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 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 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!
