July, July, July....

 Happy Wednesday!

Can you believe we're nearing the end of July? I mean, on one hand it feels like this month has been long, but on another I'm like "Wait, didn't July just begin?"

For the USA's 250th birthday, my husband and I saw Young Washington. We both really enjoyed it. The acting was well done, and I found it inspiring. We didn't go see fireworks or anything because we can usually see some from our house (which I wish they weren't happening so close to where I live) or on TV / phone / computer. I watched some events that were posted on YouTube.

Like many Americans, I was impressed with many of the visitors from all over the world who came in for the World Cup. I enjoyed watching people discover different things about my country (and have another reason to appreciate air conditioning! Europeans who remarked on the lack thereof in their countries have my sympathies. I don't know how y'all manage without A/C! But I'm hopeful you at least have A/C in your cars?)  I got a kick out of watching people try the different food we have here. I definitely can get behind people trying Texas barbecue. Yes, it really is that big, and yes, that's totally normal for us.

I've worked on and off with Sugar & Frost to increase the word count. I decided I wanted to try and get it up to at least 80k words. It was approximately 77k so I've been going through the entire thing adding description where I can, fixing things I missed or had thought of, but somehow didn't correct before. The story is still important to me, and I have a plan in mind for it.

I continue querying Shifter Secrets.

In my personal life, we continue to have our busyness and things we're doing. My offspring continues to grow and become who they're meant to be. As a mom, I'm realizing other parents saying "Where has the time gone?" makes a lot more sense. I wouldn't necessarily want to go back to the very beginning, but there are moments I wouldn't mind reliving.

Anyway, I hope you all have had a great July!

God bless and have a wonderful day!

It's June, It's June, It's June...

 Happy Thursday!

Wow. This  is the last full week of June (next week is just Sunday-Tuesday and then we start July!)

I continue to write, and I continue to await query responses for Shifter Secrets and contemplate how to get Sugar & Frost to readers. I've started the process of going through Sugar & Frost to see where I can expand on the descriptions, etc. I'm trying to increase the word count from 77k to at least 80k. It's doable, it's just going to take time. Both Sugar & Frost and Shifter Secrets are stories I'm determined  that I will somehow get to readers. I can't say for certain how, yet, but I'm determined. I wrote them to be shared, not to keep them to myself.

UnhingedPit pitching event is happening TODAY! (Check X/Twitter and BlueSky for info). I've got the privilege of being UnhingedPit's Official Ambassador. UnhingedPit is also celebrating 2 years of unhinged fun today, so Happy Birthday / Unhinged-iversary, UnhingedPit!

As for other stories, I'm playing it by ear. I've been working on several projects, so we'll see what happens.

June also marked 60 years my parents have been married (they got married on June 10, 1966). They were high school sweethearts. Yes, they're still alive. I'm deeply grateful to them, their marriage, and commitment to God, each other, their family, friends, and community at large. They taught me a lot about what it meant to have a successful marriage, to be a wife, friend, companion, and to be a faith-filled person.

Father's Day was an ordinary day in my household (we didn't really do anything to celebrate, but that's okay, I've got something in mind; I just couldn't get it ready when I had originally intended to do so), but I'm grateful to Real Life Hero's constant support and despite ups and downs, continuing on. He's got a real sense of responsibility, which has been very, very helpful over the years. He's been my hero on more than one occasion, and my best friend.

I hope your start to the Summer has been fun and that fathers everywhere had a great Father's Day! God bless to you all.

Have A Thrillingly Terrific Thursday!

May Possibilities & Writing..

 Happy Wednesday!

Yes, I changed the title graphic banner on here. It's to match what I have on my social media pages. Please bear with me as I try to adjust the settings/layout. I'm not the most knowledgeable about these things, but I have someone I can ask to help me.

Currently I'm querying Shifter Secrets, my YA Fantasy Romance featuring wolf-shifters. I haven't written a story featuring any kind of shifters in a long time, but that's okay. My long-time critique partner (who has read just about every manuscript I've written in the last 16 years) and my long-time beta reader (who has been with me about as long and read almost all my manuscripts written in the last 16 years) said Shifter Secrets is some of my best work. It's got more personal aspects for me, but I won't tell what...I'll let the reader guess! It's a bit more on the serious side that Sugar & Frost, but it still has some humor in it (gotta love the male main character, Vest Plenilune's, cousin, Xavier--he's hilarious in my opinion and the female main character, Mauri Kipp, is sweet, but has a secret she's dealing with that isn't an easy thing).

Sugar & Frost is currently on hold. This does not mean it is permanently shelved--I have every intention of getting it out to readers somehow, I just haven't decided what path to take to make that happen. I know what I want to do, but I may have to adjust my wants to something I can do at this time. I still love the story (it's my long-time beta reader's favorite--even thought beta reader said Shifter Secrets is some of my best work) and it's one of my favorite things I've written. I love the story, the characters, the magical/cozy aspects, including some humor. It features fairies, elves as tall as humans (male main character Chase Frost), magic, a feud, a delusional would-be rival to the female main character, Kallie Sugar, it's all so fun. Not to mention Kallie's family lives above the family owned-and-operated bakery. If you like cinnamon rolls, cookies, pies, etc...and a fun coffee shop that's right across the street from the bakery, you'll have fun with this.

I like to think my work would sit comfortably (with more magical elements than the following examples) beside Kasie West's P.S. I Like You, Maybe This Time, and Places We've Never Been or perhaps near Jenny Han's To All The Boys I Loved Before, but on the more sweet end of romance (and again, with magical type elements). Lots of yearning (go read Becky Dean's Love Unmasked for context....or with Eliza Prokopovits' Regency Magic Faerie Tales series (that does have magical elements)--although, mine are set in current time period rather than the past)...or something fun like Eva Austin's My Favorite Color Is series.

Fairytales (or Faerie Tales, whichever spelling you prefer) definitely influence my writing. I've loved many of them (which explains me gravitating towards Eliza Prokopovits' series and Shonna Slayton's Beauty's Rose, etc.)

In any case, that's some of what I've been doing this month--as well as writing another manuscript and working on research for yet another manuscript that will have a historical aspect to it (brush off those Buddy Holly, Paul Anka, etc albums!) My unfinished manuscript file folder seems to grow. LOL

I hope you all have been having a wonderful May. Can you believe it's already the last week of this month? The year seems to fly by (at least, for me, it does!)

God bless! Have a wonderfully whimsical Wednesday and a joyful June!

April There & Gone...

 Hi Everyone!

Hope April has been a nice one for you...if not, maybe May will be one.

Anyway, April got away from me before I could post a monthly post. I've been writing, and various real life things.

Hopefully I'll do better about getting a May post up before that month is over!

I wish you all the best. God bless!

Time Marches On...

 Hi Everyone!

As March winds down (it's already March 30th??!!), and we've started Holy Week, I realize I haven't posted a monthly post for March, so here we go:

Real Life: After about 3 weeks of dealing with the flu (first eldest got it, then youngest, then me. Husband escaped it--I have a couple of theories why, but nothing that I know for a fact is the reason). Youngest seems to keep eating something that makes him have issues--luckily, I pretty much can nail down what those things are, so we can avoid them in the future. Eldest and I are okay. I've got my last dose of Tamiflu to have with dinner tonight.

Writing Life:  Still got some stuff out for Sugar & Frost. I've gotten back to working on edits on Shifter Secrets, and progress has been made on it--I'm hoping to finish implementing the edits I'm putting in based off of my critique partner's notes (I've already put in what I want to do in the files that I had sent my CP, I just have to put them in my master copy).

As for Holy Week itself, I haven't fully figured out what I'm going to do--other than on Friday I plan to put aside all writer related things and social media in honor of it being Good Friday.

April marks a much of birthdays in my family, so there is that coming up.

I hope you've had a great March and that you have a peaceful/prayerful Holy Week and a lovely, blessed Easter! God bless.

Have A marvelously merry Monday!

February Follow-Up...

 Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Hope everyone is doing well. This will be a very short post --in many good ways February has been rather uneventful, but it's also been uneventful in ways that I wish had been more eventful, so it's been an okay month--not too bad. My eldest had a birthday, one of my brothers is a February birthday, one of my cousins had a birthday, and one of  my sisters had a wedding anniversary. So there are those things. :-)

I'm writing and editing, but other than that there isn't any author life news to report.

In my personal life, I've gotten some things taken care of for a family event happening later this year. It should be fun!

Pitch events have already happened on X, BlueSky, and Instagram Threads, so 2026 has had a strong start so far in that respect.

AND! If you missed a certain posts by @UnhingedPit (and ones by me) on X (Twitter) and BlueSky, I recommend you go check!

My St. Valentine's Day was rather quiet given we had a storm blowing through here in the evening. It's okay. I don't mind. But I hope all of you had a lovely St. Valentine's Day!

So, for now, just plugging along with the daily stuff. We'll see what March brings!

Have a Wonderfully Whimsical Wednesday!

January Bringing 2026...

 Happy Wednesday Everyone!

It's January...it's 2026...can you believe it? Sometimes I have to sit and think about this. When I was younger (teens and younger, that is), the concept of 2026 would've been so foreign, I probably would've given you an odd look. It always seemed so far away, but here we are!

My Christmas and New Year's were nice. Christmas was quiet at home--which was fine--and the following week, we were over at one of my sister's house to meet up with my younger brother and his family from out of town, and my parents live nearby. My sister lives approximately 40-45 minutes driving from me, and since the drive is too much for me to handle (I'm hate driving in general, and that sort of distance with all the other drivers who act like they own the road and are out to test their limits of survival, it's rather stressful for me to drive, so husband does the longer distances when he's off from work, while I do the shorter, daily stuff when he's not off). We had a nice visit with my family, and the new year has looked a lot like the previous one so far--but every year has its own things, so we'll see what happens.

Sugar & Frost is still in the querying stage. Some things happened last year, so waiting to see what may or may not happen with all that this year.

I've been editing Shifter Secrets. Both my long-time critique partner and long-time beta reader say it's some of my best writing. I'm not done editing it, though.

I'm still happily the Official Ambassador for #UnhingedPit on X(Twitter) and BlueSky and I'm looking forward to seeing what "The bosses" (as I call them) have planned. I know a little, but not all the plans...stuff gets revealed when it's time to reveal it

Real Life Hero (my husband) had a birthday this month, so Happy Birthday, RLH! He's still my hero (which is a good thing, since we're married and have no plans not to be married to each other).

Hope you all are having a fun 2026 so far and wish you the best! May God bless you in this year and always.

Have A Wonderfully Whimsical Day!

November...OOPS NO, It's DECEMBER!

 Hey Everyone!

I know, I know...I missed posting in November. Sorry about that. I suppose I never did figure out what I wanted to post and then the month was over.

My Thanksgiving was quiet, but nice. Normally we'd go to my sister's house. This year we were at home, which was fun (and I mean that, I'm not being sarcastic).

December has been an interesting realm of trying to remember the things that need to get done. I'm writing this a few days before I'll be posting this entry, so at the moment, I still have to finish writing up Christmas cards--I've got about half of them done, the good news is I don't send out a ton, but they still have to get done (I don't think they all have stamps, either--I gotta get more of those, too!) Shopping for the Offspring is mostly done. Youngest needs some clothes because youngest outgrew some stuff. I need some items, myself; however, I'm so picky that the likelihood of me getting anything new is slim. LOL (A friend did get me a new top that I really do like). 

I'm waiting on some responses regarding Sugar & Frost. I still love the story. I've been editing Shifter Secrets (slowly) and writing.

I've also been reading. While I've been reading a variety of things, throughout the year, I've often gone back to Shonna Slayton's Beauty's Rose. It's one of my "comfort" reads. I love that story so much. I've lost count how many times I've read it.

Anyway, I hope you all have a great rest of your Advent Season and a very Merry Christmas! Have a blessed New Year! The next post I plan to put up will be in 2026. 

Have A Marvelously Merry Monday!

Something Fun: A Playlist!

 Hi Everyone!

Amid all the preparation for Christmas and other holidays, sometimes we need a minute to just relax. Don't worry, I've got a regular post scheduled to go up on this blog on Monday (Dec. 22, 2025), but I thought for the weekend, how about something a little different? So, to that end, I thought I'd share the playlist for Sugar & Frost.

Sugar & Frost is a YA Fantasy I'm currently querying. It features the cold and aloof Chase Frost, and the sweet and new-to-town Kalea "Kallie" Sugar (whose family used to be residents of North Pole Village, but Kallie was born in Hawaii, so this is a switch for her!) It's a book near and dear to my heart.

Funny thing is, while the story itself has a contemporary time period setting, I got the idea that most of the songs on the playlist would be ones from the 1980s. Why? I suppose in part because I thought it would be funny and fun; but maybe also because the story is dedicated to my seven (yes, 7) siblings (Yes, I'm one of 8 kids). So, here you go:

SUGAR & FROST

Playlist (Mostly 80s, even though it’s a contemporary—current time period—setting)

Take On Me – Ah-Ha

Opposites Attract – Paula Abdul

Invisible Touch – Phil Collins

Tell Her About It – Billy Joel

Lost In Your Eyes – Debbie Gibson

The Search Is Over – Survivor

The Longest Time – Billy Joel

Like The Weather – 10,000 Maniacs

Lonely Is The Night – Air Supply

I Think We’re Alone Now – Tiffany

In The Air Tonight – Phil Collins

Dis-moi Si Je T'aime – Celine Dion

Only You – Yaz

The Promise – When In Rome

Baby, I Love You – The Ramones version

Stuck With You – Huey Lewis & The News

You’re The Inspiration – Chicago 

NOT actually from the 1980s, but referenced in the story itself:

The Christmas Waltz Frank Sinatra’s version

Have a wonderful weekend!

October Autumn Has Come...

 Hi Everyone!

Hope you all have had a wonderful October! Halloween (All Hallow's Eve) is almost here, and I've seen plenty of autumn and Halloween decorations. (I'm not a fan of spooky stuff, but there are some traditions that I think can be fun for families).

Querying update:  I continue to query Sugar & Frost. Right now, nothing new to report on.

Editing update:  I'm still editing Shifter Secrets, but I've been making some progress. It's a wolf-shifter YA Fantasy. The romance is more on the sweet side. I do trend more sweet than spicy with pretty much all my work especially the manuscripts I'm working on, now.

Real Life: Real Life continues to have its own ups and downs and moments of busyness, which I'm sure the same for most people. My birthday came and it was nice. I got some lovely greetings and gifts. My siblings went in on a very nice gift card to Two Dumb Dames (the best fudge ever in my opinion--the shop has been family owned and operated since 1979, by the same family/families. It's located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and yes, they do ship--at least in the US--I don't know about outside the US). I love this place and even though I have tried many types of fudge and this is the best (sorry to my Michigan relatives, it's even better than Mackinac Island's fudge--which I also have had). However, the most awesome Christmassy store to visit is in, fact, located in Michigan. Bronner's is one of my "happy places". I've been there oh, I don't know, at least 3 or more times. It's located in Frankenmuth, MI, and worth a visit if you get a chance!

The weather has gotten a bit cooler in my part of Texas, which is something I appreciate (some days we've had a lovely breeze). I like this type of weather--not burning up hot, but not so cold. So, it's been nice.

Hope you all have been having a wonderful October!

Have a Thrillingly Terrific Thursday!

A Philosophical Interlude Mid-October...

 Hi Everyone!

October is moving along and we're halfway through the month already. I say it often, but I can't help it. It seems like time goes a lot faster the older I get than it did when I was younger. Reminds me of a Clint Black song, "Slow As Christmas", but I think it illustrates other passages of time, too.

Anyway, this post isn't going to be an update post, but rather something I was thinking about recently. I might do an update post before the end of the month--I don't know, yet. But I do try to post a blog post at least once a month, so here we go.

I'm feeling a little philosophical (I guess that's the effect of having watched a video that was giving more explanation and nuance to a scene in a musical that I hadn't noticed/realized--not too surprising since I can be oblivious--before; and yes, I like em dashes!) So, I want to propose ideas that may or may not resonate with people, but stuff I've thought about:

Some people have criticized Cinderella, Snow White, and the classical stories. They say that the heroines had no agency (or not enough agency) or that they're seen as flimsy, wispy creatures just waiting around for the prince to rescue them.

Well, I beg to differ.

Let's start with Cinderella, shall we? (since I've thought the most about this character--that is, Cinderella herself--regarding my theory). I don't see her as weak, or without agency, or whatever else people put forward as a negative attribute of hers. In the estimated time period that her story takes place (going way back to Grimm Brothers, but let's face it, theirs is not the story we're all most familiar with, or one I even prefer because the concept of chopping up one's feet like the stepsisters do is just shudder-inducing to me, so we won't focus on that, but the general concept of the story). A young girl in a time period where girls had very few options if their fathers/protectors died or were unable to provide for them, we see Cinderella left at the mercy of a stepmother who hates her either because she's jealous and/or she doesn't want anyone getting in the way of her ambitions for her daughters. We see the stepsisters following their mother's lead and confining Cinderella to the role of servant (or rather, I'd say slave) to sleep in the ashes. But according to the most well-known versions of the story, Cinderella doesn't turn bitter, spiteful, or vengeful. Instead, she maintains her gentle spirit, kindness, and hope that somehow her fortunes can/will change. I don't see her and the prince as necessarily just "insta-love" but as recognizing in the other something they lack--for Cinderella the prince represents/is a kind and charming person who will respect and care for her as her stepfamily has failed to do, someone she can be an equal partner with in life, someone who cherishes her. The prince sees Cinderella as someone he hopes he would have--not just a fawning creature, but an ideal for him to aspire to--something to inspire him to greatness. So, Cinderella rises above the mire and temptations that would've led her to revenge and ill-will--if she followed those temptations--to be inspiration to another and have someone whom she can love, respect, and honor as well. They're equals no matter the status quo.

Snow White is a story that could have multiple meanings or ideas--ranging from innocence to waking into adulthood, etc. However, despite the surface appearance of a "passive" heroine, let's take a deeper look into her circumstances and time period. Snow While has no where to go when her father passes and the Evil Queen takes over. Where could she go? Perhaps townsfolk would take her in--but they likely wouldn't because they would be afraid to defy the queen. Or maybe they don't know what's going on in the castle, and Snow White in her tenderness and innocence doesn't want to burden her people with her troubles. And instead of turning on the woman, Snow White gently accepts her lot despite how horrible her stepmother is to her. She maintains her grace, dignity, and hope. And bravery. For in the midst of almost being killed, she manages to get through the forest, and find a place. While this place houses rough miners (dwarves), who could present a problem, they see in Snow White a girl who needs protecting--enlivening their sense of purpose beyond just their day job. She inspires them to be more than just what their life has given them (mining) to be there for someone most in need. Her being poisoned could be seen as an opportunity for a man to forget his own selfishness to rescue someone and dedicate his life to someone in need. Or, in the case of the Disney version where in some ways the palace in the clouds looks a lot like them going to Heaven--in that instance, the prince could be her Guardian Angel bringing her to her final reward for her patience and kindness in spite of her circumstances. A reward for her integrity, if you will.

These are just two fairytales, but I could probably find a brighter/happier meaning in most of them. Perhaps some might find it wishful thinking or believe I'm naive or whatever, but that's okay. I'd rather look at them as an opportunity to learn and grow.

Growing up, I always thought the concept of the prince rescuing the princess as beautiful and sweet. A man realizing that someone special in his life needs him. She gives him purpose and strength to be the protector and defender of those under his protection/purview--making him see he's more than just a prince, or a man, he is someone who has a duty a real purpose--an admirable goal of being the best version of himself. He must rise above his own selfish desires, for something more beautiful and far more valuable than his mere station in life. It's a call to action--the "willing the best good of another" (a definition of love that I strive to follow). Many guys I've known in my life have longed for (even if they didn't say so or know this consciously) this type of a purpose--to be more than just "some guy", but to have meaning in their lives. For many of them, to have a special woman whom they could aspire to be a hero to.

Anyway, it's just something to consider/think about. You, dear readers, are free to reject my suppositions/theories; however, I prefer to look at fairytales through these lenses. I like to believe it's something wonderful and beautiful--or, for those who believe in God, striving towards what is above.

I hope your October is going well so far. God bless you! Have a Fabulously Fun Friday!

Super Quick September Update...

 Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Wow, September is OVER tomorrow; today being September 30, 2025--the last day of the month.

Writer's Life News:  Still querying Sugar & Frost. Hopeful about a couple of things. We'll see. Editing Shifter Secrets, my YA Fantasy with wolf-shifters in it.  It's going slowly, but I've made some progress.

Life outside of the writing world: Busy on some days, not as much, others. So pretty typical. My youngest was sick over one of the weekends, but luckily the worst of it only lasted 24 hrs, and the next couple of days were recovery, so by Monday (after getting sick on a Friday) youngest seemed much better, which we were all very happy about.

I'm going to make this super short because I want to get this in before tomorrow (October 1). So I'll see you in October!

Have A Terrific Tuesday Night!

It's All About August..

 Hi Everyone!

End of August is coming up, and thus, it's time for a monthly update from yours truly.

Currently, I'm waiting on some responses on queries for Sugar & Frost. There's been a bit more interest since #UnhingedPit and #questpit, so that's great. I love this story so much, that I'm happy with other people get interested. As far as I'm concerned, it's a fun read. I call it the "book of my heart" because it's just exactly something I'd pick up as a reader and cuddle up with a comfy blanket in a chair, couch, or in bed, with something hot to drink and just enjoy. I also dedicated it to my siblings, so there is a personal aspect to it, too.

Other manuscripts:  Moonrise Pack: Shifter Secrets (YA Fantasy, wolf shifters, sweet romance) is in edits--I finally sat down and started working on it. I'm not very far along in the editing, yet, but hopeful about polishing it. I had made a poster for it for #PosterPit since they allow WIPs (Works In Progress) and I emphasized that it was in the editing process. But it is written. There are some personal aspects to it and that surprised me. I was ignoring the whisper that said "Hey, this aspect is like you..." until I finally said "Yeah, that is like me." so that was an interesting experience.

Writing: I'm currently working on a manuscript that is a little different--a bit on the "quieter" side (no major magical battles) but no less magical elements and no less emotional or romantic. The fun part is, my characters are rather oblivious that they're falling for each other--so that's been fun to write.

School has started back up for many people, and I hope it's a good year for teachers, staff, and students. I still can't believe we're already starting up a new school year. Seems like summer just began!

Anyway, I hope you all have had a great August and that September goes well for you. God bless!

Have A Fantastically Fabulous Friday!

Time For July Update...

 Happy Tuesday All,

Once again, I'm posting the monthly post near the end of the month. But oh well. I was pretty busy during part of the beginning of the month, so I thought I'd wait until after so that I could mention some of it here.

I got to hang out with 2 out of 3 of my Girls' Night Out Ladies. These ladies are my besties and I've known them a long time. We had a nice dinner out and then hung out at a coffee/sweet shop until they closed. The last time we'd all been together was in 2019. I'd seen them on and off, but not all of us together. So, that was a wonderful thing to have happen this month.

#UnhingedPit--a pitching event held on X and BlueSky happened. Authors pitch their manuscripts but in unconventional ways. The two ladies who run the event decided to make me their ambassador (it's sort of a funny story--they liked my enthusiasm when it was first developed in 2024, and after a while we got to talking and that was that). It was so much fun! Well, I usually have fun anyway. I enjoy being a part of the team and participating. The pitches were super creative--which is one of the best parts of the event is seeing all the ideas/ways people come up with to pitch their manuscripts.

I finished another manuscript, but I still have to edit it. I've been working on one of my unfinished manuscripts at the moment. I have other unfinished manuscripts, of course, but I can't work on all of them all at the same time, so I pick and choose which one to focus on at any given time.

I know I'm not giving a lot of details. There are some things going on, but I don't know what will pan out (if anything) so if there is something to report, I'll mention it. For now, I hope you all have had a great July. 

Can you believe that it's almost August already? It seems like the year has flown by!

God bless you.😊

Have A Totally Terrific Tuesday!

BONUS Post: Resource Central (Or, A bit of an update to my Road-mapping post)

 Hi Everyone!

I've decided to provide a post that was just a whole list of resources and info for authors. I've done this before (I think it was 2017) so yeah, it's time for updating. I've done the legwork of inserting hyperlinks so that all you have to do is click on the links of whatever item you're most interested in. There is a TON of information out there for authors and it can be overwhelming to search and file through websites/social media platforms, so hopefully this post can help take some of the stress out of your search. This is by no means an exhaustive list of resources, it's just some that I know about and some that I've even used. At the very end I provide a basic template for constructing a pitch line for your manuscript (this template has helped me tremendously!)

Let's Start With Websites/Resources:

Manuscript Academy -- Offers workshops and events for authors in various stages of their careers. Also offers consultations with editors from publishing houses, and literary agents.

Manuscript Wish List--Run by the people at the Manuscript Academy, has a huge database of literary agents and editors--the agents and editors post their wish lists there.

#MSWL: A lot of literary agents and acquiring editors use this hashtag on X and BlueSky when talking about what sort of manuscripts they'd like to see.

Savvy Authors: All kinds events and workshops for authors.

Association of American Literary Agents   Literary Agents who are members have to adhere to a certain code of conduct. This doesn't mean if an agent is not a member that they're a bad agent, though. It's a site an author can use to research agents.

Absolute Write Water Cooler: A forum for authors with info on literary agents and publishers (and can help with avoiding scams).

Writer Beware: Run by author Victoria Strauss, who keeps up with scams, news, etc in the writing and publishing industry.

Query Tracker (Query Manager): Some agents and publishers use this resource. There is an option to use it for free--but if you want full access, it's $25 (USD) per year.

Query Shark (Janet Reid): While Janet Reid has passed away (April 14, 2024), the previous entries and advice is still available on the blog. By looking through her advice that she gave authors over the years, an author can implement the advice to perfect their query letters.

#WritingCommunity: A hashtag you can search on X and BlueSky that authors, publishers, and literary agents often use to chat about current events, give advice, or offer services. (Doesn't cost anything to search this hashtag as of July 2025).

Various Literary agencies often post information for authors with the query process or submitting to publishers. A lot of it is found on YouTube. There are also a variety of podcasts, too.

Alyssa Matesic: Editor (who has worked for at least one Big 5 Publishers) has a HUGE amount of information available on YouTube. (she also has a website).

BookFox (industry professional) (John Matthew Fox) offers a ton of advice for authors on YouTube (and has a website).

Writer's Market is a book that is updated every year. You can find the 2025 version on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

PITCH EVENTS:

There are several and they are run at all different times. Some only operate on BlueSky and some operate on both X and BlueSky.

#UnhingedPit: A pitching event that uses unconventional methods to pitch a manuscript. (I'm their ambassador, so of course I had to mention this one first LOL). It's loads of fun and open to authors in various genres. The last event was on both BlueSky and X. You can find the rules and other info on BlueSky.     You can also find it on X.

#BluePit is specific to BlueSky. It is a pitching event, but it often also lists upcoming pitching events.

#PlaylistPit is a new (as of July 2025) an event that authors can participate in either (or both) BlueSky and also on X. Authors use lyrics to help pitch their manuscripts.

#QuestPit is (in their words): "a writers hype event that welcomes industry participation" Writers at any stage (whether writing, editing, or querying) can participate in this event. Held on X and BlueSky.

#SmallPit is for finished manuscripts. Authors can pitch to small/indie publishers. You can find info on BlueSky and also on X.

#PosterPit is a pitching event where authors turn their manuscripts into movie posters. (It's fairly new, with having only had one event, but the next one for 2025 is in August). It's held on X and on BlueSky.

#PitchDis is a pitching event opened to disabled (this includes neurodivergent) authors only. The next one, set for September 2025 and will be held on the PitchDis website.

There are several other pitching events--some are genre specific (like #CuPit which is for Romance authors and will be held on February 14, 2026 and #MiseryPit which is for Mystery and Thriller authors and the next one will be held on July 5, 2025--I'm writing this on July 4, 2025 if you're needing perspective or see this post after July 5). And there are other kinds of pitch events that are held throughout the year on both platforms--BlueSky and X. I don't have the time to list all of them here, but info on them is pretty easy to find on either BlueSky and/or X.

AUTHOR GROUPS:

There are a myriad of author groups out there--some are genre specific, and some are not.

One genre specific group is SFWA (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association).

Another is SCBWI --The Society of Children's Book Writers And Illustrators.

To find local or your genre author groups, I advise doing a web search (Google or whatever search engine you use).

Pitch Line Constructing Template:

This is a basic way to set up your pitch (I've seen various versions of this construct and I've found it really helpful). [CHARACTER(S)] in [status quo] until [inciting incident]. 

So you take your main characters (let's use Georgette Heyer's The Grand Sophy) One might pitch Georgette Heyer's novel this way using the template: When Charles meets his cousin, Sophy Stanton-Lacy, he's unprepared for how she'll turn his well-ordered life upside down and take hold of his heart in spite of her absurd antics. (This is a bit simplistic an "on-the-fly" pitch I constructed here, but I just wanted to create an example).

By the way, you can find The Grand Sophy on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It's one of my favorite Georgette Heyer novels. I think Sophy is hilarious with how she just seems to brush everything off. It made me laugh.

In Conclusion

Like I said in the beginning, there is so much info out there. And, if you're an author who knows of a book, website, or person who can help authors (whether constructing pitches, query letters, synopsis, or general information on the writing craft itself or genre-specific advice) please do post the info (complete with links) in the comment section. Thank you!

June Passing By...

 Happy Monday!

It's the last day of June and I can't believe July starts tomorrow. This month felt a bit like a whirlwind, but there were several lovely moments.

June 10th marked 59 years that my parents had been married. I didn't get to see them on that day, but I did wish them a happy anniversary. They've been such a special example and inspiration for me. (One of my best friends got married on their anniversary and when I found out I said, "You know, that's my parents' anniversary?" My friend responded: "I KNEW it was a good day to get married!").

Two of my out-of-town siblings came in for a few days on Father's Day weekend and I got to see them, as well as my sibling that lives near my parents. We had a nice weekend celebrating Father's Day. Saturday early evening we were at a Mexican restaurant and then Sunday evening had barbecue at my in-town sibling's house. It was very nice. My father is not only a father, but a grandfather, and a great-grandfather, so he's got lots of experience in the fatherhood area. It's an honor and a privilege to be one of his daughters (he has several daughters).

I've still got a few queries out on Sugar & Frost.

I'm working on several other manuscripts--one in particular that I'm almost done writing. The editing will be a process (it always is, though).

I've been enjoying Season 5 of The Chosen--I've been a fan since the early days, and I'm pleased with how well it's taken off (not that I'm super surprised, it's an incredibly well-done show--although, I will say, if you're looking for totally following word-for-word of the Bible, you're going to find out that it doesn't and that they always say to go back and read the Bible--but it's true to the main things that happened regardless of order or anything like that). It's been lovely to see Jesus portrayed as not just with his divinity, but with the whole range of humanity. It's fun to think of Him laughing and cracking jokes with the apostles and having a tender relationship with His mother.

Anyway, tomorrow starts July! Already half way through the summer (well, for Texas we'll probably have really hot weather for a bit longer than some people--and some winters it doesn't get very cold at all!) God bless to you all, and have a great rest of June.

Hope you all have a marvelously merry Monday!

It's May (For A Few More Days)..

 Happy Thursday!

I can hardly believe it's the last week of May. It feels a bit like a whirlwind. 

On May 8th, Real Life Hero and I celebrated our wedding anniversary. We've been married for over 20 years now. We went out to the Cheesecake Factory and had a lovely dinner (and brought up slices of cheesecake for the offspring). We don't usually spend that much on an dinner out, but it was anniversary, so we splurged. It's funny to think how back when I was getting married I had trouble imagining 20 years down the line and here I am past that. I love my Real Life Hero and he's stuck with me until death (when I hope we go to Heaven).

At this time I won't be reporting any news on Sugar & Frost. I don't feel like I have anything I'd like to share about it at this time. (There are still some queries out).

I'm still writing and working on several manuscripts. Two of them I think I'll keep just for me unless I change my mind one day. The others, we'll see what happens. They're not even done being written, so I don't know, yet.

Father's Day is in about two weeks. Where'd the time go?

I'm going to keep this entry really short. I'm pretty private about my "real life", so I won't go into details on that. Things aren't bad, it's just I prefer to keep my posts author life related rather than personal life related.

Anyway, I hope you all have had a lovely May! God bless.

Have A Terrifically Thrilling Thursday!

April Springing...

 Happy Thursday All!

Yes, I know...normally I would post my monthly blog post earlier, but this time it's taken me more than one day to write this post. At first, I needed to figure out what I wanted to post about. And then, it kept feeling like it (the post) wasn't ready.

Querying: Sugar & Frost is the "book of my heart" so far. I had the most fun writing it and I totally fell in love with the characters. I really believe in this story. It's just so sweet and fun. Like a warm blanket on a cold day. I got asked by an agent to send some more pages (I had done some not-insignificant editing--after asking this agent if I might revise & resubmit--I don't know what will become of that; and it wasn't a full request, but still, it was nice that the agent wanted more pages). Despite the situation at hand, I did have one agent comment that "the writing is solid". So, that's something. As I said, this story is incredibly special to me and I do believe in it. I don't know what readers will think, I only know that writing it was one of the best experiences I'd had with writing in a while.

Writing: I've got several new manuscripts in various stages of incompletion--I have yet to meet an author who doesn't have a file folder of such things. Currently two of them have been taking my attention. I started off the first one--and it was flowing nicely. Then, one day, I had an idea for a sequel/companion story, and off I went to write book 2 (yes, before book 1 is finished). I got approximately 35k to 40k written on book 2 and then...realized I had ideas for book 1, so now I've been working on book 1 (again) and have gone over 60k words so far.

I don't know if I'll keep them to amuse myself, or try to get them published. I do write a bit with the idea that they might be out in the public one day, but I also try not to let that be a focus. It's been really nice because it keeps me writing and the old imagination going, without the pressure of me thinking "Okay, I want to get this done by x, and into querying by x." I've got no set schedule for them, just getting the story onto the page and then I'll take it from there.

Reading: Recently, I re-read an old favorite of mine (I've loved this particular story since...oh gee, before I was a teen, I think). It's Beverly Cleary's Fifteen. One of the sweetest, gentlest, most heart-warming tales I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I've read it several times over the years and it still makes me smile. It's not particularly long, but it does have a satisfying ending.

As for everything else--real life just keeps moving forward as it seems to always do.

Have A Terrific Tuesday!

March marches In...

 Happy Friday and Happy March!

Been busy working on a manuscript of mine and playing with some new ideas for new stories and ideas for existing unfinished manuscripts. No new updates on the querying front to report back on, yet, but hopefully some good news will come!

We've now entered the season of Lent. As a Catholic, this season is a time for repentance, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and reflection. I look at it as a time for not just repenting of sin--but really working on one's relationship with Jesus in a more intense and focused--the word 'intentional' comes to mind--way to make it a part of you rather than just something you do for Lent. Every Christian has their own approach Lent, and since I'm no Theologian, I won't go into much detail here. I do wish everyone a fruitful and prayerful Lent.

Not long ago, I got a new laptop computer. My other one is still working but I was having some issues. So I talked to a friend of mine that knows a lot about computers and he recommended I get a new one. I'm still getting accustomed to the new computer's quirks and idiosyncrasies, but it's not too bad so far. I'm also getting used to the whole Microsoft Word updates (on my old computer I had a different Microsoft set-up and I didn't have access to all of Word's features) so learning where everything is (it's not really difficult, it just looks a little different to me and so I'm figuring it out--but I've got most of the basics! I'm a little scared to open Excel given the adjusting I've had to do! LOL).

I recently (either in February or this month) read Gail Carson Levine's Ogre Enchanted --a Midgrade(MG) Fantasy (which has been out for many years, but I can't recall if I ever knew it and to my knowledge, I've never read it). I'd enjoyed many of her other books, and I had never read that one, so I checked out the digital audio version. It's pretty good. I can't decide if it's a prequel or a sequel to the events of Ella Enchanted, but it features everyone's favorite (or non-favorite) bumbling fairy, Lucinda. And while it's a fun story, Ella Enchanted is still the one I like best. Let me know in the comments what you're reading--be sure to include the genre!

St. Patrick's Day is this month...so don't forget to wear green. It's also someone in my family's birthday. :-)

Anyway, I wish you a wonderful March. And if you observe the Lenten season, may it be fruitful and hopeful. God bless you.

Have a fantastically fabulously fun Friday!

February Post, Short But Sweet...

Happy Thursday and February!

I decided to take a little longer to write my monthly blog post. It was just as well since things were crazy last month with illness sweeping through my house. (Every member of the Averie household has had some illness within the last 2 months--including Averie Cat). So, we're hoping to be healthier this month (although I'm having some allergy issues).

I continue working on things for Sugar & Frost and when I can, I'll let you all know what's going on (no, I don't have a contract with an agent and/or publisher, yet, but some things have happened, but I'm not ready to mention them publicly, yet).

We had the dubious honor of replacing our water heater recently, but the service person put it on such a high temperature that hot water was scalding! We had to adjust the hot water for various things and then when my husband came home he went up and adjusted it so hot water wouldn't be quite so blistering.

Once I'm in a place where I feel I can share about Sugar & Frost, I'll have more news. For now, I wish everyone a very Happy St. Valentine's Day and hope your February is fabulous!

Have a terrific Thursday!