11 Days until Someone to Keep Me comes out!

On the first part of the journey…

We’re almost to the New Year! 2014 marks a huge change in my life and I’m going to bore you with all the details! (Well, most of them anyway…)

I’ve worked at my current job for the last 27 years. I started out as a busman in one of the restaurants and went to Room Service a year later. About 24 of those years I spent on 3rd shift as the graveyard server. I loved my job. It was fast-paced, sometimes exciting. I’ve met many famous people during my tenure and made some really great friends of fellow associates. After an incident I had no control over, I was unable to continue doing the job I enjoyed. The hotel allowed me to move into the position I’m currently in and I’m not happy. I’ve lost my direct contact with the guests, and instead only talk to them on the phones. This was a big difference from what I was used to and even though I held out hope that I’d be able to go go back to my job, two years later and nothing has changed.

I’ve adapted as best as I could, but my thrill at showing up to work each day has shined less.

During this time, I started writing more. I became a published author. I also got to co-write a book with Kc Wells which comes out on January 10th.  As time went on, and I got more into my writing, I started to realize that this was what I wanted. To put out stories that I could only hope that people would enjoy. With the encouragement of some amazing people (Becky Condit, KC Wells, Laura Harner, Havan Fellows, SJD Peterson, Tom Webb, and some amazing FB friends) I decided to drop two days a week at work and focus on my writing.

Beginning January 1, 2014 that’s what I’m going to do. The first book of 2014, Someone to Keep Me, comes out January 10th and Kc and I are SO excited about it.

My future plans for the year include Wet Paint (as Will Parkinson), the follow-up to Pitch. The story is Benny & Addy’s, two of the characters from Pitch. Where I was nervous and hesitant when I wrote Pitch, I like to think I’ve found some footing. Nessa Warin from Harmony Ink (the Young Adult division of Dreamspinner) has given me some awesome advice. Those who read Pitch are aware of Addy’s history. It was glossed over in Pitch because I didn’t want to be too graphic about it. In Wet Paint it comes to the forefront and there isn’t any way to sugarcoat it. Wet Paint will be harsher than Pitch was as it deals with darker subject matter.

There is also a shifter story I’ve been working on that will likely be my first self-published story (as Parker Williams).

Then Kc and I will be working on Damian’s Discipline. It features two characters you’ll meet in Someone to Keep Me and will be something totally different than what we’ve done before. We’re not going to say too much about it until the first book comes out, but we’re very excited about it. If you haven’t pre-ordered Someone to Keep Me, you can do so here: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4555 for the e-book, or http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4556 for the paperback. (The first 20 paperbacks were signed by KC and Parker at GRL in Atlanta!)

I’ve got several other projects in varying stages of preparedness and I’m hoping that you’ll join me as I start the new journey in 2014!