ve been working on it too. I need to finish the connected scenes before I finish Brand’s story.

You’ll see more Raines books from the Riding the Raines series. More Zorn Warriors (not soon on the Zorn but not too far in the future). I’ll officially state again that there are going to be a LOT of New Species books. Every time one comes out I get a bunch of emails asking me if there’s going to be another one. YES. LOTS. Who are some of them that come to mind? Breeze. Brass. Harley. Vengeance. Flame. Darkness. Smiley. It’s a long list. They aren’t coming out in that order.

So...questions I get in my email the most often these days...

Q - What’s the best advice you can give to an inspiring author?
A - Don’t give up. Writing is challenging. It took me a year to write my first book in 1993. I wondered if I’d EVER finish it but I did. Write what you love. Write something with your heart. I don’t think you can go wrong with that. Have people read it and ask for brutally honest feedback. It’s never easy when you write something they don’t like but it’s how you learn. Writing is...constantly learning and evolving in my experience. Keep your sense of humor.

Q - How do you pronounce your name?
A - Lor (rhymes with Door) Ann. My last name is pronounced Dough - Ner.  I’ll answer to about anything that sounds close.


Q - What’s the hardest thing about writing and how do you handle it?
A - Wow. That’s a tough one. Really. I love what I do. You want an answer though so...bad reviews make you wince or if they are super brutal...give you the urge to go curl up to have a good cry. You have to grow a thicker skin or toss in the towel. In the end, I write the stories that come to me and that won’t leave me alone until they are finished. I do my best and that’s all anyone can do. I remember I’m human.


Q - What does my family and friends think about my writing erotic romances?
A - I’m happy to say they are really supportive. I’ve always been a really upfront type of person so I didn’t hide it or drop hints. I just put it right out there. They always knew I really loved books and was an avid reader. I had an adult library card when I was young because I blew through the entire child section about the time I hit nine years old. I think the most surprising thing to them is that I don’t write horror or murder mystery novels since that is mostly what used to read.


Q - Do you ever run out of ideas for books?
A - I wish. No, I don’t. I have a hyperactive imagination. I was always a daydreamer. I get plot/storylines hitting me so fast and so often that it’s scary. I once tried to write out possible storylines for books I considered writing but stopped when I realized I had over 400 of them sitting on my hard drive within that year. That’s normal for me. They never stop coming.


Q - Are you really a team of authors?
A - That one always makes me laugh. No. I wish I could clone myself. Wouldn’t that be cool??? I’m just one person who puts in a lot of hours. I have an obsessive personality when it comes to writing because I really do love doing it. All the books published with my name on them are books I actually wrote. I can understand though how some might wonder. I wrote 54 books before I was published. A few of them are older books that I updated and have put out since then. The first seven New Species books are an example. Perspectives and ‘voices’ change as you age. Some of the younger me shines through in some books. I also like to write different stuff. It is fun and I like to stretch my imagination - kind of push myself to do new things. I’m also always learning and evolving my writing. Ral’s Woman as an example was written in early 2009. Shadow was written in 2012. There’s a big difference in the writing style. I learned to express myself better and write smoother these days. Huge Kudos to editors who point out mistakes so authors learn from them.
 
Okay, I think this blog is longer than I anticipated so I’ll answer more of the questions at another time. I will post as soon as Moon gets a release date.
 
Have a great week!
 
Laurann
 

Mine to Chase is out and some related news

Today is release day! Mine to Chase is a novella related to the short story of Scarred and Kilt that I wrote for the Something Wicked This Way Comes - Volume 2 anthology (Vampire).

I'd also like to share that Lethal's story will be coming out in the near future. (You'll know who he is if you read Scarred and Kilt or/and Mine to Chase).

Mine to Chase is available at Ellorascave and Kindle so far. I just checked other vendors but haven't spotted it yet.

Here's the blurb for Mine to Chase.

Jasmine met the guy of her dreams, who unfortunately wasn’t interested. She’s spent a year filled with lustful fantasies and soul-deep yearning for a man who doesn’t want her. Now she’s locked away in a dark hole, kidnapped by a madman, her life almost over. She’ll never know what could have been, if only he’d felt the same.

She was supposed to be his a year ago, but Chase had walked away to protect her from his world. He’s a mixed-breed—vampire and werewolf—and his list of enemies is endless. His current mission is to hunt down and kill a rogue vamp who’s preying on humans, but what Chase finds changes everything. Jasmine’s one of the victims. Instinct demands he protect her, possess her. He won’t be denied again. This time, she’s his—for keeps.

Here are the links.    KINDLE  
                               Ellorascave



Have a great weekend!


Laurann

January 2013 - New Release

Hello everyone. I’ve been sick. Uggg!!! I caught a cold a few weeks ago and it has knocked me on my butt. I’ve slept a LOT. I’m still recovering but hopefully I’ll be back up to full health and writing speed soon.
 
I have a new release coming out Jan 25th titled Mine To Chase. This is a novella related to the short vampire story I wrote in the Something Wicked This Way Comes - Volume 2 anthology --- Scarred and Kilt.
 

 
Here is the cover and blurb. It will be available at Ellorascave first and then be released to other vendors.


[image error]  Jasmine met the guy of her dreams and lost him. She’s spent a year filled with lustful fantasies and soul-deep yearning for a man who didn’t want her. Now she is locked away in a dark hole, kidnapped by a madman, her life almost over. She’ll never know what could have been, if only he’d felt the same.  She was supposed to be his but Chase walked away. To protect her from his world. He’s a mixed-breed—vampire and werewolf—and his list of enemies is endless. His mission is to hunt down and kill a rogue vampire who’s preying on humans, but what he finds changes everything. She’s one of the victims. Instinct demands he protect her, possess her. He won’t be denied again. Everything Jasmine thinks she knew is about to change. This time he’s keeping her.    
As soon as I’m out of bed and back at my desk...I’ll be able to finish up the last few chapters of Moon (the next New Species book). I’ll also finish Blackie’s story from Cyborg Seduction. I’ve got a few books that are close to being completed. Cousin Brand from Mating Heat. A Riding the Raines book. I still need to find a three month hole in my schedule to complete the last three Zorn Warrior books before I finish out that series. This year you’ll see more New Species books as well.   I hope everyone is healthy and happy.


Laurann  

2012 comes to a close

WOW! What a year. So much as happened that it’s been kind of crazy but awesome at the same time. Some of my high points were the big move to Nevada after buying a new home. We used to live in a small mobile home and now I actually have my own office in the much bigger house. It was awesome and kind of lonely for the first few months since I moved into it alone...until my kids finished their school year. I really missed them and Mr. Laurann.
 
A huge career high point was...Five books hit the NY Times and USA Today best seller lists in 2012. Brawn, Wrath, Tiger, Obsidian, and Shadow. I never saw that coming. LOL. I never even dreamed it could happen - to be honest.  It’s funny how some things turn out when you least expect it. I was working on the series I had out at the time and kept getting asked about the books I’d written before I was published. I had sent the New Species series to a beta reader and to my critique partner to read to see if it was worthy of massive overhauls and rewrites the books would need to attempt to get the series out there. Their responses were very positive so I began work on Fury to update it. LOTS of work. They used payphones and there weren’t cell phones. Everyone dressed as if they walked off the set of Miami Vice or just...dated to when they were first written. The responses to the series was remarkable when the first few books released in 2011 and I knew they were selling well. Then the 5th one hit the lists in January of 2012. WOW. I sat at my desk with my jaw hanging open...then expected it to be some kind of mistake. It was a surreal feeling seeing my name up there with some of my favorite authors. I was blown away.
 
I went to Romanticon and I always love going to that convention. I get to see and meet other authors and readers. The Ellorascave staff and cover models are just fantastic people. It’s also great that I get to travel with my husband. It’s the BIG event every year that I really look forward to and as always...we had a fantastic time. When you write...you’re in a room (if you’re lucky you have some privacy...LOL...I used to write in my living room with the kids playing around me so it can be chaos). You wear Pj’s, forget to brush your hair when you’re on a deadline, and just in general...writing is a pretty solo thing to do. Then you go to a convention and actually meet the people who have read your books. AMAZING!!! It’s hard to describe how it feels because there are so many emotions involved but I think that one word covers it. LOL!
 
So what is up for 2013? More books!!! The next one out will be Mine To Chase. It doesn’t have a release date yet but should be assigned one soon. It’s a novella length book that is connected to the short story of Scarred and Kilt that was published in the SomethingWicked This Way Comes - Volume 2 anthology. There is a third story that will relate to both of these stories in the upcoming (no release date yet) Something Wicked This Way Comes - Volume 3anthology. Moon from New Species will be finished and turned in soon. Also, the next Cyborg Seduction book is almost finished. It’s about Blackie . I’ve put some serious write time into the Raines and Mating Heat series so there will be books coming out for them in the near future. I’m still trying to find a few months open to finish the last three Zorn Warrior books about Coto, Vhon, and Vinlotti.
 
I apologize for the delay. I wanted to get one or two more books out this year but I was able to get out Wrath, Tiger, Obsidian, Shadow, and the Something Wicked This Way Comes - Volume 2 this year. I turned in Mine To Chase. By the end of December I should have Moon turned in. That’s a whole lot of writing. LOL! The NS books take a little more time since they are heavy on the word count length. My goal is to get out at least 6 books in 2013. Hopefully more since I have a few that are almost done.
 
I wish everyone the very best holidays. Please be safe while having fun. Thank you so much for reading the books. I deeply appreciate it!
 
Laurann
 
  

Answers to questions while I was out of town

I flew to Florida to see KeleMoon. She’s my critique partner and best friend. We’ve known each other for two years but had never had the chance to meet in person. It was fantastic, we talked books, plots, and it recharged our author batteries. I had a blast with her and her wonderful family. I can't thank them enough.
 
You guys are awesome. I came back to a list of questions in the comment section and in emails so...here goes. LOL! I can’t answer every single one of them without giving away some of the plots. You don’t want me to ruin the books for you. I can tell you a few things that aren’t spoilers about New Species. If you’ve followed my blog or me on facebook then you already know that I had written a lot of the books from that series before I was published. I had nine finished books and a ton of partial stories done when I stopped writing them in 2004 when I had a pretty rough pregnancy and took a few years off writing due to health issues. Pretty much - almost every Species mentioned in the books have at least a few chapters to mostly done books in those partials. (The quick version for those of you who didn’t know that). I have answers because of those partials.
 
Leo has a book and she’s human. He is kind of similar to Valiant because he’s a Wild Zone resident. A lot of the Wild Zone residents are feline. Brass has a huge partial. I was about 90 percent done with his book when I had stopped writing the series. She’s human and in need of being rescued.
 
Flame and Amanda have a partial. Jericho has a partial. She’s human. Kit even has a few chapters written. Yes, I know she isn’t everyone’s favorite but trust me when I say she’s kind of...bitchy...for a reason.  I know that won’t be good news for some people who hate her but if you’ve read the Cyborg series...Zorus was the most loathed cyborg...ever! LOL. His book is a favorite of some people who used to write me asking me to kill him in various horrible, painful ways. I can’t stress enough how much he was HATED. I hope when Kit’s book comes out...you give it a chance.
 
Darkness has a book. She’s human too. Breeze is going to hook up with a human - yes - the one she mentioned being attracted to. It’s NOT Tim O’berto. LOL! Ven’s (Vengeance) story is in the near future and...she’s human.  Smiley gets a book. Jaded. Harley. The list is LONG on who gets books. And yes, you will see a book for 927 (from Valiant’s book). There are also some books with Species you haven’t met yet...who are still being kept in captivity.
 
Moon - I’m finishing his book soon and he’s up next in the series. Who is his mystery lady? She’s human and someone from his past who he met right after being freed from Mercile. No, she didn’t work there. That’s all I can give you for right now.
 
I am working on more books from other series. Zorn...I’m hoping to get the last three books in that series out next year at some point. Coto, Vinlotti, and Vhon get stories. I need to close out a few series and Zorn will be the first. I’ll finish writing the rest of the Raine brothers - including Trip and Adam. Mating Heat...I plan to finish Cousin Brand’s story, the rest of the Harris brothers who don’t have books yet, and I want to write a book for Alpha Elroy. That man needs a good mate. I’m leaving Cyborg Seduction open. I have no set amount of books planned for it. New Species...they are going to be around for quite some time.
 
Why end any of my series? I’m currently juggling five of them and to be honest - there aren’t enough hours in the day to keep up with them. I'm workahlic if that tells you anything. LOL. I LOVE my job!!!  That’s why some of them are suffering by not having stories out in a more timely fashion. I’m more than aware of their neglect and I apologize. My goal? Write the books I had planned for Zorn, Raines, and Mating Heat and close them out. That means that Species and Cyborgs will get more of my attention.
 
I have most of Cousin Brand’s book done - the holdup is that I’m also writing a few of the Harris brother books that are linked. I’m almost to the point where all the connections are done. To be blunt...it’s easier to wait until I have those parts written for the other books because once it’s released...the facts are set in stone. It’s just more convenient for me to be able to adjust them at the same time so they fit smoothly together. The same goes with a few of the Riding the Raines books. I’m also close to finishing Blackie and Sky’s stories from Cyborg Seduction.
 
And last but not least...will there ever be a female New Species baby? I debated on answering this. LOL. Yes. There is hope! That's all I'm saying on that matter for now.
 
Have a fantastic week and thank you so much. Laurann

Shadow is released!

The ninth New Species book - Shadow - is available now at Kindleand B&N. It’s releasing tomorrow at Ellorascave around 9am PST (US).
 
Valiant is coming out in print on Nov 20th. I spotted His Purrfect Mate at Amazon in print too! That means it should be available at Ellorascave and B&N soon.
 
I am working on more books! Moon is up next in the NS series but I don't have a release date yet since I'm still writing that story. I’m working on more books in other series. I’ll update you when I send one in. Sorry for the short update but I’ve been up all night writing, answering emails, and I’m in need of some sleep. LOL! I hope everyone has a safe, happy week.
 
Laurann