My Crazy Cross-Genre Life

This past weekend I attended a friend’s birthday party, at which I met a wonderful couple who were readers.  The standard questions came up  like “What have you written?” and “Where can I find your books?”  Luckily I had bookmarks with me and it turned out I had a series for each of them to try based on their interests (fantasy and mystery).

But one of the hardest questions I had to answer was, “In which genre do you write?”

Those of you who know me know how hard that question is since I seem to write a little of everything. Only because I love to read a bit of everything.  I mean, in the past two months alone I’ve read literature alongside a forensic thriller, alongside a Batman graphic novel, alongside a NF book about nutrition, alongside an erotic romance novella, and a cozy mystery. I’m reading a horror novel next and a fantasy novel after that. Maybe some sci-fi beyond that. That’s just how I roll. It’s always been my way.

I love David Eddings and Juliet Blackwell. Joe Hill is one of my new favorite authors. I’m quickly becoming a fan of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman graphic novels. I’m always reading new authors whether they write romance, or historical mysteries, or horror.  I also read non-fiction, both esoteric and not.

I have four pen names out of sheer necessity due to the sheer variety in what I write. It helps my readers find material by me that they’ll like (or appropriate to their age group or sensibilities).

In the writing arena I’m just finishing up a PG13 contemporary romance novel and moving to an occult/paranormal mystery (in the cozy arena). Then I’ll be working on some NF and some shorter occult-thriller/horror, followed by an erotic romance. I do this year in and year out.  For me, moving from genre to genre is completely natural. It keeps me from getting bored and keeps my readers on their toes.

As we speak I have a YA Paranormal book (first in a series), outlined. I also have plans to finish my fantasy trilogy because I’m less than two months from a working draft on the final book. I have enough projects to keep me busy for a few years.

Add to the genre question who my publisher is and it depends on the project. Some are self-published, others are through a traditional press. I have one novella in editing getting ready to go to a traditional publisher, a short story due for release in an anthology by another publisher, and a romance novel moving into editing with yet a third publisher. Plus two self-published titles.  It depends on the month what’s going on where.

Plus, I edit for DB Publishing, so I always have someone else’s NF book that I’m editing at any given time. This is my wild, crazy, cross-genre life . I love working as a writer and editor. I love reading, too!  But most of all I love my readers. You guys make it possible for me to do what I love for a living.  I wouldn’t have it any other way.