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!

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!

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!

The Last And Most Festive of the "Ber" Months...

Happy December!

We're nearly halfway through December and I just realized I hadn't put up a blog post for this month. OOPS! But, to be fair, I've had plenty going on.

Personally: We are still minus a Christmas tree. No, we haven't gotten it up, yet. But I'm hoping this weekend it will happen! We don't usually take this long, but we've had some things going on. One of those things was that we had to replace our washing machine. Our previous one decided that it had enough of our household and no, thank you it would not work properly any longer. Poor thing limped along until it wouldn't drain out the water in the clothes (I had to squeeze them the best I could and pop them in the dryer for longer). But that's at an end since we now have a brand new washer, which we've had for about a week and it's doing okay so far.

Not long ago, Averie Cat (that's his social media nickname) had some health issues that made me quite concerned about him. Fortunately, he seems to have gotten past them and the vet was wonderful. Averie Cat is 7 years old, and therefore, I expect to see more health stuff than I did when he was younger. The vet switched him to a prescription diet and he actually seems to like the food pretty well, which is a blessing.

Professionally:  I continue to query Sugar & Frost. I love, love, love this story and I do so hope it gets out to you, darling readers, one day. I really do. I had so much fun writing it and I also enjoyed editing it.

Christmas/Holiday: My shopping is not done. Nor have I sent out ANY Christmas cards, but I'm hoping to remedy that in the next few days to the next week. I had thought I'd write a Christmas letter this year, but I'm not sure that will happen.

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays (I know there are several this month) and Happy New Year. 

I hope December is a lovely month for you.

Have a Fantastically Festive Friday!

December Is Here & So Is FALL...

 Happy Wednesday All,

Surprise! I'm actually posting BEFORE the end of the month! Imagine that. 😊

I think my part of Texas is confused about what season it is. We were having some cooler temperatures and then all of a sudden it decided to go up again. Now, that's relatively normal in a sense for us, but what is curious is that the tree in my backyard decided it wasn't winter, but FALL! All these colored leaves are covering my backyard. I looked around and thought "Guess the plants and trees are confused as to what season it is. Can't blame them since the weather is, too!"

December is quieter so far than September through November were and I am NOT complaining about that. In September, my father suffered a bad fall and consequently there was a whole lot of stress. October saw my folks move out of their home of over 30 years into Assisted Living. When November came along, me and my family had a stomach bug. The very beginnings of December was the tail-end of my parents' estate sale (auction). So, I'm fine with some quiet.

This is not to say my brain is quiet--that's a rare thing even during the best of circumstances. Querying is still going on with my never-been-published manuscript (mss) and I'm making some new friends with people in the writing/publishing industry which has been fun. I really enjoy how encouraging other writers can be and I try to do the same.

I've done a tiny bit of writing, but not as much as I probably should do--but I've also been trying to get my house in better order and get ready for Christmas in the Averie Household, so yeah, writing hasn't been at the forefront. But that's not to say I haven't been thinking about it and working out ideas! I most definitely have been doing that. My imagination doesn't stay still for long.

On The Author Encounter front, my business partner, Nan, and I are prepping for January and the new year. We're hoping to do more than we did this year (both of us have had a crazy, crazy 2022). Watch the website or Twitter for news. We do have some videos posted on the Facebook page and on YouTube.

Until the next time I post, I wish y'all a very happy Advent, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and happy holidays. If by chance I don't post before January 2023, Happy New Year!

Have A Whimsically Wonderful Wednesday!

Thanksgiving Week & More...

 Hi Everyone!

Wishing y'all a very happy Thanksgiving week! As I type this the day before I'm going to post it, my nails are currently finishing drying from me painting them red, green, and gold. Yes, I know, Advent hasn't even started, but I felt like doing it. The colors make me happy!

I'm not entirely sure what my Thanksgiving plans are. My sister and I talked about getting together for a bit, so we'll probably do that. I'm actually allergic to turkey (it makes me throw up... *insert sad face here*) so I either do ham or something like that.

My parents have moved. It's a good move for them. They lived in their previous home for 36-37 years. Me and my siblings have been encouraging them with the move--like I said, it's a good one for them. I don't want to go into detail, but it's been an emotional journey--one that I haven't talked about much publicly and don't intend to because it's something I view as very private. Just know that all of this is part of the reason I've been kinda quiet on here.

In other news, in the early part of November my family had a stomach bug. For the record, I don't recommend them. I'm not sure where youngest picked this thing up, but it wasn't fun. Youngest had issues for about 2 weeks (because youngest didn't ONLY have the stomach bug, there was also constipation involved!) and then later I got it (not the constipation, though. Only youngest had that), and the next day eldest and husband were down with it. The weekend was an adventure with Husband and I tag teaming taking care of Averie Cat and whatever was of immediate concern. Luckily, we recovered pretty quickly and I'm happy to report we seem to be doing okay, now.

We're praying for a quiet and easy December and being able to just enjoy Christmas. Christmas is probably my favorite holiday (although, I should probably choose Easter given my faith background--which, if you've been following me for long know that I'm a Catholic. Don't get me wrong, I love Easter, too. There's just some things about Christmas that mean a lot to me).

I've got several WIPs (Works In Progress) that hopefully I'll be able to do more with, soon. I've had some catching up on housework to do and some other things happening, but I have done some writing, so that's a good thing.

The Author Encounter is gearing up for next year and I think what's getting planned will be interesting! My business partner is an ambitious planner--and I've got mad respect for her skills!

I recently read Kasie West's Fame, Fate, And The First Kiss. I think Dancing Graves (the movie in the book) should be a real story. It sounded like fun. I've read several of Kasie West's books and I think this is probably my favorite so far. :-)

I'm intrigued with Kiera Cass's upcoming release, A Thousand Heartbeats it releases on November 29, 2022, so it'll be available soon. I'm thinking I'm going to have to read it!

What novels have you been reading lately (or if you don't read novels, what non-fiction)?

I wish all of you a very happy and wonderful Thanksgiving this Thursday! I don't know what anyone's faith background is...coming from mine, I like to say "May God bless you." Take care and be safe.

Have A Merry Marvelous Monday!

Saying Goodbye To October...

 Happy Monday All,

Also, Happy All Hallow's Eve aka Halloween! I meant to write an October post earlier this month, but there were things going on in my real life that made it so I just didn't get to it.

I'm doing okay--just a lot going on in my real life. But doesn't everybody usually?

October also means my birthday, which I celebrated by going over to my parents' house. Dad had a fall in September, so it was nice to see him making so much progress and doing so much better. I told them that since they had such an integral part of me coming into existence that it seemed appropriate that I'd come over for a visit. We had a lot of fun. It was simple, small, and just right for me. My parents gave me a beautiful card that touched my heart (I got teary!) and I got some other cards and gifts from my siblings. My husband got me Chinese food for dinner a couple of days before since I was going to be at my folks' house on my actual birthday. I can't complain. It was a good birthday. :-)

I've been doing some writing on and off. Aside from the novel I'm querying to agents, I've got a couple of other things in the works. I don't know what will happen with any of them, but one of them has been a good creative outlet for me, so that's good thing as far as I'm concerned. I can't talk much about them because I'm still in the process of writing them and I don't like to talk about things until they're on their way to being released.

The Author Encounter has Indie Author Day coming up THIS weekend! You can find out more on the website. (If you have questions, send an email to theauthorencounter (at) gmail (dot) com). We livestreamed Traditionally Published Day onto The Author Encounter's Facebook page. You can find the replay to that here. It was a blast! We had Pixel + Ink editor, Alison Weiss as guest for Behind The Page, and featured Ann Rose (agent with Prospect Agency) and Mid-Grade author, Tom Phillips. And yes, I did honestly think it was awesome that Alison likes hot apple cider.

To follow up on the event, I'll answer the question about what's my favorite fall treat? I don't know. I do like hot apple cider or cinnamon apple tea. For me, the perfect Fall day is one that's a bit chilly (for me that would mean somewhere in the lower 60s/50s) sitting inside with a hot drink, a cozy blanket, a good book or movie--or with family or friends. Averie Cat likes to hang out in my lap, so that could also be my version of a perfect Fall day.

During Traditionally Published Day, Tom Phillips mentioned The Frabjous Bunch (pronounced FRAB-JUSS). The Frabjous Bunch is a writer's group that Tom, myself, and author Brittany Tucker put together. The two of them are so supportive. Tom had a Mid-Grade debut in June of this year and Brittany's got a YA debut coming out in January 2023. I believe authors need supportive and encouraging people in their corner, so finding a group you feel comfortable in and can learn from the other members of the group is very important. I know that Tom and Brittany are there for me, just as I'm there for them. And yes, the word "frabjous" is a word you can find in the dictionary. Originally coined by Lewis Carroll (found in his poem "Jabberwocky") it means "fabulous, magnificent" (and in some definitions, better than fabulous). It's one of my favorite words. And I know most of the "Jabberwocky" poem by heart. My family used to quote lines from it. You can find the poem here. Speaking of which, those who watched ABC's Once Upon A Time: Wonderland will recognize "Jabberwock". In the poem, it's a terrible, strange looking monster, but in the show it's this woman who has the power to mess with your mind. Either way, I don't want to encounter the Jabberwock. (Also, I believe you can still watch the show on Amazon Prime--I loved how they reimagined it--and yes they did a little bit of tying in with the main Once Upon A Time show).

I hope to be better about posting a post for November, but I never know what each month will bring, so we'll see what happens. Life sometimes gets adventurous and/or busy, so some months I'm just very busy!

Anyway, I wish y'all a great end of October and hope your November is wonderful! God bless to you and yours.

Have A Marvelously Merry Monday!

September Ends...

 Happy Friday One & All,

Today is the last day of September. In some ways this month has felt long to me, in others I'm trying to compute the idea that tomorrow is October 1st. 

I do plan on keeping my blog to about 1 post a month, which at this point is what I can handle. My real life has had some big ups and downs lately, and it takes a lot of energy to go through it all. Rest assured, the writing world is still very important to me and I'm not inactive in it, I just can't post on my blog more than about once a month at the moment.

So, where can you find me in between posts? Well, normally I'd say Facebook, but I've had a lot of trouble with it, lately. It seems my phone and computer don't like the updates so it's slower than a 2-legged turtle in molasses on my computer and refuses to operate at all on my phone (other than Messenger, which I reserve for those on my friends' list, sorry, I don't do much of communicating with folks I don't know well). However, if you're a fan of my work and you want to send me a note, I'm ALWAYS up for reader emails! I love to hear from my readers, so feel free to reach out there at bethany (dot) averie (at) gmail (dot) com. No spam or solicitations, please. (Those WILL be deleted. Rude emails will also be deleted without a response).

Most often, you can find me on Twitter. (I'm rarely on Instagram, sorry. I have one and I get on it a few times a week, but not often--Twitter I'm on pretty much every day).

Anyway, I'll post more when I do my October blog post. For now, how a Fabulously Fantastic Friday and a wonderful weekend!

It's Time For September...

Happy Thursday and September!

Somehow it feels like the months are going by faster. I'm not sure why I feel that way--maybe I've just been super occupied while things were happening.

In my personal life there has been plenty going on--from being a mom, to a wife, to my family-of-origin stuff, there has been several things happening. Some good things, some hard, some okay--basically life.

As far as my writing life is concerned, I've formed a private writer's group with 2 other authors. They're super encouraging and it's fun to be a part of a writer's group again. I hadn't decided what I wanted to do as far as joining one, so this is perfect for me at this time. I've been doing some writing (I've got like what is it, 3 WIPs--Works In Progress--right now? I don't work on all of them at the same time--I just go with whatever one I'm in the mood for or have ideas I want to add. Normally I don't work this way, but right now it's working for me). I'm still querying a finished manuscript of mine. We'll see what happens there. And I've got some projects I'm not ready to talk about, yet, in the works, too.

The Author Encounter is having a slower year because of stuff both in my life and in Nan's. We're okay, just things that we had let our members know about. Keep an eye on the website for announcements/info.

I've also been doing some reading. I haven't done a TON of reading and I skip around a lot from re-reading books I loved, to reading newer books. I'm not sure how many books I read in August...maybe 3? How about you? How many books did you read in August and are there any you're excited about?

Enjoy your September and to those who are back in school, I wish you a wonderful school year!

Have A Totally Terrific Thursday! 

It's ALREADY August?

 Happy August Everyone!

Wow...July went by faster than I expected. Between illness in the family (and again near the end of July and beginning of August), everything feels almost like a blur.

I continue writing and querying between all the other real life stuff that has claimed my attention. Life doesn't slow down and neither do the demands of motherhood. I'm ready for all of this to settle down. I turn to my Catholic Christian faith a lot, which has been a source of comfort and help.

I've got several WIPs (Works In Progress). I'm hoping to continue with Greek gods and goddesses--but one I'm working on is NOT part of my Immortal Dreams series. I also have some other things in play--fairies/Fae, maybe mermaids? With me, you just never know!

The Author Encounter is taking this a bit slower this year--my business partner, Nan Jenkins, is working on her MBA, so we've pulled back on some of the events for this year, but looking to do some of our usual ones in the Fall.

Speaking of Fall, it's time to gear up for a new school year. Would somebody tell Texas weather that it's time to cool off?? Maybe send some rain?

This month's post is short, I know, and I apologize for that, but with all the craziness in my house, this is the best I can do at the moment! Hopefully things will calm down.

Have A Fabulously Fun Friday and a Amazing August!

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!

Updates & What's Up...

Happy Monday All,

I've been wrapped up in my WIP (Work In Progress)--which you can find out more about on my official website. I've also been

working on another project, which I'll talk more about when it's finished.

In all of this, I keep up with the Wife and Mommy gig--two lifelong vocations that take most of my time. However, lucky for me, I have a husband who believes in making sure I get time to write and work on things in my writing career.

This means, though, I don't get on the blog as much. It's not because I've forgotten about it, it's because my life is full of these other projects.

However, this doesn't mean I've totally disappeared. I recently updated my website, and I'm on Facebook and on Twitter.

What's going on with you?

Have A Magically Merry Monday!

How Do You Do It?

Happy Wednesday All,

Whew. I'm tired, are you? For one thing, Texas is back to yucky weather. Luckily it's not supposed to be as bad as a week ago, but it certainly wasn't fun to be woken at 4:30 a.m. with a Tornado Warning.

Now, I appreciate the National Weather Service (NWS) doing its best to keep people safe. In fact, I'm grateful, and I respect what they're doing. Honestly, I do. What I don't like is the fact that after being woken at 4:30 a.m. (when I finally was able to sleep after dealing with Youngest waking up every 1-2 hours because Youngest is going through a rough patch right now--something all people go through and it's not dangerous, just hard) is that I couldn't go back to sleep for the longest time! I finally conked out

around 6ish, I think. Only to wake up again around 6:30 or so. Then I went back to sleep until Youngest decided that at 7:27 a.m. sleep was a rotten idea, and it was time to get up (this was after Youngest had been a little restless here and there).

Now I've been in the very little/no sleep position as a Mom before. This is NOT my first sleep deprivation rodeo. However, it's not any easier than any other time. In fact, any time it happens is harder than before because I'm older now than I was before. (That's the funny thing about the years passing, huh? You get older!)

Does sleep deprivation kill the writing side of my life--the creativity? Sometimes. Not always. It really depends on where I am

in a story or what's going on. Currently the incredibly talented and awesome Stacy Hoff is looking over one of my WIPs (Works In Progress) so I'm not really working on it too diligently. My husband teases me because I've been working a little on several stories at once. He thinks I need to focus on one story at a time. He might be right, but I figure if I have an idea for something, get it written so that I can focus. 

In fact, I got an idea for one story that I'll be implementing while I'm waiting for Stacy's comments. (Speaking of which, Stacy's novels are fun and imaginative, I urge you to check them out. Particularly her Desire series. The television network in her stories is just itching for lawsuits! LOL).

A lot of people ask me "How do you do it?" I write whenever I can grab a minute--or whenever Real Life Hero (my husband) takes the

Offspring and I have a flash of inspiration. I think about my stories and work almost all the time. Laying in bed at night, I'll contemplate scenes before falling asleep.

When writing is what you want to do--really want to do--you find a way. I've learned that whatever you have a passion for you will make time to do. As a mom, I have a responsibility to my Offspring to be Mom to them. I love them, and want to provide for them. So, I find ways of doing it. I love to read, so I find time to do that, too--even if that means reading off my E-reader apps on my phone. You have to be flexible. But if I didn't have the passion

for these things, I don't think I'd make the time. It's not easy and if you're doing one thing other things will suffer (like housework) but you have to find a balance (if you can, sometimes you don't find a good balance, but you have to do your best)--and sometimes you just have to accept the bad with the good. Some days are good, some are bad. I think that's what any mom or person goes through with whatever they do. I don't think it's exclusive to Moms/Dads who are writers. Based on what I've seen/heard, it's just life.

Anyway, I hope your week is going well and if you're in Texas, stay dry!

If you cross paths with Stacy Hoff, tell her I said hi. :-)

Have A Wondrously Whimsical Wednesday!

Saying Goodbye & Saying Hello...

Happy Tuesday Everybody,

Did you all have a nice Easter? We did. Holy Saturday we got to see one of my sisters and her family. That was a lot of fun. We also went over to a friends' house to visit. On Easter we went to Mass, and my father-in-law came over in the afternoon. So not bad.

I did find out a piece of sad news. Mother Angelica (the nun who started EWTN--Eternal Word Television Network--a Catholic TV station) passed on Easter Sunday. Mother Angelica was humble, straight forward, and humorous. She will be missed. Rest in peace, Mother Angelica!

Now, for a piece of fun news...

Author Katie McGarry has a brand-new release out today! I've received Walk The Edge and I'm interested to see what Razor's story is like. This is the 2nd in her Thunder Road series, the first one was Nowhere But Here.

It's been a lot of fun for me to watch Katie's career grow and

flourish. I met Katie before Pushing The Limits was published. She had entered the first few pages of the novel in my chapter's annual contest (the Northwest Houston RWA's Lone Star Contest. You can find out more by clicking here--the 2016 Lone Star Contest isn't open to entries, yet).

I was the YA Category Chair at the time. I had the pleasure of calling her to let her know she was the first place finalist for the category (she ended up winning first place in the contest). She informed me she had just signed a contract with her agent and told me how exciting that was--how her agent called her and how much she liked this agent. Later, she landed the contract for the novel to be published.

I have followed her career, and read everything she's published ever since.

In September of 2014, I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Katie face-to-face. She's humble, sweet, and very personable. I'm honored to count her friend, and to be a fan of her work.

Congratulations, Katie, and best wishes on future releases and your career!

What is everybody reading these days?

Have A Thrillingly Terrific Tuesday!

The Secret Is...

Happy Monday All,

Happy Easter to all who celebrate Easter! Hope your Easter weekend was lovely, peaceful, and fun. The Averie Household keeps busy during Easter, Mass, family, etc.

I've covered this topic before, but now I have another perspective on it...the question of "how do you do it?"

People look at me with my Offspring--those demands, wife, home, writing, etc. The truth is--and everyone will be so disappointed--I don't. Some days I just do one thing. Some days, I run around feeling like if I could just clone myself everything would get done. Sometimes I'm lucky if I remember my name (it's "Mom" or "AAAHHH", right?) The fact is, this is my life. This is the life I've been given and chosen. I don't expect anyone to do it for me, and I don't expect people to know how I do it. I don't know how I do it. I just do whatever I do for each individual day.

Some days it means Real Life Hero (my husband) takes the Offspring on some sort of adventure, and I write. Or it means I listen to nine thousand reasons why my choices as Mom are horrible ideas and why can't I be better? Or I listen to "Mom, can I get...can I do...will you add this to my Wish List?" Offspring has at least 12 things on one wish list--and it keeps growing. I know next week something else will be The Coolest Thing Ever--and maybe Offspring will want the other thing, and maybe not. All my Offspring have different types of days on any given day and strong personalities. So, yeah, I don't really know how I do it.

I think a lot of it has to do with my faith. Without it, I don't think I could do any of what I must do. I'm very happy I've maintained my faith so I don't have to find out. Sometimes it's hard to keep the faith, other times it's not. Same with motherhood, same with writing.

So, if you're wondering "How does she do it?" That's my answer. A lot of God's grace, determination, and the fact that this is my life, and I must do whatever is needed at any given time to make things work.

How do YOU do it?

Have A Marvelously Merry Monday!

Sparkly Shoes, Movies, & Life...

Happy Thursday One & All,

I won't be posting on Friday because of it being Good Friday. I know I don't post most days, so that's a "whatever", but I am trying to do more with the blog. Honest! I'm working on trying to find more ways to write in spite of the fact that the Averie Household is as hectic as ever.

We have conquered the Death Ray Sinus and Respiratory infections--hurrah! We've even managed to get Real Life Hero a brand new suit--(he looks so good in it!) and new dress shirts and ties. I got a new skirt and sparkly new shoes (I got them because I have this other skirt that they'd be perfect for and I have a couple of events coming up that I want to be extra dressed up for. I don't normally get this fancy, but these events are fancy things).

My computer or the website is being weird about pictures, so unfortunately this week, I don't have pictures on here.

I have been writing--a little at a time (like I said, a lot going on in the Averie Household) but a little is better than no writing. I'm excited about this story idea, but I'm keeping most of it under wraps. Very few people know much about it, let alone what it's about. I feel I work better when not too many people know anything about what I'm working on. I hope to finish it before October. That may be a bit on the ambitious side, but I'll do my best.

My husband wants to see The Big Short. Any of you seen it? Is it good? We heard about it when we watched the Oscars and now he's intrigued. I'm looking forward to My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. I really enjoyed the first one.

What movies are you wanting to see?

Have A Thrillingly Terrific Thursday and a lovely and happy Easter!

One-Size Fits All?

Happy Monday All,

Death Ray Sinus Infection gave way to Death Ray respiratory infections in my Offspring unfortunately. Fevers, coughing, congestion, and antibiotics is our life at the moment. We'll be glad when the Death Ray Infections get out of our house. And illness please, please, please stay out!

On the writing front, I'm working on two

Botanical Gardens in Springdale, Arkansas

completely new ideas and discerning what direction to take with an established story. For now, I'm not entirely sure what direction I'll take, but I expect I'll be clued into what to do some time.

I've discovered that one-size fits all doesn't exist (at least, not every time something says "one size fits all" or "one size fits most"). My mom ordered me this gorgeous skirt. It said one-size fits all, but the reviews were pretty good, so I waited for it. It arrived over the weekend and it was as gorgeous as the picture. I put it on, and it was extremely tight with no clear

Michigan

answer on how to loosen the elastic. Now, I'm not very big around the waist, but I'm not a size zero, or a size 2. So, mom promised to see if there's a way to fix it because I really like the skirt. It's gorgeous and looks good on. I just would it to be a smidgen less tight. So yeah, one-size does not always fit all.

Which is also true about books, careers, or dreams.

Every author I know has a different type of career, even if some of the aspects are similar to one another. But every author has to do what's right for him or her. There is no one-size fits all.

So, what are you all reading these days?

Have A Marvelously Merry Monday! 

Death-Rays, Disappointment, & Prevailing...

Happy Friday All,

Coming up with the nickname for my ailment and author Stacy Hoff's inspiring blog post, gave me the urge to write this post. So thanks, Stacy!

The Death-Ray Sinus Infection hit my household. Well, me. It started last Friday with dry, sore throat. Okay, whatever, we ran the heater, I often feel that way with the heater on. Saturday I feel like crap--like pulled through the mud crap. Sunday I feel better. Monday I'm so-so. Tuesday fever hit me, and I went to the doctor. I got an antibiotic and started on it right away. Wednesday I felt slightly better. Thursday, fever went up again. Now it's Friday. I feel crappy.

Yep, it's the Death-Ray Sinus Infection. My poor body feels like an 18-wheeler dragged it down through the mud, across a busy freeway, down the "Cliffs of Insanity" (The Princess Bride reference) and through the swamp of eternal coughing and it's weak and tired.

Husband, being the super-hero he is, is doing his best to rescue me.

He's taken the day off, occupying the Offspring, helping with school work, and everything else (I've mentioned he's my Real Life Hero, right?) 

While trying to get over this Death-Ray Sinus Infection I've hit a few more bumps--disappointments, death of a chapter mate, and seeing a fellow writer go through the week from Tartarus (now I'm referencing Greek Mythology and my Immortal Dreams Trilogy--who knew that? Ding, ding, you're awesome!)

But, I got inspired to write this blog post, right? So that's pretty cool. And despite the disappointments, weakness, and the stupid, idiotic-please-let-me-punch-its-face-in-sinus-infection, I am mending. Slowly. Prayers and positive thoughts are much appreciated, welcome, and I think of you with a smile when you offer them.

I might try to write today despite the Death Ray's effects on my poor, mistreated self. Show Death-Ray it won't win against me. I will prevail. Like Frodo did. Okay, Frodo had a worse week than me, but it's the camaraderie I feel that matters here. (Who knows who Frodo is? Say so in the comments!)

Hope you've had a much better week than me--although there have been some bright spots (like the times I felt better, the sun shining, the fact that one of my best friends called me, one of my other best friends got the birthday card I sent her, and another texted me today) so count one's blessings, right?

Have A Fabulously Fantastical Friday and an awesome Weekend!

Running The Averie Marathon...

Happy Tuesday Everybody,

Whew! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update this blog. Things are chaotic in the Averie Household and some days I feel like I'm running a marathon.

Recently I was talking with a friend of mine who mentioned she was starting a writers' group somewhere. I'm not able to be a part of the group, but she wants me to come out and do a talk. I'm very flattered and thrilled to be asked, so I inquired what she'd want me to talk about. She mentioned networking. We chatted a bit about that and my wheels have been turning ever since. (We're looking at me doing the talk sometime in the summer, we haven't set a date, yet). I'm looking forward to it.

My illustrious critique partner, Tess St. John, has just released the 5th and final book in her Undercover Intrigue, romantic suspense series. The novel is entitled Eyes Of A Stranger and for a limited time it's on sale for 99 cents on Amazon Kindle. I haven't read this one and am really looking forward to seeing how she wraps up the series. The romantic suspense have been my favorite out of all the many genres she writes. I like her other work, but this series has been my favorite. I'm so happy for her. She works so hard and has done some incredible things with her work.

Another new release that I am excited about (and have read--and enjoyed) is Stacy Hoff's Desire In The Arctic (sequel to Desire In The Everglades, but you can read them out of order, but I recommend reading the first one before picking up this one). What can I say about this novel aside from fun, adventure, suspense, and romance all rolled into a heart-warming novel is worth sitting down with a good cup of coffee (or tea, or wine, or whatever drink you prefer) and enjoying. Stacy has an incredible imagination and never ceases to intrigue me with her ideas. This one is also available on Amazon Kindle.

I continue working on my WIP (Work In Progress) as much as possible and I'm making some progress on it. I'm not sure when I'll be done, but I'm hoping before too many more months go by I'll have it written and working on editing and getting it critiqued. 

I'm also working on critiquing a fellow author's work. We've worked with each other before and I really want to help her out. She's a very imaginative author who nails emotion in her novels quite well.

What are you reading these days?

Have A Tremendously Terrific Tuesday!