The Publication Process Begins

Once I finish Book 3 of the Roped in Time series, Bad Boy Cowboy, (my current WIP) I’ll be starting the first Strong Brothers of Grand, Montana book.

I got the Art Fact Sheet for my new Grand, Montana series this morning.

The cover art process begins months in advance. Raiden Strong’s story is due for release in March 2027. That might sound like a far-off date right now, but time flies.

I handed in a series proposal in early fall of 2025. The proposal goes to my editor, and we discuss it. Once she’s happy with the proposal and feels there’s enough story to support it, she takes it to the Acquisitions team and pleads our case. She has to love it enough to champion it, because there are other editors pushing for their authors’ stories, too.

If the team agrees to buy it, then publication dates are set and it goes to contract. Those dates are set after discussions between the managing editor, my editor, and me, because we all have other work on our plates. (For me it’s the Roped in Time series. Oh yes…and a day job.)

I signed the Strong Brothers contract on October 14^th, 2025.

The Art Fact Sheet for Raiden Strong’s story that I got this morning kickstarts the publication process on my publisher’s side. They’ll take my notes and begin working on the title as well as the cover. This is pretty much the only involvement I get in the decision-making process. Final decisions are made based on marketing trends, branding, and other, similar, books the publisher has on their roster and how they want to position them.

I have deadlines to turn in my books that are set well before publication. (One of these days I’m going to meet a deadline, too. Sorry, Tule!)

So right now, as of this morning, this is where my writing schedule is at:

·       I’m madly scrambling to get Bad Boy Cowboy, Book 3 in the Roped in Time series, turned in for a July 1^st deadline and a January 19^th, 2027 publication date.

·       I’m preparing for a June 18^th, 2026 BookBub Featured Deal. (Stay tuned to find out which book will be 99 cents until July 16^th!)

·       Time’s Up, Cowboy, Book 2 in the Roped in Time series, releases June 23^rd so I’ve got work to do for that, too.

·       And I have this Art Fact Sheet to fill out for the first book in the Strong Brothers of Grand, Montana series that I’ll start writing as soon as Bad Boy Cowboy is turned in. Which means writing an outline and confirming the details of the new book with my editor so that she doesn’t get any surprises when I turn the book in. (Other than when she gets it from me. That’s a moving target these days. Again, sorry!)

You can check out my publication schedule here.

And you can follow my writing progress right here on my blog!