August 5, 2025
Trevor has reason to take sick days too. Trevor’s Song is 99c everywhere but at my online shop, where it’s 79c and cheaper in a bundle!
It’s a bug bite that’s messing with my world, and it hurts more than itches. Fun times.
I’m plugging away. That’s all I can say, and it’s not because of the manuscript — yesterday, I didn’t want to stop editing at my usual quitting time — it’s just because of so many interruptions.
I am not a fan of the interruptions.
Today’s no better, as I have to take Lucy Cat to yet another vet. She too is having a sick day, although hers is the chronic variety.
Once again, I exceeded my word count. I can not write a word until Friday and still be on target. Which is super, as I have my online evening meeting tonight and Thursday is our third appearance at the Block Northway Farmer’s Market. I’ll be there this week with Doris Dumrauf, who has written two historical novels and a bunch of books that showcase her amazing photography. If you’re local, be sure to stop in for a visit.
Reminder that if you buy print copies this month from Blythe Books, I’m donating a dollar from each purchase to the store’s fundraiser for our local PBS station, WQED. That’s the home of Mr. Rogers, friends; we can’t let this gem be harmed!
Oh! Also, when you see me in person next, be sure to check out my new table banner! It’ll be making its debut at the Block Northway on Thursday.
Empire of Sand, by Tasha Suri
As always, that’s an affiliate link, so if you use it, I’ll get a few pennies to put toward operational expenses here at West of Mars. You’d be surprised at how a few pennies here, a few pennies there can add up!
And of course, the best way to show support and gratitude that I’m not paywalling this fun is to book my editing services, buy my books and talk about them online and/or in person, and to stuff my ko-fi with the money you’d be giving me if I DID paywall this!
That’s it!
Hope you’re not having a sick day, yourself.
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 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!
