*brushing off the cracker crumbs and washing out the wine glass* Now that I’ve finished with my pity party, time to get to work. As I wait for official release dates from my publisher for the PSY-IV Team’s TOUCHED BY FATE and MARKED BY OBSESSION, I prepare to embark upon a new project and take a chance on something new.
Funny thing about writers, we have TONS of stories floating around in our heads. Now some of us are completely enthralled by one, overwhelming world and can craft book after book in our universe. Others tend to juggle multiple realities, twining their readers into whichever realm they love best. Whether we write stand alone titles, single series, or multiple series, stories are continually luring us astray with their siren songs of inspiration.
As much as I love both my Kyn world and my PSY-IV Team world, there is a third cast of characters persistently trying to gain my attention (and, if I’m completely honest, a fourth, but I digress). I’ve managed to put it off for the last couple of years, determined to meet the demands of Raine and company or Delacourt’s team, but now I find myself needing the challenge of creating a third series.
I can hear you asking me why would I do this to myself?
Well, because…
Because, as a writer, my goal is to tell the best story ever. To do that, I have to continually challenge myself and my skills. Can’t break new ground if I don’t explore, right? This is part of exploring–my abilities and my imagination.
The Kyn Kronicles were born because I wanted to write, and I had a great idea for a kick-ass heroine and world full of magic. Viola-SHADOW’S EDGE and SHADOW’S SOUL were written. Yet, when I sat down to write SHADOW’S MOON, I knew it was time to kick things up a notch, so I decided to change which character the book focused on. Mainly because Xander and Warrick’s story was vital to the overall arc, and because Raine and Gavin deserved some semi-stress free happy alone time. It was heavier on the romance than the first two, but it needed to be. SHADOW’S CURSE sank vicious talons into my psyche and refused to let go. It caused a great amount of arguments because writing Natasha’s story wasn’t easy. She was a character readers loved to hate, but our Demon Queen was much more than a manipulative beauty–there were reasons to her madness. Even more shocking was how intertwined Mulcahy’s story was with hers, and where things went.
The PSY-IV Teams came together because of my love of Romantic Suspense and the paranormal. Oh, and the fact I wanted to give writing in first person point of view a shot. I nixed the concept of magic and replaced it with paranormal abilities. Stir in the personality types that step up to protect others and you find yourself immersed in some serious character motivation and conflict. This cast, from Cyn and Kayden, to Tag and Risia, and Wolf and Meli, they have no qualms dragging me over hell and back, touching on uncomfortable realities, and emerging on the other side, scarred and strong.
I’ve spent five years weaving magic, mystery, suspense, paranormal, and romance. I’ve loved every single minute of it, but like everything, change is inevitable. Hence the desire to take on a new project. This time my challenge is a bit different, there’s still intrigue, blood, love, emotional upheaval, political machinations, murder, betrayal, and love, but it’s all set in a very different reality than what I’ve explored so far, and there is no magic or paranormal abilities to be found.
For the next few months, I’ll craft this story, hone it, and hopefully, come early summer, begin to peddle it out to agents and publishers. A scary endeavor, but a necessary one for any writer because every new project we do, is like stepping off the edge of the Grand Canyon–frightening, heart-pounding, and damn near fatally exciting. We may crash and burn, or light up the sky in a brilliant display, either way, we tried!