The edits on the romantic fantasy are off to my agent, as well as a blurb for both books, a synopsis, and a “mood board” which I’ve never made before, but here we are.
That means with the exception of a few possible tweaks, my part of this process is done for now, so I can play video games all weekend and not worry about it. In the next few weeks, my agent will review the edits, then start working on a submission package to see if anyone wants to buy it. Fingers crossed!
Since I made this mood board, would you like to see it? How about it along with the tiniest little snippet I shared on social media today for the #FridayKiss prompt?
If the answer is no, too bad, this is my blog and I can do what I want. ;)
Behold!
Fun fact: while most of these photos are from a stock site, one of them is mine. 👀
The #FridayKiss prompt was “bed” this week, which is why I finally jumped in with a snippet:
I was supposed to be taking today off, since Mr. M is off, but I have failed rather spectacularly at that, so here’s a tiny, non-spoilery snippet of my new romantic fantasy. If I’m working, at least it should be fun, right? :)
This is still rough draft, subject to change, etc, etc. Happy reading!
The first door I tried was locked tight, so I moved on until I found a door standing open. I peeked inside, and my breath caught—it was an enormous library, three stories tall and filled with heavy wooden bookcases holding what had to be thousands of books.
I’d heard rumors that the private royal library in Obrik held ten thousand books, but here was a treasure its equal. I tiptoed into the room, worried that my mere presence would somehow damage the irreplaceable tomes.
But once the awe wore off, I saw that this room, too, suffered from neglect. Some of the shelves were pristine—and I made note of which shelves the mage preferred—but most were dull with dust.
This, at least, was a problem I could solve, and I didn’t exactly have anything better to do while I waited for the mage’s mood to improve.
I was used to pitching in to help anywhere I could. Cleaning would be no hardship—assuming I could find supplies. And if I cleaned the library, then maybe the mage would be more likely to help me in return.
“I need cleaning supplies,” I murmured, unsure if the castle would understand. “A broom and mop and dusting cloths.”
Light glinted in the corner of my eye, and when I turned toward it, I found a small door, nearly hidden between two towering shelves. Inside the tiny closet I found a broom, and a mop, and dusting cloths.
We’re just one week out from the release of Capture the Sun, and if you click over to the book page, you can read the first three chapters!
If you would like a signed book, you can either order from BookPeople or come see me in person here in Austin on June 25 at 7:00PM. I’m signing preorders on June 20, so you need to get your order in before then. :)
While you’re waiting, you can read Magic Claims by Ilona Andrews which came out today! Happy pub day to House Andrews! 🎉
An Ilona Andrews book might be the only thing that could tear me away from my Diablo IV fixation, lol. Mr. M and I completed the campaign over the weekend, and now we’re on to World Tier 3. Overall, the campaign was darkly beautiful and the cinematics were absolutely incredible, but the plot/writing was a bit uneven. I get it, plots are hard!
This week is all admin, all the time. I’m going to try to schedule some of my release posts ahead of time so next week isn’t so hectic. We’ll see how successful I am, but wish me luck!
And since you made it all the way to the end, you deserve another small snippet, so here you go! See you next week!
The transport dropped us on a poorly lit street in a run-down part of town. I was armed with a plas blade, a pair of plas pistols, and three knives of varying sizes. Nilo had his own weapons, including a knife that matched the one he’d used to demonstrate his teleportation abilities.
Nilo’s research indicated there could be as many as eight guards, so we were aiming for stealth, but we were prepared in case that plan failed—as plans so often did.
After a few minutes of walking, Nilo pulled me aside. Besor’s building should be just around the corner.
Hey all, happy May! We’re just a month and a half away from the release of Capture the Sun, which is exciting and terrifying. My publisher is talking to BookPeople about possibly doing an in-person signing and Q&A in Austin the weekend after the release (June 25), and I need to know how many people might come.
My initial guess of one person is probably low, but I really have no idea, so I’m running a short poll. You’ll notice this poll doesn’t have a “no” option—that’s on purpose. I know most of you won’t be able to make it, so please only answer if you really think you might be able to come.
And for those of you who are just curious, you should be able to see the results without voting. :)
Edit: Poll closed, thank you!
I have no idea if this poll will work in the email that goes out with blog posts, so you’ll probably need to visit the site directly in order to vote. If, for whatever reason, it still doesn’t work, you can drop me a comment!
And, as payment, here’s a tiny snippet. Seven weeks to go!! 🎉
Nilo fixed us a quick breakfast, which we both ate without comment, then we worked in comfortable silence for a couple of hours until the sun sank behind the trees. I stood and stretched with a groan. Digital research was a necessary evil, but I’d much rather scout targets in person. If Kee were here, I’d happily hand off the digital work to her while I went and poked my nose exactly where the empress didn’t want it.
Homesickness tugged on my heart. It wasn’t a feeling I got often, but when I did, it was always for my time on Starlight’s Shadow. Tavi, Kee, and Eli were family, and while I was usually happy just knowing that they were somewhere out there, doing well, occasionally I missed them with a fierceness that stole my breath.
“If I go outside, am I going to get eaten by a demon?” I asked.
“No, but take your comm. It’s easy to get turned around in the woods.”
I laughed. “Oh, I’m not going into the trees, thank you very much. I can get plenty of fresh air on the porch.”
“The forest is magical at night.”
I shook my head. “I’ll take your word for it.”
“Give me a few minutes, and I’ll go with you.”
“No, that’s okay,” I said a little too quickly. The last thing I needed was to spend time in the dark in a magical forest with Nilo Shoren. All of my good intentions to avoid temptation would disappear faster than our clothes.
Happy holidays from our house to yours! I hope this holiday season brings you peace, joy, and all the best presents from Santa. 💕
I’m so grateful for your enthusiasm and support this year, and I can’t wait to see what 2023 and beyond brings! With that in mind, I maaaay have included a new tiny little snippet of Capture the Sun below, but you won’t tell my editor, right? ;)
Happy holidays and happy reading!
I blinked my eyes open to a room filled with dim light. When I lifted my head, I saw that the glass panels had darkened, shading the room from the blazing sun outside. I glanced down at Nilo and found him watching me with an unreadable expression. “What time is it?” I whispered, unwilling to break the fragile peace.
“Midmorning,” he replied just as softly.
I hummed an acknowledgment and then lay back down. Nilo froze as my head returned to his shoulder, then he slowly, carefully wrapped his arm around me. I wasn’t touch starved, not exactly, but it’d been a while since I’d trusted anyone enough to just cuddle.
Not that I trusted Nilo completely, but I trusted that he wouldn’t take advantage of this.
“You don’t have to stay, if you want to get up,” I murmured a few minutes later. Then I reluctantly added, “I should probably get up, too. We have things to do today.”
Nilo’s arm tightened around me. “I’m exactly where I want to be. Stay. Just for a little while longer.”
