Ides of Monday

Well, except when we take a weekend off–even if that “weekend” is in the middle of the week. I did take Saturday off. I was scheduled to go to the OKRWA reunion but Friday night’s activities left me in less than good physical shape and LG was having a bad day too so we both stayed down and in. In my case, that meant baseball on TV, a Nalini Singh book on Audible, and lots of dozing. Before anyone worries, I was having massive leg cramps and muscle spasms in my low back. Not fun and much sleeplessness. Anyway, all better now–mostly. So…other news of far more interest.

TV: Baseball. And Lucifer. The season finale of RIZZOLI AND ISLES, with the last season this summer. It ended on a cliffhanger with is a “Like, d’uh!” I’ve enjoyed the series–only read one of the books so I wasn’t wrapped up in canon. STARZ is doing a free marathon of the first full season of OUTLANDER. I need to catch up on the second half though I have to admit, with them moving to France? Not sure how long I’ll stick with the series. Still…Jamie (Sam Heughan)!

Reading: As mentioned, Nalini Singh. I did a back-to-back “listen” to her Guild Hunter/Archangel series. No word on when the next book is coming but I’m waiting with bated breath. I understand “cliffhangers” but when there’s a year between books? Yeah…no. There is a new Psy-Changeling book coming this summer. I’ll have to reread/listen to them to catch back up. Since I don’t like long delays between books with plot-hangers, I promise to do my best to not have any of those in my books that I know will likely be a year apart. I’m still reading T.M. Causey’s SAINTS OF THE LOST AND FOUND. I’m “sipping” this book like it’s a fine wine because it’s THAT good. Also, I know how it ends, having had the honor of reading an early beta version. There are some significant differences between that version and the final but oh-so-good ones! Not sure what my next just-for-fun read/listen will be. My Goodreads challenge is behind because I can’t list the 10+ books I read for contests yet.

Writing: News, and more news. THE BOSS AND HIS COWGIRL (RDR#3) has a firm release date of June 1st! Yay! I just turned in my front matter for CONVENIENT COWGIRL (RDR#4). Waiting on exact date in October and cover for it. BLOOD BRIDE, which will be book 1 in my MOONSTRUCK: ALPHAS series if SMP turns it down, is down to the last 2-3 chapters/epilogue. I decided to go with MS: Alphas for the “new” series for a variety of reasons, most having to do with Kindle Worlds. I’ve been invited to write in 3 worlds now. Y’all know about Paige Tyler’s DALLAS FIRE & RESCUE series. I’m doing two books there–NIGHT FIRE, a Nightriders crossover (#TeamSmoke! Oct. 2016 release) and the hero in the second is a Wolf on the right side of the law. He’s made a cameo in NIGHT MOVES, the next Nightrider book (planned for May/June release) and will star in his own DF&R story with a female ARFF (Jan. 2017 release). The second KW I’ve been invited to join is to specifically write a wolf shifter. Susan Stoker, who writes the SEAL of Protection and Delta Force Heroes series, has opened both of those series up to KW and she contacted me because she wanted a military shifter. I’ll be inserting a Wolf Green Beret into her Delta Force world, with a November release. The third KW is still a secret as the author hasn’t announced she’s doing it yet. I can tell you that it will be a crossover with my Hard Target team, specifically Dom Karras (the human helicopter pilot) and will have either an October 2016 release or an early 2017 release. Before anyone freaks, I still plan on another Penumbra book for 2016. I am making a conscious effort to write shorter, though. That doesn’t mean y’all won’t get full stories. Sometimes, I don’t need 85K words to tell the whole thing. :D

And a brief explanation on why I chose “Moonstruck: Alphas”–These books are not always related to other Moonstruck spin-off series. There will be a mention of Mac and the 69th in the Delta Force book, because…military. BLOOD BRIDE has no relation to any of the Moonstruck “worlds” beyond Rhys being a Wolf and a strong Alpha. All the Wolves I’ll be writing about will be alphas or Alphas and most of the books will be related to another author’s Kindle Worlds and I can use Moonstruck: Alphas as a crossover logo. It gives me more flexibility as I don’t really intend to have a full-blown interconnected series like Moonstruck, Nightriders, or Hard Target. In other words, each of the Moonstruck: Alpha books will be stand-alone. Make sense? I’ve only had 3 cups of coffee so…

And, speaking of…

COFFEE! Y’all know how I am about coffee. I’ve been a huge fan of Cafe du Monde chicory coffee (because cafe au lait!!!) since my first trip to New Orleans 30 years ago. For my birthday this year, friends sent me new “flavors” to try. Ev sent a bag of Death Wish Coffee. We’ve almost killed it. It’s dark. It’s good. It’s not chicory but that’s okay. We’ve enjoyed it and for a fun change-of-pace, I’d be tempted to order some. No way to buy any locally. Then Siobhan sent me a bag of whole-bean Three-Peckered Billy Goat dark roast from Raven’s Brew Coffee. I even went out and bought a coffee grinder because I haven’t had one in years. It will take some trial and error to get the mix right but I’ll be doing that after the Death Wish is depleted.

So what about y’all? What did you do this weekend? What books are keeping you up at night? What TV/Movies are watching/wanting to see? What’s on your mind?