Hello, all. I suppose by now, you’ve all given up on monthly updates. I
don’t blame you. It’s been awhile. There are a couple of very good reasons for
that.
Where the hell did Tracy go?
I’ve not been the most visible writer in quite some time. Truth be
told, that trend will continue for a while longer. How did I abandon thee? Let
me count the ways:
1. Our glorious public school system
Let me tell you something. The state of education, particularly in my
state, could not be more pathetic. Especially when a special needs child is
involved. My kid has always come first, and when the situation reached a point
where I was contacting his school almost daily in fury, I yanked him out and
started homeschooling. As I’m sure you can imagine, this eats up a significant
portion of my day. My entire morning is taken up with class. The good news is,
Kiddo is thriving at this point, making significant strides. The bad news is,
obviously, less time for me to write.
Less time to write, you say? Ah, and yet…
2. The crazy book release timetable
Last February, I was blessed with a three-book contract with Carina
Press, an imprint of Harlequin. Let me start by saying, I am delighted to have
signed the Warriors of Risnar series with them. It is a thrill to be with them
for this. Carina’s enthusiasm for Risnar tells me that this series is going to
delight a lot of readers.
The best news of all? Those three books are all currently scheduled to
be released in 2018. If Risnar tickles your fancy…and boy, do I get to my happy
place on this new world…you’ll be glad to have the series coming at you fast
and furious.
What has that got to do with not hearing much from me? Well, though the
first book was finished at the time I signed the contract (until my remarkable
editor got hold of it, haha), there were two more books to write. Within a
year. My typical time to write a book, from start to finish, is six months. No
problem, right?
Wrong. With the first book not to be released until early 2018, I still
had to write books to pay the bills for all of 2017. At least four of them.
Six books. In twelve months. And that was with Carina being gracious
enough to delay the book releases later than they’d originally hoped. I had one
year to write Warriors of Risnar 2 and 3, Alien
Revolt, Shalia 11 and 12, and Clan
and Conscience.
Cue the panic.
I’ve juggled a schedule that at different points had me working on all
six projects at the same time. Now you know where I’ve been. Schooling half the day and
writing every waking moment beyond that. Seven days a week. During the family vacation. During a hurricane
evacuation. Every day. There has been little time for anything else. Updates
and most marketing have fallen to the side as I set this keyboard of mine
a-smokin’.
After eight months, I’m starting to see the light at the end of the
tunnel. Shalia’s Diary Book 11 –
done. Alien Revolt - done. Warriors of Risnar 2: Worlds Apart – in
Carina’s hands with edits pending. Two more books, Clan and Conscience and Shalia’s
Diary Book 12 are nearing completion.
It’s nice to be at this point. But there is still a lot of writing to
do. Let me fill you in, while I have a moment to do so, on the status of all
those works-in-progress.
Stages of the Books
Clan Beginnings: Clan and
Conscience – Clan Ospar’s story has been through two rounds of edits, with
at least one more to go. It’s looking good for its November 17 release.
Fighting murderous enemies. Battling each
other. It’s the perfect recipe for romance, Kalquorian-style.
On
the surface, young Dramok Ospar has it all: money, prestige, power. Yet what he
dreams of most is outside his grasp. His drive to prove himself has left him
lonely, with no one to turn to…except the Nobek bodyguard who is decidedly
unimpressed with his accomplishments. Oh, and there’s the matter of the local
crime syndicate trying to kill him too.
Nobek
Jol faces his worst security assignment ever: guarding the most irritating
Dramok to draw breath. It’s not that Ospar isn’t handsome, intelligent, brave,
and charitable. It’s just that he’d be so much better gagged into silence.
Temple
of Life priest Imdiko Rivek wishes for inner peace and total enlightenment. He
knows he won’t find it in the lethal world Ospar and Jol inhabit. However,
fighting the allure of the pair to achieve perfect tranquility is proving to be
more difficult than he could have imagined…plus the fact that their enemies
think he’s the perfect target to bring Ospar and Jol to heel.
* * *
Shalia’s Diary Book 12 – The
end of our journey with Shalia (sob!) is nearing completion. I have edits to go
through once the first draft is done, and there is no book release or blog
start date available at this time.
* * *
Warriors of Risnar: Not of This
World - A victim of repeated alien abductions since childhood, Jeannie
Gardner is experimented on by a race called the Monsuda. When returned to
Earth, she does her best to live a normal though lonely existence. Taken by the
aliens yet again, Jeannie runs away from her tormentors and finds herself on a
planet far from Earth. Naked and starving, she’s all but given herself up for
lost when another species stumbles across her and offers help. But are these
striped people who call themselves the Risnarish friend or foe?
Kren Bolep is head of law enforcement for the Risnar village of Hahz.
He doesn’t know what to make of the odd creature with her unarmored skin,
clawless fingers, and fangless mouth. All he knows is that she comes from an
enemy lab, and Monsudan creations must be destroyed.
Despite the obstacles of different languages and customs, Jeannie and
Kren forge an unlikely bond. For Jeannie, Kren offers the chance to trust in
others once again. To Kren, Jeannie represents the longed-for companionship the
women of his own species can’t give him. Desire grows as they surmount the obstacles
that cannot keep them apart.
Yet Jeannie must prove to the governing Assembly of Risnar that she is
not a Monsudan creation, destined for execution. Even if she and Kren can
convince the Elders, another danger looms: the Monsuda want their lab subject
back and will do everything in their power to reclaim her.
Carina Press has tentatively scheduled Not of This World to be released the first week of February 2018.
* * *
Warriors of Risnar: Worlds Apart
– Submitted to Carina Press and in edits. Release date sometime around May 2018.
* * *
Warriors of Risnar: Worlds
Collide – Two-thirds of the first draft is written. Release date late in
2018.
* * *
At this time, I have not started the next Clans of Kalquor book. I do
not know when I will do so. I will be taking a short break after Worlds Collide is finished, and then I
can start fresh.
I also cannot commit to resuming regular updates quiet yet either. For
now, the schedule is still packed. I’m glad I’ve been able to finally sneak in
a moment to tell you all what’s going on and why I’ve been MIA more often than
not lately. Thanks for your patience! And enjoy Clan and Conscience later this month.
