For months my editor, the amazing Candice Royer-Love, has been blathering in my ear about journaling. “Jumpstart your creativity first thing in the morning. It works, I promise.” But up until now, I’ve let that advice go in one ear and out the other. I mean, what kind of creative rebel would I be if I actually listened? No no, I didn’t get this far in life by following the rules!
Then again, I’m nowhere – maybe it’s time I gave it a shot. (Insert sarcastic laughter here)
I don’t know if this will last, or if this is one random post that got stuck in my craw and wanted to be written. Much like the rest of the unfinished stories that have yet to be born sitting in my machine. I get excited about a project and blow down every detail I can until that strong wind comes blustering in with a newer, more thrilling project for me to concentrate my efforts on. It’s a ridiculous cycle, and the reason I haven’t hit publish since August. Well, it’s one of the reasons. ;)
Y’all have read Pretty Reckless. At least, I’m assuming you have. (If you haven’t you should, it’s my best work yet, I swear.) That story took a lot out of me. By the time I hit publish, I was strung out on my own words, the cracks in my heart oozing and festering for all to see. I left my soul clinging to the pages of that book. It was hard to write, and I was so happy when I finished, but the strangest thing happened. Kat and Chase wouldn’t go away. Simply writing “The End” on their story didn’t quiet their constant screaming in my head. Holy shit, it wasn’t done! I’d worked two years on a project and reveled in finishing only to find out when all was over that there was more.
Oh my God!
I’m usually a little squirrelly about saying exactly what I’m working on. Sure, I’ll share snippets in my reader’s group, (Jane’s Addicted Romance Readers – Join us! We have hot guys and booze!) but I never actually share any real details until I know a story will be finished. As mentioned above, I’m notorious for starting projects but not so great at completing them. My first drafts are written with a scorching case of ADD and an unhealthy helping of self-loathing to the point where I hate even looking at them sometimes. Ooh, the pretty colors …. but they’re actually all black. Yeah, it’s like that. But I’m determined to get Kat and Chase’s story finished.
It does have a working title but, in true Jane fashion, something else came to me like a bolt of lightning while I was driving my son to school this morning. I’m being literal. It’s raining quite hard here in NJ. Anywho, I have ideas. Lots of them. I’d like to say I’m halfway through the manuscript, but who am I kidding? This shit could take a crazy turn and end up in Terre Haute for all I know. My characters have a mind of their own. Remember Chasing Casey? Yeah, Austin was nowhere near my original outline. He just jumped out of a dark closet and screamed “PLOT TWIST!” in my face. That was fun.
I’m rambling now. I have a tendency to do that. But bear with me, as I do have a point. I think. Or maybe I don’t … I guess we’ll see!
Oh yeah! Kat and Chase. They’re coming. I don’t know when. I’m hoping early spring. Chase is about four seconds from shattering my heart into a thousand pieces and, when that happens, I might end up going back to another project until I recover. A little rock star ménage story I’ve been toying with.
Ok, that one is no secret. I’ve already been sharing a filthy little piece of it around town to wet people’s appetites as to what’s on the horizon. (You can find it here. NSFW!) I’m maybe halfway through that one as well but keep jumping back and forth. I guess there’s a little Lyric in me yet ;) (If you’ve read the story, you’ll know that joke is hilarious!) I’ve wanted to write this one for so long. Kade is probably my greatest success story to date, and spinning it off into other delicious rock star romances has been something I’ve been aching to do. I am hoping to add a third book to this series at some point, but that’s too far down the line to even discuss yet. Second thought, let’s just pretend I didn’t mention it at all. Cool, thanks, you’re a real pal!
All that being said, I leave you with this - good things are coming, I promise.
In the meantime, catch up on some reading :)
