And that’s a wrap, friends! Thank you so much to everyone who followed along with this crazy story. I truly appreciated all of your votes and comments!
To think, I almost gave up on this book. When I first began posting, it felt like no one was interested, and by the time I got to chap 20-something, I was pretty discouraged. I thought the story was a flop and almost unpublished it, but then my friend Ami (a.k.a AmiSpeare or AmiTheDarkLady) gave me a shout-out on her profile, and her loyal followers showed up! I watched my reads go from 500 to over 1k in about three days. It was incredible to see, and I am forever grateful that Ami gave me a boost. I think her shout-out also helped the book get noticed by HQ because they later gave it a promo spot on the homepage, and my reads skyrocketed. That’s probably how many of you found me and this rollercoaster story.
I’m a pantser when it comes to writing, so I don’t really plan anything out. Instead, I let the characters take shape and carve their own story. That said, Miguel really pissed me off sometimes! Lol. But hey, it’s not my fault 🙃 Plus, I like that at his core, he always wanted to do the right thing—he just made some awful judgment calls along the way. Sometimes, when I write, I have the ending already visualized and work my way backward. So, initially, I never intended for Miguel and Angie to end up together. I pictured him being alone after realizing he still had more healing to do, and the only way to do it was on his own. Angie was also supposed to remain a stubborn, hard shell to the very end. Instead, she became softer, and her walls came down enough to let Miguel care for her.
So, overall, I like how the story unfolded 🤔
But the story isn’t over. Book two, Death Shaken Not Stirred, already has 3 chapters available and will resume with regular posting in May. The story is from Lucas’s POV and picks up in the second act of The Divorcee Murder Club, so you’ll see familiar faces and scenes as we learn more about him and see things from his perspective that we didn't get to experience through Miguel.
And Sugar Daddy Season, a prelude to book three, is also available to read with regular updates as my entry for the Open Novella Contest. This book can be read independently and occurs during act three of The Divorcee Murder Club. It focuses on Lucas’s little sister, Mara, where we also meet Sammy’s nephew Enzo Esposito, an older gentleman who sweeps her off her feet!
Thank you all for sticking with me. It has meant the world to me ❤️