Hello Everyone,

Thank you for all of your patience! Smashwords still has not processed book 3 for distribution to iTunes / iBookstore, however, in a stroke of luck, a friend’s son had a Mac and was generous enough to help me load the book to iTunes / iBookstore directly. So, after a VERY long wait, I’m thrilled to finally announce that book 3 is AVAILABLE NOW on iTunes / iBookstore!!!

I’ve had the contract with Apple for a while, but never had a Mac to upload the books in the format they wanted. After this experience, I will definitely be purchasing a Mac in the coming months so this sort of lag isn’t experienced in the future.

As for book 3, you may have to search directly for it under my name or the book title. I know when I searched under my name, all 3 books popped up.

Well, I hope you all have a WONDERFUL New Year! Be safe tonight! Don’t drink & drive. Don’t over-drink. And enjoy all that the New Year has to offer!

~Christin

This has been a challenging yet amazing year! If I look at where I was a year ago to now, I don’t even recognize my life. Last year, I was nearly five months pregnant, on home health care, sick as a dog and unable to work. This year, my baby is seven months old, my health isn’t as bad and I’m getting ready to live out my dream, make this career a reality.

Towards the end of my pregnancy, my determination kicked in. I worked hard to get DofV published. One month later, a week before giving birth, I published VY4W.

By July, unfortunately sales weren’t there so I had to return to work, but everything happens for a reason. I needed to go back to work; I needed to connect with a few people, learn a bit more, experience a bit more, before I took the plunge into working from home. I’m actually thankful that life pushed me in that direction. It’s made me more appreciative of the next leg in my journey.

I have lofty goals in 2012, both personally and in my writing career. I have so many wonderful books and stories I can’t wait to share. I’ve dipped my toes in the water and am ready to dive right in!

As some of you may have noticed, I have branched out into the world of adult romance. These titles contain graphic sexual content so PLEASE do NOT purchase them unless you are over the age of 18, enjoy these types of stories, and have a fan nearby

My goal is to release one short story a month, with primarily plus-size heroines. (Curvosity was the first in the line released a couple weeks ago.) I’m a plus-size woman and truthfully get tired of reading about model perfect women, regardless of their personal struggles, getting the hot guy. My philosophies are: ‘I just have excess sexiness’ and ‘Big girls need love too!’ So I’m setting out to feature such a heroine (and I’m not talking about a size 12 or 14 either) in a short story a month. I’m also working on a full-length book series with the same concept. For those of you average-size or thinner gals, please don’t think I have a problem with you. I really don’t. I support you rocking your self-confidence. But it isn’t fair for you to be the only women featured in books when there are so many of us full-figured gals in need of the same happily ever after. My cheeks may be chubby, but they still lift when a sexy cowboy winks at me

For you young adult fans, have no fear, I’m still firmly in that genre. I’m working on book 4, Vamp Versus Vamp, and I’m uber excited about a ground-breaking, never been written about before, trilogy I’ve started. I promise to share details soon!

There is SO much I’m looking forward to writing and sharing in 2012! As for now, I know many of you have asked and unfortunately I don’t have an update as to when book 3, Hit the Road Jack, will be available on iTunes / iBookstore, but I promise to let you all know as soon as I do!

I will also be adding a FAQ page to this site soon. Not that I mind, but quite a large number of people have e-mailed me asking the same question(s). I’ve found myself falling a bit behind in responding lately, though I caught up last night, so in an attempt to offer you all a more prompt response, I’ll be adding the page, hopefully within the next couple weeks. I will still respond to everyone as long as I’m able. This is merely an attempt to be more efficient.

In conclusion, I want to thank each and every one of you! You are invaluable to me! Without you, I wouldn’t be where I am today; you’ve offered me the opportunity of a lifetime. THANK YOU! I promise to make the most of it!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. Now let’s go into 2012 with a bang; a strong, ambitious leap towards our goals and dreams, regardless of how out of reach they may appear to be. Make this the year you accomplish something of value to you!

Cheers & Happy New Year!
~Christin

Super excited to share the cover for Allure! (The publisher has set a release for March 2012.) I got goosebumps just looking at the cover. I’m so excited. I can honestly say that Allure, even though I wrote the book, is one of those books that I could read over and over again and never grow tired of it. I’m hoping a few of you will feel the same

Enjoy!
~Christin

So I’ve been reading a lot of other authors’ blogs lately, trying to get a feel for what I’m getting myself into. Right now, I won’t say that I have a rosy view of how things will be working from home, writing full-time, but I haven’t exactly gotten a great dose of reality yet either. The one common thread seems to be that every author always pictured themselves sitting behind their desk, typing away for hours and hours with endless cups of coffee and character bliss; what their reality is: they’re lucky if they can write for twenty consistent minutes without being interrupted by a child or pet, the washer dinging or the dryer buzzing, the endless list of chores that never end or their phone that never stops ringing because everyone thinks that they’re home goofing off; that books write themselves.

Today I’m watching all three kids while trying to write this. The dishwasher is going, the baby clinging to my arms, trying to aimlessly put his own spin on what I’m sharing with you; he has a fascination with the keys I suppose. Granted, they are tempting, but I’m not willing to share them. The older ones are playing hide and seek, running in and out of my room, continually interrupting me to ask where the other is hiding and if I’ve seen them. Pretty soon I will have to get up to make them lunch, finish cleaning, then get dressed myself (I’m still in my PJs) and head out to work the second someone gets home. Needless to say I’ve written only this, was barely able to read an article, and am seriously questioning if I will be able to put out more books under these conditions. Not to mention I got my first edit back from the publisher for Allure, and it’s pretty grueling; there are a lot more than I ever imagined possible. But, on the flip side, I saw the draft for my cover and I am totally and completely in love with it! (It’s officially my laptop background / wallpaper.)

So today I am definitely getting a good dose of reality, a peek into the future of what my life at home will look like. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, especially after reading the other authors’ blogs, but neither was I aware how challenging it truly would be. Eventually I’ll develop a routine; I’ll be able to sneak away and write, even if it’s only in the dark of night when the house is silent. Despite my taste of imperfection, I’m still super excited about this move. It’s a major step in the right direction I feel. I have so many ideas I can’t wait to finally capture and make come alive on paper, even if it means I have to stay up all night and merely nap while the kids tear apart the house I just killed myself to clean between writing a few sentences at a time.

As for the rest, the holidays are always a busy time. No matter how prepared you try to be, you’re never prepared. I always forget someone or feel like I’m missing something, which drives me insane. Saturday I spent hours wrapping every gift while I selfishly drank an entire bottle of champagne. (For you under the age of 21, imagine I was good and it was only sparkling grape juice.) That was only after I ran around everywhere trying to get the last of the items I needed. There is so much to do leading up to the big day, and then, in a matter of what seems like twenty minutes, it’s all done and over with. I don’t know about your house, but at mine, the kids go their own way with a few of their favorite toys while I’m left picking up the wrapping paper that I painstakingly spent hours taping over the gifts. *sigh* You know what makes it worth it though? The few seconds of utter and complete joy that come over my childrens’ faces when they get a gift that they wanted. That’s the only thing that keeps me going and forever putting up with this holiday. If I was single, I would be Ms. Scrooge. Don’t get me wrong, I would donate, do the angel tree etc, but I wouldn’t be sitting around a tree on Christmas day smiling while I crawl around like a baby picking up trash and pine straws. Oh well, tis the life of a mother. It’s a crazy busy life, and when you throw in another career on top of it, it’s outright chaos. But it’s my life and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Enjoy the holiday season, whoever you spend it with; however you choose to spend it!

Love,
~Christin

I’m extremely nervous right now, yet excited. I’m taking a huge step tomorrow, a step that will make or break my career as a writer. I just finished penning my official notice to provide my job. My stomach is in knots, my heart pounding; my hands are shaking and ears ringing. I’m praying they allow me to work my full final two weeks as financially I’m counting on it.

When you decide your career, seldom do you consider the financials of it when it’s something you love. Like volunteer work, you get more emotionally and mentally from it than physically or financially. That is where I am at. I will be taking a cut in pay to write full-time, and that is on a great sales month. The truth of the matter is a lot of authors don’t make much more than the bare necessity to survive, but what we get out of writing, the satisfaction of fully developing and experiencing our characters, inspiring our readers and achieving a level of personal success, is supposed to make up for it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s absolutely worth the sacrifice; I will be following my dreams, pursuing my passion, but it will be at a cost.

They say that happiness is priceless, and I’m praying that they’re right. I’m taking a leap of faith, investing in myself and you, my readers, by taking this risk. I will take pride in saying that as of January 1, 2012 I will be a full-time author.

I’m going into this with high hopes and strong ambitions. I have so many wonderful stories I can’t wait to share with you all; books I’m anxious, dying, to write. As of right now, the glass is half full, but my hand is shaking as I hold it. Where your heart is, there shall your success lie, or so I like to think. I’m not asking to be Stephenie Meyer or J.K. Rowling rich or Stephen King successful; I just want to make enough to provide for my three children comfortably without fear of being forced back into corporate America again.

I want to personally thank each and every one of you because without you, this wouldn’t even be an option for me. I would still be sitting in my cube from 8am-5pm Monday through Friday with an hour drive to and from work each day. You all are affording me this chance, and I promise to make the most of the blessing. I am looking forward to entertaining you all for years to come. Whether it be on a beach beneath an umbrella with a cocktail (or mocktail) in hand during summer or in front of a fire, snuggled with a blanket, one of my books and a cup of hot cocoa in winter, I promise to make the time you invest in me and my characters worth it, or so I hope to anyways.

Thank you again! And here is to a wonderful, fruitful 2012!

~Christin

So I’ve gotten a few concerned e-mails and also questions in regards to the end of book 3 and want to address them.

As you will find, book 3 focuses a lot on predictions. There is almost a war going on between Lexi and Kellan internally over whether they even have any control over their destinies. How would you feel having your life mapped out, having everyone know what was going to happen to you, except you? (Or so it felt.) I personally would at some point become very rebellious and try to steer this whole thing a completely different way. I would dig deep and find the guts to say no, to bend the rules and curve it all in my favor, in their favor, by the end.

The problem? Life! It’s unrealistic to believe we can achieve perfection. It’s unrealistic to think we have that much control over the universe, HOWEVER, my personal belief is that while we all have a purpose and clear cut destiny, we control whether or not it is fulfilled. Given this, I purposefully ended book 3 the way I did. It’s meant to give you closure, yet make you wonder at the same time. Why? Because even I am still wondering whether anything will happen to my main characters. I have it mapped out in my mind, just like their destinies, but it doesn’t mean it’s going to play out like that. It doesn’t mean things can’t change.

When writing a book, particularly a series, you can start one way, with a clear plan or intention in mind, but end up with something completely different by the end of the book or series. There is no other way to sound but crazy with this, but the characters literally take over while reality snakes its way through. It’s unrealistic for everyone to survive like in Twilight. Life isn’t that fair. But it’s also unrealistic to believe the bad guys win every time, because they don’t.

As you have already seen, there will definitely be another book! I’m planning 7 in the series. The end of book 3 allows me to take the series wherever it wants to go with one staple: Lexi. I hope you all will stick with me on this. I promise to do the series, the characters and the ending, justice.

Have a great Sunday everyone!

~Christin

HIT THE ROAD JACK purchase links for easy access::

iTunes, iBookstore, Kobo, Sony & Adobe readers: You can access and download the book for your respective device or app here until the book is distributed and uploaded to the actual e-book stores.
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/109959

B&N Nook readers:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1107918988?ean=2940013815070&itm=4&usri=christin+lovell

AMAZON readers:
http://www.amazon.com/Road-Jack-Vamp-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B006JW310Y/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1323608148&sr=8-9

Book 3, Hit the Road Jack, is finally uploaded fully and available for purchase on Barnes & Noble’s website.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1107918988?ean=2940013815070&itm=4&usri=christin+lovell

ENJOY!

~Christin

Hello Everyone,

Thank you to all of you who have gone out and purchased book 3, Hit the Road Jack. I hope you enjoy it!

Now, for the good stuff. Enjoy a snippet of book 4

Have a great Saturday!
~Christin

*EXCERPT*

“Hello ladies.” His rose lips lifted slightly at the corners, the only indication of his amusement. His shaggy black hair contrasted against his tan skin. He didn’t have much muscle tone to him, or so it appeared through his suit. He was medium height and while he was thin, he wasn’t etched muscle thin.

“Who the hell are you, and what the hell are you doing in my house?” I demanded, pulling Mel against my back.

“God, why couldn’t the myths about invitations be true?” Mel groaned behind me. I bumped her with my butt to get her to shut up. I didn’t know who the heck this guy was or if he brought company with him.

“Who the hell are you, and what the hell are you doing in my house?” I repeated, my tone took on a harsh quality as my anxiety began to sky rocket.

He started to walk past the sectional towards us, undoing the top button of his blazer casually. I backed Mel up towards the back door to the garage, ready to shove her out so she could run at a moment’s notice. He stopped three feet in front of us.

“Now, is that any way to greet your grandfather?”

Hit the Road Jack is officially available on Amazon. It’s still not popping up when you search for it, but it’s available at this link below.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006JW310Y

Have a great day everyone!

~Christin

I’m very happy to announce that book 3 is officially uploading! I had a WONDERFUL editor this time, Susie Hatfield (facebook her here: https://www.facebook.com/susie.hatfield) who caught a lot of my silly mistakes, including the overuse of the phrase ‘bit out.’ (Perhaps I’m subconsciously wanting to be bitten by one of my luscious characters. lol) She’s been great. She has a strong attention to detail, picking up on wording many would have overlooked, and thoroughly explains alternative corrections. I would highly recommend her to all you aspiring and current authors!

Writing a book is a big endeavor, regardless of the years of experience one might have. While I thoroughly enjoy the actual writing portion, I’m not a fan of the back-office stuff. I’ve heard it said that you’re only as good as your last book, and, chances are, your favorite (that you pen) will be the next one you write. Given my experience so far, I have to agree. I fret over a lot of things, some unnecessary and others very necessary; however, I’ve found the sickening stress I force myself through to indulge my passion to be quite rewarding. As I try to out-do myself, I’m able to recognize my progression as a writer.

As you all go on to (hopefully) purchase Hit the Road Jack this weekend, I hope that you will recognize the growth and development in both Lexi and I. I know I stated it in the last post, but this truly is my favorite book in the series. Of course, book 4, Vamp Versus Vamp, is looking pretty good so far. Funny how much one can change (their mind & body) in the course of a week

A big thank you once again to all of you for your support and continued reading of this series. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you all, nor would the series have progressed to where it is today. THANK YOU!

Ok, and now that you’ve read my rambling I’m going to shut up, but not before providing you a link to where you can obtain a copy of book 3 RIGHT NOW! It uploaded very quickly to Smashwords. So for all of you who can’t wait the 12 hours for Amazon, or the 48 hours for B&N, & especially the 2-3 weeks for iTunes (sorry!), just click here and you can begin reading it on any e-reader device you might own::

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/109959

ENJOY!
~Christin

BONUS!!! *extra* BONUS!!!
Come back here on Saturday, December 10th for your first excerpt/preview of book 4! Happy reading until then