It’s crazy to think that NaNoWriMo is just a few short weeks away. I’m eager to write another book, or short story, or whatever comes from my latest idea, as I did last year.

Speaking of NaNoWriMo and new books, I have a very exciting update to make:

My third novel is planned to release in January 2022!

If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you’re probably expecting the announcement of Lost Girls 2. However, I’m sorry to say that must wait longer. While I planned to release that novel this past April, things didn’t work out. It’s written, but I’m not happy with it. It seemed forced and severely lacking, so I ended up putting it on the back burner for an unknown amount of time.

Not Lost Girls 2? Then What Is It?

What have I been working on then? A bit of this, a bit of.

If you’re anything like me, you’re tired of hearing about the pandemic. I need to mention it, but I’ll keep it brief. Like most people, the pandemic affected me in ways I never expected. I felt drained of motivation and creativity. Watching and reading horror was challenging since my stress levels were so high, so writing horror was impossible.

Not wanting to stop writing altogether, I took my advice and 1). Worked on a side project, and 2). Experimented with different genres.

Now, you’re probably thinking that the logical thing for me to do is really focus on the thriller and sci-fi genres, since they have strong roots to horror. But I’m not one for logic. No, I went in the complete opposite direction and ended up with—drum roll, please—rom-com.

If you’re baffled, you’re not alone. I’m still trying to process this major switch. I had no desire writing this genre until I started working on a parody Hallmark Christmas movie idea. What started off as a joke quickly turned into me realizing that I really like writing rom-coms. Creating these extremely emotional characters and building this world around them was refreshing and fun.

At first, I thought this would be a little side project that only I’d enjoy, but then I started sharing chapters from my draft with my writing group and got amazing feedback. They loved my characters just as much as I did. That’s when I realized that just because I’m a horror writer, that doesn’t mean I can’t write rom-coms or fantasies or any other genre I want. That’s one of the many perks to being an indie author.

But, just because I wrote a rom-com and have half a dozen other story ideas for this genre, that doesn’t mean I’m abandoning horror. In fact, with the story I’m working on for NaNoWriMo this year, I’m returning to my roots and working on a horror story that’s been brewing in my head for many years now.

So What’s the Deal With This New Novel?

To make a long story short, my upcoming novel, My Funny Valentine, takes place…you guessed it! Around Valentine’s day. Our two main characters, Isobel Powell and Dean Kennedy, have an unexpected run in that turns their world upside down.

Want the long story? Check out the book blurb for My Funny Valentine:

She’s looking to change the world. He’s looking for a fresh start. What happens when two unlikely people cross paths? An unexpected romance that leaves them running away and wanting so much more.

Isobel, Iz, Powell is your classic good girl. Straight As throughout school, a master’s degree on the horizon, and a plan to better the lives of those less fortunate. But looks can be deceiving. Iz has a dark secret that no one knows about—not even her long-time best friend Suze. She gets through life perfectly fine keeping that secret to herself until her girl’s trip to Punta Cana is ruined. First, her travel partner gets sick. Then, a blizzard grounds her flight. That’s when she meets Dean—the walking disaster she can’t seem to get out of her mind.

Dean Kennedy needs to hit the restart button. Life hasn’t been kind to him, so when a job opportunity promises to take him hundreds of miles from home, he jumps on the chance without batting an eye. There’s only one problem. His plane emergency lands in a small New England town, leaving him stuck with no way to get to his job. He’s ready to throw in the towel and accept his life will never get better when he meets Isobel.

A blizzard and a computer glitch later, Iz and Dean end up getting double-booked in a one-bedroom cabin with nothing more than a queen-sized bed that they have no choice but to share. Will Dean learn to let someone into his heart? Will Iz find the strength to overcome her hidden past and love again? Only time will tell.

What Else Can You Tell Us?

I can tell you that this upcoming novel is nothing like what I’ve previously written, which makes this an equally exciting and terrifying journey I’m so happy you’re taking with me.

I can also tell you to stay tuned over the next several months because there’s lots of My Funny Valentine content coming your way. Book cover reveals, official release date information, sample chapters, and much more are headed your way. But don’t worry! I will mix these updates in with my regular content, so you shouldn’t expect to see too much of a difference.

I cannot wait to share more information about this upcoming manuscript. Ask me questions in the comments and subscribe to get the latest updates as we reach publication date.