Xavier Edwards's Blog, page 14

Find Out More About Me

With special thanks to “Techno Hippy” over at The Cult of Me, I have been given a guest blog spot which will allow readers and fans to get a better understanding of who I am and why I write.
It’s worth a look, if nothing more than for a slightly different viewpoint on me.
Elsewhere in my busy writing life, I am putting the finishing touches on “Six Miles High”, the next title scheduled for release. It is due out in just over a week’s time, and already a little bit of buzz is beginning to build for it -- which is quite pleasing.
There are only going to be another couple of releases before Christmas, but they’re looking good for being on track, so there’s going to be something from me to read over the Christmas period.

More Releases Scheduled

Wow, things have been extremely busy over the last couple of weeks. So much movement and action, but at the end of the day it feels like I’m still in the same place.
There are at least two more new releases scheduled between now and the end of the year. With the Christmas period only a handful of weeks away, this means quite a busy time between now and then. Hopefully the two planned releases will be ready and available in enough time for readers to get them during the Christmas shopping period.
With both Thanksgiving and Christmas public holidays not very far apart for the US, some sites won’t have my new titles listed in time for Black Friday, but they should be ready in time for Christmas.
There is also the chance that something extra extra special will be slipped into the already special treat I had planned around the Christmas period.
If all things go to plan, a F/F novella will be available just before the Thanksgiving period on most sites, with a slight delay on at least one retailer due to their holiday shut down.

In Human Form Published

[image error] Well, it’s kind of a surprise, but “In Human Form” has been released ahead of my planned schedule. What this means is that it will be available across most sites in the lead up to Halloween.
Banished from the heavens for daring to love each other, Alexis and Seth are locked in stone for all but one night a year — All Hallow’s Eve. Their one night in human form is the only time they get to be with each other, but they are facing an uncertain future as the night has changed around them over the centuries. Seeing her opportunity to resolve it, Alexis takes a step that could only be described as shocking, but has it worked?
Special bonus story — Île Sans Nom
There’s a reason why no one wants to visit Île Sans Nom, though no one can remember what it is. For Shaun and Nicola that mystery only pulls them closer to the island. Finally they are granted permission to visit the Île Sans Nom, but is it a journey they will return from?
A straight out tale of horror featuring wrecked warships, sunken graves, and a mortuary slab cooling in the forest.
It’s great for my readers to be able to read this title ahead of when I was expecting to have it released, though it will mean a slightly longer wait before the next one, as I will be returning to my planned schedule for the next release.
There is also a special bonus bonus story in the released version of this book, but that will have to be read to find it.

A Sneak Peek

WIth Halloween just around the corner, there is a special release coming out in less than a week, “In Human Form” -- which will actually be a double release.
The first part is a PNRe about a god and goddess being cast to Earth for the crime of wanting to love each other. They aren’t just cast to Earth -- they are cast in stone for all but one night a year. That night, surely enough, is Halloween. Things aren’t as simple as that, though, and you’ll need to read the story to find out more about what is going on.
Being included for free is a short horror story that I wrote about two years before I began publishing any of my works. It was written for a Halloween competition and is included warts and all -- no editing other than what was done pre-submission. It is rough around the edges and will give the reader a look at what my writing is like before any of the editing processes take place.
While it didn’t win, it was a finalist and it was the story that gave me the confidence that I could find an audience for my writing.

Slower Updates due to More Writing

While I haven’t been posting blog updates as much as I might otherwise be wanting to, I am keeping myself busy with writing, which is always something a writer wants to be doing.
I have been busy writing new stories, rewriting older unpublished titles, and working on expanding some of my published story lines based on reader requests. There is certainly enough to keep me busy for some to come, but hopefully my blog updates will start picking up in frequency again soon.
Where I was struggling with different parts of the publishing pipeline a couple of weeks ago, that struggle has now moved to the payment side, with collective amnesia from a number of sites about how they were going to pass along my royalties. Another thing to gum up the works.
With my publishing timeline leading into the Christmas period, some sites will be delaying publishing in December, so there will be a limited number of releases in that month. I will be making up for that in other ways. So, as it stands, my releases have been mapped out until the end of the year.
As the move to novella and longer titles is being made, the rate of publishing is likely to slow down a little, but still see a good selection and quality of works published.

The Nymph’s Muse Published

[image error] “The Nymph’s Muse” is now out on the streets and is processing through the various retail site systems. Look for it soon on your favourite retail site.
Why Chase chose to look up as he crossed the street is unknown, but based on what he saw, he could die there and then and be happy.
He nearly does.
Victoria, a struggling artist, feels a terrible guilt at Chase’s misfortune and seeks to remedy it. Along the way she finds her muse, her Adonis, and the person who will help her achieve her goal of putting on a show.
It’s a nice contemporary erotic tale about an unexpected encounter that matches two people who didn’t know they needed each other so much.
It’s a tale with art, craftsmanship, groceries, and an old refrigerator.
In other news, I’m preparing myself for a big halloween release, and then for another big release a couple of weeks into November, with both works now well and truly established in the publishing pipeline. The Christmas period is still being planned for a major surprise / present for my readers.
Keep an eye out for plenty more from me in the lead up to the end of the year.

Another New Book, Tomorrow

It’s that time of the month again, with another book release just around the corner. In the next 36 hours, “The Nymph’s Muse” will be released and start making its way onto retail sites across the web. It will appear on Smashwords and ARe first, with the other majors to follow in due course. As a weekend release, it might take a few days to be listed.
With only a few minor adjustments to be made, it’s looking good for a strong release. If you liked “The Barista’s Heart”, you should enjoy “The Nymph’s Muse”.
I’m not going to drop too much information about the plot, but the book’s title should be a bit of a tease in itself. It’s a nice contemporary erotic tale about an unexpected encounter that matches two people who didn’t know they needed each other so much.
It’s a tale with art, craftsmanship, groceries, and an old refrigerator.
Keep an eye out for its page here on my site, and look for it over at GoodReads and on Facebook.
On a technical note, I have discovered that Internet Explorer users (at least some of them) are having lots of trouble reading my blog posts. If that’s the case for you, my blog is repeated on my GoodReads page. The benefit of the GR repeat is that comments can be added and it gives readers a chance to mingle with the fans and other readers of my work.
There will be another release this month, in time for Halloween. It’s going to be another PNRe, with a special surprise gift included for free. Expect to see it around October 25.

Bitter Pills to Swallow

I spent a few days away from the keyboard and keeping track of what was going on with the ins and outs of publishing, only to be dismayed when I finally sat back down to it again.
I've been waiting for over a week now for one of the retail sites to process "The Barista's Heart" for publishing, and another is delaying processing - screaming that I've broken all sorts of unwritten styling rules when the style guides provided still don't mention or give guidance on the issue being claimed. I double- and triple-checked before sending it off for processing but, no, it's still broken rules that aren't well explained. It isn’t the sort of thing you want to walk back into seeing after a few days away.
I did come back to an overflowing inbox, but that was to be expected. Before I'd left I'd taken a look at some of the top seller lists and was surprised to see titles that were shorter, had fewer reviews, and seemed to be of varying quality (based on available samples). Certainly not what I was expecting.
A couple of days away should have sorted it all out and I would have forgotten about it all. While checking out the sales that took place while I was away (thank you to those who have bought my books while I wasn't at my keyboard), I looked at some of the reviews that had been posted. Always hungry for feedback, I wasn't quite ready for some of what I read and came away feeling more demoralised than when I had started. It was quite a bitter pill to swallow and is like being told you've got an ugly baby. Not really what you want to hear after a long drive and little sleep.
At least the time away gave me a couple of new story ideas, which should appear in due course. It also means that the only way things can really go from here is up.

The Barista’s Heart Published

“The Barista’s Heart” is now out on the streets and is processing through the various retail site systems. Look for it soon across your favourite retail sites.
Amy turned him down out of shock more than dislike. Given a second chance at getting to know Dylan, can she make it a third time to see him? Unsure about why exactly she's continuing to talk to him, there is something about Dylan that has captured her interest and, given time, may capture a lot more of her, too.
Filled with wonderful sex, beautiful people, warm relationships, hot coffee, surprising encounters, and a macaroon, this is a story to warm the heart.
Many readers so far have absolutely loved the story, the romance, and of course the sex.

New Book Day, Tomorrow

It’s been a couple of weeks since my last book release, so that must mean it’s book release time again, which it is.
A new book, “The Barista’s Heart” will be released within the next 24 hours. The final touches are just going on it and it should start appearing across the various retail sites in the coming days. Expect to see it on Smashwords and ARe on the day of release.
Without giving too much away, “The Barista’s Heart” is a touching erotic romance short about finding love in unexpected places.
It has wonderful sex, beautiful people, warm relationships, hot coffee, surprising encounters, and a macaroon.
Keep an eye out for its page here on my site, and look for it over at GoodReads and on Facebook.
I’m still writing upcoming titles and will also be taking part in some flash writing contests which may end up in all-new published works at the end of it all.