Hello friends. Just letting you know what I’ve been up to the last week or so. I mentioned in a previous post that I was planning on working on a new series, and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Have no fear, Bullets & Doves is not finished yet. As a matter of fact, it’s far from finished, but before I write another book in that one, I’d like to get this new series going.

This last week, I’ve sort of been fleshing out the next few books I want to write. I want to model the new series after Bullets & Doves, but to get it off the ground, I need to put a bit more planning into it. Each book will be a standalone, like B&D, but it will all take place in the same town with recurring characters.

For that reason, I’ve been putting some work into developing the characters and town itself. The more details I take care of now, the faster I can get you these books when I actually start writing. So when will that be, I’m sure you’re asking just about now. Well, I have most of it planned out already, and I figure I’ll get down to writing the first draft by this coming Monday.

Today is Wednesday. Tomorrow, I’ll write a detailed plot. I already know what most of the first story is going to be about, and I have a couple of pages of notes I need to put together into a formal plot, so I’ll take most of the day to get it all in order.

On Friday, I will go and shop for groceries and fill the fridge and pantry with most of the things I need so I won’t have to do major grocery shopping for a couple of weeks. It helps when you don’t have to worry about an empty refrigerator. This has become a kind of tradition with me before I start a new book. I really don’t like to waste time going to the grocery store when I’m writing a book. Honestly, shopping for food is one of my least favorite chores. Don’t laugh. We all have our quirks.

Laundry, computer backups, other household chores, and football take up most of the weekend. And then, like I said, I’ll start the first draft Monday. With marketing responsibilities on autopilot for now, I think I can get this first book ready and out for sale in four to six weeks. (I’ll probably do a bit of writing on the weekend just to get a jump on the deadline I set, but officially, I’m starting Monday)

There you have it, folks. That’s where I’m at right now. I’ll let you know how it’s progressing in a week or so. I’ll also have a tentative date for the release. Until next time.

G.C. Riley