Ups and Downs

It's amazing how easy it is to get swept up in the day to day and forget about everything else. Before moving back in May, I had a relatively consistent schedule for writing and what not, but now it's all jumbled. The time is still there, the energy just isn't. Honestly, I don't really know what to do about that.

Some of my free time has been spent by just reading and catching up on books I've not had a chance to read in the last year. Another large portion of time has been spent with my hunny and the boys since it's summer break. Then, of course, the rest of my time I've been working. I need a schedule pretty badly, but I'm always tired and completely drained.

So, what to do? Clearly I'm just whining because the only one stopping me is me, but it just feels better to get it off my chest. If any of you have ever had a similar problem, how did you fix it? What techniques did you use to keep yourself on track? Any and all input will be greatly appreciated!

xoxoxo

Beautiful Darkness {Review}

The first half of this book annoyed me. It wasn't that it was bad or poorly written, it was because the story was taking too long. There were obvious queues in the bulk of the book that didn't come to fruition until much later and I was borderline tearing my hair out while I waited for it all to happen. The wait was worth it, but I still would have enjoyed a bit of a faster pace.

Once I passed the annoying parts, I was finding myself rushing to the end. I definitely loved how the book ended and how all of those annoying strings finally tied together into a beautifully dysfunctional bow. I genuinely like Ethan, although I wish he'd be less of a boy sometimes! I don't know how thrilled I am to continue reading the series if the remaining books are as slow as this one was, but I'm going to muscle through anyway!

I give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars!

Beautiful Creatures {Review}

I'm usually not one to jump on the "hype" band-wagon, but I was intrigued by what I'd heard about Beautiful Creatures. It took a little bit of time for me to get into the book, but once I dove in it was hard to put down. The only complaint I have about the book is that the constant descriptions of the narrow-minded view of the folks in Gatlin and how the main character views them became redundant. After hearing about it a few dozen times, the point is taken.

There was nothing about the story in itself that I would want to change. It's refreshing to have a different type of point of view than the normal paranormal books (yes, this also includes my own!). I love to read stories like this and learn different techniques for possible future projects. Anyway, I definitely give this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars. 

P.S- The movie wasn't bad either! :)

You can read more of my reviews at Goodreads!

The joys of non-inspiration

I've been reading and thinking and attempting and reading some more, but words aren't flowing too easily for me right now. It could be the sense of constantly feeling like I'm forgetting something, or maybe my mind just needs a reset button, but so far nothing is working. Who knows? Maybe I just need to seriously sit back and think about the direction my writing is going and whether it's something I need to completely rethink (something I REALLY don't want to do). 

By that last statement, I mean continuing Legacy of Secrets through 4 books as intended, or simply ending it with 3. I don't want to do that either, because I don't think I can truly finish the story in 3 books while at the same time not having the slightest clue how I'm going to get to book 4 at the current pace. Decisions, decisions. 

So, on that note, I think I'm going to go to bed and think on this some more. I'll be setting up a serious schedule where I will add in more time to blog to myself (and whomever decides to read this) as well as writing time and marketing time. The excited part of my brain is beginning to lose steam and exhaustion is setting in. Blah!

Good night, lovelies and please don't hesitate to comment!

xoxoxoxo
Lisa

Book Review: Sterling by Dannika Dark

I recently finished Sterling from Dannika Dark's Mageri Series. Here's what I had to say:


Sterling by Dannika Dark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'd heard good things about Dannika Dark from a friend of mine so I decided to partake in starting this series. I have to admit that it took a while for the story to come together, but when it did I was very caught up in the action. I give this books a solid 4 stars, only missing out for my confusion in the first part. Still, I'd recommend it!

View all my reviews

Soul Covenant!!!!!

No flashy title this time, only the triumphant horns blaring in the wake of finishing the project that took much too long! It is done and I am so freakin' excited!

Currently, the novella is in beta testing and I have plans to publish later this month. Woot! I never would have imagined writing this story would take so long, but I feel it was a good departure from the main story and a great insight into Austin's past. I can't wait to find out what the betas think!

I've posted the photo below. Click it and you can see more about this story. Happy reading! 

Lazy News

I don't know about you all, but I haven't been doing much of anything lately. I think I might be getting some type of sinus bug, so I will be heading to Kroger tomorrow for some much needed medication. Due to feeling weird, I haven't gotten much done. I'm bummed by that, but I also didn't mind it at the same time. I don't have many lazy days with my schedule anymore!

But, I do have a few new things coming up that I wanted to let you guys know about, so here it goes!

Indie Author Network (IAN)
- Contests running through 12/15 for some swag prizes, free pdf book copies (Binding Secrets is included and it's signed!), and more!

Paranormal Book Club
- Votes for the "Best of 2012" going on through the end of the month! Vote for your favorites already listed, or add those you think should be in the running. 

Yezall's Serials
- Good friend and author buddy of mine, Yezall Strongheart, is offering free serial reads on her website. It doesn't hurt to check them out!

New Tumblr Blog
- I've set up a new blog roll on Tumblr for inspirational photos, music, quotes and so on as it pertains to my writing journey. Follow me to join in the fun!

New Cover Release
- I'll be releasing the new covers for Soul Covenant and Fiery Secrets before the end of the month. Char and I are working on the finishing touches for the Soul Covenant cover and once it's done I'll be dropping it for all to see!

Soul Covenant Release
- I'm in the middle of writing this one right now, but I'm shooting for the end of the month. Everything is on track and we're editing as we go so it shouldn't take any time at all. This will be a completely different experience for everyone and I'm completely stoked!

Love During Death Release
- My good friend and author buddy Rachel A Olson will be releasing another book in January 2013 that she co-authored with Jessica Humphrey. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to beta for her, but I've heard good things so far and can't wait to snatch this up! I'm in the middle of reading The Seventh Layer right now and I know I won't be disappointed. :)


I think that's just about all of the news I have tonight. It's after 11:00 pm where I am and I have to be up for work at 7:00 am. If tonight is anything like last night, sleeping should be fun! (NOT)

Good night folks!

P.S.- We decorated our Christmas tree last night. What do you guys think?

 

For the love of books...

Hello, lovelies! Today is Friday and I am oh so thankful for that! This week has been busy and I didn't sleep much, but I'm alive and kickin' and ready for the weekend! In case you missed it (and are living under a rock), Binding Secrets was released on Tuesday. My very good friend, and apparent fan, Rachel A. Olson left a wonderful review for me on Amazon. She read it in about two days and text me often to gush about the characters and happenings. I was flattered and excited that she enjoyed it and I can only hope anyone and everyone else reading it feels the same way. 

On another note, I will have the cover reveal for Fiery Secrets before Christmas. I'm flippin' excited!!! Char, my graphic designer, is amazing and always manages to pull through for me with mind-blowing designs. I couldn't have done these covers on my own. I <3 her!

My next book will be another novella, centered around the back story of our wonderful friend Austin. There is a rich past that needs to be explored. Love him or hate him, everyone has a story to tell. His is one of great pain, but a story nonetheless. I've already started on this one despite the promise to myself to take some time off. Apparently the story just cannot wait. I will be mixing it up a little in this one, so be sure to follow me for updates on it. I'm looking at a release date near Christmas for Soul Covenant and a summer release date for Fiery Secrets. 

There will be a swag pack giveaway soon, although it is not set in stone yet. Also, I've been thinking of creating a Legacy of Secrets store on Zazzle for folks to purchase swag whenever they want. If I have enough people interested, I will start production on those soon so there can be lots of gift appropriate items. Who doesn't like swag?

Well, folks, I'm off! I have work to do (apparently that's why I have a regular job) and lunch to be had with my hunny shortly. Have a marvelous weekend! xoxoxo

Binding Secrets available now!!

After a very long, very draw out process, Binding Secrets is finally released! It dropped today in ebook only on Kindle for $2.99. So far, it's been well received and I'm looking forward to hearing from you all in the coming days. I'm so very excited that you're all able to continue on this journey with me! Click below to get your copy now!!!