Sunday Author Update 9-25-2022!

I’m not sure if I informed you yet but I’m writing Lynx Grove’s story first. 

I’ve already started writing the story but  a few days ago, I deleted everything I wrote.  I don’t write to write characters without knowing them thoroughly. I think that’s the danger of going to fast.

Like yesterday while working I asked myself, “why am I sitting in this chair doing this at this time?” What about me and the life I’ve lived, choices I’ve made, way I was raised, made this moment? 

The why? 

First of all, you have to be brave and honest to answer that question about yourself. After I journaled answering some why’s in my life, my creative flood-gates opened wide and new content poured over me. (I’ll get to that later.)

I spent a lot of time with Paisley and Treasure Grove so I knew them well. I knew their “why”. But Lynx, not so much. I’m learning his “why” now though. For instance, why does a man from a powerful tech family, an only son of Leo Grove, decide to buy a baseball team? Why doesn’t he live on the penthouse floor of Delilah’s (heroine from Boss on Notice) building? Why does a man who looks like him, has the kind of money he has, doesn’t have a girlfriend, and chooses to pursue a woman who constantly rejects him? And Xena… Why would she say what she said to Lynx in the final chapter of Boss on Notice?  Beware because she’s not a sassy mouthed, two-dimensional character. She said what she said to him for a reason, and she feels terrible about it. 

So… I’ve been working on their “whys”.  I’m not forcing this next book either. No deadlines until I have the first draft completely written. Then, I’ll schedule my editing. I’ll definitely keep you updated on the progress. 

Also, since The Lord of Manhattan series is doing so well in Kindle Unlimited, I’m keep it there. Today, I entered The Blackstone Brothers in Kindle Unlimited. I like Amazon for all of my Billionaire and Contemporary romance books. The other stores aren’t doing well for me at all. Amazon is giving my books the most attention. I think it’s finally time to follow the love.  So, pretty soon, you might see all of my books in Amazon only and enrolled in Kindle Unlimited.  Listen… It’s not me, it’s them. I have to keep the lights on. 

So, back to what I said earlier about my whys…. For those who love classic Z.L. Arkadie-style storytelling, I’ll be writing a speculative fiction romance series. I sort of think Playing with Fire nudges against that genre, but only in the futuristic aspects of it. For it to be true speculative fiction romance, the technology itself has to drive the romance. I love it I love it I love it!!! And I can’t wait to get started. I have some stories outlined that I’m excited about diving into. However, I’ll be using traditional methods of publishing for those books. They are upmarket romance books, which gets a bigger bang if they’re traditional published. I’ll keep you posted. 

Zoey Locke will finish out Grove Billionaire Books–two more! Yay! 

I was thinking about “Good Guys Finish First” for the title of the book I’m writing now. What do you think about that title? I haven’t yet decided. I mean, you guys know I don’t write tw0-dimensional, locker-room talking, walking dildos with muscles because all he’s good for is making her feel validated by blindly craving her sexually and protecting her even when she’s wrong, and becoming her EVERYTHING losing himself in the process. I’m telling you, those heroes make me sick to the stomach. And it’s sad because that belief system is not restricted to novels. They are real cultural expectations and romance novels  are the only place those women can get their expectations met. If I ever fed that beast in the past, then I’m sorry. I will never feed that obese, gluttonous beast again. I don’t think I fed it in the past though. Maybe I started with Find Her, Keep Her. But the following books about Daisy and Belmont (Jack) was me attempt at correcting that mistake.

In my next two books I’m going to make my billionaires so 3-dimensional women are going to say, wow, I can actually be with that man???? Yes. Yes, you can, as long as your sh** is together. Oh, and also, they’re usually taken early and rarely end up divorced. So… There’s that. LOL! But you can fall in love with him in my books! ❤️

To all women, especially the young ones, good guys will NEVER finish last. Never. 

That’s the theme of my, Zoey’s, next book.

So those are my primary projects at the moment. I am going to write the hell out of speculative fiction romance books. I want those books to be my brand from that point onward. 

I’ve also considered revising some of my favorite series like Parched and The Hester Girls. I’ll see. Stay close. No matter what, I’ll always have something new for you to read! I’m in this to win this!

Oh, and I forgot, last week I changed the title of Intrigued to “The Billionaire’s Uninvited Houseguest” and Enthrall to “The Billionaire’s Assistant” but I chickened out and changed the titles back. As of today, I’m leaving those books alone, and focusing on new content.  I blogged about how I was going to stop messing with published content weeks ago, and yet, I’m still doing it. And the book covers…  That’s another reason why I’m going to step into the traditionally published world. I promise you, it’s always going to be tempting to change, rework, do this or that to my books. But when I don’t have the ability to do it, then I won’t do it.  Sigh… Working on discipline here.

Okay… Time to make some tea!

Much ❤️ and talk soon, Z