Another first draft is in the books. Love In The Shadows is an erotic romantic thriller that I am cowriting with new author, GA Rea. Its been a fun and challenging experience to say the least.
Fun: Working with a new author is fun because I feel like I can impart some of my growing wisdom from my thirteen stories to a newbie. I get to help kickstart a future career and act as a mentor. This has been rewarding because we started with an idea and it has come alive… two minds are better than one?
Challenging: I think the most challenging part of this cowrite has been time differences and schedules. GA Rea lives in the UK while I am in the states. There’s a six hour difference between us. So when she is waking up in the morning and writing, I am asleep. Then I get up and go to my full time job. My schedule for writing is in the evenings and days off, which are usually when she is sleeping. So, there doesn’t leave a heck of a lot of time for us have facetime to discuss. This means there is a lot of notes left behind, which doesn’t always mesh with the ideas of the other.
Overall, I think we have zoomed through this first & second drafts without killing each other, and refrained from tears. Well, at least on my side. We have a clear vision of the book and the second and third drafts are coming along. The goal is to release early next year.
Love In The Shadows started as an idea from GA Rea. This is her baby, hence why her name is first on the cover. She wanted to write a story about a woman who goes into a BDSM sex club and meets the love of her life. What did I say to her?
WHAT’S THE CATCH?
Well, she goes in the club and meets this girl.
WHAT’S THE CATCH?
The more and more I pressed on about the story, the more GA didn’t know. And guess what, that is cool. I usually start a story with an idea. Because I am a pantser (a writer who writes by the seat of their pants), I can solve this problem. GA, on the other hand, is an plotter. Maybe that would go under challenges. LOL. Ultimately, we spent a lot of time going back and forth to find the drama, find action, and intrigue… and little did GA know when she started writing a love story about a chick that meets another chick at a BDSM club that it would turn into some kinky erotic thriller, because I can’t do love stories. Everything I do is dark… but it works.
Love In The Shadows has morphed into something bigger for GA. So after this release, she will be working on a tie-in prequel as a novella… and she has a sequel planned for later. Will I be a part of those? I’m not sure. I am kind of invested in the story… but at the same time, I want to kick babybird out of the nest and let her fly on her own. I do know I have two more books to write in the girl/Mistress series. I also just started a new horror novel(la), and I have a first draft done of a paranormal horror completed. So… we’ll see what happens.