I am using a picture of my very novice quilt practice start as the focal picture for today’s post. I am creating a row and joining it to the square each day. (Well, I’m trying to at any rate.)
I am learning a lot, and I learn through making mistakes. I’m very happy with all my little mistakes.
My husband is not happy with the cost of fabric, nor the garbage bag absolutely loaded with fabric that has been seam-ripped and otherwise frayed into oblivion as I learn how to actually sew.
It’s been over 20 years, and I have forgotten everything I’d once known. That’s okay.
Okay, now that I’m done showing my current hobby, here is all the news updates…
Project 2026
As a part of my ongoing efforts to make my work life, play life, real life, etc more pleasant, I am trying a new methodology for 2025. This involves something I’ve dubbed “Project 2026.”
Cindercorns and Spicy Ponies with Bite on Patreon were already notified about the changes. Essentially, I will be working in a “split efforts” style.
Every working day, I will be aiming for 2,000 words on my current “main” project. (Usually, the next one up for publication.) In addition to that, I will be aiming to write a scene from a Project 2026 book.
Cindercorns and Spicy Ponies with Bite will either get a scene from the “main project” book or the “Project 2026” book every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. There will be a collection for all Project 2026 posts to make it a tiny bit easier for them to locate the posts. (I am recommending they make a folder in their email for each different book project so they can just check their emails and read the chapter/scene files in order.)
Why is it called Project 2026? I am hoping that at least four of the projects will be published in 2026.
That’s it, that’s all.
For the curious, here is the current line up of Main Project and Project 2026 books. This list may be changed at any time, so don’t view this as written in stone. This is just my current plan. (And yes, if people start behaving badly in terms of Magical Romantic Comedy and similar books, they WILL be removed from the list and replaced with new pen name stuff. Don’t push the red button, because I’m NOT in the mood to be bullied this week over that series/world. Be happy there are three books from that world in the line up, and otherwise keep your complaints to yourself.)
Main Project Titles:
- Booked for Theft (R.J. Blain)
- Prince of New York (Susan Copperfield)
- Grave Intentions (Lilith Daniels)
- Game On (Magic, Mayhem, and the Law in Precinct #153 #3, Jace perspective, G.P. Robbins)
- Murder Floof (Bernadette Franklin)
- Edge of Midnight (Wolf Hunt #3, R.J. Blain)
- New Waters (Susan Copperfield)
- Purple Stained Sky (Leanne Hearst)
Project 2026 Titles (Presented in No Particular Order):
- Guilty as Hell (Sandra #2, R.J. Blain)
- Dual Nature (Sean #2, R.J. Blain)
- Dragon Her Heels (MRC #23, R.J. Blain)
- Herding Polecats (MRC #24, R.J. Blain)
- She’s Dynamite (Pat #3, Susan Copperfield)
- Stone Bound (Jesse #3, R.J. Blain)
- Achlys (Seeking the Zodiacs #2, R.J. Blain)
- Shark Island (Dustin Novel, R.J. Blain)
- Secret Society of Red Pandas (Audrey Greene)
- Pirate Magic (R.J. Blain)
Essentially, I will be working on the “Main Project” titles in order as presented above and “Project 2026” titles are chaos incarnate.
The only things that are currently guarantees are the books up for preorder, so please keep that in mind.
Please do not press the shiny red button, even if the books you happen to want are not on this list. Also, please be aware that just because a book IS on this list it doesn’t mean that book is a guarantee. Guarantees are only granted when the book has been put up for preorder.
Kobo
Please note that until Kobo corrects its publication issues, there will not be any future kobo preorders until the book is fully completed. As such, it is likely that I will not be posting anything to Kobo until 72 hours before the book’s official publication, and I will not be promoting Kobo preorders.
For those of you who use Kobo to buy books, I apologize, but I do not want to end up with the placeholder issue again. I will let you know when I change this policy or Kobo moves to “assetless” preorders. (AKA, I do not need a file to start a preorder.)
Apple Books – Experimental Voyage
My last Christmas book was delayed releasing from Apple, as they like requiring over a month of lead time nowadays to get their systems up to date. So, if you ordered from Apple, please be aware that this is out of my hands. (You WILL get your preordered book, but Apple is currently not reliable about release timing for the holidays unless you have a LONG lead time.)
Let’s just say Experimental Voyage was almost 20k longer than anticipated, so it went to the editors late. I’m not even sorry.
Audiobooks
Doggone Mess, Burn, Baby, Burn, and The Flame Game were pushed to Kobo / Non-Audible vendors between today and yesterday. Please give up to two weeks for them to actually show up.
This week, I am attempting to load three audiobooks per day to Kobo and my non-Audible primary distributor, so please keep an eye out for that.
Whiskers on Kittens Print Edition / Other Print Editions
You can now purchase the print edition of Whiskers on Kittens in trade size on Amazon. The mass market edition (Barnes & Noble) has been pushed into Ingram, but I’m honestly not expecting it to become available until after the holidays. (Ingram can be slow.)
In case you missed it, the trade versions of A Light in the Dark and Partner in Crime are already available on Amazon. Moving forward, expect Amazon to be prioritized for trade paperbacks; the mass market versions of the books are prohibitively expensive since Ingram changed its pricing. Amazon is still mostly tolerable for pricing, so for general “buyer accessibility” reasons, I’m working on getting the Amazon trades done first, and then I will battle Ingram later for those wanting mass market sized.
(The difference is roughly $5-7 more expensive for Ingram on average.)
Hardback editions will still be done through Ingram or with a new vendor I will be trying for special edition versions of the books.
Other Random Stuff
I will be going into hiding (mostly) the week of Christmas, so if you don’t hear from me on any platform, don’t worry. I’m going to be sewing, eating yummy food, and generally giving my brain a break as we head into 2025.
Happy holidays, and I hope that you have a wonderful time with family, friends, and books.
For what it’s worth, I love all your books, whatever name you use! 🥰 they are my absolute vacation from reality and although I can 🪡 I have never tried quilting. Looks great to me 😜 Merry Christmas or Gleðileg jól from Iceland 🇮🇸 ♥️
Vacationing from reality is the fucking best. Happy holidays!! 😀
… do you have the book tradition in Iceland? I think it’s gift a book to somebody and read? I can’t remember if it’s Iceland or a different country somewhere thereabouts, but I wish that was a tradition here!
Actually yes, most books in Iceland are published just before Christmas because the population is only about 420.000 and almost everyone gets at least one book for Christmas.. we also celebrate Christmas Eve and open the packages after Christmas dinner and spend the evening drinking chocolate, eating candy and Christmas cookies and reading 😀
I feel I was born in the wrong country!
Happy Holidays and thanks for the update!
I am a quilter. You have a good eye for color, contrast and pattern. You quilt will look awesome when finished. Also , I have every book you have written under all your pseudonyms. Currently rereading all until more releases. You are my favorite author(s).
Good for you, setting boundaries and taking Christmas week off. And hurray for Whiskers on Kittens in print! I’m off to order my copy ~
Love the titles
Merry Christmas
ooh, so many upcoming book possibilities. Thank you! And happy holidays to you also!
Merry Christmas and happy quilting from Australia. Fabric is $30meter here after Covid so I feel your husband’s pain. Show him a picture of a $40,000 longarm sewing machine and ask if Santa will bring you one. Your writing makes this world a happier place to be in and I thank you.
Love the subtle, muted Christmas colors and patterns of your quilt. Can’t wait to see the finished product, although I understand we may be waiting awhile!
I enjoy your books. I pre-order all of them as fast as you make them available.
A word count goal is great – AS A GOAL. Please don’t let it become a mandate.
There is another popular writer that had bragged about a certain word count Every Single Day.
To my eye, the quality of his books varies significantly from book to book. Sometimes varies between sections of a book.
I suspect that the fixed word count is sometimes causing him to write beyond his creative ability. Turning out words on a “turn the crank” basis rather than from his imagination.
Please don’t let your word count goal stop you from saying “That’s it. Thats all I’ve got today.” Please don’t let it prevent you from going back, ripping out something, and re-writing it.
I know me pretty well. 2k is a decent day of work, and I can accomplish it across the whole day. There’s really zero reason I can’t meet that goal. The “write a scene” part is what is going to be “come and go”; the 2k will keep me on target for words.
But, yes… I find those who overly force it, especially once looking at 4-5k+ just…. don’t write as well as they could.
2k is “I bothered to show up for work and do my job.” Anything over 2k is gravy. Anything below 2k is “I didn’t bother with my job today.” That’s why I picked 2k… good day or bad day? I can hit 2k without breaking much of a sweat.
But as someone who CAN write 10k in a day… some days (and some books) just go easier than others. But this is more of a general roadmap that works well with how my brain functions.
Today? I’m probably not getting 2k done. (When being honest, until the audiobooks are all uploaded, I probably won’t hit 2k, because the process of uploading audiobooks wipes out ALL of my spoons.)
But once the new year hits, I NEED to do 2k a day to hit my deadlines. Else things will be even worse!
Have a wonderful holiday break. You are so amazing and appreciated 🥰
Have an AbFab holiday break and enjoy your stay-cation at home!
“I’m so excited…” Doing a little chair dance with the Pointer Sisters singing in my head! Hope you enjoy your holiday celebrating time!
Hope everyone has a non-denominational completely non-offensive totally generic and politically correct winter! Also yay for Dustin!
I enjoy looking people in the eyes and offending them when I say the all inclusive “Happy Holidays” because it brings me joy. loooool
I’m excited to hear you may have more magical romantic comedy with a body count books. My daughter and I have read and reread and reread the series as well as listened to it multiple times. We buy them the second they are available for purchase both as ebooks and audible books. We were bummed that someone upset you enough that you put these on a back burner but understand your wanting/needing to do so.
Will there be sequels to serial killer princess and last but not leashed or the conclusion to them in other books?
Yes, they will be done as part of future anthologies.
I love your books and I would love to buy some of those special hardcover editions even some of the ones that have been out for a while. Where can I get them?
The only hardbacks that are available are Life-Debt and Dead Weight.
Life-Debt: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/life-debt-r-j-blain/1143018161?ean=9781649641397
Dead Weight: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dead-weight-gp-robbins/1141909573?ean=9781649641373
Hardbacks are a 2025 project, and it’ll be slow going.
I love the fabric patterns that you are using in your quilt. I especially like the black one. I think I have a similar one in white. The patterns are lovely and elegant! Total thumbs up!
You are doing quite well on your quilting journey. Thank you for the peak on timeliness. I hope you enjoy your holidays.