June 13, 2025
The Demo Tapes, a four-book series (not including the Better than a Box Set Complete compendium) was always meant to be part of the adventure of the Trevolution. Somehow, though, the short work took over and overshadowed the novels. Which, in a way is fine.
Remember that the Trevolution ebooks are 99c at all retailers… except my store, where they’re 79c each, and cheaper in bundles! Want to try before you buy? Demo Tapes 1 and Trevor’s Song are now available on Hoopla.
Yesterday was the first West of Mars appearance at the Block Northway Farmer’s Market and it was… an experience. Definitely part of the adventure of bookselling. I got there to set up and was told there was a power outage on the main road that the mall fronts. The wifi was down, I was told. Okay, no problem.
We were setting up in the atrium, which was bright and sunny — and HOT (definitely not good for the bourbon at the table beside me!) — and at some point, I looked up and realized… all the shops had closed and the overhead LEDs were off.
Yup, the power was out in the entire mall.
And there we vendors sat…
Doug and I sold books, though, to new friends, and a lot of people asked if we’d be back at the market again (I will be; Doug’s not scheduled to be, so I was glad to have people choose to buy his books over mine). So in that way, it was a win.
But it was HOT, and it was… well, an experience.
You know something like this is going to show up in a book! A part of the adventure of something else, something bigger… I don’t know what yet. Time will tell.
I’m starting the second in a series from an established author today. This client writes both fantasy and contemporary and I’m HERE for it all. Super talented author, this one is. What a privilege to work with them.
Not a lot of words written last night because of the farmer’s market, but it’s always fun to get out and meet readers and look at the world. That, too, is part of the adventure of being a writer.
The first two boxes of the books I ordered for the Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival arrived yesterday — check my IG if you want to see the picture of the haul — and I immediately grabbed two copies of Permission to Enter and one copy of Legacy to round out the collection I bring to shows.
I had my cover designer make an official wraparound for Permission to Enter and can I tell you how AMAZING it looks? You want one of these pretty babies on your shelf. You really do.
Can’t Help Faking in Love, by Swati Hegde
As always, that’s an affiliate link, so have at it.
Since I’m not paywalling this content at all, I’d love it if you’d hire me as your editor, buy my books, or just fill my ko-fi. Reminder that if you do the latter, you can stop into my shop and pick up the Beta Reader’s Guide and/or the Writer’s Guide to Library Events. Both are Name Your Price, and free is a fine price! (of course, if you do that, you’re not stuffing my ko-fi, though, are you?)
The idea, of course, is to make tools that will benefit the larger community. It’s one small way I give back… like the Book of the Day!
Have a great weekend. I’ll bring you more books and another part of the adventure on Monday.
June 12, 2025
Cover for Populated, written by Susan Helene Gottfried
Hoo boy, calling today a whirlwind is probably being kind. I’ve got my six-month ophthalmologist checkup (If you missed the story, go here, but there are a lot of posts about it that follow). Then I get to come home and pack up for the Block Northway farmer’s market, where Doug Solter and I will be hanging out, talking to shoppers, and selling lots of our books. And in between, the first box from my pre-Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival stock-up is due to arrive. I ordered 95 books, y’all, and I’m worried that, even added to what’s currently here, it won’t be enough. 80,000 people are supposed to be in attendance!
I finished that amazing first in a new series yesterday, as planned, and got it back to the author. Hoo boy, it’s a good one.
Today, in between all this, I have to invoice the author who’s up next and hopefully start on that, but I’m also working on some cover copy for another client. And mind you, I have to leave the house a little before 1:30!
Slowly clawing away at that deficit in my word count on Authentically Alyssa. I’m a bit worried something happens too fast, but that’s what revision is for. This draft is for getting it all down.
I woke up to royalties today! Lots of library loans, and you know I love those!
Legacy has been doing exceptionally well at Kobo. If you’re a reader who picked it up out of the series order, let me know how it works as a series intro, will you? I suspect it’ll work.
And yeah, my book order is starting to arrive. Whee!
Flirty Dancing, by Jennifer Moffatt
Yep, that’s our affiliate link.
As always, I’m keeping this short, and not just because stuff’s piling up on me faster than you’d believe possible. In the time it’s taken me to write this post, I have three new tasks and issues to chase down.
So book my editing services, buy my books (thank you to those who do!) and stuff my Ko-fi to help me cover operational expenses here because right now, I feel like I’m drowning in this whirlwind of a day!
June 11, 2025
Book cover for ShapeShifter: Demo Tapes (Year 3)
Book birthday or not, it’s going to be a quiet day around here, with nothing on the calendar. I SO need this, maybe even more than yesterday’s massage.
I’ll be finishing this series starter today. It’s the author’s third series and it’s fantastic. This woman can WRITE, my friends.
I can’t say too much, but when this comes out, I’ll definitely ask permission to let yinz and y’all know so you can pick it up.
Once I’m done, I’ll type up my notes and my letter to her, and then get it back to her. And then… invoice the next and, depending on the time, get started on the next one.
This is how I love it. When one project rolls into the next.
Because I work on Send When Ready, I almost always have space for new clients. If you need me, I’m here…
I wrote almost 2k words last night on Authentically Alyssa! Go me! I still am at a deficit for where I ought to be, given a 1k a day pace, but… we’re catching up.
Tomorrow is the first appearance of the West of Mars Author Group (as we’re slowly starting to be known) at the Block Northway Farmer’s Market. I’m super excited for this one, so if you’re in town, stop by to visit!
And of course, it’s Demo Tapes 3’s book birthday. I only have two print copies left in stock, so if you want one, better ask for it soon! I’m selling them as part of a four-book bundle: The first three Demo Tapes collections and then Trevor’s Song — they are so old, and I’d have redo the covers to bring them up to today’s standards, and it’s not worth the money I’d pay to the awesome artist who did the Demo Tapes covers… In other words, if you want to keep the Trevolution books in print, they need to earn their keep. Even at 99c for the ebooks right now, they’re not doing that (you can say they’re having a quiet day, maybe? But it’s been a lot of quiet days!). You can even get them for less at my direct store!
You’re Ours, by DC Emerson
As always, that’s an affiliate link, so I earn a few pennies when you invest into a new-to-you author. Those pennies, like a portion of my editing fees and all of my book royalties, go back into operational expenses here at West of Mars. And if you just feel like throwing cash at me to say thanks for not paywalling this daily fun content, here’s my ko-fi.
My thanks to everyone who’s booking my services, buying my books, using my affiliate link, and just slipping me a few bucks. As we all know right now, with the world on fire, this is the sort of mutual aid that’s going to pull us all through together.
Hope you have a quiet day too!
June 10, 2025
There’s a lot of settling in that needs to happen in Saving Sima. Not sure what that means? Pick up a copy! It’s best read after Populated, just so you know people and their histories, but if you’re willing to go with it until it all becomes clear, then… read it first! It’s one of my favorites in the series, but I’m biased and will say that about all of them.
It’s weird. Tomorrow will mark a week since I got home from the big trip, and I still haven’t regained all my rhythms. Partly that’s because I’ve had a million interruptions and things to get done, and today’s no exception (it’s monthly massage day).
I kind of miss my quiet. And at the same time, it’s time to set a new normal, one with a few more disruptions. Just not this many!
Wow, did I exceed expectations yesterday! The second read-through always goes faster than the first, but this was beyond. This book is going to light so many of you up. It’s so damn good.
This means I’ll be able to start the next one this week. The question is which day. I’m betting on Friday, because Thursday is full of interruptions. What was that about settling in? Never gonna happen.
Another spot I’m struggling with settling in. I only wrote 900 words last night of Authentically Alyssa, and they’re kind of deranged words but sometimes, you gotta puke on the page — and the first draft is the place for that. This book has been so damn hard already that yeah, I’m going with it, so long as I end up where I want to go. This is why writing’s a craft, after all. Get the basic story down. Craft it, sculpt it into the proper shape once you have something concrete to work with.
Things are quiet on the bookselling front, but I’ll be with my buddy Doug Solter this Thursday at the Block Northway Farmer’s Market. If you’re local, come out and at least shoot the breeze with us. The market runs from 3-7, so we hope to see you there!
Love in Focus, by Lyla Lee
As always, this is an affiliate link! Your purchase via this link, along with the royalties from any books you buy and a chunk of my editing fees all go to operational expenses around here at West of Mars. That’s three easy ways to support the cause over here, or, if you’re so inclined, my Ko-fi is always open and glad to be there for your support-showing needs.
That’s all I’ve got. Got a Book of the Day suggestion? Just want to say hi? Need a review copy of any of my 14 books? Reach out. I’m still settling in, but I’m here.
June 9, 2025
There’s no construction in Legacy, but there is a dumpster! And it gets used in some very creative ways, if I may say so.
This isn’t the last ever construction update around here. I still have the second floor to do, and possibly smaller projects in the garage and basement, but those are probably a couple of years away at this point. We’ll see how long I can stand the upstairs!
But it’s the last for this particular project, as I’m waiting for the head contractor to come over and do the final walk-through. Now, mind you, we started this whole thing on Dec. 11 and had expected it to take… 11 weeks. That meant it would have been done in February. Valentine’s Day, to be exact. But weather delays, mostly, and then this final step? We were waiting for a tree to replace the one the siding subcontractors. That went in a few weeks ago, so then it was more waiting… And I don’t mind; it’s delayed paying the final bill!
So onward with the updates and the Book of the Day.
Not much to say here that’s new. I’m in the second read-through of this manuscript, and have one already in the queue after it, and am expecting two more from one of my longest-standing clients. I’m starting to think the summer’s going to be okay, editing wise, but we’ll see once everything arrives.
At any rate, I shouldn’t be dawdling.
I calculated where I should be at this point in Absolutely Alyssa and… I’m behind by a couple thousand words. I went up to Blythe Books on Sunday for a few hours and plopped down in one of the new chairs there and wrote for a few hours, and that was awesome. If you ever want to hang with me there, just say so!
My Large Print editions of Books 1-4 arrived, so that’s good, and I have tracking numbers for the six boxes of books I ordered for the Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival next month.
This week, on Thursday, I have the first of our appearances at the Block Northway Farmer’s Market.
Time’s Agent, by Brenda Peynado
That’s it! Wishing my friend Author Mellanie Szereto a smooth construction project of her own… may it not drag out like this one has!
June 6, 2025
Doesn’t feel like Friday? Doesn’t feel like much of anything for the narrator of one of the two title stories of Broken but Undaunted.
Bet you didn’t know the title of Broken but Undaunted is made up of the titles of two different stories! Broken is a story I’d once sold for 99c. Undaunted — the story I’m referring to above — was included in the Running Wild Anthology of Stories Volume 2, which is the ONLY Running Wild anthology not listed on Bookshop.org. Like, what? It’s the best!
I spent the day catching up on things — and I’m not caught up yet! — so I didn’t start the second read-through of this project I’m working on. The client’s in no hurry; they have become a good friend over the years. But even though I have more to do to catch up today, I’ll be starting the second readthrough and the rest can wait a bit.
Another edit also arrived, so that’s next in the queue.
Reminder: If you need me, you CAN afford me; we’ll work it out.
After my first home-cooked dinner in over a week, I did some rearranging of the basement, getting ready for the influx of 95 copies of my books that I’ve ordered in preparation for the Westmoreland Arts and Heritage festival. (They have not updated the site for 2025 yet; it should be soon. We’ll be in the artist marketplace, not the individual author booths.)
And after that? The trip exhaustion hit me and I collapsed onto the couch with Netflix and that was my day. I’ll be catching up this weekend and we’ll see how much I can get done then, but today still doesn’t feel like Friday, so who knows when I’ll get caught up… to the day of the week, on sleep, on this draft of a novel.
Cage of Nightingales, by Elizabeth Hopkinson
(affiliate link)
And that’s it! Be sure to say thanks by buying my own books, hiring me for an edit, or just stuffing cash in my ko-fi. I’m doing it this way instead of a Patreon-like model because paywalls make me nuts. Why should I inflict the same on you?
Enjoy the day and the weekend, even if it doesn’t feel like Friday to you, either.
June 5, 2025
In Saving Sima, Vassily and Meter help Sima come home again. So that’s our picture today. If you haven’t read it yet, what are you waiting for? Reminder to read Populated first, mostly so you meet Delia and Meter, who are important characters in Saving Sima.
I’m not sure what to say about the past week. Me and girl. Didn’t fight once, I can tell you that! We’ve learned, over the years, to know when to back off and give each other space, when to listen, when to push, when to let go… all that. It hasn’t been easy to get here, but it’s so worth it. We went to the kid’s new place of employment to scope it out and it’s just going to be a great gig for her, and every person we met was wonderful. Quirky, so you know I want to go move there and be quirky too.
I have a ton of catch-up work to do, including getting in touch with a couple clients, and going to the grocery, of course — gotta feed the awesome editor. Mixed in there is the need to start the second readthrough of this client’s manuscript. I think I’m expecting two imminently, but that’s part of what I need to catch up on.
I got home to a check from Blythe Books, where my books are on consignment. I’m grateful for the new readers, for the exposure, for the community that this bookseller is creating. Makes coming home again worth it!
I’ve been accepted to another library event, so stay tuned for more details about that one. This one was a bit surprising, in that it’s more LGBTQ friendly than some of my friends and I were expecting, but YES. We are HERE for this. (Come buy Safe House!)
One week from today (June 12) will be our first appearance at the Block Northway Farmer’s Market! I’ll be there with my good buddy Doug Solter, whose book I’m reading right now. I needed something I knew I could count on for the airplane and what better time to read a friend’s book?
I am pleased to day I got words written on the six-day road trip. Not six thousand words, but enough to be happy and have had fun. I was pretty exhausted through most of the trip, so I did a lot of playing with other works in progress, and that was fun, too. I have new good thoughts about the standalone… I’ve mentioned that, right? The standalone? That is very much a book about coming home again, but not in the way you may expect from me. I’m stretching my wings a bit with this book. Hopefully it’ll turn out great.
Saddlehill Academy Elite Collection (box set), by Jessica Burkhart
(Affiliate link, and disclosure: I know Jessica via social media.)
That’s it. If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you know where I’ve been and what’s been going on. If you missed it, I’m home again after a six-day road trip, moving my youngest to her first official post-college job, after interning for the past year. It wasn’t a cheap trip by any means, since we had to furnish her apartment from scratch (right now, she’s got an inflatable bed and two dressers that were refurbished and are simply lovely), so your support in any means is hugely appreciated. This is the age of mutual aid, after all, so if filling my ko-fi isn’t your thing and you don’t need me as your editor, go and grab a book or two. It all adds up, and mutual aid, right? You support me financially by buying my book and I support you by giving you a great read.
Have a great day everyone, and feel free to remind that it’s Thursday and not Monday. Coming home again in the middle of the week is a definite mindfuck.
May 29, 2025
What’s with all the Sheep Farm books?
Well… Amazon’s selling the Large Print editions of the first four at a HUGE discount. Up to 70% off! Go get ’em while you can:
Maybe the Bird Will Rise
Populated
Safe House
Saving Sima
Otherwise, yes, this is the last day before a break here on the blog; I’m taking the next week off to move my kid across the country. It hasn’t hit me yet that this is it, that she won’t be popping home every few months between gigs as she works her way up to a permanent position. This is it. This is us going to the permanent position.
I’m still absolutely gobsmacked by this edit I’m in the middle of. I’m letting it sit until I get back, so I can do the second readthrough all at once like I usually do. This is where I catch inconsistencies, so I need things as fresh as possible in my brain. I’ll be spending a lot of time checking my notes for things I know I need to address and scrolling and searching so I can refer back to page numbers and stuff.
In other words, I’ve taken two days off as I get ready for this trip. Call this a gift before a break; a gift to myself!
I don’t know what made me check Amazon’s Large Print prices when I sat down last night to write — I know they often do smaller discounts, but not big ones like this! But there were these HUGE discounts and I kinda had to tell the world because hello? Between 65 and 70% off? Y’all gotta know about THAT deal!
In other words, my last writing session before a break was… not much to talk about.
However, I did get two royalty reports last night! One was from my Large Print editions (hmm. Maybe that’s why I checked Amazon?) and one from Hoopla. I’m sending thanks to all of you who are buying and borrowing my books! I know you’re having fun with them, but if you’d like to see the rest of my books back on Hoopla, please request them!
I’ll have the tent out tonight at the Greensburg Night Market, so if you’re local to Greensburg, PA, come on out and visit us! I’ll be with authors Mary Walsh, Maryann Parfitt, and Doug Solter, for your reading needs. (I do have a Large Print copy of Populated with me, if you can’t wait for Amazon to deliver yours, but that’s the only one. And I’m asking $20 for it, not the $8-and-change that you can get online.)
I Did Something Bad, by Pyae Moe Thet War
(affiliate link)
And come ON! How perfect is that for the last Book of the Day before a break?
I’ll be back once the kid’s moved in and I’m home safe. Be good, stuff my ko-fi ’cause this has been an expensive move for me, not just the kid, buy my books, book my editing services (well, I’ll have limited email, so catch me soon!), and all that!
May 28, 2025
ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes (Year 1)” width=”270″ height=”400″ class=”alignnone size-medium wp-image-113″ />There’s a flash piece in here that’s all about a rainy night.
Of course, if you’d prefer the Complete Demo Tapes so you have all the flash and short pieces I refer to, have at it!
We’ve gone from having a real winter to a super rainy spring, and today’s looking to be gray and wet again. It actually started while the kid and I were out doing some shopping before the big move.
At any rate, I think all the dust and hay are finally off the kid’s car.
I finished the first readthrough of my edit yesterday and was able to say to the author that their greatest fears — that it is a dumpster fire, of course — weren’t realized.
In fact, I haven’t stopped thinking about this ending. It’s not a twist so much as it’s an escalation of what we know is coming, and it’s so deep and multi-layered and really complex. It goes well beyond the usual, even as the story hits all the right beats (and yet it never feels like formula when reading, only when you look back and think about it).
This is some masterful stuff, friends. I can’t wait for you to read it.
There’s actually a lot to say today! I didn’t get a lot of writing done, between shopping and my monthly group who meets in the evening, which is prime writing time.
BUT after looking at what will be my 2026 newsletter freebie (also called a magnet), I’ve decided that yes, I need a sensitivity reader, as the main character is a young Black woman. So I started asking around for recs. If you know someone, drop their name! And once that’s done, I’ll probably send it out to my betas and see what input they have.
This is going to be a very expensive freebie! But I think you’ll really like it, so be sure you’re on my newsletter now, in order to catch the story’s debut in January. Don’t wait, so you don’t forget.
And, of course, catch me and Mary Walsh and Maryann Parfitt and Doug Solter under the West of Mars tent at the Greensburg (PA) Night Market tomorrow night! Hopefully the rainy skies will have passed us by.
Sorcerer to the Crown, by Zen Cho
(affiliate link; as always, funds raised via affiliate links will go to operational costs here at West of Mars. Business insurance, professional subscriptions; that sort of thing… if you ever wondered what an editor’s overhead is like.)
And now for your daily reminder that I chose not to paywall this content via Patreon or a paid Substack, but that doesn’t mean your support isn’t appreciated and needed! We totally live in a world of mutual aid these days, don’t we?
Best of all, there are lots of ways to support me instead of a subscription. Buy my books! That’s a great way! If you have, and you’ve read them, feel free to leave an online review wherever you’re so moved to do so. There are so many places; wouldn’t it be great if readers had one central hub for reviews, that were then picked up by all the different review places?
If you’re a writer, booking my editorial services is another awesome means of supporting the cause — and getting an experienced eye on your books. This is my 14th year of professional freelance editing for authors of fiction (before, I didn’t do it for money), and I have a nice client list of writers who’ve quit their day jobs and are making six figures a year… and more. My authors do the hard work, sure, but I give ’em an extra push. It pays off.
And, of course, there’s my ko-fi. Feel free to stuff that one with whatever spare change you’ve got, and of course, help yourself to the goodies in the shop for it, too. The Beta Reader’s Guide and/or the Writer’s Guide to Library Events.
That’s it from over here… hope your skies aren’t rainy, but if they are, I hope you can curl up with a good book — feel free to let me know what you’re reading. Maybe it’ll be a former Book of the Day? A future one?
May 27, 2025
There is a moment in Safe House where Taylor regrets their shopping choices. I am hopeful the kid and I will not do the same thing.
Yeah, with the kid’s big move happening at the end of the week, it’s time to do some shopping! Clothes and furniture are on the docket for today, but so are some other things. I’d be stressed if I didn’t know the kid works best this way and if experience hadn’t taught me that I can one hundred percent trust this kid, and then some.
The shopping day and the imminent move means I’ve got to get this edit done! I have 40 pages left in this first readthrough; I should be able to do it. It’s been absolutely fantastic this far, and I have ideas to strengthen it without changing its essence.
I had told a potential client that I’d save space for them when I get home from the big move, but I haven’t heard back confirming that, and I have an established client who’ll be sending their new manuscript my way before I get home. We’ll see how that shakes out; I am not one to ask a client to wait if I don’t have to. We all have deadlines and goals, friends, and communication is KEY.
I wrote about 2000 words in Absolutely Alyssa yesterday; I was on fire as Xavier spilled his darkest secret to Alyssa. So after dinner, out on the back deck with the kid, I pulled up a short piece I started… oof. Maybe a year and a half ago now? (in case you ever wondered how long it takes to produce a work of fiction!) I’m going to use it for my 2026 newsletter freebie, and I was blown away by it. It had started out as a different story, with a different purpose, and I’d begun reframing it a couple months ago but had let it sit as I fought with Absolutely Alyssa instead.
Let me tell you, letting it sit was a very very good thing.
And best of all? It still illustrates what I’d hoped it would!
Swordcrossed, by Freya Marske
(affiliate link; as always, money goes to operational expenses here at West of Mars)
If you’re having as much fun with this series as I am, feel free to pick up my books, book me for an edit (where I’ll talk about you here in vague but flattering terms!), or stuff my ko-fi. I’ve got my annual business insurance renewal coming up and this year, for the first time ever in 14 years, I’m a little short. Hopefully that’ll be resolved by the time payment’s actually due. Your support helps and means a lot!
Wish me happy shopping today. With only a few days left in town, things are getting real, and that includes nerves and emotions.
Can I just escape into a good edit? Please?
May 26, 2025
Cover for Populated, written by Susan Helene Gottfried
Populated was my bestseller this Memorial Day weekend, up at the Butler City Farmer’s Market
It’s Memorial Day here in the States, and yes, the political situation we’re in gives it an entirely new feel.
I’m actually at my desk today; I took yesterday off (yay!) and had dinner with friends, but Friday’s coming, and on Friday, I am moving my youngest over a thousand miles away from home, to her new job. Excited, proud, nervous, terrified… that’s both of us right now.
Like I said, I’m at my desk today. The goal this week is to finish this first readthrough of this manuscript, which won’t be hard. The question will be if I start the second readthrough or let it sit until I get back. We’ll have to see how much packing the kid gets done and how much I’m needed to help, as we decide what goes in the car with us and what gets shipped.
Another longtime client was in touch, also, so the queue is beginning to fill again. Yay!
Remember if you’re an author and you need me, now’s the perfect time to reach out. I try to make the onboarding and paying and all the business stuff as easy as possible because edits can be hard, especially if you are new to working with an editor, or have had a bad editor (or more than one bad one) in the past. I’m here to help, in whatever way you need.
I’ve been hitting and exceeding my word goals every day for a number of days now. It feels great and I’m having fun. Messy lives are so much fun to write!
A group of four of us will be at the Greensburg Night Market this upcoming Thursday night (Yes, mere hours before I hit the road!). It’ll be me, Mary Walsh, Doug Solter, and Maryann Parfitt. Come say hi and empty out my stock… I have one copy of Permission to Enter and one copy of Legacy left until I restock.
The Pomegranate Gate, by Ariel Kaplan
(affiliate link)
As always, thanks to those of you who’ve been filling my ko-fi, even a little bit! It adds up and helps; there are always things a business needs. Two goals I have my eyes on: an overhaul of this here website (it’s overdue!) and getting the books into audio. I’m itching to get them both in motion, and I have a list of smaller things (city of Pittsburgh-approved shopping bags!) as well.
Pick up one of my books; max out your Hoopla or Libby borrows with my books — and request the rest of my catalog be added back to Hoopla! It all helps me reach the goals that much faster.
If you’ve read something good this Memorial Day or otherwise, always drop into my comments and tell me about it!
May 23, 2025
Not so bad after all? That’s how I think of this collection of my older short fiction–when I’m being hard on myself. It was all previously published elsewhere before I put it into this collection, and it encapsulates that time in my life. It’s not so bad… it’s not bad at all. It’s just not where I am now as a writer… and a person.
But honestly, the utter goofiness of Pink Snowbunnies In Hell continues to crack me up. And “The Ghost of the Dresser” is a story I still think about regularly. Since it’s a small collection, those two stories take up a nice-sized chunk of the book!
Not so bad after all!
I edit a lot of fantasy. I’m not sure why fantasy authors gravitate toward me — well, in part I am. It’s because of the business name. West of Mars was the name of an episode of the original TV show, Lost in Space. Regardless of the WHY, I love my fantasy authors. (I love all my authors, but that’s another thing.) I love the fantasy genre, and I particularly love when my authors are doing new and different things within it. This edit so far has been great fun. A new series from an established author.
I spent yesterday thinking what I’d written Wednesday night was terrible. I vowed I’d fix it today. And I sat down in the afternoon, the cat keeping the kid company and not me, and… it was not so bad! Definite first draft, but I didn’t need to fix as much as I’d expected to.
I also woke up yesterday to sales reports, which is great, except… they were for April sales, and the book they were for had been removed from the platform in March. I’m hoping there’s not an issue there.
The Duke who Didn’t, by Courtney Milan
(affiliate link)
Know what your ko-fi donations are going to buy me? A new key cap for my keyboard. I bought new caps two years ago and for some reason, the right shift key broke and I had to go back to using the old one and… I mean, it’s fine. But I want a new shift key. So that’s the vague “operational expenses here at West of Mars” that I keep referring to. Because I know you’re all wondering.
May 22, 2025
As I look back at the Trevolution and the Demo Tapes short pieces in particular, all I can think is, “Yeah, Trevor played hookie. Again and again and again. It was part of his charm.”
I will never create a character like Trevor Wolff again. I just won’t. I’m too old now, too jaded, too… I don’t know what. Different.
Grab your own copy of The Complete Demo Tapes and compare it to the Tales from the Sheep Farm series and see what I mean.
I finished off what I was working on in the morning, and right after I asked the kid if playing hookie and going on a pre-moving adventure was about to happen, I opened my new edit from an established client. Big mistake.
I was immediately sucked in.
And it felt SO GOOD.
Which is weird, because it’s not like I’ve been without editing work. Maybe it was the confluence of a familiar author’s voice and the job required of me… I don’t know. All I know is that pigs in mud, tigers in pools, and bison in dirt wallows had NOTHING on me right then.
And then I walked away from my desk and took my kid to buy plates, which yes, qualifies as playing hookie for a number of reasons. And let me tell you, the colors that kid chose are gorgeous. Where I’m a hot mess and one of absolutely everything, the kid was artistic and thoughtful.
I got my words in, but it felt more like I was trying to figure out what I was trying to say, which isn’t like me, but is very much the way this project has been–and I started working on it a year ago, if not more! It’s been THAT hard.
But I have a plan for tonight, so that’s good.
A Free Man of Color, by Barbara Hambly
Affiliate link, as almost always. And as absolutely always, any monies raised go to operational expenses here at West of Mars.
I’m at my desk today, unless the kid wants another pre-move adventure. (I kinda hope stuff will start to be sorted, but it’s on the kid and I know from experience to let it go and trust my kid’s process because it’ll all get done.)
Reminder to support me however you’d like: Buying Books of the Day via my affiliate link (I’ve got most of them in a list you can check out here.)
You can borrow my books via Hoopla or Libby or whatever ebook system your library uses (I get paid when you do!) — and remember to request them if they’re not there. Looking at you, certain Libby subscriptions and you, Hoopla, who only lists the first three Sheep Farm books.
If you have Kobo Plus (YAY!), I’m there, too. A lot of you like this option, and I am grateful!
You can buy my books, either in ebook or physical form. (Reminder that when you “buy” through the retailers, you’re buying a license to read the book, and they can yank it off your reader whenever they’d like. Buy direct from me if you’d like to actually own and control it.)
And, of course, you can fill my ko-fi, either as a straight-up donation or by paying what you’d like for either my Beta Reader’s Guide and/or my Writer’s Guide to Library Events.
If you too are playing hookie, I want to hear about your adventures!
May 21, 2025
I wrote a hundred-word flash piece in Demo Tapes 3 called “Twist.” Was it really about ice cream?
Read it and see; it’s only 79c at my store. (99c at any other retailer, so pick your poison and shop where you do.)
The kid and I have been talking about making an ice cream run for days. Ever since she got home, in fact. Last night, we finally went. AND I got my words in. Things are getting complicated for Alyssa, and we’re only 15, 16k words in. This one’s gonna be FUN.
My new tree was supposed to be planted yesterday and… it wasn’t. This is the last piece of the construction project and I’ve gone from being laid-back about it to really wanting it done. Time to move forward, ya know?
I finished the bulk of the current edit yesterday and have a last few things to do today, and then it’s time to start the next! I won’t get it done before I leave to move the kid, and the client knows that, of course.
Because I work on Send When Ready, I almost always have space for new clients. I say “almost always” because sometimes, when the queue gets long, I will ask a new person to wait until I’m caught up. Loyalty to my established folk, ya know?
Well, that update’s above. Best of all, I’ve been having lots of thoughts and ideas and inspiration. Maybe my kid’s my muse.
I did join a promotion for Populated, in which I’ll be giving a copy away, so stay tuned for that!
The City of Brass, by S. A. Chakraborty
As always, the affiliate link, and monies earned through it will go to operational expenses
Happy Wednesday, friends.
Remember, if you’re digging what I do, fill my ko-fi or help yourself to my Beta Reader’s Guide and/or Writer’s Guide to Library Events, both of which are in my ko-fi shop. Pay what you will!
Treat yourself to an ice cream run today. You deserve it.
Also? We forgot to get a quart to keep here at home, so… we may need to go back before we leave for the big move.
May 20, 2025
I’m thinking of the short piece called “Trevor in Tree,” which is in Demo Tapes: Year 2! (You can also pick up a copy or a bundle at my direct store!)
Yeah… the landscaper was supposed to be here yesterday. Or today. He wasn’t sure which. I’m fine with that, by and large, because the bulk of the house work is done. And yet I’d also like to, you know, be all the way done. This is the last piece, and I am waiting on a tree.
Are we ever all the way done with our homes? Isn’t there always something to tweak?
It’s election day here, so the kids are off school and my neighbors just packed up their four kids and all their bikes and are headed out for an adventure. Wish I could tag along!
I’m going to finish the actual edit today, and then start on the cleanup work. Yay!
The next edit has also arrived, and I’m waiting on the imminent arrival of one, maybe two more. One’s from a potential new client who said they were on vacation, so I’m not sure if I even have the job, let alone if I should be saving space for them.
It all works out in the end.
Somehow, I got my words in, in between everything, including baking my kid’s favorite banana chocolate chip muffins. I felt an obligation to, since the kid brought a banana the whole way home with her. Almost 700 miles, that banana traveled from her home to mine. What else was I supposed to do with it?
Our Missing Hearts, by Celeste Ng
(Affiliate link)
As always, I’m not paywalling my daily fun, so as I wait for my new tree to arrive, go and fill my ko-fi with some goodness. If you are so inclined, help yourself to either the Beta Reader’s Guide and/or the Writer’s Guide to Library Events, too. Name your price; fill my ko-fi or just pay it forward by being that much more excellent in all you do.
May 19, 2025
My bestseller at Blythe Books, as part of the Great Pittsburgh Book Crawl! Pick up your own copy; what are you waiting for?
So I did it. My first solo signing in at least a decade, but probably closer to 15 years. Selling in a bookstore is very different from selling under the tent!
Today, I start getting the kid ready for the big move to the new gig.
I’ve got about 100 pages left in my current edit, and then about a day’s work after that, cleaning things up.
One of the six I’ve been waiting for finally arrived and I’ll be working on that in between getting the kid ready for the move. The client knows I’ll be delayed because I wouldn’t feel right not being brutally honest. That’s kind of what my clients know me for. That, and really good editing.
I made my stretch goal with Absolutely Alyssa over the weekend. I wasn’t expecting that, between the kid coming home and the signing yesterday, but baby, I did it. I just came home after the crawl and the signing, let the kid have their space for a bit, and got lost in the story. Lizzie at Blythe Books told a couple potential readers that it’s great escapist fiction, and that was the highest praise!
Water Moon, by Samantha Sotto Yambao
(Affiliate link)
As always, if you’re digging the content, my ko-fi would love to be filled, or if you would rather, pick up the Beta Readers Guide and/or the Writer’s Guide to Library Events. They’re both in my shop, and seriously. I’d rather they help writers and beta readers and librarians than make a killing on them. That’s code for “it’s set to pay what you want, including free.”
Of course, now that the crawl is over, I need to come up with a new form of mischief, a new way to challenge myself… got ideas? I’m open to hearing them!
May 16, 2025
So there’s this thing happening with the Bird. It was SUPPOSED to be free today and tomorrow, as part of a promo with a really awesome group of folk. But Amazon’s a total pain in the ass, especially when you’re trying to set a book free, I totally muffed it, and so the organizer and I scrambled and put the book on sale for 99c. Except Kobo didn’t let me change it. And I forgot to change it up in my newsletter because yikes, I’m distracted.
But in other news, I found it! My missing mojo! It’s back!
We’ll see for how long, as I’m super distracted. Focused on my kid coming home tomorrow, on my signing at Blythe Books on Sunday as a closing activity of the Great Pittsburgh Book Crawl, on getting my last print copy of King Trevor in the mail to a long-time fan. Plus I’m getting ready to move the same kid across the country in a few weeks…
Good thing I have editing to keep me busy! Let’s start there…
I made TRACKS through my edit yesterday. And I have a client who has to deal with some life stuff and then is going to send their manuscript on… this is one of the many I’ve been waiting for, and it’s the second in a duology or trilogy. Bring it! This is one of my favorite clients, and one of the few who’s become a friend.
Like I said, I found it. My writing mojo.
I also moved out onto the back deck, even though it was hot and when I opened the pergola’s louvers for some air, I got a bad eye full of sunshine. Later, as dusk approached, I turned the lights on — green this time. I found it lovely, although I did consider searching for a blue to match the sky.
But I got 1600 words done on Absolutely Alyssa and while that doesn’t make up for Wednesday’s nothing, it’s still above my average of 1200.
And I was able to add a couple hundred words to what I’m now calling Shattered (what is it with me and Sheep Farm books that start with the letter S?) before I ran out of time.
Grab your copy of Maybe the Bird Will Rise! Like I said, it’s 99c instead of free and I apologize for that and if it matters that much, holler and I’ll send you a link so you can have it for free.
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon, by Kimberly Lemming
(NOT an affiliate link; the affiliate link isn’t working for some reason and refused to play nice, so here’s one that does work instead.)
Thanks for the support, as always. Tell a friend, send an author to my editing self, come out and see me on Sunday at Blythe Books, and use my ko-fi to show your appreciation since I’m not paywalling any of this information.
And let’s keep celebrating. I found it. My writing mojo took a day off and now it’s back. Hopefully it’ll stick around.
May 15, 2025
Community’s a way to heal the blahs, right?
I sat down to write last night and looked at the page and thought, “I just don’t have it in me today.” It’s a continuation of my birthday/Mother’s Day and I’m just tired y’all.
But both sides of the front railing are done! All that’s left is the last bit of landscaping, and this project is, six months later, DONE.
I’m going to miss all the contractors. So is Freya Cat. She loved the activity.
I’m deep into this project I officially started yesterday but actually started on Tuesday — when I say on my invoices that I’m starting work now, I’m not kidding!
This is a bit of a unique edit for me, as it’s mostly looking for small points where continuity doesn’t work. It’s great fun and I’m taking lots of notes and trying to keep ’em all organized by storyline/detail.
I’ve got openings if you need me… such is the beauty and the horror of working on Send When Ready!
Like I said above, I looked at the page and sighed. I did get maybe a hundred or so words in; just enough to outline where I’m headed, and then gave in to the blahs. And then I fired up Netflix and decided to just let it all marinate. If it counts when my friends and clients do it, it counts when I do it too.
Need a digital copy of Maybe the Bird Will Rise?
This Cursed House by Del Sandeen
(affiliate link)
May we all flush away the blahs and get back on track. Right now, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and my neighbor just got back from walking her kids to the bus stop.
May 14, 2025
Permission to Enter features women in transition periods in their lives. Grab a copy. Request it via Hoopla — it used to be there! — and read it through Libby if your library has it. Not all do.
Transition day around here really means I’m transitioning to a new edit, although I may have actually started it yesterday. What can I say; I love what I do. (Also? Thanks to the clients who are quick with payment! You are always my favorite clients.)
I do have a couple of errands to run today first, though.
Like I said, I’m starting something new that’ll take me up to my week off. Don’t think it’s a week at the beach; I’ll be moving my youngest over a thousand miles away. And yikes, do we have a lot to do between now and then!
Another night of exceeding my thousand-word goal with Absolutely Alyssa. I was hoping to hit 10k words, but fell a few hundred short. Not bad, though, to be so close! It’s still a lot of fun, although it is VERY much a rough draft.
I woke up to royalties this morning! That’s always fun, and it’s so wonderful to see people reading the whole series. And this report contained royalties for the Legacy launch… it was my best book launch yet. May you all keep reading with me and helping me reach new readers, too.
If you’ve been wanting to grab a digital copy of Maybe the Bird Will Rise, keep an eye on your favorite retailer between now and the weekend. That’s all I’m saying. Remember it’s always part of your subscriptions at Kobo Plus, Scribd, and others. Got a Fable group? Why not read it together? And it’s on Hoopla — remember to request the rest of the series — and in some Libby systems.
Last Night at the Telegraph Club, by Malinda Lo
(Affiliate link)
That’s it! Remember to feed my ko-fi if you’re enjoying the content — I’m not paywalling it, and appreciate your support. Send your reader friends to my books and your author friends to my editing services.
Not all transition periods hurt, and I am eager to get to work today!
May 13, 2025
Be sure to head over to my Instagram and see today’s post. It’s a mood. And, of course follow me.
So what’s on fire and what am I yowling “Burn it down” about?
Honestly, nothing important and everything stupid. Enough said. Let’s move on to the important stuff.
Today’s editing goal is to finish this edit today and get it back to the client and start the next, even before I type up my notes about this one.
On second thought, that’s not real wise. I like to do the notes as soon as possible, so I can catch any remaining inconsistencies and let the author know before they start on their revisions.
Really, what I need to do is start taking the time to type ’em up before I return the manuscript. Now THERE’s an idea.
(And you ask why I’m all “Burn it down” today?)
I set a writing goal last night that I wasn’t sure I was going to hit.
I blew past it.
That’s one good way to burn it down. I’m not arguing. And, as always when the words come easily, it’s great fun.
Hundred Years of Happiness by Thanhha Lai, Nguyen Quang, and Kim Lien
(affiliate link)
Not gonna lie. Your stuffing my Ko-fi will improve my mood. It’s rainy here and there’s stuff going on in the background and just UGH. Burn it down, friends. Burn. It. Down.
