Expanding My Stories through Journaling

On and off I’ve done journaling for my mental health. It was recommended by a therapist years ago, I have found it really helpful, especially when I’m dealing with a big decision or a difficult situation.

Something about the action of physically writing my thoughts on real paper allows me to think more clearly (at least for me, it has to be real pen and paper for it to work, I don’t know why but I’m sure there’s a psychological reason). I find writing down my concerns, my questions, or my fears forces my brain to think different than just ruminating or even talking a decision through does. Something about sitting alone with a journal and my thoughts, no one else’s judgements or concerns to consider, allows my mind a freedom and exploration I can’t find another way.

Even though I’ve found journaling therapeutic and helpful for making decisions over the years, I never considered applying the same process to my writing. The idea just never crossed my mind. Not until I was watching a YouTube video by Sarra Canon where she mentioned she used journaling for her plotting process.

At first I was a little confused how journaling could help my writing. Sure, I could sit down and write about my story, and the magic of the pen and paper was bound to do something, but what exactly was I going to write about in this journal. How would it be different than just sitting down at my desk and putting my fingers on the keyboard. 

But when I got stuck on my current story, I was a little desperate to find a solution.

Just like almost every story I’ve started for the last several years, I began writing this new story propelled by the excitement of a great idea, until I hit an impenetrable brick wall at about twenty thousand words.

As a writer my process is a little different than most. I’ve heard it described as inspiration writer, or stitching writer. I don’t write starting at the beginning and work my way to the end. I write whatever scene I am currently excited about. That could be the first, last, or any in between. I start with what I know, no matter where it falls in the story, and let the characters take me from there. Usually while I’m writing what I already know, the next part of the story will just unfold for me. The characters will show me more of who they are. And the next steps in the journey become clear.

But lately that hasn’t been happening. Instead, once I get to the end of what I can see of the story, all that’s beyond it is murky darkness. So out of desperation to get some clarity on my next steps with this story, I decided to give journaling a try.

I sat down with my pen and paper and wrote down all the questions I had about my current work in process. I listed all the holes that I needed filled in, and hoped that by writing them down, my mind might see these road blocks a different way. That it might find a solution I hadn’t considered yet.

Amazingly it worked. When I wrote down the concerns I had, the problems I’d found, the inconsistencies I needed to fix, ideas started to come to me. Solutions I had never considered before but that added fantastic complexity to my plot, twists that deepened my character’s goals and motivations. Giving me another way to access my story and to explore this new world I was so enamored with.

Unfortunately, these new discoveries have led to a lot of rewriting. But it’s more than worth it for the new twists and turns the story has taken. And the character depth I’m adding. For the first time in years, I have written more than 50,000 words on my latest work in process, the furthest I’ve been able to write on one story in more than two years. And there’s a lot of territory to still explore in this world.

After giving journaling on my writing a try, I’m a convert. I will definitely be doing it again. I’ve even designated a new journal just for tinkering with ideas, to find new twists and turns to add even more excitement to my story, and delve deeper into my characters. If you’re struggling with your writing, or looking for a way to delve deeper into your characters and your plot, consider pulling out a journal and writing down your concerns and questions, and seeing where your mind travels. Who knows what you might discover in the pages of your journal? It just might be the addition you’ve always been looking for.

Doing More with the Same Time

As the mom of a toddler, I’m always looking for ways to get more done in the day. There is just never enough time to complete everything on my to do list, and also spend some time on what I love. And it feels like my writing is always what gets put on the back burner.

In an attempt to try and find more time for the things I want to accomplish, I started tracking how I spent my time. I hoped by tracking how I use my free hours of the day, I might be able to figure out where I could find space that might have been overlooked. Or where I was wasting too much time. If I wanted to find more time in the day, it only made sense to me that I would first have to determine where my time was going.

But when I started tracking my time I noticed a few interesting things. Not in how I use my time (though the amount of time I spend scrolling YouTube and Instagram is a little scary) but how the act of tracking my activities changed my behavior. 

First, I noticed just by tracking my time that I spent less doing things that I viewed as unnecessary (watching tv, scrolling Instagram, messaging with family and friends, etc…). Once I started writing down where I spent my time, and thereby forced myself to be accountable for what I was doing, that was a deterrent in itself. I didn’t want to have to write down that I spent the last half hour scrolling social media with nothing to show for it, so before the half hour was up I would try to find at least one productive thing I could accomplish. Giving me another label to assign that half hour. This gave me a built-in motivation to do more, without having to apply any other techniques or willpower.

The other change I noticed was that simple act of tracking my time forced me to see every minute as valuable.

For simplicity, I classified each half hour under one of four designations. Work, Writing, Promotion, and Personal.

Once I designated a half hour to any of these labels, my analyst brain told me I had to use that whole half hour for activities related to that category. For the purposes of data integrity. The process of tracking time is cumbersome enough, I didn’t need to add tracking fractions to the process.

If I finished a task before the end of the half hour, I would naturally try to find another task to do in that same classification for the remaining time. If I finished the dishes with ten minutes left in my half hour block, I would look around for what else I could do to fill that time. Could I take out the trash, clean the toilet, pack my son’s snacks for daycare, etc... in those ten remaining minutes, thereby forcing myself to use every available minute in that half hour. And by doing this every half hour, by the end of the day, I had found I had packed much more into the same amount of time.

Even if it meant small movements. Even if I only had three minutes, that might be enough to put the books I’d been planning to donate into the trunk of my car. Which gets me one step closer to getting them to their end destination. If I’d finished writing a blog with five minutes to spare, I could use that five minutes to brainstorm new ideas or find pictures to accompany a future blog. This small trick encouraged me to use every available moment, and helping me get even more done in the same amount of time. Inching me closer to my goals.

I’m not sure if this tip would work for everyone. Maybe it’s just a trick of my crazy brain. A side effect of years spent analyzing data, and focusing on creating like comparison. But for any others out there, looking for ways to make more out of the precious time we have, maybe it would work for you too.

If you are struggling to get it all done, to figure how you can get more done in the same limited amount of time, consider tracking what you do with your time each day. This might help you see where you are missing time, or where your processes can be improved. But you might also gain the ability to push yourself to do more in the time you have, to make every minute count, just from the simple act of tracking how you spend your time. Just as I have.

Submission Rejections can be Acceptance Successes

I’ve always loved a submission call. They have a way of triggering my muse and bringing ideas to the surface of my mind in a way I never would have otherwise. I think the timeline appeals to me too. It can be easy when writing, especially something long like a book, to just keep picking, and tweaking forever. Having a defined end date for completing a project pushes me to finish and focus.

I’ve written books for many different submission calls over the years. Some have been selected for the collaboration, like Menage on the Rocks and Working for Him. And some that have not. But I have never regretted writing any of them. I love the way my mind can take an idea and it can send me off in one direction, and someone else might take that same submission call and go in the exact opposite direction. That’s one of the things I love about writing. There is not one right way to do it. We all bring our own experiences to the table, our own passions and insights, and each of us can create something exciting with it. 

And most of the books that I have been rejected from submission calls I have been able find a different home for. Some with a great deal more editing. None were ever a loss. No good story is.

Here are a few of my books that were written for a submission call, that they weren’t selected for it, but found a wonderful home somewhere else.

Wandering Off the Path was the first ever erotic romance I ever wrote. I had just discovered this up and coming genre, and began reading and exploring as many as I could. I found a few my way to the websites for a few of the publishers whose books I enjoyed and discovered a submission call for Fairytales Retold. Why it caused me to think of Red Riding Hood, I don’t know, but the story suddenly took on a very sexy energy to me. A man—or wolf—creeping into your house at night, sneaking into your bed…

Not surprisingly, since it was my first attempt at the genre, it didn’t get selected. And I understand why. When I read over the old drafts now, I see a lot of the mistakes I made. A lot of the areas I needed to improve. And I did. The book was eventually accepted by a different, but equally lovely publisher. But I also got the freedom to turn the story into a series (something that might not have been possible if it had been selected for the original anthology). I have two more books written in this series, and I hope to have them published very soon. And who knows, I might get an idea for a fourth.

Through one of my writer lists, I got the notification that a magazine was looking for quickies. Sexy stories that would fit in under a very low word count. I though the idea was a nice challenge. Write a story with lots of sexual tension and intrigue, but make it snappy. And I liked the idea of being in a magazine. At the time, I was yet to have a story in print.

I don’t know why (the muse is a fickle girl) but my mind immediately thought up a sexy historical story. And considering the story was a quickie, I imagined my characters having a quickie too. But instead of the clandestine meeting of a man and a woman, it was of two women, trying to cram a little love into their evening undressing. And that’s how Serving Madame was born.

But alas, I could not get the story down to the word count needed for the publisher. The editor and I went back and forth a few times, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t cut it down to a low enough number to qualify without sacrificing the tone. So I found another publisher to publish it. And I even go the idea for a sequel, Monsieur’s turn, where Madame’s husband gets a chance to join in on the fun.

Unfortunately, both stories are currently out of print, but I will be trying to do something about that soon.

Reunion Makes Three started with a very simple idea. A publisher was looking for books featuring characters filling their fantasies for one night. Whatever those fantasies were. When I thought of what kind of fantasy my characters would enjoy, the idea was very simple to me. A full out sexcapade with two men (would you really expect anything different from me). And that’s exactly what I wrote. Along with three characters that desperately needed the escape. And a mysterious fantasies fulfilling service that allows them to find it.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work for that submission call for whatever reason, and it found its way to Siren Publishing instead. But because it changed hands, I was able to write a sequel to the story, and expand the world and town featured in the story in both books.

I always intended to write more books in the series. And maybe I will someday. But for right now, I truly enjoy the two books I did write. And the fantasies that all my characters got to fulfill, at exactly the right time in their lives.

And today, in honor of the anniversary of its release, Reunion Makes Three is available for only $0.99 at bookstrand.com. If you have not read this story, or experienced the magic of the Fantasies Fulfilled service, now is the best time to give it a try.

Buy Link: Reunion Makes Three (MMF) - BookStrand | Bestselling Erotic Romance eBooks

Blurb: Beth Lewis has always had a fantasy to be with two men who also want each other. For her birthday, her sister gifts her with a subscription to Fantasies Fulfilled, an exclusive online service to help connect people with the same desires. After losing her job and her fiancé, she deserves a little fun and to live out a dream that's been tempting her since high school.

Since his reunion invitation arrived, Dell Harrison hasn't been able to stop thinking about his high school sweetheart, Beth. When he and his live-in boyfriend Marcos Vitagliano receive a mysterious invitation to participate in the exclusive Fantasies Fulfilled services, they decide to add a woman to their dynamic duo. What Dell couldn’t have guessed is that the woman they connect with is the same woman who's haunted him since graduation.

Will Marcos be able to accept Beth in their bed and their lives? Or will adding an old flame to their couple turn their duo into a crowd?

New Year, Same Determination

A long, long time ago, when I first discovered by love for romance novels and was struck with the desire to write my own, I went to Walden Books (yes, that's long ago it was) and picked up Writing Romance for Idiots. A close cousin of the popular dummies' books. This was before yahoo groups and social media. It wasn't before the internet, but definitely predated using the internet for absolutely everything, like we do now. Back then I wanted to write traditional historical romance novels, like the ones I read and loved. Which I still dream of writing, with a saucier twist than the ones I wrote back then. 

How to write romance for idiots gave lots of great advice. I haven't read the book in ages, but I'm sure much of it doesn't apply any longer. The industry has changed so much since then. But one of the tips I always remember was to go to a bookstore and see where you're books would fit on the shelves. The idea was to pick a pen name that would situate you near authors of similar genre, so you might attract a reader to pick up your book along with your fellow author's.

This is where my books would reside in my local Barnes and Noble

This advice isn't relevant to how readers discover books anymore, but it's still a habit to check out my sister authors every time I enter a bookstore. I love to see what other authors I would be surrounded by if I did get my book into their bookstores. Or what covers might border my books.

For the last few years, my life has been crazy. So much has been changing. My family, my location, my priorities. It would have been easy give up on my writing amidst all this upheaval. I'm almost ashamed to admit, I did consider it. Especially after being so long without finishing a book, and knowing how much work it will be to get back to where I was before. I had to really take stock if I still wanted this writing career anymore. Maybe I'd done what I wanted to do. I'd been published. I made a little money. I made some great friends. Maybe I should walk away with my good memories and be done.

But the more I thought about giving up, the more it became clear I couldn't do it. Not just because I still have so many characters and stories running around in my head (though that is true). But because there are so many goals I still want to accomplish. So many things I wanted to do and see and experience with my writing. I wanted to see my book on those shelves, sandwiched between such prized authors. I wanted to get the chance to write the historicals that drew me to romance in the first place. And paranormals. And dark romance. And maybe dystopian or fantasy. I wanted to see readers devouring the books I write. To know, even for a little while, I gave someone else happiness and joy with my words.

I couldn't walk away. I couldn't give up on myself and my dreams like that. My only option was to keep going, to keep pushing, no matter how hard. Even though I won't be able to devote the same time and energy that I used to. I'm still going to work towards these big goals. Because some dreams are worth fighting for. And this year I am determined to make them happen.

And I hope you do the same for yourself. Never give up. Never stop trying. If it's something you really want, keep fighting. Because I have no doubt if I keep pushing, keep working and keep dreaming, one day I will accomplish these big goals and make my dreams come true. And I'm sure you will too.

The Latest Mayhem — Kit-Kat's Coming!

Hey all, AK Nevermore here. This month Mayhem is coming to you with a new release! Kit-Kat goes live May 24th at ChanglingPress.com and everywhere else May 31st. If you haven't checked out the series yet, there's a ton of freebies at the bottom of this post to get your...um...feet...wet.  I hope you enjoy the excerpt, Kit-Kat gets way XXX hot!! 

And if you end up wanting more, you can download a bunch of free goodies, including the prequel to the series, The Maw of Mayhem. Link's at the bottom of this post!

Curiosity might get this cat killed...

Grimdarke James’ problems have gone from bad to worse. Ousted from his MC and on the run, all he wants is to keep Kit safe while he sets things right. But calling in a favor drops more than trouble into his lap.

As he tries to salvage what’s left of the Maw of Mayhem, forces close in on them and tensions rise. New allies are found and old loyalties are put to the test. So is Grim’s relationship with Kit when someone from his past tries to come between them.

Kit doesn’t share and the threat to her position as Grim’s mate raises her hackles. With her heat triggered, she’s running on instinct and battle lines are drawn. Can Grim win back his MC, and prove he’s the man for her, or will he lose it all?

Excerpt:

Grim stalked out of the break room, riffling his hair. How the fuck had everything gone to shit so fast? He blew the messy locks from his face and frowned, glancing around the garage --

And did a double take at the trio of bikes by the bay door. Brick and Wrench’s hogs, and Grim’s Bobber. How had that made it out of the city? Holy -- He stumbled over to them, not quite believing his bike was really there. One of the crew must’ve ridden it out of the garage before the club blew, which meant Stitch had left his down there.

Christ, he’d abandoned his own bike to snag the Bobber? A lump gummed up Grim’s throat. You only did that kind of shit for your alpha.

He swallowed, gritting his teeth and hating himself. How much of this clusterfuck could he have avoided if he’d just sucked it the fuck up and owned the position after Clay’s murder?

Guess he’d never know.

Grim blinked, his eyes hot. Fingers trailing down the leather seat. Listening to the click and ping of the engine cooling. Avoiding the rest of the crew packing up. He frowned, guilt eating at him, his stomach a fucking mess. Staring at the bathroom door, willing it to open.

For Kit to come out on two legs.

Come on, baby… Hands down, she was his priority, but Jesus fuck, the rest of the crew depended on him, too, and they all needed to get gone. Clay’s refusal to take a mate abruptly made more sense than Grim wanted it to. Some part of that equation was gonna get fucked, and he’d be damned if it was gonna be Kit unless she was squarely on his dick.

Kat say anything else to you? he asked his cat.

-- no. fighting with Kit --

Grim grunted, the angst of having to choose between his mate and his club landing a gut punch of shame. Christ, he knew what that was like. Being at odds with your beast. The terror of feeling trapped inside yourself, of sinking down so fucking deep you didn’t know if you could come back.

[CHAGRIN]

-- different --

Same, Grim snapped. Shit was close enough, less the cuffs. He rubbed at the scars on his wrists, the lines of ink blurred and broken. The memory of the snick of silver setting his teeth on edge. That creeping, seeping burn infecting his veins with its poison.

He wiped the sweat from his brow. Yeah, he knew how it felt, and granted, he wasn’t keeping her there, but he’d sent Kit on that downward spiral by pushing her to change. Jesus, he was a piece of shit. A sad laugh slid from his lips.

But fuck, that’s what everyone thought anyway, wasn’t it? The media, the rest of Mayhem… Mama Roe sure as hell did, and he was about to go kiss her fucking --

Grim’s breath caught as the bathroom door swung open and Kit strode out, looking classy as fuck and like the last person he should be with. Triss dropped the crap she was packing into the cage’s trunk and ran over to hug her.

Christ, he wanted to do the same… but, damn. Grim wet his lips. Kit wasn’t… Damn. She was wearing that soft sweater he’d snagged from the vamp queen’s trophy closet. Shit was fucking sinful the way it hung off her shoulders and clung to her tits. The jeans she’d been so crazy about did the same to her hips, a sliver of her flat stomach flashing as she raised her arms to hug the girl back. And when Triss skipped away, and Kit turned toward the cages?

Woman was a fucking goddess.

Grim bit back a groan at the way her long black hair dusted her ass as she bent to put her bag in the trunk. She looked like a million fucking bucks, which was easily nine hundred ninety-nine thousand and change above his pay grade.

-- ours --

The pang in Grim’s chest echoed the truth of that statement. Maybe he didn’t deserve her now, but he’d fucking bust his ass until he did. If she still wants us. His throat bobbed at the possibility she wouldn’t after what he’d done to her.

-- asked to shift --

Yeah, but the idea of being a shifter versus the reality of it were two very different things, and Grim’d only known Kit for a hot fucking minute. When they’d met, she’d been so damned adamant she didn’t want to change.

-- Reaper decided for her --

Grim’s knuckles whitened. And he’s gonna die for it. Darke chuffed in agreement.

A growl welled up in Grim’s throat, his eyes narrowing.

Asorav had ended his call and wrapped his hand around Kit’s arm, pulling her off to the side. He spoke to her adamantly in hushed tones in the next bay.

-- listen? --

Yeah. Grim stepped back into the shadows, his hearing sharpening.

Kit was smiling up at the vamp like he’d caught her at something. She was trying to play it off as he was talking. “…understand the temptation to eavesdrop on one’s elders, but strongly suggest you resist the urge.” Asorav looped her arm through his, and a muscle in Grim’s jaw twitched at the asshole’s familiarity with her.

-- known her longer --

Don’t remind me, Grim muttered. He still couldn’t believe Kit had been the Darkling’s dog walker.

“There are those that do not take kindly to such invasions of privacy,” the vamp scolded.

Kit’s eyes widened, her pupils waffling --

Grim did a double take. Shit, did I really see that? Aside from the mirror, he’d never seen anyone else’s flip between theirs and their beast’s.

-- did. Kat’s scared. Won’t talk --

He bit back a growl. Was that fucking right?

“Which is why you’re only getting a warning.” The vamp patted her hand like some kind of benevolent fucking uncle. Grim’s lip curled, knowing that grift all too well. He was gonna beat the shit outta --

“Vampires really can read minds?” Kit squeaked. “I thought --”

Wait, what? Grim froze.

“Yes and no,” Asorav said. “Your compatriots’ thoughts are closed to me, but it seems you and I share an affinity.” The asshole chuckled. “Yes, it surprised me as well. However, after Cecelia --”

“I want to know what you meant when you said she was elsewhere.”

Asorav sighed, and Grim had to smirk at Kit’s indignation over the MIA Pomeranian. “I don’t totally understand it,” the vamp said, “but I believe she’s trapped somewhere between. It’s… the place one goes to get from here to there. I’m afraid I can’t explain it any better than that. She wasn’t strong enough to anchor my form at this end, and when I pulled, she was sucked in.”

Well, that sounded like total bullshit, but Grim supposed the prick couldn’t admit to killing the thing. In either case, Kit sounded like she bought it.

“Because she was your heart. Aryanna told me you were a day-walker.”

“Did she now.”

Grim scratched his stubble, wondering how much of an issue that was gonna be. Vampires were enough of a pain in the ass at night. One lurking around 24/7 didn’t exactly give him the warm fuzzies, but then again, this conversation didn’t either.

“… mentioned you couldn’t be, um, de-animated, without your heart.” Kit said, rubbing her arms like she was cold. “Don’t worry, she’s not around anymore to note it in the queen’s memoir.”

Asorav laughed, and Grim wanted to smash his fist through the vamp’s fangs. “How delightful. I never could understand how Aryanna abided that vitriolic shrew. I’m only sorry I wasn’t there to see it, but suppose that’s neither here nor there, and you, my dear, most certainly are. She told you, then, of my Maker’s triumph?”

Kit nodded like she was humoring him. Grim rolled his eyes. Fucking vamps had sticks shoved up their asses almost as far as the witches. Christ, they were pretentious fucks.

“It’s a metaphor, you know,” Asorav said. “She wasn’t my heart; she had my heart. The spell transformed the physical organ and created a bridge, tying our life forces to those we held dearest. It was genius, really. Love is such a fickle thing, and given a vampire’s lifespan, in most cases, transfers quite organically before the object of our affection dies… or is lost, in this case.”

He pulled a wide, platinum bracelet from his pocket, studded with what Grim was positive were diamonds, and closed Kit’s fingers around it. The fuck? “And it seems once again, my heart has been captured by another. I assure you, I am aware this is most inconvenient, but, as I said, the heart wants what the heart wants, now, doesn’t it?”

Grim bared his teeth, knuckles white as he clenched his fists. Had that motherfucker just given Kit a fucking king’s ransom in jewelry and told her he loved her?

-- no, his heart --

I don’t give a fuck, she’s MINE.

You can get PreOrder your copy here: Kit-Kat

Want more? Download the prequel,  The Maw of Mayhem for free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/7mhr8w0xtd

and get your Bites of Mayhem here: https://aknevermore.com/bites-of-mayhem/

You can find out more about my books on my website, https://aknevermore.com/ or see what I'm up to on my sadly neglected socials:

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AK Nevermore enjoys operating heavy machinery, freebases coffee, and gives up sarcasm for Lent every year. A Jane-of-all-trades, she’s a certified chef, restores antiques, and dabbles in beekeeping when she’s not reading voraciously or running down the dream in her beat-up camo Chucks.

Unable to ignore the voices in her head, and unwilling to become medicated, she writes Science Fiction and Fantasy full time. 

AK pays the bills writing a copious amount of copy, along with a column on SFF. She belongs to the Authors Guild, is an RWA chapter board member, volunteers for far too many committees, teaches creative writing, and on the rare occasion, sleeps.

The Maw of Mayhem, When Revenge is Best Served Hot

 Hey all, AK Nevermore here. This month I've got a bunch of Maw of Mayhem MC freebies for you to binge!  I hope you enjoy the excerpt, Best Served Hot gets super steamy! 

And if you end up wanting more, you can download a bunch of free goodies, including the prequel to the series, The Maw of Mayhem. Link's at the bottom of this post!

Sometimes the only way to dish out revenge is piping hot...

The events surrounding Satan’s Vengeance splitting from the Maw of Mayhem MC isn’t something any of the founders talk about. Neither are the circumstances surrounding Grim’s birth, or the implications of what Clay and Abigail’s hate-fueled encounter will bring into the world…

Excerpt:

His head snapped up at the crack of a branch, going for his gun, then abandoning it as a tawny spotted lynx pushed through the bracken.

Finally. His heart rate ticked up. Abigail’s cat form shimmered, then resolved into a nude, lithe woman straight out of Norwegian porno. He didn’t fucking like her, but his dick sure as hell stood up and took notice of those pert breasts and flat stomach.

Forbidden flesh. Well, it had been.

She met his gaze, then dropped hers to the bulge in his jeans, tongue teasing her pouty lips, long blonde hair swaying against her backside in the breeze.

Clay tore his eyes from her, running a hand over his jaw and wincing. She picked through the undergrowth between them to ghost her long, white fingers over the bruise darkening the right side of his face.

“You should have hit him back.”

Clay grunted, not disagreeing. Yesterday he would have said he deserved the ass-beating just for the number of times he’d fucked his fist while thinking about his best friend’s mate… but he’d never considered acting on it.

Not until Abigail had approached him, aglow with the witch king’s prophecy, and commanding him to do just that.

And Clay’d been stupid enough to tell Reaper exactly what he’d thought about it—and her. Offering to throw her a quick fuck on the off-chance they could make that prophecy reality.

A true shifter queen to restore their paranormal sect to its rightful place in the hierarchy.

The potential of that via of his dick punishing Abigail’s slick cunt was all Clay could fucking think about, his loyalty to Reaper be damned.

There was nothing left between them to be loyal to.

He reached out, his calloused hands digging into the impossibly smooth skin of her arms, pulling her close. His nose twitched as he skated it up the slim column of her throat, past Reaper’s mating bite to the hollow beneath her ear. Goddamn, the pheromones her cat was putting out, the phase of the moon…his cock thickened. Rest of the prophecy might be utter bullshit, but, “When did you go into heat?”

“Last night, after you left,” she said, smug. Her quicksilver eyes trapped his, the satisfaction in them a gut punch. “Reaper barbed me. Said he was done fighting destiny, but would damn well insure I’d carry a Cain to your Able. Unfortunately for him, I don’t believe there’s a female version to that parable.”

“Of course he did.” Didn’t matter if the sex was wrong, the message was clear; he was declaring a blood feud between them. A muscle in Clay’s jaw ticked. Pissed at Reaper for falling for Abigail’s shit, at the fucking witch king for kicking off this clusterfuck, and at himself for not being able to walk away from his petty revenge.

Her arms threaded behind his neck, tightening the noose. “My alpha command…you could’ve resisted it. You’re more alpha than Reaper is.” Her hands slid over his shoulders, a finger tracing the patches on his cut. “But this is always what you’ve wanted, isn’t it?”

Clay’s teeth grit together. “I never wanted any of this, Abigail. Not for Reaper, not for my club, and I sure as fuck could do without playing the villain in all this.”

She laughed, the sound silvery and soiled. “Yet here we are…none of us able to escape destiny.” The unadorned fatalism in her voice made him pause, shit was a mirror image to Reaper’s fanaticism. “If it’s any consolation, I doubt history will view me in a particularly favorable light, either…but it’s not about us.”

He snorted. No. It was all about her and the fucking witch king’s predictions. Clay wasn’t sure if he actually believed the prophecy that nut job had rattled off to Abigail like it was a take-out order, but fuck if Clay wasn’t a big enough piece of shit to use it as an excuse to screw her.

Reaper had certainly thought it was just the latter, along with a heavy dose of heresy. Clay wasn’t sure which of the two had set the zealot off more.

Christ, a Cain to his Able—

“Stop thinking.” Her lips met his, fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him to her. His stubble scraped against her flesh and she gasped, melting against him, skin pebbling beneath his touch. The taste of her overwhelmed rational thought, female musk and that shit boxed wine she drank, stoking his need until all that was left was wanton lust ...

You can get your copy here: Best Served Hot

Want more? Download the prequel,  The Maw of Mayhem for free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/7mhr8w0xtd

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AK Nevermore enjoys operating heavy machinery, freebases coffee, and gives up sarcasm for Lent every year. A Jane-of-all-trades, she’s a certified chef, restores antiques, and dabbles in beekeeping when she’s not reading voraciously or running down the dream in her beat-up camo Chucks.

Unable to ignore the voices in her head, and unwilling to become medicated, she writes Science Fiction and Fantasy full time. 

AK pays the bills writing a copious amount of copy, along with a column on SFF. She belongs to the Authors Guild, is an RWA chapter board member, volunteers for far too many committees, teaches creative writing, and on the rare occasion, sleeps.

How to Brainstorm a New Direction

Brainstorming is an important tool for any author. Whenever you are stuck, when you're struggling with your characters, their actions, motivations, or goals, brainstorming can be a great way to get out of that stagnant loop. Or at least get to the bottom of what the problem might be.

As an author, I don’t do a ton of brainstorming. For me, when I’m struggling, writing more is usually the answer for me.  But sometimes, no matter how much you push, no matter how much you try to fight through it, you need to take a break from your regular process to find a new solution.

Here are a few techniques I use to find that new direction the story needs. Or really any time I feel stuck and unable to figure out how to get to that next turn.

1.  Take a walk. This might sound counter intuitive, but its works. I’m always amazed by how many ideas I get while walking. Every time in my life I have been especially creative have always been consistently walking. I’m sure there is a neurological reason for it, extra oxygen pumping to the brain or something like that, but I think it has something to do with your mind having the space to work while the rest of your body is occupied with another tasks. I’ve heard other authors talk about cooking or doing household cleaning to have the same effect. And of course, there is the best idea generator in the world – the shower. I don’t know a single author that hasn’t gotten a dozen great ideas in the shower and wish for oil-based pencils to be able to jot them all down.

2.  Take a nap. Another one that might not sound like the best way to get new ideas, but there is something about letting your subconscious take over for a little while that can create some of the best ideas. Often your brain knows the solution, even if you don’t know it yet. And allowing your subconscious to take a turn at the wheel can open up a whole new world of possibilities.

3.  Ask a friend for help. Another writing friend, or even a friend that reads a lot or watches a lot of movies, can be a great source to get new ideas. Being outside your story and the world you’ve created, they can come up with something you might never have thought of on your own. Also, talking about your ideas out loud, instead of writing them down or just thinking about them, also allows a different part of your brain to enter into the action—just like reading a story out loud allows you to hear and see it differently—and that alone can be enough to start your brain down a different path than before.

4.  Do some stream of consciousness writing. Constantly trying to push an idea to come can only make it harder to find the right solution. Just sitting down and writing whatever comes to mind can unearth ideas you didn’t even realize was hanging out in the back of your consciousness.

5.  Make list of all possibilities without any filter. If you are struggling with a specific plot point or character issue, sitting down to make a list of all the possible ways to solve this problem can be enlightening. Throwing out every possible idea, no matter how crazy or illogical can sometimes lead to ideas you never would have considered before. When we are writing, we often place an unconscious filter on ourselves, limiting the ideas we should consider by what we think is needed or what we think works. But taking the top off our creativity and letting our writing freak flag fly, you’d be amazed by some of the jewels you find.

6.  List the questions you are have. If I’m struggling with a scene, I will list out all the questions I have. What I need to know to move to the next scene. What is making it difficult for me to move on to the next scene. Sometimes writing down my concerns, being very clear about where my difficulty lies, can make it easier to figure out what you need to do to fix it. Having the problem clearly defined, makes it easier to find the solution you need.

7.  Write down what you do know. More often than not you know more about your characters or your story than you realize. When trying to force an idea to form it can be easy to get into the rut of what you don’t know, the questions you are having, fixating on what you are struggling with, but when you start to list out everything you do know it can be surprising the answers you already have. Some you probably knew but needed to be reminded of, but some you probably didn’t even realize. And possibly even a few tidbits that have the answers you need right before you.

8.  Do a tarot card reading. This one might sound a little out there, but I know a lot of authors that use this method to get out of a bind. The randomness of pulling a tarot card and having no idea where it might direct you, can offer up a new idea that you might never have come up with on your own. The idea is just to get the creative juices flowing, and bring in some new out of the box thinking, that might just solve your problem. You can do this with your own deck of tarot cards (which probably makes sense to buy if you use this method a lot) or there are several websites or apps that allow you to do a small tarot card reading digitally. When you are really stuck, sometimes you need an out of the box solution, to find an out of the box idea that just might be perfect for your story.

These are just a few of the ideas I’ve come across over my years of writing on how to brainstorm through a hard spot. I’m sure there are many other strategies, ones I haven’t heard about, but these are few that I have used. And so far, they haven’t steered me wrong.

If you have any other techniques for brainstorming new ideas, I’d love to hear them in the comments below. There is no such thing as too many ways to build the perfect story.