October Recap/November Update

October Recap:

This book is starting to take shape! Previously, I was bouncing all over the place, chasing interesting dialogue and ideas. Now, I’ve gone back to the very beginning and began to flesh out the scenes, adding detail and emotion and choreography while also stitching in my haphazard patchwork of ideas when applicable.

The manuscript is up to 50k words. Most authors would say that means they’re halfway through, but this book could end up being 150k words, which means I could only be a third of the way through… I suspect this book will be the longest since it has the most action and I combined my ideas for books 4 & 5 into one.

Almost daily, I cry while writing this book. It’s so sad and bittersweet. I don’t know if you all will feel that way, but ugh, it kills me. I’m still bouncing to Roth’s POV pretty frequently, which has never happened with any other book. Like I said, it’s like he’s way more open emotionally while Jasmine is locked down. I’ll finish a scene and then hear Roth’s reaction. When I have the time, I jot it down.

I still maintain that this book is my favorite thus far. Being able to spill the beans about everything is such a relief. Well, for me. I’m not sure about the characters. I’m loving the flow of the story and the way the characters are all coming through so strongly. The story is so different from what I’d originally planned, and so much better!

November:

I will still be posting snippets in November if you’d like to follow along. If you’d prefer to wait until I post full passages/the raw draft, I’ll announce that on socials/my blog when it’s ready.

Just as a reminder, I don’t read comments on snippet posts since I’m in creative mode and don’t want to be influenced by commentary. But I do check the chat on Patreon and Discord to see if I’m tagged in any queries. I’m hoping to spend more time on Discord in November, chatting with you all!

My aim is for this book to come out in early 2026. I’m hoping to make massive leaps in November. We’ll see where I am at the end of the month!

For those who are new, I post 4 times a week: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, & Sunday at 8am PST.

Personal Update:

This has been a very difficult month for me. At the beginning of the month, I went to the hospital for stomach pain and a week later, I had to put my 17-year-old dog down. I think my stomach issues were related to extreme stress from moving and maybe me not wanting to admit that the time had come for my boy to eternally rest. He passed on the day we made 2 months being back in Nevada.

I’ve been grieving and working and trying to adjust to all these massive changes. I’ve also had to do some major lifestyle changes due to new health restrictions. It’s been about 3 weeks since my dog passed, and it’s been difficult, but I’m slowly adjusting to life without him. I have another dog who was his partner in crime. I think the worst part is seeing how much the loss has impacted him.

I’m feeling much better physically, thank God. I’m trying to slow down. I realize I don’t have limitless energy and I can’t just keep downing caffeine like I used to, so I’m being much more intentional with where I put my attention and cutting out anything that drains me. I’m simplifying my life and just focusing on what truly matters.

As always, it seems like the book and my life are going hand in hand, with a lot of parallels. It gives me something to funnel my emotions into and also gives me a lot of insight and food for thought. I love that about reading and writing! I’ve been on a Kristen Ashley binge. I would say she’s one of my top 5 authors along with Linda Howard, Stephanie Laurens, Johanna Lindsey, and Christine Feehan.

The desert hasn’t truly cooled yet, though there’s a pleasant nip in the air in the evening/early morning. I’m still wearing shorts and my air conditioning is on. I’m looking forward to the holidays, though, and hope you all are too! As always, thank you all for your support!