First In Person Interview

Hey guys, long time no blog!
Life has been crazy between moving, unpacking, being a full time mom, and of course trying to squeeze in writing time!
Not going to be a long post today, BUT I had my first in person interview go live on YouTube today! It was so much fun to film, and I think that shows in the video. Who knows, maybe I'll try to do more of these in the future?!?

Lakefly Writers Conference 2018 Pt 2

Welcome to part two of my Lakefly Writers Series!
Last blog I covered day one of the conference, this post is going to be all about day two, Saturday.

The day started out a little strange, and not as planned. But thankfully because I am a person that likes to be prepared, it was easily overcome. Once again I arrived early, which allowed me to have almost the pick of the tables! There were a few other writers there to set up at the same time, but I was able to select a prime spot to set up. Right by the doors, with a clear view of the stage across the room,

I realized that after I publish a few more books I'll need a better rack for displaying them! It was an amazing feeling to see all seven of my book babies sitting out on the table. Instead of having one or two novels on the table, it was full! I felt like amidst the other authors I actually belonged. Imposter syndrome is real, and sometimes we just need an outside trigger to make us realize we are, in fact, "real" authors.

My best writing friend,  Rebekah Bryan, and I ended up sharing a table. Like we pretty much always have, it just seems easier to get through events with a buddy. And look! We even had time to sneak in some writing sessions. Good little worker bees typing away on our keyboards.

Though, let me tell you, it was highly motivating to be selling and talking about Wolf's Blood while working on Wolf's Bite! There was something urgent about realizing my readers were right in front of me that made it easier to clack away at the keys.

I'm not sure if it was the environment, people, or the fact that this is my third year self publishing, but it was so much easier to talk about my books and "sell" them. It was *gasp* fun! This was a first for me, and made me want to do events more often as I had my best sales ever. I am looking forward to connecting with these new readers and writers. 

In fact the entire weekend was inspiring and motivating. My husband and I are already planning on logistics for next year! 

Lakefly Writers Conference 2018 Pt1

Since Liam was born I had to be honest with myself, and my budget, and realize that going to the large Writers Institute conference in Madison would no longer be feasible for me. I went for three years, and every year learned more and more, and LOVED every minute of it. So, in all honesty I was more than a little saddened by the realization that my new offspring was going to prevent me from doing something I loved. BUT I got over it and realized once baby is old enough Mama will have plenty of opportunities to go to writing events.

A year passes, and I saw that a friend of mine on Facebook clicked "interested" in a writing event in Oshkosh.
Enter Lakefly Writers Conference to the rescue!

Some quick searching of their page, a scan at their prices, and a talk with my husband, and I was signing up before I knew it!
I was so excited for the conference, and boy, they did not disappoint.

On Friday I got there ridiculously early, like I do, but it was nice since I had no idea where I was going both to get there, and once in the building. Thankfully Ruth, who organizes the entire event was there and made me feel welcome. In fact, every single one of the volunteers who ran it made me feel not only welcome to the event, but that I mattered.

At other conferences they were so large it almost made me feel like a fly on the wall. Just a number. A faceless writer who paid their dues. But not so here.
Here I was not only an attendee, but I was a person who was important. They were geniunely pleased to see me there, and Ruth even greeted me by name (Before I put the tag on)! She had seen my Tweets about attending this year and made a point to be there to take my picture and Tweet about me. ME! The small town writer mom, who tweets sparingly, and doesn't have thousands upon thousands of readers.

It definitely made my day! 

The first session I attended was by Dionne Kelm, author of the childrens' book series Grandma Hearts. Once again, she and her husband continued the theme of sincere kindness and friendliness. There was a lot in her time slot, but the main take away I had was to own your brand. To use that brand in everything, and anything you can think of! Including placing graphics on your car/camper, making everything cohesive design wise, and even in your email signature. I should have thought about the email signature angle after working in the "professional" world and having a few signatures of my own. She was a true delight.

The second session was led by Barry Busby the Winnebago County Coroner. What a fascinating topic! I attended this one because I eventually have plans to write a 13 book urban fantasy detective series and thought it would be good to learn when I have the opportunities. This was way more than I bargained for! Everyone in that room was enraptured in what he had to say, and we wish he could have gone on longer.

The last session I decided to visit was one about Blogging. Yes, Blogging. That thing that all authors are "Supposed" to do and I have done with consistency in the past. I know I needed to reinvigorate this blog, and this was just what the doctor ordered! Rex Owens had some fantastic advice, and was very informative and inspiring. Thankfully it seems that I have been on the right path for blogging, I just need to be more consistent and open up with more possible topics. I had some ideas for topics both in the session, and once I got back to my hotel room for the night, so I am looking forward to sharing them soon.

Part Two will cover how Saturday went!
Until then, keep writing!

Sunday Book Review

This month's book review is a book that I read as an Arc, which means it wasn't even released when I read it! How amazing it is to read a book that hasn't been released to the public yet.
But fear not! Horrid by L.C. Ireland releases on April 10th, just a few days away from when this post goes live.

Despite this being a book I was gifted, as always, all opinions, thoughts and comments are true and were not persuaded in any way by the author.

According to L.C. Ireland's website this book is part of a larger series with the following description: 

Seven Sisters of Silverleaf

Young Adult Fantasy (ages 10+)

The seven Delaroe sisters encounter magical creatures, dastardly villains, and handsome heroes in this fantasy series inspired by classic fairytales. 

While reading I couldn't exactly pin point down which fairy tale this one had in it, but throughout the book you definitely get that feeling. But when you have a witch that curses your family, something has been stolen, and that witch bargains for your soul...well those elements are in most fairy tales I know! 

I honestly didn't know alot about this story, or even L.C. Ireland before reading this, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it! Much like my review last month, I read this book in a day. More precisely in the time between putting Liam down to bed and about 11 pm. So it took me roughly 4.5 hours to finish it. Not too shabby. *rolls shoulders* This ol' girl's still got it! 

Ahh I remember the time I used to read thick books in a day...but I digress. 

Clearly, if I was able to read this in essentially one sitting the writing is well done, any typos were not distractions, and the flow of the story pulled me through. 

I quite enjoyed how Delta was literally they most unexpected heroine. She is the middle of 7 sisters who, along with two brothers, make up what is left of the Delaroe family. Their parents died under seemingly mysterious circumstances on a voyage, leaving the eldest brother Alistair in charge of their lands and with keeping the peace with neighboring nobles. 

The story really kicks off from the beginning with the description of the Witch of Horr, AKA the Horrid Witch. Deltas states that "I was sixteen and scared. I was desperate. And that's when she gets you: when you have everything to lose and nothing to bargain with but your soul." 

Hello! Talk about plunging the reader into the world from the get go. The book is a great roller coaster ride of plot twists, one of which I didn't even guess! The reader really feels for Delta as she is thrust into situations far exceeding her experience and depth. But that is what makes this such a great ride! 

Personally, I can not wait until the next book in the series releases! 

L.C. Ireland's links are below! Be sure to check this book out, I give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/BooksByL.C.Ireland/

Website: http://www.ghostlight.ink/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/L.C.-Ireland/e/B01HX3O42Q/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1518916764&sr=8-2-ent

A Day in the Life

It seems that every one wants to know what exactly a "full-time" author does every day...So here is my answer!
Now, as many of you know, I am also a full time stay at home mom to an almost 11 moth old, so what my day looks like will vastly differ from that of a parent whose children are in school, if they work, or if they do not have tiny spawn running around.

So here goes nothing!

We'll just pretend, for the sake of a streamlined blog post, that Liam sleeps when he's supposed to and that it's Monday since it's the start of the week.

5:50 AM- first alarm goes off, I wonder "Why me". Hit the turn off button and roll back over. Continue for the next three alarms adding in thoughts such as "Did I just hear Liam?" "I can totally sleep another twenty min."

6:30 AM- This is a pretty typical wake up time now since I am an exclusive pumper. (That's all I'll say about that, from now on abbreviated to EP for future reference)

7 AM- Get Liam's bottles ready, and get the baby up if he's awake and ready. He tends to talk to himself for the first half hour he's awake and as he gets louder it means he's ready to get up. Give Liam his first bottle, then have him play in his playpen while I clean up the kitchen and eat quickly.

8 AM- Liam gets his breakfast.

8:45 AM- start the process of putting Liam down for his nap. Ideally he will be asleep by 9, or at least I will be out of the room.

9- 10:30/11 AM- This is what I consider my first "break" of the day. Typically in this time I will check social media, my blog, etc. If there's a twitter hashtag or I have a blog post go live this is the time I will share the links and posts. If it's not, I will work on outlining, or some editing.
This is also the time I shower. Yes, I make it a point to shower every day, during the day! I have found as a SAHM it makes a difference in my attitude and I'm much more productive.

10:30/11AM -12:45PM- Liam wakes up between 10:30 and 11, and then it's play time until lunch, and then until afternoon nap.

1- 3 PM- By this point, I've eaten and tidied up the house. I do have to spend about 45 min to an hour doing my EP tasks. But the afternoon nap is the main time I am able to get work done. This includes editing, social media, maybe writing a blog post, outlining a post, or even reading.

3PM-6:30 PM- Family time! My hubby gets home, we eat dinner, Liam gets a bath, and then bed time. Typically he is out by 6:30/7.

7PM- Huzzah! It's the glorious time of day that I can plug in earphones, blast music, and write. I typically do not write in my WIP's during the day as I feel my attention is constantly divided between whatever I am doing ad listening to the baby monitor. But from 7-8:30PM I am able to zone out and get those words down!

To be perfectly honest, there are some days that during Liam's naps, and even in the evening, my brain is so fried that all I want to do is sit and crochet instead. Which happens, more often than I care to admit. Taking care of a tiny hoomin is exhausting, both mentally and physically. I do anticipate that this schedule will change as Liam gets older and the weather gets nicer.
Then we'll be able to actually get out of the house!

Anyone else have a loose daily schedule they follow for writing?

Creating a Playlist

For me, writing is best done to the sound of music.
I don't know why. Maybe it stems from most of school work being done around other noisy people. But I always do my best work, and am able to concentrate better, with music playing in the background. Whether that be writing, or studying. Heck, even cleaning the house is better with my own personal soundtrack playing!

When creating a playlist for a specific work in progress I focus on songs that immediately place me into the mindset I am looking for. Sometimes that means songs with lyrics, other times I write to completely instrumental playlists.

Often I find movie soundtracks fantastic places to start. Especially ones that have an epic feel to it such as Pacific Rim, The Shannara Chronicles (Season One), Assassins Creed: Black Flag, and Dragon Age Inquisition. These are usually ones that I write my fantasy books to, however they didn't always do the trick when it came to writing this Urban Fantasy book.

The playlist for the Athruithe books is a bit eclectic, but just listening to it puts me in the mood to write! (Which is kind of the whole idea behind creating a playlist ;) )

As you create them, and work on your projects, it gets easier to identify songs, or scores from movies/video games that work for you. I find myself paying even more attention to the scores as I'm watching movies, and have found some of the most motivational music that way.

So in honor of my latest release, Wolf's Blood, here is the playlist that I listened to when I wrote it. (Songs are in no particular order since I hit "shuffle" when working.)

Pain - Three Days Grace
Animal I Have Become - Three Days Grace
Riot - Three Days Grace
The Arena - Lindsey Stirling
Hold My Heart - Lindsey Stirling (Feat. ZZ Ward)
Keep the Streets Empty (Red Riding Hood Original Picture) - Fever Ray
Shatter Me - Lindsey Stirling (Feat. Lizzy Hale)
She Wolf (Falling to Pieces) - David Guetta (Feat. Sia)
Supermassive Black Hole - Muse
Leave Out All The Rest - Likin Park
I Caught Myself - Paramore
Decode - Paramore
Chasing the Sun - The Wanted
Leave Out All The Rest - Likin Park
What I've Done - Likin Park
New Divide - Likin Park
I Will Not Bow - Breaking Benjamin

Sunday Book Review

This month's book review has been a long time coming...A LONG TIME.
H.L. Burke is an author that honestly, I wish I was more like.
It seems that she is a writing MACHINE.
I swear every time I turn around she is releasing a new book. It feels like she does one every few months. Which is fantastic, and honestly, one of the Indie Authors I aspire to be like.

And yet, for all of my fangirling, I had never read one of her books. *gasp*

So for this month I decided to finally read one. Granted, I did win the copy of this book through a contest. I think it was a "caption this" Facebook contest. But it was random, and I went into reading this with quite low expectations as the last two Indie books (by different authors) I had to stop reading and put down.


So without further ado, I bring you Coiled!

Book Blurb from Amazon:

A healing touch. A hideous face. A looming curse.

As the ugly twin to a perfect sister, Princess Laidra lives her life in the shadows—until her parents offer her as bait for a giant serpent.

Her escape attempt leaves her shipwrecked on a secluded island with only one inhabitant: Prince Calen, who lives under a curse. If anyone looks upon him, he turns into a giant serpent. Speaking to him in the darkness, Laidra sees past the monster to Calen’s lonely soul, and she determines to free him from the magic’s hold.

But if Laidra can’t break the curse in time, Calen will become a mindless creature of scales and fangs forever.

A YA mythology/romance that retells the myth of Eros and Psyche with adventure, magic, and true love.

 

 

To be honest, I knew at one point that this was a type of retelling, but it didn't dawn on me until a little ways into the book. I am a huge mythology fan, pretty much any mythology but far east (no idea why) intrigues me. I have done plenty of self imposed research into the topics, and completely loved how Burke took the Greek pantheon and made it her own.

From the get go, I liked the characters of Laidra and Calen. Each were likeable, dare I say loveable, in their views and attitudes. Burke used excellent descriptions of them, you really felt with Laidra her curse. How it impacted—and didn't—her worldview. The same goes for Calen.

At one point in the book I thought, here it is "the end"! They've figured this out, they're going to solve the problem and live happily ever after. With these two, you definitely crave that ending! Then I looked down at the percentage left on my iPad...I had 30 percent left in the book! What was going to happen? Then it did, and while I knew roughly how it was going to work out, I was still pleasantly surprised how Burke wrapped everything up.

Because this is a retelling I felt there was a certain predictability to it, but despite that everything was fresh and new. Definitely a perfect example of the old adage that every tale has already been told, but not by you.

Bottom Line?
Highly Recommend! 5 stars!

Coiled on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Coiled-H-L-Burke-ebook/dp/B0713VTDB3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518313469&sr=8-1&keywords=coiled

H.L Burke Author page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/H.-L.-Burke/e/B00EYQ1HLW/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

H.L Burke. Website: http://www.hlburkeauthor.com/

What Happened?

Here's how it goes.
You're looking forward to a book. Maybe for a day, maybe for months.
You grab your snack, beverage, a comfy spot, and teasingly open those first few pages. But before long, your cozy evening has been hijacked by a book that wildly doesn't live up to your expectations.
Throwing the book down, you storm off to find another one...But what happened?

What did that book do that broke your short lived love affair?

For me, it's a variety of reasons.

I have read many, MANY books over the years, and recently I have dived into the realm of Self, Indie, and Small Press Pubbed books.
During this time I've found books that for some reason I stopped reading. It doesn't happen often, but it has happened. Case in point: in the past two years there has been three books I've had to put down and step away from.

And no, I'm not going to spill which ones they were here. That is a different topic entirely.
What is interesting is that the main reason for putting each down was different for each one.

The first was a fantasy that I had to stop reading due to the rampant cliche's. It was terrible. From the characters, to plot holes, to even dialogue. It was riddled with tropes, and NOT in a good way. (The editing was also terrible, but that's not the main reason I had to put it down.)

The second was what I thought was an paranormal/urban fantasy. I got 30% in and realized it wasn't, it was a graphic romance novel with paranormal/UF aspects to it. Very little plot development with jumping between characters minds in mid paragraph. I wasn't prepared for the content, and on top of that it was not at all something that I enjoy as the "romance" part of it overtook the rest of the book.

To be slightly more generous, both of the above were self published. Now, self pubbers NEED to have many rounds of edits and re-writes, just like traditionally pubbed writers. Each book of mine goes through multiple rounds of edits from me, as well at least 5 other people before it is released to the world. In the above instances, these things would have been very easily found, and fixed had their editors been either honest, or they went through enough rounds.

The third was the second in a series of paranormal romances. I did enjoy the first, but this sequel was not the same, at all. The back blurb talked about one male and one female, the reader would think those are the main characters, correct? We didn't even see one of them until chapter five. Then we didn't get a chapter from one of their POV's until chapter seven.
On top of that, there were several mistakes that should have been caught as this was published from a small press, that SHOULD have had a through editing before release.

In all of this I don't begrudge the author. Writing is hard. But releasing that book into the world? Terrifyingly difficult.

The only downside I see is that I wasn't able to enjoy the writers world as they intended. And in many of the cases of books I put down, had these simple items been fixed, I wouldn't have been able to put the books down!

Anyone else have books they just had to stop reading? Why?

Reading Wide

I recently saw a discussion in one of the Writing Groups I follow on Facebook about whether or not one should write and read in multiple genres.

I didn't weigh in, because it would have taken far too many comments for me to explain my feelings about this topic.

With that, my opinion is this:

HECK YES!

Every writer should not only read widely, but I also believe they should also write widely.

At the time of writing this I am reading Polgara the Sorceress  by David Eddings, The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell, and Coiled by H.L. Burke. The first is a high fantasy, the second is a historical fiction, and the last is a retelling of the Eros and Psyche myth.

Each is different, each contains tropes from the different genres, and all of them are good in their own way. I thoroughly enjoy several different genres. Romance, all types of Fantasy, Historical, Mystery, and Retellings each have places on my book shelves.

Reading as a writer is different than just enjoying a story. In order to improve your writing, reading with an eye towards craft is an invaluable tool. One of the best pieces of advice I've stumbled across was as a writer you should read as much as you can. But not just read a lot, examine and dissect the books you read.

Instead of simply thinking "I like this character", ask yourself why? How does the writer make you care for them? What aspects to the character bleed through the writing that hooked you?

Maybe it's the plot. Does it twist and turn and keep you guessing? Or is it simple and straight forward but the setting and characters make it intriguing.

Since different genres place emphasis on different parts of writing. By reading and asking yourself questions about these, your writing will become more well rounded.
For example:
A common error that new(er) authors stumble into with fantasy is not doing enough world building. Or to spend so much time and space in the book cramming every detail about the world, and then not have enough plot or characterization to pull the readers into the story.

All writers should read widely in an effort to better their craft and give readers books they want to read, and enjoy.

While I write mainly fantasy, I have had a lot of people that wouldn't normally read fantasy, read and love my Incalescent Trilogy. Mainly because I don't just focus on the fantasy aspects, but the interpersonal relationships and emotions behind the events in the plot.

Just because you write in one genre, doesn't mean you are restricted to read ONLY that genre.
Spread out and try different stories, ask questions, and improve your own work!

Sunday Book Review

It's the second Sunday of the month, and that means it's Book Review Sunday!
For February I was feeling a bit romantic and so selected a romance book. Wine and Children completely exceeded my expectations, but before I get too far ahead of myself, some details about the book and its author Sara Dahmen.

Wine and Children comes from award-winning novelist Sara Dahmen and was the 2017 First Place Winner of Wisconsin's Romance Writers of America Write Touch Award. The synopsis from Amazon is as follows:

Single and still smarting from her divorce, Charlotte Paggo takes a sabbatical to meander through California's wine country in an attempt to rebuild herself. Her travels lead her to meet Sam, a budding garagiste wine maker and a divorcee himself. Neither of them have any illusions about what it takes to make a relationship work, and romance is complicated by Sam's pre-teen sons.

Issues surface, from ex-spouses, children and medical emergencies. Underlying everything is the battle of Charlie's insecurities that stem from her irrevocable infertility. Like so many real life couples who hope for second chances, Charlie and Sam need to work together to discover what it might take to find comfort and happiness once more.

This novel more than delivers when it comes to details about wine making, the emotional turmoil that people have to deal with after divorce, the stigma around infertility, and the process of mature love.

I never knew as many details about wine making, and I absolutely loved when Sam would explain things to Charlie. I feel like, just by reading this book I gained insight about a hobby and passion that I didn't know about before. Dahmen definitely did her homework and included the details in such a way as to not overload and bore, but rather educated and entertain the reader.

As someone who has not been divorced, but did have an engagement end rather badly. I may not have had to deal with infertility, but starting a new relationship after mourning a previous one, is a daunting task. Despite not dealing with the exact issues Charlie has, Dahmen wrote the story in such a way that I completely sympathized, and was able to place myself in her shoes. I was almost brought to tears several times. Which is saying something as I never cry when reading!

I absolutely fell in love with Sam. I thought his character was fantastic. He was not idealized like some romantic love interests. Instead he was human, he had his own flaws as well as positives. He is the perfectly flawed match to Charlie and I found their interactions realistic. I never wanted the story to end, and found myself staying up late to read when I really should have been in bed. (Whoops!)

Wine and Children is a must read for anyone that enjoys romantic stories. Period. A truly refreshing take on the romantic story line that bucks traditional tropes in favor of realistic love that pulls on the heart stings. So grab your copy today, the eBook is on sale for $2.99, and the print book is discounted as well!

Link to book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Wine-Children-Sara-Dahmen-ebook/dp/B01N2UBGCO/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Sara Dahmen's website: http://www.saradahmen.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/saradahmenbooks
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sara_dahmen/

Cover Reveal

If you follow any of my other social media, you may have noticed that the cover for Wolf's Blood was released!

I am so excited to share not only this story, but the cover. Kaitlin at Diseuno Vida Studios designed it, and she did a fabulous job! I gave her some rough ideas for what I wanted, but she took what I had and ran with it. The Celtic circle, and howling wolf are simply genius and really give the cover more substance!

Originally I was not going to write the trilogy for some years, but two years ago Bryna just kept pestering me during NaNoWriMo. I ended up writing over half of the first draft during that time. It poured out of me onto the page in rapid succession. Below is the book blurb:

Descending from generations of Loup Garou—immortal wolf shape shifters—makes living life in the modern world a bit complicated. Bryna Whealan’s nights are spent managing her family pub, and days are consumed with keeping the wolf inside controlled. Life was utterly predictable and comfortable, and she liked it that way. At least until a rogue wolf showed up, and someone breaks into her pub, creating unease through her pack.

A fateful meeting brings Ethan Donnelly into Bryna’s life, forcing her to make decisions based on their immediately undeniable bond. But due to his studies of supernatural creatures as a professor of Occult Anthropology, Ethan is a dangerous match. Bryna risks her entire pack’s safety simply by talking to him.

When her ex-fiancé rolls into town, and mysterious wolves infringe upon her pack’s territory, how will Bryna balance keeping her secret and Ethan safe? 

The book will go on pre-sale soon! I will be sure to update my social media when it does so. :) 

AND as a bonus Kaitlin is giving potential clients a 20% discount if they mention me as a referral! So be sure to mention me when contacting this fantastic artist for your own works. 

https://disuenovida.wordpress.com/

New Years Resolutions Pt 3 - My Goals for 2018

How has your January gone? Well? Any resouti—Goals that have been met yet? Have you laid the mini-goals and map out of how you're going to attain those goals for 2018?
This blog is Part Three in setting goals.

I've had years where I concentrated on writing my fingers off, publishing multiple books, and losing weight/eating better.

This year?

This year, 2018, is going to be the year of Balance. That is going to be my word for the year.

Seeking the balance between writing, marketing, social media, and being a parent.
Within that search for balance, I do have some professional goals that I would like to share here.

1. Reach 550 followers on Twitter, and 400 on Instagram. A bit of arbitrary numbers, but I've been stuck at gaining and then loosing the same 20 or so people on Twitter, and 10 people on Instagram. (Clearly not the same exact people, but number wise.) It would be awesome to hit those numbers, and then maintain it through 2018.

To make strides for this goal that I plan on posting every day, being active and responsive to other posts, being a participant in Joshua Robertson's #author365 (https://www.instagram.com/robertsonwrites/)for the entire year on Instagram. Considering I've never completed even a month long hashtag challenge, this will be interesting.
On Twitter I will be participating in #1lineWed weekly, and be sure to check in and interact with others daily. I always mean to, but the Twitter feed just doesn't hold my attention the way Instagram does. I just enjoy seeing everyone's pictures more!


2. Finish An Irish Christmas, book two in my Emerald Isle trilogy, and publish early November 2018.

I would have preferred to have it released this summer, but that is just not feasible with the responsibilities I have around the house as well as raising my son. The time just isn't there, but I am doing my best to work on the story when I have the time. I don't want to either rush the book and have it not be as good as it could be, nor do I want to work myself so much that I run on three hours of sleep a night while taking care of a more and more mobile (I swear almost toddler!) boy.

To reach this goal, once a month my mom will take Liam for a Saturday morning, giving me 4-5 hours of completely baby free time at home. YAY! Also, once a month I am going to get out of the house and plop myself at a local coffee place for an hour or two while Hubby and Liam get some "guy time". I have noticed that I am able to concentrate more and get more work done when I am in public place where I only have work to do.


3. Have blogs come out at least twice a month on Wednesdays, as well as a once monthly book review of a small press/self published book.

So far I have several books lined up, and the first few books read, and the reviews written. I am going to work ahead, so that I have the posts completed, scheduled a month a head of time. By doing this I won't panic thinking I have nothing to go out, as well as giving me time to set up blog series, and collaborate with other authors.



So there you have it. My three professional goals for 2018. Balance. Breath in, Breath out. Then I'm going to snuggle my baby boy before getting to work.

New Years Resolutions Pt 2- Set Yourself Up for Success

Welcome back to my three part series on New Years Res—I mean Goals.
Which as we covered last week can start really at any time you want. ANY TIME. Not just at the beginning of the "New Year, New Me" phase. (Seriously, does anyone else loathe that statement as much as me?! I digress...)

This time I want to share some tips that helped me to achieve the goals that I set.

Want to know the first thing to do if you want to fail at your goals?
Make them big, with no plan on how to get there.

That is honestly the first failing of a lot of goal setters. I saw it every year in the gym. That first month back is PACKED to the gills, but as the month wanes, people start to drop off. Then by March maybe a handful have stuck around.

Why?

Because they go all out for a few weeks, completely changing their schedule and focusing on this huge momentous goal. Never thinking of making small steps, and smaller goals, on the road to their bigger one.

Their goal may have been to lose 40 pounds, run a 5K, or lift to a certain amount. But without those smaller goals after some time, that bigger goal seems out of reach, and they lose momentum.

I have done this, I will be the first to admit it. Setting goals is easy, working towards them is not. We are only human after all.

So the best way to actually reach your goals are to split them up into bite sized pieces. Every time you hit one of these mini goals you celebrate. It means you're moving forward toward your larger goal, but you are also celebrating how far you have come.

If your goal is to run a 5K, I do not recommend getting on a treadmill (I live in SE WI, so I don't suggest hitting the pavement in below freezing weather) and sprinting the full 5K. I don't think many people could do that without training.

Instead of punishing yourself and falling short of your goal, try running for a set amount of time. Say 1 minute straight to start with walking periods in between. Repeat that a few times over the course of 30 minutes for example. Do that for a week. Then the next week, increase one of the minutes of running to two. And so on until you are running straight for the full 30 min. Then work on distance.

You are not only working toward your goal, but you are changing your habits as well. That is the difficult part of goals. Humans like our habits, it's in our nature. And change, even welcome, wanted change, is difficult. BUT if you can push past the discomfort and start with small changes, you will find that you can achieve even the biggest of goals in time.

Another equally important aspect to reaching your goals is finding someone to cheer you on. Everyone needs encouragement every now and then. So find your cheering section! This can be done with personal friends or family who may have the same goal as you, or someone who just wants to see you succeed and can hold you accountable to show up and work to your goal.

In the writing community there are some lovely people that can be found on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook writing groups, and the NaNoWriMo website. If you do a quick search of #amwriting on Twitter or Instagram, you will find these wonderful people. Even one writing buddy can make the difference, so reach out.
(Feel free to add me, I love cheering people on! Twitter/Insta: @MalindaWrites )

Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Our goals shouldn't be sprints either.

I like to set up both long term and short term goals. Next week I'll share a few of my goals for the New Year; long term, short term, and how I plan to get there.

Has anyone set goals for this year? Writing related? Health related? Work or personal life related? Drop a comment below, I'd love to cheer you on! :)

New Years Resolutions Pt 1 - Why Make Them At All?

If I am completely honest here, and I will be since it is—after all—my blog, I HATE New Years Resolutions.

I mean it's fantastic that people want to better themselves by quitting smoking, eating healthier, going to the gym, doing daily brain teasers, or hitting personal milestones.

But the darn guilt of feeling you HAVE to have something to work on at the beginning of the year is crippling,

Am I right? Or am I RIGHT?!?

Before you click away thinking this is just another "New Year, New You" pile of-you-know-what....just hear me out. It won't take long! ;)

Despite my feelings about New Years Resolutions, I do agree that even writers should have resolutions. How about instead of calling them resolutions, we call them goals?
And instead of just having them at the new year, let's start them whenever we need to. Be it a Tuesday, Friday, or even the second half of the day after sitting around and being a bum and feeling sorry for yourself. Just me? Okay, moving on...

Any time is a good time to set a goal!

Goals are fantastic. They give us something to strive for. A finish line for those of us feeling like we're slaving away for naught. A goal can be as small or as large as you want or need it to be.
They help to keep us motivated to make the changes we feel we need to make. Whether they be a personal or professional goal. Even something silly such as remembering to always put your keys in the same spot, is a good goal.

As long as the goal is something that you feel will better yourself, set it!

Sadly though, setting a goal is an entirely different animal than achieving that goal. This is not like those "Set it and Forget it" meals your mom made back in the day.
Getting to that goal is going to take some work.

In next weeks post I'll talk about how to set goals in a manageable way, and how to motivate yourself to hit those puppies.

Until then why don't you, dear reader, think of something you would like to change in your life.
No matter how small, large, serious, or silly, and I will do the same!

Sunday Book Review

Time to kick the year off with my first Small Press/ Self Published book, and it's a real nail biter!
*All opinions are my own, and are no way influenced by writers or publishers of the books reviewed here* 

The book I picked for January's review was "The Name of Death" by Joshua Robertson. Without realizing it, I selected the perfect book to kick off the new year, and my revived blog!

Description from Amazon:

Drada Koehn is a fearless, formidable fighter ensnared in a presaged war against the northern humans. When the Speaker foretells their victory upon discovery of the name of death, she sets out to unravel the mysterious prophecy. Now, bound by duty and honor, Drada faces untold horrors with her companions, searching for what may never be found. In a story of unexpected twists, she soon finds that her resolve to see the quest done will be the fortune or doom of her people.

The story takes place in the same universe as his fantasy trilogy, "The Kaelandur Series". From my reading I would say that it takes place after the events in the trilogy. I downloaded this onto my iPad when it was first released, and after reading the first two in The Kaelandur Series, wanted to give it a go.

While it does take place after the events in that trilogy, it did not spoil the ending. Which was a very good thing since I have yet to finish the last one. Whoops! Sadly my iPad is filled with books I need to get to, as well as all of the physical books on my shelf that need reading. But alas, life with an 8 month old doesn't leave as much reading time as I would prefer to have.

It was a very quick read, which I rather appreciated! Robertson jam packed the story with information and plot, but kept the story moving forward and didn't get bogged down in details. Right off the bat you are transported to a fantasy world where Drada is waiting for her war brother to die after being mortally wounded by a *gasp* human who used poison. A very cowardly thing to do according to Drada. Humans are weak, and Drada's people (the Uvil) have been at war with them for years.

Drada and her war brother were on a quest to find the name of death, and with him gone it is up to Drada and her unlikely Kras companion to continue the journey. They are joined by a human and his companion. Which creates a bit of tension and depth to the story that in something this short, was necessary.  

A creature makes its way back into the pages that I was happy to see again, the Svet. AKA a centaur. I loved the Svet in his other books, and was excited to see another one in this story. For being such a short read, the characters are well rounded and easily distinguishable from one another.

I don't want to ruin the end, but it definitely left me looking for more. Would reccomend to any fantasy readers out there. I give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars!

Links to Robertson's Website, Twitter, Instagram, and Amazon are below. He is one interesting writer, and posts freqeuntly about the writers life and publishing journey. One of the people on my "Must follow" list for writers! 

https://www.robertsonwrites.com/
https://twitter.com/RobertsonWrites
https://www.instagram.com/robertsonwrites/ 
https://www.amazon.com/Name-Death-Joshua-Robertson-ebook/dp/B01N2XQYPY/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Tools of the Trade

Tools are important for any creative endeavor. Whether it is Painting, Sculpture, Fiber Arts, Design, even Writing, they all have basic needs.

Personally I keep it pretty low tech, unless you count my computer, but even then I'm pretty simple with programs. I prefer to have my notes in physical form so I can have them next to my computer as I'm working.  

My computer is my number one tool to writing. I have a MacBook Pro, and I love it. I used to have an HP laptop, but after 5 years in college it was on its last leg and finally was done. It was constantly having issues with viruses, and at the time my parents had purchased a MacBook Pro three years prior, and had not had ONE ISSUE. In fact, it's been several more years and they still haven't had an issue! (Neither has my computer, and I love how my phone and my computer automatically are compatible and update accordingly.)

In order to keep my projects separate and have plenty of room for each one I utilize different notebooks, or notebooks with multiple sections. My favorite brands are Moleskine and Five Star, though any notebook with enough pages or sections would work.

My favorite piece for keeping things organized with my Ryder Chronicles series is a large Five Star binder. It's not like a typical binder as it has a soft spine and is expandable. It has plenty of room for divided sections, hand drawn maps, character information sheets, and lots of extra loose-leaf for hand written notes.

Note cards. I could write a love ballad to my note cards. I use them as "scene" cards. Each card has which character I'm writing from, events or dialogue that has to happen, and what scene it is in the book (ie, 1,2,3 etc). This is especially helpful when I'm writing my fantasy trilogies. It helps me almost pre-write the book before I get started. I will also add notes that I need to keep in mind while writing, like scars, or abilities, or memories.

Paperclips! I use them with the scene cards. Each color corresponds to a different character so I know at a glance which character is getting "screen time". It helps to keep the viewpoints even and gives me a guide to how far through the story I am at any given time by moving the note cards to the back as I finish those scenes.

Earbuds are my next must have item for writing. I almost always have to write to music. It helps to keep my thoughts centered on the story I'm working on. I prefer the in-ear variety as I have nine earrings, and over the ear ones just push the back of the studs against my head. Not comfortable! Plus as an added bonus, they're small and easy to transport.



What are other writers must haves for writing? Anything you would add to my list?

Meet the Writer Behind the Screen

Welcome Back, and Welcome to any new readers!
I'm kicking off this new year with a "Meet and Greet" blog post.

Let's get started!

1. My favorite color is green.

2. I don't know that I have one specific book that is my favorite, but I love David Eddings work, as well as older Terry Brooks. (I'm a bit of a fantasy fan)

3. Garfield is my spirit animal. Just substitute Lasagna with either my Dads Venison Chili or my husbands Chicken Parmesan. Mondays are the worst!

4. As a former horse owner, I am a fan of almost all equestrian sports.

5. The best writing beverage is definitely Hot Chocolate. Coffee and I don't get along.

6. If I had to only read one genre for the rest of my life I'd pick fantasy.

7. I'm the pro when it comes to procrastination.

8. I wish I was known and "big" enough of an author to write off a family trip to both Scotland and Wales for research for two more romance trilogies I have in mind.

9. Music is a necessity for me to crank out the words. I prefer epic soundtracks to keep me motivated.

10. One fictional land I'd love to visit is Narnia.

11. While writing is my main "creative" outlet, I also enjoy crocheting and make blankets, scarves, shawls, and other household items. I like designing my own patterns and seeing what colors work well together.

12. I can always make my son laugh with my chicken impression... a side effect from years of being around horse barns that also had resident chickens.

13. This next year I want to publish at least one, if not two books.

14. If I had to be one of my characters for a day it would have to be Riona. Magical powers, control of fire, and a dragon for a best friend!

15. I wish I was better at marketing. Talking about my work in a selling situation is not easy for me.

16. A guilty pleasure that I indulge a little too much is binge watching my favorite TV shows on Netflix. But who doesn't do that?!?!