Chasing the Skies and Conquering the Skies - Available Now!

 

IT IS DONE.

I started my blog post of July 13, 2022, with that same exact sentence. (Yes, I actually looked something up!) A smidge over a year ago, I had finished up the actual writing of the Searching the Skies series and sent it off. Now, after editing and cover design and whatnot, the entire series has now been published. PHEW.

I'll get to the blurbs in a moment, but since this feels like a pretty big achievement, I'm going to take this opportunity to recap the history of this series, especially since I've picked up some new readers along the way. If we're going allllll the way back to the beginning, I might as well start in late 2010, which is when I got laid off from my then-job and got back into writing fanfic.

Fanfic was fun enough, but in time, I wanted to see if I could write something 100% original. E-readers and indie publishers were on the rise, and I thought I had a halfway decent shot at getting something published. By this point, I don't even remember where the original idea for Geneva's space adventures with her two doting men came from, but I wrote it in the fall of 2011. I submitted it to a publisher I had in mind...and was rejected. Not terribly surprising, actually. But I kept at it and eventually got a "yes."

And then I started learning how much I really didn't know, and I will forever be grateful to that first kind editor who started gently whipping me into shape.

The first edition of Searching the Skies released in 2012. I'd started working on my next book by then, since everything I'd read said the best way to sell your first book is to write a second. Even though I was focusing on other projects, my mind kept wandering back to Geneva & Co. When I plotted out the first book, one of my big concerns was how to make it realistic that Ash and Marcus would be willing to engage in this threesome. I had some ideas for a dramatic rescue mission, but since Searching the Skies was my very first book, I didn't want to bite off more than I could chew, so I abandoned that plot line and kept it simple.

Then I thought about revisiting the characters and making the throuple more "equal" - as in instead of Geneva always being in the middle, the two men engaging in intimate activities with each other. I combined that with the aforementioned plans for a dramatic rescue mission, and Defying the Skies was born. I admit that when I wrote my very first book, I had zero plans for a sequel, yet once I had the plot fleshed out in my head, I wanted to write it. The first edition of Defying the Skies released in 2013.

Back then, I did sort of have a rough outline for a third book, but a lot of other things were going on. First, I had other shiny new book ideas that I wanted to write. Second, I finished up my coursework for my career change and went back to work, leaving me with a lot less free time. Lastly, while the original publisher I was working with wouldn't shut down for another few years, by that time, I kind of saw the writing on the wall and had concerns about its future even then. I sent one more sequel to them (The Fall of the Midnight Scorpions, the sequel to Disintegration) and decided that would be it.

Time passed. I wrote other things. I had two kids! (At the same time, but still!) As the years went by, somewhere in the back of my head, I vaguely remembered the rights reversion clauses in the contracts and knew I was approaching the point where I could request that. Again, though, I was working on other books, and while it was an interesting idea, it wasn't a priority. 

Then...the decision was made for me. The publisher was shutting down/being absorbed by another company, and unless we wanted our books relisted with the new company, all rights reverted back to us. Well, that turned out to be easier than expected, I guess. I was glad to have my books back with me, but I needed to figure out what to actually *do* with them.

I focused on rereleasing the Disintegration series first before revisiting Searching the Skies. And what I found...oof. OOF. Don't get me wrong, there was still a lot of good stuff going on in there, and I guess it's nice to see how much you've grown as a writer, but I was cringing all over the place. Like, a tiny part of me wanted to reach out to everyone who read the first version and apologize to them. It was painful. But, I sat down and got out the electronic red pen. It was tough at times, and I did consider giving up once or twice, but I wound up with a better version of my original book baby. Thankfully, Defying the Skies didn't need *as* much work.

The rest of this saga has already been documented more recently, but to wrap up this recap: I did write that third book, decided it wasn't a satisfying ending to an entire series, plotted out two more books, and offered the whole thing to Decadent Publishing, who I'd always enjoyed working with. (Really, they're great! I highly recommend them to anyone who's looking for a smaller romance publisher.) They accepted it, contracts were signed, and my first book and its sequel found a new home.

So, here we are. This has been a journey of almost twelve years. That's older than my kids. That's older than this website! It's kind of crazy and surreal to think about, but anyone who knows me will tell you I rarely give up on projects and I like to finish what I start. And today, the Searching the Skies series is officially finished.

Thank you for indulging me in that bit of rambling. As promised, here are the short blurbs for the last two books in the series!

Chasing the Skies:

Geneva’s new job as a private investigator leads Marcus to contact her when Adele witnesses some potential illegal activity at her office. She reluctantly agrees to look into the matter, all while fighting her lingering attraction to him and missing Ash, who has been deployed on a dangerous mission with the military. Can she keep her loved ones safe while navigating her new roles?

Conquering the Skies:

Big changes threaten to disrupt Geneva’s comfortable routines, forcing her to make significant decisions about the future she wants. Throughout weddings, new jobs, and travels to distant planets, will she finally find a place in the galaxy to call home?

All five books of the Searching the Skies series are now available on Kindle Unlimited!

Sonata for Springtime and Surrendering the Skies - Available Now!

 

Phew! June was such a busy month with THREE book releases, I forgot to post here about the second two. (But you're all subscribed to my newsletter and following me on social media, so you knew about them, right? Right??) At least I remembered to update all my tabs and buy links here, so we'll call that half a win.

Sonata for Springtime, my slow-burn contemporary romance, was released on June 16th, and Surrendering the Skies, Book 3 of the Searching the Skies series, was released on June 30th. And after all that, we still have two more books of the Skies series to go! Double phew!

 

Short blurbs for consistency's sake:

Sonata for Springtime:

Jonathan falls in love with aspiring concert pianist Natalie when she tries to teach him how to play, but she’s engaged to someone else. After she reveals his feelings are reciprocated, she becomes distraught and cuts off contact with him. Can Jonathan find a way to discover his inner passion, with or without her?

Surrendering the Skies:

Harrowing job assignments, Ash’s personal tragedy, and Marcus’s new relationship with another woman leave Geneva feeling lost in the universe. Can she find a path back to where she was, or is it time for significant change in her life?

Chasing the Skies releases on July 15th!

Conquering the Skies (the grand finale) releases on July 29th!

Defying the Skies - Available Now!

 

Whoops, I'm a couple days late, but Defying the Skies, Book 2 of the Searching the Skies series, has been released! This is also a re-release, but I'll post a short blurb and excerpt for a refresher.

Before I do that, though, here's the schedule for the rest of the series. The remaining three books are all brand-new, and I'm so glad I finally got to bring this series to an exciting, satisfying conclusion!

Surrendering the Skies - June 30th

Chasing the Skies - July 15

Conquering the Skies - July 29

The whole series will be available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited, so don't miss out!

Blurb:

Geneva has settled into a comfortable routine with the two men she loves, but Marcus wants more…not from her, but from Ash. Before he can confess his attraction to the other man, he’s abducted in a terrorist attack. Can Geneva and Ash find him before it’s too late for him to fulfil his fantasies?

 

Excerpt:

Marcus let out another sigh. “A year ago, if someone had told me I’d be sharing my bed with another man every now and then, I would have said they were crazy. I know we were all a little skeptical at first, but I really did just want to make you happy because I was terrified of letting you slip away.”

She tapped his wrist. “I’m still not seeing what the issue is.”

“I’m trying, I’m trying. Bear with me.” He rubbed his eyes and covered his face with his hands. “I care about you, and I love how you make me feel, all the things you do to me. Then there’s Ash, who I’ve also developed some sort of intimate connection with, and he’s there with us in the heat of the moment, and….”

“And?”

“We’ve always focused all our attention on you, and you on us individually, which is fine. As I said, I’d do just about anything for you. The look on your face when you’re with both of us is a substantial reward.” His eyes remained shielded from view. “That look is part of what’s been haunting me. I’ve watched the two of you together. When you’re clinging to me as he’s moving inside you, sheer bliss illuminating every part of your body…sometimes my mind can’t help but wonder what….”

Realization set in as he trailed off. “You’re attracted to Ash.”

A pained grumble emanated from behind the barrier he had created. “Well, when you put it so bluntly, of course it’s going to sound strange.”

Geneva contemplated his distressed confession. Despite having been with both of them simultaneously on numerous occasions, she had never envisioned a situation in which her men derived pleasure from each other. The idea intrigued her. “I don’t think it sounds strange at all.”

“You don’t?”

“It makes perfect sense to me.” She leaned closer to him and nudged his hands. He finally uncovered his face and looked at her. “Both of you make me feel amazing. And if you want to feel the same way….”

Finally Finished Up That Marathon

IT IS DONE.

Conquering the Skies, the fifth and final book of the Searching the Skies/Geneva Greyson series is finally finished. I have bundled it up and sent it off; receipt has been confirmed, and now I'm waiting for details on a release schedule. While it's been a fun ride, I won't lie and claim it doesn't feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

The word count of this book wound up going a bit longer than the previous four, which is fair, since it's wrapping up the series in a pretty little bow. I will admit there are times when I have some doubts about some of the plot lines in Books 4 and 5, but I think the series as a whole might be a rarity for me, in that it's more character-focused than plot-focused. And for the core characters, their journey is exactly what I wanted it to be for them, beginning to end.

My goal was to finish this up before leaving for our annual summer vacation, and I made it with about a week and a half to spare. After doing author-ly things nonstop for almost the past year and a half (not only writing new books, but promoting new releases), I have decided I'm not even going to think about writing a new word until September. Summer vacation is when I do most of my reading, and my Kindle is all loaded up and ready to go. I sometimes wondered if I was at risk for burning out while just wanting to get this series DONE, but whatever, it's finished, and I hope this little writing break will do me a world of good.

I haven't decided what my next project will be, though I have some book ideas that are fleshed out enough for me to feel comfortable starting. (Says the pantser.) For now, though, I'm not going to worry about it, and I'll just spend the next month and a half basking in the overwhelming relief I feel. I'll be sure to keep you updated with release news! (Reminder: These days, I'm sharing news faster on Twitter and via my mailing list, so make sure you're all signed up there!)

The Home Stretch (of what feels like a marathon)

The release of A Flame Among the Stars went swimmingly, which is always a good thing. Reviews are popping up on Amazon and Goodreads, and they're largely favorable. As of right this second, I don't have any additional promotional events coming up, but that can always change!

As the saying goes, however, there is no rest for the weary. In addition to wrapping up AFAtS and promoting it, I've been working on finishing up the Geneva/Searching the Skies series. Book 4, Chasing the Skies, kind of went slowly, probably because I was promoting a bunch of other things while trying to write. There were a few times I questioned whether I still liked the plot I'd come up with, and one night I even debated scrapping the whole thing, but it worked out, it's done, and I'm satisfied with the results.

So, here we are at the end with Book 5, Conquering the Skies. I had a better mental outline going in than with Book 4, though there are still some details in the middle I need to flesh out. By my calculations, I estimate I'm roughly about a third of the way through, but since this is the final book, I won't mind if it goes a little longer.

It's funny - after spending so long with these characters, there are points where it almost feels like the book is writing itself. I know what they're going to say, how they're going to feel in any given situation. There have been times when I've had an idea for the plot, thought "no, that can't happen because of XYZ", and then actually included one of the characters pointing out that something can't happen because of XYZ. In fact, for the first plan I had for wrapping up one of the plot lines, I finally realized it would be out of character for our gruff but lovable space heroine and I have to do something different. (At least I realized before writing it out!) A lot has happened in five books, and I want everything to make sense and be satisfying for readers.

I still have a fair amount to write. As I've said before about other projects, I'm not quite at the point where I can say "the end is in sight!", but that point of being able to say that may be in sight. And really, it feels like a significant place to be, near the end of a five-book series that I wasn't sure was ever going to happen. I have no idea what I'm going to write once I'm done with Geneva & Co., but I think I'll finally take a bit of a writing break and play some games and catch up with Netflix. But first, to the finish line!