I recently got a new contract from Liquid Silver Books (YAY!) for a new story. Called “Lion’s Heart”, it’s the first of three novellas about lion shapeshifters, currently on schedule for publication on June 6, 2016. (Another YAY!)

This blog for the next few weeks will be all about the journey from idea to publication.

Idea: I’ve been working on this story for about two years. I knew I wanted it to be all about shape-shifters, but I didn’t want to do the usual wolf as my animal. I wanted something different. Then I saw a blurb on TV about mountain lions and there it was. My idea. Okay, so I had my animal. Now, the time period. At first, I thought historical. Still set in a vague United States, but a different universe, more medieval. I love creating new worlds and I’m very good at it (so I’ve been told), but  I was also told by several readers of shape-shifter stories that ones set in today’s world – aka, the here and now – do better than historic ones. Okay, so revision time. Change the world to our modern one. My horses became an SUV, swords became knives and guns, and, yippee – indoor plumbing (helps with shower scenes).

So I wrote the story. And revised. And sent it to crit partners who offered suggestions. And I revised some more and edited it. Until I was okay with it enough to send it in. Note, I said “okay”. I am never completely satisfied with my stories. Most good authors aren’t. Even after they’ve been published, we always find something we could have done better.

But my publisher, Liquid Silver Books, offered me a contract. YAY!! So now the real work began. Edits. Check back next week for more on this.