September Recap/October Update

September Recap:

Another month gone?! What the hell? Why has this year passed at supersonic speed?

This month I combined the drafts I had of books 4 & 5. The original draft of book 4 was around 67k words, but I’ll only be using maybe 25% of it. I decided to go on a completely different path that would cause more mayhem and drama that would force the characters into more uncomfortable situations. The original draft of book 5 was 27k words. I will be using more scenes from this book, but they need to be reworked to fit into the new storyline.

I am so freaking excited about this book! It’s my favorite, and I’m not even halfway through. This book is going to be jam-packed with more character interactions (Grayson, her childhood friends, Trentham's, Aleixo & Johnny, etc.) and a bit of action as we briefly touch on Roth’s business. In books 2 & 3, we mostly focused on Roth and Jasmine, but in this one, there will be much more community and people rallying around them.

Although it’s going to take longer, I’m really happy that I decided to change the storyline for this book. I’ll show you guys the original draft of book 4 once the book is released, but it didn’t have the gut punch I want, and it lacked the drama and shock factor that would force everyone out of their comfort zone—not just Roth but her family as well. Everyone’s hiding skeletons/secrets and the circumstances in this book force everyone to show their cards, which is very different from the original manuscript. Everyone’s roles shift in this book, and no one is safe.

As you may have peeped, Roth makes a drastic change in this book. He has to. They couldn’t continue as they were. For those who have been waiting for Roth’s redemption arc and defending him to others, this book is going to be your golden ticket. LOL. I honestly think readers will feel bad for Roth by the end of this book. Jasmine is putting him through it!

As you also may have noticed, I jump around a lot in the story, writing out potential scenes/dialogue. Again, please take the snippets with a grain of salt because I don’t know what will end up in the final. This is my messy, experimental process where I try to piece things together and see if they feel authentic to the character/story.

October:

I will continue posting snippets in October. 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.

I would say I’m about a third of the way through the first draft? I got bogged down integrating the old manuscripts into the new one, but that’s mostly done, so now I can make some real progress in the coming weeks.

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. Discord is pretty active, and I pop in there to torment readers when I’m bored, so feel free to join. LOL.

I don’t have a release date and I don’t believe the book will come out in 2025, but in early 2026. I have to finish the first draft, do rewrites, and then a polish draft before sending it off to an editor. That can take 2–3 weeks depending on the editor's availability and the length of the novel, which is unknown at the moment. Based on the number of scenes I want to cram into this book, I suspect this one will be the longest book in the series.

Thank you all for your enthusiastic support and patience. I’ll tell Roth his fanbase is thriving. I’m sure that’ll cheer him up. LOL.

Personal Update:

On a personal note, I got the flu at the beginning of the month, right after I moved into my new place, and it lingered for a week! I lost my voice and of course that’s when all my neighbors decided to introduce themselves 🙄 I think my body was exhausted and wanted a reset, so I stayed in bed for a while, which is very unlike me.

I loooove my apartment! I got a 2 bedroom, so I have a real office (usually my desk would be in my bedroom or living room). It’s unapologetically bookish with piles of books everywhere, odd knickknacks, and filled with shades of green, which used to be my favorite color when I was younger, and it’s been growing on me again. It’s cozy and girly, and I couldn’t be happier.

I’m getting accustomed to my new surroundings and have finally settled into a routine that works for us (me and my dogs). I’m excited for the cooler weather and upcoming holidays!

As always, I hope you all are doing well and protecting your peace! Have a great weekend! Leave any questions below!

Posting Schedule:

If you're new, my posting schedule is: Tues, Thurs, Sat/Sun, 8am PST.