**Update: Since I posted this, I've decided to put another word count on the sidebar to mark my progress on another story I'm writing. It's YA Contemporary, but quite frankly, I'm still in the beginning stages of it and don't know exactly where it's going to go yet. Just wanted to pass that little tidbit along for anyone interested.
Just a heads up and a reminder from last weeks' post...the hubby and I will be heading to Sacramento, CA on Friday. He has a conference there for a week and then we're spending an extra week seeing the sights and celebrating our 9-Year Anniversary! Yeah, I'm amazed at it being 9 years too...lol!
Anyway, I probably will not be posting to this blog for the next two weeks, as I'm really trying to take a break from all things author and business related. My poor little brain cells need a serious R & R right now! But, I am taking my wonderful digital camera and intend to get lots of pics while we're gone. Then I'll weed through them and share some of the better ones with you all when we get back.
So, have a wonderful rest of July and I'll see you guys in August!
Blog for Author Wendy Lohr
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Thursday, July 12, 2012
A Change In Plans...
For those that have been following along, you know how excited I've been about Starward. We are actually only a few chapters away from it being completely done, edits and all, and I can't wait to do a final read-through of it!
But, just as in life, there's always changes and this is no exception. The Galactic Dynasty series, which Starward is a part of, is a co-authoring project between myself and my Muse (a.k.a., my husband). And with any co-authoring project, both authors need to come to an agreement or compromise as to how the book (or in this case, books) should be written and in what sequence.
So, over the last week or so, we've been having a lot of discussions and brainstorming sessions and here's the result of all of that: Starward will still be published, but it will now be the second book in the Galactic Dynasty series, which means the publishing date is on hold until the first book is written.
Whoa, wait! What do you mean, second book? What happened to the first book? Why is everything changing?! lol...okay, maybe I'm probably more panicky or freaked out about this news than the rest of you! So, let me explain what's going on and then maybe I'll, er...you, er...all of us will feel better! :)
When we first agreed to write the series together, I thought, 'oh, this will be fun and we'll have books publishing rapidly and the whole world will love us'. Okay, maybe I didn't think all of that, but I definitely thought that it would be a lot of fun. And it is! But, it's also a learning experience and a challenge. So, why are we changing things? Well, I learned that my Muse is not very fond of the whole 'write the series and then do a prequel' concept. In his mind, if I'm understanding correctly, if we already know we're going to write a prequel to the series, why not just make that prequel the first book and be done with it?
Yep, he is a man of logic and I certainly couldn't argue with that. I know that so many series out there today have been written and then the readers want to know about the before time that led up to the series, so prequels have been written to satisfy that curiosity. And I don't see anything wrong with that. But for the series we're writing, we've discovered that it actually would make the series better (in our biased minds anyway) if we went ahead and made that prequel the first published book of the series and didn't actually call it a prequel.
So, that's the big change we've agreed to go with. Which means I will be posting a progress bar on the side of this blog so everyone (including me) can see how I'm coming along with the word count. I'm aiming for 80,000 words but will not be surprised if the first draft surpasses that. There's a lot that needs to be revealed in this first book in order to set up the rest of the series as well as have it flow straight into Starward. And this also means that Starward may get a few more tweaks once this first book is written in order to ensure that nothing gets lost or forgotten or changed due to the events of the first book.
And no, we do not have a title for the first book yet. So, I'll be referring to it as 'the first book' or 'Galactic Dynasty Book One' or some other variation of the sort for right now. I do still intend to finish the edits of Starward as I have a couple of more chapters to add that we thought would strengthen the story a little more and we both agreed that we wanted to have that finished ASAP so full concentration can be given to this first book.
Oh, and for those of you that have read or are reading The L & L Mystery series, I have not forgotten about it. It has kind of gone to the backburner as this co-authoring project became the spotlight. But, I do intend to continue with the mystery series and will be working on edits for the fourth book, Dangerous Moves, when I get the chance as well as coming up with a cover design for the book.
Whew, I've got a lot on my plate, but that's okay. I love to stay busy as it keeps me out of mischief (for the most part) and it's all about being creative! And just a heads up...the Muse and I will be traveling to Sacremento, CA at the end of next week and will be gone for two weeks. This is a vacation for me, so I actually do not intend to do any writing or editing during that time. But, I will try to take lots of pictures of the trip and upload a few when we get back to share with you all.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful week and I wish everyone a fun-filled weekend!
But, just as in life, there's always changes and this is no exception. The Galactic Dynasty series, which Starward is a part of, is a co-authoring project between myself and my Muse (a.k.a., my husband). And with any co-authoring project, both authors need to come to an agreement or compromise as to how the book (or in this case, books) should be written and in what sequence.
So, over the last week or so, we've been having a lot of discussions and brainstorming sessions and here's the result of all of that: Starward will still be published, but it will now be the second book in the Galactic Dynasty series, which means the publishing date is on hold until the first book is written.
Whoa, wait! What do you mean, second book? What happened to the first book? Why is everything changing?! lol...okay, maybe I'm probably more panicky or freaked out about this news than the rest of you! So, let me explain what's going on and then maybe I'll, er...you, er...all of us will feel better! :)
When we first agreed to write the series together, I thought, 'oh, this will be fun and we'll have books publishing rapidly and the whole world will love us'. Okay, maybe I didn't think all of that, but I definitely thought that it would be a lot of fun. And it is! But, it's also a learning experience and a challenge. So, why are we changing things? Well, I learned that my Muse is not very fond of the whole 'write the series and then do a prequel' concept. In his mind, if I'm understanding correctly, if we already know we're going to write a prequel to the series, why not just make that prequel the first book and be done with it?
Yep, he is a man of logic and I certainly couldn't argue with that. I know that so many series out there today have been written and then the readers want to know about the before time that led up to the series, so prequels have been written to satisfy that curiosity. And I don't see anything wrong with that. But for the series we're writing, we've discovered that it actually would make the series better (in our biased minds anyway) if we went ahead and made that prequel the first published book of the series and didn't actually call it a prequel.
So, that's the big change we've agreed to go with. Which means I will be posting a progress bar on the side of this blog so everyone (including me) can see how I'm coming along with the word count. I'm aiming for 80,000 words but will not be surprised if the first draft surpasses that. There's a lot that needs to be revealed in this first book in order to set up the rest of the series as well as have it flow straight into Starward. And this also means that Starward may get a few more tweaks once this first book is written in order to ensure that nothing gets lost or forgotten or changed due to the events of the first book.
And no, we do not have a title for the first book yet. So, I'll be referring to it as 'the first book' or 'Galactic Dynasty Book One' or some other variation of the sort for right now. I do still intend to finish the edits of Starward as I have a couple of more chapters to add that we thought would strengthen the story a little more and we both agreed that we wanted to have that finished ASAP so full concentration can be given to this first book.
Oh, and for those of you that have read or are reading The L & L Mystery series, I have not forgotten about it. It has kind of gone to the backburner as this co-authoring project became the spotlight. But, I do intend to continue with the mystery series and will be working on edits for the fourth book, Dangerous Moves, when I get the chance as well as coming up with a cover design for the book.
Whew, I've got a lot on my plate, but that's okay. I love to stay busy as it keeps me out of mischief (for the most part) and it's all about being creative! And just a heads up...the Muse and I will be traveling to Sacremento, CA at the end of next week and will be gone for two weeks. This is a vacation for me, so I actually do not intend to do any writing or editing during that time. But, I will try to take lots of pictures of the trip and upload a few when we get back to share with you all.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful week and I wish everyone a fun-filled weekend!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Deep In Edits and Research
Over the next month or so, I may be posting even more sporadically than normal. I'm more than halfway through the Starward edits now and am hoping to have a clear idea of a release date in the near future. Ah, it's shaping up beautifully and I can't wait to share this with readers out there!
As for research, I'm slowly developing character backgrounds and plot ideas for the adult paranormal series I referred to in the last post. It's still the beginning stages and actual writing may not begin on it for a couple more months. That seems like a long way off to begin writing, but not really when there's still so many details to flesh out about the characters and the storyline. Plus, I will be traveling to Sacremento, CA for two weeks at the end of July for a conference the hubby is attending and I intend to play more than work while I'm there. (It's my 9-year anniversary and the hubby and I are making plans to enjoy every bit of our time away from home those two weeks.)
So, for now, there may be brief, occasional updates until I have some really awesome stuff to share! I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer so far and I'll try to surface from under the piles of papers and edits again soon to give some more updates! :)
As for research, I'm slowly developing character backgrounds and plot ideas for the adult paranormal series I referred to in the last post. It's still the beginning stages and actual writing may not begin on it for a couple more months. That seems like a long way off to begin writing, but not really when there's still so many details to flesh out about the characters and the storyline. Plus, I will be traveling to Sacremento, CA for two weeks at the end of July for a conference the hubby is attending and I intend to play more than work while I'm there. (It's my 9-year anniversary and the hubby and I are making plans to enjoy every bit of our time away from home those two weeks.)
So, for now, there may be brief, occasional updates until I have some really awesome stuff to share! I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer so far and I'll try to surface from under the piles of papers and edits again soon to give some more updates! :)
Friday, June 15, 2012
Edits, New Ideas, and Interns
Wow, it's been a crazy week! Edits on Starward have taken over my life but I've got to say that I'm extremely excited about this series!!! I know, I think I've actually already said that, but I can't help it. I'm really looking forward to getting this first book into the hands of readers out there and seeing what they think about it. :)
So, as it stands, one chapter has already been added and I'm getting ready to write an entirely new chapter today from a perspective other than Rosa's. I'm excited about this because I think this is really going to give some good depth and insight into this story. But I'm also a little nervous because the perspective is coming from a Russian woman who is the Commander for the space mission everyone is preparing for. And I have no idea exactly how her mind is going to work yet. I guess I'll just have to start writing and see what happens! By the way, does anyone out there know any good/humorous Russian phrases?? If so, please leave a comment below with a translation...I'd be forever grateful!
Okay, on to New Ideas! I have two different series ideas rolling around in the back of my mind at the moment. One is an adult murder mystery series and the other is an adult paranormal romance series (but there are no vampires, werewolves, or ghosts in this series as those themes have been waaaay overdone...just saying). I've actually already begun plot and character development for the adult paranormal romance but I still have a lot of research and development to do before I can begin the actual writing. And it's the same for the adult murder mystery series. I just know that I'm extremely excited to have these two new writing projects unfolding and when I do finally begin writing on them, I'll post a progress bar on this blog to keep everyone up-to-date on how the writing is coming along.
And now, some other awesome news: Cressen Books LLC will have it's first intern starting this fall!!! We're so excited to be working with the young lady (whose name will not be mentioned until I actually get permission from her to do so). For her internship project, she is actually working on her first novel and will be shown the entire publishing process from start to finish. At the end of her internship (I believe it ends in December but don't quote me on that), we hope to have helped her develop a publishable novel and she'll have a choice at that time as to whether she would like to actually publish her book through our company or not. (We're hoping she will because we've already been told what the book is going to be about and it sounds awesome!!! So, of course we would love to add that to our growing list of books we offer to our readers. No pressure though...lol.) Anyway, once the official internship starts, I'll see if she'll allow me to post a bio and maybe an interview with her on this blog.
Whew...it's amazing how much stuff is really going on that I don't realize until I write it all down! And all of it's good, so that's even better!! With that said, I really need to get back to my writing cave and get started on this new chapter for Starward. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
So, as it stands, one chapter has already been added and I'm getting ready to write an entirely new chapter today from a perspective other than Rosa's. I'm excited about this because I think this is really going to give some good depth and insight into this story. But I'm also a little nervous because the perspective is coming from a Russian woman who is the Commander for the space mission everyone is preparing for. And I have no idea exactly how her mind is going to work yet. I guess I'll just have to start writing and see what happens! By the way, does anyone out there know any good/humorous Russian phrases?? If so, please leave a comment below with a translation...I'd be forever grateful!
Okay, on to New Ideas! I have two different series ideas rolling around in the back of my mind at the moment. One is an adult murder mystery series and the other is an adult paranormal romance series (but there are no vampires, werewolves, or ghosts in this series as those themes have been waaaay overdone...just saying). I've actually already begun plot and character development for the adult paranormal romance but I still have a lot of research and development to do before I can begin the actual writing. And it's the same for the adult murder mystery series. I just know that I'm extremely excited to have these two new writing projects unfolding and when I do finally begin writing on them, I'll post a progress bar on this blog to keep everyone up-to-date on how the writing is coming along.
And now, some other awesome news: Cressen Books LLC will have it's first intern starting this fall!!! We're so excited to be working with the young lady (whose name will not be mentioned until I actually get permission from her to do so). For her internship project, she is actually working on her first novel and will be shown the entire publishing process from start to finish. At the end of her internship (I believe it ends in December but don't quote me on that), we hope to have helped her develop a publishable novel and she'll have a choice at that time as to whether she would like to actually publish her book through our company or not. (We're hoping she will because we've already been told what the book is going to be about and it sounds awesome!!! So, of course we would love to add that to our growing list of books we offer to our readers. No pressure though...lol.) Anyway, once the official internship starts, I'll see if she'll allow me to post a bio and maybe an interview with her on this blog.
Whew...it's amazing how much stuff is really going on that I don't realize until I write it all down! And all of it's good, so that's even better!! With that said, I really need to get back to my writing cave and get started on this new chapter for Starward. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Cover Reveal and Other News
Happy Tuesday, everyone! Since my last post, I've managed to accomplish a couple of things. First of all, I'm excited to announce that Starward (Galactic Dynasty #1) has a cover...YAY!! Would you like to see it??
Wait...
Almost there...
Here it is......
What do you think? I love it! And it fits so well with the events of the first book. :) But, you'll have to wait until it's actually published to really understand how well this cover fits...hehe. I know, I'm evil but that's the way it goes sometimes.
Anyway, edits are moving along nicely for Starward and hopefully I'll have a better timeframe soon for when the book will actually be available on Kindle and Nook. Until then, I'll keep you posted on the progress.
In other news, I've updated the Cressen Books website so now links are available to the Nook for each of the books. And two new pages have been added, one for General Fiction and one for Young Adult Fiction. These pages showcase the various books available under these broad genres. Soon, Starward will get it's own page with the cover, synopsis, and first chapter as well as links to the Kindle and Nook once the book is officially published!
Other than that, just staying busy with editing, writing, and cover designing! Not to mention being out enjoying the beautiful weather this past weekend. My Muse and I had a cookout with several friends on Saturday and spent almost the entire day outdoors exploring our 15-acres of woods, roasting marshmallows over the firepit, eating some great grilled Cornish game hens and veggies, and checking out the moon and stars with the telescope we got for Christmas. So much fun!
Well, it's back to editing for me. And then off to physical therapy to have my ankle tortured...lol. Fortunately, PT seems to actually be helping and I'm not having as many problems with my ankle as I used to. So, crossing my fingers, maybe I won't have to have too many more sessions before they'll turn me loose to do home exercises.
Until next time....
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Quickie Update
This post may be a little short as I'm trying to keep an eye on my Muse while he tackles tumbling a really large tree. I needed to escape the heat and humidity for a few minutes and thought, hey, I need to write something on my blog. Yeah, I talk to myself alot...it's when I get answers back that I start to worry. ;)
Anywho, I am in the thick of editing both Starward and Dangerous Moves at the moment. I'm also in the process of updating Cressen Books website because guess what?.....Okay, I'll tell you....all books published by Cressen Books are now available on the Nook!! WOOT! So, now our books can be found on both Amazon's Kindle and Barnes & Noble's Nook...I'll leave links to each at the end of this post.
So, this means that the publishing business' website needs updating (again). Yeah, that's a never ending chore. Just ask any webmaster or anyone who has their own website or even blog for that matter. Always something to tweak!
Oh, and before I forget, Starward's cover design is coming along nicely. I may even have a cover reveal for you in the near future. I hope you like it because I'm totally loving it! It fits so well with the story. But then again, my Muse and I wrote the story and are creating the cover together, so it better darn well fit! lol
I guess that's it for now. The tree hasn't fallen yet and I don't hear anyone yelling "TIMBRE" out there, so all is good! I hope everyone is having a wonderful and safe Memorial Weekend and I'll try to be back in the loop soon with more updates!
Oh, and here's those links:
Amazon Kindle: $6.99
B&N Nook: $6.99
For those of you who aren't aware, this is my Muse's (aka, the hubby's) novel. It's really really good, so check it out and spread the word to others who might be interested!
Amazon Kindle: $5.99
B & N Nook: $5.99
Amazon Kindle: $5.99
B & N Nook: $5.99
Amazon Kindle: $5.99
B & N Nook: $5.99
Anywho, I am in the thick of editing both Starward and Dangerous Moves at the moment. I'm also in the process of updating Cressen Books website because guess what?.....Okay, I'll tell you....all books published by Cressen Books are now available on the Nook!! WOOT! So, now our books can be found on both Amazon's Kindle and Barnes & Noble's Nook...I'll leave links to each at the end of this post.
So, this means that the publishing business' website needs updating (again). Yeah, that's a never ending chore. Just ask any webmaster or anyone who has their own website or even blog for that matter. Always something to tweak!
Oh, and before I forget, Starward's cover design is coming along nicely. I may even have a cover reveal for you in the near future. I hope you like it because I'm totally loving it! It fits so well with the story. But then again, my Muse and I wrote the story and are creating the cover together, so it better darn well fit! lol
I guess that's it for now. The tree hasn't fallen yet and I don't hear anyone yelling "TIMBRE" out there, so all is good! I hope everyone is having a wonderful and safe Memorial Weekend and I'll try to be back in the loop soon with more updates!
Oh, and here's those links:
B&N Nook: $6.99
For those of you who aren't aware, this is my Muse's (aka, the hubby's) novel. It's really really good, so check it out and spread the word to others who might be interested!
B & N Nook: $5.99
B & N Nook: $5.99
B & N Nook: $5.99
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Working on Edits
The first draft of Starward is officially done!!! Yay! *Throws confetti for added effect* So, what does this mean? Well, I am now in the process of going back through the draft and massaging various passages so that the entire book reads the way I want it to. I'll also be reading for content to make sure I didn't leave anything out or forget to address anything along the way. And, I will be working on cover concepts within the next few days.
I'm really excited about this book and the series that it will be introducing. I've always wanted to write something in the sci-fi realm and am having a ball with this story and the characters! Plus, it's a collaborative effort on both my and my Muse's parts since we are actually co-authoring this series. So, I'm really looking forward to sitting down and reading through the entire story to see what we've come up with and making adjustments here and there along the way. I think it's going to be AWESOME!
Okies, with that said, I am also trying to focus on getting edits done for the fourth book in The L & L Mysteries, Dangerous Moves. This book already has a well-rounded first draft, so the editing phase is more of a tweaking. But, I still cannot say for sure when this book will release to Kindle. I'll keep everyone posted, though!
And, I am also attempting to upload the books for the Nook. Crossing my fingers, I hope to actually have this accomplished within the next week. This is another piece I will definitely keep everyone posted on, since I am aware that some people have the Nook vs. the Kindle and I want to make these books available to as many people as possible!
I believe that's all my news for now. Have a wonderful week and Happy Reading, everyone!
I'm really excited about this book and the series that it will be introducing. I've always wanted to write something in the sci-fi realm and am having a ball with this story and the characters! Plus, it's a collaborative effort on both my and my Muse's parts since we are actually co-authoring this series. So, I'm really looking forward to sitting down and reading through the entire story to see what we've come up with and making adjustments here and there along the way. I think it's going to be AWESOME!
Okies, with that said, I am also trying to focus on getting edits done for the fourth book in The L & L Mysteries, Dangerous Moves. This book already has a well-rounded first draft, so the editing phase is more of a tweaking. But, I still cannot say for sure when this book will release to Kindle. I'll keep everyone posted, though!
And, I am also attempting to upload the books for the Nook. Crossing my fingers, I hope to actually have this accomplished within the next week. This is another piece I will definitely keep everyone posted on, since I am aware that some people have the Nook vs. the Kindle and I want to make these books available to as many people as possible!
I believe that's all my news for now. Have a wonderful week and Happy Reading, everyone!
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