IT LIVES!

OK, well I live. I guess that's good enough, right?

Especially since it's been.....ooooooooooooooooh.......about six months since I've made a peep on here? Mah bad.

A lot has happened. Some good, some not so good. The not so good = massive depressive episode that basically stole my life. After finishing Super Sekrit Project (which is still super sekrit), I kinda fell off the writing wagon. And when that happens, nothing good follows. There's a lot that I've been thinking about, that I'll share as I shake myself out of this weird pseudo-coma I've been in.

The thing that I'm excited most about, though, is the fruition of a different sekrit projekt, one that is near and dear to my heart and deeply personal (no jokes, plz. Eh, okay, one). And that is the development of a line--somewhat by accident--with After Glows Publishing called Cupid's Cafe, which you can learn allllll about at this handy-dandy website I built. I'm hoping this will fill an untapped romance niche full of people like myself who struggle with mental illnesses and want to see ourselves not only overcome the symptoms but also find love in the process.The first two books in the line are available now, and let me tell you, the ladies who have stepped up and taken this project on are AMAZING.

And it's starting to grow more. A third book has been contracted, and a fourth writer (who isn't me!) has expressed interest. That, more than anything else, has been keeping me afloat lately. 

Over the next several posts, I'm going to share a few different things with you guys, and a lot of it might not be pretty. I've given up trying to sugar-coat my illnesses because no one sugar-coats physical illnesses, so why should I treat mine as anything less just because they're mental? If you're on board, feel free to share your own experiences, either here in the comments or on your own blog. @ me on Twitter (@lexcade), find me on Facebook, tag me on Tumblr. I want to know your stories. I want you to feel comfortable sharing them because we all need that from time to time. Want to guest post? Email me at c (dot) peace (at) live (dot) com. It's time we shake off the stigma of mental illness, and the best way to do that is through honesty and speaking our truth. 

Say it with me: I am worthy of love.

'Til next time, peeps.

Upcoming Opportunities

Hey everyone! Sorry there's been a bit of radio silence on my end. I'm working my booty off to try to get some projects finished up for your enjoyment. I'm currently revising another 1NS book to get submitted by the end of this month, and I still have Ember to re-edit and set up. So in the meantime, I'm giving you guys an opportunity to win a couple of books, in case you haven't had a chance to buy them yet, or weren't willing to take the chance *that's totally okay, too!*

First up is the Smexy Romance Blog Hop, the brain child of the super-talented Clare Dargin. March 20-April 2, you'll have the opportunity to visit the blogs of several romance authors and enter to win plenty of prizes. It'll be a great time for everyone :D 

I'm doing a couple of signings as well. I'm attending Wild in West Virginia with my writing partner/best friend/hetero love of my life Landra Graf. If you guys are going to be in/around Charleston, WV, June 10-12, stop by! Tix are available here.

I'm also attending Pages in the Caves Sept. 23rd in Cave City, KY, hosted by the lovely Kristine Raymond. Tix are available here.

And yes, I will have actual, physical, PRINT copies to sign!

I really hope to see you at one of these events! Keep your eyes here for the blog hop. Only got a couple days!

*Soooooooo many exclamation points!!!!!!!!!!* 

Maker's Breath!

It's a busy week here at Casa del Peace. (Casa del Paz?) Actually, it's a busy month here. The #Scream4theCure auction is up and going.  Did you miss what's up for grabs? Take a gander and put in your bid here. So far, we've already raised $175 for Dyin' 2 Live.

In writing related news, I FINALLY finished the sort-of sequel to Complete Me. Joss' story is in the hands of my beloved writing partner, Landra Graf. Whenever it gets submitted, it'll be another part of Decadent Publishing's 1Night Stand series. I'm pretty sure this hero could seduce a nun. Considering he's modeled after Sebastian Stan...yeah....

Also, I'm busy working on a horror story. For those not in the know, horror is one of my all-time favorite genres ever, which, of course, adds to the awesome that is October. Between that and the auction.... What is free time?

Any updates for me? New releases? Discover a new favorite book? Let me know in the comments!

Update!

Hey everyone! Just wanted to give you a quick update on a few things:

• I'm not dead. This seems to be very important, so there you go. Therapy went well. I was only able to do two weeks of the partial in-patient treatment because of my work schedule, but it's a good foundation and I'm excited for things to come. I'm excited about things in general, which is a huge change. The new job is going well, and other than being super duper tired, I'm enjoying it.
• PROJECTS! Lots of upcoming projects, so keep your eyes on this space. I'm plotting Gemini 2 right now, AND I finished draft zero on Amy's Hunt (Solstice Quartet #2) and plan on diving into rewrites this week. Guys, it's SERIOUSLY one of my favorites. Not gonna lie. Not gonna lie at all. Amy and Marrok, Ambre and Clara (omg especially Clara), are awesome. Have this completely unedited snippet:

          With a charming smile, the waiter sat down their plates. Clara batted her eyelashes and made small talk, something to make the energy normal again, but for Amy, things wouldn't be normal. Not anymore.  

          For a brief moment, she wished she'd handed Clara the box, but some memories needed to stay buried.   

          “So what’s up?” Taking a gulp of wine, Amy worked on focusing her thoughts. Seemed appropriate to start with the funny stuff, the not-so-world-changing stuff, even though every moment with Marrok seemed to be world-changing. “Well, I hope you’re feeling sufficiently…happy.” 

          “I’m a bit woo-headed, yes,” she said with a wide smile. 

          “Woo-headed?” 

          “Technical term.” Clara leaned forward. “Please tell me that you’re gonna tell me the funny thing I missed out on for your booty call.” 

          Once her friend’s words made sense, Amy nodded. “Hope you’re prepared for this.” 

          “I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life for this moment. Please, proceed.” 

• MOAR PROJECTS. These will require me to start a new blog with a pen name. So, again, please keep your eyes on this space.  

Insert Content Here

Hey guys. I've missed you. Like, a lot.

So I figured I'd do a quick update to let you know why I've abandoned you except for the I <3 Dogs blogfest posts.

I've been working on a few different things. The Indies website takes up a lot of time, but it's time well spent, and I don't mind. I've had the opportunity to read a lot of really great books that I wouldn't have otherwise. It's forced me to read a lot more, too. Two books a month + reviews keeps me pretty busy in itself.

Also, I finished Spark *does happy dance* so I've been trying to do content editing before I harass beg find beta readers to read it. It's by far one of my most favorite things I've written, and I'm planning the sequel as well. Right now, it's planned as a duet, but we'll see if it stretches into a trilogy. I kinda hope not, considering it was intended to be a standalone.

Thirdly, I got to go to Michigan this last weekend for Leah Clifford's InsaniTEA party! OH MY GAWD it was fun. Seriously. I finally got to see my adorable blog partner-in-crime Katelyn Torrey face-to-face (we made a scene; it was awesome), and am now addicted to Schuler Books & Music. It's a great store and if you have the chance to go to one, DO EET. This place kicks B&N's behind like nobody's business. Also, they have a small section of bacon-related products for you bacon enthusiasts out there, such as an I <3 Bacon magnet, a wallet that looks like bacon, and--I kid you not--a board game called Mr. Bacon's Big Adventure. Yes. A board game about bacon. It's crazy-awesome. I already want to go back.

So...yeah. I'll have for real content up soon including:

• Mass Effect & Mass Effect 2 reviews
• A post about throwing wrenches into your characters' plans
• Other stuff

What have you guys been up to?

Friday Feature 1/20 + Update

I haven't done one of these in a LOOOOOOOOOOOONG time, and I've missed it.

But first, a little update.

As most of you know, I've started a review site with Landra Graf which focuses on independently published and self-published books. We've reviewed 2 books this month, and I couldn't be happier with the feedback we've received. We review 2 books every month. Landra and I post separate reviews, which go up on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and we also have an author interview at the end of the week. It's been fun, and Landra and I have gotten access to some pretty great books.

However, because I've go so many irons in the fire, I've largely ignored this blog. I'm hoping to change that, because I do enjoy blogging. I love being able to connect with you guys, who are so kind as to follow my inane ramblings. I hope to have more content up in the future, once I get this whole scheduling thing figured out. Time management has never been one of my strong suits.

That being typed, I would love for you guys to check out the site, after you listen to this week's feature, of course ;)

This week's feature is a song I'm completely obsessed with and, amazingly, heard for the first time at WORK. God bless my coworker for figuring out how to change the music... Anyway, for your listening pleasure, here's Snow Patrol's "Called out in the Dark"

Checking in.

Just a friendly check in. First, I'd like to say hi to my new followers *waves maniacally*. Thank you for being willing to join me on this crazy journey. It's kinda strange to think that 101 of you actually read the randomness that is this blog, but I certainly appreciate you.

Second, Nano is going well. At my current pace, I'm scheduled to finish on the 26th, but I'm gonna try to hit 50K before then so I can spend the rest of the month recovering. But this has seriously been a fun experience. I'll definitely participate next year if I'm able.

Third, I wanted to point your attention to the new Denburylicious badge on the right-hand side of your screen. This provocative gentleman is the hero of Leanna Renee Hieber's new YA book Darker Still. I encourage you to check this book out. It's the beginning of a new series for her, and she's an incredibly talented writer. So show her some love on Twitter, like her on Facebook here, here, and here. And if you still need more Leanna, check out her official website here. I thank you in advance.

All right. I'm off to write more words. Be good, and I'll check in with you soon.

Guess what????

I have some exciting news, peeps!!! Sometime in the next few weeks, the awesome Lucienne Diver will *hopefully* be guest posting here! Isn't that awesome???????

I haz a happeh!

Anyway, not much to report on the writing front yet. Yesterday at work we had a power outage that lasted an hour and a half. Being at a hotel during a power outage sucks. Being the one working the desk during a power outage sucks worse...  BUT my resume has now been professionally done by my awesome sister, so hopefully I will get a new job, which means:

• I won't be poor.
• I'll have contests again.
• I'll be able to mail out those things I promised 8 million years ago.
• I'll have BETTER contests.
• I'll be able to read more.
• And I'll be able to afford printing out things. Things you'll like.

SO! Keep your fingers crossed. Cuz a better job for me means awesome stuff for you ;)

UPDATE


Lucienne emailed me her guest post, so that will be going up on Thursday! Come read about Lucienne's latest exploits in the authoring world as she discusses her newest series and the strange--but entertaining--people who live in her head. Cuz we all know how that feels ;)

speedy update

It looks like it's gonna come a doozy of a storm. Hopefully, it'll just crap out and leave us with a little rain, but I have the feeling that today's will be a bad one. Thank God I don't have to go anywhere.

A couple of things going on:

• Won a critique of my query & first 10 pgs from Kate Kaynak's website The Disgruntled Bear. That was EXCITING. Thanks to everyone who voted. Your support is most appreciated.
  
• Won a critique of my first 3 chapters from Sarah E. Fine at the Strangest Situation (which I totally recommend following; her blog handles psychology and is incredibly helpful).
  
• Got my synopsis critiqued by Phoenix Sullivan and it actually works! There's still a lot of revising needed but overall, it's a decent synopsis *does happy dance*. I feel like I've felled a foul ogre. And that I've been playing way too much Dragon Age: Origins. 

That's about it on my end. Hope everyone had a fabulous holiday! What have you guys been up to? Tell me in the comments!