Wednesday, June 7, 2017

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

27 comments:

Julie Flanders said...

I was thrilled to get your newsletter and see all your new covers and the release news. Awesome! The covers all rock and it's great to see you putting some new stories out. Congrats and best of luck with all of this. :)

Kyra Lennon said...

Ooh, I love those covers! Best of luck with your June goals!

Crystal Collier said...

Way to go, getting all that done! Whew! I can only imagine how crazy that was, but you're right. You have to take those opportunities that present themselves.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Once again, I'm exhausted just reading your post.
Great new covers. They look so uniform.
Can't wait to hear about this great new promotional opportunity. Glad you didn't pass it up.

Christine Rains said...

I get giddy for you every time I see those new covers. :) You can do it this month. Simplicity in baby steps. Or clones. It would be so much easier if we had clones!

Nicola said...

So happy things are going well for you Cherie. The covers look great! Good luck with achieving your goals!

Anonymous said...

The new covers look amazing. So beautiful!

Good luck with your goals for June.

Chrys Fey said...

Good for you! Being proud of what you've done is all that matters. :)

M.J. Fifield said...

Love the new covers! They look fantastic!

And I'm always in awe of everything you accomplish each month. Whereas I've only recently managed to listen to the Hamilton soundtrack...but at least I get that reference now! :)

Best of luck with your June goals.

Mark said...

Wow, you hand drew those map!? That is so awesome:) You should totally consider doing that professionally...I'd pay for a map that cool:)

J.H. Moncrieff said...

Wow! Go, you! Those covers and maps are absolutely beautiful. You're a gifted artist in addition to a writer! Time well spent, I'd say.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Your new covers are beautiful!

Donna B. McNicol said...

WOW! Those covers are amazing!!! I think I will have to give this series a try...when I have time to read. LOL!

Juneta key said...

Impressive, You go! Thanks for sharing such an inspiring post. Juneta @ Writer's Gambit

Sarah Foster said...

Congrats on the new covers and getting a lot done!
I'm more of a "wait for it" kind of person but that's definitely part of the problem.

Jennifer Williams-Fields said...

I'm so glad to see you say you might say I quit to publishing , but not to writing. They are two different things! Not being published doesn't mean you are not a writer. I think young writers get the two confused and think they need to stop writing if they don't get published. But wow you really did get a lot done this month!

Natalie Aguirre said...

Love your new covers. And yes, you had a good reason not to blog in May. Sounds like you've been putting your time to good use.

Chemist Ken said...

What a beast! You definitely shifted from writing mode to editing mode and took no prisoners. I hope when all is said and done you can slip back into writing mode again.

Jessica Therrien said...

Holy crap! You're like...amazing. I can't believe you did those covers and the maps!!? Are you kidding me? Ah-mazed.
Awesome!

www.jessicatherrien.com

Cathy Keaton said...

I really like this idea of having a sampler of your work for people who sign up for your newsletter. That's so clever! Also, those maps are really great. Good job, there! I like those new covers, especially the new one for Reborn. It's look fantastic. ;)

Tyrean Martinson said...

Wow!!! I'm so amazed and impressed. Way to go, Cherie! Love the cover and the maps!

Heather R. Holden said...

Whoa, you've been busy! The fact that you accomplished all that in such a short amount of time is beyond impressive to me. Also, love those covers! They're so sleek and stunning...

M Pax said...

I've learned to keep saying yes to opportunities that come along, even when my first inclination is to say no. It's worth it.

Wow, you accomplished a lot. Good for you. Grab your opportunities. The covers look awesome and I love the maps.

Unknown said...

Awesome work Cherie! Love the covers and maps! Hope you have an awesome weekend. :)

DMS said...

Your covers look beautiful! Wow! You did so much in May and early June. I was feeling like I got a lot done- but you really did. So happy for you that you are getting a shot and not throwing it away. Bravo! Wishing you all the best. :)
~Jess

Nicole Zoltack said...

Holy cow, have you been busy! Awesome!

alexia said...

As usual, you've been quite productive! Way to go! I need to get back into doing some marketing and promo but I'm focusing on editing now... oh well.