It's Official.

I am officially registered with NaNoWrimo. *breaks out in a nervous sweat*

Here's my synopsis (keep in mind, it is rough and brief):
Lucas Shaw returns home after being wounded in battle. All his hopes of proving himself and making his family, and his only love, proud drip down the drain. 

Sarah Holmes never felt complete since that long day standing on at the departure gate. Never would she imagine their kiss good-bye would be her last. Years pass along with bad choices and men she'll never give herself completely to. 

When Sarah and Lucas meet again after four, long years, are the fires still burning? Lucas wants to love her like she deserves but he's afraid too much time and not enough words build a wall between them that he's not sure should be taken down. She'll be better without him and his problems. 

The past fills Sarah with hope but she knows Lucas is hiding a part of himself from her. Until her boyfriend from college shows up and forces her hand, Sarah realizes that heart left on that same plane some many years ago and she doesn't intend on getting it back .

Healing and discovering can bring these two together if only Lucas knows how to use the keys Sarah gave him to her heart.

I have been planning this novel in my head for about 6 months but could never start due to edits and finishing a New Adult novel. Everyday, this story lingers. New scenes. Shared moments. Harsh words. It's all in my head and in two days, I can begin the journey of bringing it to paper. 

Nervous? You bet but starting on something new is such a rush. Excitement boils over and I make time to write and plan. 

I've written a lengthy outline this year, something I don't normally do, and I'm hoping this keeps me on track. I've recently picked up a new project so I'm concerned about the amount of time I'll be able to give this new story. I predict many long nights and early mornings. 

Bring on the coffee!

Are you participating this year? Have you registered? Share with us your thoughts? Are you a newbie? Seasoned veteran?

Murder by the Seaside by Julie Anne Lindsey

Julie is not only my writer bestie but she is a dear friend and I'm a fan of her writing. This author has introduced me to mystery, something I wouldn't normally pick up. Her characters are clever, dear, warm and snarky! Love, love, love them! 

I would place Murder by the Seaside right up there with the Stephanie Plum series. I think we will see more great things from this author and list of characters!

Book Description: 

Armed with a new counseling degree, Patience Price is eager to move back home to Chincoteague Island to help folks with their problems. But she finds the streets awash in more than East Coast charm. There's been a murder, and Adrian Davis, the town golden boy who once stomped her heart into a zillion pieces, is the main suspect. Now he's on the run, claiming he's innocent. Patience finds this…poetic. Not that she holds a grudge.

Adrian's mom is sure that with her FBI background Patience can find the truth. Yes, she was at the FBI—in human resources. Still, she looks into it, but not everyone is happy with her snooping. Either that, or the welcome wagon has some bold new policies involving drive-by shootings.

Things really heat up when a hunky former coworker, an actual FBI agent, arrives to help. But he may be too late; the quaint island harbors deadly secrets—and Patience is running out of time.

"I loved every minute of this delicious whodunit! Murder by the Seaside is one of those mysteries that grabs hold of you and won’t let go. From the sparkling landscape to the brilliantly drawn characters, Julie Anne Lindsey has created something very special! Plan ahead. You will want to devour this book in one sitting!"  

-Darynda Jones, NY Times Bestselling Author of the Charley Davidson Series 

Linky-loo

Paying for fan fiction rant...sort of.

Apparently there's an erotic book series out there that is based on Twilight. Well, I haven't read the book (not that I'm a prude) but I've heard that if it is, it's a stretch.

I've recently purchased an e-book for a series that sounded a lot like a certain motorcycle TV show that I'm obsessed about watching. Now, while I can't seem to stop purchasing the books in the series (I've only bought 2 out of like 10) I can't help but wonder, should I really be paying for fan fiction.

I have nothing with people that write FF. I mean, there is some really creative stuff out there. I did, years ago, stumble across a racy story pulling characters from Twilight and placing them in a rather juicy story. Now, while the character names where the same the story line was WAY different and not YA at all. And I didn't pay for it. It was a free read. The writer told a very good story that sucked me in and it was free. There is an entire website (or 2) that offer FF for free.

And maybe I loved the story because of my Twi love, who knows but now, I can't help but wonder if I should pay for FF. They aren't made to be completely original ideas, especially the story I've currently read. Should I continue to pay when there are hundreds of thousands of original works out there? Is it fare to those of us who struggle with writing new stories that grab a readers attention.

And don't get me started on the price of the very short story. Let's save that for another day.

What are your thoughts? Are you a FF fan? Should writers charge for non-original words?

I'm all ears.

So You Think You Can Write

Have you ever heard of WattPad? Its this place where you can read free books, but unpublished free works. Authors can use it as a marketing tool or newbies can use it to hash out ideas. The concept is interesting.

Harlequin is running a contest on WattPad where they are looking for the next New Adult book to sign. I'm participating and I could use some votes. 

Here's the linky-poo to my submission, Need To Know. 

 Jessica Crispin, survived her first year of college, only to return home to discover a long lost grandfather has died, leaving her with a large inheritance. The only catch? She needs to find her mother and go through her criminal father to get the answers.

 A box of letters sends her out on a string of road trips to find her mother. In steps Jackson King to change a flat tire and her entire love life. With him at her side and in her bed, she discovers more secrets and the strength she needs to face her mother.

So if you find your self with something to do, head on over, give a read and a like. I'd appreciate your support! 

November is approaching fast.

I know what you're thinking. You think just because I mentioned November that I'm actually going to chat about the holidays. Well, you'd be wrong. Who wants to think about spending more money on things we don't really need when we can't afford the stuff anyway?

No, I'm thinking about NaNo. You know, write a novel in a month. I'm already receiving emails about kick-off parties and group sessions. I've never attended and don't plan on it because, honestly, I'm not sure what good it does to sit around talking about how I plan to pull a 50K word novel out of my butt in 30 days. But hey, some do and more power to ya.

This will be my third year, if I participate. Year 1 book is now sitting with a friend who's giving it a read-through. A rough read because I haven't touched it. My thought? Does the idea suck? Is it editing worthy?

Book 2 is my August release, My Brother's Wedding. I cranked that baby out and then edited my butt off for the 9-month turnaround. It was also my first attempt at anything other than YA.

As I write this, I'm still not sure I want to play again. The baby is a year older but it seems my other family commitments have grown. The boy is playing on two soccer teams, both kids are doing volleyball and then there's the homework which is never stops coming ( I thought the kids were in school; not me).

But the pull of challenging myself and seeing if I can still do it is strong. I have a story idea brewing; something I've wanted to start for awhile but do I have the time. Do I have desire to stay up late and stress out when the numbers fall short one day?

While I hash out my pros and cons list, I have to know. Are you participating this year? Do you have an outline ready to go? How many years have you played? Any after success?