Real life can be TOO real

The reason I've decided to write 3 more stories instead of 2 is because, to put it simply, Hope and Jake have more to do!

If you've ready The Network, story 5, you'll know that it ends on an ominous note: Where are they going?

Story 6 -- as yet unnamed -- shows where they go, and why they're there. And it does a whole lot more.

Hope is also facing a dilemma around how much of the truth she shares with Jake right now. She knows deep down inside what her future must be. How can she possibly share that with Jake? Their unspoken feelings for one another have made it difficult for her to tell him the truth.

On top of that, there's still the spectre of Pandora out there. How quickly will it figure things out? Fast enough to get its way? With the knowledge it now has, it could be a dangerous force.

Stay tuned for Story 6. I do apologize for the delay! Sometimes my "real" life gets in the way of the life I'm creating inside Arcadia and Cerulean -- which is, to be honest, a place I'd much rather be right now.

Because real life can be, well, a little too real sometimes.

I'm still here! And so are Hope and Jake

I got sidelined for two whole weeks this month with two viruses stacked on top of one another. So Story 6 had to be put "on hold" for a short time.

But I'm back to plotting and writing ... and there are going to be at least 8 stories in this series! I thought there might be only 7, but Hope and Jake had more story in them.

So please stay tuned for Story 6 as soon as possible, but not before it's as good as it can be for my readers.

:-)

A character's weaknesses

If you've been reading The Pandora Chronicles, you know that Hope has a few weaknesses. First, she doesn't always say what she's thinking or feeling, especially in regards to Jake. He's much more open about how he feels and what he thinks -- almost to the point of annoying Hope.

Why does Hope keep things inside most of the time?

I think she knows there's something serious that she has to do, and she doesn't want Jake to suffer any potential consequences along with her.

The other weakness Hope has, of course, is a physical one. When she nearly died of The Paralyzing as a young girl, she was left with fainting spells that -- pardon the pun -- plague her. She never knows when one will happen, so she carries ammonia pellets in her pocket all the time.

Do you notice any other weaknesses in Hope's character? Let me know in the comments!

OK, back to writing and plotting Story 6 ...

Episodes 6, 7 ... and possibly 8?

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend, wherever you are. It's been drizzly here in NYC so far, but the sky is a little brighter today (Sunday). Still not quite enough to warm up these native-California bones of mine, but I'll take 40 degrees over 30 (or 20 or 10) any day.

I'm plotting Story 6 of The Pandora Chronicles and am starting to write it today, and something dawned on me: I might need 8 episodes for this series!

If you're a fan, I suppose that won't upset you too much. ;-) And as the author, I can tell you that it definitely doesn't upset me at all! I enjoy spending time with Hope and Jake and all the other characters we've grown to know and love.

March will be a busy writing month for me. If only I didn't have a 9-to-5 job, I could write even faster ... but I'm going to make a promise, which is that Story 6 will definitely be published this month. And if I can find the time, Story 7, too.

That's the goal: Stories 6 and 7 published in March. With possibly an 8th episode coming in April.

Send good writing vibes, OK? More like, send good vibes that I don't have to work overtime at my "real" job so that I can spend time with Hope and Jake.

I mean really, which is more important? My "regular" job, or my job of creating all the thrills and chills of Pandora?

OK, here I go ... Diving head first into writing Story 6!

Get hooked (for less dough)

One of my readers calls the stories "addictive." Another keeps telling me to "write faster." (I'm trying, I really am!)

Now it's your turn to get hooked on The Pandora Chronicles: Stories 1-4.

Buy them all in one book and save a buck off the individual price of the stories.Then you can pick up  Story 5, The Network, and join my fans who are hungering for more episodes of Hope and Jake's quest to end the plagues.

What are you waiting for? Read The Pandora Chronicles: Stories 1-4 today.

Coming soon: Compilation of stories 1-4

Happy Saturday, everyone! (Is it still Saturday where you are?)

I had a fun day today. Decided to take advantage of some pre-spring sales at Macy's and J. Crew. Here in NYC, the stores are often pretty crowded. But today they weren't super busy, and you know what? I actually enjoy the crowds sometimes. Makes everything seem more alive and fun.

I scored a couple of dresses (one little black dress and one maxi dress for summer) a belt and a sweater (lavender), all at 50-65 percent off the normal retail price. I'll take it!


Within the next few days, I'm going to offer stories 1-4 of The Pandora Chronicles in one volume. I'll be sure and alert you when it's ready.

I'm already writing story 6. I'm on a roll. Or maybe a bagel?

"Totally addictive. Impossible to read just one."

--- one of my readers


It is the year 2050, and for more than 20 years, suburbanites of Arcadia have suffered tremendous grief and loss every autumn, when the annual plague descends for its three-month run. The Pandora Chronicles tell the story of Hope, an 18-year-old woman who is determined to find the cause -- and cure -- for these plagues. Her father is already dead, and she almost lost her life, too. Who will survive? Will she discover the answers she seeks? Follow the story as it unfolds in each episode. Read Story 1: Pandora (The Pandora Chronicles Short Story Series)

The Network: fixed and ready!

I fixed my slight goof in "The Network." Sorry about that. Just goes to show that an actual human being is writing and publishing these stories. :-)

I had so much fun writing this one. I include lots of action and suspense and revealed some new information about Hope's role.

Story 6 will reveal even more -- I've already started writing it.

Click here (or on the giant cover) to read The Network today!

"The Network" is live on Kindle!

Click here (or on the giant cover) to read it today!

Here it is: The cover of "The Network"

I'm about to publish The Network on Amazon, so my next post will take you to the link.

In the meantime, here is the cover ... And thanks, as always, for the support. :-)

Story 5 now has a name

No longer do I have to refer to Story 5 as, well Story 5 in The Pandora Chronicles.

Now, it's called "The Network."

And it's with the editor. Wahoo!

Stay tuned! And sorry for the loooong delay in getting this one finished and out there to you. It's been a hectic time in my life outside of writing, but all is OK now. Stories 6 and 7 are mapped out and ready to rumble under my fingers.

Next post: the cover for "The Network."

Aaaack. Stomach flu

Need I say more?

Story 5 still coming soon -- I just have to feel good enough to do the final bit, and it'll be up and ready to read!

Story 5 ... so close to being done!

Story 5 is almost ready for prime time. I'm still deciding on a title, too, so hang tight for just a few more days, folks.

In the meantime, I saw another Oscar-nominated movie, Zero Dark Thirty. All I can say is, how could they take one of the most important manhunts of our time and turn it into a snoozefest? I usually like Jessica Chastain, but she was miscast and her character was severely underdeveloped.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Anyone else agree? Disagree?

Back to writing Story 5 of The Pandora Chronicles -- which, if I may say, are a lot more exciting that Zero Dark Thirty. :-)

The chase is on. What's your favorite?

Chase scenes -- and escape and rescue scenes -- are a blast to write. More than almost anything else in my stories, I see these scenes as mini movies for the mind. They live in front of my eyes, with my characters running, jumping, crawling, climbing, holding on, you name it. A lot of that is happening as I work on story 5.

I swear, sometimes I'm burning calories along with my characters!

Since I started writing these types of scenes, I've paid much more attention to them in other books and also in movies.

Do you have a favorite chase scene, from a book or movie? If so, what is it? I'd love to hear from you.

To kill, or not to kill?

OK, folks. I'm having a debate with myself whether to kill someone off in story 5 ... or not.

The characters are at a point where things are serious. VERY serious. If you've read Blood Line Zero, then you know what I'm talking about.

So what should I do? Kill someone? Or not?

Of course, I can't reveal who I'm talking about because that would give too much away. If any of you read Harry Potter -- not that I'm J.K. Rowling -- then you know the author had no problem killing off some pretty major characters.

(SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN'T READ HP: Dumbledore?? And Hedwig?? Sheesh.)

Tell me what you think about authors killing off key characters in their books!

Happy New Year! Next episode coming soon

Happy New Year, everyone, and here's to a peaceful and prosperous 2013.

Story 5 in The Pandora Chronicles is coming soon. Now that I'm back from vacation, my computer is revved up and ready to roll with Hope and Jake's next adventure in the series.

I'll tell you one thing: my cat, Sophia, is verrrrry happy I'm home, She hasn't left my side for more than a minute since I walked in the door last night. Here's a photo I just snapped of her, gripping my shirt and making it very clear that she doesn't want me to go on vacation again for a long time. :-)

Thinking of all of you during the holidays

I'll be posting a bit less frequently the next couple of weeks, but never fear: I'm thinking of you and am working feverishly on the next two stories in The Pandora Chronicles.

This is going to be a great holiday season, don't you think? I can already feel the optimism in the air for a great New Year.

I'll be back on the blog in a jiffy ... as soon as I recover from my red-eye flight and the ensuing jet lag!

My first video review!

I was so excited to see my first video review on Amazon for "Pandora," the first story in The Pandora Chronicles.

Click on the photo, and you'll be able to watch it!

Minna Bryant -- who also won my contest to have a character named after her in story 5 -- posted it. That is sooooo awesome!

Minna, if you're reading this, stories 5 and 6 will be coming to Kindle in Jan. :-) I know, I need to write faster. Thank you so much!

How my Monday turned out GREAT

Yesterday was drizzly and ugly here in NYC. The temperature was nice -- around 60 -- but I couldn't enjoy it because I was caught between using the umbrella to hold off drizzle and feeling a bit idiotic, or not using it and getting slowly soaked as I walked a few blocks. Sigh.

And then, even though I was wearing boots, I slipped off a curb and jammed my left leg. Which then meant that I couldn't go to the gym after work, which I REALLY wanted to do.

So there I was, feeling sorry for myself when I got home, and then my husband walked in with a box.

"I think this is for you," he said.

I examined the box and noticed that it had his name on it.

"It's addressed to you," I said. "How do you know it's for me?"

"I just do."

So I opened it up, and I was sooooo happy to see ...

a Kindle Fire!

He bought it for me as an early Christmas present because of the success of The Pandora Chronicles and to celebrate my upcoming stories: the rest of Pandora, of course (can't leave Hope and my readers hanging!) and a new series I'll be publishing starting in February. 

I feel very special. What a great hubby I have.

Get a free eBook today!

Today and tomorrow, Dec. 7 and 8, you can download Pandora for free! It is the year 2050, and for more than 20 years, suburbanites of Arcadia have suffered tremendous grief and loss every autumn, when the annual plague descends for its three-month run. The Pandora Chronicles tell the story of Hope, an 18-year-old woman who is determined to find the cause -- and cure -- for these plagues. Her father is already dead, and she almost lost her life, too. Who will survive? Will she discover the answers she seeks? Follow the story as it unfolds in each episode. Read Story 1: Pandora (The Pandora Chronicles Short Story Series)