Release Schedule for this Year
There’s something to be said for accountability. I’m one of those writers who works best if I’ve made a grand announcement. Apparently, the shame of knowing I’ve let a bunch of people down by not doing what I said I’d do is a grand motivator for me. (Well, we always knew I was really an 80-year-old woman in the body of a 27-year-old, so public shaming totally does it for me. MY REPUTATION! And other various cries.)
Thus, I wanted to talk to you a little bit about what I’ve got planned for the year. I’m not listing exact dates for these books because I’m really, really horrible at estimating when something will get done. I am a chronic overwriter, so when I project something, I need to take into account how long it’s going to take me to edit out the copious amount of “word vomit” I’ve done. Every book is different too in this process. So what I’m giving you today is instead what I’d like very much to release this year.
Release schedule of this year is looking like…
A WAYWARD MAN – Historical short story prequel, Daniel and Kate
SECRETS IN SCARLET – Historical novella, Poppy and Thaddeus
SCANDAL BECOMES YOU – Historical full-length, Justine and Alex
THE GOOD FIGHT – New Adult full-length, Vivi and Colton, 1st in new series
UNNAMED CHRISTMAS NOVELLA – Historical
The historicals noted in this list will all pertain to my current The Rookery Rogues series, of which I’ve already released the first book A Dangerous Invitation (check out more information on this book here).
Further explanation on these intended works: A Wayward Man has been finished and is with my critique partners. Then it will go through some edits and will be out to you shortly. Secrets in Scarlet is in drafting stages now. I’m estimating that it will be about 30,000 words, give or take. This is my current project.
After Secrets in Scarlet, I will either be starting The Good Fight or Scandal Becomes You, depending on what book is grabbing me more at the time. I love writing historicals, but they require an immense amount of research, so I’ll be writing whatever book first that I can really run with. Scandal Becomes You will be a very fun book regardless, as I’m already in love with my heroine and hero. You meet Justine for the first time in A Wayward Man, and she’s also mentioned in A Dangerous Invitation as the friend that betrayed Kate three years prior. Justine is a very, very different heroine from Poppy or Kate, and I’m excited to get to share her with you. Her hero, Alex Weston, used to steal with the Chapman Street Gang that I introduce in ADI, until he joined the Navy. When tragedy brings Alex back to London, he’s got to face his past if he’s going to help Justine save her sister from the clutches of Chapman.
What’s this about The Good Fight? That’s definitely not a historical, so why is it on my list? Gasp! Here’s the thing, y’all. I come from a very varied (how’s that for a tongue twister?) writing background. I studied 19th century Brit lit in college, which of course led to my love for the Regency and the Victorian periods. But I also got a Writing degree through composing a metric ton of sci-fi and contemporary stories. I love romance, and I’m definitely in the right place. But the great thing about romance is there’s so many different genres to deal with.
New Adult has really taken the world by storm these past two years. It involves college-age heroes and heroines who face often dark, emotional issues. There’s a ton of angst. Oh wait, doesn’t that sound a little bit like my historical series too (minus the college-age, that is)? I’ve wanted to experiment with different subgenres for awhile now, and an idea seized hold of my brain recently that I can’t get rid of.
Which brings me to introduce to you Battle Royale, a new adult series set in the small, highly religious fictional town of Battle, Georgia. When we meet Vivi, tragedy has brought her to live with her grandmother. She’s not pleased in the least, for Battle is far from shopping malls, fashion shows, and good parties. But when she meets town outcast Colton, suddenly she’s faced with a hell of a lot more to figure out than what she’s wearing. Colton’s life plan has gone up in flames, and his relationship with Vivi is the only thing keeping him afloat. But in small town Georgia, life is never exactly what it seems.
