Falling Behind, Falling for Autumn, Falling for Heroes

On the first Monday of each month I gab about what's going on with me, my writing, and life in general.

September is here! Can you believe it? I know everyone talks about how fast the years come and go, but I swear this one has gone the way of The Flash (as in the superhero speedster, for fellow fans of the show).

Falling Behind

One side effect of a year that's running rampant is that in a blink of an eye, I've fallen behind on my release schedule. I barely got Sons of Herne 6 out on time, which meant I was already under the gun when I started the draft of book 7.  Then, when I sat down to review the scene cards I had carefully prepped in advance (I did a general outline for the whole series back when I wrote the first), I saw I had a big problem.

I hated it.

My original scene cards for SoH 7, using Scrivener

I'm not sure what was going through my mind when I did the original concept, but I realized Anduron's arc just didn't pack enough punch for readers--or for me to want to write it. So production came to a screeching halt while I went back to the drawing board to do the next son of Herne justice. Pretty soon, the real story behind the god of Mabon's past, present, and future opened up, and that spark of creative excitement hit. I wrote furiously, managing sprints of double my normal word count on several writing days, but time was not on my side. In the end, the book was finished late, and as of this writing, I am hoping to release it this Friday or next. Which, of course, means the final installment is now also behind...

Meet "Andy," who found his way into Book 7!

But that's the way of things sometimes. I find it far better to slow down and create the best book possible rather than churn out whatever I can manage by the deadline. And I'm hoping readers of the series will agree that in this case, the extra effort spent on Anduron and Jenna's adventure was worthwhile.  (And one added benefit to the change: an adorable puppy found its way into the tail...er, tale!)

Falling for Autumn

Summer heat, Fall goodies!

 When Starbucks comes out with its Pumpkin Spice Latte, you know fall is here. Even though my locale still thinks temperatures at and above 100 degrees is perfectly acceptable. Whether or not you're a fan of all things pumpkin (which I am, make no mistake!), there are probably some things about autumn that make you smile. Fall leaves, cooler weather, the upcoming holidays, and a time of year to enjoy heartier fare like soups, stews, chili, and baking! The smell of fresh bread or muffins in the oven is hard to top.

Summer weather or not, my fall decor went up by my front door this morning. September is my husband's birthday month, so there'll be some celebratin' going on around here next week. Beyond that, autumn also means National Novel Writing Month is just around the corner. I have zero idea what I'll be doing for this year's challenge, and September is the month I try to lock that down. October is all about prep, plans, and outlines. A certain swell of excitement stirs when I think about NaNoWriMo, even though I write all year long. Knowing you're part of a huge celebration of fiction writing is an exhilarating experience!

Falling for Heroes

The extra time and attention I gave to Sons of Herne 7 paid off...I've gone and fallen for another one of my heroes! Anduron saves little old ladies, plays with puppies, and not only does he give flowers and chocolate to impress the woman he's trying to woo, he'll go all out and help her raid an animal testing facility. What's not to love about a hero like that? Unless you're a member of the sabbat counsel dealing with the fallout of his actions, of course. But phooey on them. 

Cue dramatic swoon... ::back of hand drapes across forehead::

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On select Mondays, I like to gab about whatever's going on with me. For more gab, please join me on Twitter or Facebook. I love talking to people!

J. Rose Allister is the author of more than twenty-five books, primarily romance and erotic romance. A former editor and submissions director, she now works as a mild-mannered hospital secretary by day, naughty writer by night.