A Quick Time Out

 Dropping in on a non-standard Tuesday to share a random xkcd comic. (There is a mountain lion, but it's reading Facebook...) https://xkcd.com/1947

1T Status Update October

"There isn't enough time in the day" isn't quite true. What we're really challenged by is the fact that there may not be enough time to do everything that's important to us in a way that gives us satisfaction.

And yes, this is leading somewhere. I'm working full time outside writing these days, and so don't have as much time for the monthly updates or nice touches I was used to making in the online world. That may change, but for the present, this may be the last update for a while.

So, on to the good news! Giveaway! $462 in GCs plus ebooks from bestselling authors to ONE winner in this pre-holiday MEGA #giveaway.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I finished the manuscript for Night's Bliss, final book in the Ancients series, and sent it in to my editor at the end of August. In celebration, I created two short videos for the first two books in the series.

https://books2read.com/NightsCaress

https://books2read.com/NightsKiss

1T Status Update - June

Is there a customer service department for years? Seriously, someone needs to cash 2020 in for a refund or exchange it for a better year.

In the interest of staying upbeat and positive... (grits teeth and makes with the happy face)

I did finish my final two final projects for my associate degree in software development, one of which was a challenging capstone project with big presentation. So, hooray! On the other hand, I should have been done by now except another class was a lab class so we had to wait until June to return to campus. So there's that. But I have an internship which is the last piece before graduation.

The first draft of Night's Bliss is done except for the denouement. Final school projects and various 2020 pressures means that draft is a little rough, but I have a week now to smooth it out. Then I'll have my usual personal edit passes. On track to send to my editor by end of August.

There's a Rafflecopter! To celebrate Tina Donahue's release of HARD LUST - PNR Reverse Harem, she's holding a Rafflecopter with $365 in GCs plus ebooks from bestselling authors to ONE winner.  https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ec8aae6737/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

March 1T Status Update

I'm at 60K for Night's Bliss first draft, through the Crisis and into the Climax. I took a few weeks out to finish up New Orleans's Nobody for the April Fools For Love 2020 group. Found out recently we won't be doing it this year  

Since I have the story done (just a few brush up edits), I'm going to go ahead and release it anyway.Now available for preorder with the special price of 99¢!

An April Fools joke turns deadly for Mo Gaffney. Only the visiting New Orleans grandmaster can save her.

The reason the blurb is so short is that I'm studying for the third of three comprehensive exams for my schoolwork. Brushing up on class material I haven't seen for nearly two years is lots of fun. Well, not exactly, but it is good to go over the material again knowing what I know now.

February 1T Status Update

Ah, February. Month of valentines, candy kisses, and alternating slush and freezes (at least in 'Sconsin). Am I the only one who buys those little candy hearts with the cute messages to drop in my husband's pocket or lunch? Even stale, they're both crunchy and fun.

• I didn't quite finish the first draft of Night's Bliss, but I'm into the crisis, and of course the climax is mapped. More info as it comes.
• Back-to-school means I've switched over to a smaller project (more doable in short spurts). New Orleans' Nobody is shaping up nicely.
• Did you miss Helen's blog post? You can see it here. Informative and enjoyable for both authors and readers!

January 1T Status Update

Happy 2020! Starting a new month and a new year. And big new news!

• Night's Bliss, Elias's story, has been bought by Entangled Publishing. I can't wait to get this one into reader's hands!
• The incredible Helen C. Johannes has graciously agreed to do a 3T Writing Tidbit! Look for it in just TWO WEEKS!
• I'm halfway through the first draft of Night's Bliss.  I hope to finish the draft by the end of winter break.
• Signed up for my last semester of classes. IoT, mobile app dev... This one's a fun one!

December 1T Status Update

Night's Kiss successfully launched! Thank you to everyone who bought, loved, shared, and reviewed. You're the reason I could stay with the series as long as I have.

I hope to have important, exciting news within days for Night's Bliss, the final book in the Ancients series. This is the story many, many of you have been waiting for. Elias is in a face-off with Lord Umbra...will the Ancient One find love at last along the way? Three chapters done, full story map done. I can't wait to get back to writing it!

But first this month I have my 3rd semester of school to finish. Then, over winter break, it'll be back to Night's Bliss, along with a short Vampire Vignette (New Orleans's Nobody) for my April Fools For Love author friends.

This month also sees the usual holiday music work, such as playing for our local animal shelter's Festival of Trees. January it's back to school for my final full-time semester.

Here's a fun little reading my husband and I did from Night's Kiss via Instagram... (also on Facebook)

View this post on Instagram

Join Mary Hughes for an exclusive reading from her new release Night's Kiss. 💋 “A gripping and entertaining novel that kept me hooked till the end.” —Anna G., Goodreads 💋 💋 “A wild ride for vampire lovers!” —Erika C., NetGalley 💋 💋 Pick up your copy today: https://bit.ly/2qrRykn

A post shared by Entangled Publishing (@entangled_publishing) on Nov 27, 2019 at 12:36pm PST

November 1T Status Update

Sooo excited for the release of Night's Kiss: the Ancients series book 2. I'm pulling out all the stops for this and Elias's story, Night's Bliss, now in development.

Preorder is live now!

As a human who hunts vampires, I risk death each night I take to the streets. Bloodsuckers are stupidly fast. I have only my wits, my practice, and my weapons.

Oh yeah, and my rage.

Vampires killed my parents before my eyes when I was young. My revenge? I'll destroy every last one of the evil bastards, starting with their king.

But only one man can help me locate the king. Achingly tall, dark, and too-sexy-for-his-own-good, Ryker is gorgeous enough to be the vamp king himself. But the devilish arch to his black eyebrow, his white, unfangy grin, and rocking the daytime are good clues that he's human.

We’ll have to work together as uneasy allies if I hope to get my final revenge on the king—only now it seems evil monsters are also after our prey, and they’ll stop at nothing to see us all dead. And why are we having so much trouble finding the king?

September 1T Status Update

School has started again! I'm eking out what writing time I can from lambda expressions and distributed Java. It isn't much, but I did get this status update put together :)

September news:

• Big sale coming just in time for Halloween! Mark your calendar October 28-November 4. More information next month.
• Hear the author play piccolo! 2019 American Legion band contest.
• Night's Kiss edits turned in! Cover request sheet filled out and turned in. Hopefully we'll see something online by October.
• Night's Bliss proposal package just about ready! My beta reader needs to look at the first three chapters and then I need to do a final pass over the whole thing. 

1T Status Update-August

Three months to go! Night's Kiss is in edits this month, and I've got the first draft of the proposal package done for Night's Bliss, Elias's story. I'm seriously excited to finally bring this all together and get it in your hands!

This month:

• Atlanta's Angel (Vampire Vignettes) releases
• Reread of Assassin's Bite (Biting Love) Even the shadows fear him—how can any woman love him?
• Classes start again (4 this semester, see you on the other side!)

Atlanta's Angel (Vampire Vignettes)

I’m Detective Leah Mackenzie, a human with the Atlanta PD. My partner and I are investigating the graveyard homicide of a young woman when arrogant master of the city Michael Obsidian stalks onto the scene.

Obsidian declares my case vampire business. Human hands off.

Tightly furious, I follow him to his lair to convince him he’s wrong. Yeah, I confront the strongest freaking vampire in the state, so what? My heart’s pounding in fear, too—bloodsuckers, even the lawful ones, are predators governed by deadly instincts born at the dawn of time. But Mom always said to do what was right, even if I had to go it alone. I need to get justice for the victim.

Then I get a lead on the killer that takes me straight into wild vampire territory, and going it alone threatens to turn me into the next homicide.


Special note to Biting Love fans—This isn't the Biting Love Universe. This is a short, first-meet story in a post-Unmasking universe. While there's sensual tension, it's meant for general audiences. There are vampires and snark, though. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!


Vampire Vignettes. Short. Scintillating. First, exciting meets between an apex master vampire and the human woman who lights his life for the first time in centuries. Each story features a vampire master of the city and the woman who charms (or fights or snarks) her way into his life.

Universal link to see more here.

1T Status Update - July

Four months to go! Night's Kiss is going to be in edits this month, perfect timing as I'm also beginning the proposal for Night's Bliss, Elias's story. I can't wait to finally bring this all together and get it in your hands!


This month:

• Chicago's Chosen: Vampire Vignettes ready to go
• Detect This: Vampire Vignettes (working title) first draft done, along with two edits. Title coming soon
• New cover for Falling on for the Billionaire
• Cover reveals below!

COVER REVEALS:

Vampire Vignettes

Vignette: a short, delicately memorable scene.

Short. Scintillating. First, exciting meets between an apex master vampire and the human woman who lights his life for the first time in centuries. Each story features a vampire master of the city and the woman who charms (or fights or snarks) her way into his life.

Chicago's Chosen

New to Chicago and tottering on the brink of bankruptcy, human Adele wants a job with Knight Industries, owned by rich vampire and city master Damien Knight. So when a not-quite-aboveboard invite for a party at Knight’s place comes from her best friend, she jumps on it.

But a dark, mysterious vampire at the party catches her in a fib. He’s about to throw her out when she brazenly asks for a tour of Knight’s business first. To her surprise, he agrees and takes her away from the noise of the party. On the plus side, she’ll get to see Knight Industries and maybe learn enough to get her coveted job. On the minus, she’s all alone with a dangerous predator, and he’s looking intently at her neck…

And what’s she going to do when she finds out who her tour guide really is?



MJ Chase: Pen name for more moderate language and slow, simmering buildup.

Falling (on) ^for the Billionaire
A sexy romantic comedy

Can tripping over your own feet lead to falling in love?

He’s a billionaire media superstar hungering for more than meaningless celebrity dates. She’s a junior college teacher who loves him from afar—until she’s roped into playing wingman for her international-model sister, who's trying to win him back.

June 1T Status Update

Setting programming aside for a few weeks in favor of catching up on some writing.

• Hot Chips and Sand is 99 cents this week only!
• Next round of edits for Night's Kiss coming this month
• New Vampire Vignette started that's frankly a hoot to write
• Chicago's Chosen cover should be finalized soon
• One-credit eight week summer class
• Band starts
• Getting back to Soul Mates 

May 1T Status Update

This May brings the last few weeks of classes and final projects. After I'm done with the semester, it'll be summer!

Ah summer. When we can finally relax. I plan to hit the Vampire Vignettes, Soul Mates, and scope out the final Ancients book. Plus a few other summer projects. And yardwork. And American Legion Band. Oh, and one one-credit class... (so much for relaxing, lol).

April 1T Status Update

Happy April! A lot going on this month (but frankly, when isn't there? lol).

Night's Kiss is coming! #4 Biting Me Softly (hot!) Golden, deadly vampire meets a St.-Pauli-Girl-Next-Door. Books to Read universal link | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA 

• Night's Kiss second round edits turned in!
• First draft of Chicago's Chosen is done.
• Cover requirements for April Fools For Love 2020 happens this month.
• Orchestra started again, concert in May.
• Big presentation for Systems Analysis today (plus a test plus a requirements document due).

1T Status Update

The countdown continues! Only eight more months until Night's Kiss, second book in the Ancients trilogy and sixteenth book in the Biting Love Universe! Enter to win one of two copies of The Bite of Silence here.


Times Square. New Year’s Eve. This year, it’s a Countdown to Death.

Twyla Tafel has uncovered an insane plot to unleash vampires on the unsuspecting revelers. She’s armed only with her great admin skills, her useless art degree, and Nikos—a seriously hot vampire she’d love to paint as a Spartan king roaring his muscular challenge at the Persians.

This one's super-hot.  Adults only, please.

In other news:

• Tentative release date for Night's Kiss is November 18, 2019!
• I'm still anticipating Night's Kiss edits this month. They should hit just in time for spring break (no rest for the wicked--or authors, lol).
• I've finished the first draft of the first novella in the NEW VAMPIRE filler project I mentioned last month. Super excited about these.

February 1T Status Update

One of the things that happened last year is I went back to school to update my programming skills. But as I sit here with school cancelled due to stupidly cold temperatures, I thought I'd catch up on some writerly things.

Night's Kiss Countdown. I'm doing a monthly giveaway to get ready for the upcoming second book in the Ancient's series and the sixteenth (!) story in the Biting Love universe. We're on month #2, Biting Nixie. If you haven't read it and you enjoy super steamy, super funny paranormal romance, be sure to enter this one.

In other news

• we have a tentative release date for Night's Kiss! More on that next month. 
• Night's Kiss second round edits coming in March.
• I'm 25,000 words into the first draft of Soul Mates
• I have another project in mind to better use the small bits of time I have between classes and studying. More on that later.

1T Status Update

Happy New Year! Have any of you made resolutions for 2019? I don't usually, but this year I have two: Eat More Protein (it's amazing how much better I feel) and Relax More (also amazing how much more energy I have for work if I've done some serious relaxing first).

What about you? What are you doing differently this year?

Oh, and I'm working on Soul Mates, the final book of the Pull of the Moon series. Just at the beginning stages right now, but the characters are developing nicely.

The big news is that I'm expecting second round edits shortly for Night's Kiss (the Ancients, book 2). I don't have a release date yet, but I figured with 10 books in the Biting Love Universe (14 if you count the Short Bites), a countdown reread would probably stretch until release day. *grin*

The Biting Love Universe. A cup of high-octane, steamy UF romance, a dollop of small-town mayhem and two (or three) lumps of sarcasm and geek culture references. Start from the beginning with Bite My Fire.
https://books2read.com/BiteMyFire
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073TSV9VV
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B073TSV9VV
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B073TSV9VV

Get in on my giveaway! Two lucky winners will receive a copy of Bite My Fire. Steamy and sweary. Adults only, please.

1T Status Update

Happy December!

Winding down the semester means winding up the projects. I'm hip-deep in schoolwork, good for my website, bad for writing.

I've been mentally working on Soul Mates, however. Some juicy twists coming. Once this semester ends, I'll have several weeks of straight writing. I'm also going to ask when second round edits for Night's Kiss are coming. Hopefully they won't collide with New Years.

If you haven't seen it, there's a special currently going on Hunt Mates. "Tired of the same old paranormal story? Love magic and mystery, humor and heart, steamy shifters and witty wizards? Give Hunt Mates a try." Check it out at your favorite store.

1T Status Update

Night's Kiss first round of edits turned in last month! I'm working hard to get ahead on my classwork while I wait for round two. Fall concert next weekend for my orchestra. I started re-editing Heart Mates over the summer. Trying to get back to that so it's ready for Hunt Mates's ENT promotion end of next month.

ALERT! Amazon forgot to return the price on Passion Bites to its original, so you can still get the steep discount until they notice their mistake.

1T Status Update

Good news! Night's Kiss is in the hands of my brand-new editor, the incomparable Candace Havens!

More good news--BookBub SALE coming September 12. Grab your copy of Passion Bites while it's 99 cents.

I'm also excited to be heading back to school to brush up on my computer programming skills. First up--Java Script and SQL.