But this week went haywire!

Firstly I’ve been having total computer nightmares with my hunk a junk not switching on properly (probably due to it being over five years old – which is ancient in computer years), and that everyone in the family uses the same computer and does goodness knows what to the files (they can’t touch my files thankfully).

Yesterday I couldn’t get on the computer at all – it just wouldn’t switch on, which led to an extreme Tasmanian devil style meltdown as I called and texted my husband with all manner of cuss words.

Secondly, the inlaws are down to install a new carport. For FIVE DAYS. I cannot get any writing done when father-in-law potters around our house mumbling something about screws and pivots when I’m trying to edit a sex scene. Trust me – creepy. And mother-in-law, bless her, likes to chat – a lot. *rolls eyes*

So I’ve hung in the towel and decided there is no way I’m getting anything done for the rest of the week.

I still think I’ll be ready before the end of next month. Fingers crossed.

On a good note, I’ve been doing some online creative workshops to improve my writing skills. They’ve been excellent and are really helping me fast track my writing chops. Who knows, I might even be ‘good’ at this writing thing soon

Anyway, just wanted to give you a heads up on where things are at, for the two people that read this blog

All the best,

Tabs xx

P.S. 149 words from Chapter 4:

“Watch where you are going,” said a woman’s voice. “You nearly hit me.”

A strong warm hand reached out for her, pulling her back to her feet.

She looked between the two people that stood before her. Bradley Simpson, looking taller than she remembered him, with newly cut hair, and by his side was Betsy Young, no, Simpson. Her hair was pulled back, with blond curls framing her face.

Ruby’s gaze lowered to where Betsy laid her hand, over her protruding round belly.

“Ruby?” asked Brad. “Well, if it isn’t. How are you?”

She looked between them, or rather, between both their faces and Betsy’s stomach.

Opening her mouth to speak, her tongue seemed to tangle in her mouth, blocking any words from forming. It was only a split second, but it felt like hours were passing as they stood in front of her, expecting her to say something.

Thanks for reading Feathered #2 First Draft Complete from Tabitha Levin. So glad you've subscribed to my blog. Kisses, Tabs xx

At the current rate I won’t get it finished for another six weeks — which is completely unacceptable, so I need to up my productivity.

I can do over 2,000 words on a good day, so if I increase my word count to double or triple my current average, I could bring it down to just a few weeks (and an extra week or two for edits).

I’m determined to increase output, which should be easy enough, but by how much remains to be seen.

But at least it’s getting there

In the meantime, here is another 100 words from the book. This time from Chapter 3:

   The wind blew heavier up this high. Zan had almost forgotten how much, not having been home in over a year.  His wings pounded the air with rhythmic pace as he got closer to his old home. The perfect base to stay while he tried to convince Wret to consider joining him and Ruby together.
His old mountain looked the same from behind, tall, away from the main glut of dwellings. Only a little more overgrown with shrubbery than when he last saw it. He’d have to attend to that.
As he rounded the mountainside, the doors to his old…

Thanks for reading Feathered #2 – Half Way from Tabitha Levin. So glad you've subscribed to my blog. Kisses, Tabs xx

As a result I haven’t had a chance to get to the computer much, so I only managed a mere 5,000 words.

Today I did buy a keyboard for my iPad though, so I’m hoping that I’ll be able to steal some minutes here and there while I’m sitting on the sofa. That’s the plan anyway. Although I’m not sure how my writing process is going to work yet using the iPad, since the document is in Word.

I *think* I’m going to put the chapter I’m working on into Evernote and use that to focus on, before transferring it back to the word doc when I’ve finished, but I might experiment with a few other methods over the week as well to see what works best.

In the meantime, here’s another sneak peek.

100 words from Chapter 2:

The iron gates of the Michael’s house were already open, expecting her, and she drove up the long driveway, parking the car next to the neatly trimmed hedge. It had been a while since she had last been here, she shivered. The memory of what had happened to her, Zan and Henry last summer still clung to her as she stepped onto the front porch.

“Ruby, my dear. A pleasure, as always.” The wrinkles around Henry’s eyes softened as he gazed at her admiringly, before he pulled her inside for a warm embrace. “Your mother told me you were on …”

Thanks for reading Feathered #2 – 19,000 words from Tabitha Levin. So glad you've subscribed to my blog. Kisses, Tabs xx

There isn’t as much ‘actiony’ stuff going on, as there was in the first novel. I wanted to focus more on the relationship between Zan and Ruby in this. You also get to see more of Zan’s point of view as well – which we missed in the first.

The cover is all but done. The designer is just waiting for me to decide on the actual title first I’ve got a few ideas, although I need to narrow down my top three choices.

There’s no hurry for the title though, I’ve still got to finish writing the story first.

In the meantime, I thought I’d give a little sneak peek of some of the (VERY ROUGH) story.

So here’s 100 words to enjoy (taken from Chapter 1).

   Desire burst through his body, and his breath quickened to match his already racing pulse. He pulled her close, his wing feathers swaying as his hand wrapped around the back of her neck … his lips crushed on hers, consuming her with such force that she nearly fell backward. But he wouldn’t let her fall.
His smooth chest beaded with sweat, making it slick and slippery as she slid her hands over his hard muscles and around to his back. Her fingernails were sharp and they bit into his side as she grabbed desperately.
He pushed the bedroom door open …

Thanks for reading 14,000 words into Feathered 2 from Tabitha Levin. So glad you've subscribed to my blog. Kisses, Tabs xx

I love Pink and everything she stand for.

I was watching P!nk on TV last night and was overcome with how bloody brilliant she is, not only as a songwriter, but as a person.

I’ve always liked her music. Her stories that permeate passion and angst (depending on the song) and how she can say something I’m feeling and make it come alive with such beautiful lyrics and music.

So yeah, I love her.

But also I love what she represents. She stands up for her beliefs, isn’t afraid to tell someone if they are doing something crappy.

It got me thinking about my reason for writing.

Obviously the bare bones is that I love writing and want to share that others, but I think there is more to that as well. It’s not only about me, but about the reader, too. I want to explore what women are capable of, not just as a sex object for men (blech), but to explore their own fantasies, dreams and fears.

The Desperately Delicious stories were all about exploring different fantasies. They aren’t just erotica though, they have a story. I saw one review that said they were too PG-13. So yeah. I would agree with that (All Tied Up might be pushing it though).

There was another review that said Stranger Delight was about rape. Um no. Sure she has sex with a stranger (a common fantasy), but not once is she forced to do anything against her will. OF COURSE this wouldn’t happen in real life. That’s why it’s fiction — you can explore fantasies through the safety of words. That’s the point.

(Yeah, expect that I will read my reviews )

Anyway, back to my point. I’m currently writing the second Feathered book, and it struck me that this series is about much more than just a fun romp with a guy with wings. There is a deeper issue — one about society’s pressure to be with one sort of person, when your heart lie’s with another. This isn’t just about race, but also about gender, reputation, and so on.

Every day I see news reports about couples wanting to be together, but society telling them it’s wrong.

Really? Love is wrong?

I don’t understand it.

So in my way, The Feathered Lover (and the rest of the Feathered series) is really about fighting that pressure that says you can’t be together. It’s about fighting for your right to be with the person you love.

And in my view, that’s never wrong.

t xx

Thanks for reading What’s Your Reason for Writing? from Tabitha Levin. So glad you've subscribed to my blog. Kisses, Tabs xx