June IWSG!

Haha it seems that the month of June is catching me by surprise this year! My in-laws have been here for a week and I was checking email yesterday when I suddenly realized that the first Wednesday of June is NOW. The first Wednesday of every month is Insecure Writer's Support Group day. It's a day for lovely people to bop around and support one another through this crazy thing we call 'being writers'. If you consider yourself to be a writer I highly suggest checking it out :)

This Friday is our first Kindle Countdown sale. We published Armageddon two years ago, but due to my crazy previous job, I didn't have any time to do much publicity beyond the initial 'omg I published a book look at me!!!' push. Now I'm writing full time and somehow still don't feel like I had enough time to publicize this sale. Scheduled tweets and FB and blog posts, yes. But we'd decided to go backpacking this weekend so I won't even be around to help continue the boost (priorities, I know...). And I can think of a TON of other things I could have/should have done to boost visibility of the sale, but just didn't get to.

Somehow I feel like life keeps getting in the way of doing this right. I consider it my job but there's so much LIFE happening (in-laws visiting, health stuff, running and enjoying our CO spring weather). It's so easy to just do the life stuff and not focus so much on my job. But then I also find myself thinking that isn't necessarily the worst thing at this point, as I'm still very much recovering from the insanity of my previous job. So, I should be taking time for myself, and I should be enjoying the weather. It's only been a little over two months since I quit and Rome wasn't built in a day, right? Especially if that day was during the beautiful springtime...

What are your biggest distractors? How do you bring yourself back around to focusing? What is your favorite way to advertise for an impending book sale?

Kindle Countdown Deal Starts Friday!!

First of all, how in the WORLD is it possible that it's already June??

Now that that's out of my system, this week's thing I learned about Pirates:

If you ever need to know anything about pirates (or dinosaurs, or space, or rocks, or bugs..) ask a mother who has a kid that is interested in the topic. They can tell you more in less time than even a visit to the library!

And, the big news in the Armageddon: Pick Your Plot world! We are having our very first Kindle Countdown Deal starting this Friday, June 5th! If you haven't already gotten a Kindle copy of Armageddon, this is a great opportunity. On June 5 and 6, Armageddon will be on sale for only $0.99!! I'm so excited. Check out some reviews and quotes:

And lastly, if you haven't already, please sign up for my email list here! When you sign up you'll be able to download a FREE copy of Percy's Armageddon: Pick Your Plot Prequel, which is perfect to whet your whistle for the sale on Friday!

I'll post a reminder on Friday. Have a great week, everyone :)

Muse Party Blogfest, and A Change of Mind book launch!

Happy Memorial Day!
A couple things for everyone today! The awesome Nick Wilford has a book being released today, and Sarah is hosting the Muse Party Blogfest! But first, your pirate fact of the week:

The Confederate army enlisted Privateers (aka Pirates!) to help bring down the North. Jefferson Davis issued a proclamation inviting, "all those who may desire, by service in private-armed vessels on the high seas, to aid this Government in resisting [Northern] aggression, to make application for commissions or letters of marque and reprisal to be issued under the seal of these Confederate States." And they came, and they did conquer some Northern ships!  -- information from Pirates: A Worldwide Illustrated History 

Nick Wilford has a book coming out today!

Title: A Change of Mind and Other Stories

Author: Nick Wilford

Genre: Speculative fiction

Format: Ebook only

Would you change something about your personality if you had the chance? Reuben Timsbury is ready to say yes to that question, but what is the cost? Read A Change of Mind and Other Stories to find out. This collection of dark, speculative fiction contains a novella and five accompanying stories. The pieces include four previously published in Writer’s Muse magazine. 

It's available today, at an introductory price of only $0.99. I'll be getting my copy soon - will you?

Purchase Links:

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Smashwords / B&N / Kobo

My buddy Sarah, whom I met during A-Z this year, is having a blogfest to celebrate her blog's 4 year anniversary! So please join us for the Muse Party Blogfest :)

1. Who is your muse (or character)? Tell us a little bit about him/her and why you brought them. I don't really have a muse, so I brought a character from one of my works in progress: Ringer. He is a small business owner whose life has been taken over by searching for people who have mysteriously gone missing from his antique phone shop, so he doesn't get out much. And he needs some stress relief, so I thought a party might be a good distraction!

2. What are you guys wearing? Dressing up or keeping it casual? I'm wearing skinny jeans and cute heels. Ringer is wearing khakis and a button down shirt. Couldn't get him to shave, but he actually cleans up pretty nice in that scruffy sort of way :)

3. It's a potluck! Did you bring something yummy? Of course! I brought some gluten-free hazelnut bread, and Ringer brought meat for burgers. He's... not much of a cook, but always has burger meat on hand to feed his pet raven.

4. Open bar! What are you both drinking (booze or otherwise)? Ringer'll have a G&T and I'd like a dark & stormy, please! We like ampersands.

5. Wallflowers or social butterflies? We're probably both halfway in between. Conversations with a small group over to the side of the room are best, that way you can talk about real things. Also that will allow Ringer a chance to see if you know anything helpful...

6. What song(s) will you and your muse sing for karaoke? For karaoke I'm a fan of anything from Rent. Female country singers are good too. Anti-war ballads from the 70s are more Ringer's style. Maybe some Fortunate Son as performed by CCR, or Give Peace a Chance by John Lennon?
7. What's your favorite party game? Telephone, naturally. *snicker*

8. Which one of you is more likely to end up dancing on a table top? Definitely me. Preferably sans high heels.
9. Has your muse been a good date and would you ever hang out with them again? For sure! It was fun to get him out and give him a chance to loosen up a bit. And I always love a party...

Linky:

A learning sort of week

So I decided to take last week off of blogging (other than a quick foray for a Blog Blitz). I'm slowly figuring out what my work habits will look like, as well as what I want my every day life to look like. I spent last week learning, exploring my community, and planning. So for today's post, just a list of things I've figured out and learned in the last week:

• I think I am going to try having regular posts on Mondays only, with exceptions for special events (IWSG, blog hops, book blitzes, etc). This may change if/when I do another Pick Your Plot series, but it also may not :)
• Preparing to write requires a fair bit of research, even when writing mostly from one's imagination, so I'm going to share something interesting/cool that I learned that week. I'm a total nerd, so sharing factoids appeals to that side of me!
• Small business owners are awesome! I had a great chat with a couple of them this week as I spent time in my community. It was also super cool to attend the Women in Business Brownbag at my local Chamber of Commerce. Neat ladies.
• I'm going to do a writing workshop for teens at my local library in the fall. More info once we've got the details worked out, but it will be part of doing promo for the Bold New Worlds writing competition (which I am judging this year!).
• I ran 6 miles for the first time ever on Thursday. I chose a flat course thinking that I should go easy with the terrain since it was a new and potentially difficult distance for me. MISTAKE. The flat'ness ended up being boring, which made my run more difficult despite its lack of hills. This week: a far more interesting route.

I'm researching pirates right now, so the fact of the week for you mateys is this:

The "Golden Age" of piracy was actually only 40 years long, from 1690 - 1730. Kind-of a surprise considering how much attention we give seafaring pirates, don't you think? - factoid from Pirates: Predators of the Seas

 Have you learned anything interesting lately?

IWSG - May!

Today is Insecure Writer's Support Group Wednesday! The first Wednesday of each month, writers pop around to one anothers' blogs to offer support, insight, high fives and hugs. This month's hosts of the hop are Eva Solar, Melanie Schulz, Lisa-Buie Collard, and Stephen Tremp. Good job, team :)

Last month I talked about having seen one of my favorite authors, Jacqueline Winspear, speak (you can read her blog posts here - highly recommend!). It was my first week of writing full time and her words about writer's block were exactly what I needed to hear. Not that writers block is easy to get over, but rather that we should not allow ourselves to have it because others have died for our right to freedom of speech. The concept of the privilege of writing making it an essential action hit me right in the feels. 

I took that quote to heart this month by doing my daily April A-Z post every morning. I couldn't pre-post due to the nature of the challenge I set for myself, and I loved the accountability it created. I've also been researching the business side of being an author. It was quite busy!

As I've been 'not working' (as my former coworkers seem to refer to it), I've become more and more aware of the privilege I have in being able to pursue my dream of writing. Of being an author without having to worry about having money for food or rent. This month I stumbled upon this article about how writers are often 'sponsored' by family, spouses, or wealthy patrons, thus enabling them to be creatively productive. 

I'm so incredibly thankful that my spouse can support me through this journey so I can do this without stress. But I'm also keenly aware of my time and of wanting to make sure not to waste it because I know that there are many others out there who are squeezing their writing dreams into precious snippets of time. I am privileged, yes. And also extremely grateful.

What are you grateful for this month?

***

A new thing in my writing life is the creation of my email list! Subscribe now to receive a FREE copy of Percy's Armageddon: Pick Your Plot Prequel! Emails will only be on the first Friday of each month and will contain writing news and deals. No spam, I promise :)

#AtoZChallenge - Reflections

Boy it was nice to have a weekend off from blogging, wasn't it? I hope y'all enjoyed yourselves :)

So, reflections on this year's A to Z. First off, THANK YOU to everyone who voted, ever at all, but most of all those who visited multiple times throughout the month. I couldn't have done my theme without your votes, so thanks for keeping me going! If there is anyone visiting who doesn't know what I mean by voting, I encourage you to read my story quick. It was super fun!

The voting was so much fun! There were times that y'all picked options that were not what I was expecting, and thus challenged me to come up with bits of story that I hadn't really anticipated writing. Those days were both awesome and difficult, but helped me feel I was really *in* the Challenge mindspace.

But man... Staying in that mindspace for the whole month was exhausting. I knew it would be difficult but didn't really anticipate how tired I'd be by the end. It got harder and harder to visit lots of blogs to keep the voting flowing, so by the end there were only a couple regulars keeping me going (thanks so much, y'all!).

I have a present for you.

Epilogue:
Amy sat at her dressing table, gently holding a silvery handkerchief with aged hands. She looked in her mirror at her reflection. Her face had become wrinkled, with laugh lines around her eyes and mouth. Her eyes, though showing her exhaustion and sadness, still shined brightly. But the sadness...

She raised the handkerchief to her lips and kissed it, gently.

"Hellooooo, Sugar! I was wondering when I'd hear from you! Took longer than I thought it would," Cal said, stepping out of the shadows. She was surprised to see that he did not wear his traditionally flamboyant sequined gown, but instead wore skinny jeans with holes at the knees and an oversized black leather jacket. She noted with pleasure that his shoes were bedecked with sequins.

"What do you need? As I remember, you have one wish left. And please, remember what happened the last time you asked to see someone who had passed on. That's how you ended up here."

"Yes, I know. Cal, my life here has been wonderful. I have loved, and watched a child grow, and known contentment. But my loved ones have gone. We... had a measles outbreak. I guess the power of my vaccines carried through the mirror - everyone said it must have been through magic that I survived - and my Prince and Irena have died. I cannot stay here any longer. Please, take me back through the mirror."

"Ohhh Sugar. Going back through won't take the pain away. And, I can't do that anyhow. Your body on the other side... It has... Well, it's not usable."

"I don't want to die. I just can't be here anymore. Then, Cal. Do you remember that tapestry? By the Man in White's room, when it looked as though the figures were moving? Could you put me there? It seems like such a simple life, hanging in the beautiful scenery, watching the bustle of the castle. That way I can stay in this place I have loved, but no longer feel the pain of it."

"Well, Sugar. You've always been creative. Take me there."

Amy and Cal walked slowly through the hallways. Amy told stories of her time in the Palace. Here where she had found Irena kissing a boy, there the ballroom where she and the real Prince Leo had had their first dance. When they got to the hallway on the west side of the Palace, Cal was surprised to see specks of paint still on the window.

Amy laughed, "We were never able to quite get it all off. All these years I've said hello to the Man in White every time I've passed this window. He's almost an old friend now. Please, this tapestry."

Cal nodded and kissed her on the forehead, "You've always been a brave one, Sugar. Enjoy your new life." She smiled as he snapped his fingers in front of her face.

And within a moment a small embroidered lady appeared in the tapestry. She held hands with a little girl and waved a silver handkerchief in her other hand. And waited out her days watching in the back hallway of the place where she Lived.

The End.

If you haven't already, here is the place to sign up for the Reflections bloghop!