Works in Progress: Part 2

Other Books I’m Working On

I hesitate to mention the other stories I’ve got going.  I’ve been focusing on A Most Unsuitable Earl and Mitch’s Win, but there have been others I’ve been doing 100-200 words a day (more if the words are just flying from my brain).  These have been my backup stories for when I hit rough patches in the main two.  (I should add that I tend to focus on two stories at one time and the others are the “as time permits” ones.)

Please be aware that this is the tentative list of what I’m currently working on (as in 100-500 words a day so no real progress)…

1. The Write Husband

I’m thinking this might be a novella, but it’s too early to tell.  It’s a Regency and is the romance for Mister Robinson (the mischievous ward of Lord Clement who had to empty chamberpots for Lord Roderick).  Well, he’s just as mischievous as ever, except he’s no longer in danger of getting into a fight with another gentleman.  This time, he’s using his mischievous ways for good, and he’s pretty much bound and determined to marry a widow (Lady Richfield who is Ethan’s good friend in A Most Unsuitable Earl).  Lady Richfield is just as determined to remain single as Mister Robinson is to marry her, at least that’s the case at this point.  I’m almost at chapter 4 in the book.

As a side note: If this is a novella, I will price it lower than I would a full-length novel.

2.  Runaway Bride

It’s taking time to get back into the world I built up for Suddenly a Bride, so I’m only doing a little at a time.  I’m at chapter 2.  I’m finally getting to know the “doctor” (aka Lexie’s fiance Nick).  I honestly had no idea what the guy was like when I wrote Suddenly a Bride.  I just knew she’d end up with Mark instead.  Part of the fun of writing is finding out what the characters are like.  (I will add here that Catherine in A Most Unsuitable Earl is nothing like I thought she’d be.  :P)

3.  His Abducted Bride

I’m really excited about this one and have wanted to do this whole author-gets-sucked-into-her-story for about two years now, so this has been easier to get going than Runaway Bride since more of this story has been outlined in my head.  Also, the original idea for this book actually came when I was in college back in 1998, but back then it was a fantasy I had intended to write.

In 1998, I got my BA in Psychology and ditched the idea of writing the book.  (Well, that’s not true.  I did write the first chapter but didn’t go any further.)  In fact, I did no writing until 2002 after my first child was born and my father-in-law (who read my past books) encouraged me to pick up writing again.  Back then I did sci-fi, fantasies and a couple of YA thrillers.

Then I stumbled upon an old historical romance (which eventually became Falling In Love With Her Husband) that I had only written half of in 1998.  Why did I stop?  Well, I graduated college and moved to North Dakota.  (I was in Florida at the time.)  Anyway, I tucked it away in a bin.  I didn’t open that bin until the summer of 2007.  Sometimes it takes a while to get to where you’re supposed to be.  :D

Anyway, this book is now a romance, but the heroine is writing a fantasy.  So I’ve kept elements from the original idea that stemmed back from 1998.

Oh, and in case anyone wonders why the hero is faded, it’s because he comes from the story (as a work of fiction so he doesn’t really “exist”).  As for her, when I originally had her without any fade into the cover, it didn’t look natural so I had to fade her a little bit to better complement him and the background.  Otherwise, the white was a little overpowering.

***

But I have one more that I wrote and would like to bring back as a “Ruth” book.  Anyone remember my pen name, Kate Page and the book Substitute Bride?  Maybe the cover will get the memory going in case your mind is drawing a blank:

Well, I took it down from Smashwords and Amazon a while back because I was thinking of converting it to a “Ruth” romance.  It was an erotic romance under Kate Page.  I plan to tame it down to a regular romance.

I am going to change the cover and the name on the cover.  But I want to keep the title because when I try to think of a better title, nothing comes to mind.  

I will put in the description of the book that it used to be under the pen name “Kate Page” so those of you who’ve read the Kate Page version will know this is the same story.

I want to do light modifications to the actual story.  I’d like to put more in from Kevin’s (the hero’s) point of view, especially when he’s dating Tammy (not the heroine).  This story is a novella.  I’m sure it’ll stay a novella.  I’ll see how things go.  I’m going to work on this a little at a time as time permits.  I don’t expect much of it to change, so it could be done before the end of the year, but if it doesn’t come out until next year, then that’s how it goes.

I’m currently looking into possible new cover ideas, too, which I hope to post in the next couple of weeks.

And if anyone is wondering, I can’t handle having a pen name.  I’ve gotten a couple of questions about Kate Page and doing more under her, but the truth is, I can’t.  I’m swamped with work as it is, plus the husband, kids, household chores, and other stuff that goes on with real life.  While the idea of a pen name is fun, I only have enough time to be Ruth.  If I have an inkling to do something a little different, I’m just going to attach my name to it and put it out there like I did with Return of the Aliens.