The Ascension Series

Just thought I'd share the draft covers for the Ascension series. I wanted to stick with the same image, because the series follows the same couple (Vouclade & Kasey)...but I wanted the colors of each cover to reflect the tone/emotion of each novella. I'd love to hear what you think!

Update!

Sorry it's been a while since I posted, but there's been a lot happening lately regarding my family and friends that needed my full attention. And truthfully, even the things that didn't necessarily need all of my attention, still ruled my brain...which left me having a little difficulty focusing on writing. I think sometimes you just get news that's so shocking, and so...sad...that you just can't stop wondering how and why it's happening to someone you love. Add that to the fact that I've been helping my awesome niece with her school play, as well as building three websites for family members...and I've just been wiped out over the last few weeks.

But anywho - I still don't have any news on the publisher front. EH is still out with editors though, so keep your fingers crossed. :) And, as I've said before...the minute I do have news about EH and the series, I'll post it here right away. 

Now, to the exciting stuff! Immortal Dreams has been retitled Ascension, and will be released as a special series via 3, possibly 4 novellas. The first novella, Ascension: The Revelation, will release in a few weeks. I was hoping for Halloween, but this story surprised me a lot, and I need a little more time to make sure the first novella covers everything it needs to. (I basically need to get a little further in the overall story to make sure nothing in the first part would need to be changed.)

As some of you probably know, I never thought I could pull off a full novel for Vouclade. I figured with his more anachronistic style of speech he would be tedious, if not a little boring for readers, especially when you're in his point of view...but how very wrong I was. He has become a fantastic character, who never ceases to amaze me. :) I'm still so floored by what his story has turned into, and I can't wait to hear what you guys think of the first novella!! :D

In any event, I'll let you know ASAP when the release date will be. I know I never gave a solid release date for ID, only mentioned I was shooting for Halloween...but I wanted you all to know what was going on.

Oh, yeah...and the Ascension novella series will still be FREE! :D I'm also looking at a few options to offer the novellas in various e-book formats, like PDF, ePub and perhaps even Kindle. Unfortunately, Kindle doesn't allow authors make their books available for free...which irritates me, but I'm still looking for a way to do it. Worst case scenario, I'd have to offer the Kindle version for .89 or .99 cents. For those of you who have a Kindle, is there another format you can easily load onto the device? And if not, would you be willing to pay the .89 or .99 cents so you can get it from Amazon? I hate to make you pay for something you can have for free...but Amazon is mean and won't play nice with independent authors.

That's all I have for now. I'll update again soon!

Have a good one! And a Happy Halloween!! :D

Friday Fun!

Distractions anyone? ;) So I was doing some research on Dante's nine levels of Hell for a story idea and ran across this test that tells you which level of Hell you're going to end up in. Apparently, at least according to the results below...I'm a bad seed. ;) If you feel so inclined, take the test. I'd love to know if I'm going to be lonely on level six. :D

Disclaimer: I didn't get any kind of virus or spyware warnings, nor any pop-ups from the site, but if for some reason you do - don't click on anything and close your browser.

The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Sixth Level of Hell - The City of Dis!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Very Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Low
Level 2 (Lustful)	Very High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	High
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Moderate
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	Very High
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Extreme
Level 7 (Violent)	High
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Very High
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Low

Take the Dante Inferno Hell Test

After you take the test, you'll get a page with your results. Below your results is a line that says:

OR copy this plain text with no HTML formatting:

Just copy the code then come back here and paste it in the comments. DO NOT copy the code from the first box, because blogger doesn't like a lot of HTML formatting. And I know, because I tried to put the fancy box from my blog post in a comment and it didn't work. :)

P.S. If my Hell post offends anyone's better senses, I apologize... kinda. ;) It's meant to be fun, nothing more. I had an idea for a dark romance series, not at all related to the Darkness Within world, which is how I ended up on the whole Dante's Inferno 9 Levels of Hell topic anyway.

Just a quick update...

I don't really have anything new to report about Eternal Hearts yet. Mr. Agent is still waiting to hear back from editors. I do, however, want to share this with all of you. It will be explained in much more detail a little closer to Halloween - which is when you'll get your next dose of the Darkness! :)

Why I married him...

As most of you who read the blog know, Chad (my Hubby) is currently a college student. Among the plethora of reasons why he's awesome, like working 50+ hours a week while going to college nearly full-time so I can stay home with the Heathen and write the Darkness Within series, he's also a pretty damn good writer himself. So, with that in mind, I wanted to share with you a speech he wrote for one of his Political Science classes last semester, wherein he had to announce his candidacy for Congress.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends and honored guests, it is a pleasure to be here with you tonight as I announce my candidacy for Congress in Ohio's prestigious 5th district. As a lifelong resident of northwest Ohio, I not only understand the trials that our district has faced, but have lived through them right alongside of you. I will use that familiarity as I approach each day and each vote as a new opportunity to not only raise our concerns, but seek roads of resolution.

As an Independant, I am not bound by the partisan politics that have been the jailer of our progress as a nation for many years now. Without contraint, I can work with other members of Congress toward realistic goals and logical solutions of our district's many issues, the first and foremost being the state of our economy.

For many years, Ohio's 5th district has been supported by farms and manufacturing. In fact, many of the factories located here are unique only to us, such as the Campbell's Soup plant or the Whirlpool factory, both of which are the largest of their kind in the world, as well as being a pillar of the employment and business community. In spite of their efforts along with many others of distinction, our economy was devestated by the housing market collapse and many lost their jobs as well as their homes. Good families with ties and investments in their respective communities were forced to relocate as the job market wavered.

And yet we remain.

Long ago in my native Bowling Green, settlers to the area were faced with a dense swampland called the "Great Black Swamp". They too had a daunting task ahead of them. In order to make a home for themselves they had to change the face of the very land itself.

And yet they remained.

We too are faced with a daunting task. Once again, the residents of northwest Ohio have to reshape the very land we live in. This time it isn't a "Great Black Swamp", but a Great Black Hole, the remnant of a damaged economy that still to this very day consumes jobs and leaves families destitute in its wake.

But yet we remain.

As your representative, I pledge to go to Washington and fight with the same ferocity and tenacity as our forebears to increase our job market and lower unemployment. I will meet with businessmen and women who are not just looking in the moment, but are casting their fortune toward the future. I will cross whatever party lines are necessary to meet with other Congressional leaders who are not just relying on words, but are working on resolutions and solutions for you, the people of this great nation.

It is my sincerest hope that on Election Day, you will cast your vote toward progress and our future. Show Congress that the "Heart of it All" still beats as strong today as ever before, and that in spite of the failures of the past, in the face of all our trials, we have and always will...

Remain.

Thank you.

All I know is...I'd vote for him! :)

Have a great weekend!