Challenge!

(pronounced 'shall-ONGE', for any of you who were wondering)

So I've set myself a challenge: release four books before Christmas. Yup, that's right: not one or two, not even three, but FOUR separate titles in less than a hundred days!

I like my goals BAD: Bold, Ambitious and Doable. I'm sick and tired of sitting on all this unreleased work, and four out the door is a good start.

And as the blog title says, life ain't got but two speeds worth using, and it's high time I started burning asphalt again. :)

I started this about a month ago, end of September-ish. And it was harder to get in gear than I'd thought. Too much rust, too many parts fallen into disrepair. But I never let that stop me before, and it didn't now. And sure enough, as I've picked up the rhythm again, it's getting easier to open that throttle.

First up was a new novel, in THREE editions. With all the separate formatting for Kindle, Smashwords and then (the doozy) print, I was mighty damn tempted to call that three of my four. But I knew that would be cheating, so I ticked that one up and stepped on the gas.

Next up are a print reissue of my first graphic novel and a revised and expanded new edition of Crossroad Blues with a wonderful new cover by the magical Kate Sterling! I figured these would be easy ones, but formatting a graphic novel for print turns out to be just as big a pain as formatting prose, and none of the skills transfer over. I'm still tackling it at a pretty good clip!

Not sure what the fourth will be yet...

Likely candidates are a crime/suspense (BURIED), a flat-out Noir (MAYHEM) or a mystery still searching for its title (I've been calling it High School Gumshoe while I work on it lol). There are others, of course, in various stages of first-and second draftage. But these are closest to ready to go out, so they'll be sitting nervous in the back seat, looking out that open door and listening to the rush of wind.

Me, I have no doubt before this challenge is done I'll have the gas pedal mashed to the floor, bugs in my teeth and the engine screaming, the road ahead a blue tunnel.

Once I've hit 'Publish' that fourth time, THAT'S when I've earned myself a nice nap and a day off.

Before I do it all over again. :)

And in case you were wondering, yes, I will throw some posts up here to hype the new stuff! Later. Right now, I've got to get back to work!