The Month of All the Things or Keeping It Simple, Take 2 #IWSG

The Insecure Writer's Support Group was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. June's co-hosts are JH Moncrieff, Madeline Mora-Summonte, Jen Chandler, Megan Morgan, and Heather Gardner. Follow the other IWSG bloggers or sign up for the blog hop here.

First of all, I owe everyone an apology. I completely and totally failed at visiting blogs in May, but I do have a good reason for being absent online. Or I hope you'll think it is a good enough reason. You see, a promotional opportunity came up for Reborn for mid-June. At first, I planned to just update the files for Reborn (second edition) and leave everything else as is, but since I haven't done any real promotion since, um, like 2015, I thought I should be like Alexander Hamilton and not throw away my shot. So I tossed Soul Reaper aside and pivoted toward The Fate Challenges and basically did all the things I'd originally planned to do January-April and didn't do in May. It was a pretty crazy four weeks, but I'm proud of the work I've done, even if it meant abandoning emails/social media/blogging.

So the lesson, children, is be like Alexander Hamilton and don't throw your shot away. *smiles*

That said, I am still striving for simplicity and hope to reach it one of these days.

June 7th IWSG Day Question: Did you ever say "I quit"? If so, what happened to make you come back to writing? I haven't said "I quit" to writing. Publishing, yes. Writing, no. Writing has become such an intrinsic part of who I am. I need writing. It's too cathartic to me to give up. At least at this time. Will there come a day where I'll say "I quit"? It's possible.

Have you quit writing? What are your insecurities?

---

As above, I mentioned doing all the things the past four weeks. I did finish the outline for A Soul to Take (Soul Reaper #3), and I had started reading through A Soul to Save and creating my A-Z Glossary for the Soul Reaper series when my well-laid plans were tossed aside in favor of The Fate Challenges. So what all did I do? I'll tell you.

I designed new covers for The Fate Challenges. It wasn't my first time designing a cover, but it was my first time for doing more than adding fonts and other minor changes to it. I am pleased with how they turned out. As you can see, I went with symbolic images, and I do feel like the covers tell the stories.

I hand-drew (pen/pencil) new maps for The Fate Challenges and People of Foxwick and Their Neighbors. I scanned the images and used paint.net to add the compass images and the fonts.

I formatted and designed the cover art for The Cherie Reich Sampler, which is available for free to newsletter subscribers. The Cherie Reich Sampler contains Part I of Reborn, Once upon a December Nightmare from Once upon a Nightmare: A Collection, A to Z Flashes of Foxwick, and "Lady Death" from People of Foxwick and Their Neighbors.

I re-formatted and uploaded the e-versions of People of Foxwick and Their Neighbors and Once upon a Nightmare: A Collection.

I added in nearly 600 minor changes to Reborn, re-formatted the e-version of it, and uploaded it to retailers. Because of the changes, I have put Reborn on sale for 99c through the summer.

I line-edited and proofread Determined (a bonus novella set within The Fate Challenges) as well as formatted it. Determined is available for download for free from my website only.

I did content edits and line edits and proofread Marked (The Fate Challenges #1.5) as well as formatted this novella. Marked is available through several retailers. Visit My Books to view links for Reborn, Determined, Marked, Once upon a Nightmare: A Collection, and People of Foxwick and Their Neighbors.

Let's see. I also designed the chapter headings for The Fate Challenges and edited several stories for the upcoming Spirits in the Water anthology. There is an excerpt from my story "The Folding Point" on the Untethered Realms' blog. I have recently gone through the outline to Forged, so I can begin editing it this month too. I also updated my blog look (new banner, colors, etc.).

Hmm, I think that's all I did in May and early June. I might just fall over now.

My June goals are:

- Start editing Forged (The Fate Challenges #2).

- Revise the outline for Destined (The Fate Challenges #3).

- Catch up on emails and social media, including blogging.

- Edit the rest of the stories in Spirits in the Water.

- Help my friend with her novella series.

- Update my websites.

- Catch up on reviewing books. I think I'm like seven or eight books behind right now. Maybe more.

What are your June goals?

2017 Stats: 81,641 words written and 474,634 words edited

The most recent book I finished reading (besides my own over and over again) is Rachel Morgan's Glass Faerie (Creepy Hollow #7). I loved, loved, loved this book and series. If you haven't read it, you should. Seriously.

SPECULATIVE FICTION BOOKS

RELEASING IN JUNE

The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett

Executed by RR Haywood

The Halloween Children by Brian James Freeman and Norman Prentiss

The Waking Land by Callie Bates

Marked by Sin by Jasmine Walt and Debbie Cassidy

Blood Vice by Angela Roquet

The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King

Kiss Me, Kill You by Larissa C. Hardesty

Atlantis Reborn by Gloria Craw

Secrets of Skin and Stone by Wendy Laine

Pew! Pew! – Sex, Guns, Spaceships… Oh My! by Various Authors

Fata Morgana by Steven R. Boyett and Ken Mitchroney

Escape Velocity by Jason M. Hough

Resurrection America by Jeff Gunhus

Reborn by Cherie Reich (Second Edition)

Determined by Cherie Reich (Author Website Only)

Marked by Cherie Reich

#IWSG: Passion, Projects, and Plans | Cover Reveal Parallels: Felix Was Here

IWSG was created by the Captain Ninja Alex J. Cavanaugh. Click here to visit the other IWSG participants.

Today's post seems to be brought to you by the letter P. *laughs*

My writing projects Destined (The Fate Challenges #3) and A Soul to Kill (Soul Reaper #0) have been on my mind a lot lately. I've noticed how I light up when I talk about A Soul to Kill and the Soul Reaper series in general. When it comes to reading, I want to dive into all the urban fantasy books. It's not that I don't enjoy Yssa's story. We've been together for ten years, after all, but I'm all excited about Soul Reaper. This passion has led me to ponder whether I should switch my projects #1 and #2.

And this idea has led to my insecurity for this month. I've made a commitment to finishing The Fate Challenges. People have read Reborn (The Fate Challenges #1) and I'm sure at least three of them are looking forward to the rest of the books in the series. Destined is the last book, and I just have to finish that first draft to have the series written. Will I be letting them down if I take even longer with writing Destined? Will I be letting myself down?

I feel guilty for considering switching the two, yet I also want my main passion to be my main project. It's not that I'll stop writing Destined. It'll just take me a few months longer to finish that first draft than I first thought.

So for this month I'll switch them and see how it goes. If I don't chicken out and switch them back midway through!

What are your insecurities this month?

As you might have seen on the IWSG blog last month, my story "Folds in Life and Death" is one of the ten stories in the IWSG anthology. Thank you so much for your congratulations and kind comments. It had been a few years since I last submitted a story, so I was shocked to find out my story was one of the ten chosen.

We also have a title and cover art! Parallels: Felix Was Here will be out sometime in Spring 2016. Isn't it an awesome cover!?

Science Fiction/Alternate History

Enter the realm of parallel universes!

What if the government tried to create the perfect utopia? Could a society linked to a supercomputer survive on its own? Do our reflections control secret lives on the other side of the mirror? Can one moment split a person’s world forever?

Exploring the fantastic, ten authors offer incredible visions and captivating tales of diverse reality. Featuring the talents of L. G. Keltner, Cherie Collier, Hart Johnson, Cherie Reich, Sandra Cox, Yolanda Renee, Melanie Schulz, Sylvia Ney, Michael Abayomi, and Tamara Narayan.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will expand your imagination and twist the tropes of science fiction. Step through the portal and enter another dimension!

---

In January, I wrote in Destined and A Soul to Kill and outlined A Soul to Kill. I also edited "Folds in Life and Death" and a friend's novelette and short story. I'm working on edits for another friend's novel. Unfortunately, I keep striking out on finishing the outline for Destined as well as editing Marked (The Fate Challenges #1.5).

Here are my goals for February:
Write 30 minutes a day in main project (A Soul to Kill).
Write 15 minutes a day in a secondary project (Destined).
Finish editing a friend's novel. I plan to finish it this week/early next week.
Edit Marked. Seriously! I've put this off for way too long.
Edit "On Day 168."
Outline Destined.

Current 2016 Stats: 29,868 words written and 214 pages edited.

IWSG: Too Busy Writing to Be Insecure | Wattpad Wednesdays: Reborn Chapter 32 | Awesome Giveaway

IWSG was created by the Captain Ninja Alex J. Cavanaugh. To visit the IWSG participants, please click here. There is a big announcement today, so be sure to check out the IWSG site. The co-hosts for September are Heather M. Gardner, Christine Rains, Dolorah at Book Lover, Julie Flanders, and Murees Dupé.

Yes, it's a rare, rare occurrence, but I just don't feel insecure today. Not even the flat line of sales make me that insecure. Why? Because I've been writing, and it's just an amazing feeling to be back into creating new worlds and characters and plots and all. Since July 1, I've written every single day, which is something I haven't managed before.

On August 30, I finished the first draft of Marked (The Fate Challenges #1.5), which came in at 26,095 words (51 single-spaced pages). I'm letting it sit for a month or so before I edit and send it to my first critique partner, so I'm sure my insecurities will come back by then. *laughs* I started writing Forged (The Fate Challenges #2) on August 31. I have three chapters left to write in The Mission (The Gaia Project #1.1), which is actually going pretty well since I started the short novella with just an idea and a vague sense of scenes and characters. Of course, it'll need major plotting for the second draft and subsequent stories, but I'm having fun just seeing where things go.

Plus, I got a big boost in confidence when Reborn received a five star review at Readers' Favorite. It took over a year for a reviewer to take a chance on Reborn, and I'm relieved the reviewer loved it. You even get a lovely medal to put on websites or print it out.

I used to worry about using up creativity, but lately I found this quote to be very true.

What are your insecurities this month?

Read Reborn from the beginning or Chapter Thirty-Two.

 

Welcome to the kickoff for September's giveaway. All of the books are fab and the authors are amazing. Seriously you don't want to miss out. Here's the link to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway. And here are the books.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Falling for #SpecFic: 2015 Realms Faire | Wattpad Wednesdays: Reborn Chapter 31 | Writing Update | Awesome Giveaway

The fourth annual Realms Faire is coming up November 9-13, and we have loads of events and prizes for you to participate in. Here are a few of the events coming up during the Faire.

House MPax - The Joust

So what does becoming a knight and jousting entail?

1. Spots are limited reserve your slot today! Click HERE and check off 'joining 4th annual joust as a knight. Huzzah!' or email Mary at mpaxuathor@gmail.com.
2. When you get an email from Mary, send her the name you'll joust under and 3-5 book covers. She'll send you the nifty badge and 3 magic words. The magic words are how you'll score points during the joust.
3. Send her 2 excerpts, or 2 stories of your knightly feats, or one excerpt and one story of your feats.
4. Send your friends and followers to this blog Nov. 9-13th and tell them to leave comments using your magic words. You're allowed to post exactly what they copy and paste. You're allowed to bribe. Prizes will be awarded to commenters daily on the site.

House Immortal - Beware the Vortex

Evil is afoot. Chronos has accidentally created a vortex while cleaning his hourglass, plunging a few unfortunate souls into Lucien’s Bar, gateway to the Underworld. Now they are trapped. Lucien wants to keep them but will give each hapless victim one chance to earn their freedom. His condition? Enter a contest of skills with an Immortal opponent of his/her choosing.

Do you think you can survive a swordfight with War? How about wend your way through a carnivorous garden to get to Gaia’s treehouse? Or weave a portion of the Great Tapestry of Life while avoiding Atropos’ giant pair of life-ending scissors? Perhaps you’re brave enough to challenge Death to a peanut-eating contest? Or whip up a batch of punch with Jezebel, the Master Poisoner? Do you have what it takes to win your way out of Lucien’s grasp?

Your mission: on the day you appear in the contest you will post on your own blog or gather together your Facebook and/or Twitter friends and provide a link to this blog, pleading with your loyal supporters to come to your aid at http://riverfairchild.blogspot.com/ and cheer you on to victory. Their comments will decide your fate. River will provide you with a few magic words to bolster the power of your minions. Plead well, for you will need their strength to endure. Others might seek to cast their votes with the Immortals.

Rewards? Yes! Besides winning your freedom (hopefully), each volunteer (that would be you) who is locked in the struggle will receive an Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card. In addition, a few lucky commenters will be picked at random to receive a gift card at the end of the Faire.

Interested? Sign up at http://mpaxauthor.com/realmsfaire/ or email River at RiverFairchildAuthor@gmail.com.

House Geek - Drench-a-Wench

Here at House Geek, Christine is happy to be hosting a marvelous event called Drench-a-wench or Soak-a-bloke, depending on whether our dunkee is a lovely lady or handsome lord.

The rules of this event are simple.
1. Dunkees are chosen by the Untethered Realms council. None of the dunkees know they have been picked. The fun is in the surprise, after all!
2. Christine will announce a new dunkee each day of the Faire and include a link to their blog.
3. Participants will go to the dunkee's blog and soak them with blog love in the comments of their most recent post. Anyone can participate.
4. Everyone who participates is included in the daily giveaway. Oh yes, my fine friends! There will be a new giveaway every day.
5. Visit the other esteemed hosts of Realms Faire and have fun with their games. Enter to win even more prizes.

House Waibel - Stockade Brigade

House Waibel is hosting the Stockade Brigade. Warrants of arrest have been issued for select authors accusing them of witchery and wizardry. The pillory has been erected and the trial dates set.

Good people of Realmsdom, Mary calls upon you to bear witness to these trials and offer your testimony for or against the author's crimes.

Points will be awarded for wordsmithing a comment in your best Olde English afore 8 of the clock in the Eastern time on the following scale:

5-Ye speak as one from the days of Queen Bess.
4-Ye could pass muster as a Ren Faire cast member
3-Ye could pass as a Ren Faire attendee
2-Ye wouldn't be foolin' yer mother
1-Ye stand out like the sun in a cloudless sky

An e-book will be given every day to the witness who scores the most points. Fear not, your daily score will be accumulated and the person with the highest score shall receive a special prize at the end of the week. So, brush off your Olde English and prepare to testify.

House of the Hero's Dilemma

Hero's beware! Here at the House of Hero's Dilemma, a new cliff-hanging adventure will dangle new heroes above the depths of destiny or despair. In 100 words or less, a hero will face a danger in story form.

Each day, the people of Realmsdom will decide the fate of these heroes in three sentences or less. If fateful endings are giving answer in poetic form, an extra entry for prizes will be awarded.

Daily e-book prizes will be awarded via random name-pulling from the entries. Everyone is invited to participate.

People of Realmsdom, you have the power of storytelling might to decide the fate of the would-be heroes. Will they die in glory or shame, live in victory or defeat? It is up to you.

And, after you have decided the fate of the Hero's Dilemma, try your hand at the other Realms Faire Events for more fun and prizes!

House Bookworm - Riddle Me This

I am a book so popular they made a movie of me. Within the what if realms I lie. Horror? Fantasy? Or am I Sci-Fi? A riddle every day during the Realms Faire for you to take your best guess and have a chance to win a prize most splendid.

For your guessing pleasure, visit Cherie Reich's blog (here!) every day November 9-13 to make a guess and be entered for a daily prize.

Twitter Hashtag - #RealmsFaire

http://mpaxauthor.com/realmsfaire/

Read Reborn from the beginning or Chapter Thirty-One.

Happy Wednesday! Since I'm taking a few days off next week (August 26-28), I've decided to go ahead and post my writing update and September's goals. My next post after this one will be the #IWSG post on September 2.

Writing is going well. I'm keeping to my primary and secondary goals, even if most days I only get a chance to write the bare minimum (15-20 minutes in Marked and 7-10 minutes in The Mission). I'm over 20,000 words in Marked (The Fate Challenges #1.5) and over 10,000 words in The Mission (The Gaia Project #1.1).

As for editing, I hope to start the final proofread of UR's anthology Mayhem in the Air this week.

Here are my September goals:

Primary Goal = write 20-25 minutes a day. Once I finish Marked, Forged (The Fate Challenges #2) will move into the primary spot.

Secondary Goal = write 10-12 minutes a day. The Mission is currently in this spot. Once I finish the first draft of The Mission, "On Day 168" will become my secondary goal.

Finish final proofread and formatting for Mayhem in the Air.

Edit a novel for a friend.

What are your September goals?

2015 Stats (1/1/15-8/18/15): 47,192 words written and 1,176 pages edited

 

Each month, T.B. Markinson plans to give away awesome books by wonderful authors and a $5 Amazon Gift Card. It’s her way of saying thank you to all her followers and fans. Some may wonder why she is giving books away that aren’t hers. The answer is simple: She loves to read and she loves to help fellow authors promote their books. The giveaway is easy to enter via Rafflecopter. At the end of the month, one winner will be selected randomly and will receive an e-book copy of all the books below plus a $5 Amazon Gift Card. Good luck! Here are the incredible books for August’s Giveaway. My novel Reborn is one of the awesome books in this month's giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Writing Update | Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale July 1-31 #fantasy

Happy Wednesday!

I have to admit July has been a really good goals completion month.

I have updated my social media pages, websites, and blog to their new looks. I have consolidated quite a few of my pages on my blog with pages on my author website. Doing so means I'll have to update in fewer places. I still have a couple more drawings I want to finish, but they're not needed until 2016, so I have plenty of time to draw and color them.

I've also been writing. Every. Single. Day. I wrote more this month than I wrote during the past six months combined. It's been amazing to get back in the swing of things. And I'm working on not one project but two. Yes, you read that right. Two projects.

Marked (The Fate Challenges #1.5) is my main project. So far I've written almost 10,000 words and am a third finished. If I keep this up, then I might be able to finish the first draft of Marked by late August/early September.

My second project is a new one. The series is called The Gaia Project, and the first "episode" is titled The Mission. I figure The Gaia Project will be a serial with episodes and seasons. The premise is what if a colony ship plans to colonize a super-habitable planet where alien dinosaurs live. The first season will focus on six characters and their scouting mission to discover what happened to the first team the space colony sent down to the surface. For The Mission, I have written almost 6,000 words and am on chapter three out of nine. I'll likely finish this first episode by the end of September. Maybe. I don't have a scene by scene outline yet, so I'm winging it a bit for now and will see if I continue writing this project or choose to place it on the back burner and try another one later on.

So my goals for August are:

Marked - Continue writing this novella told from Liam's point of view and in The Fate Challenges series (YA Epic Fantasy).

The Mission - Continue writing this first episode in the science fiction series The Gaia Project.

Mayhem in the Air - The stories in the UR anthology have been written and edited. We're in the proofreading stages, but as I get the final stories from their authors, I'm going to compile the collection and work on a final proofread. My urban fantasy story "Paper Lanterns" is in this anthology.

So what are your goals for August?

2015 Stats (1/1/15-7/21/15): 31,118 words written and 1,176 pages edited

The Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale runs through July 31st. You can purchase Reborn and People of Foxwick and Their Neighbors for 50% off and download A to Z Flashes of Foxwick for free with coupon code SW100. The Untethered Realms group has also placed Fantasy Uprising on sale for 75% off and our first anthology Twisted Earths for free with the SW100 code.

Writing Update | Once upon a Nightmare Blog Tour Schedule | Countdown Deal #99c

Happy Monday!

Since I'm on tour this week with Once upon a Nightmare, I decided to post my writing update along with the book tour schedule here.

June has been a busy month. I finished editing the short stories for Untethered Realms' anthology Mayhem in the Air as well as implementing the changes to my own story "Paper Lanterns" as I received feedback from our proofreaders. I also have been updating my websites and blog to their new looks.

As for the websites and such, so far I've only finished my publishing website. I use wix.com for it, but webs.com for my author site (both free). I must admit I really love wix.com since it has so many more features I can use for free and have decided to move my author site to there. So the transition might take awhile. I'm still working on the bookworm drawings too for the blog/author website, but I really hope to finish them soon—like before the end of June, if possible. *crosses fingers*

My July goals are:

Marked - Outline and write this novella told from Liam's point of view.

Author website and blog - If not finished by the end of June, then I want to finish updating my sites in July.

Update ebook files - Since I have a few changes, including a publishing logo, new website links, and the like, I need to go through my ebook files, update them, and upload them to retailers.

Yep. That's it. I may actually get back into writing next month, especially since I plan to work on the other things a little bit at a time.

What are your July goals?

2015 Stats (1/1/15-6/21/15): 15,438 Words Written and 1,176 Pages Edited

Once upon a Nightmare: A Collection and I are on tour this week. During this time, you can purchase the collection for $0.99 on Amazon as a Countdown Deal (US/UK only). Here is a list of my wonderful hosts on the blog tour.

Monday, June 22
5 Favorite Horror Monsters/Villains at Alex J. Cavanaugh's blog

5 Favorite Horror Movies at Heather Holden's blog

A 200-word Excerpt at Patricia Lynne's blog
A Love for Horror Began with "The Green Ribbon" on Stephanie Faris' blog

Tuesday, June 23

Loosely Based on a True Story on Jess Haight's blog

An Interview on Murees Dupé's blog

5 Favorite Horror Heroes on Untethered Realms' blog

Wednesday, June 24

Mini Excerpts from the Characters at M. Pax's blog

7 Ways to Survive a Horror Story on Christine Rains' blog

Thursday, June 25

Crafting an Urban Legend on M.J. Fifield's blog

An Interview on Tyrean Martinson's blog

Friday, June 26

A 350-word Excerpt on Cathy Keaton's blog

5 Horror Books to Read after Once upon a Nightmare on TB Markinson's blog

Writing Update: June Goals

Happy Wednesday!

May has been a pretty busy month between getting everything ready for the Once upon a Nightmare Blog Tour in June and editing the stories for Mayhem in the Air. Since I read Libbie Hawker's Take Off Your Pants!, a book about outlining, I plan to apply what I learned to my outline for Marked and hope to dive into writing soon. *crosses fingers*

For those who don't know, my wrists, the right one in particular, have been bothering me now for five months and have affected how much I can do on the computer at a time. I've been diagnosed with mild carpal tunnel, tendonitis, and osteoarthritis and so far haven't found anything that's fixed the pain. (I'm still waiting on my new ergonomic chair/desk at work.) I'm slower now, and I've finally accepted that I can't do quite as much as I used to or want to. But it won't stop me from completing my goals, even if they take longer to accomplish. I've been mainly focusing on one goal to completion. The progress is slow but still progress.

That said, here are my June goals:

Mayhem in the Air - So far I've edited a little over half the stories in this Untethered Realms' anthology, and I have four or so more to edit. It should be a great anthology, and I hope to complete this task by early June.

Update Blog/Websites/Social Media - I have my spiffy new tagline (Feeding your inner bookworm) and know what I want to do, but I still have to modify my blog, websites, and social media with new pictures and the like. After I finish the Mayhem in the Air stories, this is my next goal.

Marked - Once I finish the blog/websites/social media updates, the plan is to modify my outline and write Marked, Liam's story.

Blog Tour - The Once upon a Nightmare Blog Tour will run from June 22 to June 26, so I'll be doing a lot of blog visiting those dates. I'm also running my first Kindle Countdown deal from June 22-28.

***2015 Stats (1/1/15-5/26/15) - 15,077 Words written and 1,121 pages edited***

What are your goals for June?

Writing Update: Once upon a Nightmare, May Goals, 2015 RONE Awards

Happy Wednesday! Boy, how can it be the fourth Wednesday already? The year is flying by.

April has been a rather challenging month, especially since I spent about two weeks of it sick. But I published Once upon a Nightmare: A Collection last week and am working on the blog tour/choose-your-own-adventure tour posts this week for May/June. I've only drawn one bookworm (my newsletter one) and hope to get one more (blog banner) finished before the end of the month.

Here are my May goals:
Revamp the Blog - A while ago, I decided my author tagline should be "Feeding your inner bookworm." I've been meaning to change the blog to reflect my tagline, but I've been slow in drawing the new images. I plan to continue to work on them in May.
Marked - So far I have two out of fifteen chapters written, but I'd like to be at the halfway mark by the end of next month.
Mayhem in the Air Story Edits - I'm one of the two editors for the Untethered Realms' Mayhem in the Air anthology (Forthcoming Fall 2015), so I hope to start editing these stories soon.

2015 Stats (1/1/2015-4/21/2015): 15,077 words written and 1,013 pages edited

Speaking of Untethered Realms, we're participating in the A-Z Challenge. Today is S day, and I have a teaser from Reborn on the blog.

Speaking of Reborn, I've discovered that Reborn is up for the 2015 RONE Awards in YA - Paranormal category. Voting will take place May 4-10 on the InD'Tale Magazine website. InD'Tale Magazine had reviewed Reborn back in September and gave it four stars. You do have to log-in/sign-up to vote, but it's worth it. The site has a great monthly magazine featuring interviews, book reviews, and more. It's great for writers and readers.

A legend awakens…

My Once upon a Nightmare: A Collection is now available in print and ebook formats on Amazon. If you're a prime (Kindle Owner's Lending Library) or Kindle Unlimited member, then you can read it for free. The ebook is on sale for $0.99 until April 30th.

Writing Update: April Goals

Happy Wednesday!

A while back, I mentioned I was going to the doctor about my wrist. Well, a couple weeks ago, I had a nerve conduction study. It's confirmed I do have carpal tunnel. The good news is it's mild and hasn't caused any permanent nerve damage yet. My day job is working to make my work space more ergonomic. I also discovered I have osteoarthritis, which accounts for my joint/back pain. Because of these problems, there will be times that I'll have to go slower on my writing/editing and have already removed Destined (The Fate Challenges 3) off my 2015 goals list.

As for the progress on my March goals, I've been pushing through the pain to get things done. I finished editing my friend's novel (It was so good, and I think people will enjoy it!). As for Once upon a Nightmare: A Collection, I completed the content edits, line edits, and Kindle proofread. Starting today, I'll be formatting the collection for print. I haven't made much progress in writing "On Day 168," but I'm still hoping to finish it by the end of March or early April.

Here are my April goals:

• Once upon a Nightmare: A Collection - I have the print proofread, incorporating changes in the print and ebook documents, final formatting, and publishing. This collection will be published in April.
• Once upon a Nightmare Blog Tour - A few people inquired about promoting the collection. I plan to create a promo post with options for them. Also, I am going ahead with the you-choose-your-horror-ending type blog tour. My goal is to write up the story and find hosts (I have a list of those who have said they'd be interested in helping out). You'll see the blog tour sometime in May.
• Revamp the Blog - A while ago, I decided my author tagline should be "Feeding your inner bookworm." I've been meaning to change the blog to reflect my tagline, but I haven't quite gotten around to it yet. A lot of the images I want to create involve drawing them too. If I want to get them done at some point, then I have to add them to my to-do list.
• Marked - If time, I want to get back to writing Marked (The Fate Challenges 1.5).

If you're interested in helping promote Once upon a Nightmare: A Collection (paranormal horror/thriller; approx. 46,000 words) or review it and haven't already told me so, please let me know. I must admit I'm so proud of the progress I've made with this collection and am so happy I decided to create a second edition and republish it. I've added over 8,000 words to it since January and think the stories are now told the way they should've been all along.

What are your goals for April?

2015 Stats (1/1/2015-3/24/2015): 14,131 words written and 811 pages edited

Writing Update: February Goals

Happy Wednesday!

Although I'm already behind where I'd hoped to be, I am very pleased with the progress I've made. I'm over a third finished with the second edition content edit of Once upon a Nightmare: A Collection, and I'm very happy with the two chapters I've written in Marked and the one scene in "On Day 168." I'm hoping to kick things into a higher gear in February, and I'm crossing my fingers that the day job will be calmer than it has been in January.

Best of all, I'm loving writing again. It's energizing me and getting rid of the clutter in my mind. I remember now why I write and feel in a better place with my writing. This is very good because there were a lot of times last year I really considered stopping the torture I was putting myself through and quitting either by taking everything down and acting like being a writer never happened or finishing up The Fate Challenges (I do hate leaving a series hanging) and never publishing anything after that. Sometimes we need a break to refocus and reorganize what we want, and I'm happy that I still want to write and share all these stories in my head.

Also my writer anniversary came up in January! On January 15, 2009, I decided to write with publication in mind and wrote my first chapter of Reborn, which I published in May 2014.

That said, here are my February goals:

• Once upon a Nightmare - I want to finish the second edition content edit. I still have line edits and two proofreads (one on my Kindle and one print proof) left to do before publishing. Once I finish the content edit, I'll be taking down the individual stories and the collection (ebook/print) from other retailers. I wasn't going to do a print version at this time, but I found the perfect pre-designed cover art and getting both ebook and print covers together cost the same as getting either print or ebook. I plan to publish the ebook in KDP Select for a limited time and publish the print book everywhere.
• Marked - I will keep writing Marked.
• "Paper Lanterns" - This short story will be in Untethered Realms' anthology Mayhem in the Air (Forthcoming 2015), and I would like to complete my self-edit of it before sending it to our first editor (I'm the second editor of the anthology). I haven't said too much about "Paper Lanterns." The story is futuristic fantasy, and the premise is how far would a person go to destroy the one he loved who betrayed him. The story involves paper magic and takes place about twenty-five years before a New Adult series I'd like to write one of these days.
• "On Day 168" - If time, I'd like to write another scene in "On Day 168," which will be in UR's anthology Ghosts of Fire (Forthcoming 2016). "On Day 168" is epic fantasy and is set in the Amoran universe but in Norvadia (the Great Beyond) instead of the Kingdom of Amora.

What are your goals for February?

2015 Writing Stats (1/1/2015-1/27/2015): 7748 words written and 61 pages edited

Bookworm News / Writing Update: January Goals / Wattpad Wednesdays: Reborn Chapter 15

BOOKS READ

The Initiate by M. Pax
Hellsbane Hereafter by Paige Cuccaro
The Trouble with Faking by Rachel Morgan
Vitamins and Death by Medeia Sharif

BOOK REVIEWS

The Initiate by M. Pax

Saving the world is more complicated than it looks for Daelin and Earl in M. Pax's The Initiate. This book picks up where The Rifters leaves off. Daelin, an Initiate in the Rifters, must learn lesson number one, if she has a hope to help her sister and their world. Daelin grows a lot in this book, and she's quickly become one of my favorite characters. Earl must atone for his past before he can focus on his future. I enjoyed learning more about Earl. A few more questions are answered and more mysteries abound in this series. Pax has created quite the adventure here, and I can't wait for the next book! For a fast-paced thrilling novel filled with strange creatures, fascinating inventions, and unique characters, look no further than The Initiate by M. Pax.

Hellsbane Hereafter by Paige Cuccaro

Emma Jane Hellsbane must choose between Heaven, Hell, or something all her making in Paige Cuccaro's Hellsbane Hereafter. I've been a big fan of Emma Jane since reading the prequel novella Commencement. It took me a little while to get into this book since it's been so long since I've read book two, but once I got into it a bit and remembered who was who and the like, I didn't want to put the book down. Emma Jane is strong and pretty badass, but Cuccaro really forces Emma Jane to grow in this last book of the series. We see new characters, old characters, and the return of characters we haven't seen since the prequel novella. My favorite thing about this series is no one seems completely good or evil. There are so many shades of gray, even among angels, the Fallen, and demons. The ending is really perfect for the series as well. I highly recommend Paige Cuccaro's Hellsbane series and Hellsbane Hereafter doesn't disappoint!

The Trouble with Faking by Rachel Morgan

Andi has longed for the boy next door for years, but can she finally make him fall for her in Rachel Morgan's The Trouble with Faking? Morgan packs some powerful twists and turns into this novel. Andi has been one of my favorite characters of the series. She's quirky and confident and bold on the outside, yet she hides who she is and what she feels from almost everyone, even herself. I wish I could be friends with Andi in real life. She's so cool with her book reviews on YouTube and the stuff she crafts on Etsy. She gets into complicated situations, which almost ruin everything. I enjoyed the sweetness of a school girl crush between her and Damien and loved the interaction between her and Damien's best friend. I love how Morgan has set this series in South Africa where she lives. It's exotic at times and so normal at others. The Trouble with Faking by Rachel Morgan is a great addition to the Trouble series. I'm looking forward to the next book!

Vitamins and Death by Medeia Sharif

Deidra's mother screwed up, yet it is Deidra who almost pays the ultimate price in Medeia Sharif's Vitamins and Death. The stigma of being the daughter of a teacher who slept with a student haunts Deidra and follows her mother and her to their new high school. This novel is emotionally hard to read. Many times I wanted to shake or slap Deidra's mom. She needed to woman-up and become an adult for her daughter. Deidra has the potential for a promising future, and I craved that for her. Her growth and how she comes out of her depression is the shining light in this story. I loved her growing relationship with Malcolm too. Children don't have to be their parents, and this book displays that so well. Medeia Sharif has written a heartbreaking, gut-punching, and edgy book. Vitamins and Death is not light, fun reading, but I recommend it.

BOOK PROMO

VITAMINS AND DEATH, Prizm Books/Torquere Press, December 10, 2014

Purchase from Prizm, Amazon – Vendor sites will be updated on the author’s site.

Deidra Battle wants nothing more than to be invisible. After her mother, a public school teacher, engages in an embarrassing teacher-student affair at Lincoln High, they relocate to a different neighborhood and school. Being her mother's briefcase, Deidra joins her mother at her new workplace, Hodge High. Since her mother has reverted to her maiden name and changed her appearance, she thinks no one will figure out they're the Battles from recent news and that they're safe. Neither of them is. Hodge brings a fresh set of bullies who discover details about the scandal that changed Deidra's life. Feeling trapped at home with an emotionally abusive, pill-addicted mother and at school with hostile classmates who attempt to assault and blackmail her, Deidra yearns for freedom, even if she has to act out of character and hurt others in the process. Freedom comes at a price.

Find Medeia – YA and MG Author

Blog   |   Twitter   |   Goodreads   |   Instagram   |   Amazon

Book Blast Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOKS RELEASED IN DECEMBER

Vitamins and Death by Medeia Sharif

Sleeping Jenny by Aubrie Dionne

People of Foxwick and Their Neighbors by Cherie Reich
Marriage to Measure by Talli Roland
Fantasy Uprising by Untethered Realms authors
The Trouble with Faking by Rachel Morgan
Across the Ages by RaShelle Workman
 The Insecure Writers Support Group Guide to Publishing and Beyond by IWSG authors
Debt Collector Season Two by Susan Kaye Quinn
Hellsbane Hereafter by Paige Cuccaro

Happy Wednesday! I can't believe the year is almost over already! How did that happen?

My December goal to work on Once upon a Nightmare didn't really happen. I should've remembered that December is a very busy work month. But I do have two weeks off from work and hope to come back in January refreshed and ready to get to work on my 2015 goals.

Want to know how Foxwick came to be? I'm talking about the inspiration behind the Kingdom of Foxwick on Christine Rains' blog.

If you're in the Roanoke, VA area, Liz Long and I will be signing books at Paperback Phoenix on Saturday, December 20 from 1 PM - 3 PM, weather permitting, which at the moment doesn't look quite as promising as I'd like.

Here are my goals in January:

• Once upon a Nightmare: A Collection - I hope to publish the second edition of this collection by March. It might take me a little more time to get the money for the new cover, which is why it might take longer to publish.
• Marked - Originally titled Remarked, I hope to start back to writing this novella told from Liam's POV in January.

Are you ready for the new year? What are your January goals?

2014 Stats

45,420 Words Written

2709 Pages Edited

*Stats taken from 1/1/14 - 12/16/14

Due to the upcoming holidays, this is my last post for this year. Look for my next post on January 7, 2015.

It's time for another chapter of Reborn to go up on Wattpad. You can read from the beginning here or read Chapter Fifteen here.