Little teaser...

Last time I was here, I let you guys know about the awesome project that Chris Owen and I have been working on. Since then, we got the news that our release date is going to be in November. Both of us were kind of bummed that it's so far away, but we'll be around here and there on social media to promote it way before then. In fact, here's a sneak peek of what you can expect in Never Too Early: The Beginning.

Chance slouched down in his seat and stretched out his legs. At least they were on the aisle. And the people watching was pretty good from his vantage point.

In fact, it was really good. The two men Chance had seen a little while earlier were now on their way back, and this time he could see the front view. One with dark hair and one with hair the color of wet sand, they were tall and lean with tanned faces. Chance somehow knew instinctively that it was from many hours on horseback, outside in the hot summer sun, where even the protection of their cowboy hats wasn’t enough.

He watched from the safety of his seat as they approached the steps leading to his row. Expecting them to pass directly in front, Chance was startled when they checked their tickets and began climbing the stairs. He pulled his feet in from blocking the aisle and pretended to be interested in the racing form in his hand.

A surreptitious glance told him that the cowboys had stopped at the row before his. Chance observed them as they checked their tickets and then, to his pleasure or dismay, Chance didn’t know which, they edged their way into the seats directly in front of Chance and Tucker’s.

Tucker was going to laugh hysterically.

"How long until they start?" the one with dark hair asked his partner. "Do I have time to go make a bet?"

"Sure, if you want. Throwing good money away, though." The tone was warmer than the words. "Get yourself a drink, too."

"Water for you, Jake? I'll see if they have juice."

The one named Jake shook his head. "Water's fine." He looked around, craning his head and finally tipping his hat back on his forehead. "Yeah, same direction. Don't get lost, Tor."

That earned him a flick on the brim of his hat and a snort. Then dark eyes met Chance's as Tor stood and turned. "Keep an eye on this one; he'll change seats just to make me think I got lost." His grin was broad and open, friendly.

"Uh," Chance replied. Yes, very suave, he told himself with a mental eyeroll. "Um, yeah, okay." He managed a smile and forced himself to meet the twinkling brown eyes again. "I’ll pin him down." What? Chance had no idea where the idiotic words had come from.

Jake's head whipped around and Tor threw back his head with a laugh. "Good luck with that. Holler if you need help." He clapped Jake's shoulder with one big hand and then left, still chuckling, leaving Chance with a startled cowboy looking at him.

Steampunk + Kismet

Random things keep entering my sphere of reality lately that are peripherally steampunky. I think the universe is telling me it likes what I'm writing at the moment. ;-) Here are a couple of links that connect to the early 1900s as examples.

85-year-old steam engine ready to roll again in Lewis County
16 Edwardian Colour Photos That Will Make You Feel Like A Time Traveller

There are links to more photos off that second one that I could spend hours happily perusing. But, alas, my m/m steampunk novel isn't going to write itself. Although every now and then I hit a scene that seems to do just that. If only it were always so easy. ::sigh::

I got the first royalty report on Solo Flight recently. Its first month did not draw close to what Hounded by Love did in its first month, but I wasn’t expecting anything spectacular after my two-year hiatus from writing. It hadn’t been a planned break, and despite my best made plans, I can’t promise another extended disappearance isn’t in store in the near future. As a colleague of mine likes to say “It is what it is.”

I have a wonderful new role within the company I love. The benefits include doing a job that better suits my skills and personality, but there are negatives, such as giving up a significant amount of “down time.” Without this free time, my non-work hours seem shorter than ever.

No, I’m not complaining. Not really. I’m nearly finished with the first of a three-part story I’m writing with a friend. It’s a het-vampire series, and with a character from one of the first novels I wrote “back in the day.” I also have half of the next M/M story written, and another on the back burner based off of a special submission call I saw on the Loose Id loop.

I’ll make no promises on what will be the next one I submit for publishing, but completing one will be high on the priority list. As are the former Silver Publishing stories – I hope to get them reprinted sometime this year, either independently, or with a trusted publisher. I’ll let you know as soon as plans firm up.

In the meantime, dear Readers, thank you for those of you who’ve taken the chance on Solo Flight. I enjoyed writing it, and I hope that its untraditional theme resonates with some of you like it did for me. Perhaps I should write more on that. But later. Remind me.

May the forth be with you, dear Readers. Have a great month!

~Pia