Monday, February 16, 2015

What's Next?

Dying Embers released on Friday - for Kindle and in paperback on Amazon or Createspace.  Huge 'Thank You' to everyone who bought a copy.  Even huger thanks to JB Lynn and Fran K who each took the time to review my book on Amazon and Goodreads.  It really means a lot to me.  :hugs:  The paperback went live on Amazon last night, and it should populate to other retailers eventually.  Hell, with something called 'Extended Distribution' it might even be available to libraries and junk.  I hope you all get a chance to read it, if you're so inclined.  It was tons of fun to write.

Anyway, enough about that.  I spent the past week totally absorbed in DE and I want to talk about something else.  Like what's next.

I know I mentioned this a week or so back.  (Seems like eons ago.  Time is wonky here in my world.)  I do have options.

First off, I have a mystery set in a small town on the plains of eastern Colorado.  Write what you know, eh?  When a big-city detective finds a dead woman at his brother-in-law's funeral, he's sure it's foul play, but the local police think otherwise.  The more he digs, the more 'accidental deaths' he finds and the more the locals want him to butt the hell out.

And then there's the suspense that borders on both techno and political thriller.  After a senator's wife dies in an accident, the husband cries 'murder' and the case is shunted over to an agent who's fallen from grace.  She's told to make it go away, except she finds the husband may be right.  Especially when the coroner finds a heart attack with no underlying cause and suspects a microchip may be to blame.

Both of those are already written to THE END.  They just need editing.

Of course, I could finish the half-written novel set in the Dying Embers universe - with a different agent of the Serial Crimes Investigation Unit in a different city chasing a different serial criminal.  It would dovetail nicely with DE, but like I said, it's half-finished.  I would still need to write the end and send it through edits before the end of March - when I've got a space set aside with my editor for my next book.

Or I could write this new book that's dancing around in the back of my head that would also be set with the S.C.I.U.

Arrgghh.

The easiest route would be the mystery, but since when have I ever done things the easy way?  :shrug:  In the interest of keeping myself occupied, I started entering the edits I already have on the mystery on Friday morning.  It's going well, but with everything I've learned from this publication experience, I already know I'll have to start over on the edits and polish harder.

Ah, the writing life.  Gotta love it.

10 comments:

  1. I still vote for the mystery. But start thinking about DE2 - they say series are the best way to ramp up a career.

    Look, look! Lynn Viehl mentioned Dying Embers!

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    1. That's probably where I'll go next, Deb, but I'm wavering.

      I saw that! I'm totally freaking out over here. When I saw, all I could do was point at the screen and make unintelligible noises at Hubs, then run over to my shelves where I have some of her books - three of which I bought just this past weekend. And then I got to Jennifer Lyon's blog and she mention Dying Embers, too. Totally chuffed.

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  2. I'm with Deb, I'd like to read that mystery. I love mysteries and who dunnits. I've really enjoyed reading cozy / psycho / thriller / mysteries and so I think that would be a good option. But having said that I'd really like to read more about SCIU, and Frank & Lynn and catch up with JC & Ben. Heck, I think I'd even read pirates in space if you wrote it! And I saw DE on Lynn's blog too - good going.

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    1. I'll think you'll be happy with any of the options, Fran. They're just your kind of read. The next SCIU book only has Walter Graham in it, though. I think I'll save the one after that for Frank and Lynn. I hadn't thought about giving Jace and Ben a cameo, though.

      Thanks!

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  3. It's so awesome to have choices! Whatever you choose, I'm sure you'll nail it! :)

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    1. Thanks, DL! And congrats again on your big news of getting an agent. That's so awesome for you!

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  4. Congratulations on your new release, and good luck with it! Have fun with your next book, too -- whichever one you decide it will be! Both of the options you mentioned sound good, but the third one is promising, too. I can see why you're having trouble deciding!

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    1. Thanks, Caryn! I have so many books already written, half-written, and swimming around in my head ready to be written. And I'm horrible at choosing.

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  5. Uhm...have you considered taking the mystery and assigning the Denver detective to SCIU? Since I've beta'd the mystery, I think it would work and shifting it over would be an easy fix of what's already written. Just sayin'... *ducks and runs*

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    1. I think if the SCIU swept into Serenity, they'd have the case closed in two shakes of a cow's tail, Silver. Where would the fun be then? Nope, just a city cop running up against small town secrets and mulishness while bodies drop around them.

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