Writing Update!
Hi everyone!
Good news! I'm actively writing again. For several years I was on unofficial hiatus because I was so busy with my day job and didn't have very good work-life balance, so I only wrote one full length novel, one novella, and one poetry collection in four years. Eek.
I finally have time to write (and it feels fun again! Yay!), so I'm trying to cross off all the projects and unfinished series I've left sitting over the years. In the past year alone, I've already published three books (Escape, Through a Glass, Darkly, and Quid Pro Quo) and it honestly feels pretty good!
Now that I've finished the Shadow Thane series (the last book is Dragon Queen) and the Horrorscape series (last book is Escape), I'm going to try to finish my last unfinished active series, which is the second book in the Blood Bonds duology, Court the Night.
CtC currently has about 20,000 words. I just need to figure out an ending for it, which means rereading the original until I have it practically memorized! I want to make sure I do a good job, so this might take some time, but I haven't forgotten about the book!
Other projects I hope to complete within the next year or so are Batter My Heart, a standalone bully romance, Evergloom, an erotic horror novel, and Babydoll, which will be a standalone erotic horror/thriller. BMH currently has about 15,000 words, Evergloom has about 30,000, and Babydoll has yet to be started.
Going forward, most of my books are probably going to be standalones just because I feel better about having a firm end in sight to a story arc. I really feel awful about letting a series hang and then not having any idea to end it. It's frustrating for me and I know it's really frustrating for my readers, which is why I want to focus on stories that are neatly tied up from the beginning. It just feels so much better to have that instant closure.
I'm really excited about all of my upcoming projects and I'm very grateful to everyone who has read and reviewed my work (and especially to those who have been patient with me and my erratic writing ways).
If you have any questions about ongoing or past projects of mine, please feel free to ask me!
Good news! I'm actively writing again. For several years I was on unofficial hiatus because I was so busy with my day job and didn't have very good work-life balance, so I only wrote one full length novel, one novella, and one poetry collection in four years. Eek.
I finally have time to write (and it feels fun again! Yay!), so I'm trying to cross off all the projects and unfinished series I've left sitting over the years. In the past year alone, I've already published three books (Escape, Through a Glass, Darkly, and Quid Pro Quo) and it honestly feels pretty good!
Now that I've finished the Shadow Thane series (the last book is Dragon Queen) and the Horrorscape series (last book is Escape), I'm going to try to finish my last unfinished active series, which is the second book in the Blood Bonds duology, Court the Night.
CtC currently has about 20,000 words. I just need to figure out an ending for it, which means rereading the original until I have it practically memorized! I want to make sure I do a good job, so this might take some time, but I haven't forgotten about the book!
Other projects I hope to complete within the next year or so are Batter My Heart, a standalone bully romance, Evergloom, an erotic horror novel, and Babydoll, which will be a standalone erotic horror/thriller. BMH currently has about 15,000 words, Evergloom has about 30,000, and Babydoll has yet to be started.
Going forward, most of my books are probably going to be standalones just because I feel better about having a firm end in sight to a story arc. I really feel awful about letting a series hang and then not having any idea to end it. It's frustrating for me and I know it's really frustrating for my readers, which is why I want to focus on stories that are neatly tied up from the beginning. It just feels so much better to have that instant closure.
I'm really excited about all of my upcoming projects and I'm very grateful to everyone who has read and reviewed my work (and especially to those who have been patient with me and my erratic writing ways).
If you have any questions about ongoing or past projects of mine, please feel free to ask me!
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Feb 20, 2021 09:20PM
Yay!!
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Nav wrote: "I’ve read that authors sometimes republish(?) their works. Stephen King for example, did something like that with his book The Stand. Only in this new version, there were more scenes. Do you feel..."Ah yes! I deleted the Ask Me update because people were messaging me questions instead of commenting (shy I guess, lol), so I thought I'd just post a FAQ post instead.
Do you mean would I pull and repost my older works? Or rewrite some of the ones I've removed from publication?
I've considered rewriting some of my extant work that I published when I was younger to polish up the writing and fix clumsily handled characters but that would be a time-consuming project that would eat into the time I spent writing new stories. I recognize that my earlier books have their flaws and it is something I would like to look into someday but I'd rather focus on writing new stories at the moment. That said, I definitely pay attention to critical reviews and have a special file in my brain where I note all that feedback. I love that people feel comfortable pointing out when I haven't done my best because improving as a writer is very important to me.
I might rewrite Bound to Accept and republish it as a darker work with better character development. I pulled it because I wrote it when I wasn't very comfortable writing sex scenes and reading it made me cringe, because I think that really showed. I'm not sure if I'll ever republish Tantalized.
I'm excited to hear this! I recently read Quid Pro Quo (and loved it) and earlier this year I read your Dragon Queen series (fresh and exciting story). Horrorscape is next on my list :)Looking forward to your future books! Happy writing!
Nav wrote: "Nenia ✨️ I yeet my books back and forth ✨️ wrote: "Nav wrote: "I’ve read that authors sometimes republish(?) their works. Stephen King for example, did something like that with his book The Stand. ..."Thank you so, so much! That means a lot to me! I write the stories I want to read, so it always makes me very happy when other people want to read them too. :)
Aubrey wrote: "I'm excited to hear this! I recently read Quid Pro Quo (and loved it) and earlier this year I read your Dragon Queen series (fresh and exciting story). Horrorscape is next on my list :)Looking fo..."
Aww, yay! Thank you so much for reading my work! Horrorscape is one of my oldest series and features one of my darkest heroes. I hope you enjoy it when you check it out!
Damn, work-life balance really sucks at times. Although I'm "lucky" in that I'm not currently working, I still can't find balance in that! Mostly because I can't get up at a decent time... Haha!Have you thought about going into writing FT? I guess it all depends on whether it would pay off or not.
Susie wrote: "Damn, work-life balance really sucks at times. Although I'm "lucky" in that I'm not currently working, I still can't find balance in that! Mostly because I can't get up at a decent time... Haha!H..."
I did write full time for about a year or so and wasn't making a livable wage. It's really hard and unless you're very lucky, it isn't a reality for most writers.
I live in the U.S. so I actually get my health insurance through my job, like a lot of other people here, which is another reason to have a day job as an author living in the United States. I also really love my day job a lot, as well as the people I work with. Maybe writing full time will happen one day but I'm not in a huge hurry for that to happen at the moment. :)
Nenia ✨️ I yeet my books back and forth ✨️ wrote: "I did write full time for about a year or so and wasn't making a livable wage. It's really hard and unless you're very lucky, it isn't a reality for most writers.I live in the U.S. so I actually get my health insurance through my job, like a lot of other people here, which is another reason to have a day job as an author living in the United States. I also really love my day job a lot, as well as the people I work with. Maybe writing full time will happen one day but I'm not in a huge hurry for that to happen at the moment. :)"
We do take it for granted, a lot, having universal health care in Europe! In the UK, I barely paid anything for the NHS (contributions are taken directly from wages, which was around £100 a month). In Belgium, it costs a bit more, but is still 1k or more times cheaper than the US!
So I guess, having a job that provides health insurance has to be of benefit when you otherwise pay through your nose!
Anyway, I hope you get lucky one day! It still must be a fun dream, even if it isn't realistic right now. :)
Susie wrote: "Nenia ✨️ I yeet my books back and forth ✨️ wrote: "I did write full time for about a year or so and wasn't making a livable wage. It's really hard and unless you're very lucky, it isn't a reality f..."I am envious. I will never understand why people in the U.S. are so averse to universal healthcare. :(
Thank you so much!
Nav wrote: "Ooo I have another question. Is there any other detail(s) You can share about Batter My Heart? 🖤"Yes! It will be an enemies-to-lovers college romance with some dark themes. Also, the heroine is a book blogger. :)
Nav wrote: "Love it. Can’t wait to read it! :)"Thank you so much! I'm having a lot of fun writing it. I'm hoping it will be a hot, smutty, dark mess. :)
This post fills me with happiness, Nenia! ❤️ I think it’s great that you have more time to write and that you have already completed so much new fiction recently... I’m excited to see what you have coming up, my friend!
Mark wrote: "This post fills me with happiness, Nenia! ❤️ I think it’s great that you have more time to write and that you have already completed so much new fiction recently... I’m excited to see what you have..."Thank you so much, Mark. :) That means a lot!
Nav wrote: "Which heroine of yours, do you relate to most?Also which one of yours is your favourite? :)"
This is a really fun question! I guess all of my heroines are a little like me to some degree. I was a lot like Bethany from Through a Glass, Darkly when I was younger and feeling depressed. Jay from Quid Pro Quo is probably the most like me, now. The heroine in Batter My Heart is going to be a total neurotic mess about her schoolwork which is basically how I was in college. We need more college romances that show how stressful school is lollll.
I think Catherine from Black Beast was my favorite to write, just because she has so many great moments, especially in Star Crossed and Dragon Queen. Writing those books was pure, escapist delight. But Jay is my favorite to read because I tried to write her in a way that would make it obvious why someone like Nick might trip over himself for her. She's just oblivious and painfully awkward, but also really sweet. <3
Nav wrote: "Nenia ✨️ I yeet my books back and forth ✨️ wrote: "Nav wrote: "Which heroine of yours, do you relate to most?Also which one of yours is your favourite? :)"
This is a really fun question! I guess..."
Aww, yay! I'm glad to hear Christina is getting some love. :D
My three favorite heroes are probably Nick, Finn, and Gavin. Nick is probably the least evil guy I've written. Finn was really fun to write because he's such a psychopath but he's also painfully insecure and out of touch LOL. And Gavin was just pure evil in a nice shirt with a seductive voice.
Nav wrote: "Nenia ✨️ I yeet my books back and forth ✨️ wrote: "Nav wrote: "Nenia ✨️ I yeet my books back and forth ✨️ wrote: "Nav wrote: "Which heroine of yours, do you relate to most?Also which one of yours..."
Haha. Resistance is futile. 🤣
I'm really excited for some horror erotica! I went through a phase where I read a lot of erotica but it isn't really my genre anymore. However! I really love the horror erotica genre if it really lays on the horror and sometimes extreme horror elements. Sex and scares just go together so so well and go together even better when you have a pretty sever pendulum between the two :)
Nikki "The Crazie Betty" V. wrote: "I'm really excited for some horror erotica! I went through a phase where I read a lot of erotica but it isn't really my genre anymore. However! I really love the horror erotica genre if it really l..."I agree! And thank you for your interest! My Horrorscape series is like a psychological thriller with twisted romance thrown in. Evergloom will be more like a ghost story and Babydoll is going to be, I hope, like something out of Criminal Minds with sex.
"Only" a full length novel and some other stuff in 4 years ;-;
Liam || Books 'n Beards wrote: ""Only" a full length novel and some other stuff in 4 years ;-;"Hahaha, I understand that everyone has a different pace but for me, I felt very underproductive and frustrated. :(
Nenia ✨️ I yeet my books back and forth ✨️ wrote: "Liam || Books 'n Beards wrote: ""Only" a full length novel and some other stuff in 4 years ;-;"Hahaha, I understand that everyone has a different pace but for me, I felt very underproductive and ..."
That's fair!! I know the feeling with my other hobbies haha, I just hope I can write a novel in 40 years let alone 4 :P
Liam || Books 'n Beards wrote: "Nenia ✨️ I yeet my books back and forth ✨️ wrote: "Liam || Books 'n Beards wrote: ""Only" a full length novel and some other stuff in 4 years ;-;"Hahaha, I understand that everyone has a differen..."
Crossing my fingers for you!
I'm so glad you are getting to write more again! I know the feeling of being off balance. I look forward to whatever you write next <3
Looks like I got some books to add to my tbr! :)
Oh, Nenia, I'm so happy and glad for you to write again! It's kinda hard, but: YES, YOU GO, QUEEN!!! Hope you have inspiration and always remember to take care of yourself!<3
Brooke wrote: "I'm so glad you are getting to write more again! I know the feeling of being off balance. I look forward to whatever you write next <3"Thank you so much, Brooke! <3 Wishing you the best. :D
lacy wrote: "Looks like I got some books to add to my tbr! :)"Aww, yayyy!! Thank you for your interest! <3
ale ♡ wrote: "Oh, Nenia, I'm so happy and glad for you to write again! It's kinda hard, but: YES, YOU GO, QUEEN!!! Hope you have inspiration and always remember to take care of yourself!<3"Thank you! :D <3 Definitely appreciate the self-care reminder. I'm super bad at that and tend to run myself ragged by trying to take on too much. =_=
DAYUM, woman... how to crank 'em out? Anyway, congrats on getting back into the swing of things. I need to catch up on your stuff!
Monique wrote: "DAYUM, woman... how to crank 'em out? Anyway, congrats on getting back into the swing of things. I need to catch up on your stuff!"
Thank you! It feels good to have the ol' groove back. Hopefully it sticks around this time. ;)
i've been reading your reviews since. . .wow, i think almost as long as i've been on GR, but have only recently started reading your books. i don't know what took me so long *hangs head in shame* but i am in love with your writing style. i recently finished/read both Through A Glass, Darkly and Quid Pro Quo. the latter I still need to write a review for. QPQ ended up being a five star read for me and i will now try and force/lovingly suggest it too everyone of my friends. seriously it was BRILLIANT. everyone needs to read it because THAT'S how you do a step-brother romance.
i do have a question though! are you planning on making another supernatural romance like Through a Glass, Darkly? not to sound demanding or anything but i would LOVE your take on a werewolf/fated mates story. you made vampires scary/sexy so i think you'd do such a great job with the werewolf/fated mates trope.
also about TAGD will (view spoiler).
anyway i love your writing and i cannot wait for your upcoming books! i'm especially looking forward to your bully-romance. you are going to knock it out of the freaking park!!
Julia ❤︎ wrote: "i've been reading your reviews since. . .wow, i think almost as long as i've been on GR, but have only recently started reading your books. i don't know what took me so long *hangs head in shame* b..."*quietly weeps* Omg, thank you so much. This makes my day.
And I am so, so, so happy to hear that you loved QUID PRO QUO! It was honestly one of my favorite books to write and was such an escape for me during the U.S. election, so it makes me really happy that other people like it too. ♥ Your kind words mean everything! And I'd love for you to tell your friends, obviously. Thank you! :D
I actually have several plans for some fantasy/paranormal works. The Flesh Pavilion is going to be a fantasy bodice-ripper involving vampires and werewolves and Court the Night is the sequel to my other vampire story, which is a post-apocalyptic erotica with vampires in it. I also actually have a completed paranormal romance series that features vampires, witches, and shape-shifters called Black Beast.
I think I also might like to do a follow up to TaGD at some point about Dory just because she was really fun and I don't think I've ever written an F/F book and I'd really like to (but I'd have to plan it out so I don't know when this window would happen). I could see maybe writing a prologue about Grant and James too. Maybe as a short story??? I don't know. Too many ideas. :D
Thank you so much for your comment and your encouragement! I'm glad you're excited about Batter My Heart. I'm having a lot of fun thinking up some pretty crazy shit for it, so hopefully it will be a wild ride for anyone who reads it.
Nav wrote: "Ooo that reminds me, I have another question. As an author, how do you decide which critique to take seriously, and which to ignore? ❤️"This is a good question!
It's a bit tricky, because reviews aren't for authors, so I think when people write critical stuff it's often more about what they are personally looking for in a book and less a "here's what you, personally, can do better, Nenia." Which I get, because they aren't editors lol. They're reviewers.
But if someone mentions that an ending is bad, or calls me out for having only white characters, or having clumsy rep, I definitely pay attention. My early books mostly feature white, straight characters and I think my early attempts at inclusion were really clumsy. I accepted criticism for that and tried to improve. I think sometimes the most accurate criticism is what hurts the most, so if I read something and it makes me feel bad, I try to introspect and ask myself if maybe the person who wrote whatever they did had a point. Usually, they do, so instead of getting upset, I count myself lucky to be in a place where people can be so honest with feedback like that-- for FREE-- and incorporate whatever feedback they provided into my next work.
At the end of the day, it wasn't really written with me in mind, anyway. ;)
Nav wrote: "Nenia ✨️ I yeet my books back and forth ✨️ wrote: "Nav wrote: "Ooo that reminds me, I have another question. As an author, how do you decide which critique to take seriously, and which to ignore? ❤..."I'm glad to hear you feel more confident about writing reviews! I don't really think there's a right or wrong way to go about doing them unless you're, like, being super offensive and saying slurs or something (that would be wrong, obviously haha). If you enjoy writing editorial type reviews, there's definitely a space for that. YouTuber, Lindsey Ellis, who I really admire, does all these very editorial, semi-professional reviews of pop-cultural content and I really love what she has to say. Maybe it's because it speaks to my own inner pedant.
Thank you! That means a lot. Even though I write my reviews for my own forgetful self to keep me from double-purchasing or buying authors I didn't like the first time around (haha), I do try to consider how I could make them helpful to others. It makes my day that you enjoy them. :)
OOOOH LOOKING FOR NEW YOUTUBERS ARE WE?Lindsey Ellis, Jenny Nicholson, D'Angello Wallace, Jarvis Johnson, Drew Gooden, and MissDarcei/Black Girl Tries are all must-watches.
Lindsey and Jenny both do pop culture deconstructions and commentary.
D'Angello does really thoughtful deconstructions of internet celebrity drama.
Jarvis Johnson and Drew Gooden both talk about emerging YouTube trends and pop-culture stuff, like TikTok videos, click bait videos, and bad movies.
Black Girl Tries is all emerging beauty trends, but as done by and for girls with brown skin. Someone touted her last year for Black History Month in appreciation of YouTubers of color and I've been watching her ever since.
If you like pulp movies/exploitation films and really awful box office bombs, I'd recommend checking out Cinema Snob, too.
And for everything else, there's Cynical Reviews. My top three favorite videos of his are the one making fun of Goop, the one dunking on "raw water," and a deconstruction of incels and internet misogyny culture.
Hello, Miss Campbell! First of all, thank you for your extraordinary books, I admire your work very much! Secondly, do you think that in the future, more or less distant, there is a small chance to delight us with a continuation of the story between Valerian and Gavin? Precisely because the ending carefully thought out by you was perfect, from my point of view and that of many, we would like to find out more about the relationship, passion and dynamics between the two over time. Even though I have reread the books countless times, my fascination continues to grow as I try to imagine their conjugal and family life in the future. I hope and will continue to hope that one day, you will have the time, inspiration and desire to write at least one more short book about one of the most interesting fictional couples I have discovered. I am sure it would bring great joy to many of your readers. Thank you for your time and I send you my warmest and most sincere thoughts! Also, I can't wait to read the books you're currently working on, although I confess that I won't be able to stop looking for Gavin's pattern in your future heroes. Thank you again and have a nice day!
Mary wrote: "Hello, Miss Campbell! First of all, thank you for your extraordinary books, I admire your work very much! Secondly, do you think that in the future, more or less distant, there is a small chance to..."Hi Mary! Thank you so much for your kind message. I am so happy that you enjoy the Horrorscape series so much and I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts about it with me. :'D
I'm probably not going to write anymore books from the main series but Luca will most likely be getting a spin-off (Wildscape) and maybe some of Gavin's other siblings as well, if I can think of a good story for them. :)
I'm planning a couple more books with psychotic/morally grey characters, so if that is a dynamic you enjoy, you may be especially interested in Batter My Heart, Babydoll, and Black Beast.
Thank you again for writing to me!
Congrats Nenia! I wish you all the best in your writing career. :)
Mango wrote: "Congrats Nenia! I wish you all the best in your writing career. :)"Thank you, Mango ♥
