Today, I finished the first draft for If It Takes A Scandal (Marriage by Bargain Series: Book 4)!  

In case any of you wondered where I’ve been hiding, I’ve been working on finishing this book.  This is why I haven’t gone to my inbox lately.  I am behind on emails and on Facebook.  Over the weekend, I plan to have someone help me catch up on this stuff.  It’ll still be me answering, but the person is going to take what I dictate and polish it up so it’s legible.  Otherwise, people might not know what I’m trying to say.  Sometimes the dictation comes up with the strangest things.  For example, “Lord Erandon” in dictation comes out “Lorde random”.  No matter how much I try to correct this, it doesn’t work.

My priority has always been writing and editing the books, but I’m going to slower than I was before at getting back to people, so please be patient with me. I’m in the process of training my husband on how to figure out what my job is so he can help me.  I also need to update my website, which I’m going to have to train him on as well.  I’m sure other tasks will pop up that I’ll need to work with him on.

So…What Series Will I Work On Next?

I haven’t made up my mind on this.  I typically work on three different series at a time.  Recently, I have added a fourth series.  That’s the one that is a rewrite of the series Stephennie Beman and I started together with The Stagecoach Bride.

Anyway, now that I just finished the Marriage by Bargain Series (with If It Takes A Scandal), that leaves me with an opening.

Here are the series I’m working on right now:

Misled Mail Order Brides Series.  This is a historical western series.

I’m on Book 1: The Bride Price.  (This is Sep’s romance.  Sep was Joel Larson’s brother-in-law in Shotgun Groom.)

Marriage by Fate Series. This is a Regency series.

I am currently on Book 2: Married In Haste.  (This is Brad Bachman’s romance.  Brad was Loretta’s brother in The Rake’s Vow.)

Wyoming Series.  This is a historical western series.

I am currently working on Book 1: The Outlaw’s Bride.  This is a rewrite of The Stagecoach Bride that Stephannie Beman and I did together.

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So, the way I see it, I have two options.

Here’s the first option:

I could start on Book 2 (The Rancher’s Wife) in the Wyoming Series so that I can get it done sooner.  My plan is to publish The Outlaw’s Bride and The Rancher’s Bride together.  Book 3 and Book 4 (if there is a Book 4) will then be out on pre-order.  The reason I’m publishing Books 1 and 2 together is because Book 1 is a rewrite of The Stagecoach Bride, and since some of you already paid for that version, I’m going to be pricing this one at free so no one has to “re-buy” it.   From a business standpoint, it makes no sense to not have Book 2 available at the same time Book 1 comes out when Book 1 is free.

Book 1, as some of you already know, is about Mic who rescues Lillian from a bad guy she’s about to marry.  Mic (and his family) have been labeled as outlaws, though they really aren’t.  Unlike the original version, in this one, they fall in love right away, and it’s going to be an easy adjustment for them to get used to each other.  The problem is going to come in with the money she brought out to Wyoming with her.  Her ex-fiance is going to want it back.  Also, they are still going to help the hero’s brother (Wade) rescue his two-year-old son from the bad guy.

Book 2 is going to pick up where Book 1 left off.  (Don’t worry.  I’m not delving out cliffhangers.) It’s just that in Book 1, they do rescue Wade’s son, but in a shootout, the son ends up with Abby (who is Mic and Wade’s sister).  She ends up on a stranger’s ranch, and in order to protect him, she disguises herself as a young man.  She pretends her nephew is her little brother.  She needs to keep up the ruse because the bad guy is coming around looking for the boy.  I haven’t thought out anything further than that at this point, so it’s all I can say about it.

Here’s my second option:

I can start a new historical western series.

This would be a series of mail order husbands/brides stories.  I know Book 1 would be a romantic comedy about a mail order hero who comes out to marry the heroine in order to protect her father’s ranch after her father dies so the bad guy can’t take it over.  The hero grew up in a wealthy family, and the family lost all their money.  He thinks that since the heroine owns a ranch, it means she’s rich and has a house full of servants.  He’s in for a rude awakening, of course, and he’ll have to do the unsavory chores of helping to run a ranch, something he won’t be the least bit prepared for.  I see this as being a comedy because there are a lot of fun things that can pop up in a setup like this.

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Does anyone have any thoughts on this?  Which option sounds the best to you?