April Achievements
Greetings, readers!
April flew by in a blur of writing activity. For being stuck at home, the month went by exceedingly fast. Which is good, I suppose, as I am eager for life to whiz by until things return to at least semi-normal. I am starting to think of summer plans, where we usually take time to visit relatives and enjoy our days in the sun by the lake. With all the uncertainty in the world, those summer plans that I took for granted might have to go on the back burner.
I've really thrown myself into my work, as being productive really helps fuel that feeling of accomplishment that has been hard to achieve of late. By sitting at home, doing "nothing," we are helping healthcare workers and frontline workers manage this pandemic. But it feels odd to do nothing to help this overwhelming effort. So, my writing goals really doubled as a sense of purpose for the month of April.
April's goals were:
Complete the first draft of Court of Mystery Book 6
Approve the cover
QA Paradise Plagued for Audible
Write one blog post
Review feedback on a new cozy mystery manuscript
Let's break them down, shall we?
Complete the first draft of Court of Mystery Book 6: I know I say this every time I finish writing a book, but this was my most frustrating, struggle-filled project to date. I'd like to chalk up my struggles to the pandemic afflicting our world, but it was more than that. With this manuscript, I found myself trying to do too much at once, and it became quite unmanageable. I also didn't feel that immense sense of relief when I crossed the finish line because I know there is still so much more to do with this project, but thankfully, my editor Bettye Underwood is taking a stab at it now, giving my brain a bit of a respite. However, as much of a struggle as this book was, I really love where the series is going, how the characters are developing, and the challenges they will soon face.
Approve the cover: That was a goal that was easy to check off. My cover artist, Mihail Uvarov is a genius when it comes to taking my awful sketches and bringing them to life. Check out the cover reveal for HARROWED HEIR here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAuaXkK5BXc
QA Paradise Plagued for Audible: I have been having such an amazing time bringing these books to life with Melissa Green narrating. Her performances continue to amaze me. I feel as if I am hearing these stories for the first time, and I am certainly enjoying it. We launched THRONE OF THREATS on May 1st, and are working away at PARADISE PLAGUED, in the hopes it will be done by the end of May. Due to (you guessed it) the pandemic, it is taking Audible Publishing longer than anticipated to convert and publish our audiobooks. However, that hasn't slowed Melissa down, and I have faith we will be caught up with the series by the beginning of 2021.
Write one blog post: Annnnnd here it is. I will admit, this is the goal I am struggling with the most each month. I find myself wondering what I could possibly write about that doesn't center about COVID19 and I know people are tired of reading about it (I certainly am). It's looming everywhere. Except in my writing. I am choosing to gloss over this period of time, for now, allowing my contemporary characters to live blissfully unaware in a universe where this did not happen. However, and I don't like to get political, this pandemic is a very REAL issue. It's not a hoax or a conspiracy. It has killed thousands of Americans, thousands of people around the world. Please continue practicing safety measures as best as you can. If you can stay home, stay home. I have grandparents who are holding out for my Trending Topic #Murder book to be published, and I'd like them to be healthy when the time finally rolls around!
Review feedback on a new cozy mystery manuscript: To be honest, when I typed this out for my blog post, I had to think "which one?" I am working on TWO cozy mystery manuscripts right now. One is the debut of a new series, and the other is Book Two in the Trending Topic Mysteries series. And guess what? BOTH have been reviewed! Woo hoo! So I am going into May with a relatively wide-open schedule. I have a few items I want to complete on the author administration side, but mostly, I will be focusing my energy on developing a new manuscript. Right now, I am working on brainstorming a new cozy mystery series, as well as a fantasy novel. Who knows where the month will take me!
Sarah's Bookshelf:
I am very jealous of all the folks who are spending their lockdowns reading. I have woefully neglected my bookshelf of late. I only read one book the entire month of April, and what's even more shameful, it's a book I had been reading for over a YEAR! I don't know why it took me so long to get through…so, for this month's reflection, I want to share a book that I hold very dear and would recommend reading.
Faith of the Fallen by Terry Goodkind
Folks who know me well might be surprised to learn that this book, and not a book from the Harry Potter series, is my all-time favorite book ever written. Part of the Sword of Truth series, this book chronicles two breathtakingly strong and just characters who embody the true goodness of the human spirit. Just thinking about the sacrifices Richard and Kahlan make in their quest to free the world from tyranny brings tears to my eyes. I turn to Faith of the Fallen during times when I am troubled. When I am weary. When I feel lost. With everything going on around us, I find myself looking to this book and its teachings daily.
Until next month's review, be healthy, wealthy, and wise!
Arms around,
S.B.
