I have been trying to finish the last book in this series. Fenton is the last royal. I am done with the writing part! YAY!
But now the book has to go to my beta readers to see if the story is any good. And then there is edits and more edits.
I hope to have this story out soon and get it up on pages to share so that if you want to read the end... you can.
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Here is the Blurb:

Since leaving his family, Fenton has traveled the universe hiding from his siblings. He has no wish to be found, but all that changes when the royal family is kidnapped. Now he must go home, and he needs the one alien who can help him place King Octnavin back on the throne.
Elijah.
Secretly, Elijah wishes for a life like his friend, Sloan, but he knows he will never get love like that. God hates him for being gay, and since he is dying of cancer, he knows he deserves his misery. He’s lost and confused and desires a real connection, but he has come to terms with the fact that he will never have love, sex, or a husband.

Except… everything he thinks and everything he believes is challenged in an instant when he meets the lost second king of the Dagerstanteens, Fentontailia.
 
Did Elijah find a missing Fenton? Or did this royal find a lost Elijah?

I know. I know.

He shows up in a lot of novels. You know who I'm talking about. It is that dark brooding bad boy that we all love. We love the guy who can't be tamed and whose rough exterior hides passion and allure. The heroine may hate the man or want to fix the dude, but no matter what by the end of the story she is with him.

You might want to roll your eyes at this theme, but it is as old as time. There are many instances of this trope in classic literature, and it became particularly prominent in the 1800s. A famous example is Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights or Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre (I read that when I was sixteen.) 
Anyway, the point is, this guy is here to stay, and he offers a particular challenge for authors. You see the character must be bad to bring that danger and tension to the story, but he can't be so bad that he turns into the bad guy. Also, there is a slim line that must be walked so that we don't hate the character by the end of the novel. I have had that happen to me before.

As I write I keep in mind the characters overall morality and likeability. This is complex. I have to have him honorable in some ways but ruthless in others. I want him cold yet with his love match, he has fire. I need that compassion in some places, but we all love a rule breaker, don't we?
I tend to like outsiders because I feel that way in my own life. So often my bad boys are not family oriented, but I want them to yearn for connection.

I am working on a character like this right now. He is a handful, but I'm getting there. I can't wait for you to meet him in 5:05 a.m.

There is a saying that goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
No matter what you choose to do, that saying holds true.
 
Writing a novel is no small journey. And writing lots and lots of them and building a writing career is no joke. 
I think no matter what, we all have to start somewhere and that is what I am doing. 
After 3:05 a.m. came out, I felt like I was back to square one. Because of taking so long to release my book, I had to try and remember what to do like I am a new author again. And then I realized, it might always be this way. Every book that I release into the world is new and shiny and I don't know what is going to happen next. I can plan and guess, but in the end, it's a surprise. 
What I do know? I know I can't worry about it. I have come to discover that I have to accept the good with the bad. I am here and showing up as an author because I must create. I write to breathe and if people love it, great. If not, it changes nothing.
​I must write.
I must.

Digital publishing is everywhere in this day and age. And while it poses challenges, it also offers opportunities for writers.
Writers like me.

For me, I know it is important to explore a range of places to publish so that I can cast a wide net. I don't know where my readers are, but I am actively looking for them. They might be holding their phone instead of a paperback. And that's cool.

Right now, there are new trends to publishing that are showing up every day. They vary from site to site, app to app, as well as the models for reading and payment. That's why I must forge partnerships with many popular online novel platforms. This way I can release my books in multiple markets and give them the nest chance for success.

I know some of you don't love reading on your kindle or your phone, but some of you do. If you do like a digital book, you can find me on Kindle Villa, Kindle, Nook, or even Novelcat or Webnovel or Dreame. When I am not working directly with Troll River Publications on my Ice Era Chronicles, I am expanding on other sites!