Old Manuscripts

A lovely Champion named Debra emailed me a few days ago, and pointed out something in the second Robyn Hood book I forgot to fix long ago. Debra said:

“… at the last of the second Robyn Hood book, there was mention of a book coming to kindle, “Hollywood Fails: Curse the Spotlight”. But – the Amazon search bar tells me there is no such thing, yet my math tells me there should be since the second book mentioned (Princess Ahira, or perhaps Red String of Fate?) is already released. So I’ve basically come to a conclusion that this book was scrapped.”

The answer is yes. And no. I have three or four finished manuscripts sitting in a folder on my computer. Hollywood Fails is one of those manuscripts. The problem is I finished these manuscripts roughly five or six years ago at a time where I was…not quite as knowledgeable and versed in writing as I am now. The plots and characters need a little shining, but the big hurdle is that I need to redo some structural points and writing rules that I did not follow when writing these.

Each book would take roughly a month to “refurbish,” so to speak, but I doubt I would send them to Editor, as Editor is occupied enough with what I consider the current flag-pole/main event: the Timeless Fairy Tales. Out of the “rejected-until-refurbished” manuscripts, I have an urban fantasy story and its sequel that are set in the same universe as Life Reader. (You actually see a bit of Raven, Asher, and Aron in the sequel.) I also have one modern setting chick flick about a girl who gets unwillingly yanked into Hollywood. (Hollywood Fails.) And to wrap it up, I have what might be considered an Epic Fantasy manuscript. (Think Red Rope of Fate.)

My question is this: How do you, Champions, want me to prioritize? Timeless Fairy Tales are important to me, and producing those falls into my number one slot–although technically the MBRC sequel is occupying that spot as I will begin writing it next week. But what comes after that? I will continue to release Timeless Fairy Tales, but I will go batty if I constantly throw myself into that world, so I would like to have non-Timeless Fairy Tale books lined up for production. Would you rather have a Life Reader sequel or the next King Arthur Book, or one of these “refurbished-‘n-fixed” manuscripts? (The nice side-effect of dusting off one of my old manuscripts is that the turn-around time should be significantly faster than the time it takes for me to write, edit, and release an entirely new book.)

Picking individual books depends a lot on my schedule, but I would like to know what you are all most passionate about. You can contact me via the contact me page, or leave your opinion in a comment to clue me in. As always, thank you for reading, Champions!

Return of Sad Panda

Do you know what hurts with out-of-this-world-pain? An ear infection. Do you know what hurts even more than an ear infection? Two ear infections. Somehow I have gotten myself saddled with two ear infections, and I have to say it is doing wonders for my pain-cursing vocabulary.

This seems to be a pretty good idea to me right now.

Because of this double whammy I don’t have much to share. Writing is on hold for now, and I haven’t been doing much of anything besides indulging in a few of my favorite “feel good” books (Little Princess, Heir Apparent, Howl‘s Moving Castle ) in an effort to try and forget that my ears are SWOLLEN SHUT. I should be doing better by Friday, so hopefully I will have something more interesting to share then. Otherwise, enjoy National Library Week!

What’s New?

With The Wild Swans off to be edited, I have a bit of free time on my hands. I’ve mostly been using this time (this time being the past 24 hours) to finish up some of the business aspects of writing, but I’ve also been looking for inspiration for the next book I plan to release. (No details on that one yet as my plans for the book are barely penciled in.) So, I decided today is a good day to play another round of “Getting to Know Me.”

Favorite movies? I will admit it. I’m a big fan of kids movies. Mulan, Sword in the Stone, Up (pretty much all the Disney animated movies and Pixar films if I’m being honest), Princess Diaries, and Chronicles of Narnia are among my favorites. My most beloved movie is How to Train Your Dragon. Yes, it’s weird that I love a kids’ movie with as much passion as I do. I also like adult movies, though! Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, National Treasure, The Lake House, The Blind Side, and RED are among my favorite “adult” movies. It seems narrow, but I do have a pretty wide taste. Show anything funny, filled with adventure, and a dash of romance and I’m there.

Are you a coffee or tea person? Both. Ish. I love pretty much any kind of black tea or green tea. I enjoy a good cup of white tea as well, but sometimes those taste more like  seeped weeds than tea. I love iced coffee drinks. (Think McCafe Java Chip) I love the scent of brewed coffee, but I don’t fancy drinking it straight. If I’m having a hard time staying awake a cup of tea and a cookie will usually do the trick.

Any new authors out there who have grasped your attention? Well… they’re new to me. I just read two books by Merrie Haskell, The Princess Curse and The Handbook for Dragonslayers. Loved them! I also recently read Wonder by R. J. Palacino. It was another great read.

Have any authors influenced your writing? If so, who? That’s a tough question. My short answer is yes. The slightly longer answer is that certain authors have influenced aspects of my writing. For instance, when it comes to the romance department Jane Austen was the greatest influence. While my characters have more physical contact than Austen’s, I really appreciate her idea of an emotional/mental connection rather than a physical connection. J. K. Rowling and Gail Levine (Ella Enchanted) taught me that books can be clever and humorous. And… they aren’t really writers… but as much as I am at loathe to admit it, the cartoon version of The Justice League was a major help when it came to figuring out action scenes. Yeah. I am a nerd.

Remember to vote for CHAMPIONS’ CHOICE by April 3! Time is running out!! Thanks for reading, Champions, and have a lovely day.