First Things First
My newest book is out! A couple of months ago, I was feeling rather down in the dumps because I hadn't finished a book yet. I was feeling stuck on G581: Mars which was sitting here, taunting me, and suddenly I realized I had a ton of short stories that were just sitting here, waiting to be read.
I put them together, finished writing a couple more, and voila! War's End Book 3: Tales of the Collapse!
You can find it everywhere, but if you are particularly interested in supporting yours truly, may I respectfully suggest going through Payhip? It is a secure website that carries all of my books in ebook format. Here is the link to the store, where you can peruse all of my currently available titles: Payhip Storefront
I hope to have Tales from the Collapse in audiobook format within the next few months. I'm working on getting a recording studio in place, and recording the audiobook myself.
G581: Mars
I'm happy to announce that I finally managed to unstick myself from a few tricky chapters and that G581: Mars is not far from being done. Another couple of chapters to write from scratch, and two more to add words to, and I'll be done!
This in itself is exciting - the thought that in another month or two I will be able to order the book cover and blurb and set a release date, so soon after I finished the touches on Tales of the Collapse, it's quite rewarding.
I think that, in many ways, it is my working through The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron that I have to thank for this recent progress in writing and more. More on that in a moment, though.
Once I've finished with G581: Mars, I will be standing at a crossroads and challenged to decide which project to focus on next. I'm torn between moving on to the third book in the series, G581: Earth or turning my focus to Steel and Smoke, the sequel to Hired Gun.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Sci-fi or a sexy thriller? Which would YOU like to see? Message me and let me know!
Continuing With The Artist's Way
Anton Chekhov's quote "If you want to work on your art, work on your life" continues to resonate with me as I continue to move through the 12 week program of The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron.
And although the spiritual side of it, particularly her talk of "God this" and "God that" is a little wearying for this agnostic, I am finding the course quite helpful. Helpful enough that I've committed to at least three more 12-week programs through her other books.
There is a lot I can learn about being more present, more self-aware, and less critical with myself. What I have found surprising though, is the amount of time I spend thinking of my relationships with my immediate family. My teen is four years away from adulthood, and we have a five-year-old foster daughter and an infant foster son.
As I progress through my Morning Pages, writing my thoughts out each morning, so much of what I do focuses on my teen and 5 year old. What do they need? How can I forge a deeper, more positive connection?
This is especially important with my teen, since the time we have left together feels very short. Each weekday we sit in the workout room, do a little yoga, a little stretching, and we talk about mindfulness, meditation, and yes, spirituality. It is a time dedicated simply to being there together, the two of us, sharing time and space without any reminders to clean the cat box, empty the trash, or pick up her room. I do not ask about school or homework. I do not remind her of my plans for the day.
In the evenings, we bookend that activity by curling up in bed together, a book in my hands, as I read to her. Right now it is Every Heart a Doorway, which is the first in a six book (or more) series.
These moments are gold. She curls up against me. It reminds me of when she was small and it helps us both. As my husband says, "We are all looking for the same thing - a sense of connection."
And somehow, those moments of quiet, simple pleasures brings me to the computer fresh and renewed. I find myself centered, happy, and content. I'm still working on crafting similar moments with the boisterous five-year-old, but I know we will get there.
The words are waiting right now for me to finish the mechanics of publishing, so that I can then return my full attention to crafting the story at hand. I hope that my next post will be announcing a release date for G581: Mars!
Website Updates
Oh yes, and website updates and changes are happening soon. A big thanks to Dani, for spearheading this for me, I am endlessly grateful!
Find Me on Facebook
Join my group General Malcontent's Grumbles and Scribbles on Facebook and get plenty of weird memes, the opportunity to read my newest releases for free, pics of the family, and other author news. I look forward to seeing you there!
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