RS: I Haz Planz 07/01

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Raven ShadowHawk

Aaaaaaaaaaaah. ^_^ Back to normal. Kinda.

I know I’ve spent the last seven days sharing with Ileandra and DSB figuring out what the hell we’re going to do for the year so it’s nice to have my own space again. Shove over you two, Thursdays are mine.

I guess it’s time to set this out nice and clear the way I do my usual goal posts but with a few tweaks. Of course.

Overall Goals for 2015

A new feature of these goals is to list them in order of importance to me. This may not always be the case, but you can generally assume that going forward.

  1. Complete the ebook versions of the ‘Meeting Each Other‘ series by end of January
  2. Have compilation ebook and physical version of ‘Meeting Each Other’ series complete and for sale by end of February
  3. Edit ‘Slippers & Chains: Second Base’ in its entirety and send to Breathless Press
  4. Draft ‘Slippers & Chains Three’ (and give it a damn title!)
  5. Begin editing ‘Slippers & Chains Three’ (at least as far as a Kindle Read)
  6. Start the new ‘Raven’s Diary’ serial and have first ‘episodes’ ready to post/publish by May 2015

Targets For January 2015

It’s going to be a busy month what with one week gone, but having a clear line ahead has always made things manageable. So let’s see:

  1. Complete ‘Malcolm’ and have it selling on Amazon and Smashwords by the end of the month
  2. Take part in the Breathless Press blog tour arranged for ‘Slippers & Chains: Sugar Dust’ and be available on all blogs to converse with readers (more details on the stops nearer the time)
  3. Issue the next chapter of ‘Raven’s Diary: The New Pet’ to newsletter subscribers
  4. Reach the half way point of my deep edits for ‘Slippers & Chains: Second Base’
  5. Outline the next ‘Raven’s Diary’ serial in eight chunks (for May-December)

Activities For The Week

This week then, is about wrapping up loose ends. ‘Malcolm’ has been dragging on for (seemingly) ages and though his story is one of my favs, I’m getting a bit sick of it. So let’s get that bad boy up and gone!

  1. Finish Kindle Read of ‘Malcolm’ and get it sent to beta readers
  2. Outline the special (compilation version only) special story for the end of the ‘Meeting Each Other’ series
  3. Finish my blog tour posts for Breathless Press
  4. Read through ‘Slippers & Chains: Second Base’ fully, the initial First Pass

Thoughts…

goal shooting goals from open clip artThis is a new section of my goal posts but I think it’s important. Call it ‘Thoughts’ or ‘Summary’ but for me this is ‘Evaluation.’ This will come into play more when I have the previous week’s activities to look at, but I thought I should tell you what it was.

Also, you may have noticed that my headings for these posts have changed too. Deliberate. The language one uses for motivation and morale are really important and I’m learning enough about myself to recognise that too many ‘goals’ can be stressful. If those same goals are activities instead, it seems to take some of the pressure off. Dunno why….

Similarly, targets are what I strive towards, but it isn’t the end of the world if I don’t get there. My targets are stretching – they always have been – but what do you do with a target but keep shooting until you hit it dead centre?

Anyway, that’s it for tonight. I need to get off and do some work.

How are all you guys getting on? DSB has been dancing around the blogosphere recently and it’s great to see so many of you doing great things, or picking yourself back up after a literary fall, or even starting afresh. I don’t think it’s wrong to say that I’m proud and pleased for all of you and rooting for you in every way!

Raven's Signature In Black

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RS: It’s All About Slippers & Chains: Sugar Dust

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Raven ShadowHawk

Woo Bi Hoo!

Yes, today IS all about ‘Slippers & Chains: Sugar Dust’ and all the news I’ve been sitting on while waiting for the thumbs up.

Release Date

Yes! I know this has been a while coming but I now know when the book will be available for sale. I’ve not go the buy links yet (soz folks) but if you’d care to check out Breathless Press or your local Amazon site on JJanuary 23 I’m sure you’ll find something there you’ll be keen to see. 😉

Yup, yup, January 23 sees the release of ‘Slippers & Chains: Sugar Dust,’ first in the Slippers & Chains series. Ooooooooooooh, yes!

*phew* Okay, can you tell I’m bursting over that one? Right, next!

Blog Tour

big red bus OpenClipArt

Hop on the Sugar Dust Tour Bus!

There will be a blog tour! It will be lovely and fun and awesome and please-oh-please-oh-please you have to come and wave your knickers at me. Or whatever it is to do these days to show support to erotic authors you like. 😉

The tour will have ten stops and, all being well, these are the places you can expect to see me:
Dawn’s Reading Nook – (1) 13 Jan
Coffee Time Romance (2) – 12 Jan
Katie Babbles (3) – 21 Jan
Savy Authors Appears (4) 22 Jan
Romance Reviews Today (5) – 22 Jan
Love Romance Passion (6) – 22 Jan
Urban Fantasy Investigations (7) 23 Jan
Romancing The Book (8) – 23 Jan
Romance Junkies (9) – 23 Jan
Erzabet’s Enchantments (10) 26 Jan

I haven’t got all the links yet, but when I do I’ll make sure the list is up to date with all of them.

Wheeeeeeeeee! So excited I could cry. And the best is yet to come.

In the interests of keeping these posts (kinda) short and sweet, you’ll have to wait until next week to see the stunning cover.

Ha, I’m a tease. Yes I know. Though if you reeeeeally can’t wait, you could have a hunt for it. You have the whole of the internet at your disposal. Virtual smooches to whoever finds the cover image before I post it next week. 😉

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DSB: What’s Happening In 2015?

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Da Shared Brain

Hi folks, Leah again. ^_^

This is probably the most you’ve heard from me (ever!) but I think it’s important to let you know what I’m doing and why. I can talk to you frankly when I’m like this and I hope it doesn’t break any fourth walls or change how you feel about what I do here.

The Background

This blog began as an experiment. You probably know that if you’re a long time reader. If not, then now you do. It was a way for me to chat about Silk Over Razor Blades and the journey it was taking me on. Since becoming a mother and loosing my traditional job, my new job is writing. Publishing. It’s a mad dream that I still, sometimes, can’t believe is real. I have to pinch myself over and over just to make sure I’m not going to wake up in my dingy little bedsit with damp walls, knowing I need to go off and work for a financial company that’s slowly sucking my soul away.

Anyway… the blog has evolved. My writing has evolved. My ideas and comfort zones have radically shifted to accommodate all these wonderful plots I have zipping around my head and they manifest in the forms of Ileandra Young and Raven ShadowHawk.

the shared brain

Each of these pen names of mine has a presence on this blog far more real than mine. And that’s fine. But what I’m learning more and more is that I want to share what these pen names are giving me. The stories I write aren’t just for me any more. I have a strong (and strengthening) desire to share them with the world, and while I adore all you wonderful, talented, kind and friendly followers, the majority of you are people like me: writers.

I need to start reach out to readers and finding ways to bring them into the fold and, after weeks (and I’m not kidding, literally, weeks) I’ve figured out how I want to do that.

The Future (Blogging and Websites)

This blog will continue as it has been.Clearly I’m saying something you like, otherwise you wouldn’t keep coming back. So I’ll keep saying it. 🙂 I’ll continue to share my experiences and aspirations through the voices of Ileandra and Raven and post every Monday and Thursday.

But for the readers out there, for the folk who just want the stories and less of the how, when, why and UUUUURGH! of how I got there, I have something else. Ileandra and Raven have solo websites that also run through WordPress. They were intended to be static, drop in sites that eventually directed people here. However, changes in EU VAT laws mean that I can no longer realistically afford (in any sense) to sell books through those sites. So I want to write something there for free instead. Weekly/fortnightly/monthly instalments that will later go on to be ebooks and/or physical books for purchase.

I’ve touched briefly on things like Raven’s Diary and characters like Michael Garran and Diavian Hatara. The time has come to give these characters the life I’ve been thinking of.

I’m going to spend the first few weeks of the year getting ahead with writing stories for the solo websites. Serials which I plan to publish on a weekly/fortnightly basis. One for Raven (erotica), one for Ileandra (fantasy). As and when these serials get to a suitable point, I will release ebook versions of the stories through Amazon (and possibly Smashwords) to make them easier to read.

There is a catch though.

Ileandra and Raven have talked about their plans and they weren’t kidding; we want to do all of those things. But it will be difficult to do those things as well as these serials, so they will double up as the newsletter gifts too. Subscribers to Ileandra’s newsletter or Raven’s newsletter will get their stories in monthly chunks, keeping them ahead of those who only read the blogs. They will get to help me plan where stories go and offer suggestions for plot/character/setting development. It will be an interactive exchange between mJoin Raven's Mailing Liste and subscribers, the results of which will then be posted to the solo sites.

So, you know what I’m going to say, right? If you want to be hot up on what’s happening in those stories, that will not feature on this blog, you’ll need to subscribe to the relevant newsletter or solo website.

When that feature kicks off, posts will go live on Saturday mornings (GMT) meaning that there will no longer be Saturday posts on this blog. These plans are ambitious enough, I just don’t think I could realistically keep up with those too. Though of course if there are reasons to do bonus blogs, I will post those just as ever I have.

Other Projects

You know I’ve got a lot on. The Joined Up Writing Podcast, my (sporadic) work with Creative Frontiers and Caladria’s digital fantasy magazine Fab Fables are all ‘fringe’ projects that keep me on my toes.

Well that stuff isn’t going to stop. I also plan to talk about them a bit more (as me) so you guys can share those experiences too. I’m sure some of it will be of interest to you and I would love for you to become involved. There is certainly space to do that with the JUWPodcast since we’re always looking for guests and interviewees and some of you are already working with me and the team at Caladria to produce stories for Fab Fables.

It’s relevant and more of the sorts of things I’ve previously had to gloss over slightly because they didn’t come under the fantasy or erotica banner.

So Basically…

This whole post has been a mega, long winded way of me saying that this blog will now focus more on the background of writing (the process, the editing, the experiences, the learning, the guest posts, the analysis) while the solo websites will focus more on the creative side (actual stories, character interviews, book reviews).

I think that should go a long way towards ensuring that everything is fresh and interesting and easy to find for the people who want specific things.

Phew! *wipes brow* I need a cup of tea!

red spotted cup of tea

DSB Sig

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IY: Mah Plans for 2015

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Ileandra Young

It’s on. It’s sooo on! I know exactly what I want to do with my year and I’m going to have a ball working on those things.

Saar’s Legacy

With Silk Over Razor Blades still waiting for a response I need to keep working on the rest of the trilogy. It doesn’t matter whether Angry Robot take the book or not, I want the trilogy finished so I can work on other things. Frankly put I won’t be capable of focusing on anything properly until I put the other two books to bed.

nice red vampire lips with blood and teeth, from OpenClipArtSo I’m going to do exactly that. This year my primary focus is all about Saar’s Legacy, namely Walking The Razor’s Edge and On A Knife Point. WTRE is written and sitting in my bedroom in a stack four inches high, waiting to be read and scribbled on with my Mighty Purple Pen. OAKP is hammering at the doors of my mind, begging to be written so I’m going to do that too. Da Shared Brain mentioned our outline for the year, with every week earmarked for something specific. I know my life and myself well enough to accept that things won’t (and can’t) always go to plan, but having that outline just makes me feel secure. Having a plan is always the first step for me.

When I look at my plans in those two paragraphs it doesn’t look like much. I have to keep reminding myself that it is. I plan to edit one book to completion, draft another and start editing that too. It’s a huge undertaking when, let’s face it, I only really ever have half the time and brain space to get stuff done in.

If I manage it I’ll have to give myself some sort of incredible holiday. Or a party. Or a car. Or all three. I don’t know. Something big anyway. I’ll deserve it.

Tomorrow DSB is going to talk about how the blog will be changing to accommodate our new marketing plan (ooo-eeer!) and how both my solo blog/website and Raven’s will reflect those changes.

Next week I’ll go back to my usual offerings of one fun post every Monday morning, followed by my goals round up in the evening.

Until then, stick around for more news. It’s going to be exciting, I promise you that.

new ileandra signature,

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RS: I Haz Planz For 2015!

Posted on January 5, 2015 by Raven ShadowHawk

I do! Holy-freakin-yes I do and I’m so excited about all of them. I’ve spent days working on what’s next, what needs to happen and when… and I’ve finally cracked it. Part of me is mega disappointed at the projects I have to leave to one side, but the other can’t think of anything better.

Slippers & Chains Overload

Slippers & Chains Banner image, version oneYou all know that Breathless Press took on Slippers & Chains: Sugar Dust right? Well the Slippers & Chains series is in four parts and they get first dibs on what follows. Since Sugar Dust was received sooooo very well, it makes sense that I keep working on the rest of those stories to get them out ASAP. Right?

I spent November 2014 working on Slippers & Chains: Second Base so my first job is to edit that bad boy and get it ready to send to Breathless Press. All being well, that should be ready to go by week 18 of this year (Da Shared Brain mentioned yesterday how organised she’s been in arranging every working week from now until 2016. This is just part of that.).

After that I’ll work on drafting Slippers & Chains Three (I’ve not managed to title it yet) and outline Slippers & Chains Four (also untitled). Those last ones have very sparse outlines, but they need a bit more meat to them if I’m going to be preparing to write and/or edit them.

Newsletter Short Story Series

Not to forget you faithful folk who have subscribed to my newsletter. Not only will you continue to get news well before blog readers, but you also receive stories in the ‘Raven’s Diary‘ series. So far I’m working on Raven’s Diary: The New Pet which is rough around the edges and needs a bit of work before going out to a wider market.

After that I’ll follow up with more of The Kitten’s adventures in BDSM Land. Ha… best title ever. I may have to use that: The Kitten’s Adventures in BDSM Land, coming to an ebook near you! Yeah, anyway, that’s the plan there. If you want to get those stories and enjoy the kinky madness, you know what to do: sign up today!

Shorts, Flash and Other Submissions

I have no concrete plans for this yet, but if something (far enough ahead) catches my eye, I will write for any CFS (call for submissions) that I find. However, unlike last year which was a lil bit of this and a lil bit of that, I’ll be focused more keenly on projects that I know have a home.

The Meeting Each Other Series

Simone & Mr Bradford CoverNo, I’ve not forgotten. With Simone & Mr Bradford finally available on Amazon (ugh) I have one story in the series left to release. I’ll be doing that later in the month. After that I’ll be compiling all six stories into one mega collection and offering both print and digital versions (MF squeeeeeeeee!) I hope to have that done by February. The collection (in both forms) will include revised (and slightly lengthened) forms of each story along with a surprise mystery gift for all those folk who buy it. ^_^ Like surprises? Wait and see. 😉

So those are the plans! Catch up with me this Thursday for the return to usual, with a fun post in the morning and my goal list in the evening. Until then, there are a bunch of other things across the blog to keep you occupied, including Ileandra’s plans for the year tomorrow.

Stay tuned!

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