Writing is sometimes like a sudden car crash to the senses...

Writing is sometimes like a sudden car crash to the senses. I find myself locked into my laptop, my fingers flying over the keyboard, totally engrossed in my characters and stories only to be rudely interrupted by the reality of life. It's jarring. The impact leaves me startled and confused.

What is the reason? I'm a mom, wife, and slave to the occupation of adult who has to work for a living. Oh yes, I wish the life of a writer was glamorous. I wish I could say that wine in hand (a total given) I gaze out at the luxury beach million dollar home I own, able to stay home and conjure stories from the depth of my imagination that will lead to the next bestseller list tomorrow. Ironically, that is not the case. Go figure.

What I absolutely enjoy, what inspires me to come back repeatedly for more, are my characters. I love to dive into their imagination and immerse myself in their adventures. It's the best free vacation I could ever have. I leave the world of reality behind, suddenly whisked away to foreign lands, and engaging in conversations with new and interesting people. I find my way through alternate realities and past centuries, totally engrossed in my adventure, excited to cross the next bridge or trudge through that hidden forest, engage in a sword fight or conjure the elements in my defense.

Without books we as a society are lost. It is the ability to read and transport ourselves into other worlds that sustain and rejuvenate us. We pass along both reality and fantasy, truth and lie, stories that contain the heart of who we are as people. Without writers, in both fiction and nonfiction, we would be at the mercy of social media and contain little substance. Can you imagine?

I digress. The car crash scenario. Perhaps I need more wine. Time to write!

Until next time my friends, keep reading!

Silver Moon is now available for preorder!

My new novel, a paranormal romance, Silver Moon: Descendants of Nephilim is now available for preorder.

Silver Moon: Descendants of Nephilim

Black Friday Book Sale

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Black Friday Book Sale starts today. Check out your favorite retailer for books at FREE and $0.99 prices now through Sunday. Gobble up some turkey and pumpkin pie and settle in for a few great reads. Also select titles available on Kobo, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers.

Nikki Landis on Amazon

Nikki Landis on Smashwords

The Imposition is available today!

Don't miss out on The Imposition, available today, book 4 of The Fight for Light Novels.

The Imposition on Amazon

Cover reveal!

Cover reveal for my new spinoff series, continuing the Descendants of Nephilim, coming in 2017.

A sneak peek at all four covers of the Freedom Fighters series.

Here's a sneak preview of all four covers of the Freedom Fighters series. You can find the books online at your favorite retailers!

The Freedom Fighters on Amazon

The Imposition is available this Friday!

The Imposition is available this Friday! Follow Rhiannon in the next chapter of her journey as she battles the Darkness. She must use all of her training and guidance, her experience and determination, to defeat an age old evil. Forced to confront her worst nightmares, Rhiannon must delve deep into her soul in order to save the one she loves. Will she be able to stand against the enemy, venturing into the bowels of Hell, and make it out alive?

The Imposition on Amazon

Love Books feature for Refugee Road

Love Books is featuring Refugee Road on their website, blog, and Facebook page today. Don't miss out on your FREE copy!
Love Books Blog
Love Books On Facebook

New covers for the Freedom Fighters series!

Love the new covers for the Freedom Fighters series. What do you think?

Nikki Landis on Amazon

Read The Harbinger for FREE through Sunday on Amazon!

The Harbinger, the sequel to The Guardian, is available through Sunday for FREE online at Amazon. Don't miss out on this popular series. The Guardian is always $0.99 to read. Follow Rhiannon as she discovers the power within her, the courage to fight the Darkness, and the truth of her origin as a Descendant.
The Harbinger on Amazon

The Guardian is always $0.99 on Amazon!

Read The Guardian for $0.99 anytime! The first in a series of fantasy romance novels, join Rhiannon in her journey as she discovers the power within her, the courage to fight the Darkness, and the truth of her origin as a Descendant.

The Guardian on Amazon

Refugee Road is $0.99 always on Amazon Kindle!

Refugee Road is now $0.99 everyday!

Refugee Road on Amazon

Midnight Surrender is only $0.99 on Amazon Kindle this week!

Midnight Surrender, the sequel to Refugee Road, is only $0.99 this week on Amazon Kindle and always free to read on Kindle Unlimited.

Midnight Surrender on Amazon

Midnight Surrender, the sequel to Refugee Road, is now available on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.

Midnight Surrender, the sequel to Refugee Road, is now available on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. Don't miss out on the exciting next part of the story!

Midnight Surrender is the second in a series of novels that takes place in a post-apocalyptic dystopian world war two era where war, intrigue, and vengeance combine with love, loyalty, and sacrifice. Join Alec, Lizzie, Mal, and their comrades as they battle the militia and attempt to survive in a cutthroat world where rules no longer apply... 

Midnight Surrender on Amazon

 

The Harbinger releases next Friday, Book 2 in The Fight for Light Series!

The Harbinger will release next Friday. Don't miss out on the sequel to the successful first novel, The Guardian. Follow Rhiannon in her quest to fight the darkness, confront her enemy, and seek her destiny. Crossing the portal with the help of her Guardian she enters a world she once thought was only myth. Will she be able to stand up against the evil that seeks to destroy her?

The Harbinger on Amazon Kindle

Dark Promise is only $0.99 on Amazon Kindle starting tomorrow.

Dark Promise is only $0.99 starting tomorrow on Amazon Kindle. You can always read this book and my other novels on Kindle Unlimited for free.

Please consider leaving a review once you are finished. Reviews help other readers decide on the book.

Thank you for your continued support.

https://www.amazon.com/Nikki-Landis/e/B01HKGW4ZU/

The Guardian is $.99 for one week only on Amazon Kindle!

The Guardian, Book 1 in The Fight for Light Novels, is on sale this week for only $.99 on Amazon. As always you can read for free with Kindle Unlimited. Please consider leaving a review once you have finished the book.

Thank you for your continued support!

The Guardian on Amazon Kindle

Refugee Road goes on sale for a week.

Refugee Road will go on sale for one week starting tomorrow for $0.99.

Refugee Road on Amazon Kindle

If you have read the book and enjoy it, please leave feedback on Amazon. Reviews help other customers decide on the book.

Thanks for your continued support!

My amazon author page is here!

My new author page at Amazon is up and running. Feel free to check it out!

www.amazon.com/author/nikkilandis

The long haul...

     The process of editing is exhausting. Late nights and early mornings. Dozens of cups of coffee. Reading, rereading, and reading again, proofing for errors, fixing every mistake and catching any inconsistency that may cause a reader to stop and say huh? Bleary eyed and losing focus, only to slap the life back into your cheeks so you can keep going.
     That is the long haul. The distance run that occupies my days and nights. Long after my kids go to bed and my husband falls asleep next to me, I sit with the blue screen of my laptop casting a shadow on my face, determined, fighting fatigue, only to read one more line. Write one more word. Fix that sentence just so, so the reader can accurately understand the character's mind and motivation.
     It's almost comical. I've nearly forgotten what sleep is. The reason is not only writing into the early morning hours of the day but the constant barrage of intersecting thoughts and images, new ideas, new plots, new characters and story lines. I never stop. My mind is constantly on the go.
     I wake in the morning, eager to open my laptop and write the next chapter. Happy, disgusted, terrified, or sad, adopting the emotions of my beloved hero or heroine, excited to take them on the next journey. My fingers fly across the keys, typing with enthusiasm, hardly able to contain my excitement.
     As a writer of romance, I find the greatest joy and largest challenge is to keep the love interest and chemistry between my characters at the forefront of the book. It's the main theme. The most important aspect of the novel. If nothing else, the reader should never be in doubt of the connection between the lovers, through strife and indecision, chaos and uncertainty, and the struggle of life, against all odds.
     That's where the editing process comes in, the long and arduous task of completing the vision. The monumental undertaking of ensuring a successful story. It's all subjective. The reader may hate the plot or love it, enjoy the romance or be disgusted by it. That's the thing about romance, the unpredictable nature of the heart, no two people view it the same. It's as beautiful and mysterious as any one person's desire.
     The part I love, the unmistakable thrill, is the development of my imagination, my spin on the romantic relationship between the characters. I enjoy the friction, the longing, the drive to pursue it to completion. I can't wait to see where they go, what interaction they have, and how they fulfill their ultimate conquest.
     I'm in it for the long haul.
     Until next time my friends, keep writing!

Creative writing is my outlet...

     Creative writing is my outlet. As a fan of romance novels, literally since I was about fifteen years old, I have always envisioned myself as a writer. Maybe not one of the best, but at least on some level of success. For the last five years I have written over ten books and published none of them. Why, you ask?
     The answer is simple really. I was intimidated by the process. Query letters. Submission requirements. Book Synopsys and Outline for every novel that needs to hook the publisher and grab their attention. I understand that is the way it works. But the process, well, it is long and arduous. I can be rejected or accepted, not based on my work, or even my personality, but entirely on how well a few words placed on a page will interest or entice the editor.
     I have to admit, I'm nervous. For me writing has always been a personal experience. I live, breathe, and dream my characters and their stories. My life revolves around their experiences, their history, and the chemistry and romance between the main hero and/or heroine. I even daydream about them. A simple conversation with a friend, a commercial on television, or even lyrics to a song can motivate an entire chapter.
     I become lost, totally oblivious to the world around me, and immerse myself in the story. It's personal for me. Very personal. Sharing my innermost thoughts and desires, my imagination, and that little vulnerable part of myself that nobody knows about or gets to see. That's the scary part. Opening myself up to criticism and rejection and the possibility of failure.
     I've let it go on long enough. It's time I took a chance. Even if I fail, I will become wiser for the experience. I've completed my first couple of submissions to a publisher. The process will take months before I hear anything, positive or negative. In the spirit of transparency I have started this blog. Perhaps the accountability will keep me motivated.
     Until next time my friends, keep writing!