Spring has Sprung!

Lots of Changes this month...

Spring has a way of sneaking up on us. It's the way the temps are suddenly in the 50s or 60s with some random winter days thrown in. It's how the trees are still bare, but look a bit prouder, like they're hard at work underneath it all. It's the birds coming back to the ponds and neighborhoods.

Okay. I could do without the birds. Those things creep me out!

Anyways. Yep. Here we are with April peeking through the clouds, trying her damnedest to break through the haze and chill that holds us for so many months in the winter. If you're like me and live in the midwest, you know we've got a few rounds of False Spring before she sticks around, but we love her anyways.

And now, just a few updates to share with ya'll.

Man Coverage Update

First up is some not so great news. Man Coverage--the second book in the 6th Man Series--hit a few snags over the past few weeks. I had truly hoped to have Becky & Beau's story out to you in time for March Madness, but it just didn't work out that way. In fact, I've had to scrap the project as it currently sits. I'm starting over which is not what I wanted but I think it's for the best. We're sure to get an incredible product even if it's taking longer than you or I wanted.

Other Audiobooks

In The Zone

We might still be waiting for Man Coverage to hit those Audible shelves, but that doesn't mean I'm pulling back on the "audiobook project." Nope! Just the opposite. I now have In The Zone (Spencer & Ryleigh, Book 3 in the 6th Man Series) now has a narrator. Louise Cooksey is going to do an amazing job with this new adult, sports romance between Spencer Lawrence--the loveable man of few words--and Ryleigh Simpson--our black cat athletic trainer determined to get him back on the court by the first tip off. This is slated to release in the Fall but I'll be looking for a few ALC (Advanced Listening Copy) Readers. If you love these characters and their stories, reach out on IG or Facebook!

Playing Hooky has a narrator as well! I was beyond lucky voice actor & friend Jennifer Walls--yes, the talent behind Court & Clara's audiobook--knew just the right person to bring to life Conor & ___'s insta-lust, one week away, BDSM exploration, shorter story. Seriously, Paxton saying Conor's ... ahem... favorite phrase in an Irish accent? I'm excited & I wrote the dang thing! Look for Playing Hooky on Audible this winter.

Kindle Unlimited

It's still weird to say this, but my books will be progressively leaving the Kindle Unlimited spaces. This is the last month that any of the Dropped Puck Series stories will be on KU--and even then, you'll only be able to find a few of them.

Called Up leaves KU on April 30th. Power Play leaves KU on April 4th. Saving Grace leaves KU also.

Then, starting May 1st, I'll be offering the entire Dropped Puck Series on my website store! Technically the prices on my site and the Zon are the same, but there's a promo code for those of you who subscribe to my newsletter so you can get these stories for 20% discount!

Writing Projects

Novella

At the start of the year I made a promise to focus on the audiobooks. That meant I planned to step back from the actual writing. That didn't last long though! By the middle of March I already had a completed novella! Sin Bin is a crossover novella. The debate now is: do I send this to Kindle Unlimited for 3 months? Or do I offer it directly on my website?

She was his coach. He was a player—in more ways than one.

Lucianna Hightower

As a woman, a widowed mother raising her daughter solo, the media has attempted to pick me apart for years; never enough of a woman for some and too much for others. I've spent years fighting the press and alpha a-holes, defending my right to coach the best hockey team in the nation. Avoiding any entanglements with my players was easy enough, until him. Maxim Volkov was the one who managed to get under my skin. His playboy persona and on-ice antics can only can only hide so much for so long, though. An injury ended his career as an athlete, but now he's working on the office-side of the Shark's organization.

Maxim Volkov

An unexpected injury may have ended my time on the ice, but I can't stay away from the sport that made me who I am. Not just the name on a jersey, but someone who rose from the humble streets of Russia to become one of the most recognized hockey stars of his time. Taking on an administrative role wasn't on my vision board—if I did shit like that—but I'll take the job. Especially if it means I get to spend time with my former assistant coach… and current crush, Lucianna Hightower.

A week after losing the Cup in Game 7, we're back to work. A scouting trip to Colorado ends with a sudden storm that grounds all flights. One night won't be a big deal. One room? That's not convenient, but we've spent years ignoring the tension between us. One Bed?

Can we continue hiding behind labels or…

…is it one night in the Sin Bin for the both of us?

6th Man, Book #4

That's right! I decided that we definitely need JP's story. It's already shaping up to be funny and spicy in what I think is the perfect balance.

Justin “JP” Parker

My friends are falling like bugs in a flea bath. One by one, they’ve wifed up and— while I love their partners, consider them sisters— I’m not ready for the responsibility being in a relationship comes with. It’s my senior year! That means girls and games on repeat. I’m not expecting the outgoing blonde bombshell from the bar to be anything more. Funny that…

Honey Turner

I’m a conundrum. That’s the southern way of saying I’m a problem child with a pretty face. My All-American, girl-next-door looks have gotten me out of more hiccups than I care to cop to. More than Mom and Dad want to admit, too. But after a truly epic muck up at my last university leaves me standing on the precipice of achieving my dreams or facing a total crash and burn, I’m bound and determined to get myself together. It’s just… what can it hurt to have a final bang before I clean up my act?

Except my hot-and-heavy hurrah with the cocky basketball player comes to a halt faster than a good offensive screen when Dad unexpectedly shows up to my apartment the morning after my one night with JP. Instead of running for the hills seeing his coach on the other side of the door, JP saves me—by pretending to be my boyfriend.

Fake dating JP is a win-win. Together we’ll have Dad believing we’ve both cleaned up our acts. So why does it start to feel less fake …

And more like we’ve faked out ourselves?

Plans for the future?

I decided to take an entire day to sit down and figure out what I can reasonably accomplish each year, writing-wise. As a reader who writes, I want all the books in my head out ... NOW! As the person doing the writing, that's just not possible. Trust me, I'm as sad about that as you are. And yes, it took me HOURS to figure out what I can do.

Novellas:

The goal is to have 1-2 novellas a year. These will typically be extended epilogues similar to Overtime or crossovers the way Sin Bin is. I'm hoping these books will bridge the times between series or let us spend another few chapters with the characters we love so much.

Full Length Books:

For now, I can realistically release 3 full length books a year. Considering I have -- AT MINIMUM!-- 2 more books in the 6th Man Series, a planned 7+ MMA series, and then 7+ pro-baseball series (shh... this is still super secret!) -- yeah I'm going to be at this for a WHILE! But I've experienced burnout from trying to write the stories as fast as my brain thinks of them. When you add in my night shift job, parenting two tornados as we race towards the end of their school year or are involved in sports--but never the same sport because that would be too easy, being a partner to Babe, and then preparing for a summer that has a birthday literally every single week. Oh yeah. There's always something going on.

But writing is something I started for myself. That means I have to make time for it.

The plan for now is to write books 4 & 5 in the 6th Man series (hehe... just realized what I did there!) plus the first book in the MMA series by the end of 2025. That will give me closure on my new adult basketball romance series and set me up for the rest of the books.

Audiobooks:

Every book I write will be on Audible. What that timeline looks like will depend on the book and what my author workload looks like. I can't do to myself what I did last year where my ego was greater than my abilities. I truly thought I could write a full length story, participate in an anthology, have multiple audiobooks in progress, holidays with family ... and all of those deadlines right to the wire. It was the least fun I've had with writing to that point and it was all my own doing. I was blessed that the people around me were incredible, making everything happen with me. But it's not something I want to willingly have happen again.

Author Elevation Hub

This is something I haven't talked about to many people, but it's time to start sharing a project that has been on my mind for a WHILE. And now it's officially in the works!

I'm partnering up with author, coach, and friend Amy Vogel. She's an insanely talented writer who has a passion for helping others grow in their business. I saw her posts and stories and realized her vision aligned with mine in all the important ways, and diverged in ways that would benefit everyone!

The doors will officially open on May 19th, 2025. But what can you expect? That's a great question!

Tier-level access.

We know that not everyone has the same needs along the way. Maybe you're a brand new author with a small budget. All you want is to have a community around you. Accountability partners. Hype people. Well, the Community Access is exactly that! For $10/month, you would get access to our Discord and Zoom channels. There we'll run writing sprints, chat, commiserate, get ideas and show respect to others doing the dang thing! I'll be leading these. This level will have other perks but is based on the need to find your group.

Maybe you've looked around and see that you could benefit from one-on-one coaching. Could a PA help get you organized and focused? What about an extra set of eyes throughout your writing process? Want access to promotions? Based on what you need! there's a tier or ala carte option ready and waiting for you!

Amy and I are still nailing down the details, so check our socials. The closer we get to May 19th, the more information we'll have! (including a link. That baby is being tweaked even now!)

I think that's everything. Seriously... how much more could I have fit into the single month of March? Maybe it's the energy drinks, but I'm excited and scared in a fun combo. I think it's just the fact that I'm feeling like an Author in a way I don't know I've accepted before.