July 2025

July is here. Over half the year is gone already. The summer heat has started, and it’s been alternating with rain or blazing sun. With all the rain we’re getting, I think August and September may be ‘dry’ months. I just hope September is fairly cool for Hootin An Hollarin. I don’t want to cook while I attend my booth.

As my last post said, I finished my WIP Dragon’s Heart. My Mary-Sue muse was harsh. She wouldn’t do more than a page a day and wouldn’t let me work on any of the other WIPs. Almost OCD. But it’s done. Not my greatest work, but then forced work never is.

Novella 3 of the Elemental Voice Companion series is moving along. I hope to get it out by September. Book 5 of EV and Novella 4 of EVC will be next on the agenda after. Unless my muse switches up. Which, you never know, they might. I want to get the Elemental Voice series done, though. I have over 15 books out and not one series finished. My muse is fickle, and other muses hop in and take over. Herding plot bunnies is hard; those hind legs really pack a oomp when they hit, and they can be vicious and tenacious.

Already read this month’s book club book and did the review last month. So that’s done, and I’ve been reading cozy mysteries. Some of them are okay, but a few are not my cup of tea. They sound interesting, yet they don’t go the way I like. Quick, easy reads, though.

The ferals have been lounging in the shade, watching the kittens run around. None of the kittens let me get near them yet. They’re still wild. The mamas rub up against me when I feed them. Hurry up, they’re no doubt saying. Haven’t named the kittens yet. Not really anyway. I’ve been calling them little grey or orangy. But no real names.

My clock says it’s lunch time for me. The ferals already had their lunch. Stay tuned for the next installment.

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June 2

My Mary-Sue muse has stopped chasing the other muses/plot bunnies away. I’m done with the WIP I’ve been working on. It ends rather abruptly but that’s the way the muse left it. I sent it out to my publishing coordinator and see if she’ll pub it. I’m not touching it again. It consumed me for months a trickle at a time. And I don’t know why cause it was just a little snippet of a dream I had years ago. But the muse wanted it done. But on her terms.

Maybe it was taking up valuable real estate in my mind that needed to be cleared out. I don’t know. Anyway it’s done now and I’m moving on finally.

My next two WIPs are novella 3 of Elemental Voice companion series and one of the dragon fantasy Fallborn books. I hope to get at least one of them out before September. The other I hope by November.

Read this month’s book club book and did the review. It was a Christian romance. I usually don’t read them cause some get real preachy but this one was fair. Only got a little preachy towards the end but still was a good clean book. She had changed the title but I prefer the older title. I think the older title suits the book better. But the new title does grab attention.

I ordered and got a few books for inventory. I was out of a couple. Since they are older I didn’t get many. I’m hoping to get my WIPs out and ordered before Hootin An Hollarin so I have new books to sell. That’s the thing about writing you always have to have new inventory to put out or you don’t sell as well.

Gonna relax tonight, watch a DVD. Stay tuned for the next installment.

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June 2025

Halfway through the year already, and I haven’t published a book yet. I’m still working on my WIP. I have two more books I want to get out, but I can’t work on them until I get this thing done. My muse is being so fickle about it. She won’t let me work on anything else til I get this done. It’s irritating me. But my muse wants this written now. It was at the bottom of my queue, but she shoved it in front and said, ‘Do this’. Like I don’t have thousands of books to write in my queue.

Anyway, Summer’s here officially now. Mornings we do a little bit outside, then have lunch and sit in a/c for a few hours after. Evenings we go outside for a while as well, once the sun has moved a bit. The ferals are haunting the shade, and the little babies aren’t so little anymore. They’re growing a little bit and playing around with mamas keeping an eye on ’em. There are three water bowls for them near the feeding boards and a metal container full of rainwater that they like to use, so they’ve got plenty of water. All the kittens have started to eat the dry cat food so I’ve increased the amount a bit in the three main feedings. Before I go in at night I put a little out. I figure that mamas need a little extra. 🙂

Did last month’s book club book. It was actually good. At first I thought it was going to be a retelling of David and Goliath but it wasn’t. It did have giants and battles but most of it was a coming of age tale of a slave who became a champion of his people. Slayer of Nephilim by Daniel Moots. This month’s a romance and one I normally wouldn’t read as it’s not paranormal. We’ll see how it goes.

My in-person TTMP event last month was okay. I didn’t sell much. Of course I didn’t have anything new. Hootin An Hollarin is up next in September and then another TTMP event in October. I’m hoping to have new books for both.

I didn’t do a cover last month. I’ll see about doing it this month. I need to build up my covers. They keep me on track with what I’m writing. If I have the cover I have to do the book.

Time to feed the ferals their last main feeding. Stay tune for the next installment.

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May 2025

Almost half way through the year. April indeed was wet but the flowers have already bloomed and some have come and gone.

We’ve been sitting outside on the porch in the evenings for a bit and doing odd ‘projects’ here and there before dark. Now that it doesn’t get dark until after 8p.m. The ferals have been hanging around napping while we sit on the porch and some of the females seem to have had their kittens. Now that it’s warm the cats don’t eat as much. There’s leftovers after they go through and I’ve cut down to 3 feedings a day.

Time to start reading the next book club book. The other members read mine and gave me fair reviews. I can’t afford an editor and I usually go for a proofreader but sometimes even they miss things. However I think I didn’t have either for Bone, just spellchecker. So I agree about the grammar errors. When I read a book if I get immersed in it I don’t even see the typos.

I have not finished my main WIP. My muse is adding things in, fleshing out some more. It’s gonna be published this month one way or another. I have two novellas I want to get out by September. This WIP is a little different than my other books. Probably why my muse is being so fickle with it.

I have an in-person event this first Saturday of the month at Hardenville, MO. Triple Treasures Market Place. I also signed up for Hootin An Hollarin at Gainesville, MO in the third week of September. These are probably the only 2 I will be going to as funds are short. Unless I get a lot of sales this month. And I do mean a lot. 🙂

I have picked a cover to do this month. The cover for book 3 of the Bone Whisperer series. That is if I can. Money isn’t a sure thing right now.

The clock says it’s lunchtime and so does my stomach. Stay tune for the next installment.

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April 2

Been spending more time outside, sitting on the porch. The ferals lay nearby and Pie climbs me like I’m a ladder to sit on my shoulder. He likes to sit across my shoulders and rub his head against my cheek. I guess I’m a big cat tree for him. His nails are sharp but he’s quick about it and is usually on my shoulders before I register the pain of his claws. Some of the younger ones let me run a hand down their backs and rub their ears. Privileges of feeding them.

I didn’t do a cover this month. I’m a bit short of cash. And I didn’t know what one I want to do anyway. I have three on my mind.

Still working on my WIPs. Passed my deadline so the book will be late getting out. Hopefully by September I can have 2 out. I want a new book by Hootin An Hollarin at least. The contemporary dragon book is almost done and I’ve got a chapter or two of novella 3 of the Elemental Voice Companion series written. I want to have these two out for H-N-H. Then Book 3 of Ghostwolf and Book 2 of Bone Whisperer will be up.

I already downloaded the next book in the book club. Mine is this month and I already got 3 reviews. I need to finish the book I’m reading now and get to reading the next book club book. Since I only read an hour in the evening it may take me a while. During the winter I read more but summer is spent doing other things.

It’s lunchtime already. Stay tuned for the next installment.

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April 2025

 A little late with these posts this month. Yesterday we lay chad on our driveway so I was outside all day, except for mealtimes. We finished an hour before dark. I didn’t feel like writing any thing yesterday evening so I watched a video after checking all my emails. 

Now that the weather is getting nicer I’ll be doing ‘projects’ with my Dad and most of the time not being indoors long until suppertime. Not all the time but usually at least once a week or other week. That’s what I’m here for according to my parents, to help so they get what work they can from me. 🙂

I’m still working on the two WIPs. I only got a few days left til the deadline.

My book, A Playground of Bones, is up this month in the Book Club.

Want a walk-on role in one of my Elemental Voice books? In book 4, Wind Whisper, one of my past co-workers, gave me permission to use her maiden name, and she became the M.E. because she was good at cutting up the stuff for the salad bar. She thought I was joking about making her the M.E. because of her knife skills. But there she is in Wind. Message me the name and occupation/skill and you’ll be slipped in.

I’ll see about doing another book cover this month. I want to try and do at least one a month, to keep way ahead of my books incase my book cover company stops being able to do them. As I’ve said they’re in Ukraine.

The ferals are doing fine. A few of the females have shown up pregs. So kittens will be coming. There are ten cats that show up regular, other not so much. The count is fluid and some like to hang around incase we put out food between feedings. Which we do, some leftovers from our meals. The more that stick around the less pests we have hanging around.

Clock says it’s almost lunch time and I’m eating with my parents today so I best be going. Stay tune for the next installment.

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March 2

I’m hanging on. But I’m scared and angry with the way things are going. And that’s not a good combination. However Karma has struck a deserving blow. Now if we can do it to the rest of his tripes.

I’ve been doubling down on my writing. Working on two different WIPs. I gotta deadline to keep. One’s a werewolf clan novel, and the other is a contemporary dragon book. Can’t really say they’re shifter books as they’re not total romance. The werewolf clan novel is set in a contemporary alternative timeline where werewolves hide among humans and have a pact with a group of humans for mutual protection, while the dragon book is also set in a contemporary alternative timeline, but the alternative was in the past. Dragons and Fae-like beings were real but died out, leaving only legends and a remnant. A remnant that survived and thrived in the new world. I hadn’t planned to write these two books, but my muse decided to work on them. So I’ll finish them and then get back to the book I’m supposed to be working on.

I did do two covers this month.

The weather’s been nice and the female ferals have been frisky. Been spending some time outside in the afternoon watching the ferals. The younger ferals have been play fighting with each other and chasing each other while the older ones lie in the shade watching the young ones.

Gotta take my evening meds and get some sleep. Morning comes early. Stay tune for the next installment.

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March

Three months into 2025, and it’s chaos. Not locally yet, but it’s only a matter of time. I have always used my writing as an escape of sorts and it’s more so now. The problems there are easier to solve, and the hero or heroine rides to the rescue. But no one is stepping up; people are looking the other way in the real world, and I don’t know if we’re going to make it another few months, much less the four years. I’m not usually political, but I just don’t know any more.

Enough of the gloom & doom. Possitivity. I’ve managed to get some writing done on my WIPs. I got a deadline of the end of this month, and I think one book will be done. Not the one I planned though, but one done. My muse has been working little by little on the three WIPs and not being too fickle.

I’m gonna try and do two covers this month, funds willing. Ukraine may boycott the US the way things are going and I may not be able to get any more covers. Anyway, I’m gonna try to get the next two in my queue.

My book A Playground of Bones is scheduled for April in the book club I belong to. Some of the books scheduled are not my cup of tea, but I’ll read them. Maybe they’ll expand my horizons. I’m almost done with the March one, which is a Christian book. It’s not really preachy, so I’ve enjoyed it so far. I like subtlety, not in your face.

Want a walk-on role in one of my Elemental Voice books? In book 4, Wind Whisper, one of my past co-workers, gave me permission to use her maiden name, and she became the M.E. because she was good at cutting up the stuff for the salad bar. She thought I was joking about making her the M.E. because of her knife skills. But there she is in Wind. Message me the name and occupation/skill and you’ll be slipped in.

The ferals are getting frisky. We got a bunch of males hanging around now since most of our ferals here are female. We would TNR most of them if we could (a) catch them in a trap and (b) have a place that would do that for us. Our ferals know what traps are as we have them out a lot to keep the racoon population down. Racoons may look cute but they aren’t nice neighbors especially to small cats/kittens. The ferals that hang around our place are only a drop in the bucket of the ferals that are around here.

Well, my tea is gone and I have some sour milk I’m gonna put out in bowls for the cats/possum. If the cats don’t drink it, the old possum will tonight. Stay tuned for the next installment.

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February 2

Another week and this month will be gone. Didn’t get as much accomplished as I wanted, but that’s normal for me. Between my muse and my ADD I rarely get things done on a schedule. With the snow you’d think I’d get a lot of writing done since I was somewhat shut-in. But no. I did more reading. And of fanfiction not a book. I see a pretty fan pic of a story and I just have to see what it’s about. I’m hopeless. 🙂

I did get some writing done. One WIP will be finished by the April deadline. Might not be the one you’re waiting for or wanting but I will have one book out by May.

For the cover this month I did the werewolf clan one. In case it’s the one that gets finished. It’s a bit of a shifter romance so the cover has that type of look. With what is going on with Ukraine I may be out a designer. Next month I’m going to try and get 2 covers done. Or more if I can squeeze out some money. If I get my money. Things are up in the air right now with everything.

Anyone have good vampire names? Still lookin’.

The ferals were upset with the snow we had this week. It was deep enough that they were sinkin’ and draggin’ through it. After we make some tracks they did their business in the tracks and we had to be careful where we stepped. But the disgusted look on their faces when they had to plow through the snow was hilarious.

Well, my tea is gone and I have to check on the ferals before nightfall, put a little food out. Stay tune for the next installment.

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February 2025

It’s my birth month already. Seems like 2024 just zoomed right on by. But I’m havin’ the feeling these next few years are going to seem endless. I just hope we see the other end.

My muse jumped ship again. She’s working on a WIP that’s way down the list like the Fallborn story. She’s just hopping around right now. I will get one of my WIPs done by April’s deadline. But which one? I don’t know. I have 5 of them open, two of which are novellas. So one will be finished by the deadline.

The five are by the way The Dragon Mistress–a Fallborn book, Deadly Sea–Elemental Voice Companion book, Remnant–book 3 of Ghostwolf, Blood Singer–a werewolf clan book, and A Field of Bones–book 2 of Bone Whisperer. Sea, Remnant, and Field are in the top five of my queue but Singer and Mistress were in the bottom ranks. However my muse decided it wanted to work on them soo…

The werewolf clan books by the way are stand-alones like the Fallborn but set in the same place with some of the same people showing up. They are way down the list below the Fallborn books. They are not related to the Ghostwolf books at all. Completely different ‘universe’.

I plan to do at least one cover this month. I just have to decide which one. It will be one of the WIPs I have open I’m sure. Only two of them have covers so I have 3 to chose from. Better than randomly choosing one from the queue.

The younger ferals don’t like the rain we’ve been having, and they definitely didn’t like the snow we had last month. But the older ones were blahzy about the snow, however they don’t like the rain either. I don’t blame them about the rain as it messes up their fur. The snow though that was funny watching the younger ones. The looks they had and the way they pawed around trying not to sink. Hillarious. By the way we only had six inches so no hazard to them.

I’m still looking for vampire names. I have 2 novellas and 1 main book to get out in the Elemental Voice serieses. The Wedding is coming up soon and we will meet and greet a number of Orro clan vampires. So if you want to name a vampire leave a comment, email, dm, whatever. Names always give me trouble. Some of my characters come with names and full personalities, but others have no names and just a basic personality until I figure out the name, then Bam…Suddenly everything comes together on that character.

Just drank the last bit of tea. I got a bit more to do online then I’ll eat lunch. Stay tuned for the next installment.

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