Liz Baker Series Book 7 Under Way

So, as many of you know, I'm currently working on the seventh book in my Liz Baker series. I just started this one so I'm still fleshing out the ideas and plot points, but I finally wrote that first sentence (and page), and I know where the first chapter is going. Woohoo!

I'm not much of a planner when it comes to my stories. I start with a general idea of what I want to say and where I want the characters to end up at, and then I fill in the blanks one page at a time. Sometimes the characters do what I plan for them to do, and then other times they scoff at my ideas and go wherever the hell they want to go whether I want them to or not. I tried planning out an entire book once, chapter by chapter, scene by scene, with the ending ready and waiting for me to get the words on paper. And then my characters had other plans...

Nothing I planned happened! The characters laughed at me, pointed and called me names as they moved about the story line at their own pace and did whatever they wanted to do. That's when I knew I wasn't a planner when it comes to my books. The characters won't allow it.

As for Liz Baker, I've had the opening to book 7 in my head since the end of book 6. I knew how I wanted it to begin, and all I had to do was get back to this series and start writing. It's the rest of the story I don't know yet. LOL!  Thankfully though, Liz is a strong-willed character and she will eventually show me the way of her world once more.

It's been a while since book 6 came out at the end of 2014. Eek! I didn't even realize it has been that long until I just typed that. Wow! I've had a crazy few years. Nonetheless, I've already released a new book and a short story this year, and Liz's new story is next up. I'm hoping (fingers crossed & powerful magic dust everywhere) this story will release in late August/early September. If it all works out, that will leave me just enough time to get to the second book in my Penny Montague series before 2017 is over.

Wish me luck & keep reading!

The hardest part of writing...

Over the years, I've heard all sorts of "hard things" about writing from both authors and people who want to be authors, and every one of them has a different "hard thing" that trips them up. Some people tell me they can have a great idea, but don't know or can't figure out how to get it on paper. Then others have told me they can start strong, but the story falters and they never finish it. While even others have mentioned they can get the beginning and end perfect, but it's the middle that trips them up.

For me, the hardest part of writing comes down to two sentences: the first one and the last one.

The first sentence of a new story is the one that needs to entice a reader. It has to bring you into the story enough that you want to read the next one, and the next one, and the next one. It has to make you wonder what will happen next, or how the main character got to where they are in that first line of their story. That's why a lot of writers say staring at a blank first page gives them pause. How do I begin this? I know what the story is, but how to I start it?

Secondly, the last sentence in a story needs to tie up the entire book? It needs to supply a fulfillment to the reader. This one is a completion of the story, yet, if it's a series, needs to lead into the next book. It needs to satisfy the reader. Is this enough information? Is it too much? Will the reader understand? Or have I just pissed everyone off with a cliffhanger? Eek!

These are just a few things that go through my mind when I start and end a story. Right now I'm battling with a blank first page of my next story. I've done research and written plenty of notes, tips, scene ideas, and random sentences, but I haven't gotten the actual first line on virtual paper. Once it comes to me the stories usually flow quickly and smoothly, but it's a matter of getting those few words written.

Wish me luck!

Sorrow Meets Death is live!

The day has finally arrived! Sorrow Meets Death is live and ready for all of you to read. It's a short story that links Liz Baker and Penny Montague together for future series stories. This short is available for download for FREE on my website here.

This story is meant to be read after Devastating Sorrow, so make sure you're all caught up with the first book in the Penny Montague series before starting this one.

I hope you enjoy this little snippet into the lives of these two women. Next up will be the 7th installment of the Liz Baker series. Be on the lookout for it later in the year.

SORROW MEETS DEATH

Liz is a small town bar owner who doesn't know much about the supernatural creatures outside the ones who keep coming to her own town.

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Penny is an immortal witch who sensed something interesting the last time she was in this small Georgia town.

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What happens when these two meet each other for the first time? Trouble, of course.

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