Hello, and welcome back from break! Or maybe you're still on break - good for you! I took a few days off, first to prepare for Christmas, and then to recover from it. I'm back at it today, and raring to go. Already on page 220 of my initial read through of Smoke, and it's going well. I'm a pretty pleased book mama at the moment, if a nit-picky one.
I started not to use the photo up there for this post. I'd decided to go find something pretty on Pinterest when I realized the truth was better than anything posed. It's not an attractive shot: USB cables coming out of the computer, water bottle, Coke can, gloomy afternoon and Christmas garland through the window. But that's the reality of it: there's nothing posed or glamorous about writing. It's a butt-in-chair, sore-back, too-much-soda kind of job. The beauty unfolds on the page, while the process itself is less than inspiring. And that's a beauty I simply can't live without.
2015 has been a big and busy year for me, writing-wise. I've met some amazing and kind readers, and I've seen the dark underbelly of the book business. I've learned a lot, and I've thought long and hard about my artistic vision for my writing career. Here at the end of the year, at this normal time for reflection, I've decided some things about the way forward.
I'm going to be launching a new series this year, hopefully by March or April. It's an intricate, sprawling project I've wanted to dedicate myself to for years, but the timing was never right. For the last few months, I've been working on a draft of the first book, and I think now is the right time to really pursue it. While it will be completely separate from my other series, and will have nothing to do with bikers, it will still be chock full of multi-dimensional characters, intense drama, and compelling love stories. I'm thrilled to start it. It's going to be truly epic, in scope and content.
Dartmoor fans, never fear. There are more Lean Dogs adventures on the way, too.
So, a quick look at the release order:
Secondhand Smoke (Jan.19th)
Snow in Texas (?)
Super Secret Project
A rough sketch, I know. One of my many New Year's resolutions is to get scheduling tighter.
I'm glad to be back from break, and I hope you're excited as I am about what's to come. 2016 is going to be a blast.
It's all exciting! Every single day. Waking up is like a new beginning.
ReplyDeleteIn all seriousness, though, your "office" has a window which is much better than the cube I go to every day. ;)
Can't wait to hear more about the new series and really looking forward to Secondhand Smoke!
Happy New Year Lauren <3
Looking forward to more of anything you write. Love your style. Hope some of the H/h are thirties to forty. Too young just leaves me out. If not, thanks for listening. Happy New Year
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I'm looking forward to lots of new stories, and I hope you'll enjoy them.
DeleteAs to age, I always try to keep a diversified group of characters. For me, a story always begins with a character, rather than a concept, so for the most part, the characters simply ARE the ages that they are, through no effort of my own. I've always thought age was just a number, and have always been quite old at heart - haha - so I like writing mature characters, regardless of his or her calendar years. And I always hope that the audience can connect with the characters through shared traits and glimpses of true humanity. :-)