by Sarah | Apr 4, 2018 | All About Me, Blogging Life, Books, Changing Tracks, Escaping Humanity, General, Holiday, I'm A Writer, Masked Hearts, Publishing Credits, Redefining Perfect, Secret Cravings Publishing, The Tribe, Wordy Wednesday, Writing
On February 8, 2013 my very first novel was published.
At the time I was contracted with the fabulous small publishing company, Secret Cravings Publishing. Very excited, and a very unseasoned author.
Thankfully, through SCP I had some great mentors, supporters, and fellow authors braving the waters.
The past 5 years have been a whirlwind of ups and downs. I spent time writing thousands upon thousands of words, and spent months upon months unable to write a word. I’ve had months with sales beyond belief and months where I didn’t sell a single book. I branched out into self-publishing with a few small gambits, but then my publisher closed their doors and I had to dive in full-force.
Some days it’s truly hard to believe that it’s been five years. How much my life has changed. How much my goals have changed. How much I’ve first lost, and then re-found my love for this world.
These days I’m keeping crazy-busy in my personal life, but also in writing. I pulled all 6 of my original Dominion Falls Series books, the first books I published, last year. I’ve revised, revamped, and added words to the books. Now I’m re-publishing them. Getting back to my roots, and sending these books back out into the world, with a new little novella added on for good measure.
The next book in The Tribe series, which will be book 5 “The Child” is written and with the editor, due for release in July.
My best friend & co-author, Mary Terrani, and I finally released our book to the world, Escaping Humanity (The Exceptionals 1). We are in the middle of book 2, looking forward to a release at the end of the year, first of next. We’re also working with a fabulous artist to turn the book into a graphic novel.
I’m working to try to create a new cover for Masked Hearts so that I can re-release it in September.
I have notebooks with plans for new books, new series, more books in my existing series.
I went to my first conference as a signing author recently, and did well, and had so much fun.
I’m excited to continue doing what I love, and bring more stories into the world. I’ve had to revamp my views on my publishing career, what I want to do, and where I want to go with it. I’d become too sensitive to the numbers and to the “you should” and “you shouldn’t” voices and lost my way.
I feel good coming home to my characters again. I hope you’ll come on in and pull up an armchair, grab a book and join me. Get lost in one of my worlds for a while. They are fun, dangerous, mysterious, romantic, sweet, and spicy. You’ll be able to find something for your personal taste with me.
by Sarah | Sep 5, 2016 | Books, The Tribe, Tuesday Tales, Writing
Welcome back to Tuesday Tales! This weeks prompt is Spider.
I’m right about knee deep in the fourth book in The Tribe series, The Child, I’m doing this next scene from it as well.
Velli is all dressed up with somewhere to go…her own wedding. A past of crap happening at every turn has her nervous…but she’s ready, willing, and oh-so-able to finally wed her mate, Kane.
Her good friend Noelle pops into the room to check on her…and here we go:
A soft knock pulled her from her musings. Noelle poked her head around the door. Her bright smile lifted Velli’s spirits quicker than her voice. “I figured you’d wait to get dressed. You look beautiful. What’s wrong?”
“Damn perceptive Fae.” Velli hugged her friend gently. “I’m fine. Just anxious for the wedding to start.”
“No cold feet?”
“Not even a toe. For either of us.”
“Oh, I have no doubt that Wolf is ready, willing, and able, to drag you down that aisle if even a toe gets cold.” Noelle laughed. She touched Velli’s forehead. “So why so dark and stormy. You’re going to give yourself wrinkles.”
“Age old habit of going over the worst case scenario in everything.” Velli sighed. “It’ll pass soon as I’m down there and walking.”
“I suppose that’s more than fair if we take into account your long and horror-storied history.” Noelle took Velli’s hands in hers. “So let’s distract at least for a few minutes. Where are Johnny and Kai? I thought they’d come.”
“They were going to, but then thought better of it. Kai is still mad at me, for one thing.” Velli didn’t care if Kai was mad she’d created a clone for the Raven who was now her son Tam—only to immediately destroy all information and tools used to create him. The circumstances called for it. “Plus, John wanted to be respectful of Derek’s need for some space.”
“John is a good man. Kai is a good person in there. She’ll get over what happened. New mates should be happier, I know from experience.” Noelle chuckled.
“Well to be fair, I wasn’t exactly flowers and sunshine in my new-mate status so I suppose I can’t fault her for having issues—her own guilt being one of them. However,” Velli paused mid-sentence as a spider dropped right between them to hover.
An old superstition reared its head at the sight of the creature. There were a few bad luck omens for wedding days, a black spider being one of them.
Velli held out her hand, but wrapped it in a protective layer of water before she allowed the black widow to touch her hand. “Well, look what we have here.”
“Don’t freak out, please.”
The spider crawled along Velli’s protected hand. “Why would I?”
“It’s a bad omen, isn’t it? You’re already nervous, I don’t want you to freak out.”
“You’d think I would, wouldn’t you? However…” Velli carried the creature to the window. As it crawled onto the siding, she smiled. “We need to put this supposed omen into perspective.”
“Meaning?”
“There are a couple other bad omens for weddings. A black dog and a crow. Considering my mate is one massive black dog, and my newest child is the reincarnation of a big-ass Raven…I think omens are overrated in my case.”
Noelle laughed right along with her. “I guess when you put it that way, you have a point.”
“When there are so many other things to worry about, omens seem like the least of my problems. I’ve sent her on her way, and I’m all right.” Velli turned to her friend. “Not more or less nervous than before.”
“Are you sure?” Noelle drew close again. “I can soothe the savage beast if you want. I have a good repertoire of songs.”
Velli smiled at the offer. Her friend being a Siren did have its advantages. She could literally sing a person to sleep, to laugh, to be silent, whatever the situation called for. “I appreciate it, but you’ll never entirely soothe the beast of my past. I’ll be fine. Kane is my mate already, this is just formality. My nerves are little more than—well, nerves.”
Noelle kissed her cheek. “Good. Do you want me to stay? You still have twenty minutes before your mother comes to fuss a final time, along with your father to lead you to the ceremony. I can stay.”
“No, you need to go with your mate. I’ll be fine. Between the silence and the fussing, I honestly don’t know which is worse.” Velli winked. “I’ll take silence for now.”
“All right. I’ll see you at the circle.”
“You bet your ass you will.”
*~*
Hope you enjoyed it! Click on the Tuesday Tales badge to see more excellent entries!!
by Sarah | Aug 22, 2016 | Books, The Tribe, Tuesday Tales, Writing
Welcome back to Tuesday Tales! This weeks prompt is Fans.
As I’ve just begun the fourth book in The Tribe series, I thought I’d weave this weeks prompt into my first chapter.
This is book 5 in the series. Kane and Velli have been through quite a lot in this series, and aren’t even actually married yet (though they are mated). This books begins with them heading home (to the reservation in Canada) after helping a friend in the states.
Though they’ve had a chaotic time at the sanctuary, they’ve not forgotten about the organization that seems hell-bent on getting to Velli…or the Hunters they employ to do so.
So, here ya go:
A sudden cold burst of air hit Velli in the face. She startled out of her half-asleep state to regain her bearings. “What the hell are you doing, Kane? Turn those fans off.”
“Shh. Don’t wake the kids.” Kane’s voice remained hush but tense as all get-out.
Velli wiped her eyes and tried to re-orient herself. They were still in the SUV, but according to the GPS in the dash, they were nowhere near home. She glanced into the back, relieved to see all the kids still dozed.
Their friend Derek also slept, sprawled in the seat next to Tam. For the three days they’d remained at the sanctuary to be sure Tam remained at the utmost of health the young clone hadn’t slept a wink. He’d been too curious about everything.
Soon as they’d begun to drive, Tam had drifted off. Kimi and Aidan weren’t far behind. At Aidan’s slightly increased growth rate he’d been sleeping more, and when he woke to feed ate for a long time, mixing solid food along with brief hits of breast milk.
Velli sighed in relief. “They’re all still asleep. What was that all about? And why aren’t we home? We’ve been on the road long enough we should be a lot closer.”
“We’re being followed.” Kane’s words were enough to snap her attention back to him. His hands clenched the steering wheel so tight she worried over the normally sturdy device. “For about an hour.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. That’s why I waited to wake you. Thought maybe your paranoia passed onto me somewhere along the line.” He tapped the GPS to pull the view out. The circuitous route it showed had to have taken an hour at least. The twists and turns he’d employed in random areas and over various highways looked like a bowl of noodle soup.
“They’ve been following us that long?” Velli turned in her eat again. In the distance, maybe twenty yards back, two dim lights shone back. “Fuck.”
“Think it’s your old friends?”
“Well it sure isn’t your friendly neighborhood Spiderman.”
“Hunters, then.”
“Most likely. I’m not sure why they’re staying back. If they’ve been following us this long, their orders are beyond me.”
His eyes narrowed. “Unless I’ve done just what they wanted.”
Velli didn’t need to ask to see where his thoughts were heading. “If they were waiting for backup it would already be here.”
“So what do we do now?”
“Stop the crazy train, head south and stick on the route.”
“Are you making us switch off?”
Velli paused at the suggestion. She still had safe houses scattered across the country. While she’d liquidated some, instinct had her keep several. After a moment’s contemplation, she shook her head. “No. Just draw them away from home.”
Kane grabbed her wrist when she reached for her seatbelt. “What’re you doing?”
“I have a theory, no we have a theory. No better time to test it then in the now.” She twisted her arm free enough to half-climb over the seat. She put a sound-blocking bubble around Derek’s head before she used the same water to splash him right in the face.
The man jerked away so violently he nearly kicked Velli in the face. She caught his leg in time, grinning as he came to. With her finger at her mouth in a hushing motion, she dropped the bubble. Derek’s brow furrowed as he leaned forward. “What was that for?”
“You snore.”
“Shut up.”
“No. Just use a little magic, will you?” She leaned closer. “We’re being followed. I wonder if you can sense them with your magic.”
“Why would I be able to?” Through his doubt came a curious tickle of magic.
“Don’t disturb the kids,” Kane muttered.
“Right, sorry.” Derek reined it in. His features remained tense with concentration. After several tense, silent minutes, his brows rose. “Well, what have we here?”
“So you can sense them.” Velli glanced at Kane. “The question is, can you disable them? They’re insanely powerful, and fast, but they follow orders. I’ve found them resistant to most forms of magic, but are their implants immune?”
*~*
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by Sarah | Sep 7, 2015 | Books, Challenge, The Tribe, Tuesday Tales, Writing
Welcome back to Tuesday Tales! This weeks prompt is this moon picture.
With picture prompts come the word limit of 300 words, which is usually a challenge for me. This time I managed to come in under and say all I wanted to for this particular piece.
The moon immediately led me to my Urban Fantasy series, The Tribe. I decided to jump a ways ahead to book 4 (though I’m still in the middle of 3) because that’s what the picture called me to do.
So here it is. Morgan has been mentioned but not introduced, so I thought I’d introduce her with this week’s Tuesday Tales:
She stood on a rise overlooking the entire main village and the lake and fields beyond. The full moon hovered close in the sky, the symbol of all the Tribe was, what she was supposed to be. But she was unique, special, so much more than them. Her body didn’t cave to the power of the moon, it didn’t send her in screaming pain if she didn’t change. She was so much more.
In the distance a Wolf howled long and loud, the echo carrying through the hills and valleys of the protected forest. Another Wolf joined, deeper and richer. The pair stood together on a distant hill, joined in Spirit as the rumors went, more so than many other mates.
On the full moon so many of the Tribe would Shift into their animal. All around her in the forests they ran, predator and prey, doing as the moon bid them. Save but two Shifters, that was. Herself and the precious one.
The one like her here, one that knew not of her existence, one that was so much the same, they were hardly different, save for some very important details.
Morgan was not the apple of their parents’ eye. Morgan wasn’t soft. Morgan was predator to the simpering Kimi’s scavenging prey. Morgan was a secret that had yet to be revealed, while Kimi had reveled in the love of their parents for some time.
Morgan was other.
Kimi was blind in her safety.
Morgan knew more than Kimi ever could. Morgan knew the truth of what they were, what they would never be, and what would be the end of all the Tribe held dear.
For it would be her.
*~*
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by Sarah | Jul 9, 2015 | Books, Changing Tracks, Goals, Holiday, The Tribe, Writing
Yesterday on Facebook I saw a post from a fellow author. I can’t remember who or the exact words, but it was along the lines of:
I don’t every write anything down when it comes to my stories. When the idea hits me I just sit down and write.
I read that post and I literally said out loud, “I miss doing that. So much.”
Throughout the day the statement stuck with me. All day long and into the evening.
I thought about my goals for the rest of this year and my plans for 2016.
Then I thought about what it felt like a few years ago when I would just sit down and write and write some more. About how at times I could crank out 300k in a matter of three months. When I would snatch onto an idea and sit and write without interruption. Sure, some rewriting/reworking was necessary, but it was so freeing to sit at a keyboard and just go.
I realized that I’d already said I’m doing 5 books next year. I considered my stack of books I really want to write that have been neglected for deadlines. Then I went back to my steady stream of set release dates and contracted works I’ve had for the past two years.
See, when I started Lake Point, I wrote a stand-alone.
Santa, Maybe was written as a stand-alone story, but I loved the town so much I immediately made plans and a submission for 5 more stories to round it out to a full year.
Then, before 2014 was half over I had another proposal in for another 7 in the series.
SEVEN.
That’s seven books this year.
Yes they’re short and I can write them quickly, but those deadlines loom over my head.
I love my little town, and the people in it, but the obligation and looming deadlines are interrupting the other stories I want desperately to write.
So after Mistletoe Mixup (December 2015), the Holidays in Lake Point series is, well, taking a holiday. For at least six months, maybe a year. I have stories in mind for this little town, but I need to be free for a while.
Maybe without looming deadlines you’ll see more from this town in 2017. I just don’t know. I do know the series is NOT finished. I’ll know more after I’ve had some time to breathe and write some other stories that are screaming in my head.
What will I be working on?
Well, I had been planning on releasing my Tribe series this fall, but now I think those will dominate 2016. I have three written, one edited, and am about halfway through book 4, with two more planned to follow. I’d like to release them in rapid succession, so long as my editor and I can get on the same page, I hope for those to all be edited to be released in quick succession next year.
The town of Dominion Falls will hopefully both get new books, and some revamping of the old.
Say what? Yup, you read that right. In a recent re-read of the series I found some errors and some scenes I’d like to deepen. So I’m planning an overhaul of the first three books (and perhaps some cover modifications for the first two books). Those are also planned for next year, perhaps in time for the Dominion Falls series birthday in February.
PLUS, I hope to finally sit and write books 5.5, 6, & 7 in the series. 5.5 will likely feature a certain former Pinkerton and his lady love.
On top of that, well, if you saw my goals list, it’s pretty impressive. I have many books in mind, I have two series that have been waiting patiently for me to give them attention, and one that’s had a book published and seen no love since.
I have plenty to keep me busy, that’s for sure.
But I’m looking forward to it.
It’s kind of scary not having the set release dates and steady stream of assured business.
I guess I’ll just have to work harder at promo to make sure those books still get plenty of love.
But even without Lake Point it won’t be a quiet year, and it won’t be slow, either.
I’m excited to just sit and write.
by Sarah | Jun 28, 2015 | Books, The Tribe, Tuesday Tales, Writing
Welcome back to Tuesday Tales! This weeks prompt is Stiff.
Back again with The Raven, the 4th book in my Tribe series.
In this weeks installment, Velli gets an idea in the middle of the night. Before they came to the sanctuary to work on her friend John’s little problem, she made Kane promise to not let her get lost in the lab.
Also, her past is not pretty by a long shot and she has a tendency to run (she ran away from Kane for 6 whole years before he found her again). She has spent years believing, and experiencing, that the worst can, and usually will happen, to her.
Being with her mate has helped her move past such thoughts most of the time, but sometimes they creep back in.
Oh, and translations…Shëntse Táno means “Fucking Wolf”. And Möchésé táno means what it’s followed by “Ravenwolf”.
Hope you enjoy:
“Spirits, that’s it.”
Kane startled awake when the woman wrapped in his arms shouted in his ear and bolted from the bed. He rubbed his eyes as they adjusted to the dark. “Vels? What the actual fuck?”
“Sorry. I got an idea.” She kissed his temple. “Go back to sleep. If Aidan wakes, I pumped earlier and there’s plenty of milk in the fridge.”
“No no no.” He grabbed her hand. “You promised.”
“I know, but I thought I’d be done long before the next moon when we came. If I put this off it might be another moon before we can go home.”
“Bribery is not the way to go.”
“Kane.” She yelped when he yanked her back in bed. “Stop. I have to go now before I forget what I was thinking.”
“You never forget anything.”
“Not entirely true,” her tone wobbled.
He cursed inwardly for the accidental reminder of the organization. They’d been doing well pretending that huge massive problem wasn’t looming over their heads. “Vels.”
“Give me five minutes to write this down. Please.”
“I thought you had to go.” He was glad she wasn’t, but he really didn’t want to draw out their stay any longer than they had to.
“I do, I should…but…fuck.”
“Easy.”
“There’s just too much.” She sat, her whole body now tense. “I should start this test now so it’s done soon. But I need to talk to you. Then there’s the bird. And the kids. And I promised I wouldn’t get lost down there. I made you swear not to let me, but if I don’t—”
“Easy.” He clasped her hand and used it to tug her back down to the bed. “What’s going on? You were fine a few minutes ago.”
“You reminded me of something. Something we need to discuss.”
“Can it wait?”
“No. Yes. No. It’s waited a long time already.” She curled close against him. “Part of me thinks we should deal with the latest crisis. The rest knows I have to tell you, but I’m scared you’ll think I’m all batshit crazy again.”
“How about we compromise?”
“How’s that?”
He rested his chin on her head, trailing his finger along her shoulder. “We’ll leave a note for Kimi, and take Aidan with us. While you run your tests, I’ll wait in the office with Aidan and once you’re able to, we’ll talk about this other thing.”
“I don’t like it when you’re calm and logical. It’s annoying as hell.”
“Poor baby.”
“The horrors I live through being your mate.” She chuckled against his chest. “Fine. We’ll do things your way. Live less stressfully and all that crap.”
“You’re just mad you’re getting used to it.”
“I am. It’ll hurt more when it’s all taken away.”
He reached for her as the last statement faded into the dark, but she was already in the closet getting dressed. Damn that woman for her sometimes inhuman speed. Rather than confront her outright, he gave her a minute to calm down. He grabbed his buckskins and slipped them on before padding over to the closet door. “You still think that?”
Her whole body grew stiff at the question, he could tell even in the dark of night. The Wolf in him sensed it as much as the scent of fear that edged into what had become the sweet scent of the calm air she’d acquired in the months at the reservation. A faint whisper caught the air, “Shëntse Táno.”
He crept up behind her and set his hands on her shoulders. There wasn’t a ripple of surprise in her at his touch, not that he expected one. What he expected more was some sort of attack, but she stayed still. “Don’t blame my Wolf .”
“I was not blaming your fucking Wolf, I was blaming you. Or is your Native name not Möchésé táno? Hm, Ravenwolf?” She leaned back against him. “You know I never let that go. I may never let that go. The instinct to run is not as great with you, and Kimi and Aidan, but I always fear the world tumbling down around me. I likely always will.”
“Even with the Spirits reassurances, and that of the Sage?”
“Even with all of that.”
He rubbed his hands along her arms gently. Even though he knew years of self-doubt, self-loathing, and pure torture couldn’t be erased in the short time they’d had together, he hated that part of her still succumbed to what her past had bred in her. “What can I do?”
“You’re doing everything right.”
“Should I do more wrong, then?”
*~*
Hope you enjoyed it! Click on the Tuesday Tales badge to see more excellent entries!!
On February 8, 2013 my very first novel was published.
