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 wh...

Happy Thursday Everybody, It's March!  February seemed a little long to me (and not because of Leap Day) so on March 1st I was like "Oh wait...it's is March. I need to flip my wall calendar." So, what's going on? Let's see...I continue on the query road (nothing I'm ready to report, yet). As for writing, I decided to take one of my WIPs (Works In Progress) and write it with a completely different plot. And then, I got another idea and had to work on that! I try to focus on one WIP at a time because it helps me move forward, but sometimes you gotta get that other idea going before you can finish the previous manuscript. Sometimes the new manuscript becomes the one you finish first.  When I started with this blog post I was at a loss as to what I should say--not that I didn't have things going on, it's just that when I'm querying a manuscript, I don't say much about the process publicly. The same is true for when I'm writing a manuscript....

  Happy Thursday Everyone! June is already over? I was completely unprepared for that. In fact, I feel like this year is flying by. (I was late sending birthday card to a friend who had a birthday near the end of June...normally I'm better about these things, but it snuck up on me!) Updates: June was full of working on revisions. At the moment, I don't want to go into detail...if something fun happens with this, I'll update y'all. For now, pray for me. :-) And if you don't pray, at least wish me well, please? Thanks. Writing: I haven't been working on my other WIPs because I was doing revisions. I've got some notes back on some chapters for revisions from my long-time critique partner, so I'm going to be working on those on Friday. I do plan on working on one of my WIPs, though. My CP (Critique partner) likes this WIP in particular. Reading: Yes, I've been doing some reading. I've really liked this one Beauty And The Beast retelling. It's ca...

  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...

Happy Thursday Folks! I know it's been a while. My head has been in a whirl over everything going on these days. I never in all my years thought I'd see a pandemic like this, and it's even eerier than the HIV/AIDS scare years and years ago (yeah, I lived through that tense times, too--although that was a different situation--it wasn't as widespread). But, I'm certain you didn't come to my blog wanting to talk about that (or did you?) Anyway, I'm no health expert, so I won't even try to say what's what about COVID-19. But I will say, I keep praying and looking for those glimmers of hope. Book 5 of Immortal Dreams is in the writing stages...as it has been for a while. It's a tough book to write and once it's released you'll know why. I have to keep my characters' balancing the act between grief and emo-ness (we do not want to go down very far on the emo-ness path, that could get too depressing for what I write). Jason, Laney, Ar...

Happy Thursday One and All! Also, Happy Thanksgiving! My Thanksgiving is postponed until Sunday. My parents are out of town visiting one of my other siblings and well, we really don't have anywhere else to go. But, please, don't worry about us. We're actually happy to be at home. My Real Life Hero has to work half a day and Eldest has around an hour long online class to do, so we've got plans. I plan on cooking a little something--not a turkey (me and the Offspring can't have turkey without bad results). Sunday, we'll have Thanksgiving with my parents and one of my other siblings, so there you have it, I'm not missing it all together. I've been working on the Jeannie Averie novel (this is polishing, extra edits--the novel is written). Planning to do more of it in the next few days since Real Life Hero will be off and so I'll have a little more space to work. Recently, I finished reading a fun novel called Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram . It w...

Happy Thursday Everyone, Wow! BrazCon was amazing! For those of you who made it out, thank you so much. It was fun and there were incredible costumes (check out my author Facebook page for pictures). Important update: I will NOT be going to Romance Writers of America's National Conference in July (New York City). I was going to, but then some stuff came up and it turned out I couldn't. I'm looking at next year, which that one (2020) will be in San Francisco, so maybe I'll make it there. I've never been to San Francisco and I'd like to go. I finished writing my adult shifter novel and it never changes. It always feels surreal and like "Wow!" when I write "The end." The next thing is edits and critique partner crits, and then I'll be shopping it around. But, it's exciting to have another book written. I do plan a sequel, so what happens at the end isn't the end of that story altogether. I already have the next book started an...

Happy Thursday Everyone! Life has been busy lately. I've been writing more regularly, which is awesome. Nothing is ready for you, yet, darling readers,  but don't despair. If I'm writing it means that work is one step closer to being in your hands. Lately I've been thinking a lot about how readers perceive their relationship with writers. The gap is less wide nowadays thanks to social media and the like; however, I still sometimes run across readers who are surprised that writers would want to hear from them. Let me put it to you like this: a while back I heard about a high school classroom that needed books, so I sent copies of some of my Immortal Dreams books (I don't know if it was all of them or the first three). The teacher sent me a card thanking me and telling me her students had already picked them up. I didn't need the teacher to send me a thank you, I was happy to send the books. But that card made my day. It's taped to my dresser mirror and ...

Happy Thursday All, In honor of Throwback Thursday, here's 5 things you might not know about yours truly... 1. I was never a fan of most boy bands...not even New Kids On The Block, N'Sync, or the Backstreet Boys, but I knew people who were. However, I've always liked the Ramones. And I am a fan of Straight No Chaser. Me and Sarah on the occasion of her wedding 2.  I got a B in Shakespeare Class (the English course I took in high school). My friend, Sarah, (who died in 2013) tutored me. My learning disabilities made some of the lectures the teacher gave hard for me to understand, but I was too shy to tell the teacher that, so I asked Sarah for help. She got an A. LOL (Nowadays I'd probably ask, but back then I was too nervous--I'm sure my teacher would laugh to know this--she was a wonderful teacher, and I enjoyed having her for a teacher, I just was shy to ask for help from her). 3.  I took horseback riding lessons starting from around the time I was ab...

Happy Thursday Darling Readers, Immortals, Humans, & all, In June of this year, my 5th published book, Perfect Love (#4 in the Immortal Dreams series) will release. This is Hailey (Laney's best friend) and Arion's (Cupid & Psyche's son) story. Originally, I figured more time would pass before I could write Hailey's book. I always wanted to, which is why Immortal Love ends the way it does. I was surprised when readers started asking me about it. I kept getting requests such as "You're going to write Hailey's story, right?" "Is Hailey an Immortal?" I'd been toying with ideas, and I realized I wasn't ready to say goodbye to everybody. So, I sat down and thought about it. What resulted is a story about emotions, and relationships, rather than straight adventure or straight romance. It's about how one deals with expectations, loss, and new experiences. How Hailey deals with Laney's lies, different relationships, an...

Happy Thursday All, I still need to set up some kind of schedule for posting on here, but I haven't gotten there, yet, so bear with me. It's November, and Texas is finally slowly--here and there--showing signs of Fall. We're under 90 degrees these days, which is great. Also, we're getting under 80 on some days, so that's also a good thing--yay! Things are still moving along for the audio-book. I'm pleased with the results so far and look forward to it being completed and available to my readers. I've started doing live videos on Facebook. What's surprised me is how much I've enjoyed it. I'm usually shy, so I wasn't sure what I would do, but I'm starting to get more comfortable with it. What I really need, though, is feedback from YOU, darling readers, to know what you want me to talk about. My narrator and I are working on an idea of Skyping and doing a live video during the Skype so that you all can meet him and ask questions a...

Happy Thursday All, Sometimes you come across an intriguing read in the bookstore. Sometimes the library. Sometimes while you're perusing the internet. And sometimes you didn't realize someone you knew had an intriguing read out until you see them talking about it. That's what happened to me recently, and boy am I glad I was paying attention... Because I almost missed out on a gripping read. Angel In The Shadows by Amy Deason is one of those snuck-up-on-me-and-sucked-me-right-in. Big time. (note: the genre for this novel is Romantic Suspense). I took a peek at the reviews and the blurb to get a feel for the novel, and decided to go ahead and try it out. She made me laugh-out-loud on the first page. Right away I was hooked. Anybody who can make me laugh on the very first page is bound to grab my attention. And then Amy hit me with the action and suspense. And I was sucked in. The novel is about an operative named Seth Reynolds who works for a company called T...

Happy Thursday All, Lately I've been working on a couple of new projects. One of them has to do with one of my published novels, and the other one is a WIP. Both projects are moving along pretty well and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with them. One of the projects deals with another side of writing that's often talked about, but some authors struggle with--networking. It's funny, but I get asked about this more often than I thought I would. I really don't consider myself an expert on the subject, I'm pretty much doing what everyone else does--picking which social Me with the amazing Christie Craig If I didn't open my mouth and network I wouldn't have gotten to know this gem of a person media works for me, going to writer's group meeting, attending the annual conference, talking to readers, seeing what opportunities open up for me. A lot of authors are shy and/or introverts. Some aren't, but the majority I've come a...

Happy Thursday All, What makes you love a novel? Is it the writing? The characters? The atmosphere? The genre? Or all of the above? As a reader, it depends on a lot of things. Sometimes the writing is excellent and I'm in raptures. Other times the characters are amazing, even if the writing isn't the very best I've ever seen. And sometimes, I just get drawn into a story and I can't really say why. In terms of my writing, it depends on what type of inspiration strikes. With my standalone Fantasy Romance, All's Fair In Love & Lion , I was into brooding male leads, and fairy-tales. I took the two and came up with a lion shape shifter and an orphaned English teacher (Sasha loses her parents when she was 15, although in the novel she's much older than that). I wrote it with adult audiences in mind, even though the heat level is more Sweet Romance than hot. Writing first person present tense wasn't a plan of mine, either. I tried writing it third pers...

Happy Thursday All, Wow! It feels like an eternity since I updated my blog. I have been super-busy with family obligations (in fact, still am...motherhood is a demanding job, as many of you know). But I am getting back into writing and working on getting back into everything else. It's happening veeerrrryyyyy sllllloooowwwwllly...but it's HAPPENING! Yay. :-) I'm having issues with my regular browser, so I'm using an interim one until I can sit down with my awesome IT guy, Jeff (if you're interested in consulting with him, email me , and I'll check his availability. He's been a big help to me). To keep up with me, watch Twitter and Facebook mostly. I update Facebook often, and try to get to Twitter at least once a day. (The interim browser I'm using is slow, so I'll just provide a link to my website, which I think has links to my Twitter and Facebook pages). So what's going on in my world aside from motherhood? I'm working on the firs...

Happy Thursday All, Smokey Mountains in Gaitlinburg, TN, 2013 In writing, editing, critiquing, and being a judge (yes, I've done a little judging for a contest) there's a few things about writing that are true all the way across the board--no matter what genre, no matter if you're a newbie, or best seller, or somewhere in between. Or if you're a "pantser" or a "plotter". And that's organizing your story. Every writer is different and every writer does this differently. I call myself a "half-in-half" writer because I do a little plotting and I do a little pantsering. But the main things every writer needs whether they do it before they write the first draft, or in the editing process are for every important/main character(s) in one's novel: Me, at the NWHRWA Lone Star Conference, 2014 Goal, motivation, conflict. Yes,  GMC that leads to the actual plot. Whether you're writing the hero, heroine, villain, whatever...