Lyra Parish's Blog, page 2

Romance Writers Weekly: Current WIP

Welcome to the romance Writers Weekly blog hop, where every week a great group of romance writers answer questions and accept challenges. Diverse in what we write, we are unified in the quest to bring you, the romance reader, a very happy ever after.

You can join us daily on our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RomanceWritersWeekly/

If you’re starting your blog hop here, or just hopping over from Marc Stevens blog, hi!!! I’m excited to be participating this week!

Romance Writers Weekly: Animal Person

Welcome to the romance Writers Weekly blog hop, where every week a great group of romance writers answer questions and accept challenges. Diverse in what we write, we are unified in the quest to bring you, the romance reader, a very happy ever after.

You can join us daily on our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RomanceWritersWeekly/

If you’re starting your blog hop here, or just hopping over from S. C. Mitchell‘s blog, hello!!! I’m new to this hop and I’m sure excited to write a post each week!

Our topic today comes from the Brenda Margriet – What kind of animal person are you? Do you have pets? If so, how do they influence your writing, or don’t they? What is the most unusual pet you’ve had, either as a child or adult?

I’m totally a cat person. lol. My cat’s name is Nibbler and she’ll be turning eight in September. She’s a black rescue kitty who rules and runs the household. I’ve tried adopting other animals, but she just wasn’t having it.

Honestly, if the hubs would let me, I’d be a cat lady. LOL! I  have always loved cats, but I’m just an animal lover in general. I grew up with horses, cats, dogs, chickens, and pigs. I don’t think animals really influence my writing any. But Nibbler does sometimes like the take naps on my keyboard as I’m in the middle of writing.

I’ve never written about animals in any of my books. (I might have to give my next character a dog or a cat!) I think the strangest animal I’ve had as a pet was a pig. We named it Penny and drew dollar signs all over her. SHE LOVED IT! Okay, I’ve never actually told anyone that. But as an adult, since I travel so much, it’s easier just to have a cat. She can stay home for days alone and not need attention. She’s completely content with her naps, fresh water well, and unlimited food.

Make sure to hop on over to Leslie Hachtel’s blog and read her post and check back here Tuesday for our next topic!

What was your very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer?

What was your very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer? Where is it now? Collecting dust or has it been published?

The very first novel I wrote was completed in November of 2011 during NaNoWriMo. I started writing at the very beginning of 2011 but couldn’t seem to finish anything that I started. Funny how that happens. Then 2011 came and I joined the challenge, 30 days later I had a 55k word novel. It was a young adult urban fantasy and the world I created inside of it was huge. Parts of real history was intertwined within the pages and it all linked up at the end. I spent two years editing it until I realized that it was something I would never publish. The old dusty copy still sits on my hard drive and I’m not sure it will ever be published. Occasionally I think about it and wonder if I could spend the time to rewrite and then publish, but the truth is, I don’t think I ever will. I won’t say never because stranger things have happened, but it won’t be anytime soon. It was my passion project and I think it will continue to stay as just that, and I’m okay with it.

While I loved the concept, it was my first baby. I learned many hard lessons working on that book, some that has helped me even today. There’s lots of telling, horrible grammar, and when I wrote it, I didn’t even write in chapters, so lots of editing. But it made me realize that I had what it takes to be a writer and author, that I had it in me to start and complete something. Once I made the decision to shelf it, I wrote Weak for Him and finished it in 2 months. Then I wrote Weak Without Him. Without that first book, I’m not sure that I would have ever had the confidence to continue forward with this career. Now, writing full-time is a goal that I’m working hard to achieve.

 

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I decided to start participate in a monthly hop so I could stay more active here, plus it’s fun to open up to all of you! If you’re interested in signing up too, all you have to do is click on the picture below and it will bring you to the sign up page! I’m excited to be participating!

Writing my thoughts…

I seriously have about 10 blog posts chilling in my drafts bucket of this blog. I write them, or half write them, then leave them, and I’m not sure why I don’t publish them. I’ve thought on this and I realize it’s because I just needed to write down my thoughts. They weren’t for anyone but myself and that’s okay. They will forever be immortalized in my draft box.

Lately, I’ve been super inspired to ‘do this’. Most of you know my story and know that it really hasn’t changed. Yes, I’m still working a full time job that makes me absolutely miserable from 8am – 5pm and I’m writing whenever I can. I added LuLaRoe in the mix though (not sure what I was thinking!) and I feel like I will be slightly stepping back from that to refocus on writing because it’s my passion, it’s what makes me happy, and I love it. I love LuLaRoe too, but I need more structure with my time and something has to give.

Most of this work work work work work has been going on since the Summer of 2013, which in a month, will put me at 3 years of writing until I can’t keep my eyes open.

I’m in the trenches and that’s okay because I’m not alone, and I know one day, one day, I will be writing that magical post that tells everyone that ‘it’ happened.  I look forward to that day. I dream about that day. But this needs to be on the record. I need to write posts like this so I can look back and see where my head was during times like this.

Not too long ago, I had someone say something to me that’s really stuck with me. This person said, “oh I thought you’d be somewhere with this writing thing by now.” Honestly, I can’t remember who said it. I just remember where I was standing and how I felt when it was said. Sometimes people are assholes and don’t realize how rude their words are. What’s even worst is they say it with a big ole smile on their face, like they are being genuine, when in reality they are being an oblivious douche canoe. After 8 novels, yes I did have to count on my fingers, I understand that I’m not “big time” by some peoples standards. Lyra Parish who?

I think about how someone once said that you’re not considered a writer until you hit 1 million words written. (Maybe it wasn’t exactly like that. I’ll have to google it. I thought JK said it but I can’t find the source.) I’m not sure what I will expect when I actually write 1 million words, maybe canons will come from the ground and shoot confetti or something, but it’s my goal. Right now, I added up that I’m at around 502,000 words written, so I’m halfway there. I think when I hit 1 million words, I’ll know not that I am an author, but rather who I am as an author.

Failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged.” -JK Rowling

It may take me 500,000 more words before I’m able to do this every moment of my life. Hell, it may take me 1 million more words. That’s okay. Because tonight, as I was chatting with a dear friend who inspires the shit out of me, I had a realization and I knew that I wasn’t going anywhere. I’ve thought about quitting so many times. I’ve thought about walking away and just being done with it all. I’ve said to myself so many times that it didn’t work and no one cares. No one will even notice if I just vanish and stop checking my messenger and deactivate all of my social profiles. It’s a horrible thought and it tortured me for months. But I tried to imagine my life without writing and it’s impossible. I took a hiatus for 3 months to think it all over. I didn’t write a word. When my pity party for 1 was over, I knew that I can’t not create. It’s engrained into my body and soul. I have to do something creative or I fall into a weird depression of sorts, and I don’t take that word lightly.

The truth is: writing makes me happy.

In the end, it doesn’t matter if I haven’t written my “break through” yet. It doesn’t matter if I’m not “big time” by someone else’s standards. What matters the most is, after everything that I’ve gone through, the countless all nighters, is that I’m still going. I’m still writing. I’m still pushing. I’m learning every single day. I’m happy with my progress because each one of those books has taught me something about myself. And after it all, I’m still reaching for the stars even though I may be standing dangerously on my tiptoes at the very top step of the ladder.

The reality is I’m not going anywhere.

Love your life. Work hard. Learn from your mistakes. Keep loving, smiling, and pushing. We’ve got this! Remember those who loved you when you were nobody, who were willing to help you along the way. Don’t forget where you came from. Be thankful for your friends. They are precious angels. And last but not least: I’ll leave you with a little piece of my sororities creed from college–be humble in success without bitterness in defeat. It’s words I live by.

….and maybe no one will read this post and that’s okay. I wrote it and published it so it wasn’t forever lost in my drafts of what could have been.

Live Q&A tonight at 8pm CST on Facebook!

So I thought that it would be fun to answer your questions live on facebook tonight from 8pm CST to 8:30pm CST.

Facebook has this nifty new feature and I thought it would be something really fun to do since I receive questions in my email almost daily.

If you’d like to join in on the fun, make sure that you’ve liked my facebook page and tune in tonight at 8pm CST.

www.facebook.com/lyraparishauthor 

If you can’t join in on the fun live, email me your questions at lyraparish(at)gmail(dot)com or post a comment below! See you REALLY soon!

 

Random post…

I was thinking about blogging today so I thought why not? The past month I’ve taken a break from writing and focused on other things but writing is something that I can’t NOT do. Today I woke up with an urge to just write. There are so many stories calling to me at the moment so it’s hard to decide what to write. As I mentioned before, I’ve got about 9 in the pocket. 9 different plots, sets of characters, and I’ve decided that I’m going write what my heart wants me to write, which means the words will flow like honey and wine, haha. No more promising books because it’s not fair to my readers and it’s not fair to me to force words. No one likes reading forced words!

Lately I’ve just had this feeling that I’m on the verge of something awesome. I don’t know what my future holds but it’s exciting to think about. I’ve been so busy working full-time, doing LuLaRoe, and working on my literary career that it’s crazy to think that I sleep somewhere in there. The hustle is very real and exhausting but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I know eventually it will all pay off. Even with all that sometimes it’s nice to just sit on the back porch and listen to the birds sing in the late afternoon as the sun is setting behind the trees. Yes, southerners really do that. Yes, we really drink lots of sweet tea too.

Lazy Sundays…

Sundays are one of my favorite days. I swear I do the same exact thing every sunday. It starts with sleeping until I wake then making the same breakfast (eggs, sausage, and bacon) and taking care of literary items while drinking a cup of coffee with whip cream. A few weeks ago, we rearranged the furniture in the living room so now when I sit on the couch, I can stare out the double windows. Right now, there is a warm glow in my backyard from the sun splashing across the green grass (yes green, I’m in Texas!) while the bare branches of the trees hang almost haphazardly. Football is playing the background, my cat is sitting right next to me, and I have my computer on my lap. Lazy Sundays are the best. I have an office but I find myself glued to the couch with my feet up. It’s so comfy. But sometimes the couch is dangerous because I have several times fallen asleep with my fingers on the keys and my document open. It’s too comfy and sucks me right in. I often dream about the day when every day is like my Sunday. I dream about writing full-time and getting to take on all of my dream projects. Lately I’ve had several people ask me how I do it. Re: write, work full-time, and run a small side business. The truth is, sometimes I don’t know how I handle it. I haven’t figured it all out yet but I’ve been doing this since 2011. I think when you’re passionate about something, you’ll find time to get everything done.

2016 is looking promising and we are only 17 days in. I’ve been eating healthy and trying to lose some weight (I’m 1 pound away from losing 20!). I finished Ace and I’m working on another story at the moment with hopes to have it finished by the time Ace is released. My goal is to write at least  2k a day. It’s nothing that you’ve ever heard me talk about before, a new set of characters and situations, and I’ve been lost in that world. I love it! But anyway, told you I’d blog when I thought about it…haha…and I’ll probably stop saying that the next time I post.

So what is your favorite day of the week? And why?

p.s. I love Saturdays too!

 

I have a few goals I wanted to write down for the week:

-have a total of 20k on the new novel

-blog a few times

-release some Ace teasers

-be awesome

Ace Facts

 

I told you all whenever I thought about blogging I would write an entry! Score! 2 in 1 week! What, what!

So, I’ve been itching to start a new story after writing Ace. Ever since I sent the book off to beta’s, I’ve thinking about what to start next. I have so many ideas floating around up there and every free minute I have has been spent trying to make a decision. And I think I’ve almost narrowed it down which makes me super excited. It’s a story that has called to me for MONTHS and MONTHS and I think I’m just going to go for it. I’ll make an announcement about it later on after I work out the details, but I really think you’re going to love it. Think Steel Magnolias, Bakeries, mixed in with a small town romance. Intrigued yet?  Consider it my new super secret project.

But before I get lost in a world of cupcakes, I wanted to throw out a few facts about Ace because I thought it was super interesting. But first, I wanted to throw out at a few little facts about Ace and my process.




Let’s get going….

I started writing Ace 4/28/2015.
It is my 10th book to write and 8th book to publish.
It took me 225 days to finish.
To date, it’s the book that I spent the most time writing.
I started writing it before I started Single 3.
Yes, it was a super secret project at one point.
When I finished, the total word count was 70,308 words.
When I send it to edits, it will be over 77,000 words.
It’s the longest book I’ve ever written by 10k words. Eluded is now the 2nd longest.
I cut an entire scene.
I cut an entire characters story.
From 10/11 to 11/04, I didn’t write a single word for Ace. I didn’t write anything, actually.
I moved the release date 3 times. Lucky number 3!
I had the cover redone twice.
I feel like this book has more sex scenes than any of my others. Eek.
I’ve never written a stand alone interconnected series before.
Hubby created special music just for the book, which will be live everywhere soon, even on spotify.
One of the songs he wrote 10 years ago and I loved it. He refused to re-record it, until this book.
When I watch concerts, I think about the Band of Brothers.
I followed a band for a weekend in the summer and took notes for this book.
I obviously love a man that can dance.


I’m going to try to start posting things like this when I finish book!
I love reading stuff like this and think it’s interesting to learn about someone’s process! I hope you love these little details.

Ace. IS. Coming. (Sounds more naughty than it is.)

I told myself that this year would be the year that I actually blog. Every year I say, “I’m going to blog more” but then life happens and I don’t. So each time I think about blogging throughout 2016, I’m just going to pop on here and write a post. I hope that’s okay with you all!

The other day I was thinking about the last book that I released (Single 3) and realized that when Ace goes live, 6 months will have passed between releases. To me, that’s insane. Where did the time go? 6 months? That doesn’t even seem real. It makes me think ridiculous thoughts, like am I still relevant? It’s so easy to get lost in that weird cycle of crazy thoughts and I try to reject those silly thoughts each time they pop into my head.

Even though it’s been 6 months, I’m happy with how the book has developed and changed with awesome suggestions from my critique partner and my beta readers. It is NOT the same story that I originally wrote, but it’s way better. I even rewrote an entire character OUT of the novel all because of suggestions. My beta’s didn’t see that version my critiques did. They got the new one, which makes me super happy that several of their responses have been positive.

But Ace, yes, Ace. That man. I’m really excited to release this book. It feels new and fresh which makes me happy. I hope you love him as much as I do. It is officially the LONGEST book I’ve ever written. Together, Ace and I have taken a journey together and while I say I might be a little sad that I’ve written it as a stand alone, it’s not the end of these characters. I will eventually write all of the brothers, even though it may be a year or so long project because they are full-length novels, they will get their happy endings too. I can’t wait to start hearing all of your thoughts when he meets you and the world on Feb 16, 2016.

But anyway! Just a post of random thoughts I guess and I’m sure over the year you will get many more of these. To those who receive these posts directly to your email, thanks for subscribing and to those who found this post randomly on my site thanks for reading. #aceiscoming #acehathway #meetthehathways

Just incase you haven’t seen …. Pre-Order is available everywhere now.

 

AMAZON – iBOOKS – NOOK – KOBO

PAPERBACK PREORDER

Oh and before I forget, if you’re a blogger and would like to help with the NEW AND IMPROVED COVER Reveal I’ve posted the link below. If you’d like to review and post for a blitz on 2.23.16 I’ve posted that one as well.

Cover Reveal – January 27th

Release Blitz – February 23rd

Thanks so much for all of your help with spreading the word!

xx

L

 

Bring in the new …

I can’t believe in two weeks I will be coming up on my 2 year publiversary. Wow. It’s so insane to me how fast time has flown by, but I can’t complain. I’ve had tons of fun and met so many wonderful people in the past two years and even gained a few gray hairs, but it’s all been worth it. Many of you I am honored to call my friend. It really does mean a lot.

It will be 2016 tomorrow and it’s that time to reflect on what I’ve accomplished and didn’t and what I want to accomplish in the future. There are so many goals that I still have to tackle and honestly I don’t know if there will ever be a time that I don’t have goals.

In 2015, I learned a lot about myself. I work well under pressure and that I can do almost anything that I put my mind too. In the next year, I need to try to stay more organized and create a schedule without deviating from the plan (within reason). As most of you know, I work a full-time job and I was able to publish 1 novel and 3 novellas last year, which is a huge accomplishment. I am proud of what I’ve done.

Toward the end of the year, I experienced this terrible burnout/depression and had to step away. I can’t say what started it all, but I know that sometimes it’s helpful to take a step back and reassess and recommit. I had to remember the whole reason why I started writing, my WHY. So I took a small break. Most of you probably didn’t notice because I still updated and things but I didn’t write for almost 2 months. From October – December I couldn’t get any words out. They just wouldn’t come and I refused to force them, so I watched a lot of TV, took naps, and even became addicted to leggings. LOL. It’s the fad and hello, they are soft.

I just wasn’t happy with myself or where I was and got lost in a miserable cycle of constantly beating myself up, which did no good. So, I joined a gym (again) and hired a dietician, took a step back and realized that life isn’t that bad. I finally feel like myself again. It’s so easy to be hard on yourself in this industry and I was. The most terrible 1 star review couldn’t even compare to how I was treating myself. I was my own worst enemy and unfortunately for me, my misery DOES NOT like company. I want to be alone, in a shell, and stay there until I’m ready to come out. Sometimes I feel like I’m not good enough or like things aren’t moving fast enough and I get frustrated and down in the dumps. This isn’t written for you to feel sorry for me but to give you the reality of how I sometimes feel and that I’m human. It might be a vicious cycle that some authors go through or maybe it’s just me.

In 2016, I really want to stay focused and keep my head down and write. I am creating daily and weekly word count goals and putting the words above anything else. Next year I want to really focus on myself and what I’m doing and what I can do to improve as a human being, wife, author, and friend. I know that my dreams will come true eventually because I truly believe they will. I’m working as hard as I can so it’s bound to happen. It’s just a matter of time and I have to keep reminding myself of that.

My life goal is to make my writing career a full-time job.

I want to be able to bring you stories from my heart every few months without interruptions. I want to move mountains with my words. I want to make people fall in love with the pages. I’ve always wanted those things and I don’t think that will ever change. Usually for my yearly goals, I give a number of books I want to publish. This year, I’m not going to do it. I’m going to let the words flow and publish the best stories I possibly can. If it’s two books or ten, I know my heart will be in them.

But do not fret, I’ve got lots of things in the works. It’s just figuring out what to write.

Too many stories, not enough time. #truth.

Of course Ace is coming on 2.22.15 but I’m not sure what else will be after that. I hope everyone loves the Band of Brothers. After Ace I haven’t decided what’s next and to me that’s the most exciting part of this all. There is nothing more inspiring than a blank word document that’s waiting for me to write words. It could be Nik it could be something else. I have no idea and I’m not giving empty promises but I can say that on my literary back burner sits a hilarious contemporary romance trilogy, a biker trilogy, a two-book romance series, Luke’s Story, and of course all the Band of Brothers and maybe another character from the series. That’s 13 books that I’m waiting to write and the ideas keep coming. I’ve also considered writing a dark romance but I haven’t committed to whether I will publish it under Lyra or choose a completely different name. It’s really dark, not something that I feel would mesh with my other titles. But I guess that’s TBA. I’ve also been toying with the idea of writing a young adult novel as well, but I’m wondering if that would be something better suited for Wattpad as a fun project or something that I throw on the site. That’s an idea.

But anyway, enough of my rambling.

I just wanted to THANK YOU all for being a part of my life.

You make it all worth it, every single word.

You make my heart happy!

I’m ready for the new year because #newyearnewbooks

Have a safe and Happy New Year! Wishing you tons of love and laughter in 2016.

Just incase you’re curious:

2013 Reflection Post

2014 Reflection Post