I know this is supposed to be Fiction friday...

but I forgot to prep the post.

Instead have a quick round up of what's happening in my quiet corner of the publishing world.

The first newsletter went out, only a week late and with only one formatting issue that I've had reported back to me (which I had caught when it was too late, and didn't see the point of reissuing). I'd hoped giving away a free book would generate some reviews for said sadly neglected short but it was not to be. Still, it's good to have Waiting for a Spark back on the virtual bookshelves.

Talking of returning to the shelves, I managed to get Theory Unproven re-released just days before my self-imposed deadline. I also flirted with sending out ARC copies. I've had a few reviews from that but I'm not sure how much impact that has had on sales.

This month I intend to re-release Lesson Learned, my very first book from back in 2012. In fact it was originally released 5 years ago yesterday. I'll be sharing the cover in a week or so. This one has had a bit of a rewrite and has taken more work to get it back on the shelves. Thanks to Clare London, Alex Jane, and Katherine Halle for helping with this. I WILL have this on sale by the end of the month.

I've signed all my books up to Payhip. But I've yet to have any sales there. I think there is a post here but I'll save it for another time.

Anyway, that's just a quick catch-up on what's happening with me. Oh, and my hair is purple.
I'll leave you with a banner for Theory Unproven, because who can resist looking at those boys...and Eric and Tyaan aren't bad to look at either.

Universal Amazon link: myBook.to/TheoryUnproven_LF

The best laid plans

The best laid plans have a tendency to go awry when life throws you a curve ball. Consequently I think it's best I talk in plans for the rest of the year rather than this week or month. It's not like I've ever been any good at sticking to my plans anyway.


I've had the rights back to Lesson Learned for a while now. A conversation with Meredith Russell at the UK Meet has kickstarted the design process for a new cover. Plans are underway to get that back out in circulation before Christmas.

Waiting for a Spark has recently reached the end of its contract with JMS. I'll be sorting out a new cover for that in the coming months.

The second book in the Village Love story is well underway. I've had the first draft back from two of my betas. Another of the things I need to get on with.

That curve ball has stopped me in my writing tracks. I've not written new words in more than 6 weeks, but never fear they are all still in there, I just need to find the oomph to get them out.

Resistance - What is it about?

You've probably heard me talking about Resistance quite a lot over the last few weeks. Release day will soon be upon us -- 5th July -- and I'm getting everything prepared.

I can't show you the cover yet -- I'm saving that for next week -- but I can share the blurb.

Resistance

How long can you wait on a promise?

After his first night with Mal, Rick broke the habit of a lifetime and invited the sexy radiographer to spend the weekend in the sleepy English village he called home. Rick isn’t in denial but he’s afraid to reveal his sexuality in the close-knit community that has known him since he was a babe in arms.

The sex is amazing but equally Mal loves lazy days spent in the garden at Slopy Bottom, and every precious moment he spends with Rick. For Mal the village quickly becomes an oasis of peace, far from the noise and grime of life in London, a slice of tranquillity with Rick at the heart. But Mal has defied his family and his religion to be true to himself, and there is no way can he join Rick in his self-built closet, no matter how comfortable it is...

Rick is afraid revealing the true nature of his relationship with Mal will change the way his neighbours see him. He adores these people, this village, and he can’t face the thought of losing everything over who he chooses to sleep with. When the alternative is giving up a man who has slotted perfectly into his life—a man who he might just love—it’s no choice at all. But, knowing what has to be done isn’t always as easy as putting it into practice.


Resistance is the follow up novel to my short story Resonance, which is currently free at ARe or 99p, or the equivalent, at your local Amazon store.

Add Resistance to your Goodreads shelf.

Something's missing

I don't know if you've noticed, but Lesson Learned has disappeared from the book shelves of all the normal retailers.

Basically I got my rights back from Ellora's Cave in mid December. Getting this book back out on sale is one of my solid plans for 2016. 

So for now Nathan and Drew will be taking a break but I promise they will definitely be returning under my own Finally Love Press imprint. 

Hopefully this time their story will have a cover that actually has a connection to the story!

Morning, sucker

Just a quick word to let you know how things are going in the land of Lillian.

With RL stuff happening, writing of new material has been slow. Progress hasn't been helped by the regular interruption of edits for New Lease of Life. Luckily these haven't been too intensive, more the occasional rephrasing (or debating the existing phrasing) rather than any rewrites. NLOL has now been through three rounds of edits with Dreamspinner and that part of the process is over. The blurb is pretty much finalised and now I'm just waiting on a cover. As soon as I have a release date I'll let you know.

Hopefully I should be able to get back into a regular writing routine because I'm eager to get back to Rick and Mal and the rocky road at the start of their relationship. Who are Rick and Mal? Well, if you were at the UK Meet their initial story is on the USB. Don't worry if you weren't, one of my jobs over the next few weeks is to sort out a cover and get that story uploaded to ARe and Amazon.

Property of Lillian Francis

Why the abusive header? You do me a disservice, I was saying hi to my fishy friend.


Okay, that's all there is from me. What are your plans for the coming months?

A dirty story of a dirty man

Bet that got your attention. Unfortunately, it's not that sort of story at all. But considering the message I've come here to tell today that particular phrase seemed appropriate for this title.

So, on to news...

Do you like the feel of paper beneath your fingertips?

Do you love seeing books lined up on your book shelf?

A beautiful cover all shiny and freshly printed.

Did you love Eric and his elephants? Feel for Tyaan? Yearn to hold Theory Unproven in your hands.

Well, now you can.

Theory Unproven is now available in a print edition from Amazon US and Amazon UK.




If you know why that particular title could be deemed appropriate let me know in comments (wherever you happen to be reading this).

Drum Roll Please

I’m thrilled to be able to confirm that I have signed a contract with Dreamspinner Press to publish my latest novel length manuscript New Lease of Life.

It’s a contemporary story set in London. 

I’ll keep you posted throughout the editing processes (probably through Twitter/FaceBook posts) but expected release date is the end of the year.

I'm not the only one who's excited, Colby and Pip are looking forward to sharing their story with you, too.

Still more radio silence...

Since I haven't been blogging, what have I been up to?

Well, I've been reading, but more about that tomorrow.

Mostly I've finished up the WIP 'New Lease of Life', prepped synopsis and blurbs, and sent it off for submission. After all the additions and tweeking that MS is out of my hands at least for now. I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to Pip and Colby just yet. While the publisher decides yay or nay, I've had an idea for a promo piece which I might as well get written now because I'll forget all about it come release time.

As a mini celebration of sorts (because any finished MS is a victory) give me three numbers, one less than 10, one less than 20, and one less than 100, and I'll give you a snippet from one of my stories. If you want to you can specify published or WIP (because there are many started MS on my desktop), or even a particular book title.

So, bombard me with your requests.

FYI: It doesn't have to be on this blog, I'll check each of the other platforms I've posted this on for responses (Twitter/FB/Goodreads/Dreamwidth/LJ).

November plans and a notification

In an endeavour to be more visible I've decided to do a post toward the beginning of the month (yes I know we're already a week in but I only decided to so this two days ago) laying out my objectives for the month.

As many of you know, I'm a snail pace slow writer (made even slower at the moment by the fact that I'm trying to cram Arrow Season 2 before Season 3 gets too far ahead and I get spoiled) so many of these posts will just read

Continue working on *insert working title of current manuscript here*.

Hopefully, I will be able to come up with something more exciting than that on a monthly basis but if not at least you'll know I'm still writing.

So, on to my plans for November.

Continue working on my novella tentatively titled New Lease of Life. It currently stands at 43K, so I think it has passed the realms of novella and is firmly burrowed into novel territory. With at least four more key scenes and a possible epilogue to write I can see that heading up to 70K quite easily which puts finishing the first draft deep into December.

Write at least five blog posts for blog stops to get the word out about When Love Flue In. I have four blogs already agreed for stops, three with dates attached.

Get some reading in.

Contact Chris at Stumbling over Chaos to do a giveaway.

If by a miracle the first draft of NLoL gets finished; start research into Astrochelys yniphora. Sounds impressive, hey?

Next month I'll let you know how I got on :)

Oh, and I nearly forgot the notification.

When Love Flue In is available for early download from today.

Should I be concerned about attending the UK Meet in June?

This breaking story on msn news implies that I should be.

Crocodile run free: mystery as creature 'on the loose' in Bristol

I'm particularly impressed by the advice of  Avon and Somerset Police's chief constable, advising people to 'think twice before you go water-skiing'.

The same story was covered in the Western Daily Press where it was confirmed that the police had established that Bristol Zoo 'had not lost a crocodile'.

Tempted to pack a giant butterfly net, just to be on the safe side.