Newsletter - June 14, 2022

I took a week off from work and "writing work" and journeyed to Massachusetts and Maine with my wife and three daughters. As anyone who has been through this stage knows, teenagers can SLEEEEEEEP. And boy can they whine when that precious 23 hours of sleep per day is interrupted.

But it was a great trip despite the whining. We walked the freedom trail... multiple times when all was said and done. The Tea Party tour was the first thing to draw us in, and then the old graveyards, churches, and buildings. I did some extra sight-seeing of the boatyard, and then we rented a car to drive to Maine.

Boothbay Harbor, specifically Spruce Point Inn, was a sleepy little camp on one of the many peninsulas of Maine. That's when we really slowed down. We did some day trips, but also a lot of looking out over the water while reading. I haven't had so much time to read in years. I found I wasn't very good at it anymore--it was really hard to drop the feeling that I had to be DOING something. I did finally stop checking emails and worrying about work, at lest for a few of those days.

Then it all crept back in. And I'm writing this in a last-ditch effort to postpone the pressure just a wee bit longer.

I received the last picture for Book 4, added it, and re-uploaded to Amazon. I think it is all done. I knew I had that family vacay scheduled, and a trip to Florida for a child's dance competitions in a couple of weeks, so I wouldn't have a lot of time in June. So not a lot for me to do regarding Book 4.

My first ARC reader sent me feedback yesterday. Among her notes: "Noooooo!" and "Oh what the crap!!" I counted the o's and the exclamation points to be sure I got it right. 🤷‍♀️ I'm not sure what she's talking about... 😈🤣 She probably stubbed a toe or something.

Countdown for Book 4 Release

Fun stuff - I finally got my web site hooked up to take credit cards. I do see some folks occasionally putting book merch in their carts, but then they abandon them--I'm hoping that's because paying through PayPal was too hard. Now it looks more like what folks are used to seeing. But more likely, I'm realizing, my merch isn't right for my audience. Which is fine... I can learn to create better merch too.

I also created a hardback version of Book 1! My copy came in the mail while I was on vacation. I built it through Amazon, and I'm told the B&N hardback interface is much more interesting and flexible. But I'm still in the "keep it simple" phase.

On vacation, I had time to sketch out the first drawings of the world for the prequel - the AllForest. With side notes on important events. I have NO idea how to write the third book of the prequel. The time period is so long, but I like to keep the stories personal. Do I branch out and write in a different style? Third person? Anyone ever read Isaac Asimov's A Brief History of Time? It's not a fantasy, but it might be an interesting style for writing a fantasy of another world. Lol, I don't think ppl would like that.

Anyway, carry on--have a great week and enjoy any vacations you might have planned for the summer. Time for me to dive back into work.

o To-Do list for writing last (two) week(s):