*cracks whip*

Posted on January 21, 2018 by L. Jacob

Episode 14 is up and ready on the Dark Mystic Quill website. It’s about sacred space or creating a “circle”.

I was a bad girl this week. I got no writing done. I had doctors’ appointments and had to work late to make up the time. I got home, ate, and then I had my vice (news from 5-7) and by 7, I collapsed. I’ve played around with some medication so I can stay up longer than 7 and go to bed at a more reasonable hour. But this week was bad.

I know what I need to do, it’s just I need the time and the inspiration. This writing gig is hard work, especially when gripped by real life.

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Lesson Learned

Posted on January 15, 2018 by L. Jacob

A person I know–an acquaintance, not really a friend, someone I hadn’t seen for about 10 years–went kayaking and has disappeared. Upon first hearing the news I thought, “Been there, did that; I hope his wife doesn’t do what I did.”

What I did was shut out my family and friends. I realize now that it was a bad idea, but it’s too late in my opinion to go back to people. They might think I want something. That’s how I felt when my cousin, who I hadn’t seen in six years, suddenly invited me to his wedding. What does he want from me? I didn’t go.

This vision of people wanting things is something I’ve carried with me since I was a child. People I’ve met over the past couple of years don’t understand how I can put worth on people and their actions. It’s something that I’m trying to learn to let go. The example of my unsupportive friend because she won’t buy my books or even read them is what is causing me to distance myself from her. She doesn’t understand why I write, what I write, and doesn’t seem to care. So I’m dumping her. My life is too short to support people who won’t support me. Selfish, yes, probably. But we’ve been friends for 30 years. If she doesn’t understand me by now, she’s never going to.

Okay, so, moving on…

My next appearance will be at the Cumberland Library Author Meet & Greet on February 17 at the Cumberland Public Library. A scene in Grimaulkin takes place in the park that is behind the library. I’ll have the free downloads available on instafreebie in paper form. They are SO cool in real life. And they’re free!

 

 

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3 books

Posted on January 7, 2018 by L. Jacob

Earth has a drop-dead completion date of February 1 for a March release. I’ve been writing Capricorn (after getting stuck in the Virgo story) and though I have it sketched out in my head, it’s not coming out right on the screen. Each of the stories is going to be shorter than the Water stories, not really novellas at all. A little longer than a short story, but much shorter than a novella. Novelette?

Reading a book on war that takes place in Afghanistan for more research with War Mage.  Getting some good ideas for that. I just have to throw in dragons.

Lastly, Grimaulkin Redeemed is still in my head. I have a feeling it will be like Athena and come out fully formed by the time I sit down and write it.

I need to write faster!

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All I want for Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2017 by L. Jacob

Is a million books sold.

Laugh with me. Go ahead.

However, that isn’t really hard. All I need to do is–put my name out there, become a YouTube or podcast star, write tons of critically acclaimed books, and voila! A million books sold.

Becoming famous is either a lightning strike or slogging through mud. The ones who slog through the mud aren’t heralded as loudly or as much as the lightning strikes. But while the lightning strikes last only a short time, the ones who slog last forever. I suppose I would rather be one who slogs. But most of my fame will be posthumous, I guess.

Next blog I will reflect on the year and give you an update of what’s coming up for next year. My Goodreads giveaway was a success–over 600 people entered the sweepstakes and about 10% of them put my book on their to-read list. I sent out the winner with Thursday’s mail. I think in February I’ll do another giveaway, with books 1 and 2 along with “Self-Defense”.

“Virgo” just had its big reveal…at 6K words. I’m at the point of “Now what?” I guess I’ll throw in an explosion, because I have about 25K words to go. I’ve been thinking about Capricorn and might sit down to write that one instead of Virgo, and let Virgo sit for a little while. Not sure. Taurus I need to do some research for. Queer Romance Ink, here I come.

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Full Crone

Posted on December 17, 2017 by L. Jacob

You know you’re old when you have to wear glasses to drive now.

I just celebrated my birthday this Friday. I am officially supposed to be a crone (yep, showing my age), but I don’t feel that way. I write YA stories, speculative fiction, not tedious memoirs and cozy mysteries. I listen to hard rock from the 1990’s and 2000’s (Turbo and Lithium on Sirius XM). I play video games. I don’t feel my age. Go figure.

Episode 11 of the Dark Mystic Quill podcast should be up by the time you see this. It’s about altars and what goes on them. There’s also a cameo appearance from Tom, my cat.

I’m still writing Earth. I’m feeling the time crunch. I have some scenes in mind to put in, but they’re not sex-related, they’re story related. I don’t know if what I’m writing is erotica or a story with explicit sex. The sex is not what drives the story, the paranormal elements are. Oh, Water is going to be an audio book, and the narrator is wonderful. That, hopefully, will be available soon.

I got the cover for Grimaulkin Redeemed, and OMG…it’s beautiful. Just what I pictured. Now I have to write it. But I’m not going to write it until I get to War Mage. The publisher said he doesn’t think I’ll end at three books. I might not. But that’s all I have in mind, and I can’t see myself going something like ten or fifteen books like the Dresden Files. Eventually, you get to a point when both you and your readers are bored. Though I’ve had Grimaulkin around for ten years, so I  don’t think I’ll get bored with him anytime soon.

So, in the meantime, I get to yell, “Get off my lawn!” and be official about it.

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The Joint

Posted on December 10, 2017 by L. Jacob

I just released a new short story taking place in the Grimaulkin world called “The Joint“. It’s a free download, and it’ll be a free story that I’ll give away at my appearances.

So far, no appearances are coming up. Except for WorldCon 76 in San Jose, CA in August. More about that in March.

Working on Earth, Virgo in particular. I’ve read two M/M novels within the last week, and both of them have sex within the first 10% of the book. I suppose I have to get sex within the first 5% since it’s a novella. I consider the story in erotica to be more important than the erotica. There has to be a little lead up, not just sex, sex, sex, right? Maybe it’s from being a girl writing gay stories.

Grimaulkin Redeemed may be ready for August. Sure. I can do that.

So go pick up “The Joint” and review it on Goodreads. Oh, by the way, I am on Goodreads, too. (They just fixed me so that my author name comes up on a search.)

 

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Expo success!

Posted on December 3, 2017 by L. Jacob

I had the best spot at the Author Expo. First row. People saw me when they first came in and took a left from the entrance.

I sold 8 books, the most I’ve ever done. Most of them were bundles. I’m going to try and do the bundles from now on. They were a really good draw.

Grimaulkin Tempted went well, also. Sold five over the course of the week (both at the Expo and to people at work). At the Expo, I had two people who actually came there looking for me! I have fans! (Welcome if you’re new here.)

I’m right now working on Earth. Virgo, in particular. I hope to have that done this month.  Then there’s Capricorn and Taurus. Then…War Mage. After that, Grimaulkin 3 (Grimaulkin Redeemed).

I have a busy year coming up. I’ll also be at WorldCon in San Jose from August 15-20–planning on buying my tickets this week for the flight. Although I’m not nominated for any awards, I plan on being there with Paper Angel Press to sign books and to help at the booth.  I’m excited and nervous at the same time. It’s my first big Con.

Episode 11 may come out next weekend for Dark Mystic Quill. At least that’s what I’m aiming for. It will be about witchy stuff, since I haven’t been doing much of that lately.

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Almost there!

Posted on November 26, 2017 by L. Jacob

Grimaulkin Tempted is to be released on December 1. On December 2 is the launch party at the Author Expo at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet. (The Kindle edition is available right now on Amazon, I noticed.)

I sold two copies to my local fans so far already. I’m waiting on feedback from one of them–he reads fast, and said he would definitely read it this weekend.

Started work on War Mage, getting through a block right at the beginning of the book. I know the things I want to set up, but the problem is how long it will take me to set them up, and I also don’t want to insult the reader. See, Brent is supposed to be a detective, but he’s not. Clues have to be pretty obvious to him. I’m afraid of pissing off the reader by bopping them over the head with obvious clues. I don’t want them to scream at the book, “But can’t you see that blahdy-blah-blah????” How do I get him to grow into being a detective? That’s one of the transformations of the character.

A character needs to be transformed by the end of the book. It’s not the same person as it was at the beginning. Brent, at the beginning, feels that the Army is giving him a second chance, and if he blows it, he’s screwed. In addition, he’s scared. Scared of failure, scared of trust, scared of getting tortured again.  At the end, he might fail in one sense, but he’s a stronger man for it. In the first draft, my beta reader said that he was a pussy at the end. Well, I have to change that. I know the beginning. It’s getting to the end that’s giving me problems.

Earth is supposed to be next on the docket. I really should, timewise, work on that. It’s due for…March? But writing erotica is easy once I get started. I practice it in Champions and I have an excellent partner. I pick up lessons from him that I may use in my erotica.  It’s the story that I get hung up on. Erotica is more than sex, sex, sex, scenery, sex, sex, dialogue, sex… There’s a story, with characters and a plot and a reason for their pairing. For Taurus I’m stealing a plot that someone posted on Queer Romance Ink; well, not really stealing. Modifying. The original plot includes werewolves. My world in Zodiac does not include werewolves. For Capricorn, I’m modifying Hell on Wheels. And for Virgo, it might be a sweet romance in the middle of a tumultuous time.

Well, it’s back to chiseling out of marble that is War Mage. Time to burn some incense and invoke the muses. Let’s see what they come up with for today.

 

 

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Grimaulkin Giveaway on Goodreads!

Posted on November 22, 2017 by L. Jacob

Just in time for Christmas (if you don’t live too far away).

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Grimaulkin by L.A. Jacob

Grimaulkin

by L.A. Jacob

Giveaway ends December 20, 2017.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

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Ah, the smell of new books!

Posted on November 19, 2017 by L. Jacob

I just got Grimaulkin Tempted in the mail yesterday, both hardcover and trade paperback. It looks so cool!

Although it’s officially not going to be released until December 1, I needed them for the Author Expo on December 2, which will be my launch party! I’ll have special bundles there, buy Grimaulkin 1 and 2, get $5 off. Or pay full price of the two Grimaulkin books, and you can get Homecoming for free. And, of course, you’ll get a copy of Mike’s origin story “Self Defense” for free. And card readings if you want.

I’ve decided to put aside War Mage for the display, although I still will have the dragons as eye-catchers. For the past week, I’ve been working on War Mage, doing some exercises to try and generate ideas for the story. I’ve got the trajectory, point A, the beginning, and point Z, the end. It’s how to get to point Z from point A that I’m having trouble with. I know what the theme is, but it’s really hard for me because I, myself, don’t believe in the theme.

Maybe I should change the theme into something I believe in. But that would make for a dark story. I wanted it to be uplifting. I want the main character to succeed. But the way I have it now, he fails in one way, but succeeds with the theme. If he fails in his environment, it’s the end of the series.

Maybe that’s what the muses want. I’ve been working on this story for 2 years now. It’s been on the back burner for all this time, and I really should get it going. I’ve written it three times. It’s a story that I’ve promised, but I can’t seem to deliver.

I’ll keep working on it over the Thanksgiving weekend. Maybe something will come to me by then that will make the 4th rewrite of the story an actual charm. I should have done it for NaNoWriMo, but I thought the memoir would have been easier. It wasn’t. Check out my podcast as to why.

So my homework this week is to keep working on War Mage, and get myself psyched up for selling Grimaulkin on December 2.

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