Happy Mother's Day

 As its just about Mothers' Day, or is in some countries, I wanted to wish every mother a good one, no matter what kind of mother you may be.

And, a general update: I have started officially storyboarding my next children's book, Mice on Ice. I'm still aiming for a Fall release, just not sure on an exact date yet. There are a lot of things currently up in the air right now but I will try to let you know when I figure it out.

I also know that I've been really lousy at keeping  you all updated on everything. I apologize for that. There are some things in the works that I hope will make my absence worth it.

Updating before the April Fools Rush

 I thought about waiting until tomorrow to update everyone, but decided I'd best do it today since tomorrow is April 1st. And the info I have to share is no joke.

First off, I will be teaching at the Kanab Writer's Conference this year in November. Look for more information on that as it gets closer. I will be teaching two classes: Map Making for Fantasy Writers, and The Business Side of Self Publishing.

And, in news that makes me jump around with glee and giggle in excitement, my endeavors at screenwriting are paying off.

I don't know if I"ll make it into the next round, the semi-finals, but I figure, out of how knows how many hundreds of scripts, this is something to be celebrated.

In other news: I have rewritten my next children's book and will need to re-storyboard it, so that's still a work in progress. I am also working on two novels, which I have played with off and on for the last few years. 

Also in the works, a new podcast series on writing and creating characters, world building, and related. Not sure when I'll release that just yet, but it's in the planning stages. I am also considering doing an occasional podcast talking about my writing in general, along with whatever pops into my head at the time. I'll let you know if that becomes a thing or not.

And that's pretty much it, but still exciting. What exciting news do you guys have to share? I'd love to know.

Here's the latest update

 Hey everyone!

It's been a bit since I last gave an update so I thought I'd give you one now.

I am working on screenplays at the moment, mainly editing them and submitting them to various writing gigs and contests. I have two of the three for my Tarragon Trilogy in what I hope is their final, speculative form, and am working on the third.

I am also now offering openly offering editing services, from developmental to copy editing. Check out the new page, Editing Services, for more information.

The podcast is still in production as well, though I feel we are winding down on the Marketing aspect and I am more than open to ideas for further episodes on self-publishing. So, if you have one, or would like to ask any questions that I may not have covered yet, feel free to contact me or drop a comment.

And, finally, I am hoping to teach at several writing conferences this year, and have pitched classes for at least three different conferences. I don't know yet if I'll get any of them, but feel free to stay tuned for more info as I hear more.

I hope you are all well, and that your own writing is going well. And if you're just here for the books, I hope you have a good read.

As we approach Christmas....

 Hey everyone!

Again, I know it's been a hot minute since I last wrote anything here, given any kind of update, or anything. It's been.... a rough few months for me and my family.

I did want to let you know that I am still writing. I am still trying to figure out how to draw mice for another children's book I wrote back when I was a teenager. (Thanks to my mom for finding the manuscript before she passed.) I want to do it justice.  I am also still trying to edit my first, technically second, screenplay. Hopefully this one will be the first to actually be produced and put out there in movie format.

It is also the end of another year, or close enough to count. Definitely been a roller coaster of a ride. Had to move. My husband has had to change jobs more times than I care to count. He and I have both started podcasts, mine about writing and publishing, his about current events and Star Wars. But it's awesome how supportive he has been of me, and I try to be supportive of him.

There are still a lot of things up in the air, and  I'm not honestly sure how they'll land. Definitely had my fair share of heartache and not so awesomeness this past year and I'm seriously hoping 2023 treats us all better, a little kinder, a little less harshly.

There are many things in the works that I hope will go into fruition sooner than later. My screenplay being one, another book being another, among the mentioned illustrations of mice. Why am I so bad at drawing mice?! I'm also hoping to present some classes/panels at different writing conferences this year. I know I did last year, one in the digital library and one live, but I'd love to do so much more. Definitely going to be interesting to see how many I will actually get.

I hope to be able to get back into the grocery stores, selling my books in person. I miss doing that. I've published a few books since doing that as well, so hopefully will have something new to offer everyone who may remember me from a few years back.  Lots of plans, hopes, and dreams. Here's hoping they come true.

I hope your dreams and plans and wishes come true too.

And in case I don't write again until next year Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. (And Happy Holidays too!)

I know it's been a while.....

 Hey ya'll, I know it's been a while. And I do feel bad about that.

The truth of the matter is we had to move. It's been a real struggle to get everything set up and going again, especially since we had to go for a smaller location than we had previously. It's been a bit of a logistical nightmare, with half of everything currently in boxes in a storage unit.

Now that I've given the reason for silence (this time), here's some fun stuff.

Since my last post, I somehow sold 26 copies of Moving the Zoo without really doing anything. So, if you are one of those people who bought a copy, thank you a ton. The whole moving thing got me pretty down, and seeing those sales brightened my day.

Apparently a few were even sold overseas, which definitely surprised me. So, shout out to whoever bought a copy in Germany. You definitely rocked my world. I didn't realize I had a fan or two over there so thank you.

I have been working on my podcast about Self Publishing, and I know I've really been bad about updating links on the appropriate page for that. Thank you if you've managed to follow along anyway, because I've somehow managed to keep putting up an episode a week, occasionally two. It's not been easy, and I'm more than open to discuss anything you think I may have missed so far, so feel free to let me know in either comment or email form. I'd appreciate it. After all, I'm only one person trying to remember everything pertinent in a really vast world.

Now, knowing that some will consider it early, I do want to let you know what I'm currently focusing on, because I've tried to get that out there (when I remember). Yeah, I feel scatter-brained a lot lately.

1. So, still working on turning my Tarragon Trilogy into movie scripts. They're in the form but need to be trimmed down. Alas, the movie industry is not interested in making a three to four hour movie so... I need to trim them down.
2. I've dusted off several different manuscripts I've worked on over the years and am trying to find the accompanying notes so I can actually finish them. Some need more work than others, so here's hoping I can get at least one of them closer to publication in 2023.
3. I am still trying to teach myself how to draw mice for my next children's illustrated book, a process I'm finding more difficult than I care to admit. Drawing the correct mice is important to me. I don't want to just imitate someone else and I don't want to make them look too cartoony either so it's interesting to try and find that balance where I can consistently draw in the same style. You know I've used several different styles over the years so it's been more than a little interesting.
4. I am still working on editing another author's works that will hopefully be ready for publication starting some time next year (by other author, I mean my husband, who is writing high fantasy). The story is compelling and spans something like five or six books, so it's definitely something to look forward to, because I'm not just a writer but a publisher.
5. I'm getting ready to start working on a new podcast, when I feel like I've run out of material for the Self Publishing one. This one will focus on the writing craft, so feel free to let me know if there are anything specific things you wish someone would cover and I'll see what I can do.

And yeah... that's what I'm trying to get done. Things are going a bit slower than I'd like in some ways. There are practically only two months left in the year. Man, it's coming fast. And I hope to get back into selling books in person next year as well. Lots of plans in the works and I'm hoping I can manage them all. After all, I am only one person, but we shall see. I am determined, and I have a really supportive hubby, who I can hopefully persuade to work on his edits too. ;- )

New book

 Hey y'all. I know it's been a while, and I've gone a bit backwards on releasing my newest book, but it's here!

Strange noises ensue when the neighbors move out, sounding like an assortment of animals heading to the zoo. Come explore the different sounds and what animals might be making them in this imaginative book from the perspective of one child's imagination.

 

 

This title will be available on Amazon soon, and in hardcover. Currently only available in paperback. Please see the books page for current available links to online sellers.

New podcast stuff

 Hey y'all! I just thought I'd share that I've started posting my podcast on self-publishing. I will try to remember to update the new page (found here) each week with the newest episode.

In other news: I am so much closer to publishing my newest book, Moving The Zoo, which is a young children's illustrated book about, well... moving and a child imagining all the sounds the movers make are animals being moved to the zoo.  I'm not ready to give you a sneak peek yet, but probably will soon, so keep an eye out for that.

And in final news, for this post at any rate, I will be presenting a class on Fan Fiction and how it can be used as a writing tool July 28-30 at Kanab Writer's Conference in Kanab, UT, so if you're in the area, feel free to join us there.