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!

Where I've Been...

 Hi Everyone!

I've been out of commission/not blogging because I was busy with family and then I had a bit of an accident.

In August, I had a slip and fall in one of the rooms in my house. I ended up with a non-displaced fracture in my left shoulder. The important thing is I'm fine. I'm getting better, but I've been in a sling and I've been seeing orthopedic people who are helping me. Right now I only have use of one hand. In fact, I wrote this whole blog post by dictating an email to myself and copying and pasting it onto my blog.

So most of my writing and editing has been put on hold for the moment except for some edits that I can do on my own or with help from my husband.

I have been able to participate in different things that The Author Encounter is doing, including in September we had Traditional Publishing Day, which was lots of fun. There was a workshop on query letters, we had a couple of indie bookstores do a panel talking about what they sell and how to get your books into their shops, and we had a Traditionally Published Author Panel. I did a workshop on resources for authors. 

I'm looking forward to Indie Author Day on November 12th and 13th. We might do a Behind The Page for October, but we'll see.

But other than not being able to use my left arm and type with my left hand at the moment, I'm okay. I just keep busy with what I can do while my arm heals.

I hope your fall is going well and happy October!

Have a Marvelously Merry Monday!

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!

Special Edition of Write By Bethany Blog: Are You A Re-Reader?

Hey All!

Hope everyone is doing well. I was wondering something...

Do you re-read book series and which ones?

Lately, I've been re-reading Shanna Swendson's Enchanted Inc. series, which I absolutely love. There's something so fun about the way she wrote them (in a genre that used to be called Chick-Lit but is now more like contemporary). So many great characters and fun scenes. It's been a while since I read it, so it's nice to pick it back up. I own all the books.

I've read C.S. Lewis' Narnia books multiple times. I've also read some of Lynn Kurland's MacLeod/de Piaget family books a few times.

What is it about a series that makes you want to go back and read it again and again?

For me, it's like seeing old friends. If enough time has passed, I'm getting reacquainted with them, or just enjoying them. I'm remembering how much I enjoyed certain scenes.

I've read other books that weren't series more than once, too. Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice is one such book--I've read it at least 3 times (I have family members who have read it more than that!) I've read other books more than once.

When I was in high school, I used to say that "Books are the best friends. They'll never betray you and they're always there when you need them." At least, the ones you love the most.

So what about you? Do you re-read series and/or non-series books? Why?

Have A Fabulously Fantastic Friday! 

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!