Tag: kindle-vella

October 2024

October is here and Halloween will soon be upon us. There is something in us that likes the thrill of horror in movies and books, that jolt of fear and anticipation–As long as it is only in movies or books.

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. We can let ourselves go. Let that creature inside us out for a bit. And the candy isn’t bad either. 🙂 As an adult I don’t get to indulge as much any more, except in books and movies. There’s no Halloween parties for adults here. That doesn’t mean there aren’t spectacular Halloween decorated houses around but no parties–unless it is for children. If I ever get a house, large enough to host, I’m going to have a Halloween party, even if no one else shows up, every year. For both adults and kids.

Time to Winterize my trailer and get things situated before the cold gets here. The cool mornings are nice change from the Summer heat and humidity. But Winter in the Ozarks is not very nice at all. The old adage about waiting 5 minutes if you don’t like the weather is very true here. Morning can start out nice but by afternoon you can have harsh conditions. The opposite can happen but rarely. Usually if the day starts harsh it stays harsh, sun shining or not. However we don’t get the snow fall that the Northern states get which I’m happy about. I’m hoping for a mild Winter this year. While I like the time indoors to get writing done I do get cabin fever. Winter is not the best time to go for a spontaneous walk.

Speaking of my books–Have you checked out any of my books or Vellas? If you have not, Give them a try. My Elemental Voice books are in Kindle Unlimited and I have several Vellas to chose from.

This month is also the start of my newsletter. With some help it is actually going to be reality. I had put it off because I am such a Luddite. Computers are still mostly a mystery to me and the internet is like magic. Hopefully everything goes well.

Cover for book 2 of Bone Whisperer is getting worked on. That’s the next book after the Time-Lost book as well as Book 3 of the Elemental Voice Companion series to be worked on. I need to redo the covers for the EV companion series. The ones on now don’t match the EV ones. So that’s next on my author agenda.

Vella has seemed to fallen by the wayside. I’m still working on some of the stories there but they are not priority. Since the changes Vella has not been very good to me. Of course I haven’t been promoting it much either or updating it much so that could be why. But there are still good stories on there that I want to get out and I will. Just not as urgently.

Stay tuned for the next installment

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August 2024

The Time-Lost book is still not done. My muse is just not cooperating. She is interested in other things. They may or may not make an appearance on my Hootin An Hollarin table.

And the ravens are still nameless.

As are characters in book 5 of Elemental Voice. Have any good names for centuries-old vampires? This book and book 3 of Ghostwolf are slated to be next. I plan to pub them by the end of 2025.

Book 2 of the Bone Whisperer series is stalled as well. However I will get it and the Time-Lost book pubbed this year. One way or another.

I need to also update my Vellas. They’ve been sitting for over a month at least. At last count I had 12, I think anyway. I’ll sit down and open my Vella page and let my fingers do some walking. That is if my muse is in the mood to do some writing on them. I’ve been trying to concentrate on the Time-Lost book and ignoring my other Vellas.

September is coming up fast. I will be going to my local festival the third Friday and Saturday to hawk my books and maybe other things. If you’re in the neighborhood of Gainesville Missouri the third Friday and Saturday of September stop on by Hootin An Hollarin and enjoy the craftmanship of many local crafts persons.

Have you checked out any of my books or Vellas? Give them a try.

That’s it for now.

Stay tuned for the next installment

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Mid July

Still hot as Hades here. It’s ‘cool’ for about an hour or so early in the morning but the humidity and heat ramp up quickly. But Dad still expects me to do those ‘projects’ he wants me to do. I suppose I’m supposed to get up early and do them before it gets hot. Who wants to do that though?

Anyway, I still haven’t finished Emergent, the Time-Lost book. My muse is messing around with two other stories instead of working on it. I’m going to try and get it finished this weekend, Monday by the latest. I need to get it done. I had a deadline and I blew past it. My muse is just so fickle.

I still haven’t figured out ‘human’ names for the ravens. What are good names for a pair of supernatural female ravens? The ravens of course have names but humans can’t pronounce them right and they are mighty particular about that. My FMC would name them something pronounceable anyway, hence the need for ‘human’ names. I could use what their names mean I guess. But Sly and Clever, don’t seem to do them justice. Not to mention those aren’t really feminine names.

I haven’t updated any of my Vellas as I’ve been trying to finish Emergent. But as I’ve said that ain’t happening. I did put up some episodes in the new Romance Vella I started. My muse has been going through it a bit. The other Vellas are suffering though. Once I finish Emergent, I definitely doing some updating. At least one episode for each Vella before I work on my next WIP Vella.

Still running the naming contest for book 5 of Elemental Voice series. So if you got a good name for a vampire matriarch, her vampire PA, her vampire head of security, a human villain, or a morally grey vampire assassin give it a try. You may win a signed book or a signed bookplate whichever you choose as well as being mentioned in the author notes. So put your email and the name(s) in a comment if you think of one. One writer gave me some names at the conference and I may use one for one of the characters but I still need some more names. There will be more than one ‘winner’.

As you can tell I’m terrible at coming up with names. I usually resort to a baby name book if I don’t get ‘inspiration’. I pick a random letter and flip through the names until one jumps out. I also have a book with common last names from around the world. Those books are life savors, let me tell you. Because my muse only likes to give me names of my MCs and sometimes the villain. The others she just refers to by a letter or description. My first book I used a phone book. As soon as the character showed up I’d flipped through and a name would jump out. From then on that would be the name my brain used. So please help me. LOL. I need names.

If you’re looking for your next read, try out my book, A Playground of Bones. Book 1 of Bone Whisperer. Or one of my other fifteen books I have out. My Elemental Voice Series has 4 out of the 5 books out plus 2 novellas or the first book in my Ghostwolf series, Raven Manor.

Stay tuned for the next installment…

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July 2024

I’m welcoming the month but not the heat. It’s been cooking here. Only time we’ve had any ‘cooler’ temps have been when it rained. And the humidity has been horrendous.

I have not finished Emergent, the Time-Lost book. My muse has jumped to a new Vella. Well, it’s an old first draft of a Romantasy actually. The first 7 episodes are up. My muse has been adding bits to it as I post but nothing big so it’s raw. But that’s what she wants to do. However I have 2 more episodes to go on Emergent that I need to finish so I can publish it beginning of August like planned. I’m gonna finish even if I have to torture my muse. She’s is being her fickle self.

What are good names for a pair of supernatural female ravens? I have placeholder names for now for the ravens in my Bone Whisperer series. I still haven’t figured out ‘human’ names for them. I need to before this second book comes out. The closest thing to them is Odin’s ravens but one they’re male and two, they’re male.  The ravens of course have names but humans can’t pronounce or spell them and they are mighty particular. Raven 1 & Raven 2 just don’t sit well with them. 🙂

I still haven’t updated my other Vellas. And my May bonus shows how little reader participation I got for that month. I’m hoping June will be better. I’ll see come the 20ish of this month when they announce June’s bonuses.

Speaking of Vella, the Zon has launched Vallys. Which is a Vella contest that started the 25th of June, the day after I started my new Vella. So not eligible. Anyway. It’s sort of set up like the bonus, depends on reader participation. I’m going to see how this goes for the others I think. I don’t know if I want to enter. There’s enough on my plate right now, I think.

Still running the naming contest for book 5 of Elemental Voice series. So if you got a good name for a vampire matriarch, her vampire PA, her vampire head of security, a human villain, or a morally grey vampire assassin give it a try. You may win a signed book or a signed bookplate whichever you choose as well as being mentioned in the author notes. So put your email and the name(s) in a comment if you think of one. One writer gave me some names at the conference and I may use one for one of the characters but I still need some more names. There will be more than one ‘winner’.

If you’re looking for your next read, try out my book, A Playground of Bones. Book 1 of Bone Whisperer. Or one of my other fifteen books I have out. My Elemental Voice Series has 4 out of the 5 books out plus 2 novellas or the first book in my Ghostwolf series, Raven Manor. I also have over 5 Vellas out to try.

Stay tuned for the next installment…

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Mid-May Update

My large order of books shipped so I should get them any day now. We took up a few books to the indie bookstore in Springfield, MO to replace the ones she sold and added a few extra. But not more than two each of my mains. I want to ensure I have books for the June Conference and if an emergency sale happens. 🙂 I also left a few of my key metal bookmarks at the bookstore to see if such would sell. My beaded ones didn’t sell well so I want to see if these would. The book order should shore me up and I won’t need to order too much for Hootin an Hollarin in September and the Triple Treasure event in November.

I got my hardcover and softcover of my volume 1 omnibus. Looks good I think. The hardcover is more than the softcover of course, about $4 more. They have books 1-3 in them. Volume 2 omnibus will have books 4 & 5 and maybe a little novella. I don’t know yet as I haven’t written book 5 and don’t know what the characters have in store for me and my readers. I will also have an omnibus with the three companion novellas in it. After I have finished the third novella. Kindle Vella has messed up my plans for this series and my Ghostwolf series. My muse is being fickle.

Speaking of KV, I’m working on my Vellas, especially Emergent and Book 2 of Bone Whisperer. You can blame my muse for this. She’s stuck on Emergent and Bone Whisperer 2 for some reason. I want to get book 3 of Ghostwolf out but she won’t even look at it. So Vellas it is, for now. One of these Vellas might be out by August or September as ebooks/books. We shall see.

Have you read A Playground of Bones yet? It is a mix of paranormal murder mystery and paranormal women’s fiction. She is not a 20 something nor is she in her 60’s but she is an woman in her late 30’s, early 40’s with some life experience behind her. I added a bit of local history to the mix of folklore I used for this book. If you’re looking for your next read, try out my book, A Playground of Bones.

Still running the naming contest for book 5 of Elemental Voice series. My Muse is as I said being fickle and only giving me bits and pieces right now. Which is going in the book bible. I am looking for inspiration into their personalities through names. Are they pompous, pretentious, practical or precocious? If you got a good name for a vampire matriarch, her vampire PA, her vampire head of security, a human villain, or a morally grey vampire assassin give it a try. You may win a signed book or a signed bookplate whichever you choose as well as being mentioned in the author notes. So put your email and the name(s) in a comment if you think of one.

Stay tuned for the next installment

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Another Tat

Went to the Author Expo in Nixa. Several of my ex-writing group buddies were there so when I see them in June at the Conference I can ask how it went for them. I left my card with the library. Hopefully I’ll be able to get in next year.

While I was up there we went into Springfield and stopped at the ABC Bookstore and dropped off a few books. By the time we got home (2 hr. drive) the store had sold 6 of the 14 books I had left. 4 of which were the Elememtal Voice main books. I will have to order more books to take there again sometime soon. Maybe in May.

I got my receipt from Triple Treasures MarketPlace in Hardenville, MO for a spot so I’m good to go for May 4th. At least I think so. I got all but the last 6 of my books I ordered. They should be here before the 4th. I’ll have to reorder some more books for June if I sell some, just to be sure I have enough. With Conferences you never know how much or how little you will sell. And the TTMP is new to me so that too is an unsure sell.

I have also received the ledgers I ordered. My books will be inventoried and expenses will be kept track of. In the not too distant future I will have to be doing taxes. Right now I’m not earning enough to bother with. But if I continue with Vella and they get their act together I may.

AS to my writing, I have put aside book 3 of Ghostwolf and am concentrating on Vellas. However with the changes I didn’t do so well for March. I am trying to bring up all my Vellas to at least 11 episodes, now that the free episodes are at 10. I have a lot to do for 3 Vellas to do that but the others are coming up nicely. I need to get my readers to engage more with my stories so I may have to try polls and questions in the author notes. Reader participation figures prominently in the bonus I found out, especially after the changes. I have decided to stay and work on the ones I already have up. However I will not be adding new stories. 4 of them will be ongoing and not for book publication so there will be plenty to read for readers.

Have you read my book yet? My book, A Playground of Bones, is a mix of paranormal murder mystery and paranormal women’s fiction. She is not a 20 something nor is she in her 60’s but she is an older woman with some life experience behind her. I added a bit of local history to the mix of folklore I used for this book. If you’re looking for your next read, try out my book, A Playground of Bones.

Still running the naming contest for book 5 of Elemental Voice series. If you got a good name for a vampire matriarch, her vampire PA, her vampire head of security, a human villain, or a morally grey vampire assassin give it a try. You may win a signed book or a signed bookplate as well as being mentioned in the author notes. So put your email and the name(s) in a comment if you think of one.

Stay tuned for the next installment

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April 2024

Unlike the saying March didn’t go out like a lion. It came in springy and went out springy. No windy or terrible days. Though it did seem to pass awfully fast.

I got the free Square card reader and I’m going to be trying it out this September for Hootin An Hollarin. Also I’ve been looking up new in-person venues to try. I need to do more for my books. There aren’t many venues near me but I found a few that I may try next year. This year I may go to them and scoop them out. If I can get my Dad on board with taking me there, as I do not have a car myself. The offer of gas money and a meal may sweeten that. We shall see.

My muse is still ignoring Book 3 of Ghostwolf. She much rather work on book 2 of Bone Whisperer and my vellas. I’ve got 3 vellas that will be on-going and 4 vellas that are T.L. books including book 2 of BW. But Book 3 of Ghostwolf and book 5 of Elemental Voice are the next ones up in my writer’s queue. However with my muse being fickle like she is I may not get to them til next year. But I plan to have at least another book out this year. Which is however up in limbo right now.

Speaking of Vella. I had a lot of reads this month. However with the changes I don’t know what’s happening with things. I have to wait til next month’s announcement of bonuses to see. So it’s still wait and see with Vella.

Have you read my book yet? My book, A Playground of Bones, is a mix of paranormal murder mystery and paranormal women’s fiction. She is not a 20 something nor is she in her 60’s but she is an older woman with some life experience behind her. I added a bit of local history to the mix of folklore I used for this book. If you’re looking for your next read, try out my book, A Playground of Bones.

Still running the naming contest for book 5 of Elemental Voice series. If you got a good name for a vampire matriarch, her vampire PA, her vampire head of security, a human villain, or a morally grey vampire assassin give it a try. You may win a signed book or a signed bookplate as well as being mentioned in the author notes. So put your email and the name(s) in a comment if you think of one.

Stay tuned for the next installment

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A Tat for March

Well, it doesn’t seem like March is going to be going out like a lion. At least not yet. Weather is still springy.

The changes are now in effect for Vella. Like I said next month will tell me if I continue to add new stories or just go with the three ongoing ones that I have. I did however get a large bonus for February, surprisingly. It had a low read rate, but I did finish one of the stories. And it was the one that garnished the highest piece of the bonus. So…. But I still don’t know what to expect from the changes. Wait and see is all I can do.

My muse is still ignoring book 3 of Ghostwolf and hopping around the Vellas. I’m thinking of pulling out book 3 of the Elemental Voice Companion series and working on it. Book 5 of Elemental Voice is not quite ready yet to get into; names still need to be found, plot needs some work. But book 3 of EVC has the first chapter done. We shall see what my muse says. She may want to finish book 2 of the Time-Lost series since it’s up on Vella or even book 2 of Bone Whisperer as it too is on Vella. My muse can be soo fickle.

Have you checked out my new paranormal murder mystery yet? A Playground of Bones is on both Kindle Vella and Kindle Unlimited. Or you can buy the ebook for $2.99 right now.

Still running the naming contest for book 5 of Elemental Voice series. If you got a good name for a vampire matriarch, her vampire PA, her vampire head of security, a human villain, or a morally grey vampire assassin give it a try. You may win a signed book or a signed bookplate as well as being mentioned in the author notes. So put your email and the name(s) in a comment if you think of one.

Stay tuned for the next installment

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Ides of March

The Ides has passed and no one has been stabbed that I know of. So I’d say it’s been good. 🙂

It is now the twain, St. Patty’s and St. Gertrude Day. I give lip service to St. Patty’s as I’m Irish but I celebrate St. Gertrude usually. St. Gertrude is the patron of Cats and I am a proud Cat mom, though my baby went over the rainbow bridge not long ago. But I care for some ferals so I’m still a crazy cat lady.

Changes have been happening with Vella. Don’t know what impact it will have yet. Next month will tell whether I continue putting up new stories or just continue with just the ongoings.

My muse is still ignoring Ghostwolf book 3. She’s just hopping around my Vellas. I’m guessing she’s not happy with the changes that are happening or she’s just being her fickle self.

Have you checked out my new paranormal murder mystery yet? A Playground of Bones is on both Kindle Vella and Kindle Unlimited. Or you can buy the ebook for $2.99 right now.

Still running the naming contest for book 5 of Elemental Voice series. If you got a good name for a vampire matriarch, her vampire PA, her vampire head of security, a human villain, or a morally grey vampire assassin give it a try. You may win a signed book or a signed bookplate as well as being mentioned in the author notes. So put your email and the name(s) in a comment if you think of one.

Stay tuned for the next installment

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Pubbed!

A Playground of Bones is published! Both ebook and paperback. So now it’s available in Kindle Vella and Kindle Unlimited or as a paperback book. Check it out if you haven’t already!

And I already got a rating: 4 star! Thank you whomever you are for the rating. Glad you enjoyed it.

My muse is hopping around my Vellas and ignoring Book 3 of Ghostwolf. While I’m happy she’s still flowing with words, I’d rather she settle down and work on one project more than hopping around. Especially with the changes that are going to be happening with Vella. I don’t know if I’ll be sticking with Vella. I may just do the 3 on going stories and not do any new stories on there if it changes too much. I’m reserving judgement until I see what’s going to happen after the changes go through.

Ordered a few books for the Between The Pages Writer’s Conference in June. Should be getting them soon. I’ll order some more next month as well. Restock for both the conference and for September’s Hootin an Hollarin which I signed up for this month. I don’t want to run out or actually I would like to sell out. 🙂 But I want to have enough books to sell to whomever shows up to my table.

I also did some metal bookmarks with charms to put on my table. Some people want to support me but don’t have the money to buy a book so I have a low-priced item for them. I may have to charge more for my books at in-person events than I have so I want to have something to offer that is more accessible. Costs are higher this year and I hate to raise prices but as they say needs must.

Still running the naming contest for book 5 of Elemental Voice series. If you got a good name for a vampire matriarch, her vampire PA, her vampire head of security, a human villain, or a morally grey vampire assassin give it a try. You may win a signed book or a signed bookplate as well as being mentioned in the author notes. So put your email and the name(s) in a comment if you think of one.

Stay tuned for the next installment

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