I’m behind on the Blog update - Q & A

I meant to update by now but I’ve been writing! I’m trying to catch up still from the big move from California to Nevada. I knew it was going to be tough, lots of things needed done on the house, and it would mess with my ability to write. The interior got all new paint, floors/carpet needed installed, and I slept on an air mattress for a few weeks. My desk became a plastic folding table that shook when I typed so that wasn’t productive. Minor repairs, some stuff updated, and a house full of furniture to pick out and buy. The house is finally complete with my working office. I even have my favorite desk that Mr. Laurann brought me. I’ve just started to get back into the swing of things.



Ever see a pet that’s been penned up for a bit...get loose and kind of turn a bit hyper? There’s a mental image that kind of fits me when I started writing again. I was so excited I couldn’t focus and was jumping around from book to book just so ecstatic to be spending time with them again. I’m calming and getting back into a routine. I’ve actually spent a few days on the same book. LOL. I’m making real progress and hope to be able to turn at least one book in by the end of this month!


I’ll jump right to the questions and answers portion I’m putting in here.


Q - When is your next release coming out?
A - I have to finish the books first. Once a book is finished, I turn it in, and it gets sent to edits. Then a release date will be set - usually about six weeks from the time it finishes final edits. That’s pretty darn fast even if it doesn’t feel like it. LOL!


Q - How many more New Species books are there going to be?
A - A lot! I have books planned for many characters. I have no set number in my head to finish the series at. I could happily write them for years.


Q - How many Zorn Warrior books will there be? (Let me condense this part) How many Riding the Raines, Mating Heat, and Cyborg Seduction books will there be?
A - Here’s my ‘to write list’...
    Zorn - Stories for Vhon, Coto, and Vinlotti. (I’m scheduled to work on them in July and August of this year)
    Riding the Raines - All of the rest of the brothers - including Trip and Adam
    Mating Heat - Cousin Brand, the rest of the Harris brothers, and possibly Alpha Elroy - just because he needs a good woman and I can’t stand the thought of him being alone after what Eve did to him.
    Cyborg Seduction - I don’t know. I am writing Sky’s story, Deviant, I’d like to write books about a lot more characters that you’ve grown to know like Blackie, Gene, and Mavo. (more names popping up inside my head) It’s open ended so that list will more than likely grow longer.


Q - When is your ‘not so secret’ series going to be released and what is it about?
A - I’d like to close out at least one series, hopefully two, before I even think about opening another. I write a LOT of hours and right now I’m juggling between five series. I really want to catch up with my ‘to write’ list a bit. I work on my ‘not so secret’ series in my free time when I need a break from deadlines and just want to have pure fun. It started out that I’d have four books in that series. Four turned into six. One is written, the other five are partially written. The up side to waiting on me sending this series in is that by the time I’m ready to launch them...I should have the books completed. That means no waiting for the next ones to be written. If the series goes over well, I could see writing more of them. They are alpha males, of course, set in a modern day setting, with paranormal elements in the wilds of Alaska. Male/female monogamous relationships.


Side note  ----- I know some of you will be bummed that I’m closing some of my series out but I really think you’ll enjoy the new series that replace them. I’ve had a few people read the first book of the ‘Not So Secret -NSS’ series and they were really excited about it. The other bonus to this is when I’m down to just a few series, that it means the books will come out faster instead of having to wait a long time between books. This year I’ve only put out New Species books and Krell’s story from cyborg, along with two short anthology stories in the Something Wicked This Way Comes volumes. I’d like to hone it down to me scheduling out the books in an even routine of series books. You know...one month a New Species, the next book a cyborg, and then one from the ‘NSS’ series...plus there are some other books I’d like to see out there.


Q - How do you write so fast? What is your secret?
A - I don’t write fast. Seriously. My secret is insomnia and massive hours spent at my computer. I have an obsessive personality when it comes to writing. I can easily put in 15 hour days and I really love what I do. Sometimes if I’m really having a good writing burst...I’ve been known to stay up for 24-48 hours straight with only bathroom/food breaks. I’ll even eat at my computer while I’m reading what I’ve wrote and editing through it to fix things. I’m very lucky to get to do this full time and have such a fantastic husband who is so supportive.


Q - What’s your best advice to an aspiring author?
A - Don’t give up, keep writing, and rejections - if you get them - aren’t the end of the world. I have a file with some of them. It just made me try harder.


Q - Why don’t you write ménage books?
A - I read them sometimes. I have nothing against them. I read all kinds of books and enjoy them. I’m turning pages and just watching someone else’s story unfold. The blunt answer is - when I’m writing, I write what I personally find to be the sexiest thing and that is monogamy. Those are the types of men and women that I can relate to best. I live and breathe my characters when I’m writing. They are real to me, they exist, and I’m living inside their worlds up close and personal.


Q - Do you ever use anything from your real life in your books?
A - Yes. Sometimes. You’ll catch some of my characters drinking iced coffee. I think everyone knows I’m hopelessly addicted. My friends have laughed because they’ll catch glimpses of small things like that in books. They get a kick out of it.


Q- What is the best thing about the big move?
A - I can’t pick just one thing! Having my own office is beyond awesome. This is our dream home and I feel blessed every day. We went from super cramped to this. It’s just...WOW! The only sad part is having to wait for my family to join me full time in June. I miss them. They visit me about every two to three weeks but watching them drive away is super tough. Video chats just doesn’t cut it.  Luckily, it’s almost over and they’ll be with me again full time soon. I really love the house, I'm adjusting to the heat well, and we have air conditioning that rocks!


Q - What kinds of habits do you have when you write and how do you write for so many hours?
A - I keep iced coffee next to me. I listen to loud music via headphones. I kind of dance in my chair a lot and that keeps me from getting stiff from sitting too long. I also tend to buy stuff that inspires my imagination and keep it within sight. Mr. Laurann is VERY understanding and he and the kids love video games and watching marathons of things like Doctor Who so I get plenty of time to write. They tell me when I overdo it and pull me away from my desk.


Have a great week!