What's next...

With Only One complete and out there for the world to judge, what's next on the horizon? It's that time of year, so let's get to the goals/plans. I like putting them out there - it holds me accountable.

One of the things I had to do for my marketing class this fall was create an action items list for the first year. I went a step further and looked at the first two years. It made me think about my writing goals, my publishing goals AND my marketing plans. I won't throw it all out here right now, but I have some upcoming goals I wanted to share.

First of all, Book #3 of the Ward Sisters Series is nearly done its first draft. My plan is to publish that on St. Patrick's Day. There are a few reasons for that - for one, lead male, Neil Murphy, is Irish. For another, that's just after the Oscars telecast and I'm planning a pre-publication promotion/giveaway to coincide with the Oscars. Anyone who has read Back to December and/or Only One will know that the Oscars play a little role in the series, at least this part of it. Oscar night is a big night for several people and my giveaway will capitalize on that. The winner of the giveaway will receive, among other things, a copy of book #3, Right Here Waiting. Lastly, St. Patrick's Day is about 4 months after the publication of Only One, and I'm aiming for about 4 months between book publications. I think it's a reasonable goal; we were about 4 months between books 1 and 2.

Further ahead, I'm anticipating that the next book will be published around the end of June, to celebrate my 40th birthday. Right now, I'm expecting Reggie and Eddie's story to be book #3.5, but if, as I complete the first draft on that or on This Year's Love it looks better as book #4.5, then so be it. In which case, Josh and Annie's story, This Year's Love, will be published at the end of June, with Buying the Cow (Reggie and Eddie) coming in the fall.

I have a second series in the works. Book 1 of that series, The Piece I Don't Need, is planned for November 2014. The series will be called Warwick, Maine, and is set in a fictional town. It has a stronger social bent and I'm hoping will be well-received. I'll start promoting that this summer.

So, those are some of the upcoming things from me. I also have a Pinterest board and a Google+ profile that will be launched in January. And you'll see more contests/giveaways as the year progresses. I'm happy you're taking this journey with me!

Only One is Officially DONE!

That's right. If you didn't already know, Only One was officially published to Kindle last Saturday. It was uploaded to Nook just after that and is now finally available on Kindle, Nook and on Amazon for print. I also uploaded Back to December to Nook. I have no idea if people are really purchasing it there yet, but for all my Nook-owning fans, it's available. And for a few more days, at least, both books are on sale. Back to December is $0.99 and Only One is $1.99 until January 1st. I'm waiting on word about an upcoming contest for which my books are part of a prize package, so once I hear the details, I'll post in the various spots.

Links:

Amazon: Back to December (Kindle and print)
                 Only One (Kindle and print)

Nook: Back to December
            Only One

As promised, an Only One teaser...or three

Did I say I'd post some Only One teasers? I did? Oh, right. Well, between editing Only One, editing Laurie's next book (Redemption Road, Book 4 in the Jackson Falls Series), living life and trying to finish my marketing class, it has been a bit hectic. You know, that Christmas thing. We bought a new home entertainment system for ourselves for Christmas (tired of sharing the TV with two small people). It's already set up in our living room. Which meant that last week, we moved the old one down to the family room. And then today, I had to organize in my office/storage space so that we can use the desks in there for gift wrapping. Which was great, given that it needed doing. Especially since I'm hosting book club this coming week, when they will be discussing *gulp* my book, Back to December! Not nervous. Nope. Not at all. Really. Okay, I'm lying. But I'll post the discussion questions in the next day or so.

Anyway, with all that stuff, I hadn't had a chance to post an Only One teaser that I knew had been fully vetted by my kick-ass editor. So, without further ado, here's the first one....

Jenna met his eyes, but it was too intense, what she saw there. She was too afraid. The look he gave her, it inspired hope, and she couldn't have that. This was temporary. She tried to look away, to close her eyes, but he wouldn't let her.

“Don't. I want to see you. I want to watch you come apart for me so I can think about that every night.”

Jenna whimpered as he slowly drove her insane again. He was so good at this, had shown her heaven so many times. And his eyes, they said so much. They said the three little words that simultaneously terrified and elated her. But she did as he asked. She gave herself to him one more time, eyes open, and said a silent prayer to a God she didn't much believe in that the big L word might finally come her way when he returned in six months.

And here's the second....

She walked off the plane with trepidation. Her heart began to race in anticipation and she was trying not to have an anxiety attack. What if he didn't want her anymore? What if that electrical connection, that chemical explosion between them before, had been a fluke? What if the emotional intensity had fizzled? What if she'd imagined it all?

And the third...

“Since when don't you hump anything that moves?” Mary Cate said, laughing hysterically.

“Hey, I've never been that bad!” Liam grumbled.

“Oh yeah? I recall a time about a year after you joined the Agency when you had a different girl every time I talked to you and half of them were nameless because you couldn't remember what they'd told you.”

Liam blushed. “Okay, for a little while I was that bad. I haven't done that in years! Not since before I started working at Deacon.”

“No, you just fuck a handful of girls. Including the one you slept with tonight. You did sleep with her, right?”

Only his sister, and maybe Rob, could be so blunt with him and not royally piss him off. “Yes, I slept with her, but I didn't enjoy it.”

She laughed again. “You're a man. You enjoyed it.”

Only One Teaser

Here it is, a tiny excerpt from my upcoming novel, Only One, Book #2 in the Ward Sisters Series. Just a little one, because I'm waiting on some edits and I want the teaser posts to be finished work from here out. The official publication date for Only One has been set for December 21, 2013. For any of you who have read Back to December, you'll know why that date is significant to the series. And if you haven't read it yet, that book will be coming to Nook as soon as I get the file up to B&N specs. Maybe Tuesday. Tomorrow is Christmas tree decorating day and help a friend move day. Which means its not marketing homework day nor is it work on book stuff day. Enjoy the tidbit. More will come over the course of the next week or so!

The longer she looked at him, the sexier he got. Listening to him talk, hearing him joke with his family, just made the gorgeous outer package more appealing. At one point, their eyes met and the smile he gave her would have melted the clothes off a nun. Willingly. Damn.