I have been on fire lately. I’ve managed to write almost every day for the last month or so, and it’s been absolutely amazing. Honestly, I wish I could devote more of my day to writing, but I do have a day job. Hey, maybe someday I’ll hit the lotto and can just spend my days creating new works.
It would help if I actually played the lottery…
Anyway, here are all the new things I’ve been working on.
Cosmic Cons for Love and Profit
Cosmic Cons is up to 6 episodes. Not a lot of reads yet, but I’m not expecting a whole lot from that one except my own enjoyment. Don’t forget to check it out on Amazon Vella. The first 3 episodes are free, you know!
It’s been rough finally finding a routine that works for me. It’s not perfect by any means, but giving my all to my stories has been a very fulfilling experience. That being said, don’t forget to check back every Monday for a new blog. Next week, I’ll probably write a review of The Queen’s Price by Anne Bishop. I’m praying it makes me less mad than The Queen’s Weapons!
Until next time, my friends. Keep Your Mind in the Gutter!
You know, I had a couple of things–serious things!–I wanted to blog about and I had even planned on doing one for today. However, something relatively unexpected happened on Saturday. As the title of this post suggests, I met a girl and I fell head-over-heads in love with her.
About a decade ago, Nate and I brought a new cat into our home. We had no intention of getting one as one of our cats had died about 6 months prior. But, a friend of a friend who does a lot of great work rescuing neighborhood cats posted a plea. She wanted to find a home for a mama cat she’d rescued. All the kittens were taken, but mom needed to find a family of her own.
My heart went to this cat. So, we reached out, met up with the kitty whisperer, then brought home our new cat.
ChiChi, gone but not forgotten
Originally, I’d named her Boca Chidori, which (probably incorrectly, mind you) translated into something like “mouth full of birds.” She was loud as hell and very vocal. Anyway, that was too long. We decided to shorten it to ChiChi.
ChiChi was a great cat…most of the time. The day we got her, she did steal a sandwich right out of my hand. And she frequented the trash can to search for leftovers no matter what we did to prevent it. That being said, she would always comfort me with purrs and snuggles. Every time I decided to take a nap on the couch, which was frequent, she’d lie on top of me, stretched out and happily purred.
A couple of weeks before Christmas last year, she died. I didn’t take it well. I couldn’t even bring myself to talk about it with my closest friends. It hurt so much. One day she was fine, then she seemed a little sick, then one day…
Anyway, I don’t want to talk about it still. Hell, I miss that cat.
Letting New Love In
I think it was about a week ago when a different friend posted about finding an abandoned cat she turned into a local animal shelter. That cat looked a heck of a lot like my ChiChi. It broke my heart that someone would just leave their sweet cat behind.
Until that point, I had decided I didn’t want to invest in another cat. I still had our older cat, Little Bit, so I figured that’s enough. But I started thinking about it, and how much I miss all the love I’d shared with Chichi over the last 10 years. So, Nate and I talked, and he felt that if I was ready to get a new cat, we should. He is a real sucker for cats, let me tell you. I knew it wouldn’t be a hard sell.
He really took point on things. Nate went ahead and gathered all the supplies we would need for a new little friend. Maybe, in his heart, he was excited as I was about the plan. On Saturday, we headed out to find us a cat.
First we hit up a PetSmart. I’d seen a cat online that I really wanted to meet. For longer than I’d like to admit, I’d wanted to get a black and white cat to name Spock. Yes, I’m a complete dork, and I’m not ashamed of it.
But, as it turns out, they didn’t do adoptions on Saturday. There was no one to show off the pets. Of all days of the week not to do it.
Nate offered to come back on Sunday to get the cat, but I really wanted to be there. Sunday was a writing day for me and I’m trying hard to stay on task. Instead, we decided to hit up an animal shelter not far away.
When You Know, You KNOW
Presenting Jadzia Dax
I remember feeling incredibly nervous once we pulled into the parking lot. There was no reason to be, but I really was. Everything is kind of a blur now. Maybe too much excitement. I’m not sure.
When we went back to meet all the available kitties. There were a few others in as well, going through with the same journey. There were some adorable cats there looking for homes, but none of them evoked any real feelings in me.
That’s Until I Saw Her
They’d named her Rose-Bud. The first thing I noticed was her beautiful fur. I’d always loved orange cats, but hers was a lot lighter than I’d seen before. Almost a strawberry blonde color. It fascinated me. I made small talk with her with “Hi, kitty kitty” and a few beconing clicking sounds of the tongue. She stared at me for a moment, then rolled over onto her back, which in my mind, I thought meant approval or interest. I felt a fluttering in my chest as a feeling of joy washed over me. It was so intense like someone was giving my soul a warm, loving hug.
One of the staff came over and asked if I was interested, which I was. The young woman told me how sweet she was and asked if I wanted to pet her. So I did. The moment we touched, I knew. This was my cat. My new love. The feeling was so powerful, I felt tears welling in my eyes.
Nate signed all the paperwork since they took his ID instead of mine. Ten minutes later, we were in the car with our new roommate.
A Strong Name for a Strong Lady
Rose-Bud wasn’t her name, though. First of all, I was pretty set on naming whatever cat we chose after a Star Trek character. This cat is so cool and collected. The whole ride, she didn’t meow, didn’t squirm. She just sat in the carrier, in my lap, and went along with the ride. Plus she is incredibly beautiful. Only one name came to mind: Jadzia Dax. We’ll be calling her Dax for short, but that’s my new girl’s name.
My girl Jadzia Dax. She was always my favorite on DS9. Now I have my own Dax at home with me. The best thing is, she’s settling in incredibly well! It’s like she’s always lived here. I love it. And I love her!
(This post is dedicated to my big boss, Denise, who told me to write something this weekend. She’s not a lady you want to let down!)
Yeah, I know it’s been a while. It probably would have been a lot longer if I hadn’t been Facebook-jacked. I didn’t realize how much I used the app until I lost access. It SUCKED. This happened right before my birthday, so I was a little bummed out to miss out on birthday wishes. I felt absolutely disconnected from my social circle. Sure, I just texted the people I’m closest to, but FB is more for connections to those you may not talk to as regularly.
The worst part is the loss of my writer page. That’s what drove me to write a blog post. I worked hard on it! Now totally gone.
I’ve done everything to recover the account, but the asshole who stole it turned off two-factor authentication and removed my cellphone number from the account. I tried getting in touch with Facebook, but, as it turns out, it’s nearly impossible to do. Eventually, I gave up and started a new one. It hasn’t been the same, though.
That being said, since then, I’ve been feeling the urge to write again. Maybe annoyance was the fuel I needed. Who knows.
What have I been up to?
The answer is not much. My creativity has been completely zapped away. I want to write, but by the end of the workday, it’s the last thing on my mind. I just want to sit around, watch TV, play video games, and sleep. You know, the typical adult experience these days.
Over the last few weeks, though, Crimson has been calling. Kay and Dena have been tapping some glass in my brain, reminding me they’re waiting for their story to be fully realized. The only thing with that is I think I’m going to have to rewrite huge chunks of it. Just when I finished writing the whole thing, too. Well, a while ago, anyway.
Coming Soon!
Then, that drive to redo The Last Fae, makes me want to write the short stories I’ve been working on as companion pieces. Hell-Bent has been sitting on my laptop, half-written since September/October. And of course, I need to continue Lady Olubayo’s Bordello, the serial novel set in the same world that I started on Vella. Don’t forget, the first three chapters are free, and if you read them, I get a couple of cents. Hey, any little bit will make me feel accomplished, so if you could….
I really miss it. Writing makes me happy. It’s one of the most fulfilling things I can do for myself, and I just abandoned it. Again. I’m pretty mad at myself about it.
So What am I Going to Do About It?
Starting right now, I’m going to dedicate at least 30 minutes a day to writing. I’ll finish work, have dinner, and mentally relax for maybe an hour or two. Then, I will write. It’s happening this time. I’m going to keep it up.
I will not stick to a particular schedule right now. My goal is to finish Hell-Bent within the next 30 days. I’m going to post a blog when my inspiration is inspired. Eventually, I’ll even get back into vlogging, since editing is another hobby I find a lot of joy in. I’m 42 now, and it’s time I do what the hell I want to do! I deserve it. Dammit.
Other social media rebuilding is coming soon. The next project will be to do a new author page. Wish me luck.
Until next time, my friend. Keep your Mind in the Gutter.
For real, though, I don’t know where this creative burst has come from. It’s been friggin’ insane in my brain for the last couple of weeks. I’m talking about writing, editing, making ebooks…My entire days have been filled with words. I hope they’re decent ones!
By the time you read this, I’ll be back at my day job. I’m expecting my energy to get zapped out of existence. I’m hoping not, but historically, that’s what has happened. But, with any amount of luck, my muse will stay with me.
But these last couple of weeks has been amazing. Even with the pain of my hidradenitis, I’ve been feeling spiritually fulfilled. I’ve loved every second of it, even the times when what I worked on frustrated the hell out of me.
(Ugh, don’t even get me started on the story I’ve been working on for the last three days. It’s done, just not edited.)
So, what have I been up to
I’ve been building my ebook catalog. Some of them were already available, but I wanted to go back in and get some editing done. Plus, they needed updated covers desperately.
All my latest/updated works
If you’d like to purchase any of these books, most of them are available on both Amazon and Smashwords. Tools of his Trade is only available on Kindle Unlimited.
Also, I’ve joined Literotica and Medium for posting a few freebies now and again. So far what I have on Literotica is doing very well. Medium, it’s too soon to tell.
Imparting Knowledge (hopefully)
In addition to writing, I’ve been making videos about things I’ve learned since delving into these projects. So far there are two: Canva vs Snappa for free covers and a quick rundown of getting Premium status on Smashwords (that’s coming tomorrow at 10 AM. Check it out!)
Here is the Canva/Snappa video for your viewing pleasure.
Making a more educational video was a struggle at first, but after I got used to recording myself speaking, it wasn’t too bad. The editing of the video took nearly a lifetime. Still, in the end, if it helps someone, it’s well worth the work.
Keeping up with my Mind
I doubt I’ll keep going at my current pace once real life starts kicking in again. Also, I never know when my body is going to be a total jerk and take me down for the count (AGAIN). With any amount of luck, I’ll still feel the creative buzz through me because it truly makes me happy. Writing brings me a lot of joy.
Come back and see me soon! Next week I’ll have another Hidradenitis post for you unless something changes the topic.
I’ve been trying to come up with some ideas of things to blog about. I mean, I can talk and talk, but I should give making some sense a chance once in a while, amirite? While Googling around the Internets, I came across an intriguing blog post on Mixtus Media. It’s 100 NEW Blog Topics for Fiction Writers.
Now that sounds like something a girl can work with!
I’m not sure I’ll get to the whole 100, but as long as I try, I’ll have some content to pump out. More importantly, It will be a load of fun.
So many good ideas…I barely know where to start. I’m legit excited about it. Especially since I’m trying to write a few blog posts in advance on the weekends to keep me up to date for some time.
A Little Something to Get Started
15. Share the best writing advice you’ve ever gotten.
I’m going to have to say, the best piece of advice I’ve gotten is to JUST WRITE. Don’t stop. Just keep going. If a section of your story has you stuck, skip it and go to another part that will flow. The rest will come in time. And your first draft is just your first draft. It isn’t meant to be a masterpiece.
Also, write what you’re into. Write a book you’d like to read yourself if you weren’t the one writing it. Someone out there will enjoy it just as much as you do.
Just don’t worry. Make it fun. It should be a good time. Will it stress you out sometimes? HELL YES. But that’s okay. All writers go through THE STRUGGLE. You’re in good company.
Going Forward from Here
Right now, I’m dropping a post at least Mondays at 10:00 AM, EST. I hope you stop by then and find out a little more about what I’m working on!
In the meantime, catch a bit of my ongoing work, The Last Fae, here. It’s a little bit I particularly enjoyed writing that I hope you have fun with, too!
You know how it is when you’re writing something. You get in your head with all the world-building and character-creating.
It gets crazy.
But, in order to be a better writer, you have to explore many other worlds. That way you can get a feel for your own sense of storytelling style.
Since I’m in the process of starting a leap into reverse-harem tales, I’m going to start reading a few. I’m thinking one a month right now. And when I’m done, I’ll post a review. I’m hoping it helps me in my endeavors.
After working on my story for around a decade now, I’ve finally finished up TLF. It was a total weight off my shoulders to get it finished. It’s been on my goal list FOR YEARS. It’s in need of some TLC. I’m still in the process of revamping the world since I borrowed the original world from a friend of mine and it’s way past time for me to do my own thing.
Also, it’s not exactly long enough to be its own novel (right now it’s sitting at 61,815 words). My current goal is to combine it in a volume with the next tale The Demon in Her Skin. That one is still a wreck, but it’s getting there.
I’m feeling good about myself. TLF was one of my major goals to complete while I was 40, and I DID IT! Man, it felt amazing to finish the last sentence. I cried about it. No shame.
Eventually, after I’m done with The Demon in Her Skin, I’m going to rewrite the story to make it happier. That’s Erica’s Problem for Another Day.
In the Meantime…
There are a few bits of the story I really enjoy rereading. They’re not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. But I wanted to share one of the parts I especially like. It’s towards the end of the book. Not a lot of context is needed, I think.
Let me know if you’re interested in more story bits!
IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!! </Grandmaster> | Image by Kacumen from Pixabay
Today is my 41st birthday. I know what you’re thinking: girlfriend looks good for her age! Well, thank you so much. I’m pleased you think so.
At any rate, as my birthday approached, I realized something was missing. You know, other than that big Powerball payout I didn’t win. I will not lie. I’m still pretty bitter about it. I had plans for that money!
In the last few days, I’ve started planning for my next moves. During that time, I wound up having to take a peek at this poor, neglected blog. I decided the old girl needed more security, so I got to that (CloudFlare is pretty awesome and I knew nothing about it!). And then…in the doing, I thought I broke my blog.
Boy was I pissed with myself.
Luckily, it was just a delay of some sort, and everything was right as rain. After breathing a huge sigh of relief, I read my blog out of gratitude to the Internet Overlords Above.
I thought to myself, this stuff isn’t so bad. In fact, I found it funny and charming, if I do say so myself. Then I thought, why in the world did I stop blogging.
Lack of time? Exhaustion? Laziness? Lack of ideas? If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say it’s all three.
But, you know, I really miss this side of my life. I enjoy writing, even if no one else is reading. It gives me a sense of purpose I can’t say I have during most of the day. More than anything, this is what I want to be doing. Just writing this little blurb is filling me with life and light.
My birthday will be a new beginning
I only got a quite few on my list of 40 Things to Do While I’m 40 done. The biggest one is I actually finished The Last Fae. It’s done. Still in need of edits. But it’s done.
For 41, there are only two things I want to do: blog and vlog. Little things that will make a big impact on my creative spirit and I desperately need it. I can’t say I’ll stick to a schedule, but my goal for right now is once a week. I’m ready to live what I think would be my best life. And it doesn’t matter if I’m the only one reading it! Hey, I’m people, too!
So check back every now and again. I have some stories to tell you.
(BTW: I’m working on a Quickie I’m going to call “Birthday Stuff.” It might be up later today!)
So, I know “I sold myself” is a bold statement. If you were worrying times are tough and I had to start up my side hustle as Hover Divine, fear not. What I mean to say is I sold one of my novelettes. For money!
I’m particularly proud/pleased at this event because I was giving myself away for FREE!
…I’m starting to think maybe I’m working on too much smut. I can’t get my head out of the gutter on this post.
Anyway, some awesome Smutter bought Bait for $0.99. I still have it set to Pay What you Want. I figured no one would bother giving money when they can have it for free.
I’m not getting much off of it. My cut is $0.53, but, shit, better than the 0 I expected.
Definitely feeling good about me!
The wait is nearly over
My next project is ready to go. I’ve submitted Decontamination to Amazon this evening. I didn’t realize it can take up to 3 days for release. No worries, though. KDP intrigues me since you can enroll it for Kindle Unlimited and get money off of people reading for free. It’s like the best of both worlds.
Suffice to say I’ve been enjoying the whole self-publishing thing. I’m glad work had to cut their hours for this month, giving me the opportunity to make this happen. Work goes back to normal next month, so I probably won’t be able to release a weekly story. Maybe every 2 weeks would work a bit better. I tend to go a little brain dead after a full day of work.
What’s next?
Coming up on the horizon is Her Majesty’s Courtesan. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be an ongoing series. I’ll be rotating between Tales from Knightcrest, Lady of the Wood, and HMC. That’s the plan going forward, anyway.
Check at the blog for updates, or give me a subscribe. Until next time!
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
