Farewell to a Reader

I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my dear friend and reader Bradley Morrison. He was a good man and he possessed great talent. We connected over our love for books, and he began writing a novel that he knew he might never finish. Even so, he tried his best, and I immensely enjoyed the few chapters he sent to me. They were graphic, shocking, emotional, and intense. The story left lasting images in my mind, and it breaks my heart that I will never get to read the end of that book. I could try to write it myself-- but it will never be quite the same. I spent all night reading over my old conversations with Bradley, and I found myself getting very emotional as I began to understand how much it meant to him.

Thank you to his daughter Tiffany for contacting me; I really hope that we can finish your dad's book and publish it someday! Don't worry, Bradley, wherever you are. Your book is safe in my hands and I would never let a good story disappear from the world. I will find a way to do your story justice and bring it to thousands of people.

To all my writer friends who dream of finishing their stories, please remember that our time here is limited. Seize the moment and make the best of today. Every word and every thought is precious. Don't leave me standing here with a handful of sand. Crystallize it.

A Stunning Mermaid Tattoo

I have something amazing to share with you!
My reader, Dawn, sent me this gorgeous photo of a mermaid tattoo she is in the process of having done. When she told me that she was giving the mermaid red hair and green eyes as a tribute to Visola, I got so emotional. This is one of the greatest compliments that I have ever received. Visola is in my heart every day, but I never imagined she would mean so much to someone else! To have a permanent reminder of her displayed in such a bold and beautiful way—it is very much in the spirit of Visola herself. 
Thank you, Dawn, for sharing this magnificent piece of art. I can’t imagine how excruciating it must be to receive that tattoo and I admire your tolerance of suffering in the name of creating something lovely and meaningful.  I might be completely biased—but I think it’s stunning work!
Dawn was nice enough to give me permission to share this artwork with you, created by tattoo artist Michael Fachinni. As fellow mermaid lovers, I bet many of you can appreciate this! 

Fathoms of Forgiveness is on sale!

Experience the most beloved book of the Sacred Breath series! On sale for $0.99 for a limited time. 

Enjoy this gritty, dark, and passionate novel. Dive into the undersea romance today!

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | APPLE | GOOGLE | KOBO 

The Summer of Para

To all fans of Thirty Minutes to Heartbreak, I have some good news! I have decided to declare Summer 2014 as “The Summer of Para” on my writing calendar, where I will spend a few months working on the final three books of Thirty Minutes, back-to-back. I will also be updating the book covers, like I did for the Sacred Breath series. They will be sexier, darker, and more romantic. I will be a bit sad to see the covers go, because I do love these, but it is necessary for marketing.

I can see the ultimate end of Thirty Minutes so clearly in my mind, and I know all of the big events that will occur in the next few books. Because the end is so close, I have been scared to write it to completion—I was worried it would mean letting go of the series forever, saying goodbye, and closing an important chapter of my life. However, I am now prepared for that to happen. I have never finished writing a giant book series, but I realize that it does not mean goodbye. Completing a story does not mean killing it. It means that my little baby is growing up, and moving out of the house; going off to college or starting its own family.

I’m setting the story free into the world. I can’t suffocate it and cling to it forever by avoiding finishing it. I need to let go. After a few months or years, maybe I can even go back and read over the stories, and experience Thirty Minutes again in a different way. I have often re-read many of my favorite book series—Terry Goodkind’s "Sword of Truth" series, and Jack Whyte’s “A Dream of Eagles.” And I also re-watch my favorite TV shows—Buffy, Firefly, Dragonball Z, Smallville, Xena, Charmed, Breaking Bad. It’s always sad when something you’ve been following for years finally comes to an end. Especially since it’s not usually the end of the story—the stories are limitless, but production budgets and time are not. 

I feel that I need to reach the end of Thirty Minutes so that I can move onto bigger and better things. I currently have a vague idea of how the Sacred Breath series will end, but I have no idea how long it will take. I originally thought the series would have seven books, back when I started writing it in 2012, but now I know that there is no possible way I can end at Book #7. We’re going to get at LEAST ten books in Sacred Breath. I hope I can write another one or two this year. 

I hope you're excited to read the final books of Thirty Minutes! I will post more about it here, once I have the new covers and tentative release dates.