First, the fun stuff – The cover for my upcoming book, Exploits is now ready & I’m revealing it here!!  Photographer Edward Maurer of Edward John Photography did a fabulous job on this one.  Let’s all give him a round of applause.  Exploits introduces a whole new batch of characters, sharing the same world as those in my previous series, Desire Never Dies.  In fact, some of them you’ve met already.  Darla Arnold is back and in rare form.  She has plenty of obstacles to throw in the path of the true love blossoming between author Sunny Drysdale and police chief Jeremy Jennings.  (If you’ve read the Desire Never Dies series, you’ve already met Jeremy’s sister Jamie).  There’s also a band of counterfeiters, a dead celebrity impersonator, and oh yes, a few mobsters.  This book is full of bumps and bruises.  You’ll want to strap yourself in tight as you turn the pages and go for the ride!

And now, on to my literary musings…

Writing a series is always an adventure.  It’s like writing one very long book.  So I shouldn’t be surprised at the number of twists and turns along the way.  Mostly, I’m not.  Lately, however, as I delve deeper into my new series, Sex & Secrets, unexpected voices have begun speaking.

Edlynne has been talking to me since.  I started writing Exploits, Book 1. Edlynne is a very impatient girl.  I know this because Edlynne is the heroine of Sanctuary, Book 4.

At first, I asked her if she didn’t mind waiting to tell her story.  She did.  So, while drafting and editing Exploits, I have been dutifully writing down pieces of Edlynne’s tale.  (Please don’t call her Eddie, btw.  She hates that).

Then there is Dandy.  She is fun, vibrant and practically shouts her story at me.  She started speaking to me during the middle of my massage, and by the time I was home with pen and paper in hand, her introduction took up a page of text.  Don’t expect to meet Dandy in Exploits either.  She makes her debut in Delicious, Book 3.  I’m very excited to write her story.  Edlynne’s, too.  Particularly since Edlynne isn’t  going to leave me alone until I do.

One character who’s not talking is Lila.  And I really wish she would.  Lila is the heroine of Whispers, Book 2.  That’s right, Book 2.  As in, the book I’m supposed to be writing next.  Lila’s been sulking; still licking her wounds over her nasty encounter with the womanizing Kevin Devlin, I think.  Perhaps she’s a bit peeved with me for introducing them.  And, well, Lila isn’t one to put up with ill treatment.  It’s possible when she does start talking, she’s going to tell me off.

Stories in a series may be linear when you read them, but, they don’t always present themselves that way.  While I normally try to maintain order in my fictional universe, and plot events chronologically, my characters have had me bouncing in haphazard fashion over a 4-book path.  Writing this series has been like playing a game of literary hopscotch; skipping over some parts of the tale, while jumping ahead to others.

Excuse me now, while I toss my stone at another square and see where it lands.

Happy Reading!

Clara