My new reading corner!!!

Okay, so here it is....my new reading area in my bedroom. I did mention my master bedroom is huge, right?? OMG, our house was built in 1979 and I don't know what they were thinking because whole families could live in this one room alone...it's crazy over-the-top big.

BUT I am so okay with that now because it is officially my new favorite place to hang out with all my books.

I intermixed them, although they are divided by read and to-be-read. Note the TBR shelves are the lower two and the one off by itself. Yes, I have an insane number of books still to be read and that's before we EVER discuss my kindle. O.O



 

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A dream...

My husband and I have been married for 21 years. For the first 18 years of that, I was following him around the world in the Air Force. When you are a military family, you move every 2-3 years and the Air Force  pays for that move...as long as you stay within a certain weight limits on your household goods. As a result, for the first 18 years of our marriage, I kept my paperback/romance collection to a single box. That's like 30 books.

Torture.

I mean seriously...30 books?!?!

So when we moved to Texas and our forever house, I made NO SECRET that I planned to buy as many books as I wanted to build up my library. hehe....



 

Here's a view of two of my READ series drawers....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Things may have gotten just a little out of control over the last three years. Here's part of my current print TBR....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and some more of my current TBR pile....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These last two photos are READ books at least, but I think you can see my problem. I'm a disorganized mess and there's nothing I want more than to be able to go to my bookcase and know in an instant if I have a book or not.

So today, I went out and spent a minor fortune on bookcases.

Honestly, this is the first splurge (besides my super-duper really nifty cell phone) that I've spent on me since I started making money as a writer. It seems somehow appropriate that I do so buying bookcases.

So I bought a whole slew of new bookcases and plan to turn a corner of our bedroom (yes, my bedroom is MASSIVE) into a huge reading corner. I have big plans and think that it's going to turn out gorgeous and cozy. That's the way it looks in my head anyway and things ALWAYS turn out the way that they look in my head...lol...NOT!

I also made this huge plan without consulting hubby. Yeah, I know...technically, he lives in the bedroom too, but he would just rain on my parade if I asked, so.... Yeah, say a little prayer for me because I'm probably in trouble. hehe. Maybe I can ease the pain when I buy him the huge new flatscreen he's been wanting to put in there.

Furniture delivery comes on the 28th so I will share after photos. I hope that they are epic! Well, as epic as you can get in a bedroom stuck in the 80's with teal carpet and a wallpaper border. Yeah, I know...see that's what dh would have said too, but I'm sorry....bookcases are just way more fun (to me) than replacing the flooring which is what he would have done. ;o)

If y'all keep buying my books, maybe someday I can do that part of it too. Hehe. Love you all!! Thank you for all the support so I could purchase my dream bookcases!!!

smiles....

 

Announcing my next project: The Shadow of Mudflap

This is a project that started several months ago and I'm so excited about it.

Mudflap is a radio personality on KLLL (96.3) out of Lubbock, TX. We're second cousins and truly only know each other off of Facebook. I've never met him in person. A few months ago, he came to me with a project idea and things progressed from there. Here's a letter from Mudflap in his own words to let you know how this project began...

Each January, when starting out the year on my morning show with Jeff, Kelli, & Mudflap ( JKM), I come up with a crazy bit, for on air purposes,  that is entertaining, interesting and unique to our listening audience.      

Example of past Morning Show Bits:

**Another year it was the Mudflap Bobble head.

**One Year I came up with a perfume that was called O’duMudflap . 

**Another year it was My Own Mudflap T-Shirt Line

**Another year I wanted to touch all 50 States via Planes, Trains, Buses, & Automobiles

This year I wanted something different and shocking.  I wanted to try and write a Romance Novels.  And thus my journey begins.

 

When I first come up with an idea, I do my homework and come up with a plan on how I will accomplish this adventure.  Upon trying to figure out how a book is written and produced I realized I was way over my head and I needed help. 

 

 In this modern era of Social Media, staying in touch with family & friends as become a little easier.  I had been following a family member, my cousin, of whom I had never met before, but I knew she was a Romance writer.  I took a chance and messaged her, via Facebook, and it was then that we begin to talk & discuss with her about this book I wanted to write for the morning show and what was the process I needed to take on this project.

The journey still has a long ways to go, but I have thoroughly enjoyed helping and tagging along the way! Not only is this going to be a fantastic book & series to read, I have gotten to know a cousin who is extremely talented and pleasure to work with.  I feel like I have hit a home run, not only for my morning show, but I really feel like this will be a great book people will enjoy reading.

 

I’m extremely excited about where this project and anxious to see where this journey goes.

Mudflap 

 

So, that's how the project began and it's definitely evolved along the way. Now, we're writing the book together. I do the bulk of the writing, Mudflap came up with the initial character list and we developed the story together. Every day when I write, I send the pages to MF and he sends me back feedback about what works and what doesn't, along with additional ideas about where the story can go.

I never imagined that I could write a book with someone else, but I think we've both been pleasantly surprised about how fabulous the process has been. We're both having a great time doing it...and driving our spouses crazy with all the texting back and forth.

So, do you want to hear more about the actual book???

Here's the Story Description:

To us, first responders are heroes. But for them, risking their lives is a normal, everyday thing.

Mudflap:

Born the baby of the family, Mudflap has always had something to prove to emerge out of the shadows of his older siblings. He spent eight years as a Special Ops elite sniper and is now a firefighter. But at his heart, he’s just a normal West Texas good old boy who loves his beer, women and football, until the Department of Defense calls him up to say they need his skills again.

Shanae:

Shanae is a first responder of a different sort. She’s a trauma nurse who works on a medical evacuation helicopter team. But while she lives a life full of adrenaline every day, it’s just a cover for her real life, where she hides in the shadows and is secret agent, Shadowfox for the Lubbock Foxtrot Team (LiFT). She’s living the kind of life that most people think exists only in movies and books.

Working for two different branches of the government, Mudflap and Shanae are in a race against time and the terrorists who threaten the very heart of West Texas life, football. They’re working toward the same goal, but find themselves in a confrontation against each other and the lies they’ve each had to hide behind. Can love win out in the end or will the cost be each other and their very lives?

First responders are heroes every day, but this story tells the tale of when they become even more and find love along the way. The key is for them to stay alive so that they can complete their mission and just maybe live happily ever after.

On an ordinary day, they save lives. On an extraordinary day, they save the country.

Like I said, we are both really excited about where this project is going. So far, I'm loving writing the book (it's about 2/3 of the way done and I plan to have the first draft complete next week).

Even more exciting for both of us though is that...

ALL THE PROCEEDS from the sale of this book will be going to

the Lubbock Red Cross.

****************************

Details about the book and series:

Projected Release Date: mid-August, 2013

The series: if this first book goes well, we plan to release at least three more within the series (one a year). Those first three books will all follow Mudflap and Shanae, although side stories will develop with other characters. Although they are romantic suspense, the goal with these books is to focus on the adventure, suspense, and fun. They are supposed to be flat-out fun to read books.  (approx word count= 50,000 words)

Add

THE SHADOW OF MUDFLAP 

to your reading list on Goodreads.

Had an amazing day yesterday!!

 



I don't tend to do too many personal posts on here, but I had to share today because I am feeling so incredibly blessed. Yesterday was an amazing day. Actually, the whole week has been incredible.

As you all know, the final full-length book in When the Mission Ends trilogy released this week, Operation: Endurance. Most of you know I've been incredibly nervous about the release of this book. The book is super-emotional and it took a LOT of work to get it to the point that it had the right balance. (HUGE kudos to my editors: Mia Downing and Sarah Negovetich who worked tirelessly with me to make sure I had it done right!!!) Well, so far the early reviews are amazing and it's such a huge relief. I love Chris & Julie and ALL of these characters. I needed this last book to be really good, but as an author, you hit a point where you can't tell anymore.

Not only have you all embraced the story, but the sales of it this week have surpassed even my hopes for it. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!! You have been so supportive and excited about these characters and books. It's overwhelming to me. THANK YOU!!

When I started out on this writing journey a year and a half ago, I was so lucky to find a group of local writing friends. I have learned so much through them and I've had so much fun out our Wednesday meetings. Well, last night they threw me a surprise book launch party. OMG!!! San Angelo Writers (SAW) are the BEST!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like I said, it's been a phenomenal week. I'm very lucky!!

And just a tiny little hint....NEXT week, I will be officially announcing the details on my next writing project. It's huge and I'm so excited to share it with you. That will probably be next Monday, so keep watching this space.

I'm also going to be doing some updating on the blog here with details about the upcoming series (yes, that's plural) that I have coming out. I have BIG PLANS for the next year and beyond and want you all to be aware of where all the projects are going. I love my job!!!