Like most writers, I tend to have a lot of things in the hopper. Some are completed and in the editing process, while others are barely a twinkle in my eye. Maybe I’m nuts for putting this stuff out on the web, but if nothing else, having the whole world know what I’m planning may be a good cure for procrastination… By the way, these all have cover images because that’s part of my visualization process when I’m writing—I like to have a cover in mind even though the end product will probably end up looking very different. Also, these are in no particular order…definitely not in the order in which they’ll probably be finished!
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The Gaia Gambit — This one is a science fiction romance that’s my 2011 NaNoWriMo project. Unfortunately, I fell hideously behind and didn’t make 50K by December 1st, but I knew going in it was going to be a long shot simply because I’d already planned a week-long trip to Sedona for November. I don’t even know where the idea for this one came from, but it involves two adversaries who end up joining forces to foil a galaxy-wide conspiracy. I know part of my motivation was wanting to write another alien romance, since Breath of Life was so well-received (and I’m sort of tired of looking for alien romances and only finding ones with heroes on the cover who look pretty much like every other romance novel hero), and also because I’m a sucker for hate-to-love sorts of romances, especially if they involve spaceships and shoot-’em-ups.  |
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Taming the Earl — This is a novella I have planned as a tie-in/sequel to Heart of Gold. As I said in my original post about the book, I had such a good time writing it that I just had to come back for a sequel. A certain villainous character was so much fun to write that I wanted to see if I could…well, maybe not redeem him, exactly, but give him his own HEA with a woman who turns out to be his match when it comes to twisty thinking. Besides, there’s always more than one side to a story, so I thought I’d let him tell his side of things. Planned for a late March 2012 release. Right now I’m considering putting this one in KDP Select, but I haven’t made up my mind yet. |
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Binding Spell — This book has been in the works for years (I blogged about it here). It’s in the process of being torn down and rewritten with more of a romance than a fantasy-quest focus — which is what it should have been from the beginning. Speaking of beginnings, I just cut three chapters and started it in a completely different place. Part of the problem with retooling an older work — I’ve learned a lot about pacing since I first started writing this novel and realized that it really began much farther along in the book. Hey, sometimes it just takes me awhile to figure out these things. Status: actively being rewritten; about 50% done with the rewrite. |
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Grave Matters — I seem to be on a contemporary paranormal kick, although you won’t find any vampires or werewolves in these books. Grave Matters is the story of Angela Lockwood, an assistant medical examiner with the Los Angeles Coroner’s Dept., who is tapped by the spirits of a serial killer’s victims to find their murderer. She enlists the help of Tony Figueroa, an LAPD homicide detective…and sparks are definitely going to fly. Status: in the early stages of the first draft. |
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Day Change to Night — You know that comment I made above about some of these books being just a twinkle in my eye? That’s about where I am with this one. However, for some time I’ve been wanting to write a novel set in the L.A. punk scene of the early ’80s, and this one is just calling to me. Think of it as Repo Man meets Desperately Seeking Susan meets 28 Days Later…or something like that. But of course there will be a romance—otherwise, it’s not a Christine Pope book! |
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All Fall Down — This was my very first NaNo novel. I got 60K into it (and therefore won), but I didn’t finish it. And then it sat. And sat. And sat. And then this year’s NaNo rolled around, and I decided to be a “rebel” and use NaNo to finish this book instead of starting another one. That’s what it took to push me across the finish line, because I did complete the book. It’s a hard one to classify — I guess I’d say it’s fantasy with a strong romantic element, rather than an out-and-out romance. Then again, it does have the requisite HEA, but it’s a dark book, and more about one woman’s finding her path than seeking love (although it does find her in the end). It’s finished, but needs editing. So…it’s sitting once again. |
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Murders in the Rue Scribe — I have to confess that I’m an incredible Phantom of the Opera geek. So this is my foray into a Phantom pastiche, a murder mystery/romance that takes place a few years after the end of the original novel. I was never all that satisfied with the Phantom’s fate, so I set out to write a continuation that eased my fangirl heart while at the same time attempting as much as possible to stay true to the source material. Status: First draft approximately 50-percent complete. |
