Checking in with a writing update

Back from wedding weekend! (Congrats to my niece Ashley and new nephew Bill! <3 Beautiful wedding! I cried; I laughed; I danced. Perfect. :) )

Mornings are my best time to write, so I've been back at writing this morning, listening to some inspirational theme music from Outlander (the beautiful soundtrack to the TV series)... And taking a quick break to check in here with an update.

Image Credit: Max Cornelius - Rocky Mountains | Wikimedia Commons

The two works-in-progress have been switching back and forth on me, demanding my attention. I don't ever plan to work on more than one thing at once (and rarely work on more than one thing within the same day), but overlapping projects continue to happen with astonishing regularity. Such is the path of the creative mind. At least mine!

So, in the works are: The Bartered Bride (aka BB, book 2 in my Brides series) and The Cross Creek Bride (aka CCB, a standalone novel in the Brides world). CCB was meant to be a short story for my mom's birthday. Only it keeps growing. And Mom's birthday flew by back in May. She says she's okay with that. Phew! Thank goodness. smile emoticon She's very accepting that it will be done when it's done. I appreciate that.

BB is currently at 55,662 words an CCB is at 54,869 words. (50,000 words is roughly 200 pages in paperback format.) So, as far as current word count goes, they're neck and neck. I anticipate BB will be a much longer book, however.

"When will they be done?"

For those waiting for The Bartered Bride, please know I'm waiting for it too! But it is coming along so nicely, I promise. I love this book! I just love Annie and Jem, and I hope you will loved them too.

For those young adult fans waiting for Haunting Melody (the sequel to Haunting Joy), please know that I haven't forgotten. Several deaths in the family made that particular book too difficult and painful to write, for a time. I hope to return to it as soon as I can, however. Meanwhile, all I can do is trust the process. Please bear with me on this journey? Writers are human beings, with feelings and life happenings. And...well, some stories are just touch on more sensitive ground than others, which can impact the ability to "go there" emotionally, and occupy the vulnerable place that's necessary to live in and breathe in for extended periods in order to write.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy summer!
Lena