In statistics, regression toward the mean is a phenomenon where extreme highs and lows return closer to the mean when measured a second time.

In psychology, it's pretty much the same. It just means that things can't be all good or all bad, and eventually will return to average or "normal." The last couple of months have been...bad. But it can't stay that way forever. Eventually, things will get better, and I think I'm finally starting to see that turnaround. 

A few weeks ago, I injured my back, courtesy of my 115-pound polar bear dog and a ballsy rabbit. Bunny ran out in front of us, less than a foot away, and my dog did what dogs do and gave chase. Unfortunately, I was still holding his leash, which resulted in a snap, crackle, pop in my neck and lumbar. 

The pain was pretty debilitating for a while, and the meds I was given basically turned me into a zombie. 

I am feeling better now and finally coming off the meds. Being unable to write has put me super behind, but I'm doing my best to get things back on track. There will be a new Blackhaven Manor releasing in May, and Curses and Casualties will now be coming in June.

And that's about as far ahead as I've planned for now, but I'll post again once I have a revised plan for 2024. 

No matter how you celebrate, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! 

2023 was a bit of a rollercoaster with high, lows, and even a few twists. I had surgery. I survived physical therapy. I wrote a lot of words. And I went on a ton of amazing adventures. 

December was pretty lackluster. I spent every day of the month up until Christmas Eve sick. First, it was the flu. I had just started to get over that when I caught RSV. I seriously felt like I was drowning in my own mucus. That developed into bronchitis, and it was just a super miserable 3.5 weeks. I still have a stuffy nose and a bit of fatigue, but overall, I'm feeling much better now! 

Unfortunately, being down for that long means no new book for this month. Not going to lie. I'm pretty disappointed about that, but there's a lot to look forward to in the upcoming year. 

I'm going to be kicking off 2024 with a new Hunters Hollow book. The story came to me in a fever/NyQuil-induced dream, and I'm pretty excited about it. It's going to be another long one, so I'm not entirely sure when it will release. Once I'm a littler farther into it and more confident, I'll announce a release date and pre-order.

I'm not 100% sure about the title right now, but I can tell you that this will be Elliot Church's book. 

Elliot is a necromancer from the Blackhaven Manor series. He was introduced in Dead Over Heels, and he made a cameo in Walking a Tight Trope. If you haven't read either of those books, don't worry. He'll get a full introduction with backstory, so you won't be missing anything. 

I have at least one new Blackhaven Manor book planned for the first quarter, as well as the first book of the new Hexed and Vexed series. I don't like to plan too far ahead, so we'll see where the road leads after that. 

Until next time, here's to a new year and new opportunities! I wish you all the very best! 

First off, it's release day for Bad Habits! Yay! As always, you can find it on Amazon, and it is available to read with Kindle Unlimited. 

Everyone at +One has a specialty. For Gage Ramsey, it’s less about the role or the venue, and all about the client. So, when he gets the call that a politician’s son needs help overhauling his image, he figures it’s just another day at the office.

​​​​​​​But this isn’t any ordinary case.

From the moment Nathan Fairfax walks through the door—an hour late—Gage instantly dislikes him. Arrogant, entitled, and antagonistic, the guy tests his patience at every turn. As the days turn to weeks, however, he begins to see another side of Nathan, a part of him that could actually be worth saving.
​
Whatever the outcome, one thing is clear. Gage might have a reputation for putting difficult clients in their place, but this time, he has more than met his match.

My schedule for the rest of the year is a bit up in the air right now. I re-injured my knee a few weeks ago, and after conservative treatments failed, the doctor ordered another MRI last week. I won't know the results for a few more days, but there is a chance that I'll be headed back into the operating room. 

I'm not nervous or worried. Been there, done that, right? I'm a little uncertain of what the rest of the year is going to look like in terms of releases, though.

​Hopefully, everything is fine, and life will go on exactly as it has been. 

With that being said, here's what my schedule looks like right now, barring any disruptions.

Next up is Royally Flocked, the 10th book of the Blackhaven Manor series.

Prince Orrin Nightstar will finally be getting his story. I'm pretty excited about this one, and I can't wait to share it with everyone. Release date is set for mid November, and preorder will be available soon. 

After that, another Blackhaven Manor book, Loose Lips Sink Ships. 

This will be King's story. We met him only briefly in Walking a Tight Trope, but he left an impression on me. Look for it to release in early December.

My last book of the year will be Hell's Bells: Hexed and Vexed, Book 1. 

I've been talking about this spinoff for months, and I'm so excited to finally be introducing everyone to PRIMA - the Paranormal Recovery Institute for the Magically Afflicted. Otherwise known as Hell Hall.  

Release is set for the end of December. More information to follow. 

So, knee surgery went well. It did, however, take me a bit more time to get back into the swing of writing than I had anticipated. But I'm back now, and I have a lot of books planned for the rest of the year. 

Let's dive right in! 

If you missed it, Walking a Tight Trope is now available at Amazon and KU. This story wasn't necessarily supposed to happen-yet-but I had a lot of fun writing it! 
​

​In love with the idea of love, Oliver McKenzie has made a career out of crafting swoon-worthy romances. He doesn’t need to work at the café in Blackhaven Manor, but the daily interactions fuel his muse and provide him with an unlimited supply of inspiration. He just never imagined he would find his own happily-ever-after within the hotel walls.

Contracted to build a gazebo for the upcoming royal wedding, Jarrett Crawford assumes it’s a job like any other. He’ll find out the details, order the supplies, and finish with time to spare. It doesn’t occur to him that the meddlesome dragon who owns the place is setting him up for the hardest fall of his life. But that’s exactly what happens when he meets Oliver. 

When his new mate comes under psychic attack, Jarrett, of course, takes it personally. While he might be ill-equipped to fight a battle of the mind, he’ll risk everything to protect his elf. 
Even his own life.

Next up is Beauty and Bad Blood. I finally finished the second Hunters Hollow book! It will release August 31st, and is now available for preorder. 


​When a young woman turns up dead on the banks of the river with half her blood missing, vampires are the obvious suspects. Rogue Masters, however, doesn’t think the case is all that open and shut. As a special agent for the MOA Intelligence Division, it’s his job to find the truth. To do that, the last thing he needs is distractions.

So, of course, the most tempting distraction he’s ever seen strolls through the door of the local bakery, not just flipping the script, but rewriting it completely.

Stuck in a rut and drowning in his own insignificance, Dylan Murray needs a change. For starters, he needs to make a clean break from his selfish and demanding mother. It’s also probably a good time to swear off men, at least until he can get his life back on track. Spending some time in Hunters Hollow with his best friend is exactly what he needs to turn things around. The small town is quiet, a little boring, and completely free of the drama that plagued him in the city.

Now, if he can just stop thinking about a certain sexy vampire with penetrating eyes and a devilish smile, everything would be perfect.

Navigating the ups and downs of any new relationship is challenging. Doing so while searching for a killer will test more than just their commitment. When the worst happens, and Dylan joins the list of humans to mysteriously vanish from the French Quarter, Rogue will do whatever it takes to get his new mate back safely.
​
Even if that means becoming the very monster he’s meant to be hunting.

Loose Lips Sink Ships: Blackhaven Manor, Book 10 is coming late September/early October. I know I just introduced King, but he is incredibly loud and demanding. This will be another lighter book without too much drama or angst.

I'm saving all of that for Orrin's books.

Yes, Prince Nightstar will finally be getting his story, and it's a doozy. Look for Royally Flocked to release at the end of November. 

In between the Blackhaven Manor books, I will be releasing the first book of a new series, Hexed and Vexed. This series will take place at the Scottish castle Thade and Micah have transformed into a residential hospital for Otherlings. I'm so excited for this one, and I can't wait for you to read the first book.

​Hell's Bells will be releasing in early November. 

So, I am finally on Instagram. I have no idea what I'm doing there, but I'm working on it. If you feel so inclined, please follow me. 

And I think that's about it. If you have any questions, drop them in the comments or feel free to email/message me. :) 

Until Next Time
XoXo
​Arden

Hello Darlings! Just dropping in with a quick update. 

For those who aren't aware, I tore my ACL back in February. Along with some other injuries like bone contusions and a MCL sprain. That's not even counting the genetic deformities of that knee that affect its mechanics (but that's a story for another time.) With the joint being unstable, I've re-injured it three times now, which is incredibly painful and makes my knee swell up like a grapefruit. Not fun.

ACL reconstruction surgery is scheduled for April 12th. I'm not worried or nervous or anything like that, but I'm not looking forward to the recovery, either. In the meantime, I've been doing "prehab" with a physical therapist to ensure that my muscles are in good condition before surgery so I can heal faster afterwards. I've also had a slew of doctor appointments, tests, and pre-op screenings. Then, of course, just the general life stuff that comes with being an adult. 

With all of this going on, it's been hard to find the time or energy to write, so I'm a little behind schedule. This means Walking a Tight Trope won't be releasing in March, but you won't have to wait too long for it. I would really like to get it released before my surgery, so sometime in the second week of April. 

As soon as I'm able, I'll be diving back into Beauty and Bad Blood to get that finished and released. I don't really know when that will be right now. From experience, painkillers and writing do not mix, so it's kind of a wait-and-see game. Hopefully, I won't need to take more than a week off, though. 

Everyone please send positive vibes, and I'll check in with you soon! 

Until Next Time, 
​XoXo Arden

The past four-ish months have been...interesting. There were a lot of good things that happened. A trip to Orlando. A trip to Puerto Rico. A beautiful and extravagant wedding in Houston.

​(Not mine. I got married in a tiny church 20 years ago with less than a dozen people present. The entire thing, including my dress and the rings, cost less than $150.)

 
There was also some not so great stuff that happened. Depression, made worse by Seasonal Affective Disorder. A slipped lumbar disc. A torn LCL (that's the ligament on the outside of your knee.) And can we just talk about the price of eggs for a second?! I wanted to make an angel food cake, but I didn't want to take out a second mortgage. 

Beauty and Bad Blood is still coming. I will finish it. Just not yet. I know I said it would "definitely" be out in November, but well, here we are. Shortly after my last update, I just hit a wall. Ran smack into it like Wile E. Coyote.

This would be around the time I was having what my therapist likes to call a "Major Depressive Episode." 

At her suggestion, I did something I've never done before. I agreed to show myself the same grace and kindness I'd offer to any of my friends who are struggling. I also decided to try an experiment and just write whatever popped into my head. No matter what story, what series, whatever, I would just...write.

​A novel concept, I know. 

This resulted in 7 new story ideas, 4 new WIPs, one completed novella, and another that is almost finished. 

I am currently working on cleaning up Mr. Big Shot, Book 3 of the +One series, and it will be headed to my editor soon. I don't have an exact release date yet, but probably sometime within the next two weeks.

Then, I'll be wrapping up Walking a Tight Trope, the next book in the Blackhaven Manor series. More details on this later, but you can anticipate its release in March. (She says, knowing her track record with deadlines is shit.)

After that, I will be diving back into Beauty and Bad Blood with new enthusiasm. Now that the brain fog is lifting, I know exactly where I went wrong and what I need to do to move forward. I do not know when this book will release. I'm not even going to give an estimate. I feel like I jinx myself every time I do. 

I'm also not going to promise regular updates because, let's be honest, I suck at it. I will, however, definitely post once the books go live. You can also get a notification right to your inbox by subscribing to my newsletter. I'm lazy, and I only send out newsletters when I have a release or an event, so you will never be inundated with emails from me.

Until Next Time!
XoXo - Arden

Just a quick update on Beauty and Bad Blood. 

So, my wonderful, awesome, fantabulous husband surprised me with a trip to Puerto Rico! It was my fist time leaving the continental US and my first time swimming in the ocean.

I didn't write while we were gone. I didn't even take my laptop. I had an amazing time, however, and I feel recharged and ready to tackle the end of the this book now! 

My characters are still doing things to surprise me, so I haven't written the new blurb yet. Honestly, I'll probably wait until closer to the end to do that. I'm still estimating this book will be about 85k when it's finished, which means, I'm right around three-quarters finished. 

Beauty and Bad Blood will definitely be out in November, but as of right now, I don't have a release date. I'm nearing the finish line though, so hopefully, I'll have another update to share in the next week or so. 

Until next time!
​XoXo ~ Arden

Just a quick update to let you guys know that I'm still working on Beauty and Bad Blood. Life has just been kind of a mess lately. Not only have I been extremely busy, but it feels like March and most of April was just one disaster after another.

Lightning hit our house and destroyed a lot of electronics, including a brand new television. It also damaged some of the wiring, so we didn't have electricity to two rooms or our smoke detectors for a bit. Someone wrecked into our car in the parking lot and just drove off. The garage door stopped working. Two of our irrigation lines started leaking. Someone stole my credit card number AND my email address??? I could go on, but you get the idea. 

Things are still pretty hectic, but I'm carving out time to make some real progress on this book. My goal (plan? hope?) is to have Beauty and Bad Blood released by the end of May. This story is looking to be between 70-75k, so we'll see if I can make it happen, Cap'n. I'm also not sure if I will put this one on preorder or not. It'll largely depend on my editor's schedule, but I should know more in a couple of weeks. 

Until then, here's the cover and blurb! 

I feel like it's been forever since I've been able to say this, but this week was amazeballs! 

As many of you know, my oldest moved out (and all the way to freaking Florida) last summer. This week was the first time I've gotten to see him since August! We had awesome adventures at the Museum of Illusions and the Dallas World Aquarium (which has a surprising lack of aquatic animals.) I cooked all of his favorite foods. We had game nights and talked about life.

All that glitters is not gold. 

It’s a lesson Skyler Hastings learned the hard way, and one he’s still paying the price for. Indebted to a vicious vampire who would rather see him dead than let him go, he’s not looking for love. The last thing he wants is to drag someone else into his mess. So, when he encounters his mate outside of the local nightclub, he’s not sure if fate has a morbid sense of humor or just comically bad timing. 

Cursed to a life of emotional numbness, it has been millennia since Rafe Valladolid has experienced even a passing connection with another person. Sure, he can fake social niceties, but things like love, joy, anger, and grief are all lost to him. That is until he meets a feisty raven shifter who sends him spiraling out of control. So what if the guy is a thief? Or has a mouth that won’t stop? After three thousand years of nothingness, Skyler makes him feel. 

It’s not all candy hearts and rainbow sprinkles, though. While a flood of confusing emotions threatens to pull Rafe under, something sinister stalks his mate, and both seem hellbent on destroying them. Yet, Rafe isn’t worried. He might look like a tame pussycat, but he’s still an ancient warrior who cut his teeth on the bloodiest of battlefields. 
​
He’s survived wars, plagues, and famine. How much trouble can one baby bloodsucker be?

So...I lied. I mean, I didn't do it on purpose, but I will not "definitely" have All That Glitters ready for release by the end of January. 

My editor has Covid. She's going to be okay, but she's certainly not in a place to be working right now. Having been there myself, I wouldn't let her, even if she offered.

We've spoken, and right now, we're tentatively thinking a release the week of Valentine's Day. Partly to give her time to recover, but also because I have family coming next week, and it's unlikely I will get much work done during that time anyway. 

That's going to push subsequent releases back as well. So, the next Hunters Hollow will now be a March release instead of February, and so on and so forth. Barring any further unforeseen circumstances, that should only shuffle things around by a couple of weeks, though. 

And that's really all I have to share right now, but check back at the end of next week for a cover reveal and hopefully a pre-order link for All That Glitters!

Until Next Time,
XoXo Arden