Thankful, Grateful... REST!

Welp, October--- you came in swinging and left pretty much the same way.

I have to say, this was the most rollercoaster-y month I've had in a really long time. It started off amazing with the Virtual Book Signing event right off the bat. I got to spend an entire hour talking to readers, answering questions, sharing some scenes from Final Shot--which, while not technically a Halloween book, definitely has that feel to it. It's Bryan and Olivia's favorite holiday and the one that holds some of their best memories.

And then, almost immediately, it was like the world drank too much pre-workout and was buzzing on energy pills. My "paycheck job" at the warehouse had a massive week which ended up with my shifts being what we call "full flexed." That means the shift leads opted to utilize the additional hour (the "flex hour") at the end of our shifts. After MONTHS of flexing down, that turned into two hours longer than I'm used to... and it was over a week of that!

Oh.. and then my son got pneumonia. Like... I've never met a person IRL that has ever had pneumonia. Bronchitis? Sure. Flu? Yep. Even encountered someone who had swine flu at one point. But Pneumonia? That was a new one for this Bingo Card. One I could have gladly done without as it took him down and out for a solid two weeks. Straight up through his last game of the season.

Speaking of: We're no longer a "sports family"! Well, at least for the time being. My daughter's season wrapped up at the same time as my son's which... Look, I'm going to be real honest here. I'm so freaking glad to be over and done with that for right now. I was not mentally prepared for BOTH kids to be in sports 5-6 days a week. It felt like Babe and I were ships passing in the night what with the sports and weird dinner times and my night shifts at work. I'll be glad when we can sit down as a family and have dinner together again.

What's Coming In November?

Well, November is PACKED with some incredibly exciting news.

First up: The Naughty and Nice Bundle. Ten authors, myself and nine others, will be giving you short stories of romance in the winter time. These works are only available through our link. These works are exclusive to this bundle until January 31, 2025. But why wait? Just go ahead and tap that link and find out for yourself what fun times are waiting for you!

**While each of the stories will take place between Thanksgiving and New Years, not all are holiday stories. In fact! Heart Goals--my story--is definitely not holiday-based. Just a fun Dropped Puck Series Origins prequel that gives us Rhys Barbenstone and Maddie Smythe as they fight over the team we know --before they became the team we know and love. Small appearances from some fan favorites and a twist that will have you gasping are waiting for you. Similarly to how Overtime--my extended epilogue--is a clean short, there are no on page spicy scenes but I think the banter and characters you've come to expect from me mor than make up for it.

BLURB:

Rhys Barbenstone

I’ve made billions—with a capital B—in the investment world. It’s a cush deal, too. Just sit back, run numbers, and pad the bank account a bit more every day. Each move is calculated. Impersonal. That’s the only way to do business. Until a second chance encounter has me pitted against the one woman I’d burn it all down for.

Madeline Smythe

My dad is selling my inheritance. Shouldn’t come as a huge surprise considering he ran the damn thing into the ground. But still, I grew up imagining myself sitting behind Dad’s big oak desk, looking through the picture frame window that faces down onto the ice. Now some smooth-talking number cruncher is here, thinking he can just write a check and walk away with my dreams.

He might be new to the sport of professional hockey, but he’s about to get a reality check as tough as any boarding these Sharks have handed out.

I just have to remember to keep my heart on the goal!

Next: Audiobooks!

That's right. I have mentioned over on my socials and especially in my Street Team on Facebook (Rosie Burke's Racy Babes) that almost all of my books are currently in various stages of production for Audible.

Trading Tinsel is well underway. Amber Goode is the incredible voice actor who will be bringing Nick and Eve's story to our ears and hearts. This baby has had a few hiccups since I first put out feelers to get her made, but in the end I think I found the right narrator for the book. If the samples and chapters Goode has already uploaded are any indication, you will find yourself loving the flighty twin and her secret crush. I'm hoping to get approval on a few samples soon for promotional use (making sure the sound quality is top notch) but until then you'll just have to trust me.

The goal is to have this book-baby delivered to you around Thanksgiving. That is contingent on ACX not stomping on us and no personal speedbumps along the way. Either way, I will definitely be sharing more the closer we get to the release of Trading Tinsel!

More Audiobooks?

Well... okay! How about Grace and Garrison's story?

Saving Grace isn't quite as far along as Trading Tinsel, but it has passed the first checkpoint. That means I've approved the audition and sample Marina Craven has sent over. She is doing some truly incredible things with these two... enough so that I find myself blushing when I listen to the recordings! And I wrote these scenes!

Clearly I don't have any specific dates, but I will say that she and I both want to have this story out before the new year. Again, nothing is set in stone but be on the lookout for more news on this.

Next Book?

I went back and forth on whether or not I wanted to bring you Spencer's story next or if Turbo was the one screaming at me. Turns out, our broody baller had more to say so--for now--it looks like Book 3 in the 6th Man Series will be the next release.

I have been working steadily on this book for a few weeks now and I am so happy with the way the words are flowing. There are already THOUSANDS of words on the page as of today. When I say that's sort of shocking, I'm not kidding.

See, sometimes I get a bit burnt out after the release of a book. It can take me a while to get back into the flow of things. And even when I do finally sit down to write, I have been known to struggle with getting started. But ever since I typed the working title, I've known. I have a really good idea of the general plan but we'll see where Spencer and his tough as nails FMC take me.

For now: I've got a (working) title, a blurb, and several chapters done, with a few more outlined--albeit VERY roughly. It's a process that works for me so hopefully the good juju sticks around long enough for me to get this story together.

Personally speaking...

Look, the holidays are hard. Generally speaking, the time from October 1st to January 2nd takes a toll on most people. After a lot of reflection, I've realized that these months really do a number on my head and heart. And this year is actually feeling like one of the heaviest bouts I've had to work through in a really long time.

This will be the second round of holidays without some of the biggest members of my family and I'm still not sure how we'll do it. In the past, I've been able to manage my mental health so I can get through the chaos that takes over our lives from Halloween through to the New Year. Last year we had the distraction of a family member's destination wedding. This year, we don't have that so I'm stuck dealing with the feelings I was able to bottle up "for a later date." Seems like that "later" is now.

What does this mean? Well, it means that I will have to work harder to be happy. And my energy levels won't be where they could or "should" be. When it comes to it, my family--the Core Four--will always be given priority on what energy I have left after giving to myself. That might mean I don't show up on socials as much. I may not post about books I'm loving as often. In fact, reading can sometimes take a backseat unless they're comfort re-reads. I just don't always handle "new" very well. But knowing this about myself means I can use the tools in my proverbial toolbox to keep from burning out and ruining what should be a season of joy and love and family.

I don't want to end this on a sad note. So let's end it like this instead:

I'm excited.

I have that belly-flopping, "dancing in my seat" feeling about the end of this year and the start of 2025. I have characters in my head clamoring to get out and into the world. I have goals for 2025 that are at my fingertips--not so easy that I could just do the damn thing and be done, but also not so far out of reach that I'm setting myself up to fail.

I want to hear from you. What are you excited about? What goals do you have for the upcoming year? Anything I can help you with?!? Comment, DM me, reach out and let me know!