The kids are excited. I’m THRILLED. DH (SuperChef) is relieved we have a roof over our heads.

It’s the Montgomery way to pitch in and help in any way possible when someone gives you a kindness. So I’ll be spending the next couple of days cutting bits for Quilts for Kids, tending the horses, and helping to keep things tidy. The kids will help with the horses and dogs. SuperChef will be cooking up a storm. It’s the least we can do for Ms. Barbara’s willingness to take us on at the last minute.

And I’ll be researching my next book. Did I mention cowboys? Must have slipped my mind…

I also have some pretty awesome news…an editor from Entangled Publishing requested a full on a short novella. And get this…it was an online pitch contest. I NEVER get chosen on these things. How awesome is that???

Keep Writing!

Dawn

On the writing front:

• Plotted 2nd Hunger book (due to new publishing schedule, it got pushed up from March).
• Started my Beauty and the Beast (Thief)
• Entered an online pitch
• Sketched out a Kitchen Witch story (Back by popular demand)

Found out that my first novel will be out February 3rd! Awesome. Ebook first. Print a year or so later. Love it!

Checking out Sunday’s goals:

• Found a house! WOOHOO!
• 5 hours of writing per day: Nope. I’ll be honest, stress over the house searching thing made Tuesday almost useless.
• Finish up my final outprocessing for January tomorrow…more to follow in February
• Cook dinner four times this week…tonight starts my cooking schedule.

Due to tons of questions, I posted my Work Day Schedule HERE. So far, I’ve hit those goals every day but Tuesday.

I spent Monday and Tuesday nights at Writerschat for Changeling Press and Ellora’s Cave. So much fun! Didn’t promo a single thing, just hung out with some pretty awesome authors. Had a great time.

This is a Blog Hop! Check out other writers HERE.

How did I do this week?

• Became a full-time writer on 16 January
• Edits completed for Primal Hunger, my first novel (and EC book!)
• Sweet Simone completed (short story aimed at Cleis Press’s Bondange Anthology)
• Moved to Texas from Alaska this week (Took four days)
• Lived (and still living…) in a hotel room with three kids and a husband (without a vehicle until 9 Feb)
• Said goodbye to the military (and many great friends I’d made in the service)
• Re-evaluated my January goals
• Read three books from some of my favorite authors

You know…I thought I’d done pretty crappy this week. When I look at all I’ve accomplished, I’m not so disappointed. I suppose this is a prime example of why accountability is so important to a writer.

Today will be non-fiction focused as I have deadlines to complete. I’ll also be creating my 2012 writing challenge spreadsheet. I know I’m behind, but I had a LOT going on. At least I’m doing it in January instead of September like I did last year.

January’s new goals:

• 5 hours writing per day
• Complete all final outprocessing requirements for the military (insurance, dental, etc)
• Find a house
• Cook dinner four times a week (I have to write it down or I’ll get sucked into writing…SuperChef will be cooking the other three nights).

January’s Writing Goals

• Medical Mystery partial (still untitled)
• Thief started (Modern day Beauty and the Beast novella)
• Marked (tattoo story for EC’s theme)
• Texas History novella fleshed out (Sexy mayhem in the pioneer town of Austin, Texas)

Pushed out to February (the month where my brother enters the Marines, and I am officially retired from the USAF)

• A Familiar Kiss (need to print out the ms to work on it)
• Fox Hunt (short menage in the wilds of Alaska)
• Nexus (Sexy cyber novella)

Pushed out to March and Beyond

• Enraptured (hot and wild fantasy adventure romance)
• Feral Hunger (Book 2 in the Sheon Wars trilogy)

I think that’s about it, don’t you?

Oh, did I mention that my birthday is on the 24th of this month? What a start to 2012.

This is a BLOG HOP! Click HERE to see others on the list.

There’s also a very fun project for Changeling that I want to get done. A fairy tale book (YAY!). I spent most of today in edit-brain (creativity stomped into a tiny box while my internal editor goes crazy. A common result for me after intense editing sessions. My oldest son calls it my “mushy brain” stage.).

I’m sitting in a hotel room with three kids, one food blog chef husband, and minimal supplies (did I mention no car until Feb 9th?). Editing (and rewriting a great deal of the product) is killing me on this tiny screen. I’ve got my laptop, but no printer (yet…hurry up and get here!!!) so A Familiar Kiss is going to have to wait until I can print it out.

So now it’s between the fairy tale story and the tattoo one. How do I pick? Well, I pick based on fairness. EC just got a book so it’s time to turn one in to Changeling. This isn’t a play to either publishing company (I LOVE both publishers and my awesome editors), but a shout out to my loyal readers.

Some of you are loyal to one company or the other. If it wasn’t for you guys, I wouldn’t be living my dream in the middle of beautiful San Antonio. I owe it to you all to make sure I’m giving you the best I can every time. Times are hard, so the last thing I want is to have anyone waste money on a product I phoned in.

A Familiar Kiss was originally intended for Changeling, and if I don’t tighten up the manuscript and cut the chaff, I won’t make it under CP’s wordcount limit (three characters have already faced the chopping block, and I shudder to think what else will have to go). Sometimes it really is easier to start from scratch than to rewrite a book. The fairy tale story will take AFK’s place as my next delivery.

So here’s my choice…my new work in progress is Thief, a modern Beauty and the Beast tale of lust and love.

If you’ve read this far you deserve a lollipop, and a long break from my rambling. Go forth and read something wicked.

Here are a few in my queue:

Note: All links are to the publisher websites. They are not affiliate links, and these books are ones I’ve either read (and want to read again) or will soon be reading. This isn’t a ploy to get you to buy books. I’m simply showing you what I’m going to be reading this weekend.

Magnetism by Kim Knox (the entire series is fascinating! a matchmaking planet )

Ty the Sexy Dragon by Lexxie Couper (I got to beta read this one. OMG hawt! This weekend I’ll get to read the finished version. So cool!)

Leashed by Jet Mykles (I LOVE the leashed series)

I autobuy anything by Laurann Dohner (So far everything she’s written has rocked me!)

First round of edits completed for Primal Hunger. Edits in a novel are a bit rougher than I’m used to. There’s definitely a formatting learning curve for EC. I’m adapting and taking notes.

Now it’s time to work on another book.

Which one? Ah, now that’s the question. I think it’ll be tearing apart A Familiar Kiss and getting it ready for my other editor.

Keep Writing!

Dawn

Writing this post a day early so I can spend tomorrow writing without internet. I have about 15 pages of handwritten notes to transcribe. Edits for Primal Hunger have dropped in my lap. Reading the book again was such a treat. Azros is hawt.

My list for January is simple:

* Primal Hunger edits *

*Finish A Familiar Kiss rewrites and submit to editor*

* Finish and polish Enraptured for submission *

Now onto other news. We’ve done it. We’ve moved from Alaska to Texas. I’ll be working my butt off to get more books out there for you guys. Thank you for the awesome comments, emails, and instant messages I’ve received. You guys are amazing.

To answer a few questions…

Yes, there will be more Kitchen Witch books. No dates yet, I’m afraid.

I won’t revisit the Bound universe. It was one of my first walks into paranormal, and I didn’t like the limits I put on the universe.

There’s been a lot of interest in a possible Hellhound series. Just wanted to let you know I’ve heard ya!  I’ve got several books planned for this year, so I’ll have to put it on the backburner for 2013.

There are several titles that used to be available through the now-closed publisher, Aspen Mountain Press. I have no interest in resubmitting them to a new publisher, but the plan is to edit and expand the stories to release as free reads on my website.

Keep the questions coming. I’ll answer them as soon as I can.

Keep Writing!

Dawn

This is a blog hop! Check out more writers HERE.

I’m so desperate to get all my paperwork done that I haven’t taken a breath in about the past three days. The engine’s chugging along at max speed, and I’ve avoided most derailings with a little ingenuity (duct tape) and gentle persuasion (baseball bat).

It’s also three days until I leave Alaska. And six days until I’m a full time writer.

Enraptured

AFK

As my military career winds down there are only two numbers that stand out. Of course I have my retirement date, and my approximate date of household goods arrival. I also have the ever important number of the DD214, which states how honorably I served my country and where I did so.

Those are passive numbers, however. Numbers that have no direct impact on my family (yet). The numbers that I’m talking about are the numbers 4 and 7.

Four days until I say goodbye to military service, flying away from one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Seven days until I am a full-time writer.

If I can get through the four, the rest will be cake.

Nothing like a little life insanity to really things in perspective.

Keep Writing!

Dawn

This is a whole new year. This year I’m facing medical retirement from the armed forces. From here I’ll move on to writing full time.

I’ve signed on for a new Round of Words in 80 days challenge.

My goals aren’t set in stone, but, then again, they shouldn’t be. January has six major milestones:

• Submit A Familiar Kiss to my editor
• Complete Enraptured by 31 January
• Move my family from Alaska to Texas somewhere around mid-January
• Find a new place to live in San Antonio
• Say goodbye to the military
• Post a new free read to my website.

In order to meet the writing goals, I have to write approximately 1350 words a day. Since I know things like airplane rides, stir crazy children, and wonky schedules are going to affect that, I have to juggle to make it happen.

My free read will be up on my site the day I officially begin my full-time writer status: January 16th. A beautiful and noble day, and one selected by the PTB.

I’ll reevaluate my goals midway through January, and again at the end of the month. February will be a new set of goals.

Have a wonderful start to your week! Expect an update on Wednesday.

Keep Writing!

Dawn

Chrissy Dionne said

While I loved the military precision of Luke’s mission and his enthusiasm for his task its Noella’s emotional see-sawing that makes this story so endearing and memorable.  Of course if you have to be miserable at Christmastime, who better to do it with than a sexy man who actually helps with all those tedious Christmas chores and deliver on your private Christmas fantasies.

Luke Klaus has a problem. Christmas will be canceled if he can’t get Destiny, Texas, back on the Holiday Cheer Map. A Christmas wish is all that stands between him and a perfect record. His target is packed with killer curves and a heart of gold that’s been broken one too many times. Lucky for Luke, mixing a little business with pleasure might be just what the holiday doctor ordered.

Noella Davis is tired. Too many years as Destiny’s cheer coordinator has left her drained and disillusioned. Is it a coincidence that brings her face-to-face with her old crush, or does the man in black leather have his own agenda? Either way, she’ll have her cake and eat it too even if she has to tie him to the bed. Maybe her Christmas wishes will come true…

This really is a case for The Other Klaus.

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