Moving on...

Well, some of you may have heard the rumors, and I'm here to tell you...

THEY'RE COMPLETELY TRUE! 

Me, my blog and my randomness have relocated to a new website! From this post onward you can find me at:

www.everynkildare.com

or for the new home of the "Adventures in Insomnia" Blog: 

www.everynkildare.com/adventuresininsomnia

both of which now load into the new, super shiny and way more organized Everyn website. If you were subscribed to the old RSS feed here you will unfortunately need to subscribe to the new RSS again. Mailing list subscribers have already been moved to the new list, so no need to re-subscribe for that.

I will be leaving this Blogspot site up as an archive, rather than transferring all the post from the past four years (last time was a nightmare!)

Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me! On to bigger and more productive things!

CURSE is finally HERE!!!

It has technically been "here" since Thursday, but I've been making tweaks to the formatting (which I think you'll LOVE when you see it!) and getting the paperbacks put together... also, waiting for each of the online retailers to pick it up so I could provide you with all the links at one go.

 

Aren't the new covers pretty? I can't wait to get ALL the paperbacks updated to match Curse (This summer! More info to come later! Squeeeee!!!)
Curse paperbacks haven't gone live yet, but barring any hang-ups, they should be available by the end of this weekend. I'll update as soon as they go up for sale.

If you prefer your words digital, you can currently get your hot hands on Curse from the following online retailers:

• Amazon Kindle
• Apple IBooks
• B&N Nook
• Kobo
• For all others here's the universal link: Books2Read

I know some of you have been waiting, like forever for me to get this one out. I hope it was worth the wait. 🖤


All the best,

Twitter / Facebook / Google+ / Goodreads / Pinterest / Instagram

This time it's for REAL... The "Cursed" Book Commeth!

OKay! I promised another announcement this week, and here it is:

1) The *NEW* cover for Curse (to match the others)

2) Updated blurb (because I never liked the old one anyway)

AND

3) An official E.T.A. on Book Four (I'm almost done!!!) 

Oh yes, the Everyn has been busy! After a seemingly idle start to what had been a promising 2017, I've kicked it into high gear and expect to publish the ebook versions of Curse A WEEK FROM TOMORROW: June 22, 2017. I will try to get the paperback version up at the same time, but if I can't then I should have it available by the following week.

 

Curse (The Crow Series: Book Four)

Raise hell and take back what is yours!

Denora Garro doesn’t want to be found. The safety of her friends and loved ones depends on it. After another unexpected act of betrayal, she’s more determined than ever to free her brothers on her own.

With her mother’s journal in the palm of her hand, Denora is finally putting all the pieces together - unraveling the mystery of Silas’ century old curse, as well as Leena's true intentions for her and her brothers. Her search guides the wayward young woman through time, showing her the New York of the distant past, and hinting at a dark and impending future. 

Will Denora's new discoveries lead her to the closure she so desperately seeks, or will they lead her straight into the clutches of her enemies? 

When it comes to love and fate, there is no room for doubt.

Until next week!

Much love 💜

A new cover for Release!

It's been a week since I unveiled the new cover and blurb for Book Two. Those of you with good pattern-spotting abilities will correctly guess that I'm about to announce the new treatment for the third book today.

Seeing how I have a million things left to do, I won't delay (besides, I'm so pleased with this new cover I think it speaks for itself!)

Without further ado, here's the new cover for Release:

The new blurb for Book Three:

Not just her heart - but her life is on the line.

Denora Garro has seen her fair share of trouble. She’s street-smart, wickedly sarcastic, and recklessly bold.
She’s also horribly impatient.

After months of idle waiting, Denora can’t stand it any longer. She’s made no progress on her brothers’ curse, her mothers’ secrets remain just out of reach, and she hasn’t heard a word from Silas since he ran off with her enemy.

When a once in a lifetime Clandestine Event is arranged, both friends and enemies unexpectedly return - along with Denora’s hope for a cure. With each step forward, her family’s secrets come into the light. Betrayal comes from someone she least expects, and her enemies take a prize that shatters Denora’s faith in family.

As everything you love goes up in flames, what else can you do but raise hell and take back what is yours!

*Yes, we did switch the color scheme for Release from purple to green. Those who have read the story already probably know why. Let's just say, the green powder she is blowing off her hands on the new cover comes from an integral scene in the book and just made more sense - that and purple becomes more of a theme in the later two books (*cough - D gets purple hair - cough*).

I'm off to my editing cave. I'll be back next week with a new announcement! 😁😸

Three Years After Crow

It's the THREE year Book Anniversary for my very first book - CROW! (I love that a Book Anniversary is really a thing! heehee) I think I may want to start a new tradition and try to do something fun to celebrate this anniversary every year from now on. That's what makes me look forward to anniversaries at least - the excuse for plotting and planning of fun things (I'll take almost any excuse for fun things, actually.)

But first, an update after my announcement last week:

The old Crow is now in a state of undead limbo. By that I mean all ebook versions of Crow have now been switched over to the *NeW* wonderful and lovely cover and less crappy blurb. The paperbacks, on the other hand, are still sporting the old ones, because I have some other work and formatting I have to put together first before I can change those. Soooo, in some places it's Crow reborn - and in others the old version is still sinking its claws in and holding firm.
I know, I just went way out there on that one...

On the plus side, it means anyone wanting to get a copy of the old versions in paperback before they no longer exist still has time to do so (because once I change the files the old ones will no longer be printed, thus making the old ones "limited edition". You see what I did there? Gotta prop my ego up somehow. I'm sinking here! LOL)

So, in celebration of Crow's Three Year Book-a-versary, I decided to release the new cover and blurb for Shift early!

The new blurb for Book Two:

No one can be trusted.

On the precipice of adulthood, Denora is torn between her old life as a trouble-making New York teen, and the dangerous complications of her newly accepted magical abilities. The mysteries of the Clandestine World, and the heavy burden of saving her brothers from a horrible fate certainly aren’t a walk in the park - and her conflicted feelings for the green-eyed traitor Silas only make matters worse.

When things get messy, Denora turns to a new friend for comfort. Even a girl with the ability to shatter light-bulbs when she’s angry isn’t immune to a sexy set of dimples and a warm smile. But like everything else in the city, the flashing lights can often blind one to the unseen grit of betrayal. Denora’s trust is put to the test, because in this twisted metropolis not just her heart, but her life is on the line.

*Dun Dun Dun*

MUCH better than the old blurb! Though I have always been very fond of the original cover for Shift, I really like the new one as well, and feel it suits the series better 🖤

Just like last week, the new cover and blurb will start popping up on the online retailers between now and June 7th. Next year I should have ALL FIVE books in the series out, so I'll plan something BIGGER on the blog to celebrate the Book-a-versary.

Let me know what you all think of the new covers!
I'm off to my editing cave 😁😸

Ninja-Cover-Facelift-ATTACK!!!

All right. I know my post title sounds like I'm having some sort of freakout, or I've been watching way too many anime cartoons with my kids (possible, but not today!)

A few weeks ago, I mentioned how my husband was stuck home recuperating after severely hurting his back. He was going stir crazy at home, and since he finally had some free time on his hands, I talked him into helping me put together my ideas for the book cover I envisioned for Songbird of Souls. It came out amazingly! I'm still smitten with the cover 💓

Well, we've also been discussing giving the Crow Series a facelift since... like... the first book in 2014. When I put out Crow we were just dipping our toes in the water, and the cover we designed was simple, because we didn't have the skills or the resources to make a better one. The subsequent covers were kept with the same design, so it was obvious they were a series, but we've always wanted and intended to give them an upgrade when we had the means to do so.

Guess what?
A week from today, on the three year anniversary of when Crow was first published, the first book in the Crow Series will be sporting a shiny new cover and blurb (not sure why some sites says it went live on May 29th - but Crow was first published between May 30th and the 31st.)

Less than two weeks later, Shift will get the same treatment - and two weeks after that, Release will as well. Then I'll be getting set to publish Curse, so it will be released with the new cover design instead!
Yay! So exciting! I've been practically crawling out of my skin, waiting to finally tell you guys what I've been up to.

The new blurb:

Someone, or something is stalking Denora.

Deep in the underbelly of New York City, a troubled young woman has lost it all - her parents, her home and her childhood best friend. She’s broke, practically homeless, and her wayward brothers have gotten themselves into some sort of trouble.
The worst part?
It’s the kind of trouble Denora isn’t prepared for - the magical kind. Denora’s reality is turned upside down, introducing her to a world of talking rats, deadly curses, and a mysterious stranger who promises to help her navigate this daunting new side to the city she thought she knew.
Though gorgeous, green-eyed Silas may be more than willing to lend Denora a helping hand, it’s his secrets that put her in the most danger - because if there’s one lesson you learn growing up in the city, it’s that no one can be trusted.

I'd really appreciate any feedback on the new blurb and cover while I make the final tweaks (especially the blurb, because I never feel like I get those quite right! lol)

I've still got tons of work to do, so I'm signing off for now.
Thanks for coming by and taking the time to read!

It's been a while: How about another Curse teaser?

Teaser Tuesday! 
 

So - lot's been brewing and stewing in my office lately.
As I stated in my last post, I now have all three books currently published in the Crow Series available on all major online retailers - for those of you who were asking for it outside of Amazon.

I've also started posting the first book in my new steampunk fantasy series (that I'll be putting out later this year) to Wattpad . I'll link to Songbird of Souls again below if you're interested!

But today is all about Curse!

I'm still putting the finishing touches on it, and felt I wanted to share another snippet with all of you as a thank you for continuing to be so patient, waiting for its release.

I work in the shadows - muhahaha!

Confession time - lest you all think my silence of late means I've been sitting around on my ass twiddling my thumbs:

I've been very busy quietly working on a few projects I've had stewing on the back-burner since last summer.

The first one is, I've finally gotten all three books currently available in the Crow Series published on the other major online book retailers (no longer just exclusive to Amazon!) This means for the first time you can now get Shift and Release through Kobo, Nook and iBooks - as well as a few others!

FREE EBOOK:

Kindle / Nook / iBooks / Kobo
~

 Now Available At:
Kindle / Nook / iBooks / Kobo

~

Now Available At:

Kindle / Nook / iBooks / Kobo

The second is kind of an update / cover reveal... for Songbird of Souls!

-SURPRISE-

Since my poor husband has been trapped home, bored out of his mind while recuperating from his back injury, I finally pestered him into putting together the cover for my new steampunk book that I hope to put out sometime this year (after Curse, don't worry!)

I'm madly in love with this cover. It came out just the way I pictured it in my head 💕 Squeeeeeee!!!

OKay, enough fan-girling over my own book...

Here's the blurb as it currently stands:

Once in a generation, a woman is born with the ability to manipulate the emotions of others through her song.

Silvanni Eddowes is the Songbird of Souls - given the illustrious title of “The Syrene”, and thrust into the decadent world of The Fair who rule the walled City of Kenmor.

But Silvanni is the eighth daughter of a washerwoman from The Gray, raised as a singer and actress in The Veridan Theatre. This new life and title whisks her away from the poverty and hardships of living in the lower slums, but it also separates her from the impetuous young actor who’d loved her since they were children.

After years abroad, cruel fate has summoned The Songbird of Souls back home to Kenmor, just as a treacherous plot puts her childhood companion’s head on the chopping block. With nowhere else to turn, Linus Lahoul seeks out the only person with any power he’s ever known - The Syrene.

The Songbird of Souls has to make a choice, because saving her wayward friend may cost Silvanni more than she’s willing to gamble - her new life and her freedom.

If you're interested in reading more, I've started posting the first chapter to Wattpad!

(Told you I've been busy... sneaky and busy... muhahahaha!!!!)

So, there's my updates for now. The edits on Curse are coming along nicely. I'll be posting more about that soon.

Hi-Ho! Hi-Ho! It's back to work I go!

Thanks for reading!

 

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End of April Musings...

I've been writing a lot of poetry lately.
If you've even peeked at my Instagram in the past few months (or those very few awesome "Champions of the Everyn Cause" who help my sorry-ass by supporting me on Patreon every month - I'm looking at YOU Mom! LOL ) you'd probably stumble across #poetry mentions and pictures of my long-running journal in poetic form.

It's partially thoughts I'm working through / actual poetry (yeah I write that too...) / and the occasional rant too scary even for my blog. Also doodles. And pictures / scraps of things I find and glue inside for inspiration, or just because I fucking like whatever it is next to whatever I wrote on the page. *shrugs*

I've kept one of these poetry books off and on since I was 14. There was one book prior to that, but it was swiped, along with my bag, my Discman (look it up kids!) and about $200 worth of punk music CDs. The lot disappeared off a park bench back when I was a wee scribbler in high school. It had a cool swirly green velvet cover. I mourn it to this day 😭

Twenty years of my life in those little books ❤ #poetry #amwriting #nostalgia

A post shared by Everyn Kildare (@everynkildare) on Mar 2, 2017 at 7:46am PST

I'm up to Book Six now, not counting the one that was stolen (ahhhh the words I will never get back!) For some reason I stopped writing them right around the time I stopped working on my novels regularly (somewhere in my mid-twenties? It's kind of hazy.) I was going through a lot emotionally at that time, and in my floundering and confusion, I unwittingly stopped the flow of words.

Words meant thinking, and I was tired of thinking all the time - especially when thinking led to being miserable or angry.

It's a mistake I don't intend to ever make again. The floodgate burst recently, and the words came pouring back out. I suppose I've been through a lot the past few years - I've grown a lot; found new things to love and new things to dread - I've experienced the hardships and worry of a parent trying their best for their kids and always feeling like it's not enough - I've also learned to buck it up, and laugh when shit looks ridiculous, just so I can keep moving forward. Especially right now. Things have been pretty stressful and uncertain after my husband severely hurt his back and has been on temporary disability trying to recuperate at home (thus the most recent delay on Curse, but I'll get back to that later...)

Writing is an outlet. It's how I process the world. When I can no longer make sense of myself, I look to poetry.

When someone asks to see the new #poetry book. #whatgoesbetweenthecoversstaysbetweenthecovers 😈

A post shared by Everyn Kildare (@everynkildare) on Apr 24, 2017 at 7:37am PDT

I suppose it makes sense - I use poetry to flush out thoughts or make sense of emotions I find perplexing. Poetic Therapy? Wouldn't be the strangest thing I've done.

I'm not sure if it's the cause or just another symptom of this, but a lot has been changing in my life since the start of this year particularly. Some of the internal changes started in the middle of 2016, in terms of how I was approaching my work and how I was feeling about myself as a person. I don't know how to explain it. The phrases "personal metamorphosis" and "coming out of your shell" sound so pretentious I'm laughing just typing them... but still, it would explain the resurgence of, and need for, my poetry books again.

It is really more akin to waking up after a really long sleep - like a few years of self-imposed hibernation.

Yep - I'm a Cosmic Bear! Wait, no... I just made that up.
I'm simply someone, constantly striving to improve and evolve in the areas that matter most to me. Learning brings me joy, and music keeps me moving forward. Writing, and my family, give me purpose.

Even though shit in my life feels like a sewage pipe that just keeps carrying me along, kicking and screaming against the current, I'm still feeling really positive about what I'm doing and what I have planned for the rest of 2017.

I'm a hopelessly romantic, optimistic dreamer right now about my work.

To top it off, I am now about 50% of the way done with the final FINAL final (damn that book has been a pain in the ass!) edits for Curse.

I told you I was still working on it! I've just been moving at a much slower pace since my husband injured himself. For about a month there, I felt like a single mom with a third (over 6 foot tall and helpless) kid. I don't envy ya'll who do it everyday! It's hard enough being a mom as it is.

I handled everything for my household on my own with him unable to walk - which also meant I had to tend to him like an invalid until he could function on his own again. I'm so glad he's finally on the mend now! I'm also really glad to have more time to myself and to be able to focus and edit again.

As a matter of fact, yesterday while fine-tuning a really obnoxiously difficult scene, I had an epiphany while searching for a word in the Thesaurus. A single word summoned an idea that finally made sense of one of my plot muddy-areas in the final Crow book (which I've written, but since it's not edited yet, still has wiggle room for those kinds of additions. 👍 Yay!)

I'm giddy just thinking about the new resolution to that particular mystery in Denora's life.
No, I will NOT be telling you which one *evil grin*
See? I'm in a really good mood right now. Which is surprising, because I woke up with a migraine, and as I type this, my chin has gone completely numb because of it. Weirdest-feeling-EVER. I almost want to laugh!

Now I'm wondering if it was a good idea to try and write a blog post while in the midst of a migraine... I seem to be rambling more than usual. Hah!

Well, I suppose that's all for now. These are my random April Musings. Spring is in full swing - so let's start fresh and embrace the changes and renewals of the season (or whatever really cool greeting-cardish poignant thing I was going for...)

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FML and other woes

THIS IS THE MOST HORRID AND HATED BLOG POST I'VE EVER BEEN FORCED TO WRITE... but I couldn't not say anything, so I'm going to keep it short and to the point.

Shortly after my excitedly optimistic last post we were struck by a serious family emergency. My husband was injured and was put on bed rest for the past three weeks. My life is currently chaotic. I'm still editing my ass off, but there's no possible way for me to finish by tomorrow.

I probably shouldn't even be trying, or feeling guilty, but I am.
Family comes first though.

I'll be back when I feel like I can show my face on the interwebs again without feeling like a slug.

Until then, my sincerest apologies.

Forcing my own hand...

Maybe, if I just blurt it out - quickly and immediately - I'll actually do it and won't have time to second-guess or talk myself out of it again... Oh, but wait! I'll still have until I finish typing out the rest of this blog post to change my own mind. *sigh* I can feel the cold feet already kicking out under my desk at this very moment!
No.
I'm just going to do it - force my own hand, once and for all!
Here it goes:

I-AM-OFFICIALLY-SETTING-THE-RELEASE-DATE-FOR-CURSE-TODAY!!!!! 
IN THIS VERY BLOG POST! I'M DOING IT! YES, I AM!

I've had brain-splitting migraine attacks every day for over a week now. Before that, I was obsessively engrossed in plotting and writing out scenes for Firechild that were plaguing my mind like a rabid animal, refusing to let go until I did what it wanted. Firechild is totally the bratty older sibling (also like a rabid animal) who pretty much shoves its other siblings around until it gets the best cupcake with the most frosting, simply because its the biggest, the oldest and the most ruthless.😕
I kinda want a cupcake now.

But back on point, I had a good go at the final edits on Curse at the beginning of February before I did all that shit I mentioned a second ago - then I fell off again into the abyss.😢

I don't know why I'm having such a hard time with this book. I've analyzed my hesitance over and over for months, trying to get around this block. The story is there, it's written, and it's complete to top it off, since I wrote out the fifth and final book last year as well. I don't know if it's a sense of perfectionism kicking in, or dread that I'm in that sticky middle area where the story arc starts wrapping everything up that's been set in motion... rolling faster and faster down the slope towards The End.

Thoughts like "Are readers going to be happy / satisfied with how I finish things? Did I fuck this up? OhFuckingHell! Just stop now! Full STOP! What have I done????" which is followed shortly after by, "Stop being stupid. The story is great. I have this under control. No one will ever like it or not like it if I never finish the damned thing!" And so on, and so forth, into infinity.😉

So, I'm forcing my own hand. Once I've said it, I'm stuck holding to it and trying my damnedest to meet the date. I'm setting the release date for Curse as March 30th. One way or another, whether I feel like it's perfect or not, Curse will be made available on Amazon by that date. I'll try to have the paperbacks ready the same day if I can.

There.
I did it.
Now to go hyperventilate in my bathroom.
Then shut off the wifi on my laptop so I can focus on the task at hand.

Wish me luck - and lots of coffee.
Always wish me lots of coffee. Always. 💗

 

A New Curse Teaser To Whet Your Appetite...

Teaser Tuesday! 
 

Wait... what the hell? It's NOT Tuesday?
Okay. We'll roll with it anyway :D

Yes, this means Curse is underway. I'm tearing through the final edits right now and hope to have it ready in the next few weeks - so until then, let's have some treasers!!!

This week, I'm offering a snippet between Denora and a certain black tomcat *wink*

Without further ado, here is this week's sneak peek...

A look back at 2016: The year that just plain SUCKED!

That's right, it's time for my yearly look into the recent past. This year I'm dreading it more than most, because as the title reads, and John Oliver said so perfectly with his sorrowfully amusing montage:

FUCK YOU 2016! 

You were awful, and I'm so very glad you're finally over.

Now that I've gotten that out of my system...
Yes, 2016 was a hard year for many reasons - deaths both celebrity and personal, political strife, fear, feuding and chaos that I won't get into here. War, destruction, cruelty... that list could go on and on.

But - this is my blog, so I'll keep it on point, and stick with my own personal reflections on my writing, my goals, and my failures from the past year.

As always, I've learned quite a bit. That in itself redeems this last year as not being an absolute gold-star-worthy steaming, fetid pile of shit. I experimented with new projects, platforms (Patreon, I'm looking at you!), and tried to expand the way I was viewing my work as a whole. That last part excites me tremendously, but it's more of a "you'll have to wait and see" kind of thing. I've got things planned. I plot and laugh maniacally. Trust me, I do. Trying to explain here would just be too confusing though, and at the moment I'm trying my best to keep this shit simple. Not kidding - it took me twenty-eight days to write this fucking blog post. I had to rip it apart in the end, just so re-reading it didn't give me a migraine...

But - I meandered off topic again. Let's flip this parade of words back a bit:

I wrote A LOT last year. Three books, several shorts, as well as bits and sections of several other novels that are in the works. I completed the first drafts of BOTH the last two books in The Crow Series, which was one of my major goals for 2016. At least I can check THAT one off... most of my other resolutions for 2016 went up in noxious, nauseating flames :(

I only managed to publish one thing : Release.
Despite the large amount of creative work I accomplished in 2016, my publishing ambitions were just beyond my reach. I intend to do better this year, especially since I have three books already waiting to be finished and unleashed upon the world. Muhahaha! Y'all are in for it. Seriously.

On the personal end, I did a great deal of self / soul - searching (I added "/soul" because saying I did a lot of "self-searching" sounded a little too dirty :P)

There were a lot of new things I tried  - and failed, and tried again, and probably failed at those too. I know I haven't stuck to my guns much the past few months, but it's hard to break out of old habits sometimes. Hiding, wallowing in failure, wrapping myself in other work to keep from wanting to smash my head into a wall EVERY TIME I think about all the writing I want to do and can't seem to manage...  Wow, that was a long, winding sentence. I'm not fixing it though. It conveys how I feel. Depression is a gaping hole that sucks you in. It takes a while sometimes to find your way back out. I've realized recently that it's cyclical for me, and other than coming to terms with my migraines (which are connected), learning my own emotional rhythms has been eye opening. As long as you keep trying, right? Just keep going until you get it right.

One thing I can tell you for certain is that I'm very excited for the coming year. I have big plans - they may all go down in flames too, but right now I'm looking forward to a new start in my writing life:

Wrapping up The Crow Series. Starting on new projects. Trying new things. Making new memories.

It's gonna be awesome.

Thanks for reading <3

 

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Everyn breaks radio silence...

It is I, the author commonly known as Everyn, here to assure you that I have not died and I am not in hiding... well, at least not in the real world.

I've been taking an extended break from all things internet-related while I try to refocus and recharge. Believe it or not, I have been incredibly busy lately (and feeling mostly better, thank you for asking). I have so many projects in the works I've actually been feeling overwhelmed, and as time slips by I become more frantic about how much I have left to finish and how little time I feel like I have to do it all.

This writing and publishing thing is a lot of fucking work. It's worth it, but don't expect it to be easy and quick.

But none of that is really important today, because I can't tell you about what I'm doing without adding the stress of "they're expecting it now, I need to work faster" to the heap that's weighing me down.

Deadlines are not my friend right now, so I'm avoiding them like the black plague. I'm just going to say that and move on.

Outside of my writing, there is something else in my life that is really exciting...
My daughter is learning how to read.
Not just read, but to enjoy reading. Helping nourish that enjoyment, and watching her find that love of words that has driven me my whole life is just awe inspiring. For me it's been like holding my newborn child for the first time - that kind of "WOW this is amazing" moment. I don't know how else to explain it.

So for now, I'm reveling in this new marvel, and gearing up for all the work that lies ahead.
Hopefully I'll be back soon with more news and possibly one of those dreaded deadlines.... errr, I mean release dates.

Thanks for reading!

Delays, delays, infuriating DELAYS!

I know I haven't been around much the past few weeks.
After my eldest started school we were flooded with the inevitable chain of colds and sicknesses that come with kids being in close constant proximity to other kids. I weathered the first one - a stomach bug UGH! - in a matter of hours and went back to work... but the second one a few weeks later hit me hard, causing a sinus infection that still hasn't resolved and near daily migraines for the past three weeks straight. (If you missed my post about my constant migraine issues and diagnosis you can find it HERE).

My hopes for getting Curse out in early October have been flushed down the drain. I still haven't been able to get back to the last two rounds of edits since every time I sit down in front of my laptop the throbbing in my head makes it difficult to focus my eyes and read. For an avid reader and writer this shit is exasperating.

Basically, I'm feeling incredibly impatient and frustrated. I WANT to get back to work, but my body is holding me back. The practical part of me knows I need to wait and rest until I'm better, but it's just taking sooo damn long that it's driving me crazy.

So this is me, venting because I don't know what else to do... and also once again feeling sheepish for having to apologize for delays that are beyond my control.

It's hard when your own body stops you from doing the things you desperately want to do. I'm sorry once again for the delay, but I promise I'll keep trying. It's important to me to finish this series. I hope to be back regularly in the near future...

Sincerely,

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A Snippet of Silas

Unfortunately, as soon as school starts, my kids bring home every cold, flu and virus. My frantic momentum this past month has slowed while I recuperate, but I anticipate diving back into editing in the next few days when I'm feeling better.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share a little something I've been working on for fun while my brain recharges for the next round of edits on Curse. If you're already a fan of The Crow Series, you may get a kick out of this.

I present to you: The first time Silas and Denora meet from Book One, told from Silas' point of view!

September Mojo

My brain is on fire.
Not sure what happened but the story won't leave me alone right now.
After struggling all summer to edit Curse, the moment I said I was taking a break Redeem started pouring out of me - I wrote the whole first draft in a week.
Then, I picked Curse back up.
I finished the first round of edits I've been struggling through for months in less than a week.
I don't know what's going on but my inspiration is burning a hole through me. The story has consumed me again and it's all I can think about.
So, it looks like you may be getting your hands on Curse earlier than I'd expected.
I still have to get through line and grammar edits so I won't set a release date yet - but it's coming, and soon!
I'm so pleased with how the story turned out and I really think you'll all love it too... especially now that I know how it all ends in Redeem.
*sigh*
I really want to get back to work now, so I'll keep this blog post short. That's a good thing, right?

Be back with more updates and perhaps a release date very soon!

P.S. Also want to mention, if you're one of my Patreon subscribers, I've posted the second Advanced Access chapter of Songbird of Souls for your reading pleasure.

Enjoy your weekend!

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I just don't know what to do with myself...

It's official. The Crow Series now has a beginning, a middle and an end.

If you've been following me on social media at all lately you'll likely be aware of the massive wave of inspiration that hit me last weekend, resulting in me writing 15 hours a day for a week straight. I poured out about four to five chapters a day, writing like a woman possessed.
More like deranged, but that's just the way it goes.
I wrote the very last chapter of Redeem last night. There's nothing left. It's done.

I'm both melancholy and elated. I feel like I'm losing friends I've grown to love over the past four years, never to see them again (unless I decide one day to write a spin-off series. I have ideas but not settled on doing it yet).
Everything just fell neatly into place. This makes me overjoyed and excited as well.
So I'm sort of floating in this sad-happy place right now, trying to figure out what the hell to do. Writing Redeem hadn't been on my agenda for a while and it busted my schedule wide open.

I literally don't know what the fuck to do with myself right now. I know diving back into editing Curse now that the story is complete would be the wisest choice. I'm going to attempt it tomorrow and see if it comes easier now. We'll see...

In the meantime, I have this song stuck in my head:



(I chose the video without the girl dancing in her underwear... because I'm behaving myself today.)
So, basically I have nothing else to say. I'm going to go try and figure out how to get this song out of my head and keep myself busy.

Thanks for reading.

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Learning from your mistakes...

There are times when I feel as if this blog is just a diary of my frustrations and failures.
I've failed a lot.
I fail constantly.

You know what that means? I'm learning - a lot. I'm learning - constantly.

There is something I've learned recently about myself and the way that I write. Something I was blind to by choice and it wasn't until I was banging my head against the wall in frustration that I finally opened my eyes to what my brain had been screaming at me all along.

I've handled this whole thing the wrong way.
I was so focused on putting out the next book in The Crow Series, only focusing on finishing The Crow Series, and getting the next book in the series out to the readers who were asking for it. Though I am constantly inspired to work on other stories, I push them off, trying to keep myself devoted to one story until it's finished.

There's a reason why I've only been managing 1-2 books per year, and why last year when I secretly indulged in a second pen name I busted out five episodes in only a few months. I wasn't slowed and hindered the way I am now... and once I gave myself enough time away, working on the next book in The Crow Series became easy.

When my brain refuses to work on a project, it's because I need to give it space. I need to step back and work on something else so I can return to the first project with a clear head. I cannot, and now realize should not, try to tackle editing and revising a book a month after writing the first draft.
I've been doing this wrong - at least, wrong for me.

I need to work on more than one story at a time. I've always been this way, even back in High School when I worked on both Firechild and Lusus Naturae in the same year. They're completely different books set in completely separate worlds. I need to pull my mind out of one world and place it into another to find clarity. It takes me almost six months between a first draft and when my brain is ready to return to it. I struggle all those months in between, trying to force myself to work on something my brain refuses to touch.

It's why I'm constantly distracted by other stories when I'm supposed to be editing - but once I've given myself enough time away from it, I return with gusto and a renewed vigor. The story almost feels new and I can see it with fresh eyes, diving into the editing with the same enthusiasm I had when writing it initially.

It took me almost a year between writing Release and publishing it. I dreaded working on it. My brain refused. It made me miserable.

I'm experiencing the same thing now with Curse.

I've realized I should have tackled Songbird of Souls before trying to finish the fourth book in The Crow Series. I'm excited and inspired by this new story, and look forward to working on it when I get up in the morning. It's what my mind wants to focus on, and the more I try to force myself to only work on Curse, the more I'm swept into despondency and longing for something else.

I'm not sure what to do. I've already promised that Curse would be the next book I put out - but I still can't seem to get my head to agree. Editing is horrible and grueling the more I try...

I was getting ready to start posting advanced chapters of Songbird of Souls to my Patreon subscribers this coming week and it necessitated I give the chapters a passing edit first. The difference between my attempt to edit S.o.S. (yes, I shorten it. It takes too long to type out over and over) and my attempt only days earlier to edit the next chapter of Curse was obvious. This new knowledge about how I need to write slapped me hard enough to knock the wind out of me.

So what does this mean?
As I said, I'm not quite sure. I've already promised Curse and I plan to keep trying to honor my word and get it finished, but it may take me a bit longer than I'd like. After Curse, things are going to change with how I organize my writing. I'm going to start anticipating a five or six month gap between when I write something and when I am ready to publish it. It means working on other stories alternatively until I develop a rhythm. I need to work on what my brain wants to focus on or nothing will get done in those months in between.

The good news is, if I can get it all worked out and establish a rhythm in anticipation of the six month delay, you'll be seeing twice as many books from me a year, in more than one series.

The bad news is, I'm going to stop posting teasers for Curse until my head is ready to move forward with the edits. I'll still post updates and snippets here and there, but I can't keep promoting a story I don't see myself finishing for a few more months. I apologize to those of you who have already been waiting so patiently, but a block is a block and I need to listen to myself and understand why the block is there in order to get around it.

For me - that means working on something else until I'm ready. It may be edits for S.o.S., or it may be gleefully going back to work on the new rewrite of Firechild, which I'd like to put out after Curse but before tackling Redeem. All I know is, in order to be productive I need to allow my imagination to take the lead and follow my instincts when it comes to what I need to work on and in what order.

Thank you for taking the time to read.
You guys are amazing <3

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Curse Teaser #4

Teaser Tuesday! 

 

It's Teaser Day!
With the Patreon officially up and running, I'm now busily back to work editing and getting Curse ready for publication. I still don't have it together enough for a set release date but we're getting there.

This week, I'm offering a snippet between Denora and Graham who has been begrudgingly helping Denora hide out from the rest of the crew.

Without further ado, here is this week's sneak peek...