I'm still a lame...

So, I've been telling you over and over how much it sucks not being able to find a reliable editor.  That still seems to be the case for me.  I am, however, confidant that I will probably not find one any time soon.  So, that leaves me with a big decision.  Do I publish Healing, and then hopefully Banishment soon there after with the edits I've been able to get done, and the edits I myself have done, or do I keep waiting...?

Simply put, I don't want to wait.  I'm not in this for money, or fame, or glory.  Yes, I do sell the books for a whole .99, but that's because the money then goes towards the covers and whatever else I can use it for, for the books.  I'm not trying to be a millionaire from this, if it happens that's cool, don't get me wrong.  But I did not start out doing any of this for money.  I have stories that float through my head on a daily basis, and if I don't get them out, then my brain becomes clogged and I don't function well.

I want nothing more then to put out an amazing book for my readers.  I want you all to have the perfect book that I've been trying to give you.  But in doing that, I've failed you.  I have not put out the story.  Personally, when I read a book, I don't care if things are perfect.  Yes, I catch the your and you're, mishaps, or the, there, their, and they're, flubs.  But, honestly, whole words have been spelled wrong in some of the books I love to read, and those are put out by publication companies, and people who are paid a lot of money to make no mistakes.  Hell, I've even read books where words are just left out and you have to figure out what should have been there.  Does it mess up the book?  I don't think so.  Do I catch it and giggle?  Sometimes.  But that just proves to me that the people responsible for the amazing story I just read,  are human, and I'm okay with that.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, I plan on releasing Healing within the next couple of weeks.  Maybe a month.  It will not be perfect.  I am not perfect.  But it will be the continuation of a story that it seems quite a few people like.  And with the release of Healing, there will be a sneak peak of Banishment, the third and final chapter of the Banishment series.  I will also be releasing Banishment by the end of this year.

I hope it's what you've been waiting for.  I'm excited about it, and of course I love the characters and the story as well.  So, for now, my sincerest apologies.  I hope you will all forgive me for how lame I have been, and I really hope you like Healing.  I'll let you all know as soon as it's out there for you to grab.

Goodnight from California!

Cover Reveal Time!

Okay, I told you I was gonna give you a sneak at the cover of Healing.  Well, so this is the actual cover for Healing, unless something happens and I have to change it, but it should be just this.  And of course, I'll show you all what the cover change is before publishing it.

I'm super happy with it, even though it took a long time and we went through a bunch of different options.  I was being too specific and when I let my specifics go, this is what I got.  It's simple and awesome.

Guess What!!!

Okay, so guess what!  I have someone helping to edit Healing.  I was fortunate enough to talk with someone I know and they've taken jobs proof reading before.  I'm super happy that she is able to help me and I'll be able to get Healing out soon.  In the next few days I'll be doing a cover reveal here on the blog, so try to watch for that.  Otherwise, I really have no new info.

I'm really sorry that it's taken so long.  I would like to get this done as soon as possible for the people who have read, and are waiting for, Healing.  I feel terrible that it's taken as long as it has, and I hope you haven't all lost faith.

Thank you for your support.  Goodnight from California.

Golly Gee

Editing is getting closer to being done.  As I've said, I'm working on the edits myself.  I do not envy people who do this kind of a thing for a living.  At least they don't edit their own work, that's a bit harder.  When you know the story, you just get wrapped up in it.

With that, I've been working on it as much as possible, and have stayed up way late into the night.  Lack of sleep and editing is not a good combination.  And there's this dog that keeps barking in my neighborhood.  It barks all night, bark, bark, bark, and I really freaking hate it.  But, I want you all to know that I'm working in overdrive and promise to have Healing out a.s.a.p.

So, just wanted to keep you all posted.

Goodnight from California!

Getting There

So, I finally had the photo shoot for Healing and, to say the least, it was a lot of work.  There were a few issues, none of which were the models fault, and I ended up not liking a damn thing once we went to work on the cover.  We got some amazing shots, and most of them would look good, for something else.

In the end, I decided it wasn't working with a person on the cover for Healing, so we changed the cover.  There is no person on the cover for Healing, but in spite of that, I think it looks awesome.  Or, at least the mock ups look great.  We're still doing a few things with it, but I'm sure it will all be worth it in the end.

As to the editing on Healing, I'm still doing that one.  It seems that I am unable to find someone I can work with.  Maybe it's me, maybe it's people, for whatever reason, it's not working.  I am doing my best and will hopefully have it out very, very soon.

Sorry to those who have read Alone and really want to know what the Hell happens to Clear next.  I promise you, it's going to be a bumpy, but well worth it ride.

I plan on having a cover reveal for Healing up soon, hopefully that will tide you over until the book is released.

On a more pleasant note, I was able to get the perfect shot for the last book in the series, Banishment.  That one will hopefully come out a lot closer to Healing so you wont be waiting too long.

And on that note, I'm heading off to do more edits.

Goodnight from California!

Book Covers

So, I have a time set for the photo shoot needed to release Healing.  We'll be working through December to get the book edited and ready to go, along with doing the photo shoot.

I was able to get my previous model to appear on the cover again and am so excited to work with her.  Granted, the previous model is a friend, but that doesn't make it any less exciting.  This is the first chance I've had to get her roped into doing the cover shoot.  I have to do both at the same time because her time is limited right now, but that is a sacrifice that I'm willing to make.

Which means.... drum roll please..... that I'll be able to get both Healing, and Banishment out much faster.  I have a couple people helping me with the edits of both books and with hope, we'll get them out to you.

Not to be all sad and lame, but my family has been through a veritable hell recently and we're just now coming out of it.  No one wants me to delve too deep into what happened, just know that we're on an upswing, but because of it, I am not able to hire a 'real' editor.  I have people I trust helping with the edits.

I can do most of them myself, but as I've said before (I think), doing your own edits is difficult.  I know where the story's going and what should be going on.  I also tend to read over some mistakes in spelling and what not because, like most people, I don't really read the word.  I look at it and know what should be there, thus some of the issues that escaped me and my editor before.


But any way, that's that.  I'm working as fast as my little fingers will let me and hope to have Healing out very, very, very soon.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding.  I appreciate it more then I can say.

Goodnight from California!

Evil Mornings

I'm not a morning person.  I have never, and will never, like the morning.  Usually, I'm still awake at 2 am, and therefore, waking up at 7 like most people do, is horrible.  My week has been full of early mornings.  My daughter is in the afternoon class at her school and because of conferences and what not, she's been going to school in the morning all week.  It's been horrible for me, and her.  She hates mornings as well.

Because of horrible early mornings, I have been soooo tired that I haven't gotten a single thing done lately.  I'm editing what I can of Healing, but it's slow going.  It's hard to edit your own stuff, because you know what you mean, but that doesn't mean your reader will.  I've had times where I'll write something that makes complete sense to me, but when I have someone read through it, they look at me like a deer in headlights.  So, editing my own stuff has been a bit difficult.  I've got the spelling and grammar part pretty much knocked out, but the, 'does it make sense' stuff is a little bit more difficult.

I am doing my very best to get it all out as soon as possible and am very optimistic that I will have Healing out before the end of the year.  Please, do not hold me to that.  I hate that I haven't released it yet and it is a constant thing nagging at my subconscious.  I would love to put it out, but I know that it needs a bit more work, and disappointing my readers with a subpar text would be worse then holding off a while longer.

So, please, hold on a little longer.  I am optimistic, as you should be.

In closing, I'm sorry it's taking so long.  I am trying.  So, goodnight from California, where I will be awake for quite a few more hours, working and just enjoying my free time and dreading the toll of the 7 am alarm clock.