Dearest Valentines,

If I’ve been a little quiet lately it’s because Life has been keeping me busy with a number of writing projects. First, I’ve gotten a book contract from an academic press to publish a revision of my dissertation. This is a really exciting development and a kind of validation for earning my doctorate. Second, I’m continuing to work on the next installation in Elle and Hunter’s saga, Winter Jacket 4, which I plan on having a May 2016 release date. I haven't decided yet if this will be Ellio and Hunter's last ride, but I'm really happy with how Book 4 is shaping out. And finally, I've been hard at work on the project I hinted to on social media on Wednesday.

But first—a Confession:

I love watching The Bachelor—the over-the-top ABC reality show where nearly thirty women do everything but mud wrestle each other on national television for the attentions of a perpetually single guy. Each week my girlfriend and I tune in to see who’ll ugly cry, who’ll drink too much, who’ll get edited to be the new villain, and how far the women of color make it, all the time hoping and praying that the women wise up and just start dating each other.

The Final Rose takes the format of The Bachelor, populates it with original characters, and introduces a love story that no one expected.

More about The Final Rose:

At the ripe age of twenty-seven, Nokomis Reed’s love life has come to a screeching halt—which is why when her mother nominates her to be a contestant on a reality TV show, she reluctantly says yes. Nokomis soon finds herself in a strange new world, living in a house with twenty other women, each vying for the attention of the same man. But when it’s one of the other contestants, and not the single man who catches her eye, Nokomis is thrown even further from her comfort zone. Smart, sexy, and fun, The Final Rose follows Nokomis as she navigates the Game in search of love.

Rather than publishing The Final Rose for purchase on Amazon, I’ll be releasing a new chapter each week for free on Wattpad where you can vote and give feedback on each chapter. Chapter One is live and ready for you.

What you can expect: This story will be a slow burn, which I hope is something you've come to expect from me anyway. I've never found it reasonable or realistic for the main characters to jump into bed with each other right away. Each chapter will be about 2-3Ks long, Wattpad's recommended length. This will no doubt feel short, having gotten used to reading me in novel-length form, but it's a function of the Wattpad application and my own necessity -- i.e. any longer than 3,000 words a week, and I'd be spending all of my time working on this story instead of Winter Jacket.

I’d love to know what you think of The Final Rose, these new characters, and the serial format.

Stay warm,

Eliza