To Blog or Not To Blog–The Update

Oh happy day. I’m drinking coffee and blogging again after being absent two months! I refuse to quit on the blogging. So no, it’s NOT over. I used to be much better at blogging consistently. Then life got in the way, as it always does. But I like blogging as a way to connect.

I’m coming, slowly but surely, to the end of a long year of college classes. It’s been interesting, to say the least. The old days at Penn State, filled with all-nighters, partying, and yes, going to class–without having to hold down a job–are long gone. Now it’s all about rushing home so I can get the older boy to cross country practice or arranging car pooling so the youngest can go to soccer. My house looks clean downstairs, in case of unexpected company. But the upstairs–it’s Halloween come early. Yeah, that scary. But my time is better spent elsewhere. Like…writing!

I’m once again trying to fit writing around classes and moving schedules. My inclination is to do my work at night, but if I don’t get to bed by at least midnight, I’m wiped the next day. Good news is I have one whole day off per week this term, in addition to weekends and weeknights sans television. Hello writing (but not during Big Bang Theory or Blacklist)!

So what am I working on? I’m trying to finish up Gideon, my next Circe’s Recruits installment. I had intended only to write a fifth book in this series, but I ended up creating a new bunch of shifters who need their stories told. I’m also eager to start the Donnigans series, a follow-on to the McCauley Brothers. The Donnigans are a contemporary trilogy about three Donnigan siblings (the fourth is too young for a story) finding love. The Donnigans care about family and fun. And the heroes include Marines and a tattoo artist. What’s not to like?

But it’s also challenging for me not to jump right into the third book in my Body Shop Bad Boys series, having recently finished books 1 and 2. I’m dying to write Sam’s story. He’s big and bad and a sucker for animals. I expect to cry while writing certain parts of it.

Aside from all that, I’m attending the Emerald City Writer’s Conference next month, where I’ll get to finally meet my Sourcebooks editor, as well as reconnect with some awesome folks I always look forward to seeing when in the Seattle area.

A few other ideas I’ve been tossing around lately: (feel free to comment if you like)

• Is it worth it to put my self-published titles into audio books? Are readers interested? I’ve had a few ask for it, but I’m still on the fence.
• Will I have time to work on my Amazon Western series soon? I am dying to finish it, but never seem to have the time.
• What promo is good promo? And should I be putting my $$ into this? (The answer here is yes, I believe.)
• What’s my one independent project this year, not related to romance? I try to write something different every year. Last year it was a fantasy YA. This year? Maybe I’ll finish my urban fantasy mystery.

Now you’re all caught up. Time for me to get back to CR: Gideon. It’s time Gideon met his team. I just hope they don’t get too violent before realizing they need to work together.

Happy Wednesday!