I’d already taken a step back from writing and doing blog posts for awhile. Then 2020 hit and I was forced to step back whether I wanted to or not. Y’all know me. When I do pop in and do updates in a blog post it’s usually pretty long. My apologies in advance.
Now to some long overdue updates…
Willy the Kinky Elf & His Bad-Ass Reindeer, #7
I typed the words THE END on the 7th and final installment of the Willy the Kinky Elf & His Bad-Ass Reindeer series. Ending that series is bittersweet. I admit to getting quite emotional when I typed the last chapter. If you’ve read the series you know that the last chapter or two always takes place at the annual Christmas party. There’s usually quite a bit of drama, more than a little humor, and tons of announcements about things that have changed over the previous 12 months. In this book, Santa’s story, it takes place over 4 chapters, the equivalent of 26 Microsoft Word pages. Note that a lot of cuts will be made and chapters shortened before the book is finalized so expect that number (maybe even the number of chapters) to drop substantially.
For those who don’t know, Santa’s love interest is Andrew (Drew) Lanzer, Luke Lanzer’s (from last year’s installment) younger brother.
There’s also the matter of Mrs. Claus and ridding the North Pole of her and her meanness once and for all.
Expect the usual Willy the elf shenanigans, including what he dubs Operation Rid-A-Ho – his personal mission to get rid of Mrs. Claus – who he’s always (not so) affectionately called a ho. 😉
It’s also a bit serious in some places. Santa has a lot to do to prove to the residents of the North Pole that he’s changed and won’t be taking his wife back. He’s always taken her back for reasons brought out in this book. Not everything is as it has appeared in the past.
There’s also the matter of Santa being told throughout his existence that he’s not allowed a mate. This was discussed at length in Barry the Lonely Reindeer & His Bashful Elf (#4 in the series). Drew, however, believes wholeheartedly in the mate bond and is convinced his own mate is out there somewhere and he knows that it can’t be Santa Claus, regardless of the connection they seem to have.
Right?
Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out. 🙂
Each couple from the previous 6 books, and the themes of their stories, are brought in and mentioned at a critical moment. That’s all I can say about that and the story as a whole. Just keep in mind that this is the FINAL book of the series so a lot of things need to be elaborated on that haven’t been in the past, and some issues need to be put to bed once and for all.
The (very rough) first draft came in at almost 108,000 words, by far the most I’ve ever written for one book. Again, expect that number to change.
I have a title and a cover. The blurb still hasn’t been finalized. I always have a hard time with blurbs, as my best friend could attest.
The plan (as always) is to put the book up for pre-order in the coming weeks, to be published on November 1st.
Another thing to note is that Willy the elf hasn’t shut up in my head for 7 books, plus 3 short stories (the last of which will be published in Santa’s book). For that reason, you can probably expect a freebie or more in the coming years catching you up on the happenings in the North Pole.
Other Updates
I’ve basically thrown my hands up on all others I’d planned to publish this year. Some are written but they need final run-throughs. I had originally planned to publish a 2-book An Unlikely Romance Christmas Edition about 2 brothers who find love in their small Vermont town during the weeks leading up to Christmas. The first book has been long finished (first draft) but it’s on hold because one of the main characters in the first story is a small town cop. I’m not opening the door for that because of the current political climate. I’m very proud of the story, and I love the character, but it’s just not happening this year.
I have other An Unlikely Romance books that are honestly ready to be published. I’ve just not had time to do anything with them. The same applies to at least 2 books of the College Encounters series. Here’s hoping that 2021 isn’t quite so crazy.
Hooper Lake Series
The Hooper Lake series (series title subject to change) is a little different from other books I’ve written. It’s a 5 book series about 5 adopted brothers who all have to come back to their family home when the oldest brother has a life-changing event occur. Each brother has a unique backstory. I’ve tried to add humor but there are some pretty serious issues delved into with each of the brothers.
The series has been completely outlined (something I’ve never done) and I’ve already started writing all 5 books, another thing I’ve never done before. The first two are pretty much complete. They’re all basically being written at the same time in order to keep details accurate and consistent. I hope to publish all 5 books at the same time not long after the 1st of the year. I may place them in Kindle Unlimited but that’s undecided at this point.
More details will come out as I complete the books.
Latest Erotic Author/Social Media Scandal
If you follow the erotica genre on social media you’ve probably seen the latest. If not, I’m sure a quick search will take you there. A male author has been using a female pen name to write lesfic. Okay, no big deal. I write gay romance under a pen name. I’m a female and have never claimed to be a gay male. Every bio I’ve ever written for Candi Kay describes the real life me 100%. The only difference is the name I write and publish under.
What is a big deal is that this author didn’t just write under a pen name, he catfished a lot of women. As in, gaining trust and sexting. From what I’ve read, private photos were sent to him that would not have been sent had the women known he wasn’t the female he claimed to be.
I don’t know this author, but I’ve seen him ALL OVER THE PLACE when I’ve gotten on Twitter. We followed each other and he was always, ALWAYS tweeting, retweeting or I’d see comments he made on there. He typed a blog post outing himself as a married (for 25+ years) father of 3. Apparently he thought that he’d tell the truth and all would be dandy. Uh, no. He violated the trust of a lot of people who never would have shared what they did had they known who he really was.
Do you know what else is bad? The fact that so many people (mostly men from what I’ve seen today, though I’ve seen some women too) are supporting him and telling him he’s ‘brave’.
Uh, what the hell?
Brave?
For lying and catfishing innocent victims?
I seriously just saw a comment where a man called someone 
on Twitter bigoted for daring to give her views on the above-mentioned author. He then said (later down in his comments) that what the catfish did was ‘marketing’. I kid you not. The man who said this is an author. Below is his quote. I’m not naming him.
‘You’re exhibiting awful, bigoted behavior. Be better. {author name} was incredibly brave and deserves our admiration. Bravery is in short supply today when so many cower before a minuscule number of hard left woke fanatics.’
Incredibly brave, my ass. He was a predator who got his kicks by preying on unsuspecting women. Had he simply been writing as a pen name and not using that pen name to gain the trust of others who sent him photos and talked sexually with him, no biggie.
I’ve been asked for years why I’m not as ‘out there’ as most authors. In my early days of being published I trusted two people I never should have trusted. The first one outed my (and other authors’) real names on Twitter when he had a mental breakdown. The other one was worse. I put a lot of trust in that one. He was someone I considered a friend and mentor. The first one angered me. The second one hurt me. It took a lot of time to get over both so my trust is minimal when it comes to new people. I hate that because I’d never been this way before.
I know those mentioned above are the minority, but it still makes it difficult to trust again after you’ve been stabbed in the back not once but twice. My closest friend and I met online and we’re still going strong almost a decade later so I’m not saying all people you meet online are fake or are out to hurt you. I’m just saying be careful who you trust. I could seriously write a book about the 2 who betrayed me but they’re not worth it. Not anymore.
That’s all I’ll say about that. If you want names of the latest author and the one whose quote I used defending him, shoot me a message. It’s all public. As for the other 2 in my own life, I won’t be sharing that information. The past is the past and I’m over it now.
What else?
I’m sure there’s a lot I’ve missed considering my long absence from this blog and most of social media. Just know that I read all my messages and emails and I can’t stress enough how much I love hearing from readers.
Take care of yourselves. We’re in trying times right now and the new numbers of COVID-19 cases are staggering, my state now considered a hot spot. Wash your hands, use hand sanitizer, and if you’re told to wear a mask, wear a mask. It’s a small inconvenience. I live in the South where it’s miserably hot this time of year. But you know what? I go nowhere without my mask on, regardless of how uncomfortable it gets to be. And trust me, when the heat index is often close to 110 F with sky high humidity, it gets uncomfortable.
I still wear my mask.
Until next time,
Candi Kay