well hi everyone

Surprise, I'm starting a blog! This is probably going to be filled with random book nonsense, rants about anything and everything, exclusive book news (mwuahaha), and lots of podcast stuff (which, if you don't know: I'm co-hosting Behind the Books with LJ Elizabeth, aka bestie & @lj_writess on Instagram). I'll likely post once a week, though what day that is will probably change, especially when I start college again in the spring. Final semester of academic English major suffering go brrrrrr~

So for today's post....
CAN WE JUST SCREAM FOR A SECOND THAT THE BOOK TRAILER *AND* RELEASE DATE FOR TWHBM DROPS LIKE,,,,, THIS WEEK???? I'm aware that's a lot of caps so I'll tone it down. Anyway. It comes out Friday, December 23rd, and I'm impossibly excited for it. It's ridiculous. I made the trailer at LEAST a month ago, but I didn't contact anyone for help with the title + date graphics until a few days ago lol (cough cough Susan you're the best). I've had a few alpha readers + some others guess the title...some got it right! And Lonnie wanted to be surprised but I had to say it for a podcast recording so she found out anyway. 'Twas a fun reveal. I honestly don't know when the cover reveal is going to be, but since my designer has me booked for not even a month before publication (major sad face even if I'm going to work around it with my proof copies), I can promise it won't be for a while. However......I have to pay for this monster of a book somehow, so there WILL be a merch drop of some kind in February or March. The costs shall go entirely toward art commissions, printing costs of said art onto goodies, and ordering author copies so you can get them signed!!! EEEEEEEK!!! Okay.

Enough about TWHBM; let's talk post-TWHBM and book 3. Because, yes, there's a difference. I've officially been done with the first draft (of TWHBM) for a month and a half now, and my mind is still reeling with ideas for these stupid characters (I say this affectionately). Between TWHBM and book 3 (aka BC, hehe) is a good few weeks of a time skip that places our main POV/narrative in a different location than the MCs of TWHBM. Cannot say more for spoilers, but it's interesting because I have to deal with a *lot* of emotional ups and downs due to how TWHBM ends. I suppose that's sort of my own fault? Oh well. I'll also have to develop a handful of new characters in BC. They're super important to the rest of the series, so I can't just....cheat and not do anything with them.

I'm always plotting or outlining in some way, especially with future works. The farther I go, the more ideas I have for the ending of this lovely universe. And to be honest, I don't know if there will ever be an end! I have a standalone idea that's set a good 5 or 6 years after book 5 (hehe) that fulfills one of my lifelong dreams of being a fake-dating romance book author. Yes, you heard me, spies and fake dating. It will be a blast. There's a bit of a "hidden relationship" in TWHBM, but it's nowhere near the "fake dating" fiasco that will ensue if these partners are undercover...hehehehehe. I *do* have another dystopian WIP idea for faking dating, so who knows if I'll do both or just combine them!

I also have some MAJOR fans of Viktoriya and Anastasia--particularly about their origin stories. They both grew up in the Black Box (at different times; they're just under 10 years apart in age), but both of their stories have so much potential. Considering what I have planned for both of these ladies in the future, I might have to go back and "finish" their stories. The large/main ship of the series also fits perfectly into a concept I was first introduced to on the TV show, Blindspot. Fantastic show and Reade & Zapata are my favorites (Patterson is close behind). My sister likes Kurt better, but that's because he's so moody. I digress. The point is that this couple could not FOR THE LIFE OF THEM leave the spy life behind for domestic bliss, even after I give them a happy-ever-after (don't hold me to that, by the way). But becoming a team that kidnaps bad folks (and/or their children) and giving back ransom money to the people/families those bad folks have hurt? Sign them up. And if they have their own kid, well.....if someone decides to take revenge and they have to get their kid back..... *sips tea*

It's quite safe to say that it will be a while before you see the last of the Ivankov series. Which one of these projects are you MOST excited about? Or is TWHBM so close you can almost taste it, and you can't wait to have it in your hands??? (Because me too. But you should still tell me which one you're excited about *wink wink*).

Ciao for now! See you next time--I'll be posting on Instagram to announce a new blog post so don't be concerned you'll miss it <3