August 1, 2025
A spontaneous road trip spurs the actions of Saving Sima–at least for Vassily.
Remember, if you’re a Hoopla user, or if your library’s Libby service doesn’t include Saving Sima, request it!
Spontaneous is really the best word for yesterday because I went to bed on Wednesday, thinking the window had closed and it wasn’t going to happen.
But a few minutes before ten yesterday morning, my phone rang. It was my partner in crime and in-person shows, Mary Walsh and as soon as I saw her name pop up, I knew what was up. We’d been offered a last-minute booth at the Greensburg Night Market.
If you were here yesterday, you saw that I was developing a migraine as I was typing. I didn’t let that stop me; I said yes to Mary, got hold of Doug Solter, and went to get caffeine, gas, cash, and clear plastic drop cloths, just in case it rained. Which it did not.
The caffeine banished the migraine (and promptly made me sick!), and we were off to the Night Market.
Just as I was leaving the house, I got the application for the 2026 Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival. It’s going out in today’s mail.
I’m thinking there’s a love affair going between West of Mars®, LLC and Westmoreland County and despite the hour-long drive, I’ll TAKE it.
Between the running errands, the migraine, the not feeling well, and the leaving early for the Night Market, I didn’t get nearly enough done on this edit. I’ll be working tomorrow, that’s for sure!
Yeah… the Night Market… no words got written, since the day job comes first, and the day job is editing, and even that got co-opted by some spontaneous errand-running.
But this is why I like to work ahead of my goals. I have the cushion for things like this, and there’s no thoughts of, “I should be home writing, not out on a spontaneous book-selling excursion.”
Slithery Heat, by Roe Horvat
Yep, that’s an affiliate link! Use it to my benefit, and thanks for doing so.
Another reminder! The link in the subject header now takes you to the full list of Books of the Day. So you can see them in one place and hopefully find new, exciting reads.
And now for my totally not spontaneous reminder that your support, either via booking my editing services, buying my books and leaving reviews online and/or talking them up to friends, or stuffing my ko-fi with cold hard cash is a great way to thank me for the daily effort that’s this series, especially since I’m not otherwise paywalling it. My bank account and I thank you in advance!
I leave you with one last reminder… even if you’re certain you haven’t used the tent light since the last time you charged it, charge it again anyway… Just saying…
Go forth this weekend and be spontaneous. It’s fun!
July 25, 2025
Cover for Populated, written by Susan Helene Gottfried
Grab your copy of Populated from all the usual retailers, Kobo Plus, Hoopla, Libby… and of course from my direct store (link is to ebook, but you can get it in print, too). Bundles in my store let you have more books for your buck!
Nothing to say, other than I’m glad it’s Friday. I know… I own the business. I can set my own hours. But it’s easier if I maintain more traditional office hours… the idea is that my friends and family know when I’m working and are hopefully less inclined to call and text, wanting to chat.
I should get over that, I know. I’m in my fourteenth year of business and…
Sigh.
I started the second read-through yesterday and got through 80 pages, which wasn’t bad. I was hoping for closer to 100, but stuff kept pulling at me. As it does.
Got 1200 words in on this new draft… I guess I was just overall distracted yesterday, come to think of it. Glad it’s Friday; I only have to get through today and then I can sleep in a bit.
I’ll be donating swag to the tote bags that will be part of Authors and Dancers Against Cancer in Perrysburg, OH in 2026, so that was a nice request to get. I’m always glad to donate things… be it postcards and/or bookmarks, a charity edit, or even write a story for a charity anthology! I love doing these sorts of things.
And now, the sales… they’re the same as they’ve been all month, but here are the links again!
Maybe the Bird Will Rise is for sale at Kobo (US and Canada only) for 99c.
The Tales from the Sheep Farm series and the short story twins are half price at Smashwords this month!
And finally but definitely not last, the Trevolution is FREE this month at Smashwords, for all you rockers at heart. Reminder that this time capsule look at the music biz is based on my own years working in it.
While I’m at it, and since I’m glad it’s Friday, here are this month’s group promotions. Not gonna lie; the clicks you make are counted, and I could use some clicks to all these! They’re WAY below my usual averages.
July women’s fiction
Poolside Picks and Hot Deals: Dive into this Summer Sale!
Sun, Sand, and FREE Summer Reads Await!
And finally… The thing you’re all actually here for:
Strength Check, by Katherine McIntyre
*Affiliate link
Now, I usually don’t say much, if anything, about the Book of the Day, but I want to let yinz and y’all know that I met Katherine McIntyre last year at Books Books Books in Lancaster; our tables were almost back to back. And can I tell you what a lovely, delightful person Katherine is??? So when this crossed my radar, you bet I was eager to stick it in the queue for a Book of the Day.
That’s it this Friday morning. Like always, the best way to say thanks for the daily work that goes into these posts is to book my editing skills, buy my books and/or simply talk them up online or to friends, and of course, stuff my ko-fi, whether or not you pick up the Beta Reader’s Guide and/or the Writer’s Guide to Library Events.
See ya on Monday.
July 21, 2025
Book cover for ShapeShifter: Demo Tapes (Year 3)
Same for my direct store, if you’d like to see me gain a few pennies (it’s a GREAT way to show your support!). Each book is 79c, but there are all sorts of bundles available and you can save even more.
So, yeah. I’m finally caught up on my word count for this fourth version of Absolutely Alyssa. I owe a lot of that to an hour spent at my public library; I had to pick up a book anyway, so I figured why not spend some time there and get words down? Maybe the change of scenery would be good for me… and it was.
Go. Me.
I’m about a third of the way through this edit, which is super, considering that I just started it two work days ago.
Still waiting on three more to arrive… Always.
If you need my editorial skills (and a reminder that my clients are high-achievers who make a lot of money), I’m here. Let’s talk.
Like I said, I’m finally caught up on my word count, and this week’s looking pretty quiet, thankfully. I’d like to get outside a bit and get some weeding done… I’m overdue, and they’re BAD this year.
And like I said, the Trevolution remains FREE AT SMASHWORDS THIS MONTH. Yes, you should pick up all six books, with a reminder that the Complete Demo Tapes is only available at my online shop.
Need the newer books? The short story twins and the Tales from the Sheep Farm novels are also on sale, but at 50% off.
And for you Kobo readers, check out the sale on Maybe the Bird Will Rise.
Go get yourself some cheap books. And remember that an online review, a word to a friend encouraging them to read, and/or more purchases is the right way to thank an author for their hard work. Because as you’ve seen since I launched this series, writing books is HARD work.
The Seers, by Sulaiman Addonia
That’s an affiliate link, and any funds you help me raise go toward operational expenses here at West of Mars.
That’s a wrap for today! I’ve got a lot to do, as always, so I’m diving in and hoping to remain caught up. (Someone remind me to order new contacts once the office opens!)
I’ll be back tomorrow with another Book of the Day for you. Keep reading; it’s a form of resistance, after all. And if you have ideas for good titles for the Book of the Day, I’m all ears!
July 17, 2025
The only writing of mine that I can think of with significant water is the short story, “The Taste of Pink Snow.” It’s now available in the Broken but Undaunted collection, so if you’ve never read this bit of literary mayhem and fun, what’s stopping you?
Storms rolled through yet again yesterday afternoon and evening, but the one that came through after 8 was a DOOZY. So much water. SO. MUCH.
And… problems with my electric as a result, including a light fixture that stopped working.
I have word in to my contractor, since it’s one of the lights that was affected by my recent renovation.
One of the manuscripts I’ve been waiting for showed up yesterday! Last night, actually.
I can put aside the project I’ve been working on for a few days and start this… but tomorrow. I’m having an “away from my desk” day, and I hope it doesn’t involve more storms, let alone storms with so much water to drop on my house. Or my head.
I didn’t make a huge dent in my word count deficit, but I didn’t fall behind, either. Slow and steady, drips and drabs… it’s how I’ve built my newsletter, how I make sales at all the shows and farmers markets. Little pieces add up.
Today’s the farmers market at the Block Northway, so if you’re in Pittsburgh, come out and say hi.
Kobo’s still got Maybe the Bird Will Rise on sale for 99c. And of course it’s free with Plus (ebook only).
And then there’s the Smashwords summer/winter July sale! All month!
Click here for the Trevolution, which is FREE this month.
Click here for the short story twins and the Tales from the Sheep Farm.
Shadows of Your Black Memory, by Donato Ndongo and Michael Ugarte (translator)
This is an affiliate link, and any purchase you make with an affiliate link will go to operational costs here at West of Mars. I’ve got my business insurance covered now (whew) so we’re working on saving up for a website overhaul and the day-to-day costs of West of Mars. Which… yay! It’s nice to be getting even a tiny bit ahead again.
Other ways to support me include booking my editorial services, buying my books, leaving an online review or just telling my books about a friend of yours, and of course stuffing my ko-fi, whether or not you pick up The Beta Reader’s Guide and/or An Author’s Guide to Library Events.
That’s it. Remember if you’re out and encounter so much water, turn around; don’t drown!
July 16, 2025
The weather can be gross during Safe House. Grab your copy — did you know the main character is nonbinary? If you’ve read either Maybe the Bird Will Rise or Populated, you’ve met them already!
I went outside last night after dinner. It was still in the mid-80s, but the shade made it bearable. And I opened the louvers, to shake loose more dried leaves — and got quite the shower; I need to remember to do that before I go out — and had some extra light. Funny how now that we’re past the solstice, I’m wanting the natural light and not the pergola’s LEDs.
One thing I’ve noticed, over and over again, in my life is that when I say something that includes the word “never,” it comes to be. In this case, it was “I hope I never have to give up editing.”
Sigh.
I’m still waiting on those four manuscripts to arrive. Two are overdue. One was here and withdrawn. One’s not due until next week.
I’m editing my own book as I wait. May as well, right? Y’all are waiting for it…
And yes, I’m doing it inside, not in the gross outside. That’s for the actual writing part!
Which brings me to my writing. Not much to say. Slowly catching up on the word deficit around here… and I’ll be adding to it again tomorrow night, since we’ll be at The Block Northway’s Farmer’s Market. I’ll be with Cristina Rouvalis and Lydia Wayman, who have written a wonderful middle grade book about a young woman with autism. And cats! Stop in if you’re in Pittsburgh and say hi.
Maybe the Bird Will Rise is still on sale at Kobo (US and Canada only) until the end of July. It’s of course free with Plus (ebook only!), but if you aren’t a Plus person, 99c is a great price to start the series.
Or you can pay $1.99 and get it at the Smashwords Summer/Winter July sale. The rest of the Sheep Farm books are the price, so for just under ten bucks, you can have all five. Add in another $2.48 and you can have ALL my recent releases!
Want more books for that under ten-dollar price? The Trevolution is ALWAYS free during the Smashwords sales. That’s six more books!
Thirteen books. Twelve-plus bucks. C’mon. THAT is a deal.
The Gurugu Pledge, by Juan Tomas Avila Laurel and Jethro Soutar (Translator)
Like usual, this is an affiliate link.
Reminder! The best ways to support me and keep the Book of the Day coming to you (and for free) is to support me in other ways. Book my editing services. Buy my books. Leave a review online, talk about my books to your friends, read via Hoopla or Libby and your library. And, of course, stuff my Ko-fi, either with cash or grab a copy of the Beta Reader’s Guide and/or the Writer’s Guide to Library Events.
Keep it cool, friends, and avoid the gross outside if you can. Or… wait for the shade to take over the spot you want to occupy. That’s what I’ve been doing.
July 15, 2025
I have been very late bringing you the Complete Demo Tapes! It’s available only at my online store, with a reminder that it’s cheap, and it’s better than a box set because it has more than the mere contents of the first four Demo Tapes collections.
Yesterday was a day at the mechanic. Today it was my monthly massage. Guess this week is just going to be a late week, overall.
So let’s get right to it.
I’d had an edit in hand, and the author had a chance to have their dev editor look at it, so now I’m not working on that project. This is why I began, after my bike accident, to use a Send When Ready schedule. I can pivot — and I do! And it’s so much less stress for me. I hope it is for my clients, too!
I got in a couple hundred words yesterday afternoon, but it was time for my bimonthly dinner group, so I went and had dinner and relaxed with friends and listened to their great stories and now I have more fodder for a future Sheep Farm book or two…
Seriously!
Maybe the Bird Will Rise remains on sale at Kobo (US and Canada only) for 99c this month.
The Trevolution is free this month at Smashwords!
And my newer fiction is 50% off all month, but only at Smashwords!
My thanks to everyone who’s picked up copies (including the print copies that have been flying out of my personal stash!), and a reminder that if you’re so inclined, leave a review online. That helps others find me and your favorite fictional crew.
La Bastarda, by Trifonia Melibea Obono and Lawrence Schimel (translator)
As always, that’s an affiliate link, so have at it and earn me a few pennies, why don’tcha?
Alternatively, supporting me can come in the form of booking my editorial skills, buying my books, talking about my books to others (including leaving online reviews), and stuffing my ko-fi, either with cash or by using my Beta Reader’s Guide and/or Writer’s Guide to Library Events.
Thanks in advance and tomorrow, I’ll try not to be so late!
July 10, 2025
I’m not sure if anyone in Broken but Undaunted is running late, per se, but I felt like making it today’s featured Susan Book. As always, the Book of the Day is at the bottom!
So. I put it out to my group of authors that I’m going to get us a booth at next year’s Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival and three authors in the group immediately saved their spots. I’m excited and flattered… and of course a bit wary. Outdoor shows can ruin a tent full of books! But if the weather will hold again for us, I’m confident we’ll have fun and put books into readers’ hands.
That’s not why I’m running late today, though. Every fiber of my being wants me to treat today like a Saturday and you know what? I just might. I need some time to be lazy; I haven’t had a break in almost two weeks. It’s been worth it, but a lazy day will also be worth it.
Second read-through, so lots of scrolling.
The client whose manuscript I was going to work on next has asked me to hold off while more changes are made. That was all that was in the queue, so we’ll see what next week looks like when we get to next week.
I got words in last night. Some inside while my watch charged, some outside. Nothing really exciting to write home about. I’m still running late on my word count, but closing the gap daily, even if only a little bit.
Tonight, though, I’m going to the release party for my friend Lainey Davis‘s new book. Gotta support your friends, right?
Sale reminders!
Maybe the Bird Will Rise is 99c at Kobo all month. Always free with your Plus subscription.
Not your retailer yet?
Well, the Smashwords summer/winter July sale is still going on.
Get the short story twins and the Sheep Farm books here. They’re half-off, so still a bargain.
And the Trevolution here — it’s FREE.
And if you already have them, go read them!
Life and a Half, Sony Labou Tansi (Author), Alison Dundy (Translator), Dominic Thomas (Introduction by)
That’s an affiliate link and I have two big goals in sight now that I’ve earned enough to cover my business insurance this year: moving into audio books and a website redo. Your help, in the form of booking my editing skills, buying my books, or just stuffing my ko-fi will help me get there.
The sky’s the limit. Let’s get there together. No more running late to my own party.
June 18, 2025
Let’s wish a happy book birthday to Saving Sima! It turns one today! And it’s also a fitting book when you need to talk about your an evening that went sideways. Vassily’s life definitely goes sideways during this story.
May my own outcome be as promising.
It’s not that what happened was nearly as strange as what happens to Vass in Saving Sima. It was just an evening spent in the pantry, cleaning it out and cleaning it up a bit. I just hadn’t been planning on it, but sometimes, you get inspired and the simple task occupies your brain and your body as you walk back and forth around the kitchen, emptying shelves, cleaning everything, and putting things back. In some ways, it’s cleansing of myself as much as it is cleansing of the house.
Still, it ate into my writing time.
And yet… when I sat down, I felt a lot better.
I didn’t quite hit my page goal yesterday, but that’s okay. I was doing a lot of cross-referencing with my notes and working on the timeline. Slow editing is okay when I’m doing that. So I’ll finish this read-through on Thursday, I think.
When I finally did sit down to write, I was working on next year’s newsletter story instead of Alyssa. I had expected it to be a quick tweak. Nope; that too had a moment of being sideways, as I found another mistake that I have to address. You generally don’t have homework over summer break! Summer reading, sure. But not assignments!
I’m enrolled in the Smashwords Summer/Winter sale, like usual, so look for that coming up in July.
And Populated was awarded a spot in a promotion at Kobo, so look for the price to drop, also in July.
Combined with the in-person event at the Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival, and July is shaping up to be a bonanza of book sales. (Reminder that my books are ALWAYS cheaper at my direct store!)
Lavash at First Sight, by Taleen Voskuni
As always, this is an affiliate link. Go forth and buy from this link, knowing that any pennies you earn me will go toward operational expenses here at West of Mars. (My business insurance is coming due soon! I could use the help.)
Want to help more? Book me for your editing needs. Buy my books. Just stuff my ko-fi, in lieu of a monthly subscription.
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 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 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 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 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.
May 12, 2025
My most feminist collection is today’s book cover, of COURSE.
I’m not the world’s fastest thinker. I tend to marinate, sleep on things, let my subconscious do the work. And it’s rarely wrong. It’s when I ignore it, or tell it, “It won’t be like that. It’ll be FINE” that shit goes sideways.
So now, with new clarity, I put Mother’s Day 2025 behind me and move on to better things, and better places. Hopefully there will be no more shitstorm holiday celebrations in my future.
Like this weekend’s book signing at Blythe Books, the first of three in the area between now and the end of the month! The other two are the Butler City Farmer’s Market on Saturday the 24th, and the Greensburg Night Market on the 29th. Please don’t let printing costs rise until after that because I’ll be placing an order to restock. I may be featuring Permission to Enter here today, but I only have one print copy left until that restock… we’ll see when it sells.
I’m going to finish this edit either today or tomorrow, depending on how today goes.
I still have room for new clients, even though my next edit has arrived! Whee, and thanks for trusting me with your works in progress.
I set a weekend word count goal of hitting 6500 in this new version of Absolutely Alyssa, and I overachieved by a few hundred words. It helped that I went and hung on Saturday with my friends at Umber Chocolates during a pop-up event they were doing, and I got almost a thousand words down in between our chatting.
I KNOW. 6500 is nothing, especially when you consider it’s a little bit under 10% of what I’d cut last weekend. But I cut even more new stuff, and so to be standing where I am at this point in time feels good. Plus I’m having fun and the manuscript has that energy I feel when what I’m working on is right.
Tofu Takes Time, by Helen H Wu and Julie Jarema, illustrator
(As always, it’s an affiliate link)
That’s it. May you not have any shitstorm holiday events, and if yesterday was one for you, too, well, you’re not alone and I wish for you the mental clarity that hit me at three this morning. Better days lie ahead. They have to.
If you’re feeling sorry for me this morning, or just simply appreciate me, my ko-fi is always open for donations. Be sure to pick up the Beta Reader’s Guide and the Writer’s Guide to Library Events — pick your price includes FREE.
