What’s Next?

Since I announced I was taking a break from writing bikers for a while, I’ve gotten a lot of wonderful messages and comments from readers, supporting me in whatever I will write, and also many lovely notes expressing disappointment in the hiatus but patience and understanding of my need for a break, and I thank you all. That was a wonderful and very touching surprise.

So, what will I be doing while the bikers are garaged? Here’s some idea:

First, what’s ready to go: My next release is coming up on 4 May. It’s my next historical romance, set in Depression-era Appalachia, about a plucky pack-horse librarian and her taciturn mountain man. The cover/title/description reveal and preview is coming next week. I loved loved loved loved loved writing this one! It brought my mojo back after several very hard months last year.

Second, what’s been written and I’m planning releases for: The third book of The Pagano Brothers series is written and has been through a beta read with good results, so I’m ready to say that one will get published. You can expect it in midsummer. More details later. (But it’s not Angie’s book. Angie’s book comes later.) You can find a hint on my public Pinterest board for the series.

I’ve also got the third book of the Sawtooth Mountains Stories in the beta stage right now. If all goes well with that one, you can expect it to come out this fall, probably before I head to RARE19 London at the end of September.

Third, what’s been written and I’m figuring what to do with it: The first book of my epic fantasy trilogy. For several reasons, I’m not sure I want to go indie with this one. I’m working through some things, trying to decide the best course. If any.

Fourth, what I’m writing now: I just started Mo and Delaney’s story. It’s too early to be sure I’ll finish it, but I hope so, and if so, it’ll probably be out within a year. You might be thinking, “Wait, she just said she was done with bikers for a while, and here she is writing another biker book already!” But no. D will ride, yes, but this won’t be a biker book. I talked a bit about it in my post last week.

Fifth, what I’ll write later: I have lots of ideas, I could publish six books a year for the next decade on my current list of ideas, but I’m not sure yet what I’ll start next, or what will get finished. The Pagano Brothers series has an overarching story I want to finish, so I’d like to focus there, if Lola agrees. I hope to spend more time in Jasper Ridge.  I’m playing around with a sequel to Aurora Terminus. And I want to finish my fantasy trilogy. And then there are all my ideas for new series and standalones that have accumulated a lot of notes–those range from historical to contemporary, and are mostly romance.

I write just about every day, and will keep writing until my brain breaks. Or my body. Or both. But for now, my answer to exactly what I’ll write/publish in the future is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Last, when will bikers return to my lineup: In a year or two? If all goes well, it’ll be a next-gen Bulls series up first, since that would be set in present day.

If Eight Ball gets a book, it’ll probably be there. I’ve heard from a lot of readers who want a story for Eight, but I was not on board with that at all until I wrote Lead. It wasn’t until I saw him through Becker’s eyes that I could imagine him as a romantic lead. Now, I’ve got a hook into his psyche and a lot more sympathy/empathy for him.

But I have to work through some stuff he does in the SoCal series before I can figure out a story for him. Specifically, in Fire & Dark, he gets a lap dance (in, like, 2024), and I need to decide whether he has an understanding old lady at that point who doesn’t think a lap dance is a big deal, or if he’s struggling with fidelity (I am generally NOT okay with this, without seriously extenuating circumstances to allow for redemption), or if he doesn’t find love until after.

BTW: Unless he has an understanding old lady who won’t set fire to his Fat Boy over a lap dance–that is, if I wait until after 2024 (in story time) to give him a book–he’ll be well into his silver fox years by then. He’s younger than Becker, but not that much younger, and 2024 is 17 years after the epilogue of Lead. We’re talking at least late 50s for Eight by then.

Hell, even if he has an understanding love, he won’t get with her until 2018-2019 at the earliest, so he’ll still be in his 50s. Which is totally on brand for Eight, actually, to keep to his stubborn assholery as long as he possibly can. Moreover, I can imagine that events in his life by that point might well have softened him and made him lonely. So that’s where I can see Eight might finally fall in love.

I’m obviously very happy to write older leads. I prefer my men with some age on them, and have written 50+yo leads before. I’m in my 50s myself, so it’s not old to me (well, except when I first get up in the morning). And my visual inspiration for Eight has always, from when I was writing Signal Bend, been Goldberg, who’s in his 50s as well–in fact, I used Goldberg’s college football headshot for Eight’s look in the BBMC series. But I’m just letting you know–he’ll be one of my oldest leads so far.

ALRIGHTY. I think I’ve finally said all I want/need to say as I wind up the Brazen Bulls. Phew! If you’ve hung in through all these meandering ramblings, you get a gold star!

Next Saturday: the reveal for my next release. And check my FB author page in the next few days for some juicy giveaway news!

xoxo
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