Balance and the Rock Star

I love the new year and the retrospectives and the planning and the beauty of a blank calendar. This year is no exception.  I've taken some time to go over 2015, thanks to these lovely printables at The Happiness Planner.  My answers to some of the questions were a little shocking, to tell the truth.

Without going into too much gory detail, I overdid 2015. Some of it couldn't be helped, some of it was all my fault. I've been battling a Cold from Hell (which would make a great band name, btw) for over a week and all signs point to the fact that my body has completely given out, surrendered, thrown out the white flag, etc. No matter how many supplements, vitamins and amino acids I choke down, they cannot undo the damage that 12 months of stress has done to my body.

Ironically (?), this was my goal for the year.  I was going to Dream Bigger. I still love that mantra. Looking back at my awesome writing spreadsheet, I estimate that I wrote approximately 325,000 words in 2015. That doesn't count words produced during edits, blogging, etc.   That doesn't count words that I produce in a very stressful full time day job.   This is a metric shit-ton of words, of hours spent at laptops, huddled over the ipad mini on the train, scribbling on notebooks.

As much as I love it, and while I now know I am completely capable of it,  I can't do this in 2016.

Not unless I'm having fun doing it.

That's what my reflections have shown me, in a striking black-and-white clarity.  I love having fun.  If I'm having fun, late nights and tendonitis and the strange looks of parents on the soccer field as I balance 300 pages of a manuscript-in-edits on my lap while sitting on the sidelines are all 100% worth it.

If I'm not having fun, well. It's just not worth it.  Pretty simple, right?

So for 2015, I am going to be a rock star. That's going to be me, up there on the amp, head banging and singing my heart out.  I'm having fun for the sheer fun of it. I'm going out with my girls, I'm supporting my tribe, I'm drinking wine, I'm writing the stories that make me feel like Mick Jagger, Beyonce and Taylor Swift all rolled up into one. I'm going on more roadtrips, seeing the ocean, basking in Broadway lights.  And in this, I believe I will find the balance that eluded me in 2015.

That said, I'm SO FREAKING EXCITED about some of the projects that are in the works and/or germinating right now. I wish I could tell you all about them, but until I get official go-aheads, please follow me on social media, or sign up for my newsletter so you can get the updates for 2016.  

I'm wishing all of you a very balanced and fun 2016.

P.S. Have you checked out RUSHING TO DIE yet? It came out this week!

Best Books to Read Now: December

BEST BOOKS TO READ NOW

Reminder/ Caveat/ Disclaimer: This is my (hopefully) monthly list of books I’ve read and enjoyed. These are not reviews, I do not include books I didn’t enjoy because life is too short to speak badly of books!

I got through more books in November mostly because I was fortunate enough to escape to Napa, California for a long weekend right before Thanksgiving.  You may have seen some pictures (mostly of wine) on my

Instagram

but the weekend was more than just wine tastings. It was beautiful weather, good "old" friends, and going to bed early in the blessed silence of a Calistoga mountainside.

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Last month when I was writing up my books, I noted that there were some themes to my selections and I'm noticing the same this month.

Kissing Her Crush - Ophelia London

kissing her crush

I love this book for so many reasons, not least of which I had several good plotting sessions with Ophelia while she wrote this book over the course of a year.  It's exciting to see the things we talked about "come to life" and see how Ophelia embued them her signature flair (hint: Gorilla!) While it's not strictly a Christmas / holiday book I think it fits in perfectly with the holiday season with its themes of chocolate, family and love.

One Week in December -- Alexis Anne, Audra North, Julia Kelly, Alexandra Haughton

one week december

The "

One Week" crew

is back with this enchanting (and FREE!) selection of short holiday romances. I'm telling you, this was perfect for holiday travel - little bite sized pieces of holiday cheer. 

Pick it up (for FREE

) while you can!

The Best Man - Kristan Higgins

best man

This was my first Kristan Higgins book (I know! Where have I been?!) but she's been on my AUTHORS TO READ list since I heard her speak at an RWA 2014 workshop and THE BEST MAN won't be my last.  I literally devoured this in 24 hours after Thanksgiving, the day that will henceforth be known as The Day I Walked 5000 Steps In My Own Kitchen (thanks Fitbit for that data nugget).  Being drawn into the Blue Heron winemaking world (right after my own trip to Napa, no less) with all of the small town sweetness and family humor was ideal for a post-Thanksgiving escape. The digital version is on sale now for $.99!

Magic Shifts- Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels Book 8) 

magic shifts

So obviously, the accidental themes of my books this month have been sweet, family, romances. Does MAGIC SHIFTS fit in with that?  If you've read the first seven books of this series and if you're a major Kate Daniels/ Ilona Andrews fan, the answer is UM, YES.   If you haven't (and why haven't you?), then you might not understand that after seven Kate Daniels books and four more other books in the series the post-Shift world of Kate Daniels at this point FEELS like home and the characters at this point feel like family.  Am I stretching the theme at this point?

I am a big BIG fan of Ilona Andrews (the husband and wife writing team of Ilona and Gordon Andrews) and I've read EVERYTHING they've ever written. I'm such a huge fan that I had to stop tweeting Gordon because I didn't want to be one of those annoying fans that tweeted things like, "I like cake. Do you like cake? Want to be best friends? I can send you cake." I was sitting at the bar at RT this year with my agent and when I saw Gordon and Ilona across the room, I kind of forgot what I was supposed to be talking about, I was so star-struck.

Basically, I love them. I love their books. I recommend them. MAGIC SHIFTS came out this summer but because I didn't have enough time to really savor it, I saved it and when I got to Napa and heard the silence, I knew I could immerse myself in the latest installment.

If you want more information on this epic, sometimes-violent, sometimes-spicy, always entertaining series, hit me up and I'll talk your ear off.

SPEAKING OF SALES...

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I have books too! 

KNOW WHEN TO HOLD HIM

is on sale for $.99... AND!!!

RUSHING TO DIE

is  releasing on 12/29 and available for pre-order NOW!!

rushing cover

I'm so excited for everyone to read the newest installment of the Sorority Sisters Mysteries.  Margot Blythe is back and preparing for rush (recruitment).  There are new characters, new challenges, but Officer Ty Hatfield, Casey Kenner and the ladies of Delta Beta are still there for Margot to boss around - I mean, motivate and inspire.

Sign up for my newsletter

because I'll be sending out a deluxe sample of RUSHING TO DIE before the release date!!

whaat

baby book

A MONTH. AWAY.

Yes, you heard me.  SISTERHOOD IS DEADLY, the first Sorority Sisters Mystery, ever, in the history of the world, will be released unto mankind A MONTH FROM TODAY. Can you feel it?  The trembling excitement that readers everywhere are hearing about?

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And no, authors don't exaggerate AT ALL about their books.

the rock rolling eyes

Everyone says self-promotion is super awkward and difficult and I agree. I'm not going to spend everyday tweeting and posting about this book because once it's released, it's kind of out of my hands.  A really good friend of mine recently came clean and apologized for not reading KNOW WHEN TO HOLD HIM yet. And I just laughed and said, "It's okay" and something like, "I don't care if you do or not."

She's never looked that shocked by me before.  And I've shared deep, dark, secrets with this woman, like how I was thisclose to getting a Grateful Dead dancing bear tattoo when I was eighteen.

I tried to explain, and I'm still not sure I was successful, that when I say "I don't care if she reads it" it's because I know she's a super busy high powered executive and involved mom of three active kids.  She barely has time to return texts but I know this person has my back 100% and is a huge cheerleader for me and always has been.  Her love and support are what's important to me.  That's what keeps me going.

I recently wrote the dedication to SISTERHOOD IS DEADLY and I knew exactly who I wanted to dedicate this book to: Women everywhere who share their light with others and shine brighter for it.

Because in the past six months, I've learned a great deal about support - from other women, other writers, from friends, from maybe-enemies.  Support that comes from unexpected corners and support that never materializes from those you relied on.  The message has been reinforced from other things I've been reading, like an article about how women need to stop criticizing each other and play bigger.  This older piece on Shine Theory was particularly eye-opening for me, especially this quote:

When you meet a woman who is intimidatingly witty, stylish, beautiful, and professionally accomplished, befriend her.Surrounding yourself with the best people doesn’t make you look worse by comparison. It makes you better.

Publishing is an extremely tough business, maybe even cutthroat, but it's also filled with women who build each other up, believing and living the above mantra.  I've benefited tremendously from the support of many amazing women and I hope to give back twice as much.

This is, probably not uncoincidentally (that's a word, right?), the philosophy of Margot Blythe, the protagonist of the Sorority Sisters Mysteries.  Whatever you think about Margot (after you've read the book, at 12:01 am on July 7, 2015, of course) know that she only wants everyone to succeed (except for that trashy sorority chapter - you know the one.)

So yeah.  I'm really excited about what's to come.  SISTERHOOD is a beautiful culmination of so many positive experiences that just having it published is pretty damn good. But it will also feel pretty good when y'all buy it.

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Sisterhood is Deadly

For the past 12? 13? months I've been the biggest publishing tease. Without further ado, I'm about to (dis?)continue that tradition. I HAVE NEWS!

That's right! It's a new book deal!

This one has happened pretty quickly. Last May, I was floating in the pool and this book spilled into my brain. A murder in a sorority house. Elle Woods meets Jessica Fletcher. I finished the book and then didn't know what to do with it. It's a little quirky, a little sassy.  I went to RWA and when people asked me what I was working on, I said, "this funny mystery that there's probably no market for." My cousin, the big time famous author Jill Alexander Essbaum (of the soon to be released Hausfrau), urged me to send it to agents (an ego-demolishing but necessary process called 'querying,')  I got a little interest. Then some more. Then I signed with my faboo agent Cassie Hanjian who got more people interested.

Now Margot Blythe is coming to a bookseller near you.

You'll meet her in the spring. Of 2015.

I know.

Then she'll be back, hopefully in fall 2015.

Now I can hear what you're saying. "We've heard this before Lindsay." "What about those other books you said were going to be 'published'?" And, "Where's that leopard print belt I loaned you?"

I swear I didn't make the other books up. I've worked hard on them. Other people are working hard on them. They're coming. I just can't say when.

Yet.

(And that leopard belt looked darling on me, thanks)

I'll make you a deal. Sign up for my newsletter  and I promise, you'll be the FIRST to know about appearances, signings, and (yes, yes, I KNOW!!!) release dates. Not Twitter. Not Facebook. Newsletter gets big news first.

Because you're going to want to hear about Margot Blythe. She's loyal, she's funny. She'll be the sister you always wished you had.