"Victoria's Very Awkward Love Story" (in other words, Strange Bedfellows Book 3) is done with the beta process for the most part. Reception has been great! I'm thrilled, and even better, the betas who haven't read the first (or second) "Strange Bedfellows" say this book can function as a standalone. This is probably the fastest book I've written, but in all honesty, parts were written before. In these incarnations, Vic was paired with different leads, depending on the incarnation. I couldn't get anything clicking, but seems like finishing "Three's a Crowd" (Strange Bedfellows Book 2) finally got me on the right track for Vic's story.
I anticipate release in about a month, perhaps a bit before. Some betaing and final editing remains. In about a week or so, I'll probably post the first one or two chapters.
Here's the cover. One of my favorite covers!
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One of the betas (a new beta to me and who hadn't read any of my works) said she couldn't envision this book having a happy ending given the setup but that I managed to pull off the impossible. Yep. That's what I do for most of my novels. I put characters in impossible situations and have them deal with them realistically and pragmatically. And lo and behold, life does work out! ;-)
So, now that this is finished for the most part, what's next for me writing-wise? A "SB" Book 4? Probably not right away. I did have a novel (perhaps novella) in progress that I stopped working on to focus on SB3. Had to, because Victoria and Felicianna kept bothering me--these pesky gals wanted their story told ASAP! I may go back to that novella or start completely new on a project. Who knows. I do have a feeling that when I write SB4, it'll focus on Elena and Frances. I'm ready to have their POVs back, especially Frances's. And as one subplot in SB3 shows, they're about to have a quite major life change. I have a few additional "life" curves in mind for them too--like one of Frances's parents dies and the other parent moves in with Elena and Frances after an unsuccessful stint with Frances's brother.
Here's the preliminary blurb for "Victoria's Very Awkward Love Story": Why would Victoria Dourne strike up a friendship with Felicianna Grey, the woman who almost ruined the lives of Victoria's mother and stepmother? What started as mere curiosity on Victoria's part has developed into much more. She and Felicianna have been chatting online a few months, and Felicianna thinks Victoria is a twenty-five-year-old secretary from Chicago, not the eighteen-year-old girl she is. They’ve bonded over the fact they’re both in love with women they can’t have. They’ve even engaged in cybersex with each other. The online thing is getting old, though, and when Felicianna shows signs of losing interest, Victoria figures the time has come to tell the truth—in person.
Felicianna is horrified when Victoria confesses all. An eighteen-year-old girl! The stepdaughter of Felicianna’s former best friend. The daughter of a woman Felicianna despises. This was what happened when Felicianna took risks. When she decided she could trust someone.
Victoria begs Felicianna to give her a chance. Just one chance. A dinner. If, after that, Felicianna still wants Victoria to stay away, she will.
Can Victoria persuade Felicianna to look past the trappings of age and circumstances to find her way back to the woman she thought she knew online? Can Victoria and Felicianna surmount their many, many obstacles?
I anticipate release in about a month, perhaps a bit before. Some betaing and final editing remains. In about a week or so, I'll probably post the first one or two chapters.
Here's the cover. One of my favorite covers!
One of the betas (a new beta to me and who hadn't read any of my works) said she couldn't envision this book having a happy ending given the setup but that I managed to pull off the impossible. Yep. That's what I do for most of my novels. I put characters in impossible situations and have them deal with them realistically and pragmatically. And lo and behold, life does work out! ;-)
So, now that this is finished for the most part, what's next for me writing-wise? A "SB" Book 4? Probably not right away. I did have a novel (perhaps novella) in progress that I stopped working on to focus on SB3. Had to, because Victoria and Felicianna kept bothering me--these pesky gals wanted their story told ASAP! I may go back to that novella or start completely new on a project. Who knows. I do have a feeling that when I write SB4, it'll focus on Elena and Frances. I'm ready to have their POVs back, especially Frances's. And as one subplot in SB3 shows, they're about to have a quite major life change. I have a few additional "life" curves in mind for them too--like one of Frances's parents dies and the other parent moves in with Elena and Frances after an unsuccessful stint with Frances's brother.
Here's the preliminary blurb for "Victoria's Very Awkward Love Story": Why would Victoria Dourne strike up a friendship with Felicianna Grey, the woman who almost ruined the lives of Victoria's mother and stepmother? What started as mere curiosity on Victoria's part has developed into much more. She and Felicianna have been chatting online a few months, and Felicianna thinks Victoria is a twenty-five-year-old secretary from Chicago, not the eighteen-year-old girl she is. They’ve bonded over the fact they’re both in love with women they can’t have. They’ve even engaged in cybersex with each other. The online thing is getting old, though, and when Felicianna shows signs of losing interest, Victoria figures the time has come to tell the truth—in person.
Felicianna is horrified when Victoria confesses all. An eighteen-year-old girl! The stepdaughter of Felicianna’s former best friend. The daughter of a woman Felicianna despises. This was what happened when Felicianna took risks. When she decided she could trust someone.
Victoria begs Felicianna to give her a chance. Just one chance. A dinner. If, after that, Felicianna still wants Victoria to stay away, she will.
Can Victoria persuade Felicianna to look past the trappings of age and circumstances to find her way back to the woman she thought she knew online? Can Victoria and Felicianna surmount their many, many obstacles?