Deny Me is coming soon!!

The ASSASSINS series has taken over the whole summer! I hope you’ve loved the series as much as I have. We’re up to book 4, but don’t despair—there will definitely be more! Eli’s story will be coming this December, with more books in the planning stage beyond that, I promise. ASSASSINS will continue for a long time to come!

 So what’s next, then? SOUTHERN NIGHTS: ENIGMA, of course! We get a glimpse of King Moncrief and his heroine in ASSASSIN’S HEART, and I plan to release their story, DENY ME, in October. That’s right, I plan to cross over Enigma and Assassins in coming books! So, Deny Me in October, and Eli’s book (title to be determined) in December.

 Stop thinking about 2020! (I know you’re thinking it; I can feel it. That schedule isn’t ready yet, LOL!)

 DENY ME is up for preorder! Head over and grab your copy!

DENY ME

What I've Been Reading: Writer's Doubt

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So I took a little detour with my reading this month. I've been doing a lot of nonfiction reading lately. One day my sis, Dani Wade, sent me a text: "Go get this book!" The book? Writer's Doubt: The #1 Enemy of Writing (and What You Can Do About It) by Bryan Hutchinson. And you know what? She was 100% right.

I've been talking a little bit more openly about the struggles I've had with writer's block. I think the prevalence of so many writers who poo-poo the idea of writer's block only serves to make those of us who have experienced doubt ourselves more. And that doubt only serves to compound the probem. We who struggle in this area have to learn not only to tune out the naysayers and root out the sources of our blocks, but we also have to combat the doubt that can creep in.

Writer's Doubt begins with Bryan's story of how he came to be a writer. One of the things I love is that Bryan says something in the beginning of the book that I've come to realize myself over time:

...if we keep our stories, our feelings and our experiences hidden inside of us, it is much more difficult to heal and find answers. So many people remain secretive, so secretive that they’re never able to actually seek help for their internal conflicts. If you want to be honest with your readers and yourself, put everything on the page and leave your comfort zone behind.

Now, this is probably targeted toward nonfiction writers, but as a romance writer, I've found that a lot of the emotions I've experienced over time tend to come out on the page. Not as exact experiences, and not as a one-to-one translation, but they do come out. Take Me began with the idea of a mother who lost her child. I also lost a child, not the way Peyton did -- her child was kidnapped; mine died -- but I found myself thinking of those emotions, drawing them out like you would draw out poison, as I put words to the page. Facing our past helps us heal, and writing can help us do that, whatever form it takes.

Of course, the book isn't just about emotions and memories. It's full of tons of practical advice. Ways to write when you're blocked (notebooks, journals, nonwriting options), where to write. The section on writing rituals and getting into the writing zone reminded me I'd sort of abandoned that part of my early writing career when I got bogged down in a year's worth of edits. Practical advice on not only writing but publishing what you write. There is a lot of meat here, not just fluff.

My favorite piece of advice?

Your first draft is not crap no matter how far from perfect it might be.

There really is a ton of great things not just to learn but to really think about as you read this book. I'm not going to tell you any more. You need to go get it and learn for yourself, explore for yourself, consider things you never really considered about yourself. You'll come out the other side with a whole new outlook. :)

~ Ella

Wow, What a Week!

It has been a pretty amazing week -- or three -- around Casa Sheridan. First and second round edits for Brad and Angel's story, Just a Little More (Secrets To Hide 3) are completed. Since the first round included adding three new scenes (one of which was an entire chapter!), this took up a good chunk of time, but the results are oh so wonderful! Just a Little More is off to lines, and hopefully we will have a release date very soon. Don't worry; I'll definitely keep you updated! In addition, my editor cap has been incredibly busy. I've edited six -- count them again...SIX -- full-length books in the last two and a half weeks. No wonder I was completely fuzzy on Friday! I turned in the last book late Thursday night (okay, early Friday morning), and that was it. My brain shut off. Ever have those days? The ones where work is so involved and you give it all you've got until your brain just won't function anymore? Yep, that was me. I spent Friday in a complete fog. But now Monday is here and I can get back on the bandwagon of work and writing -- mostly writing! -- and feel productive (instead of like I was run over by a steamroller!) once more. :)

So, what's the point of today's post then? Am I just whining about how busy I've been? Well, kinda. ;) But I also wanted to share a little bit about what I do on the other side of my life, my Day Job as a line editor. I get to work with some fantastic authors on a regular basis -- I think I figured last year that I edited somewhere around 60 books? This past week I got to work on a very special project for my sister, Dani Wade. I finally got the chance to edit her second Backstage Pass book, Settling the Score! This book features Daniel Korvello, front man for the rock band Solar Uprising, and his sexy publicist, Becca Buchanan. Here's Dani's description of their story:

Daniel Korvello isn’t your average Joe with a case of unrequited lust. He’s a hard rock front man who wonders if his publicist will ever see him as anything other than a job. Then they team up to hunt down a threat to Daniel’s family…and he seizes the chance to show her he’s up for more than just a one night stand.

Becca Buchanan already lived through one rock-star scandal with her reputation barely intact. She’s determined never to put herself, or her family, through that again. Only she can’t deny the desire she feels for Daniel. When he exposes the molten heat beneath her Ice Maiden exterior, she may never be able to freeze him out again.

Then their amateur investigation takes a dangerous turn that threatens the lives of those they both love. Can their newfound trust extend past the bedroom? Can Daniel let go of his guilt enough to embrace a future with Becca?

Dani's first Backstage Pass novel, Finding Her Rhythm, told the story of Michael Korvello, Daniel's brother and guitarist for the band, and his nanny. The story was HOT, HOT, HOT, and so were the glimpses of Daniel we got, which was why I asked Dani to let Daniel make a special guest appearance in my second book, Naughty Little Christmas. That's right, our books intertwined! The connection made it that much more special to help Dani get Daniel's story out to the world. So if you're interested in hot rock stars with a penchant for blindfolds and outdoor sex and growly, sexy song lyrics, check out Dani's new release. You won't be disappointed!

Settling the Score is available at Amazon here. And if you enjoy it, don't forget Michael's story, Finding Her Rhythm. Enjoy!