Lire's latest adventure is live!

I am thrilled to announce that Reluctant Adept, the third book in the A Clairvoyant's Complicated Life series, is now available. At the time of this post, Reluctant Adept's listing was active on Amazon, Apple iBooks, and Kobo. Barnes & Noble was lagging behind the other retailers, but I'm sure it will be available in the Nook store very soon. The print version of Reluctant Adept, along with my other soft cover books, are available exclusively through Amazon. I'm also excited for you guys to see the new cover treatments for Deadly Remains and Deceiver's Bond! It was a ton of work readying all three novels for a simultaneous print and e-book release, more than I think we anticipated, but I hope you'll agree it was worth it. I can't stop ogling the illustrations. They make me want to give Red a big squeeze! I'm sure you'll agree that Daniel, the artist responsible, is amazingly talented.

 

I can't wait to hear what you guys think. After you've finished reading Reluctant Adept, I'd love it if you'd take a moment to post a review on the site where you purchased it.

I sure hope you enjoy Lire's newest adventures.

As always, thanks so much for all of your support. Have a terrific holiday and a happy new year!

Book Three On Track

Just a quick note to let you all know that the third book in the A Clairvoyant’s Complicated Life series is on track for a late fall launch! I am super excited because with the upcoming release of Lire’s third installment we’re redesigning the first two covers so all three books will have a uniform look. What’s more, thanks to the success of the first two books, we’re having all three covers professionally illustrated.

Oh my gosh, you guys! So far, the third book’s cover is finished and looks SO SO awesome! I’m on pins and needles waiting to see what our illustrator comes up with for Deceiver’s Bond and then Deadly Remains. (I’ve seen the preliminary sketch for DB and I’m practically jumping up and down waiting to see the next iteration!) I think you’ll be as thrilled as I am when you see what our talented artist has done for Lire. And just wait until you see Red! (I’m totally ready to create a line of posters, mouse pads, coffee mugs, pajamas, etc. just so I can plaster Lire and Red all over my house! LOL)

I can’t wait to show you, so stay tuned!

Something to talk about (aka a long overdue update)

Before I give y’all the lowdown on book three, I’d like to take a moment to thank everyone out there who noticed my book(s) and decided to take the plunge, despite the fact that my writing was an unknown quantity. Unless you’re lucky enough to be living a life of leisure (if only!), you have precious little free time and a limited entertainment budget, so the fact that you invested some of each to read one of my stories means a lot to me. And if you moved on to reading Deceiver’s Bond after finishing Deadly Remains—thank you so much for sticking with me! I know DR isn’t perfect. In fact, there are things in it that now make me cringe a little. Live and learn, right?

And I can’t thank you guys enough for posting your thoughtful reviews on the sites where you purchased my books. Not only does your feedback help me improve as a writer, but it also helps other people figure out whether they might like my stories. Word of mouth is super important for a relatively new author like me, so I appreciate everything you’ve done to help spread the word.

Okay, status …

More than a few of you have asked about the third book in Lire’s story—am I working on it and when is it coming out?

The short answer is: “Yes (feverishly), and late this year (if all goes well).”

If I had to guess, right now I’m about two-thirds done with the first draft, possibly more. I’m a pantster (I write by the seat of my pants), so I don’t always know where things are going to end up. At any given time, I might have a rough direction in mind, but once I wind things up and let them go, the story can sometimes veer into places I didn’t initially expect. Which is why I can only offer a rough estimate of my progress. That said, I’m pretty sure my goal of a solid first draft by early summer is just about right.

Once I finish the first draft, my test readers get to pick it apart and then we’re off to the races with a round or two (or three) of edits and more test reading until we’re all happy with the results. I’ve come to learn that the editing process takes twice as long as I think it will.

Okay, I should get back to Lire. She and her friends have gotten themselves into a heap of trouble, and now I have to figure out how they’re going to dig themselves out.

-Kat-

Deceiver's Bond now available in softcover!

If you prefer the feel of paper, the second book in the A Clairvoyant's Complicated Life series is now available from Amazon in softcover. I just received my own copy today and am thrilled with the results. I am beyond lucky to have a husband who has the skills to do this stuff—and do it well. For those who took the plunge and decided to follow Lire on her journey, a heartfelt thank you! Because of you, my latest installment is running in the top 100 of Paranormal & Urban Fantasy new Kindle releases. If the story entertains you, then I'll count myself truly blessed.

So far on Amazon, I've received two reviews, both of them glowing (thank you!) and both from folks I don't know. At least, I don't think I know them. (If I do know you, just leave me in the dark, 'kay?) Seems silly that a review from a stranger would stand higher than a review from a friend. I guess it's because I think a person who doesn't know me is more likely to give their unvarnished feedback, while a friend might be tempted to pull their punches, especially in a public forum.

In all honesty, reviews scare the heck out of me, mostly because the thought of disappointing you guys makes me squirm. However, I'm smart enough to know that hearing feedback is key in helping me grow and improve as a writer and storyteller. So, to that end, I hope that once you've read Deceiver's Bond you'll take the time to let me know your thoughts in an Amazon (or other seller's) review. Let me know what worked and what didn't. It means a lot to me.

And, if you enjoyed the story, I hope you'll spread the word!

Deceiver's Bond: Book 2 of A Clairvoyant's Complicated Life is up on Amazon!

If I wasn't so busy biting my nails, I'd be dancing in the streets. Deceiver's Bond, the sequel to Deadly Remains, is available now on Amazon. The B&N and Apple versions are in the queue. (Those retailers always take longer to process their submissions for some reason.) The softcover will be available mid-July through Amazon. Scot and I are waiting for the print sample to arrive before approving it. Fingers crossed that there are no issues with the layout.

A big thank you to all of my supporters. I couldn't have done it without you. My story is better because of your honest feedback. Hugs galore!

I hope you all will let me know what you think of the latest installment. The story unfolded as I was writing it and Lire's adventures took me in a direction that I hadn't anticipated. At the very least, I hope you guys decide it was worth the wait.

To celebrate the new release, I've priced Deadly Remains at $0.99 for the summer. Please spread the word!

Cheers!

Progress!

Leave it to life's propensity for chaos (and an out-of-state move) to blow up the best laid plans. But, even though life keeps getting crazier and I'm still surrounded by boxes, I've been pushing forward on the Deadly Remains sequel.

Here's where things stand …

Last week, I locked down the last of my edits and sent the manuscript to my copyeditor— the final stage of the editing process. Over the weekend, my husband finished my e-book cover. I think it looks fantastic. Check it out—Deceiver's Bond!

cover-125x85-ebook (final)

So, now, we're getting down to the wire. A few more steps and we'll be ready to release it into the wild. When it comes back from the copyeditor, I'll fix all my stupid errors, and then my husband will convert and format the file for the e-book, layout the print version, and write the jacket copy. After jumping through half-a-dozen hoops and uttering a few choice curse words, he'll upload it for sale to each book seller's website (Amazon, B&N, Apple, and Kobo). Easy as you please, right? ;-)

A big 'thank you' to all of you who've taken the time to stop by my sadly neglected website to ask, 'When, oh when is it coming? Please, while I'm still young!'

I am relieved to finally say: Deceiver's Bond is coming very, very soon! Okay, yes, it's taken quite a bit longer than I intended, but every time I go through this process, I gain a tad more confidence, write a little faster, and learn more than enough to keep me feeling like a complete newb. That's okay, though. If I knew everything there was to know, life would be more boring than ironing socks.

Fingers crossed that you all decide it was worth the wait.

(And, for the record, I might not post regularly, but I do make time to respond to all your comments.)

Cheers!

Coming Soon: Deadly Remains Sequel

'What's this?' you say. 'A post? An actual post?' Okay. Yes, an actual post. I guess you could call it that. But, personally, I'd say it's more of an update.

After eight months of perseverance and more than a little slogging, I've finished the first draft of the sequel to Deadly Remains. Finished it a few weeks ago, actually. And it's a bit on the long side. 165K+ words. Suffice it to say, the draft will need some serious editing. (I think Deadly Remains was around 130K, if I remember correctly, and I'll be the first to admit it could have used more pruning.)

At the moment, the sequel is being read by my initial test readers and I'm waiting to hear their feedback.

I'm biting my nails, though. You know all those authors who plan way ahead of time, from book one, how each subsequent installment will drive the story? Ahem. Yeah, I'm not them. When I set out to write the sequel, I had absolutely no idea where Lire's story was going to take me. Consequently, I didn't anticipate how things would turn out.

I'm definitely not a plotter. I fly by the seat of my pants. I'm a pantster. (For Lire's tale, anyway. The 7th Tear was different. For that one, I knew where it was going, from beginning to end.)

When I wrote Deadly Remains and, now, its sequel, I simply let Lire out to play and then followed along with her. She decided what to do next and took the story with her. And, now that the sequel's done, I can only hope the whole thing works. My husband thinks the story is terrific, but … not sure he's 100% objective about it. (Shocker, I know.) That said, I DO know he'd tell me if he thought I could do better, and he certainly wouldn't let me put something out in the world knowing it would be an embarrassment. Still, this is why I have test readers. I rely on them to tell me whether the plot works for them, if the characters act in ways that are realistic and expected (given their personalities), which parts bored them to tears or made them roll their eyes, etc.

Once I get a feel for how the story has played for them, I'll have a better idea how much editing will be required. As far as an ETA for publication, my best guess is the sequel will be ready no sooner than the end of the year, perhaps December of 2013. But don't be surprised if it goes into early 2014. There's a lot of work yet to do.

Just thought you guys might want to know. And, I'll warn you now … the next post I write will probably be the announcement of the sequel's publication. You know how I am about posting regularly. ;-)

Cheers!

The 7th Tear is out!

Yes! After months of hard work and more than a little nail biting, I am pleased to announce that my paranormal romance, The 7th Tear, has been released. (If I hadn't spent most of the day fighting with my website, I would have posted this news yesterday.) The e-book is available from the following sellers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, and Kobo. Softcover can be purchased from Amazon. Wondering if The 7th Tear is your cup of tea? Try reading the first few chapters via Amazon's 'click to look inside' feature.

In addition, Deadly Remains got a cover redesign! Although I didn't dislike my previous cover, my husband felt it could be better and, now that I see the new one, I have to agree. It looks awesome!

With the launch of The 7th Tear finally off my plate, I'm back at work on the sequel to Deadly Remains. I've really missed spending time with Lire, Red, and Vince. It's been fun getting back into their heads. Interesting things are definitely afoot!

That's all my news for now. As always, thanks for taking the time to stop by!