Books, burnout, beer and boobs. Okay, maybe not the last two but I wanted to alliterate.

Well, here we are again together. You and me, friends, one month-ish out from another release. Side note – super gratified and excited by the positive comments to Alone already. If you've been hanging around, you'd know that I’ve been blathering for ages about how this one is "different". And, as is always the case with books, some will like it and some will not. But this is one I really want people to enjoy (oh hi, Ego, wondered where you’d gotten to).

I think what I’m most excited about is for people to read Alone and then come chat with me about it. No, seriously – I would love to discuss it with you! I feel like I’ve been so evasive and secretive about it that I’m just desperate to talk about this book. So, please, hit me up here or on Twitter or wherever and I’ll probably talk your ear (or eyes?) off.

Alone is already available on your Amazons etc for paperback pre-order and as usual, the Bella site will have all your formats, paper and electronic ready about two weeks before release on 15th May.

I’ve been incredibly busy since...well...forever, but more so in the past eight months or so. You may or may not know but writing is technically just a hobby I squeeze in around a full time job and other life stuff. Ask Me Again and Alone were both incredibly emotionally draining novels, and with two books out every year for three years in a row, honestly I’m a little tired after a nonstop write/edit/write while editing/marketing/being anxious cycle.

And all of this is relevant why, E. J.? Well…I’m just finishing up final edits for my November release, If the Shoe Fits which is what I'd call a soft, easy romance. For my own sanity, after the previous intense novels, I REALLY needed this one to be an easy, light, girl meets girl and realises she’s not so straight after all, gentle, not angsty type story. I adore it. Jana Fleischer is incredibly fun (though she took some wrangling). And Sabine and Rebecca are very much involved, continuing their story in the background because I really wanted to give everyone who’s expressed love for those two a really full on happy ending. I’ll admit it, I cried writing certain loved-up scenes.

Then I’m not sure what the plan for 2020 is. Again, full honest disclosure – once I sent If the Shoe Fits to the publisher, I was hit with an unexpected, and unpleasant, sensation of what I can only describe as a micro-burnout. See reasons above. I opened up my completed first draft of my historical fiction, Lena and was struck by how boring and unimaginative the words felt (which was really distressing given this book is the book of my heart and previously I’d thought it was the bees knees). I opened up my unnamed Post-Apoc and couldn’t get over how tedious everything was and how much I just did not want to be writing it.

Those things were a clear sign it was time to take a break from writing. So I did. Guys – I WATCHED NETFLIX! Don’t laugh, we’re total Netflix newbies because Australia’s internet is third world and we only recently had an internet plan made available that gave us the data allowance to use Netflix (I’m not even kidding). Top tip – if you’re considering moving to Australia – stick to the cities, not the rural areas where 30GB/month allowance at 2Mb/s for a ridiculous price is a fucking LUXURY.

Anyways, I Netflixed, I bummed around, I played some CoD and Prey and Wolfenstein. And then...I just felt like writing again. Literally just a few days of no pressure and the switch was turned back on.

So. I’m currently working on something I call both Death's Minion and L’amour et La Mort (PLEASE do laugh at my awful Google Translate French :D). I really don’t know what I’m actually going to call it. It’s also...hold onto your hats... THIRD PERSON all the way through. I know, I’m still in shock myself. I love this one—and so does my BFF who’s been niggling me to write it ever since I mentioned the vague idea to her years ago. It’s funny, it’s original (I think) and all around very good fun. A VERY basic premise is: Death’s Head Minion (Morgan) has to team up with one of her human employees (Jane) in order to tick items off Jane’s bucket list so Morgan can win Employee of the Year again. Shenanigans, fun, little bit of drama and a lot of falling in love ensues.
I promise that when I have details about its release, you’ll know too.

Hope to catch you all on the other side of Alone's release!