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!

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!

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!

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!

Ready For "Ber" Months; Here's September...

Happy Friday Everyone!

September has arrived! For some reason August seemed a little slower than other months, but then I thought how about how school days started back up and I was like "Wait...didn't we just enter summertime?"

Let me think....August was busy. Some things that have been important to my family over the years have closed. Whether price, attendance, or whatever, they closed. One of those has been resolved, while we work on others.

As for writing...yes, progress is being made. I've been editing Sugar & Frost and I still love it. I've been editing for a while, now, but polishing my manuscripts the best I can before querying is important. I really hope readers will like it / love it, too. It's such a fun story!

I've also made progress on other things I need for querying. Major work on my blurb is done, thanks to the help of my long-time critique partner. When I sent it to her, and she sent me back her suggestions, ideas started coming. I think it's much better now. Yet another reason for polishing and editing! The synopsis has been drafted and I'm working on that as well. So, things are coming together. :-)

As for the month of September itself...I'm all right with some cooler weather, but I will / have already offered up at least one prayer for us not to have ice or snow. In 2021, we had what I dubbed "Snowmeggedon". While I do like the remodel on our kitchen, I'm not in any hurry to remodel anything else or have any other problems. We've had quite a few things we need to fix this year already, so a break would be nice. I wouldn't turn down 55-65 degree weather, though. That sounds nice. For those of you who do get snow regularly in the winter, maybe one day my story will be available to you during those wintry months and you can wrap up in a warm, soft blanket, with your favorite hot beverage, a fire in the fireplace and enjoy my story. That would be a wonderful thing as far as I'm concerned. :-)

In any case, wherever you are and whatever the weather, I wish you a lovely September!

Have A Fabulously Fun Friday!

The August Month Is Here...

 Happy August!

Wow, it's the beginning (or, rather continuation, if you go by what the stores have had in stock for awhile) of back-to-school activity...already. Didn't summer begin like yesterday? Somehow this year has seemed to zip past me at a rate I didn't expect. Then again, I've had plenty to fill my days.

Auto insurance issues continue for the Averie clan. I won't go into detail, but let's just say I'm not impressed. 😑 Oh, and car issues aren't fun, either, but whatever. Just gotta keep going and trust that the Lord will pull you through (the only way I know how to manage).

Hurricane Beryl barreled through my part of Texas and we were without power for about 3-4 days. Not long when you consider how some people were out for at least 2 weeks (maybe more?) But, luckily it wasn't worse. (Someone in my neighborhood had a tree fall on a car! We saw them working on it, they did manage to get the car out. I don't know if it was damaged...it looked like it was mostly okay, though). We had some damage, but not as much as others, which is nothing short of a miracle, for which I do thank God.

I continue to edit Sugar & Frost. I'm going relatively slowly, which is okay. These notes I got back have been helpful and I'm getting some other edits done in the process. I still have at least one more pass (although, likely more than one) left before I feel it is at all ready. But publishing isn't about being fast really, it's about trying to put out your best work. Nobody is perfect, but you try your best.

My husband had some time off, which helped give me more space to work than I would've had, so that's good.

I don't have any major plans for August. Just keep going with what's already going on in my life. Do you have any special plans for the month?

Hope everyone has a great August!

Have A Fabulously Fun Friday!

Time For July...

 Happy Tuesday Everyone!

It's...July? Yep. July. Can you believe it? I know I often say this, but it feels like the month went by very quickly. Or maybe it just seems that way because of all the weird things happening in my life. And, yes, it's hot. (But when isn't it during June and July in Texas?)

Real Life: At the end of May, lightning hit my car (at least, that's what we think happened, didn't SEE it, but based on what we know, that's what we think). Nobody was in it, but the car got damaged and wouldn't work properly. Insurance had it towed and thus began a saga (which is still going on at the time of the writing of this blog post). It's been about 3-4 weeks. We had a rental for a few days, and then had to return it. Then my husband's car had a problem and had to be towed to the dealership. So, husband talked to insurance and told them we were getting a rental because we needed transportation and he needed to get to work. Hopefully all this gets resolved SOON.

Writing Life:  I'm currently not working on writing a novel. But I've been editing Sugar & Frost and it's getting critiques, so I'm excited about that. I love this story. I really do. I feel it's very whimsical (purposely so) and sweet. Yes, there is some serious stuff in it, but mostly I'm hoping my readers will leave with "warm fuzzies". I do have other WIPs (Works In Progress) to be written, but for now this is most of my focus. (I did take some time off from it for a couple or so days just to not get too burned out and be able to find where I need to tweak/adjust/take out, and/or add stuff).

Querying:  I still have a couple of queries out. As for what I'll do with The Forgotten, I haven't made a complete decision. I did some edits on it, but right now I'm just taking a "wait and see" attitude with that one. Who knows? Maybe something will come of queries/pitches for it.

Other Author Stuff: So, I found out about a new pitching event on  X/Twitter called #UnhingedPit. This was incredibly fun. It was meant to be completely unconventional--so you didn't pitch your manuscript the way one normally would and you used older comps (generally comparison titles are ones that were released 5 or less years from present day), so the comparison titles for #UnhingedPit were ones that were older. So far I haven't gotten any agent likes on my pitches for that, but I did have fun with it and I made some new author friends, so to me, that was a success. There are other pitch opportunities coming up (I'm planning on participating in at least one) but this was a fun thing to do.

Blogspot is being weird about font color, so if you're seeing black for some parts of the post and purple for others, I apologize. I tried to make it all purple.

The 4th of July is coming up for the United States. So, Happy Birthday, USA! 

Plans for the July? Pretty much what I've been doing.

Do you have any fun plans for July?

Have a terrific Tuesday!

Hope your July is Joyful!

June Has Arrived...

 Happy June Everyone,

June is here! Yep, it's here. May was more eventful in my real life. So, off we go:

Writer's Life Updates: 

Nothing fun to report on the query front with the YA Fantasy I've been querying. I still have a couple out.

Editing:

I've got a YA Fantasy with a Christmassy theme to it. I'm enjoying getting it polished. I hope to start querying it, soon. I'm not sure what 'soon' is, yet, though.

Writing:

WIPs (Works In Progress) that I'm writing are on hold (for the most part) while I edit.

Other stuff:

I fixed up my Mood Board for the YA Fantasy (Christmassy) story and that's up on my social media accounts (Facebook, X/Twitter, and Instagram).

As for real life...strap on your safety belts: it's a wild ride!

There have been several storms in my part of the world (especially in May). We're all safe, which I thank God for that. 

One particular storm did something strange (well, strange for us, it's never happened before to us!) I was working on edits. Thunderstorm blows up. I listen for a bit and decide it's not too bad and should pass over quickly. No big deal. Then BOOM! Big ole crack of thunder--seems to be right above my house. I felt myself jump. I calmed myself down, backed up my files and shut off the computer.

Later, after both my husband and eldest checked on the car, my husband came in to tell me something was up with it. What he told me baffled me, so I went out to check it out for myself. One of the headlights was on. A small headlight on one side was missing (no clue where it was--didn't see it anywhere). I got in the car and tried to start it. The brake pedal started vibrating/shaking and the engine wouldn't turn over. I tried again. Same thing. Radio came on, but nothing else was really happening. The headlight that was on wouldn't turn off. So, we locked it up, and went inside. Husband called insurance.

Everyone I've talked to has been baffled. All we can think is that lightning hit the vehicle. There were no burn marks or anything anywhere else. The side mirror's glass was hanging from a wire out of the holder, and there was some glass on the ground, but other than that, nothing you could really see. Very grateful to God that none of us were near the car or in the car when this happened.

So, I'm hopeful that June is less weird and doesn't have quite so many storms. So far, we've at least one, but it wasn't bad.

I wish all the fathers a Happy Father's Day and hope everyone has a nice June.

Have A Fabulously Fun Friday!

In Comes March...

 Happy Monday Everyone!

It's MARCH! Can you believe February is already over?

I meant to make this blog post earlier than now, but I was busy with editing, and life, so I had to put the post on hold. Editing is currently done, so I've got some time to post.

So let's see...

Lent has begun, which was punctuated for me by Ash Wednesday. I like to go to church to receive ashes. It was nice. I had my offspring with me--which meant a bit of adventure, but we managed okay.

The Author Encounter is gearing up for its 2nd Annual Authors March Forward events. A little smaller than last year, but still exciting. Watch TAE website and social media for more information. (I'm looking forward to it, as I do all our events because they're informative and fun).

I'm not excited about the clocks moving forward on Sunday, March 13th. Losing an hour of sleep, not fun. I'm sure I'll adjust, though.

Hopefully I'll have some exciting news in April regarding something that has nothing to do with what I was editing or anything I'm querying. For now, I'll just leave this vague statement here and let you, darling readers wonder. (Sorry, sometimes it's fun to keep y'all in anticipation).

February was a rough month because a family member had some health things pop up--thanking the Lord that the family member is okay. I was stressed for a few days and then came my deceased friend's death anniversary (she passed on 9 years ago). I'm hoping March will be better. There is likely to be some nerves about these projects (I hope things go well and all that) Regardless of nerves, I'm looking forward to it all.

There are a lot of things going on in the world right now, and I'm praying about them. I don't want to discuss these things on my blog, but they are in my prayers.

Take care, darling readers. I wish you a good March. Happy St. Patrick's Day, too!

Have A Marvelously Merry Monday!

February Brings A Chill And Romance Fills The Air...

 Happy Friday Everyone!

It's February of 2022! February. Let that sink in a moment. February makes me a bit nervous this year. Last year, on February 15th, we lost power and water, got displaced for about 4.5 months (due to water pipe bursting and needing to fix parts of the house). With the talks of winter storms and things, I'm doing a lot of praying for this year not to have another Snowmeggeddon. (Yes, I'm praying for those who DEFINITELY will be dealing with bad parts of the storm, but I'm also praying that we don't have to go through what we did last year).

In between all this, I'm editing. My freelance editor, the incredibly helpful Deb Ewing finished all passes on my manuscript and now it's down to me doing the final read-through and little nit-picky things. Deb warned me not to get so hung up that I lose the way my story works, which is a fair point. As a writer, you don't want to poke and prod your work into a oblivion and lose the voice that works for it. However, I know that this pass is very necessary (including something that Deb made a note of that I've been watching out for). (By the way, Deb is an AWESOME editor and I highly recommend her. If she has time to work with you on your manuscript, go for it. She gave me great notes).

I've also set up a "10-minute with an Expert" meeting through The Manuscript Academy. I joined under the Gold Membership to take full advantage of what they offer. So far, I'd say if their faculty and workshop offerings look like something up your alley having at least a month or more of a subscription (either Basic or Gold are the choices) with them could benefit a writer. It really depends on where you are with your career, what you're looking for, and what you need assistance on in your own craft. I've attended other of their events before I chose to get a subscription, so having a membership wasn't my first introduction to the company. And, I have to say so far the "10 Minute Meeting With An Expert" seems like a helpful item (they have other meeting options, but I chose this particular one for several reasons--one of them being I wanted to work on my query letter a bit more--I've had at least 3-4 sets of eyes on it including my own, but the chance to have an actual agent look at it is an opportunity that's hard to pass up. (And probably shouldn't be passed up, either, if you find someone on their list that reps what you write).

The Author Encounter continues forward. This year, we plan to have our "mainstay" events (Authors March Forward in March, Traditional Publishing Day in September, Indie Author Day in November). Other things are being worked out. For February's Behind The Page, we're going to have author Robin Covington as a guest.

February is a fantastic month for us romance/romantic writers since it's filled with romance and Valentine's Day prep. Fun fact: there actually existed a real guy named Valentine who was a bishop. I've also read that there is, in fact, more than one St. Valentine. The one I've read about attributed to February 14th  and that he left a note for someone and signed it "Your Valentine". In any case, February 14th has lots of stories attributed to it and if you celebrate the day, I wish you a good one.

Also, yesterday, February 3 marked 63 years since "The day the music died" when Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson "The Big Bopper", Richie Valens, and their pilot, Roger Peterson, died in the famous plane crash (I apologize, I meant to put plane crash and originally had "car crash" that was a typo. And apparently the plane is unnamed, not named "American Pie"). Years later, Don McLean released the song "American Pie" in tribute. Don was a Buddy Holly fan, and so am I. He was very talented, and apparently well-liked by those who knew him. May their souls rest peacefully in Heaven and their music live on.

Lately I seem to be posting once a month, so unless I get some news or have something interesting to post, I'll keep my posting frequency at once a month.

Hope you have a wonderful February and a Fabulously Fun Friday!

2022, A New Year...

 Happy January and Happy New Year 2022 one and all!

There have been many times that I've said this, and I expect many times to say it again: my observation is that every year brings both good and bad. Some years there's more good, some more bad, some in the middle. I don't know what 2022 will be, but I continue to look for blessings.

One of the blessings of 2021, was in spite of Snowmeggeddon (or, rather, because of it) back in February, I got a new kitchen. Now, a storm with broken pipes is not the way I'd PREFER to have gotten this kitchen, but I love it. So, even though the storm sucked and being out of my house for 4 1/2 months wasn't always easy, I got this brand new kitchen that is so much more me and my family than what we moved into when we first got the house.

In August, I got a non-displaced fracture in my shoulder. Yeah, I hadn't known silly detergent had spilled and I wasn't looking to perfect my detergent-skating abilities (or, in this case, inability) but despite it, it meant I got to see my husband's job in action. The ortho doctors allowed him to work with me on my PT, and I've had the chance to experience his expertise and gentleness. He also paid me a compliment, saying "Thank you for not fighting me. Some of my patients do." I had reasoned in my mind the way I do a lot of things that it made no sense for me to fight him since the way to get better was to allow him to do what the doctors told him to do. Yes, it's been a painful process (I won't lie) but I'm improving and learning. Plus, I spend extra time with my husband.

My point in sharing these things is that so many people take the bad and just focus on the bad and never look for any good. Yes, there has been a lot of suffering and that sucks bananas and I'm definitely NOT trying to downplay any of that. I lost people close to me. I mourned. I looked at the junk in the world and cried. But I also turned to my faith and found solace. I learned about joy. I learned that it's okay for joy and sorrow to exist simultaneously. Sometimes they do. I learned a deeper appreciation for the blessings and good in the world (especially good people).

I've had the chance to work with an extremely talented freelance editor (named Deb Ewing) who has helped my manuscript get polished and better than it was before. I've added stuff I hadn't thought to add, which will enhance the reading experience for my audience. Through The Author Encounter, I've met some really nice agents and other people who have answered some questions I've had regarding the industry.

Sure, I've still got learning disabilities--those will never go away, but that's okay. I've lived with them this long, I can continue living with them and learning in spite of them (and sometimes because of them).

Yes, Covid-19 still exists and that's not cool, but my family continues to do Sunday Family Zoom sessions and I've gotten to talk to my family more than I ever had done in a year (or even 2 years) so for me, that's a blessing in a yucky situation. We've continued this practice of having Family Zoom sessions every Sunday afternoon (so far only missing one or two Sundays). It's been wonderful!

My wish for all of you this year and every year is to find that place of solace and to recognize the blessings that exist. Even when it's hard, or seems impossible, this is my wish for you. Find those who can make you believe in hope and cherish them. Even if they pass on, you can have the comfort of having known them and what you learned from them.

God bless and Happy New Year 2022 to you and yours.

Have A Wonderfully Whimsical Wednesday!

It's December!

 Happy Wednesday & Happy December!

I hope December 2021 finds all of you well. I can't believe we're already nearing the end of 2021. It feels like the year just started yesterday or something.

Who participated in NaNoWriMo2021? I didn't. I don't really do NaNo, but I fully support those who do. If you did participate, I wish you a great word count!

If NaNoWriMo something that works for you as an author and/or you enjoy it, then I say go for it! I know people who do Camp NaNoWriMo or other NaNo-like events and they say they actually help them with their writing. Every author is different, so you have to find a process/technique that works for you.

I'm working on getting into the Christmas spirit. We're in the process of putting up the tree (have to fix something on the lights so the ornaments aren't on there, yet). I've been playing Christmas Carols and I've almost completed my Christmas shopping. My biggest concern with the cooler weather isn't the cooler weather itself (I like wrapping myself up cozily in blankets or something warm). It's the possibility of another Snowmeggeddon. After all the craziness of February with the pipes bursting, etc., I'm really praying that it doesn't happen again. As long as we don't lose power and water, the outside can be cold, that's fine, I just don't want to lose power, water, and have pipe issues again.

I continue to work on the mss that I'm hoping to query soon. I've got more notes from my freelance editor, so I'll be working on that. We're over halfway through the novel, so I've started another round of edits of the pages we've already worked through. I've got to finish polishing the synopsis, but the query letter is done. #PitMad is tomorrow, but I won't be participating this go around.

Packages of Christmas presents that I've ordered have started to arrive, as well as presents from relatives that I needed to wrap for my Offspring. I've gotten a good portion of those done (although not all of them, yet). I've got other presents I've ordered coming in and packages to get to UPS for mailing.

The Author Encounter has one event for December--a Behind The Page. There is a guest already lined up and we'll be revealing that person soon. I'm very excited about it (well, I'm always excited about who we get for our events because we get some really awesome people) but this one is rather person to me from my writing journey, so it's especially exciting. Be sure to watch the website and various social media for the guest reveal!

Meanwhile, I hope you have a blessed and Merry December whatever holiday you're celebrating. I'll try to check in again later in the month, but for now once a month is working for me.

Take care!

Have a Wonderfully Whimsical Wednesday!

Welcome To November...

 Happy Friday & Happy November!

We're clocking in the first week of November if you can believe it! 2021 kinda started slow for me when we had "Snowmeggeddon" in February. Now, it feels like it's going by fast!

My editor has sent some of the chapters for my manuscript, and I'm just waiting on the rest. My query letter is written, I figured out a tag line (which I will probably look over again) and I'm working on any polishing that's needed on my synopsis.

I've got some other manuscripts in various stages of having started but not finished with the first full draft. I've also got other ideas that play in my head from time to time, so we'll see what happens with all of those.

The Author Encounter's Indie Author Day is happening next week (Friday and Saturday, Nov. 12 & 13). Click here for more information on the lineup and tickets. (They're free!)

I've started Christmas shopping (I always like to start early so I'm not completely scrambling in December). The tree won't go up until after Thanksgiving, but a parody of "12 Days Of Christmas" was sung by yours truly much to Eldest's chagrin ("It's NOT Christmas!" was yelled at me).

Thursday saw some more Fall weather for my part of Texas as the temperature was in the 50s. The house was a bit chilly, but not ready to start the heater, yet!

My arm continues to heal with help from physical therapy, a heating pad, and a cold pack/Biofreeze. It looks like I might be able to start driving again next week.

I'm enjoying seeing some red and orange leaves on the tree in my backyard. I like Fall colors. Halloween was a bit of a quiet affair for me, with most of my family going to a Halloween parade while I nursed the tail-end of a headache. I needed the quiet--not just because of the headache, but in general. It was nice. 

I don't do NaNoWriMo, but I do cheer others on. So, if you're doing NaNo, I wish you the best with getting in the daily word count! I hope the experience is great! :-)

Here's wishing all of you an awesome Fall and November--I don't know if I'll get around to writing another blog post before December, so if I don't, I hope your November is wonderful!

Have A Fabulously Fantastic Friday!

Arm Update, Writing Updates, & More...

 Happy Happy Friday!

It's been a little while since I updated, and there is plenty to say. :-)

1. I'm free of the sling! Yes, you read that right. No more wearing the sling for my non-displaced shoulder fracture. On Wednesday, Oct. 20th, I had an ortho appointment and the doc said that I didn't have to wear it anymore. I'm working on some physical therapy, which is going okay. My poor arm is stiff! More good news is that I can use my left hand to type, so I'm back to typing with both hands, which is awesome!

2. My mss (manuscript, i.e. story/novel) is with my freelance editor. The editor has my mss. She'd sent some edits back some time ago, which I finally worked on. So, now just waiting for the rest of her notes.

3. My query letter is all ready! It's been critiqued and revised and is now ready to be sent off when everything else is ready to go.

4. My synopsis is almost ready. I've got it out with a proofreader and have already had critique done on it.

5. I've started work on other projects. I've got at least 2 mss a little mapped out--one already started writing and the other I plan to work on--the 2nd idea I've been playing with for a while now and hopefully this time it'll work. I had another idea a long while back that I was working on and I might go back to it.

As to other things?

I had a birthday on October 15th. A lot of people left me really nice birthday messages on social media and texting. I had a little family party with my parents, husband, offspring, and 2 of my sisters (one was in from out-of-town), which was fun. We had Tex-Mex for dinner and Nothing Bundt Cake Bundtinis for dessert. Awesome way to start a new age!

The Author Encounter is gearing up for Indie Author Day, which is happening on November 12 and 13. If you watch TAE's social media (especially Twitter and LinkedIN) information about tickets will be listed there, soon.

Anyway, I hope your October is going well. I love Fall and we've had some nice weather in my part of Texas, so that's been a plus. :-)

Have A Fabulously Fantastic Friday!

Discoveries, and...

 Happy Thursday!

I didn't know I'd do another blog post for July. I wasn't sure I had anything to say, but you know, things happen and suddenly I've got some fun stuff for a blog post!

Okay, since I list it first, let me talk discoveries:  I have discovered the existence of UK Actress, singer, author, vlogger, Carrie Hope Fletcher. So, this was completely by accident. She's got a new book release dropping in August (I don't know when it's supposed to be available in the States) that looks interesting. Rather prolific given in a short period of time she has published around 5 books (maybe 6?) and has a new one coming out. Anyway, she has an amazing voice, which gives me chills--hence the reason I wanted to tell you, darling readers, about her voice. I haven't read her work, since I only just learned of her existence, but her upcoming release sounds interesting.

In terms of writing, I continue to edit my current WIP (Work In Progress).

In any case, I'm staying busy and on the mend from a sinus infection--yes, I've been on antibiotics and I'm doing much better.

Have A Thrillingly Tantizling Thursday!

It's July ALREADY...?

 Happy Wednesday All,

I can barely believe it's July already! Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July American Independence Day. We didn't do very much for it, which was okay. There were plenty of people around us shooting off fireworks for 2 days (late into the night, too).

After Texas "Snowmeggeddon" displaced us from our house from February 15th to late June, we're back in our house and things are fixed. We're unpacking boxes from things we had to box up while the contractors were here putting our house back together. We had 2 pipes burst--one in the kitchen, the other around the garage. My kitchen looks so different, but I love how it turned out. We were glad that insurance covered so much of it.

While our house was getting help, we lived at my parents' house. We were lucky they're still living in the two-story I spent a lot of my growing-up years in. Except, my old room is now my dad's office so there is no sign of the pink walls anymore. Although, the memories are there. Sometimes nostalgia hit so hard I was surprised. I did enjoy sharing old photographs with my eldest who enjoys hearing stories about when I was growing up and seeing photos.

I haven't done a whole lot of writing and editing. I started working on a new story that I can't decide what I'll do with, I just know I need to get it out. I've got a ton of editing to do--the Immortal Dreams series is getting a sort-of "facelift"--I'm not changing the story, but I'm doing some re-edits and new covers (Divine Love already has had its new cover, which I revealed a while back). My business partner and co-founder/co-owner of The Author Encounter, Nan, wants to help me with the relaunch.

This one story I finished is in the editing process. I was surprised and flattered (complimented) when a freelance editor asked me if she could edit it for me. We worked out a deal and she's already seen the first 3 chapters and liked them! We've struck up a friendship of sorts, being that we're both Dan Navarro fans, and she's listened to me talk about how this story feels different to me. Sure, it's got my usual fare of magical beings and fairy-tale, but it's different. In some ways, it's a bit intimidating, but the editor says that it's good that I've gotten a bit out of my comfort zone, in a manner of speaking. She's struck at the heart of my fears and obstacles...encouraging me in spite of them. People like that are the type of people every author should have. And they're not always easy to find--someone who feel you can trust with something you created.

Having the right people and resources as an author is one of the reasons why I worked with Nan to found and now, to own, The Author Encounter. There are plenty of author groups, sure, but it works a little differently. It's a cross between a publicist and a community. The Author Encounter is not designed to teach one how to write (or what to write or any writing technique) it's designed with the author's career in mind. Working with The Author Encounter is how I found the freelance editor. It's how I've formed some networking relationships with agents, and some other writers and people I never thought I'd ever even end up in the same room with (like Shay Baby of The Brown Book Series, who interviewed me and my narrator, Chris J. Hudson for her show!) I'm excited to be helping authors, especially with some of the events we have coming up in August, September, and in November. Of course, every other month I sit down and interview someone in the industry for The Author Encounter's Behind The Page. The next one is in August (I need to work out who my guest is going to be, yikes...this decision came upon me faster than I expected--not because I haven't been working on it, I truly have, but it's not settled and I usually have these things already figured out). So, August, then October, and December, which means there are 3 more Behind The Page events for 2021.

Anyway, I hope your summer is going well. I hope I'll work out a blogging schedule, but so far I haven't come up with one, yet. You'll just have to stay tuned!

Have A Wonderfully Witty Wednesday!

It's May Already...

 Happy Wednesday All,

I can't believe it's already May! April got away from me and I didn't get to post any other blog posts besides the initial April one. Yikes, I'm sorry!

Life continues to be crazy on my end. Our house is much closer to being ready (we have a great contractor!) and we have hopes of being back in our home not next week, but the week after. We'll see. Our contractor is industrious and efficient. He keeps us in the loop and gets things moving. We've been grateful to have someone reliable after the water remission people weren't the most communicative (which is a big reason why it's taking us so long to get back into our house).

This weekend is my and my husband's anniversary (I don't give out details on how long we've been married--my husband likes a lot of privacy, so other than a few pictures on here and Facebook, you won't hear a whole lot about him). We've been together for over 10 years, though, and I feel a sense of accomplishment saying that. So, while I'm not as young as I once was (or as thin!) and growing older brings about female stuff that sucks bananas, I'm grateful he's stuck by my side and still thinks I'm sexy, desirable, shares my faith and most of my beliefs/views, and thinks I'm funny, too. A girl can't ask for a lot more than that in my experience.  I thank God for him. (Of course, I also love him--that's a given!)

Editing my new manuscript (that's all written, just being edited so I can query) is sl-o-o-o-w going given my current living circumstances and life. But, I'm working on it and a Supporter Member of The Author Encounter (one of the Freelance Editors) wants to work on it with me (she offered!) so we put together a deal and will start making a schedule soon, I believe.

The Author Encounter has a special blog hop/scavenger hunt even this month, so be sure to get over to the website to check that out. June will bring back Behind The Page. A new Ex Libris will go out July 1st, so members of The Author Encounter should watch for that--and if you aren't a member, you should join! There are 3 different types of membership (Author membership is ONLY for published authors--and there are some genres that The Author Encounter doesn't work with quite yet due to being only a year old and needing to have departments for those). But we're growing and developing and there are some exciting things coming down the line.

I'm supposed to be reviewing Katie McGarry's upcoming release soon--I've had some trouble with getting to sit down and read it (health issues) so hopefully, I'll get it done, soon. My allergies have been AWFUL this season (not Covid-19, definitely allergies--I can pinpoint exactly when they began flaring and why and what things set them off again). It seems like an interesting switch from her normal work, so we'll see how that all goes. I've been a fan ever since she entered the Northwest Houston RWA Lone Star Contest all those years ago (I was YA Category chair at the time). I've read almost all her work (there are about 2-3 books I haven't gotten to, yet). I've also had the pleasure of talking with her on the phone and meeting her in person (back in 2013, so pre-Covid). She's super sweet and extremely talented in the writing and publishing world.

Other than that, I keep on being a wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, niece, etc. I hope all of you are doing well.

Have A Wonderfully Whimsical Wednesday!

Happy New Year 2021 And More...

 Happy New Year Everybody!

I hope you're having a wonderful 2021 thus far and that it's full of blessings, health, and happy moments to make it a special year.

On New Year's Eve at 2:26 a.m. Central Time, I finished the WIP (Work In Progress) I'd been working on most of the year. I had wanted to finish it a month or so BEFORE December 31st, but life happens. So now it's written! The next step is to edit and then I'll query it out to agents.

The Author Encounter has many events planned for 2021 and starting off great with D.C. Gomez's "New Year, New Mindset". While this workshop is mostly professional development for authors, you do not have to be an author to attend it. We're going to get into the harder parts of being an author: Imposter Syndrome, Rejection, Professional Jealousy, and More. It'll be about working through these feelings to a positive end. I've been impressed with what I've learned about D.C. in the time I've gotten to know her and I think she'll make this a great event. Registration is now available to the public if you click here you'll be taken straight to the workshop part of the site. You don't have to be a member to attend, but we do recommend becoming one because members automatically get the quarterly newsletter (which talks about the events for the next 3 months), advanced registration to events (including very popular ones), discounts on paid events, and more. We have 3 types of membership which are: Author (you have to be published with valid ISBN numbers to gain this membership), Reader/Fan (readers, reviewers, fans of books/publishing that are NOT agents, editors, booksellers, etc.), and Supporters/Vendors (booksellers, librarians, agents, editors, publishers, screenwriters, songwriters, voice actors, etc.). The Membership fee is good for an entire YEAR. You can find out more at The Author Encounter website.

So, what's on my list for 2021 at this point?

1. To edit my WIP
2. Edit Divine Love (2nd edition) to get it ready to be reissued
3. Finish 2 WIPs that I have in my unfinished work
4. Who knows what else...we'll see what happens!

May you have a wonderful 2021. And because I'm Catholic, I'll say God bless you (you're free to take that as a compliment/gift or ignore it).

Have A Fabulously Fantastic Friday!