A Writing Hiatus, or When Just Keep Swimming Isn't Enough #IWSG

The Insecure Writer's Support Group was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. November's co-hosts are Tonja Drecker, Diane Burton, MJ Fifield, and Rebecca Douglass. Find the other IWSG participants here.

Okay, it's time to bring up some insecurities this month, and I apologize for a longer post than normal.

This year has been a much rougher one than I could have imagined or even talked about until now, and I must admit I'm reaching my physical and emotional limits. I don't do the best with change, and there have been too many changes this year that have taken their toil. To name a few:

1. The whole political election and its aftermath. Sometimes I wonder if we're living in the backstory of a dystopian novel.
2. All the natural and unnatural horrors happening within the world. It seems like a new one occurs every day.
3. Overall, I do enjoy my quiet day job as a library assistant in a small academic library at a higher education center, but we've had ten staffing changes since December. At a place with around twenty employees, I've found it a lot to handle.
4. My grandfather passed away in February. Logic brain acknowledges and accepts that not only are all four of my grandparents dead, but also that everyone I know will die. Unless we find a way to stream our consciousness to the internet or something, of course. Emotional brain didn't get that memo, and when my grandfather died, emotional brain suddenly realized all her grandparents were gone. It hit me harder than I expected.
5. Chronic pain is draining my energy. After two back injuries and various other injuries throughout the years as well as not coping with emotions well and having a hard time even understanding them in myself (Alexithymia), I've developed chronic myofascial pain syndrome and chronic tendinitis. I take the bare minimum of pain pills and muscle relaxers I can get by with and still function (3 or 4 on the pain scale most "good" days), but pain is hard to live with day in and day out (since 2008). I'm just getting slower and slower.
6. Number 5 doesn't help my generalized and social anxiety disorders. And I'm getting tired of having panic attacks every week when I go grocery shopping. Nor does #7 help with the anxiety either.
7. I mentioned I don't like change, but I may have a neurological reason for it. Every so often, a very close relative would call out something I do as "autistic." I didn't pay much attention to it until April's Autism Awareness Acceptance month, and several of my autistic friends started posting symptoms and other information about autism in adults. I started to see myself in those posts. So I did some research and asked my relative why they said what they did. Well, it turns out their psychiatrist mentioned I sounded like I was autistic, and she does have a background in how autism presents itself in women. So I'm 98% certain I'm autistic and would consider myself self-diagnosed, although I do plan to seek a more official diagnosis once I have collected and compiled more data, have the funds, and find the courage (see #6) to find someone to diagnosis me. And if the government (see #1) doesn't make it harder for people with pre-existing conditions.
8. My dad is remodeling the interior of our house. We've lived there since 1989, so it's time to replace the floors and paint and all, but my sanctuary is gone. Everything is different, and it's all just too much.

I've been keeping my head down, blinders on, and swimming along, but now I've come to a Niagara Falls' high waterfall, I'm trying my best not to take the plunge. Something needs to change before I break down, either physically or emotionally. I've been cutting back on things, and I don't have much left that I do beyond the day job and writing. Since the day job pays the bills, I've decided to take a month off, maybe even two, from writing and editing my own work. I fear that if I don't take the time off now, then I won't have a choice later on. It has happened in the past.

After all, I've been working on my own manuscripts every single day since July 1, 2015 through October 24, 2017 (over 615,000 words written!). With being a writer part-time seven days a week, working at my full-time job 5-6 days a week, and everything else, I just desperately need a break. Even though I feel really guilty about it and it hurts not to stick to a routine.

What does that mean for The Fate Challenges and Soul Reaper series? Soul Reaper is on an indefinite hiatus, but I do plan to dive into Forged content edits when I come back to writing in a month or two.

During my hiatus, I plan to read more. More fiction. More nonfiction about writing. More about autism (seriously it's my new special interest). I plan to play video games, watch TV, and just rest up so I'll be in a better mind-space to get back to writing come December or January.

November 1 question - Win or not, do you usually finish your NaNo project? Have any of them gone on to be published?

• NaNoWriMo 2009: Virtuoso - Finished (first draft), not published
• NaNoWriMo 2010: The Cassandra Project (originially titled Sarah's Nightmare and then Missing) - Finished (first draft), not published
• NaNoWriMo 2011: Starred - Finished (first draft), not published AND The Last Prophetess - Not finished, not published
• NaNoWriMo 2012 and Camp NaNoWriMo 2013: Reborn - (Rewrite) Finished, published 2014
• NaNoWriMo 2013: Forged - Eventually finished (first draft) in December 2015, will be published in 2018 AND Reigned - Not finished, not published

For all you NaNo participants this month, keep on writing and try writing an extra word or two for me too!

2017 Stats: 111,229 words written and 907,704 pages edited (my work and for others)

---

BOOK READ AND REVIEWED

I Think I Might Be Autistic: A Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis and Self-Discovery for Adults by Cynthia Kim

SPECULATIVE FICTION BOOKS

RELEASING IN NOVEMBER

Omega by Jus Accardo

Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne

The November Girl by Lydia Kang

Mark of Fire by Richard Phillips

Sacred Seas by Karen Amanda Hooper

Void Wyrm by Chris Fox

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

Twelve by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

I Think I've Said Too Much #IWSG | October Goals | Bookworm News #SpecFic

The Insecure Writer's Support Group was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. October's co-hosts are Olga Godim, Chemist Ken, Jennifer Hawes, and Tamara Narayan. Find the other IWSG participants here.

October's question: Have you ever slipped any of your personal information into your characters, either by accident or on purpose? The simple answer is yes.

I think it goes back to the guideline of "Write what you know." It would be nearly impossible to write without pulling on some sort of emotion, action, etc. that we've experienced in the past, even if we present it in a different way or from a different view. I think experience leads credence to our imagination.

That said, I have purposely written about events that happened to me. The best example is Once upon a December Nightmare from Once upon a Nightmare: A Collection. The main event that sets up the story actually happened to me in December 2002. I played off what occurred and expanded it into a horror story. Yes, even the dead deer were really in that clearing.

My unpublished YA contemporary novel Starred also features true incidents that happened while I participated in musical theater.

And I'm sure I'll find new things to insert into new stories too.

Don't forget about the IWSG Anthology contest! I had an idea in mind for a story, but I didn't know how to narrow it down to 3500-6000 words and didn't really have the time to write and edit it for the November 1st deadline. Plus, it took kept turning into a horror story in my head. So good news, I have a new horror story to write some day. Bad news, I have no story to submit for the next IWSG Anthology. Oh, well.

What are you insecure about this month?

---

For the past couple months, I've created a Word document to keep track of important dates, overall things I need to do, and then daily goals. It's really made a world of difference. So I did quite well on my goals for September.

I formatted a manuscript for a client. I proofread, formatted, and published Spirits in the Water (Elements of Untethered Realms #4). I edited the outlines of A Soul to Reap, A Soul to Keep, and A Soul to Take as well as reached the midway point in my novel Destined. I even found time to update Once upon a Nightmare: A Collection, the ebook and print versions.

I've also been thinking of my old Gravity series, and I have an idea of a new direction to take the characters. Now I don't know when I'll get back to it, but I'm excited about the new starting point.

As for October's goals, they include:
- Continue editing Destined. The third novel in The Fate Challenges series is over 92,000 words so far and will likely be as long as Reborn (around 95,000 words). I hope to be 75-85% finished with this edit by the end of the month.
- Update the print version of People of Foxwick and Their Neighbors with the new map and a few other minor tweaks.
- Write the outline for A Soul to Give (Soul Reaper #4).

And that's it. October is a lighter goals month than the previous ones.

What are your October goals?

2017 Stats: 105,864 words written and 885,566 words edited

---

BOOK READ AND REVIEWED

Spirits in the Water by Untethered Realms' authors

SPECULATIVE FICTION BOOKS

RELEASING IN OCTOBER

Spirits in the Water by Untethered Realms’ authors

Amazon | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo | Nook | Smashwords

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Tool of War by Paolo Bacigalupi

Devils and Thieves by Jennifer Rush

Paper Butterflies by Lisa Heathfield

The Goblins of Bellwater by Molly Ringle

Berserker by Emmy Laybourne

Ally by Anna Banks

Never Apart by Romily Bernard

Seize Today by Pintip Dunn

27 Hours by Tristina Wright

Blood in the Water by Angela Roquet

The Uncrossing by Melissa Eastlake

Fairday Morrow and the Talking Library by Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson

Strange Weather by Joe Hill

Harry Potter – A History of Magic: The Book of the Exhibition by J.K. Rowling

Cold Spectrum by Craig Schaefer

---

Twisted Earths (Elements of Untethered Realms #1) is currently free.

Amazon | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo | Nook | Smashwords

Once upon a Nightmare: A Collection is 99c for October.

Amazon | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo | Nook | Smashwords

Become an Editor and Discover Your Pet Peeves #IWSG | Bookworm News #SpecFic

The Insecure Writer's Support Group was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. August's co-hosts are Christine Rains, Dolorah @ Book Lover, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Yvonne Ventresca, and LG Keltner. Find the other IWSG participants here.

August's question: What are your pet peeves when reading/writing/editing? As a reader, I didn't have many pet peeves beyond "too much description." I didn't really have any when I started writing, except head hopping and trying to figure out "show vs. tell." But when I became an editor, I'll admit certain grammar things quickly became my pet peeves. The one that irks me the most is one I am guilty of not using properly in the past until I read a manuscript where, I kid you not, the author had used that particular phrasing—and mostly improperly—nearly every single dang sentence.

That pet peeve is the overuse and improper use of participial phrases (verb+ing/ed + rest of phrase). The correct way to use them is for the participial phrase to be happening simultaneously as the independent clause (subject + verb) as well as for the participial phrase referring to the nearest noun. I used to be rather loose with my participial phrases, but man, editing that manuscript cured me. Now I cringe when I see one referencing the wrong noun or just being overused.

Of course, if the story is good, I can even overlook that particular pet peeve.

What is your pet peeve? Do you have any insecurities this month?

---

As for my goals, July turned out to be a very good month. I helped my friend with formatting and proofreading two of her novellas and critiqued a third one. I also made a lot of progress in Forged and hope to finish my edits by the end of this weekend or early next week. I have realized I need to add a chapter, which will create ripples I'll need to fix in some chapters afterwards, but I still think I can get my edit finished and sent to my critique partners next week. *crosses fingers* I also updated my websites and social media with new banners and updated information. And I caught up on reviewing the books I've read.

I have quite a few goals I'd like to accomplish in August. These goals include:
- Finish editing Forged (The Fate Challenges #2) and send it to my critique partners.
- Add in proofreading changes to my short story "The Folding Point" forthcoming in Spirits in the Water (Elements of Untethered Realms #4) and design the headers for the eleven stories.
- Edit the outline for Destined (The Fate Challenges #3), format the manuscript, and start editing it.
- Edit the outlines for the Soul Reaper series (A Soul to Save, A Soul to Kill, A Soul to Reap, A Soul to Keep, and A Soul to Take). I need to finish this particular task by the end of September, so I can start writing A Soul to Take (Soul Reaper #3) in October.
- Format and proofread the last novella in my friend's fantastic nine-part novella series.

What are your goals for August?

On July 26, WildMind Creative published an interview of me. You can read the interview here.

I also discovered on August 1 that Marked (The Fate Challenges #1.5) was selected for AllAuthor's Cover of the Month competition. You can vote for Marked here.

2017 Stats: 89,339 words written and 677,315 words edited

---

BOOKS READ AND REVIEWED

Shadows Fall (Totem #7) by Christine Rains

Descending Moon (Totem #8) by Christine Rains

SPECULATIVE FICTION BOOKS

RELEASING IN AUGUST

Project Pandora by Aden Polydoros

Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore

Halls of Law by V. M. Escalada

Ekata: Fall of Darkness by Dominique Law

Blood and Thunder by Angela Roquet

Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

Descending Moon by Christine Rains

True Shifter by Christine Rains

The Hearts We Sold by Emily Lloyd-Jones

The Third Kiss by Kat Colmer

Thanks for stopping by! I'll be mostly offline August 25-September 4, so I've decided to turn off the comments feature on this post as of August 25. I'll be back with a new post on September 6 for IWSG!

What Is in a Cover #IWSG | Bookworm News #SpecFic

The Insecure Writer's Support Group was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. February's co-hosts are Misha Gericke, LK Hill, Juneta Key, Christy, and Joylene Butler. Please visit the other participants!

Cover art has been an on-going insecurity I've had, but I must admit my anxiety over finding cover art for The Fate Challenges series has increased over the past month.

For Reborn, I hired an artist, Laura Sava, to illustrate the cover. I enjoyed working with Laura, but her business has grown and she's no longer taking commissions for cover art. Plus, I must admit I can't afford illustrated cover art for four more books (five, if I count a new cover for Reborn).

So I'm stuck with digital art, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Digital artists are like magicians. Taking a picture here, another picture there, and creating something altogether new. But The Fate Challenges is epic fantasy, geared toward young adults, and set in an alternate world similar to ancient Rome. Yssa wears some specific dresses too, which would be near impossible to find without a seamstress/fashion designer to create them. I can't afford photo shoots either. So I'm left with either symbols or finding a model, who is more symbolic of the Phoenix Prophetess.

What if what I imagine the covers to be doesn't exist? That's my biggest concern I'm addressing this month as I plan to scour photo sites to see what's out there. Wish me luck!

For epic fantasy, do you prefer cover art with symbolic images or ones with a person/people on it?

What's your insecurity this month?

February's question: How has being a writer changed your experience as a reader? When I first started writing, I noticed I was often pulled from the story because of the simplest things. It's the whole peek behind the curtain thing, I suppose. You see what it takes to make a story, so when you read a story, you see more than the casual reader would. Through the years, I've found it to happen less and less as I've realized a lot of those nitpick things don't really matter as far as story goes. If I'm not enjoying the story, then I stop reading, which isn't something I would have done before I became a writer.

One thing that will still throw me out of a story, though, is bad formatting. With all the information out there on how to format an ebook as well as software (Jutoh, Vellum, Scrivener, etc.) to help a person as well as people who format books for a living, there's really no reason for badly formatted ebooks.

I did accomplish my January goals, although I'm two chapters behind where I'd hoped to be in A Soul to Keep.

The Fate Challenges edits/read-through/notes are going well. Determined, a bonus woodwose section set between chapters 24 and 25 in Reborn, is with my second critique partner. I'm on Part III in Reborn for edits/read-through/notes, and I should tackle Marked, a novella told from Liam's POV and set between the last chapter of Reborn and the first two chapters of Forged, this month. At the rate I'm going, I'm looking at publishing the second edition of Reborn as well as Determined (on my website only) and Marked in April. Of course, those plans depend on obtaining a cover artist in March. I also plan, for now, to publish only ebooks. Print books are harder to change after publication and the cover art usually costs more. I do plan for Reborn, Forged, and Destined to be in print, but I'll likely not publish the print versions until after Destined is published.

My February goals include:

- Continue writing A Soul to Keep. I'd love to finish this novel by the end of this month.

- Continue editing/notes of The Fate Challenges series. I will finish Reborn this month and likely get through another edit of Marked.

- Peruse photo sites for potential cover art for The Fate Challenges.

- Edit "The Folding Point," a short story which will be published in Untethered Realms' Spirits in the Water anthology.

- Continue helping my critique partner with her nine-part novella series.

What are your goals for February?

2017 Stats: 27,341 words written and 120,865 words edited

BOOKS READ

Deep Current by Christine Rains

Unreal Encounters by Milo James Fowler

BOOK REVIEWS

Deep Current by Christine Rains

Saskia Dorn longs for a good fight to take her mind off her grief and not having found a totem token yet, but what she had in mind didn't have anything to do with a sea hag asking for the impossible in Christine Rains' Deep Current. This novella is the sixth book in the amazing Totem series. Saskia still brings the snark, but the story delves deeper into who Saskia is and what she fears. While the fast-paced action keeps the story moving, I found the emotional side of the story to be where the real meat is. I love how Rains introduces readers to Inuit mythology, particularly the Salmon People. Deep Current by Christine Rains sets up what will likely be a hard and emotional fight for the totem tokens in the next three Totem books. I highly recommend this series!

Unreal Encounters by Milo James Fowler

Unreal Encounters by Milo James Fowler has packed in a lot of great science fiction, horror, and the occasional humor in these forty short stories. This collection is perfect to read while on a lunch break or while exercising on a treadmill or elliptical. I enjoyed most of the stories, although there were at least two where I was a bit confused character-wise who was telling the story. Some of my favorite stories involved the Grey men. They had a very X-Files feel to them. The story with the man trapped in the hotel room also has stuck with me as well as the child cannibal. If you combined The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits with a dash of The X-Files, then you'll have Milo James Fowler's Unreal Encounters.

#SPECFIC BOOKS RELEASING IN FEBRUARY

The Remnant by William Michael Davidson

Gilded Cage by Vic James

Deep Current by Christine Rains

The Blue Moon Narthex by N.J. Donner

Something like Voodoo by Rebecca Hamilton

A Sigil in the Ash by Clara Coulson

Island of Exiles by Erica Cameron

Guardian of Secrets by Brenda Drake

With Blood Upon the Sand by Bradley P. Beaulieu

Wolf Moon by Lisa Kessler

His Fake Alien Fiancée by Patricia Eimer

The Black Blade by Jeff Chapman

Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza

Show and Tell #IWSG | 2017 Goals | Bookworm News

The Insecure Writer's Support Group was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. January's co-hosts are Eva @ Lilicasplace, Crystal Collier, Sheena-kay Graham, Chemist Ken, LG Keltner, and Heather Gardner. For a list of other IWSG bloggers, click here.

January's question: What writing rule do you wish you'd never heard?

A couple years ago, I would say "Write every day," but I must admit I've found it helpful to write every day. So I guess I would go with "Show, not tell." Yes, it's a good rule. It is better to show when writing, but there are times when telling is not only good but necessary. The rule should be show and tell with examples of when which is better. Of course, some days I still am trying to figure out if I'm showing enough. *laughs*

So. Wow. We've made it to 2017.

My writing goal this year is to finish writing the Soul Reaper series. I'm currently writing book two, A Soul to Keep, and have three more books to go.

My editing goal this year is to edit The Fate Challenges and start to publish them. Reborn was published way back in 2014. I have a bonus woodwose section titled Determined, which is set between Chapters 24 and 25 in Reborn, that I plan to publish on my website. I also need to edit and publish Marked (#1.5, a novella told from Liam's POV), Forged (#2), and Destined (#3). Destined will need the most work, so I might not have the time to publish it before the end of this year, but I'm hoping to get Determined, Marked, and Forged out. *crosses fingers*

Speaking of edits, I plan to count the words I edit this year instead of by the page. My hope is this will give me a clearer sense of how many words I edit as words per page varies so much.

My reading goal continues to be 24 books a year. I read 35 books last year.

My January goals include:

- Write for an hour a day in A Soul to Keep.

- Edit for 30 minutes a day in The Fate Challenges. This goal will likely revolve around the polish/read-through notes/creating a glossary of Reborn and editing Determined.

- Continue helping my friend with her nine-part novella series.

What are your goals for 2017?

2016 Stats: 348,203 words written and 2,213 pages edited

SPECULATIVE FICTION
BOOKS READ

Shattered Spirit by Christine Rains

The Illusory Prophet by Susan Kaye Quinn

Stargate SG-1: Trial by Fire by Sabine C. Bauer

Ghost Cat by Christine Rains
Raven by Rachel Morgan

SPECULATIVE FICTION
BOOK REVIEWS

Shattered Spirit by Christine Rains

Ametta Dorn’s dream job of remodeling a Cremaschi comes with a ghost of a problem in Christine Rains’ Shattered Spirit. The fourth novella in the Totem series follows the youngest Dorn sister, a polar bear shifter. What I loved best was Ametta’s emotional growth and how she becomes closer to the handsome Kodiak shifter Lucky Osberg. Rains continues to expand the paranormal world she’s created and introduces readers to unusual mythological creatures such as the domovoi. Shattered Spirit by Christine Rains delves deeper into the characters’ lives while keeping the tension high as they continue their quest for the seven totem tokens.

The Illusory Prophet by Susan Kaye Quinn

Elijah “Eli” Brighton needs to understand his powers before his next vision comes true in Susan Kaye Quinn’s The Illusory Prophet. As Eli falls deeper in love with Kamali, he can’t hide from the world falling apart around him and what that world expects of him. What I loved most about this book was Eli’s growth in his powers concerning the fugue. He is finally stepping up to his destiny, whether he wants to accept that destiny or not. I love how Quinn infuses science fiction with philosophical musings of the soul and reality. The twists at the end have left me craving the next book. A fast-paced story, The Illusory Prophet by Susan Kaye Quinn is a fantastic intellectual installment in her Singularity series that will excite science fiction fans.

Stargate SG-1: Trial by Fire by Sabine C. Bauer

An archaeological discovery on Earth leads the SG-1 team to a new planet in Sabine C. Bauer’s Trial by Fire. This novel is set in the Stargate universe. Colonel Jack O’Neill, Dr. Daniel Jackson, Major Samantha Carter, and Teal’c become drawn into a conflict between the Tyreans and the Phrygians, especially when O’Neill and their archaeologist guest are kidnapped. The sarcasm found throughout the novel was entertaining. As someone who has studied ancient cultures, I loved seeing the rites of Mithras as well as all the Latin. O’Neill’s growth is particularly poignant, especially as he confronts what happened to him by the Goa’uld Ba’al. The downside to this novel was the rapidly changing point of views, which sometimes left me confused by who was telling the story at any particular moment. That said, I did enjoy Trial by Fire by Sabine C. Bauer and feel that Stargate SG-1 fans will enjoy reading about some of our favorite characters.

Ghost Cat by Christine Rains

Kinley Dorn, a polar bear shifter, must heed the silent whispers if she’s going to find him in Christine Rains’ Ghost Cat. This fifth novella in the Totem series follows the middle Dorn sister. Kinley faces her growing insecurity over her relationship with Ransom Averill and the legacy her mother left behind. Several parts of the story tugged on my heart. Rains does an excellent job continuing the totem quest as well as introducing readers to Inuit legends such as about the ghost cat (a lynx) and the Urayuli (a bit similar to Bigfoot). I’m thoroughly enjoying Christine Rains’ Totem series, and Ghost Cat is a great continuation.

Raven by Rachel Morgan

Raven Rosewood can’t wait to graduate as a clothes caster, but graduation day might be killer in Rachel Morgan’s Raven. This standalone novella takes place within Morgan’s fantastic Creepy Hollow series. Raven has grown up in high fae society, but as she is falling for her guard Flint, she questions the wealth around her and what type of person she wants to be. The mystery of who placed an explosion at school and tried to kill Raven amped up the tension. Raven by Rachel Morgan is a fast-paced, sometimes intense, and sweet coming-of-age tale.

SPECULATIVE FICTION BOOKS

RELEASING IN JANUARY

The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

The Heart of What Was Lost by Tad Williams

Deadlight Jack by Mark Onspaugh

Shattered Spirit by Christine Rains

Ghost Cat by Christine Rains

Fangs and Fennel by Shannon Mayer

Little Heaven by Nick Cutter

When Ash Rains Down by Cecelia Earl

Freeks by Amanda Hocking

Freefall by M. Pax

Pressure Point by Adam Quinn

Fate of Perfection by K.F. Breene

Diffraction by Jess Anastasi

Girl of Fire by Norma Hinkens

Lock and Key by Clara Coulson

From the Ashes by Xen Sanders

Death’s Mistress by Terry Goodkind

Frost Blood by Elly Blake
Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston

There are a few more days left to have a chance to win one of two paperback copies of Parallels: Felix Was Here on Goodreads.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Parallels

by L.G. Keltner

Giveaway ends January 07, 2017.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Writing Faster and Smarter #IWSG | Ghosts of Fire Released #fantasy #horror

The Insecure Writer's Support Group was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. This month's co-hosts are Beverly Stowe McClure, Megan Morgan, Viola Fury, Madeline Mora-Summonte, Angela Wooldridge, and Susan Gourley. Visit the other participants here.

My thoughts have been returning to NaNoWriMo, which is less than a month away. I participated in NaNoWriMo from 2009-2013. I have been writing every day since July 1, 2015, but I'd like to stretch my fingers, so to speak, and write more words in a month.

Since I want to find ways to increase my word count, I've been reading a few books on the subject: Chris Fox's 5,000 Words Per Hour: Write Faster, Writer Smarter, Rachel Aaron's 2k to 10k: Writing, Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love, and Jacqueline Garlick's Tick-Tock Plot. Although none of these books re-invent the wheel, I do believe they'll help me focus and plan better to use my writing time even more wisely. I'm using Chris's spreadsheet to keep track of how many words I write per day in combination to what I learned from Rachel's book about tracking my enthusiasm as I write and what chapter I'm working on, and I plan to use Tick-Tock Plot to help in plotting my next book.

I hope to see improvement to my words per hour/day as well as where my book might be sagging. After all, I would love to consistently write/type 1500-2000 words per day in an hour's time. *crosses fingers*

I've set a deadline to finish the first draft of A Soul to Reap by October 31. If I can do so, then I'll participate in NaNoWriMo with A Soul to Keep (Soul Reaper 2). We'll see how it goes, especially since I'll likely have to write 35,000+ words to finish A Soul to Reap in time.

This month's question: When do you know your story is ready? I read a quote recently about stories are never finished but abandoned. That's probably very true. I can always find something to fix, but I call a story finished when I am not making any major changes, the story has been through edits, and I'm in the stages where I'm just changing a word here and there.

What are you insecure about this month?

I've gotten a lot finished in the month of September. I've written through Chapter 16 in A Soul to Reap. Just seventeen chapters left to go!

I edited A Soul to Save (A Soul Reaper prequel novella), edited/proofread/formatted two novellas for my friend, and proofread and formatted Ghosts of Fire (Elements of Untethered Realms 3).

My goals for October include:

- Write two thirty-minute sprints a day in A Soul to Reap. As you've seen above, I would love to finish this novel by the end of the month so I can participate in NaNoWriMo.

- Outline A Soul to Keep (Soul Reaper 2).

- Start my read-through/notes of The Fate Challenges. I'm starting at Reborn and plan to keep on reading until I've finished the series. This goal will likely take several months, but I'm hoping to complete it by the end of the year so I can start editing the last two books, the novella, and the bonus woodwose scenes.

- Continue to help my friend publish her fantastic novella series.

What are your goals for this month?

2016 Stats: 267,148 words written and 1,767 pages edited

BOOKS READ

Shadow Born by Jasmine Walt and Rebecca Hamilton

Dark Dawning by Christine Rains

Silent Whispers by Christine Rains

Ghosts of Fire by Untethered Realms' authors

BOOK REVIEWS

Shadow Born by Jasmine Walt and Rebecca Hamilton

Finding who killed her fiancé leads Detective Brooke Chandler down a supernatural path that there might not be a way out of in Jasmine Walt and Rebecca Hamilton's Shadow Born. Brooke is a strong character. She may not always know what's going on, but her persistence pays off and gets her into a bit a trouble. Walt and Hamilton paint a vivid supernatural world. The mysteries brewing in Salem drew me in bit by bit until I was completely hooked, and I feel we've just scratched the surface of this fantastic world. I'm looking forward to the next book in the Shadows of Salem series. An intense start to a new series, Shadow Born by Jasmine Walt and Rebecca Hamilton is a great read.

Dark Dawning by Christine Rains

Polar bear shifter Ametta Dorn dreams of the big city, as long as that city isn't in Alaska, in Christine Rains' Dark Dawning, but those dreams will be put on hold until Ametta and her family stop the hunters seeking down shifters for their skins. Ametta is a spitfire, sure-of-herself woman who can be more than a bit stubborn about things. Lucky Osberg can be stubborn as well as he and Ametta butt heads on matters. The mystery of who is killing shifters and why intrigues me. We don't get all the answers to our questions, but it's a good thing we have eight more novella-length tales to read. Rains weaves Inuit mythology with a modern day world populated by paranormal creatures. I enjoyed the glimmers of romance brewing between Ametta and Lucky too. I found myself grinning more than once at Lucky's antics. Dark Dawning by Christine Rains sets up what I think will be a great urban fantasy series.

Silent Whispers by Christine Rains

Polar bear shifter Kinley Dorn wants to get out from behind the computer and help her family find the missing totem tokens, but doing so may put her life in danger in Christine Rains' Silent Whispers. Book two in the Totem series follows the middle Dorn sister Kinley. As much as I loved Ametta, Kinley is close to my heart as she's an awkward geek with fierce bravery. Ransom Averill, a lynx shapeshifter, matches her well and they make a great team to go against a giant in search for one of the tokens. I also think Bert has become one of my favorite vampires of all time. He's classic! The mysteries continue as we delve further into the world Rains has created here. Silent Whispers by Christine Rains has some great twists and turns that keep the reader reading. I'm looking forward to the next Totem book!

Ghosts of Fire by Untethered Realms' authors

Ghosts of Fire features ten thrilling fantasy and horror short stories by Angela Brown, Jeff Chapman, River Fairchild, Gwen Gardner, Misha Gerrick, Meradeth Houston, M. Pax, Christine Rains, Cherie Reich (me!), and Catherine Stine. In Jeff Chapman's "The Flaming Emerald," Jimmy and Orville must return a cursed emerald before they go up in flames. This story has such fantastic voice that sets the reader right on down into an old western setting. Meradeth Houston creates a world not too different from our own in "The Cost of Greatness," but I'm hoping for a better outcome from our world. The Otherkind were fascinating creatures, and I would love to read more about them. "On Day 168" was by me (Cherie Reich), so I'll just say if you like dragons, elves, and treachery, then you might like my story as much as I do. In M. Pax's "The Vargaries of Eloise Stanton," Lucy must save her family from a museum art project gone awry. I loved the use of mirrors to reflect Lucy and the grim worlds she's caught between in her attempts to free her family. Gwen Gardner takes the reader to England in her "Mind the Gap." I enjoyed the idea of Gap Walkers and the combination of it and art theft. Ryan and Aleria are caught in a struggle to the death in Misha Gerrick's "Ryan." This short story makes me want to read her novel Endless. I'm intrigued with the creatures of phoenixes and griffons and how Gerrick uses them in her story. "Rollerskate Boys" by Catherine Stine is a haunting and yet vibrant story. Stine paints such beautiful pictures with her words. Many people know the tale of Hades and Persephone, but I love what Christine Rains has done in her story "The Torchbearer," which focuses on one of Hekate's lampades and the handsome prophet who foretold the six. In Angela Brown's "In Plain Sight," Kazel and Amandine reveal each other's secrets in their escape from the Harvestors. Having read Brown's Neverlove, I found it to be a lot of fun revisiting that world she created. River Fairchild's "Demon in the Basement" is a chilling story where Robert must revisit his childhood home to destroy the evil within. The style reminded me of some Stephen King stories. Even though I was one of the editors and contributors to Ghosts of Fire and may be a bit biased, I have to say this is one of my favorite anthologies to be in to date.

From USA Today, Amazon bestselling, and popular science fiction and fantasy authors comes Ghosts of Fire, a supernatural anthology of ten thrilling tales. Meet paranormal detectives, imprisoned dragons, dark demons, cursed jewels, and handsome prophets. Explore shifting realms trapped in mirrors and a disturbing future where a president aims to rid the world of Otherkind. Ghosts of Fire is the third, long-awaited Elements story collection from the dynamic and inventive Untethered Realms group.

Now Available

Amazon | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo | Nook | Smashwords

Add on Goodreads.

#SPECFIC BOOKS RELEASING IN OCTOBER

Ghosts of Fire by Untethered Realms' authors

A Darkly Beating Heart by Lindsay Smith

Nemesis by Anna Banks

Iron Man: The Gauntlet by Eoin Colfer

Rebel Genius by Michael Dante DiMartino

Moon Chosen by P.C. Cast

The Delphi Effect by Rysa Walker

Rift by Elana Johnson

Shadow Marked by Jasmine Walt and Rebecca Hamilton

Bloodwalker by L.X. Cain

Remember Yesterday by Pintip Dunn

Spindle by Shonna Slayton

Dark Dawning by Christine Rains

Silent Whispers by Christine Rains

The Midnight Star by Marie Lu
The Hunt by Harper A. Brooks
Children of the Veil by Colleen Halverson
Crosstalk by Connie Willis
Venom and Vanilla by Shannon Mayer
The Illusory Prophet by Susan Kaye Quinn

#IWSG: What Is in a Name? #penname | #Specfic Bookworm News

IWSG was created by the amazing Alex J. Cavanaugh. Click here to visit the other participants. August's co-hosts are Tamara Narayan, Tonja Drecker, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Lauren @ Pensuasion, Stephen Tremp, and Julie Flanders.

As I've been working on the Soul Reaper series, I've been considering whether or not to create a pseudonym for my adult urban fantasy work. It wouldn't be a secret pen name as I've been talking about working on the series here, my website, on Facebook, and on Twitter. My work under my own name has been rather all over the place when it comes to genre, although it fits under the umbrella term speculative fiction. My published stories have been young adult or general adult—limited (closed door) sex, light cussing, and some violence.

Soul Reaper may have sex (Diana Greyson says a big YES, but I keep telling the character we'll wait and see if the scene stays. Her daughter wants to keep that door open too, if possible.) and will have violence and strong language. It's adult fiction and fits well in the urban fantasy genre. I see potential for one to two companion series, and I have other adult urban fantasy ideas as well. A pen name may suit my urban fantasy side while I continue to use my own name for my young adult and general adult speculative fiction work. A pen name would be good to use when marketing, particularly narrowing in on the UF fanbase and keeping the Also Boughts more focused on books similar to mine, as opposed to all different genres like my other books.

Yet it would mean a new email address, website, domain name, and newsletter, which will take a bit of time to set up, but aren't overly time-consuming. It would mean branding and marketing the new name, which can be a bit (i.e. a lot) harder.

So this question to use a pen name or not has been weighing on my mind and is my current insecurity. There are so many pros and cons, and I still haven't decided one way or the other. *sighs*

What are your insecurities this month?

August's IWSG question: What was your very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer? Where is it now? Collecting dust or has it been published? The very first story I wrote that was not school related or posted on a fanfiction site was a short story similar to the Sherlock Holmes' stories called "The Case of the Tom Cat," featuring Detective Liam O'Hare. I wrote that story in 2006. The story, around 3500 words, was briefly published in 2009. Unfortunately, the publisher fell apart about six weeks later, so I never received royalties for it. *frowns*

The first novel I wrote was Reborn (titled The Phoenix Prophetess at the time). I wrote it in 2009, rewrote it in 2012/2013 and published it in May 2014.

On July 8, 2016, I finished writing the first draft of Destined. So I've completed my first series! Destined came in at 86,410 words. The Fate Challenges will be just a little shy of 300,000 words when all is said and done. Now comes the hard task: editing.

When I finished Destined, I started rewriting A Soul to Kill. The rewrite is going very well, and I should finish it in the middle of this month or so.

Oh, on July 1, I got some fantasy/sci-fi tattoos. My first ones! The three stars tattoo is from the Harry Potter books and is on my left wrist, and the other on my right ankle is the Earth/Tau'ri symbol from Stargate. Now I'm considering the Deathly Hollows symbol on my left ankle. Hmm...

My August goals include:

- Finish the rewrite of A Soul to Kill.
- Revise my outline for A Soul to Reap.

- When the rewrite is done, I plan to write "The Folding Point" for Spirits in the Water (UR anthology #4, forthcoming 2017). This story will be set in my Paperist world, like my stories "Paper Lanterns" in Mayhem in the Air and "Folds in Life and Death" in Parallels: Felix Was Here.

- Edit A Soul to Protect.
- Finish editing a friend's novellas. For real this time!

What are your goals for this month?

2016 Stats: 202,742 words written and 985 pages edited

BOOKS READ

A Faerie's Curse by Rachel Morgan
Flashpoint by Adam Quinn

BOOK REVIEWS

A Faerie's Curse by Rachel Morgan

Calla Larkenwood's world is ripping apart at the seams in Rachel Morgan's A Faerie's Curse. This novel is the finale to Calla's story, and boy, it is one fast-paced ride! I didn't want to stop reading. The end of Part One had me crying. The end of Part Two left me shocked. I even gasped at what happened in that part. The ending was sweet and touching, but Morgan also left enough questions unanswered for the next part of the Creepy Hollow series, which I'm already excited to read. What I love best about Calla is that no matter what she goes through, she does find a way to remain true to herself. Action, danger, romance, and more—A Faerie's Curse by Rachel Morgan has it all!

Flashpoint by Adam Quinn

Taylor Ghatzi must re-enter the world she'd left behind in order to stop another galaxy war in Adam Quinn's Flashpoint. Most of this space opera novel is told from Taylor's point of view. A telekinetic now working in emergency services, she embraces her military background, which makes her a strong character, although sometimes I felt a bit distanced from her. She lets down her mask, though, by the end. The other view point is from the diplomat Cherran DeGuavra. Cherran easily became my favorite character. Sometimes foppish in nature, he carries the weight of his father's legacy upon him with pride. The intricate world building took me a little while to get used to with many unique names and an alphabet soup of agencies, but I enjoyed Quinn's attention to detail as well as the technological advances he created. I found the galaxy politics rather relevant to what's going on in the world today, and I have a feeling we've just dipped our toes into the mysteries of this galaxy's inhabitants. Space opera fans will likely enjoy Flashpoint by Adam Quinn.

BOOKS RELEASING IN AUGUST

Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

Sign of the Green Dragon by C. Lee McKenzie

Blood of the Earth by Faith Hunter

Shadow Born by Jasmine Walt and Rebecca Hamilton

Unbreakable by Liz Long

Unknown by Wendy Higgins

Flashpoint by Adam Quinn

Quantum by Jess Anastasi
Poisoned Blade by Kate Elliott
Children of Icarus by Caighlan Smith
Forever Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon
Six Scary Stories by Stephen King and Others
Between Two Fires by Mark Noce

Come back on August 17 for a post from Mark Noce, whose book Between Two Fires releases in August. I should also have a review of Between Two Fires up by then.