CANARY

Anti-hero.

Fae.

Demons. Rage siblings. Mouthy mortals.

Ray Smith is a solitary soul.
Hijacked by determined siblings, she’s thrust into a Fae war with high stakes and ruthless consequences. Ray reluctantly agrees to help and soon becomes head of the growing group. She embodies the daring leader her siblings need, but apathetic anti-heroes aren’t above the fray.
A psychotic birth mother. Creatures bred to kill. An obnoxious Fae Queen. Siblings to protect.
Ray finds herself thrust into the twisted lineage game that takes no prisoners. There is no room for errors, and the clock is ticking.

"Canary" available in eBook and paperback. Book 1 in the "Canary" trilogy.

Always writing*

I made this.

Let's say I wanted to stomp on my laptop about 2 1/2 weeks ago. I couldn't work my Chimera book cover into IngramSpark specs, and I was about to lose my shit. I worked on that SOB for well over a week, tweaking it. 

My first foray into IS territory, and I was dying slowly and horrifically.  I hated Canva, Adobe, and really, every other picture program because I WAS NOT GETTING IT.

After revising the cover, probably about seven times, I received a proof I could approve!!! 🥳🎉

Yes, Virginia. There is a Santa Claus.

Then I immediately went to work on the cover for Canary. I used Canva. The Cold War was over. And I made this:

I love this cover with my soul.  It's exactly what I wanted, and I am damn proud.

I learn something new daily. And I DO NOT give up. 

Here's to the lifetime learners and stubborn souls who keep going even when they want to use their laptop for target practice.  You are my people.  And you can do it!

Always writing*

I'd like to thank the Academy

It's 12:36am.  I'm sitting in my chair in the Sanctuary, my office.  Simba is sacked out on the day bed, probably wondering why in the hell his mother is on the computer.

Great question.

Woke up at 11:42pm with a tickle in my throat.  Still have random little bs like that from the bronchitis.  Completely unamusing.  Bathroom trip.  Back to bed.  Then I try to calm myself back down enough to go to sleep.  It's not easy for me.  I sleep with ear plugs and a visor.  The Honey has to have the TV on.  I can't sleep with anything sensory going on.  Bad enough, sometimes the ear plugs don't cut it.  But I digress.

I let the mind wander around.  I like to entertain myself with visions of either speaking at a large book tour/conference, or this morning, it was being a guest on "Today" on NBC.  I talked about my book and the main character.  How it came about.  Then I started thinking about the book.  Then a piece of a scene came to me, and HERE WE ARE!!! 🥳 

It always comes back to the book.

Now that I've purged my wee brain, maybe I'll be able to go back to sleep.  

Maybe.

Always writing*

...not kidding, am I?

Stay relevant

When I published my first book, Virtually Yours, in 2005, I only remember feeling so much happiness I literally thought I would explode with it.  Simply turn into a million burning stars and burst because there wasn't any way my skin could hold the emotion.  When I received the less than stellar royalty check, I cried.  Did I cry because of the amount?  Yes.  But I cried more because I wanted to see large numbers and know there were so many people reading my book.  But me, being me, did what I always do.  I dug in.

I published an Erotic Romance, What He Wants, and a Paranormal Romance, The Portrait, in 2006.  What He Wants was the bestselling book for my publisher three years in a row.  The Portrait was nominated for Best Small Press Paranormal Romance in Romantic Times, now defunct.  I also squeezed in a Time Travel Romance, Perfect Timing.

I was at work December 9, 2006, when our house started on fire.  It burned to the ground, and we lost everything.  Some of the kids didn't even walk out with shoes.  I'd started a new job.  Not even four months in.  Not going to go over the details, but we lost more than simply the house.

I'd already signed a contract for my Elemental Guardian series.  I'd written Fire Goddess and Water Goddess.  Confession from my heart.  I don't remember writing Wind Goddess.  Bits and pieces, actually.  It was right after the house fire.  We'd moved into a new place.  I think I was still in shock.  Thank the Muse it turned out well.  Then, of course, Earth Goddess.  I was mostly back in my right mind then.  I remember Eden's story well.  The first two published in 2007 and the other two in 2008.

I also managed to squeeze out another Erotic Romance, Programmed for Pleasure, in 2007.

The publishers contacted me and said they'd like to publish a megabook with my Elemental Guardians.  Thus, my Elemental Guardians Megabook released in 2009.

The last book I published with my ePub was Warrior and the Sparrow in 2011. 

I continued to write but didn't want the middleman, anymore.  I started self-publishing on Amazon.  Not right away.  But I had an idea for a series, based, incredibly loosely, on an old Brothers Grimm tale I'd read forever ago.  I can't even find it now.  But I digress.  It's a five-book series.  I've published three.  Working on the fourth.

I wrote Chimera, which I'm querying now. 

I'm in process with Canary.  It's a three-book series.  First book is finished.  I'm querying.  I'm 50,000 words deep on the second. 

I received my quarterly royalty email this morning from my ePub which was taken over by Start Publishing/Simon & Schuster.  

Here's my point:  I sold copies of Virtually Yours, What He Wants, The Elemental Guardian Megabook, and 23 copies of Programmed for Pleasure.

Stay relevant.  Don't give up.  Keep your name in the conversation.  I sold books I published over 15 years ago.  It can be done.  You can do it.

Always writing*

...and selling those oldies but goodies