Zero Drafts: Three for Three

I started the summer with three books in progress, hoping to finish at least one or two.

In July I finished one.

In August, I wrote a whole new book (because that’s how I roll).

In September, I finished a second.

And now? I’ve finally finished that third I had in progress four months ago.

After some very intense writing days as well as evenings after work–in which I wrote 45 000 words over five days (that number is not a typo), I finished a book last night. My brain is mush (yet I’m still not exhausted enough to sleep–yay insomnia). Don’t ask me how I did that as I’m not sure I could repeat the process, but the bare bones mess of a zero draft is done. I’ll maybe take December to do a big round of revision (it’s going to be a lot of work) before arranging editing for next year.

So I’ve done a lot in the last few months, burning the candle at both ends. I’m anticipating a lot of doctor stuff starting in January–meds, tests, all that stress–so at least I’ll have a buffer of writing projects done and can just pick at revision when everything becomes about my shitty health again.

At this point it’s clear I absolutely cannot talk about the books publicly until they’re written because every. damn. thing. threw me off. I need to be pressure-free when writing, at least as much as possible. So my thanks to everyone who said “Whenever it comes, I’ll be waiting” without nagging, because that support meant so, so much to me.

And now up for preorder…

Livi #6: Charon’s Gold

Livi Talbot is no longer the woman she once was.

She has suffered great loss. She has been betrayed.

And after failing to stop the greatest villain she has ever faced, she’s determined to never be blindsided again.

Her first priority is to rescue a suffering soul from the underworld itself. Though fellow adventurer Iluka Grantham is at her side to hunt down the gold coins that will allow her to cross the river Styx, entering the underworld through the deadly Pluto’s Gate in Turkey remans solely on her shoulders. Survival in the world of the dead isn’t guaranteed, even for Livi Talbot, and this journey will bring her face to face with her greatest failures, her biggest losses, and her inability to save those she loves.

And if she survives? The next goal is to go after every person responsible for the death that caused magic to bleed back into the human realm.

Even if they’re family.

Coming in ebook and paperback October 25 2022

Kindle | Kobo | iBooks | Nook 

While being bigger in scope and more fantastic than some of the other books, it’s simultaneously a much more intimate story. Structurally it’s different from the others and, as usual, I’m not sure how it’ll land with readers, but I’m proud of it and excited nonetheless. It’s deeply personal, digging into the root of trauma and how we come to terms with it…and also involves killer mermaids.

I’ll tell you more about it next year.

Now to prepare my marketing materials…

…and figure out what I’m writing next month lol.