NaNoWriMo 2016 Day 1

Happy NaNoWriMo 2016!

Well, you guys, it’s that time of year again, when every author in your life starts busting out the wordcount widgets. Here’s mine:

I’ve been participating in NaNoWriMo for more than a decade to varying degrees. I first learned about the event from my girlfriend–I was 14 at the time and the longest thing I’d ever written was a couple thousand words of Angel fanfiction. It wasn’t until i was 16 that I really sat down and tried to seriously write a novel for the event and even then, I only managed 16,000 words before time ran out.

Some of you may not know that The Duality Paradigm began life as a Camp NaNoWriMo novel back in the summer of 2012. That was the first time I’d ever completed the 50k word challenge and at the time I was motivated to win it so that I could get a 50% off coupon for scrivener.

That summer and that camp nano really launched me as a writer. I’d dabbled here and there, writing bits and pieces of things, writing flash fanfic and fannish shorts, but until that summer I’d never written a completed novel (of course, at the time I wasn’t FINISHED with it, but I wrote the other 35k of Duality over the rest of the summer).

Even now that I write full time, the event still holds a special place in my heart, and I still love to participate in it, even if some years I stretch the limits of the rules.

What I’ll Be Up To This Month

Technically, you’re supposed to write a *novel* for NaNoWriMo, but after writing 61k words of The Profane Series Book 2: Vaper Trail in October, I won’t lie, I’m looking to break things up this November working on 2 longer novels as well as a couple of short stories.

NaNoWriMo Day 1 Check-In

2957 words on Vaper Trail, bread baked for the month, cookies baked for Week 1 writing fuel, and now I’m going to reward myself by reading a little more HP3.

Palouse County Series Announcement

About 2 years ago I wrote a little short story called Cold Press set in rural, small town Eastern Washington. If you haven’t read it and you’re looking for something cute and fuzzy perfect for a blustery day of reading, I suggest you check it out, it’s only 99cents on Amazon and free on KindleUnlimited!

I always intended to write more stories set in this small town, but I wasn’t sure how I wanted to do it. But then, lightning strikes as it likes to do at the oddest times. Going forward, the Palouse County series will feature short stories about the quirky residents of Belleville in and around the holidays!

So, keep your eyes peeled this December for #2

Blood & Bone Series News

Did you notice the subtle title change there? The Blood & Bone Trilogy is officially no longer a trilogy! Starting near the end of November I should be breaking ground on a new follow-up novel to the original trilogy! I’ve mentioned this book a couple times off hand over the last year, but I’m finally in a position to say with certainty that it WILL be coming winter 2017, sometime after I release The Profane Series Book 2: Vaper Trail.

The working title for this book is The Sanguine Solution and it picks up a couple of months after the end of The Symbiotic Law. While I ended Symbiotic where I always intended to end it, I found that there was still a lot the characters had to say and work through, especially Ethan. And there is quite a lot in their world left to explore, so I’m really excited to be opening up that series again.

You can expect more news and excerpts from book 4 in December and January so stay tuned 😉

And I think that’s all for Day 1! I’ll be checking back in later in the week and I might even have a new vid up on youtube soon about what I’ve been reading this season…

Sneak Peak: Vaper Trail (The Profane Series) 1/?

Late June 2012 – Capitol Hill – Lachlan

Lachlan Graham fiddled with the electric water kettle on his counter, pressing his fingers to the body of the water reservoir like he could gauge the temperature of the water just by that one simple touch. It wasn’t entirely an affectation. Three years working as a barista in the U District’s coffee scene had given him a few skills—heat resilient hands that were, nevertheless, quite adept at judging a liquid’s temperature was simply one of them. But that’s not why he did it now—no, let’s be honest, it was just a nervous tick. An excuse to remain standing in his kitchen and thereby avoid the conversation lurking in the other room for another three minutes while the kettle heated up the water to boiling.

Tea had seemed like a good idea when he offered, but maybe it was just the coward’s way out.

His lower lip still tingled from its close contact with Vector’s mouth a minute ago.

Medium Rare 99cent Book Launch!

 Grab a copy of Medium Rare – Limited time offer of 99cents!

Good afternoon everyone! So if you’ve been following along here the past couple of months you’ve probably seen (maybe even read 😉 ) a couple of chapters from my latest book MEDIUM RARE.

I’m very pleased to announce that that book is finally finished and available to read in full on Amazon! For the next week you can buy it for 99cents as a special introductory offer for everyone who follow this blog and my mailing list!

The Profane Series takes place in the same fictional universe as The Blood & Bone Series and can be read as a sister series in either order. You may notice several characters from The Profane Series who were introduced in previous Blood & Bone novels and vice versa.

Now, while a small portion (about 10%) of this book is taken from “The Suicide Case,” the whole story has been expanded and made part of a much larger story, so even if you’ve read “The Suicide Case” I believe there is a lot here for you to enjoy.

Happy Reading!
xoxo, Lia

Blurb 

A good cop, a good son, a loyal partner–none of this was enough to save Lachlan Graham’s nerves when his entire world fell apart three years ago.

A former Seattle Police Officer, Lachlan has spent the time since he left the force trying to piece his life together after being abandoned by his partner: Detective Vector Clanahan. But with a dead neighbor downstairs, his carefully constructed solitude is soon to be invaded on all fronts.

Meanwhile, Vector Clanahan’s about to return to his old stomping grounds as the West Coast serial killer he’s been tracking leads him right to his ex-partner’s front door. 

Grab your copy of Medium Rare for 99cents today!

The Profane Series: Medium Rare Chapter 4b

Previous Parts 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

May 2012 – Briarwood, ID

It was a ten hour drive to Briarwood. But rather than hijack the sherif’s vehicles, they dropped their entourage off in Vegas to handle the Searchlight bodies before grabbing a quick flight up to Twin Falls. From there they drove seventy-five miles due north to the Blaine County Sheriff’s Station, fifteen miles south of their final destination: Briarwood, population four hundred and eight according to the 2010 census, was situated on the edge of Sawtooth National Forest.

“Like I tried to tell you on the phone,” Blaine County Sheriff’s Deputy Billy Forest said, ushering them into the city’s small morgue facility. “The bodies we’re digging up way pre-date what you’re looking for. From the style of clothing and the degree of decay, the Briarwood bodies look like they’re from at least the forties. Maybe earlier.”

“Can I see the crime scene photos?” Vector asked in a low voice, interrupting Henderson’s automatic grumbling.