Z.L. Arkadie's Blog, page 5

Sunday Author Update, 11-20-2022!

Hi!!!! It  feels like forever since I’ve written an author’s update. I have been chiseling away at finishing the new book featuring Lynx Grove. I almost made a post last week, announcing that I will publish as I write to Kindle Vella but I’ve changed my mind since then. I mean… It’s probably a good business decision to publish the story, which is currently titled “Off Limits:  A Friends to Boss to Lovers Romance” to Kindle Vella but, I don’t know. I like to guard my story until I’m done writing it. However, there are some cool benefits that come with publishing to Kindle Vella as I write. For instance, readers will be able to convey what they like or don’t like about the story I’m writing. And those reactions will allow me to figure out if I’m taking the story in the right direction. On the other hand, pirates abound and I’m always worried about them. Also, I would love to guard my story until its official release date as one final book. So… As of now, I’m not going the Kindle Vella route with Off Limits. But I might try another story in the future. Which leads me to my next announcement. I have made story writing plans for the rest of 2022 and all of 2023. I want to rewrite Once Friends with Sonja and Zach as well as Taming the Shrewd, changing the title to something else. I also want to rewrite Waiting For You and finally write Theresa Hester’s story. The thing is… The Hester sisters have been with me since 2007.  I wrote the first books and they sort of flopped because the main plots are not romance ROMANCE. And I want to write real romance stories with those characters. Especially since I want to develop a TV series featuring Sonja and Jay West. But WANTING to write a TV series and doing it are two different animals. That’s why I’ve decided to take the future project by project. For instance, I’m writing Lynx’s story and then I’ll write Max’s story. Those projects are a done deal. After those two books ANYTHING is possible. LOL! I want to be  HIGHLY creative again. Like I was when I wrote Misty Black and even Parched. And now that I’ve learned a lot more about tropes and genre, I feel as if I could really slay those stories today. But I’m having a lot of fun crafting Off Limits. I’ve spent the better part of two months getting to know my characters and figuring out why they choose to be connected to each other. And why are they choosing to be friends and not lovers right away. And I love that because thinking of them as human beings allows me to write real and flawed characters who don’t always make the right decisions right away. Also… Drum roll… While I write novels, I’ve decided to earn my second Masters degree in Clinical Psychology. I’m 95% certain that’s going to happen starting in 2023. So I’m going to be very busy in the next two to three years! So let’s breakdown my publishing future:  Off Limits, releasing Winter 2023. My editing date is January 9th. Next will be Max’s book. I’ve planned for it to be another becoming friends and then lovers story. I want to take my time and craft the story. More than likely it will be released in late Summer or early Fall 2023. Then I’ll see how I feel. As far as romance goes, I might begin rewriting Once Friends. I just can’t let The Hester sister stories go. I want to make them better. I don’t think I’ll rest until I make them better. And of course grad school. But I’ll be able to still be an author while attending grad school. As long as I finally learn how to outsource. Book covers for sure! Learning Photoshop has been a blessing and a curse. LOL! And, for those who were with me during Misty Black, there’s a strong possibility I might return to my sci-fi roots. The thing is… I’ve changed so much since then. My belief system has changed. When I picture the future, I don’t picture destruction and barren lands. I believe people, especially young people, as a whole are getting better, more empathetic, and more in love with their environment and fellow humans. Because they have more information and the Internet expands their universes. I wouldn’t write a dark dystopian future today. But I have this story premise that’s been with me for the past two years. I really want to explore it. I’ll see. However, if you liked Misty Black, I think you’ll like this other story too. Stay tuned. I might be exploring more while I study psychology because that will play a part in character development and societal development and the major conflict. Okay… There you have it. My plan for next year. I will post snippets of the new book though. I use Vellum which has Grammarly to write my initial drafts and let me tell you, it gives me tight early versions of my first drafts. That means I don’t mind sharing chapter one of Off Limits! So get ready! Alright! Until my next post! Much Love ❤️ Z

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Sunday Author Update 9-25-2022!

I’m not sure if I informed you yet but I’m writing Lynx Grove’s story first.    I’ve already started writing the story but  a few days ago, I deleted everything I wrote.  I don’t write to write characters without knowing them thoroughly. I think that’s the danger of going to fast.   Like yesterday while working I asked myself, “why am I sitting in this chair doing this at this time?” What about me and the life I’ve lived, choices I’ve made, way I was raised, made this moment?    The why?  First of all, you have to be brave and honest to answer that question about yourself. After I journaled answering some why’s in my life, my creative flood-gates opened wide and new content poured over me. (I’ll get to that later.)   I spent a lot of time with Paisley and Treasure Grove so I knew them well. I knew their “why”. But Lynx, not so much. I’m learning his “why” now though. For instance, why does a man from a powerful tech family, an only son of Leo Grove, decide to buy a baseball team? Why doesn’t he live on the penthouse floor of Delilah’s (heroine from Boss on Notice) building? Why does a man who looks like him, has the kind of money he has, doesn’t have a girlfriend, and chooses to pursue a woman who constantly rejects him? And Xena… Why would she say what she said to Lynx in the final chapter of Boss on Notice?  Beware because she’s not a sassy mouthed, two-dimensional character. She said what she said to him for a reason, and she feels terrible about it.    So… I’ve been working on their “whys”.  I’m not forcing this next book either. No deadlines until I have the first draft completely written. Then, I’ll schedule my editing. I’ll definitely keep you updated on the progress.    Also, since The Lord of Manhattan series is doing so well in Kindle Unlimited, I’m keep it there. Today, I entered The Blackstone Brothers in Kindle Unlimited. I like Amazon for all of my Billionaire and Contemporary romance books. The other stores aren’t doing well for me at all. Amazon is giving my books the most attention. I think it’s finally time to follow the love.  So, pretty soon, you might see all of my books in Amazon only and enrolled in Kindle Unlimited.  Listen… It’s not me, it’s them. I have to keep the lights on.    So, back to what I said earlier about my whys…. For those who love classic Z.L. Arkadie-style storytelling, I’ll be writing a speculative fiction romance series. I sort of think Playing with Fire nudges against that genre, but only in the futuristic aspects of it. For it to be true speculative fiction romance, the technology itself has to drive the romance. I love it I love it I love it!!! And I can’t wait to get started. I have some stories outlined that I’m excited about diving into. However, I’ll be using traditional methods of publishing for those books. They are upmarket romance books, which gets a bigger bang if they’re traditional published. I’ll keep you posted.    Zoey Locke will finish out Grove Billionaire Books–two more! Yay!  I was thinking about “Good Guys Finish First” for the title of the book I’m writing now. What do you think about that title? I haven’t yet decided. I mean, you guys know I don’t write tw0-dimensional, locker-room talking, walking dildos with muscles because all he’s good for is making her feel validated by blindly craving her sexually and protecting her even when she’s wrong, and becoming her EVERYTHING losing himself in the process. I’m telling you, those heroes make me sick to the stomach. And it’s sad because that belief system is not restricted to novels. They are real cultural expectations and romance novels  are the only place those women can get their expectations met. If I ever fed that beast in the past, then I’m sorry. I will never feed that obese, gluttonous beast again. I don’t think I fed it in the past though. Maybe I started with Find Her, Keep Her. But the following books about Daisy and Belmont (Jack) was me attempt at correcting that mistake.   In my next two books I’m going to make my billionaires so 3-dimensional women are going to say, wow, I can actually be with that man???? Yes. Yes, you can, as long as your sh** is together. Oh, and also, they’re usually taken early and rarely end up divorced. So… There’s that. LOL! But you can fall in love with him in my books! ❤️   To all women, especially the young ones, good guys will NEVER finish last. Never.    That’s the theme of my, Zoey’s, next book.   So those are my primary projects at the moment. I am going to write the hell out of speculative fiction romance books. I want those books to be my brand from that point onward.    I’ve also considered revising some of my favorite series like Parched and The Hester Girls. I’ll see. Stay close. No matter what, I’ll always have something new for you to read! I’m in this to win this!   Oh, and I forgot, last week I changed the title of Intrigued to “The Billionaire’s Uninvited Houseguest” and Enthrall to “The Billionaire’s Assistant” but I chickened out and changed the titles back. As of today, I’m leaving those books alone, and focusing on new content.  I blogged about how I was going to stop messing with published content weeks ago, and yet, I’m still doing it. And the book covers…  That’s another reason why I’m going to step into the traditionally published world. I promise you, it’s always going to be tempting to change, rework, do this or that to my books. But when I don’t have the ability to do it, then I won’t do it.  Sigh… Working on discipline here. Okay… Time to make some tea!   Much ❤️ and talk soon, Z      

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A Fake Love Deal (Making It While Faking It) Update on Amazon!

If you’ve purchased Making it While Faking It or A Fake Love Deal (remember, the title has been changed from MIWFI to AFLD), then today you should’ve received an email from Amazon informing you an updated version is available.   The book has been re-edited to improve readability. It reads better and smoother. At least 3000 words were cut.   I even received the email regarding the update. It arrived in my inbox at 1:42 p.m. PST on 9-7-2022.   Okay, well, that’s the gist of this post. I’ll be back soon with another update!   Have a fantastic rest of your day!   Toodles, Z

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Sunday September 4th Author Update!

Greetings!   I thought it would be a while before I had new information you might want to hear, but I have something to tell you now! The next story I’ll release will star Lynx Grove and Xena, Delilah’s cousin. The trope is friends to lovers. They are two ships constantly passing in the night. I’ve outlined chapter one, and will start writing soon. Usually, I outline chapter by chapter.    Oh, and I’m striving to have the book released in November, December at the latest. I read somewhere October, November, and December are the worst times to release a book. Maybe that’s true. I’ve had releases around that time not do so well. But, was it the material not reflecting any trope? Maybe it was that. People who are consistent and write stories people like don’t have issues with sales from October – December. But, I also don’t want to push it. My Boss On Notice editing duo were the best ever, and I need to give them time to do their best work. We’ll see. I’ll keep you updated.   I can’t wait to dive deeper into this story. And, the fact that I’m not going to schedule editing until around 30k words in, will give me time to craft the story exactly how I want it. There will be no preoders for this book. Preoders have made me rushe stories I wanted to a little more time to finish. I think I’m done with preoders. We’ll see. I’m at least done with them on Amazon. There’s no benefit there.    Oh… Also, I want to rewrite the Parched series now that I  know more about sticking to the trope. Doing it has been on my mind for quite some time. I’ve even outlined a new beginning. But my goal is to make you think as readers that this can actually happen even though it’s vampire romance. For instance, if my characters can indeed walk on air, I want to put you in their shoes. I need their physical human body to have a reaction to the supernatural. The idea that solid matter can… Sigh… I don’t want to say too much. I just want to write it already!!!   I wish I can split myself up into three authors and finish up the Grove men stories, write the first ten episodes of It’s Complex, featuraing the Hester sisters and cousins along with rewriting the books associated with the series. Hmm… Maybe I should just concentrate on the TV series and not the books. And finally, Parched. I must rewrite it. Or, mabye I write a brand new supernatural series. Maybe not vampires. Maybe some other creature that’s vampire-like. Hmm… An idea just came to me! I like it! I might need an agent for this one though.    By the way, Z.L. Arkadie will write the paranormal romances. For TV I’m using my full name. And my alter-ego Zoey will craft all romances from this point on. So, the next book will be a Zoey Locke book. Why? Because Zoey has never written a vampire story nor tried her hand at romantic suspense. The algorithm knows that Zoey Locke has only written romances and if Zoey Locke is consistent with writing romance about billionaires falling in love with their soulmates, then the algorithm will love her and reward her handsomely for being consistent. Z.L., however, has been all over the place, and the algorithm is not so happy with her or kind to her. Sigh… LOL   Alright… I’m so excited about getting to work today but I think it’ll be healthy if I treat the rest of the weekend like the Labor Day holiday.    I’ll give it a try! I really do love my job. Like recently I can now use Grammarly with the software that I use to write my books, Vellum. Before I changed my editing team, the quality on my books had degraded so. Well, Grammarly is fixing those issues. I’ll be back with a post on that. Grammarly with Vellum is such a Godsend.    Usually my Grammarly shows up when I write these post but it’s missing right now. So, please excuse any errors.    Alrighty now! I’m ending this. Have a wonder rest of your weekend.   Much❤️Z.L.

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Series and Surname Change: From Christmas to Blackstone

Greetings! I hope you are well. I’m posting a little FYI today. I want you to know that I’ve changed the name of the Christmas family to the Blackstone family. So the series A Dark Billionaire Family has been changed to The Blackstone Brothers. For instance, Jasper Christmas is now Jasper Blackstone. Spencer Christmas is Spencer Blackstone, and so forth. Since 2019, around this time of year, the series sinks because store algorithms treat the books in the series as if they’re seasonal stories. I had been advised by a PR professional to change the name of the family last year. When I saw the drop yet again, I decided to move forward and take her good advice. It’s an arduous process. The new versions are currently up on Amazon and Google Play, and the series name has been changed. I’ll publish the updates to the other stores before the end of the week. A note has been added to books informing readers of the surname change as well. Alrighty then! I have a LONG day ahead of me, so it’s time I get to it! Much❤️Z.L.

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Author Update – Sunday, 8-14-2022

Well, I’ve done it. And I’ve done it because if I want to rectify my mistake, then I have to do it. When you learn better, you gotta do better and stuff like that, right? So, I’ve changed the Christmases to the Blackstones. Why? Because when the season of greetings and holiday parties and such is over, that series sinks faster than a boulder in a lake. And it’s frustrating. Sigh… The amount of work that will go into making the changes include emailing Amazon and asking them to update everyone’s books. I have to update the covers too. Sigh… Moving on. You know what? I’ve finally realized that I must respect the incubation period of creating fiction. Because I had a certain story in mind for Max and Lake, but thanks to the incubation period that story is turning out to be something different, something better. I really want to challenge myself even more with Lake and Max’s story. So, I’m doing that. It’s fun!!! I can’t wait to get deeper into this story. I’ve also been thinking about human beings. Like, for instance, on Saturday I was watching House Hunters, and this controlling mother was making her daughter’s house hunting experience a living nightmare. The daughter was visibly annoyed, and as mom kept being critical, the daughter had a way of ignoring her but embracing her. It was a bad case of pathologies on display. And all I kept thinking was how uncomfortable I was feeling about this!  The daughter had a beautiful baby girl. And I just knew the daughter wasn’t with the father because of the mother. Like, she totally sabotages her daughter’s relationships. I just know it. Because she was showing the world that’s exactly what she does on live TV. And then I also watched the movie, The Squid and the Whale. I watched it first in 2005, but I thought it would be great to watch it now when I finally “get it.” I mean, those parents being depicted are narcissistic as hell. Then I remembered the mother from the House Hunters episode. Anyway… I don’t know why all of this crashed into my incubating process. But it has! Sigh… You know what, I’m a sugar addict. Like right now I’m craving cinnamon licorice from Hadley’s. O.M.G. Talk about melt in your mouth. I can eat that licorice forever. But I am kicking this addiction, so, no. Nope. Nope. Nope. My TV series is about a mother and daughter. It’s not quite romance so I’m not writing it in book form. The mother is a grifter, and the daughter is estranged from her. And her mother has found herself in this fabulous situation and the daughter can’t avoid her any longer. There are other characters of course. So I have to write out all the character profiles before I bang out a solid first episode. I have been devising at least four, maybe five characters, in my head. Also, Max, Lake and another character, I’m calling her Amy for now, are living in my head too. So… Yep. This is the process. I read reviews sometimes, and it’s clear that we writers make this look too easy. But it’s not. It’s sacrifice. That’s why it’s best to write one story at a time; really, it is. I’m writing two right now, but at least they’re for different mediums. Okay, so, that’s all for this Sunday. Oh, also, I think the titles Intrigued and Enthrall should be changed too. The algorithm hates those titles. Ugh… (Groaning) IDK. The jury’s still out on that. But I figure if I start, then I might as well go all the way. Wine… Red wine. I’m writing this on Saturday night for Sunday morning, so a glass of wine is in order. Nah. No wine. TV! It’s time to find another good series on BritBox! Much ❤️ Z.L.

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Author Update! 8-10-2022

Greetings All!!! I so meant to write this post on Sunday. I was actually writing the post, but then my mom stopped by, and we binged the entire season 1 of Dr. Foster on BritBox. FYI, totally recommend it. I’ve been binging A LOT of TV series recently, especially shows on BritBox. Single Dad and Age Before Beauty are also two of my favorites. As I have mentioned several times, I’m developing a television show. The idea, the characters, the setting, and all the other story elements have been incubating inside me. I know the best series have characters with delicious “wants.” For instance, in Succession, the children will do whatever it takes to claim the top seat of their father’s company.  In Game of Thrones, there was a lot going on, but the simple want was revenge for killing Eddard. Screw the iron throne. The Lannisters beheaded a good man, broke up a happy family, killed the mother and favorite son, and for the love of God they must pay. GOT would’ve been another barely noticed fantasy series without that as a major want/motivation. At the moment I’m devouring season 2 of Industry which is already far better than season 1. And “the want” is for our main character, Harper, to grow, succeed, and come out on top. So, I’m trying to come up with a compelling want for my series. I can have all the right elements, but if a clear and concise WANT hasn’t been established before I pound out episode one, then I’m just wasting my energy. But like Industry I plan to set my series in London. I used to work for an English company over ten years ago. It was my first interaction with the English. I couldn’t quite understand their culture then, and I sure as hell know I was an anomaly to them. I’m a lot different now than I was back then, though. There’s so much to appreciate about their ways and their culture. Like, I binged a season of Selling London, and they’re just different than the guys of Million Dollar Listing, and that’s a good thing. So, I’ve been getting a feel for my characters, figuring out how they all will behave according to their experience in the world which makes them. Anyway… I’m loving the incubating process that’s occurring while developing that series. I’m just trying to solidify my compelling “want.” I’m also writing the beats to Max’s story. We all know that Lake is his love interest and since my books are almost always written from the female’s POV, then surprises! Lake is the protagonist. I’m glad I already know her. I also know what she wants. I also know why she wants to resist Max. But Max is a different animal. It’s not that I don’t know him very well because I do. But he’s not a happy camper. But he’s content. He dates. He screws every now and then. I mean a man has needs. But he’s so driven by destroying the Lords that he has no room for love in his vengeful heart. So… Even though Lake fascinates him, he’s never wanted to walk down the aisle with her or anybody else. He wants the Groves out of his life and pounded into the dirt. And watch out Orion! If you read Boss On Notice, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Max is not your friend. Yet… 😉 His heart will soften and heal. It’s a want he doesn’t even know he has. So that’s the story I’m writing now! Two projects. The TV show is a big swing I’m taking. If I’m able to craft eight unputdownable episodes right off the bat, then I won’t miss. And so, those are the projects I’m working on right now. Of course, I’m forever fooling with my covers. I need to stop it. I think the time has come to start paying a cover designer again because I waste too much time doing and undoing my own work. You’d be amazed by the hours I waste changing this guy out or that guy out or adding this element or changing the fonts. It’s crazy. I.Must.Stop. Also, I’m teaching myself to work out with Jillian Michaels on FitFusion TV first thing in the mornings and to stand 8 minutes for every 20 minutes that I sit. It’s important for my health because my job is so sedentary. Oh, and I hope you enjoyed Boss On Notice. So far, I can tell you are enjoying it. It’s doing quite well. I know when I wrote a book people love by what happens afterward. For instance, I’m getting a lot more people subscribing to my newsletter on a daily basis. And for those who want a repeat performance of Boss On Notice, you know, that same, I can’t put it down experience, don’t worry, I can do it again. You see, I was very intentional about how I wrote that book. As you can see it’s shorter than the other two in the series because I just stuck to the romance Jack. LOL! Boss On Notice is all about the interaction between Delilah and Orion, and it will be the same for Lake and Max. Okay… So that’s my latest update. Oh! Also, I changed the title from Making It While Faking It to A Fake Love Deal. In the future I will try to keep my titles to three words or less. And more assonance than cossonance. People are more attracted to assonance. I knew this from one of my many classes, but I forgot about it. So, the title Enthrall, the first book in Spencer Christmas’s trilogy, may change to something else.  Also, calling the family, the Christmases is wreaking havoc on sales during the summer. At some point in the near future I’m going to have to give them a new last name. And that means the first sentence in Intrigued might change. But you’ve already read that series, right? So, the change will be for future readers. If it even happens at all. I should just let it be and move on. I think that might be the healthiest thing to do. Sigh… Getting there…I’m getting there. FYI, I don’t think I’ll be back with another update for a while. Just know that I’m working on Max’s book. After the first draft is written and ready for an editor, I’ll let you know my planned release date. I just might get started on the actual prose next week which means you might see a mid or late-November release date. I mean, there’s a time of the year when it’s not beneficial to release a book. It actually might be November, but I’ll do some research and get back to you. And, The Lords of Manhattan will stay in Kindle Unlimited where it continues to make quadruple what the series made wide. I just think Amazon has a fairer algorithm. That’s what I learned! Write a book that people want to read because it’s a proven trope; write it right, and the Amazon algorithm will reward me with visibility. Voila! That’s it. The secret sauce I’ve been looking for. Okay… I think that’s it! If I think anything I missed, then I’ll make another post. But you probably won’t hear from me while I write Max’s book. I am trying to flesh out the right title though. Sigh… Wish me luck. Try to have a wonderful rest of the month! Much❤️Z.L.

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BOSS ON NOTICE Now Live!

This book is enrolled in Kindle Unlimited but will be available at all retail outlets until August 5th. How does the boss you hate become the man you can’t live without? It starts with a drunken night in Las Vegas and waking up next to him, naked and wearing a ring on my finger. Amazon apple books Google Play B&N Nook KOBO

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Monday Morning Author Update, 8-1-2022

Well… tomorrow Boss On Notice will officially be available for purchase in all stores. On Google Play, Apple Books, and Barnes & Noble the book is available right now! You read that right, you can get it RIGHT NOW. I’ll add the link below. I don’t know, I’m feeling a little subdued about this next release. Usually, around this time I’m worrying and running around like a chicken with my head cut off. However, I think I’m more subdued because I finally discovered the answer. If the book is written to market, then it will sell at least on Amazon. The other stores??? I don’t know.  But Amazon, yes. As I said before, I put Crossing the Line and A Fake Love Deal (formerly Making It While Faking It) in Kindle Unlimited. Those books do so much better in KU. I won’t pull them out because they do quadruple times better in KU than out of KU.  Therefore, if you purchase your books from other retail outlets, then you’ll have until August 6th to purchase Boss On Notice at those stores. And, again, you can buy the book from those retail outlets right now! In other news, I’ve been messing with my covers for the Christmas brothers series a lot. I wish I could stop doing that, but for some reason, I feel as if I have to get them just right. I have to learn how to let that series be. I don’t know… Sometimes I think I mess with that series so much because I miss those characters. I loved writing that series. I really did. In my latest iteration of the covers, I took the human image off of them. I’ll see how that works out. Sigh… I must stop. Also, at the moment, I’m working on Max’s story. I don’t have a title yet. I’m also working on a television series, going back to my screenwriting roots. But as far as a TV series goes, there are three different projects warring for that top spot in my head. You see, you have to write a TV series a lot different than you write a book. There are A stories, B stories, and C stories all taking place in one episode. And, all those stories are working toward the same episode ending.  As of right now, I think I have to go with a TV-series-friendly rendition of Playing With Fire. It’ll be a feet-on-the-ground, realistic, futuristic family saga drama.  No one does feet-on-the-ground TV like the Brits. I’ve been binging BritBox like crazy. I love how they don’t sugarcoat the human condition. No pretty outcomes wrapped with red bows for them. I love it!  Britbox is like yeah, crap happens because we’re human and we can still find our happiness no matter what. I think… Hmm… Now that I think about it, I think I’ve been affected by all those shows I’ve binged this weekend. Two of my favorites are Age before Beauty and Single Dad. I highly recommend those series.  I’ve gotten into a few of their Moving On episodes as well, which are like woe-Nelly. LOL! Dude… I like it though. Now I realize why Lisa Jewel is one of my favorite authors. Single Dad really felt like one of her books. So basically, as far as original content goes in the novel writing world, I’ll be working on my first Grove cousins’ book, featuring Max first, although I think a lot of you will want to read Lynx’s story as soon as possible. I would’ve gone with Lynx first, but there’s a scene in Boss On Notice where Max and Lake are seated at the same table. Well, that scene is several months after where the book I’m writing now starts. So, that’s why I’m starting with Max’s story first. Okay, I’m up late here, or early, depending on how you look at it. It’s 2:42 a.m my time (but I’m scheduling this post to send later). Maybe I’m a little nervous about release day. I don’t know… Anyway, you’ll hear from me on August 2nd, and I’ll let you know Boss On Notice is available everywhere, but no more gimmicks. You know… 5 days left posts. 4 days left, etc. None of that has ever worked, and even as a reader, it doesn’t work on me. Lisa Jewell’s next book comes out this month, and I’ll go grab it when I’m ready. All of those other tasks were me overcompensating for not writing on trope. That’s the key! That’s the big secret. I really don’t have to put some much money into advertising The Lord of Manhattan series on Amazon.  I have a fake relationship, forbidden romance, and opposites attract, and all are 100 percent romance. Therefore, I don’t have to work so hard to sell the books. Sure, I would do a lot better if I wrote bully, single dad, friends to lovers, or secret baby. Bully, I’ll never do. NEVER. And I did try friends to lovers and failed because it wasn’t 100% romance. But… I don’t know. One of those tropes I mentioned will be represented in Max’s story. Guess which one? 😉 And here’s quick access to BOSS ON NOTICE Okay…going to bed. Much ❤️Love Z

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This Sunday’s Author Update Is A Sneak Peek!

So this Sunday’s author update is a sneak peek! I got the manuscript back from the editor five days earlier than scheduled! Yay! It’s about to enter the proofing phase, but I think I can give you this sneak peek from chapter one without harming the integrity of the entire manuscript and your future reading experience. I’ve learned that distributing my work before it’s at its best can spoil your reading experience and my credibility as an author. So, I’m not distributing my books until they have gone all necessary rounds of editing and proofing. But this sample is compact enough to give you a slice of what it will feel like to read the remainder of the story. Okay so, update! I squashing my deadline! Also, I’m beating out Max’s story. Beating out means I am planning my beats. I already know the tropes, but I’ll keep you in suspense for now just in case they change. Anything is possible when you’re writing a story. The creative process is a dynamic activity. And now without further ado, check out a sneak peek of Boss On Notice below! Much❤️Z.L.

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