The current weed trying to take over the backyard is this fellow, stinking geranium. I could carry it to attract good luck, especially on bike rides. Maybe if I do, the bees won’t want to crawl into my helmet.
Life, Miscellaneous
Deciding to Decide
The weekend was…difficult. It wasn’t until this morning that I realized it was somewhat of a perfect storm, between release-day nerves and finishing the revision of the Afterwar zero, not to mention a traditionally stressful time of year.
I mean, I should have figured it out when all I wanted to do was knit and sob while watching a cryfest K-drama (oh, my God, Jung is the BEST PRINCE IN SCARLET HEART RYEO and if you don’t think so I WILL FITE YOU) and drinking endless cups of tea while it rained outside, but eh, emotional exhaustion doesn’t lend itself to such realizations. I was also in the dolors thinking I had no more books left in me, which is a GIGANTIC NEON BILLBOARD SIGN that I’m not thinking clearly and I need to call a time-out for self-care.
On days like that, the best bargain I can make is “just get through today. If you’re still breathing when you go to bed, it’s a win.” When things get truly dire, it’s “just get through the next 60 seconds.” I haven’t had a 60-second day in a long, long while, and gods willing, I won’t ever again. I’ll take the “just getting to bedtime.”
In any case, the sun has risen on another rainy day, and I feel scraped-hollow but mostly at peace. I’m thinking of adding Greek to my daily language rounds, simply because it seems a good way to understand botanical terms. Also, if one is set to learn Latin, one must at least nod to Greek. Or so I’m told. We’ll see if the alphabet breaks me.
So today is for eyeing the next hill. I’m not sure if it’s the vampire smut novella, or if I want to go in a different direction. Someone asked me for a scarecrow moment (oh, you’ll recognize it when you see it) and my very favorite editor is asking me for epic fantasy. Plus there are other things I want to get done, but I’m not in a condition to really make the decision of what to put into the hopper just yet.
I’m taking a page from the transtheoretical model of change, which is just chock-full of useful applications. I’m not deciding what to work on just yet, I’m deciding to decide. Which is a small and very useful distinction, one I wish more people were familiar with. If you don’t know a change/project is possible, if you haven’t even entertained the notion, you’re cut off before you start. Setting aside time to think over possibilities, deciding to decide, is a good thing.
Of course, it’s pouring outside, and I’ve a run to get in. The physical misery will no doubt force me to make a few decisions, most likely accompanied by swearing. At least when it’s raining this hard I might not get bees trying to fly into my mouth.
Small mercies.
LOVE, BITE Release Day!
Hey, so, if you’re interested in the werewolf smut…it’s out today, and $2.99 until June 1!
Love, Bite
Mia Roussel is putting her life back together. She’s had therapy, she has two new jobs, and if her ex-boyfriend will just stay away, she’ll be just fine. Especially if Konstantin Angelov has anything to say about it.
Kon’s family is…different. And as soon as he catches Mia’s scent, he knows he’s found something special. He plans on taking it slow, taking it easy, and giving her plenty of time.
Unfortunately, Mia’s violent ex has plans too, and Kon might have to do a little more than growl to keep his new mate safe…
I’m trying out KU for a while. If that’s not for you, there’s a paperback, too! I hope you like Mia’s adventures–and yes, I have sequels planned, for as long as this is fun. Stay tuned!
Five Bucks of GREATNESS
So last Friday Mel Sterling reminded me about a book sale I’d tentatively said might be interesting. She was already on her way, and I’d just gotten home from an emergency trip to see a store about a hoodie. (Don’t ask.) I was THISCLOSE to not going, but I figured, well, anytime I see my writing partner is a good time. So I buckled into the car and went.
And OH MY WORD IT WAS LIKE HEAVEN. $5 for a BOX full of research goodness!
Seriously. I couldn’t have found more weird niche stuff for my interests if I’d tried.
And to think I almost didn’t go. Let that be a lesson to me. The answer to a book sale is always, always yes.
Not New, But Still Shiny
GUESS WHAT.
NO, COME ON. GUESS.
OKAY FINE I’LL TELL YOU.
That’s right. Since the previous publisher went out of business, I’m putting out Steelflower on my own. Currently, you can buy the ebook directly; it will be in KU during the month of June, and the new paperback should be out by the end of June as well.
Yes, I’m trying to get back to work on Book 2. Trying. We’ll see what happens.
There now, aren’t you glad I told you?
Procrastination Station
Well hello, my darlings. How is your Wednesday? My retelling of Beauty & the Beast is still $2.99 over on Kindle, until May 12; on June 1, it’ll be pulled from KU and put into wider distribution again. Also, stay tuned for a Love, Bite announcement next week–that’s the werewolf smut, for those of you keeping track.
The Anna Beguine books are fun. I’m enjoying just letting my hair down and writing whatever pleases me. It’s very liberating, to write under a different name. There’s not the pressure I’ve been feeling lately. Now if I can just get the metaslider on the homepage to perform like a carousel, I’d be all-bloody-set. But that’s a battle for a different day, now that I’ve got the first Angelov Wolves book out of the way.
Today was supposed to be 50F and rainy, but the big yellow glaring thing in the sky is back. Miss B is recovering from our run yesterday, and I probably should too. I kind of want to go for a bike ride, though. Just to move, to keep the blood flowing. Or maybe I’m using exercise to procrastinate. (It’s only a borderline healthy habit, really.) Considering that tomorrow is my long run for the week, maybe I should just stick to yoga today.
Yeah, right.
On the bright side, sunshine and warmth mean I can leave my office window open a bit without freezing to death. That will help dispel some of the fug from whatever Odd Trundles managed to stuff into his digestive system last night in the backyard. I won’t need a gas mask, just eyedrops.
It’s the little victories, I guess.
Well, I could practice some piano, go on a walk, read another book on Stalingrad, pull some stinking geranium…
…but that’s procrastination, too.
*puts on goggles*
NO SLEEP ‘TIL REVISION. OVER AND OUT.
Good Morning Monday
It’s Monday. *blinks, blearily* Yesterday significant wordcount on Roadtrip Z fell out of my head, and I got the week’s Patreon offerings prepped and scheduled. So there was that, even if some of the housework didn’t get done. (Hint: I didn’t hoover. I somewhat hate hoovering. I may also have skipped cleaning the espresso machine, which I do not hate but which can be done today.)
So this week is for Afterwar revisions and prepping Love, Bite for release. It will be out earlier than the end of next month, I just put that date on it to give me time to get all ducks in a row. I should do some blurbage for it, too. I might as well, though I intended not to go back to it until the 10th. Needs must when the devil drives, et cetera, et cetera.
I’m not feeling like I’m quite ready to go back to Afterwar. It’s the biggest book I’ve attempted so far, and it makes me cry more than I want to admit. Parts of it hurt to write. Not just the usual “oh, this is awful” or “God, these poor people” but actual physical pain. I’m hoping that translates out into truth-on-the-page, and isn’t just my brain playing chemical imbalance tricks on me. I’ll attempt to get myself into a revision mainframe today, and we’ll see what happens.
…I had plenty of other things to put in this post, but I just spent a few minutes sitting and staring while everything I have to do today whirled inside my head like a badly unbalanced washing machine. Time to Make A List, or nothing will get done.
Over and out.