March marches In...

 Happy Friday and Happy March!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a fantastically fabulously fun Friday!

February Post, Short But Sweet...

Happy Thursday and February!

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

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

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

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

Have a terrific Thursday!

It's January And A New Year--2025...

 Happy Monday, January, and New Year!

Whew. 2025 has already been eventful!

In my family, that meant husband and eldest with sinus infections during the second week of the month (which actually was the first full week of January). Me and youngest had sinus infections in December. And then the news of the fires in California, which is so sad. I've been praying for all in the path and dealing with the fires, etc. Hopefully firefighters are able to contain/put them out soon.

The first few days of 2025 weren't too bad, but then things got a little crazy. I'm hoping the rest of the month is calmer, healthier, and happier.

Writer's Life Updates: I still have some queries out on Sugar & Frost that are awaiting answers. In the interim, I'm working on some other stories (every author has files with unfinished manuscripts and I'm definitely no different in that respect!)

Christmas and New Year's: My Christmas was fairly quiet since I was getting over a sinus infection (and so was youngest). We went to Mass (Catholic Church Service) on Christmas Eve, and enjoyed a low-key Christmas Day.

On December 31st, after Mass, we went to my sister's house for a little New Year's Eve get-together with one of my brothers, his family, and our parents. It was fun. We had pizza and hung out. My husband had to work the next day, so we left between 8 and 9 pm (also to beat the midnight merry-makers) and got home between 9 and 10pm--tired, but happy.

January 2nd, we had a traditional Christmas dinner (my brother and his family had gone to my sister-in-law's mother's house just after Christmas for a bit before coming into town). It was fun with 3 dogs, several humans, and plenty of laughter.

I hope your Christmas and New Year's has been a good one and I wish you many blessings for the new year.

Have A Marvelous Monday!

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!

November, The "Middle Child Syndrome" of The "Ber" Months...

 Happy November!

The months need to quit changing just when I get used to one! 

I meant to post this post earlier in the month, but I forgot! 😬

Let's see...

I continue to query Sugar & Frost. Responses often take a while. I love this story so much that I'm hopeful it will do better in the query trenches than my other manuscripts, but only time will tell. I did make an "Agent's Guide" (which has been something that I saw pop up on X/Twitter and decided it might be fun to have one for S&F). The words on it might be a little hard to see in this condensed version of it, but maybe if you click on the graphic it'll be easier to read.

I've got some other graphics I've made for Sugar & Frost, too. Some I've used, some I've done just for fun.

November is an interesting flurry of election, Thanksgiving, and Christmas things all happening at once. I'm not sure what our Thanksgiving plans are, yet. In terms of Christmas, my husband has the week of Christmas off, which I'm delighted about because he also has some days after Christmas Day off, which is good because sometimes we have out-of-town family come in after Christmas Day and this means we have some flexibility in our schedule.

It's kind of funny because in a lot of ways November is, in fact, in the middle of the "ber" months and in some ways gets a tiny bit overlooked with the packing up Halloween decorations and exchanging them for Wintry and/or Christmas ones. But, as I told my eldest, it's November, I can sing Christmas carols if I so choose. (At which point, eldest declared that I was wrong and my husband backed me up. I knew I loved Husband!)

Whatever your plans for the last couple of months of 2024 are, may you have a blessed rest of November.

Have a Marvelously Merry Monday!

The First of The "Ber" Months, October...

 Happy October Everyone!

I'm posting this later in the day than I normally would. But, sometimes it's fun to do something a tiny bit different. (In this case put up a blog post after 4pm my time, when it would normally be up early in the morning).

October always used to give me a sort of "giddy" feeling when I was growing up. I guess because my birthday is this month (Oct. 15th). But sometimes, on rare occasions, my part of Texas would start getting cooler. I always liked the little nip in the air that hinted at the holidays to come. The day I'm writing this post it was 88 degrees Fahrenheit earlier in the day, but now is up to 90. Hardly autumn-feeling weather.

I'm going along querying Sugar & Frost (the manuscript's "mood board" is the image in the center). I do hope an agent gives me an offer. I love this story so much! It's fun and whimsical and definitely romantic.

Sugar & Frost's Mood Board

Some people call "romance-forward" Fantasy stories "Romantasy" so, one could call it a YA Romantasy or a YA Fantasy Romance. Either is true because it is romance-forward (the romance plays an integral part of the story) but fantasy elements are important, too. I had a blast writing this story. I really enjoyed myself. Even editing was fun.

One of the inspirations was Frankenmuth, Michigan, which I've visited at least 2-4 times. It's a great little place. I fell in love with Bronner's (a Christmas store of epic proportions and one of my "happy places").

Bethany Averie at Bronner's

I hope your October is fun. :-)  Have a Festively Fun Friday!

P.S. On a more serious note, I've been praying for the victims of the recent Hurricane Helene. God bless all who have been negatively affected. If you can donate and/or help, please do.

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!