Well how the hell are ya??

Sadly, this blog has been left lacking. Not because I couldn't write anything, but because I haven't really had many updates. I'm still working with my publisher to release the remaining Legacy of Secrets titles while working on the last few installments (seems easier than it is, I promise). Unfortunately, I'm not "in the groove" to write LoS right now and my brain keeps traveling elsewhere, delving into new stories I didn't yet want to write. I feel like if I don't put my energy toward something else, I may never actually finish LoS because I'll be TOO focused. Does that even make sense?

Anyway, here are the titles or works I've been dabbling in this year:

Blood Promise: A Legacy of Secrets Novella (3.5)
Falling Undercover (Romantic Suspense)
Unnamed Greek Mythology Saga (next in-depth series)
New Alpha Romance (started just yesterday)
Ruination (Sci-Fi Thriller!)

I've yet to actually finish any of the above, but they're on my mind here and there - ALWAYS. So, I'm off to go write a chapter in one of the above in hopes that it gets somewhere. If you don't follow me on social media, you're missing out on the fun! Keep an eye out and....

Follow Me Everywhere!!!

Newest Release: Infinite Possibilities Box Set!!!

Infinite Possibilities

Raven's Seduction Press & Nevermore Press bring you tales of epic proportions across all genres! The stories range from PG to HOT in two box set compilations. Infinite Possibilities and Infinite Possibilities Seduction available for a limited time at $.99! 

See more after the jump.....

What's Up in 2015

The Year of Possibilities

We've all seen the posts over the last few days; everyone talking about their resolutions and 'new year, new me' proposals and so on . While I know there are things that need to change in my normal day-to-day life, this post is going to be about what my *fans* are going to see from me this year.

New Genres

Currently, I'm working on a Romantic Suspense novel that I plan to publish in the next six weeks or so. While I am very enthusiastic about finishing Legacy of Secrets, I need to spread my proverbial wings to see just where they may take me. I'm not usually a traditional romance fan, but I don't plan on writing something that will be particularly typical of a romance. A little white collar crime, steamy sex, lying hussies and so on. You know, typical stuff.

I also plan on working on a Sci-Fi novel that I'm incredibly excited about. It's a dystopian novel that takes a little bit of some of the more popular works and kind of meshes them together to make something completely new. I know that doesn't sound new, but trust me when I say this hasn't been attempted before (at least among the HUNDREDS of books I've read)! I'm totally stoked to tap into my inner Stephen King!

Legacy of Secrets 

As I said, Legacy of Secrets will be (hopefully) wrapped up this year. I had intended to finish the series this spring, but seeing as how as I was planning a wedding last year I was a bit sidetracked. The titles coming up are as follows:

Blood Promise: A Legacy of Secrets Novella

Shattered Secrets: Legacy of Secrets #4

Untitled Novella

Chasers

If you follow me on Wattpad, you'd know that I have a serial story that I post on from time to time. It's more or less a writing exercise to make sure I don't get burnt out on writing the same ole same ole, but I do have an arc as to what's supposed to happen. I plan to write a lot more issues this year as, again, the wedding had me side tracked with much of my work last year. The next episode takes the guys another step into the little town near their compound where they start to realize what they're dealing with and face their limits. 

Etc, etc, etc...

What else will I be up do this year? Who knows! My main goal is to have enough goodies to keep all of you entertained for as long as I can, without driving myself into a stupor. Here's to a great year ahead! 

Lisa

xoxoxo

The Nitty Gritty of Self-Publishing (as told by me)

Photo courtesy of John O'Nolan

There's been a lot of talk lately about indie authors who decide to pull their work and call it quits. Boy, have I been there! Some days, I still think it would be so much easier to act as if this entire endeavor was an elaborate dream and I've just now woken up. The bottom line is that you have to love what you do more than you hate the details! 

Writing is the fun part (most of the time) and the part most of us are the best at. Granted, there are some people who are good at all of it, but most aren't. After the manuscript is written, you have to pass it off to your editor (which you should have) and for formatting if you don't normally do your own. Then, beta readers or the like to look for issues missed in editing rounds one and two. Lastly, you run through the editing yet another time while compiling the suggestions from the beta readers and editor and look for continuity. You get covers made depending on how you're releasing your title. You pick a platform and click submit and there you go! 

Obviously, there are a few parts that seem simple that really take forever, but you get the idea. Not to mention the money coming out of pocket to pay the service providers, unless you just have really awesome friends. In that case, I may need to make friends with these people :D

So you clicked submit. Now what? The short answer: market yourself. Ha! Easier said than done, unfortunately. Unless you already have a network of bloggers, writers, readers, etc., you may find yourself overwhelmed. Marketing is the part most of us suck at. But it's not really our fault! Some social media networks are requiring money in order to reach an audience. Pages I follow on Facebook are starting to move their business elsewhere because no one sees their updates anymore. A lot of people want to move to Google+, but aren't sure how it works and Twitter is so spammy it makes my eyes cross. Yet, most established indie authors will tell you to have the following:

Website
Blog
Twitter
Facebook Page
Wattpad
Google+
Tumblr
(Insert other social media here)

Still, all of these things can be instrumental to garnishing exposure, but most authors can't keep up with it all on their own and many don't feel it's worth the trouble now that it's harder to connect. I mean, really? Who has that kind of time? A writer should be writing, not pushing refresh on their News Feed every five seconds in hopes that someone retweets or shares their story. That's what we'd all like you to think, but sadly that is exactly what most of us do. We get so wrapped up in spamming seemingly pointless social media that we forget to actually write! Craziness!

If you have money, you can hire a personal assistant who is versed in social media, but this person will handle your business. I mean, all of your business. You'd basically be leaving your livelihood in the hands of someone you don't know so you can actually do the thing that creates your livelihood. (Ouch, my head hurts). Chances are, if you're writing, you don't have enough money to pay someone else's salary. If you do, I think I'd like to make friends with you, too! 

Think about this, also. How many indie or self-published authors are out there? I think it's more feasible to ask how many aren't out there. These authors, including myself, have to break through the din to have our voices heard. That also means we have to believe in our work and that it's as good or better than the mainstream books. Dog eat dog, my friends. 

Listen, there is no single secret. Not really. I've been writing my whole life. I've been published since 2010 and I'm as starved as starving can get! I've wanted to quit. I've told myself that publishing isn't worth the headache if I don't see the returns, but I'm 100% full of crap. Publishing is worth every second. My blood, sweat, tears and screams go into the stories I'm sharing with the world and, although the crowd is small, they're inviting me into their imaginations for a few days or weeks of entertainment and then back again with open arms. I may not be the best writer, but I believe in my stories and characters to a fault. My passion is inked on those pages and it shows.

So for all of those who are looking to quit, ask yourself why you started writing in the first place. Did you want to become famous? Did you want to tell a story? Did you think "what the hell" and crossed it off your bucket-list? Do you even enjoy writing? 

Get back to basics. Figure out what you want, first! Find the joy in what was once your great love. If the butterflies and goosebumps are gone, you may need to break up for a while, see other people, find new fish and what not. But if at the end of the day, you find inspiration from a typo before auto-correct has the chance to change it, there's something bigger going on there (true story). Take a step back. The world is most certainly your oyster. 

 'Til next time!
Lisa 
xoxoxo

Giveaways out the a$$!

If you've not been following me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc, I've been doing giveaways since Friday of last week. (Where have you been????) I've decided that I'm pretty much going to be doing giveaways up until the next book comes out. In case you all didn't know, I also have a newsletter that I will be releasing periodically about new releases, updates and such. If you'd like to sign up, you can click here. To see last week's newsletter, click here. 

Be sure to stay tuned! You won't be able to get my books from anywhere else for free! 

This Week's Promo!!!

Simply Smyrna Celebration

I live in a suburban city outside of Nashville, TN and periodically throughout the year the city holds festivals, or celebrations, for various reasons. Tomorrow night they are holding a celebration for the reopening of the train depot, which they've recently remodeled as the first step in the downtown revitalization project. Since they're holding this celebration my friend and I have decided to participate and support our city while they, hopefully, support us! If you live in or around Smyrna, TN please stop by!

Here are some photos of my supplies!

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!

Schmuck Am I!

Well, I missed all of my blog posts for last week. I know, wtf! Apparently, I have been enjoying some "time off" a little too much. So many things to do, not nearly enough time to do it all (or at least that's what I keep telling myself). I will have the rest of my blog posts for this week, since I'm making it a goal to be more active. I'm falling behind the pack!

I haven't had much time to write seeing as how I haven't made any, but I have been reading quite a bit. I'll have some book reviews to post over the next few days, too. On that same note, there've been some movies I've seen that I'll also be reviewing. I don't discriminate! I love many art forms!

I'm lame enough to think that one day I might get lucky enough to have a movie or TV show based (even loosely) off of one of my stories, so it's only fair that I continue to indulge myself in all of my passions. At least that's how I see it and I refuse to give in to my own reality! 

Stay tuned for some teasers this week along with the reviews. I don't have one tonight, but there will be more to come. Either way, I haven't disappeared and I will be giving you all a chance to be sick of me again very soon! 

xoxoxo
Lisa

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 time has arrived!!!

I'm so incredibly happy to announce the Cursed Secrets is finished! The re-writes were completed, reviewed and edited and it is now live for purchase for both Kindle and Nook! I'm so happy that it's finally finished, I can now begin working on other projects and not worry about having this one waiting in the wings.

That being said, I'm going to also be doing a giveaway through this weekend for the new edition! Ten lucky winners will get the newest edition of Cursed Secrets by entering the contest. I've added the details below and it can also be found at my Facebook Page Here!!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Ramblings of Nonsense

I'm excited to announce that I will be revamping (no pun intended) Cursed Secrets. As my first novel, there are areas of it that easily fall short of the direction of the story and the intended relationships of the characters. It was rough, to say the least. Since I have a better direction and more experience under my belt, it is only fair to give it another go and allow the opening to be as epic as the ending will undoubtedly be. I'm actually pretty excited to give my debut a face-lift and see what happens!

I've also decided to release my novellas in print with the other books. There have been a few people that have asked for this and I am just about ready to make it happen. I'm super excited for all of the new stuff this year. I hope I can continue to grow with the support of all of my friends and readers. I would be nothing with you guys!

Also, there are a few sites I want to link that I find particularly enjoyable. Some are other authors I know, others are some that I just like to follow. Feel free to partake and let them know I sent you! 

Rachel A Olson

Parasupernormalism

Parasupernormalism Facebook

I Heart Books

Paranormal Reads

Dannika Dark (Official)

Paranormal Book Club 

Great Books

Flipping Pages for All Ages

Eat Sleep Read

I Love Books

One More Chapter

Yezall Strongheart (Adult Content)

Indie Author Network

Paranormal Zone

And in case you've missed them, here are my personal links!

My Website

Facebook

Twitter

Tumblr

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

BookRix

Indie Author Network

Google+

xoxoxo 
~Lisa

Merry Hobbit-days and Happy Christmas!!

Blah, talk about a long week! I haven't really gotten a whole lot done this week, aside from some cosmetic changes to my website and a social media blitz. I'm exhausted, but it'll all be worth it someday! At least that's what I keep telling myself- haha. I've been trying to cram as much "stuff" into my day as possible. Does anyone else think we need an extra day somewhere in there? I'd probably still complain about not having enough time, but I digress.

On another note- it's almost Christmas! Just to show you guys how much I <3 you, all of my books will be free on 12/25-12/26. That's right all of my books. I figured it's a pretty good way to end out the year and get my butt in gear. There is a lot in the works for next year! Currently, we're aiming for Legacy of Secrets to be completely finished by this time in 2013. It's bittersweet, but necessary. I'll also be working on a few more projects and, quite possibly, will have some completely new books before the end of next year. I normally have a hard time working on more than one thing at once, but I'm going to see what I can do about overcoming that. I hope you all don't mind being the guinea pigs!  

Aside from all the writing stuff, I went to go see The Hobbit yesterday. Epic!!!! I remember having to read the book years ago and it took forever for me to get into it, but this movie made me want to go read the book again! It was fantastic! There was emotion, action, adventure and a beautiful sound track. It was such a wonderful production. I've let my inner fangirl show herself to such an embarrassing degree that I think it's time to go back to something more productive :D.

Have a great holiday if I don't see you all before- Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

xoxoxoxo

Writing & Breaking Dawn: Part 2 in review....

So as I work on Soul Covenant, I'm finding myself immersed in a completely different time and place. The other books in the series have touched mostly on the present, with Fire & Ice delving into the past only momentarily. This one, however, exists almost entirely in the past. A necessary part of Austin's story is figuring out how things came to be; why he is in the position he's in. I've started painting a pretty interesting picture thus far, but I'm not quite ready to share it yet!

As soon as I have the cover for this one, I will be sharing with the world! I'm pretty excited about it, as I say about pretty much any of my stories, but this is so far out of my element it can only be epic. It's hard to explain the feeling when you know something you're working on is leaning toward greatness, but trust me when I say it's a high like no other. (I'm a nerd, I know).

On another note, the boyfriend and I went to see Breaking Dawn: Part 2 yesterday. I was a bit torn, mostly because the reviews were less than impressive. I know, though, that there are a lot of people that simply bash anything Twilight, which is fine. I enjoyed the books for the love story's sake, but the movies sort of ruined it for me. I have to say though, I actually really enjoyed the finale. The surprises were FANTASTIC and it was so much better than I thought it was going to be. I'm not a fan of the screenplay, which has been pretty consistent throughout, but it could have just been the way it was portrayed by the actors. 

Now, I'm not saying I dislike the actors in general, just the acting in these movies. I'm not a huge fan of Kristen Stewart, but she's still a young actress and will hopefully grow into a great one. Although her portrayal of Joan Jett in The Runaways was probably the most entertaining she's ever been (in my opinion). I did see her in Snow White and the Huntsman and wasn't really impressed. Robert Pattinson has grown TREMENDOUSLY since Twilight. I've seen him in Remember Me (which if you haven't seen it, you're crazy!) and Water for Elephants (another book-to-movie adaptation) and both were pretty damn good. I also saw Abduction, Taylor Lautner's flick, and thought he did well as an action-man. He, in my opinion, has a little more of a need to grow into his craft. But, I am not an actor so what do I know, right? And, before you ask, no I don't have a "crush" on any of the "men" in the Twilight movies. The books made my heart melt for the love Edward and Bella shared. The movies, not so much. Without it being believable, how can you really fall in love with the movie the same as the books? 

But I digress...I must head off to greet the rest of cyber-space! Thanks for reading my informal review. I think I'll begin posting movie and book reviews more often. After all, I can always talk about myself!!

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Binding Secrets Release Delayed!!!! ***UPDATE***

As you all know, we were shooting for an October 31st release, but we've run into some technical issues that may not be resolved in time for Wednesday. Ahhhh!!!  

If the issues are not resolved by Friday 11/2, then we will release Tuesday 11/6!!!

I apologize to those who are waiting for the release and hope you all can stay with me! We've been working diligently to get any and all issues resolved, but some things are just unavoidable sometimes. I'll keep you all posted as soon as the book is available. Remember, you can always check the status on Twitter, Facebook or My Website.

Sorry guys!! :(

Drowning in books and Michael Jackson

As most of you know, I've been working feverishly to finish up Binding Secrets for its Halloween release and busting tail to make sure there aren't any loose ends. In the mean time, I've been gearing up for what I hope to be a great Halloween with the kiddos this year. The boyfriend and I have decided to dress up as Roman people and we're pretty into Halloween so hopefully we can give it a good go. I'll definitely post some pics of our family outing that we're planning so you all can see the craziness.

Speaking of Halloween and costumes, my five year old son is obsessed with Michael Jackson. When I say obsessed, I mean this kid lives and breaths MJ and constantly sings Thriller and Bad. Last night, he and his brother were singing Smooth Criminal so loud, it was ridiculous. Of course, I can't help but sing right along considering the songs are from when I was a kid. I remember singing with my sister on our karaoke machine and trying to mimic MJ's classic vocal "oh's" and "he-he's". It's equally as entertaining to watch my five year old bust out the moonwalk (or something close to it) and other classic moves. I can't help but laugh at his quirkiness. 

On another note, my children are book reading machines. Between a school book fair, Scholastic books from the classroom and Books-A-Million, I've spent A LOT of money on books over the last few weeks. Not to mention a neighborhood boy gave them about ten other books. I'll need to find us a sturdy bookshelf! While my books are primary on my Nook or Kindle App, I did keep some of my favorites in print simply because I couldn't part with them. Some books just mean that much to me (yes, I know I'm a nerd!). 

Well, I'll be heading to do some more work on Binding Secrets. I'm on a very tight schedule and need to get it done for you guys. Talk to you soon!!!