Rage Cover Reveal!

 As the book progressed, I had a vague idea of what the cover might be. However, I was open to anything. My mom asked if she could have free rein on it. She's a fantastic artists, so of course I told her she could. She hand drew the image and did some digital enhancements. I'm pretty excited about it! So, I present to you: The cover of Rage!

Social Media?

 Turns out, I'm terrible at social media. I mean, I'm not all that surprised by it. I bailed on all social media except Reddit a long time ago. I apparently had a Twitter (I don't remember making one...) so I've updated it to reflect all the new writery stuff, followed a bunch of writery people, and we're gunna see how that goes. I'm trying to keep up a LinkedIn too. I feel like a cranky old lady and I'm only in my early 30s. How am I supposed to manage being active on Twitter, LinkedIn, and this blog while keeping up with the working, the parenting, and the homeschooling? Plus I should probably clean my house and cook food on occasion too. 

If you want to follow me on either, whether it's to keep updated or watch me attempt to make this work (o.o) here's my LinkedIn and Twitter.

Alexandria would like me to inform you this is a very hard house to live in. The people are always doing things, and of course, this means they need to be supervised. People cannot be trusted to just do things on their own. Kitty help is a must! After a very long day helping me deep clean the house, she just cannot go on. She's very overworked. Poor thing.

I was really happy with my Valentine's Day nails. The aforementioned cleaning resulted in some damage. They only lasted about eight days. Of course, I had to do them again. I decided to go super colorful this time. I did not think it all the way through... It took me like five hours to get them all done. Whiiiich put me behind on editing. My therapist says that's fine because self-care is important and my nails make me happy. He's probably right, even though I grumble about it all the time. My inner anxiety just likes to remind me that I set ambitious goals the last two weeks and is keeping score of how far behind I have become. I'm working on it. My nails are cute, though! Here's to hoping they last!

Aleiant: The Map

 I'm excited to show off the map of Aleiant! I drew up the original map in excel (what can I say, I love spreadsheets...). After that, I did a mock up in Paint, and it definitely didn't look like a small child did it. Luckily I am related to a fantastic artist that is willing to do things for me! So, my mom drew me the map!

She hand drew the whole thing, scanned it into to her computer, did some editing there, and printed this for me to put in my series bible! She has to do something else to it before finalizing the file itself to go in the book. I'm in love with this map!

Color Me Productive

 

First, Valentine's Day nails! I usually do my nails every two-ish weeks. Sometimes I do them a little sooner, it just depends on how well they are holding up. However, as cute as Valentine's Day stuff is... I actually hate it as a holiday. "Lets hype up a romantic day so much that it becomes stressful and everyone ends up disappointed!" Doesn't that sound great! I just wish so many people didn't mark it as an important milestone to judge the status of their relationship. I've had friends talk about it (from all genders) and now I hear my 17 year old daughter talk about it. Take the pressure off guys. One day of the year shouldn't decide the fate of your relationship. Ok, I'm done now.

I have been more productive in the last couple weeks than I had been in a while. I'm really digging it. I've had so much crazy in my life that maintaining a schedule and making plans seemed like an effort in futility. Hitting this kind of stride is a huge deal for me, so I always try to make the best of it. I have bi-polar disorder. I've been medicated for a little over a year now (I wasn't for a long time after a bad reaction to one set of meds). It really does help me a lot, but it isn't a cure. Toss in the ADHD and anxiety and you've got a party. I've started talking about it more because it's something that should be talked about. 

Even when medicated, I live in constant flow of peaks and valleys. My "normal" floats somewhere above or below what neuro-typical people experience as "normal". I see my therapist every week and he is super great. Even when I tell him that I'm pretty sure he has to tell me he's proud of what I am accomplishing (even when I feel like I have accomplished nothing) because it's in the secret social work rule book and he tells me there isn't a rulebook, secret or otherwise, of what he has to stay to his clients, but, like, that sounds like something the secret rulebook would say you have to say if the secret rulebook is brought up, doesn't it? Doesn't it?? 

Anyway, he puts up with me, he pushes me to challenge the stupid give up thoughts and make them into stupid go-to thoughts and it's helping. Even when I grumble about how if things would just work exactly how I want them to... I wouldn't be stressed out! So, I like to take full of advantage of these moments when my mind is clear and my drive is strong. I'm trying to get as many posts, and news, and whatever else queued up before the downswing comes in. These weekly more personal ones (what will most likely stay as Thursday) are done up either Sunday or Monday. So if they go missing for a little while...Well, they'll come back when I get my shit back together again.

Until next week! ♥

Two of my babies! Alexandria (Peanut) 4, Spade 20

I thought I was going to work. Peanut decided I was not.

When I work on the couch... sometimes it gets a little crowded.. (Turtle 4, is the middle, he's Xander's bio brother!)

It's a SnuggeryStickers Kind of Day

 I’ve posted on here about it before, but I love my planner. I personally use the Happy Planner, but I think all planners are amazing. I am only at peak productivity when I use my planner to map out the week. I sit down on Sundays (or sometimes Monday mornings) and plan out everything that needs to be done. From writing to chores to meals to appointments (and, tbh, parenting stuff ends up in there too). That said, I have always struggled to find writer stickers I liked. I mean, there are some, but they were all either too big, too small, too monotone, or too… something else. I just want to be Goldilocks, ok? I found some super amazing ones, and of course, the shop closes (I feel for her, we had a chat at one point, and some serious family stuff came up).

Since then, my mom has listened to me complain about writer stickers. A lot. So, being the super fantastic and creative mommy she is… she made me some. She has a Circuit, so once she got them designed, it was easy for her to keep supplying me when needed. Then, she asked me if I thought other people would buy them. It’s a resounding YES! She created a few different kinds of stickers, too (caregiver ones, cat lover ones, and woman DIY ones, too!). Her writer stickers are her best sellers. In my opinion, they are the best ones out there. I might be a little biased, though ;) If you are a writer or know a writer that needs stickers… send them to SnuggeryStickers on Etsy!

Published: Into the Flames

 The day has finally come! Into the Flames is officially published! I'm really happy I was able to make it happen today, my grandma's birthday. I'm very grateful for the people in my life that have helped me along the way. I have a lot of plans to for the future, here's to making them happen! 

It's available in print and as an ebook at Barnes and Noble and as an ebook  Smashwords!

How to Not Lose Your Mind

I'm really good at losing my mind. It's my superpower. However, this week, I'm working on not doing that... Meet my organization system! One is my planner. I use it to, well, plan. At least the important stuff, but sometimes the small stuff too. It really depends on how the week is going. Some weeks I need to be reminded to wash my hair. Other weeks I'm basically superwoman. It's really hit or miss.



The other two I call my Series' Bibles. These are where ALL the stuff from my books go. Everything from character descriptions, plot points, world building things, notes, lists of extras I want to produce, and soooo much more. I'm trying to get all my ducks in a roll. Some of them keep getting distracted. It's a work in progress. I'll let you know how it goes.

Fancy Meeting You Here...

 

It has become very apparent that I'm horrible at maintaining a blog! I always come out here with grand intentions of being right on top of everything… so far, it hasn’t been going as planned. But! Just because there is a lag in content here doesn’t mean I’m not doing the writing/editing thing. Things have gone a little off the rails here in other ways. After a lengthy battle with Naomi’s school over their refusal to protect her from bullies (she was literally cornered into a bathroom, held against the wall, and threatened more than once) and their inability to accommodate her cognitive processing disorder… I’m now homeschooling her. It’s been interesting, to say the least. However, she has made more progress with me in five months than she did in almost eight years in trad school. The rant I could give you about the ways kids with a different approach to learning are treated by school systems is long and full of obscenity. We are in a better rhythm now, so I have dedicated work time again (instead of hard cramming it in on nights and weekends). I have plans to keep the blog up again. We’ll see how that goes.

On to book things! Into the Flames is officially ready to go out once I have a finalized cover! The cover is almost done too! I decided to smoosh the two short stories into the book rather than publish them separately. It’s still rougher than I would like it to be, but I think that’s ok. I’m seriously hoping Into the Flames will be published on February 13. It should be, buuuut we’ll see!

I’m working on final edits to Rage. My beta readers have been amazing and have pointed out a small mountain of things that need to be addressed. It’s a little overwhelming at times, but all of it will make Rage better. I’m excited to get it all polished up and things!

So! Here’s to a better-maintained blog and speedy edits!

PS. I'm starting a new thing with pictures either at the beginning or end of the posts. Why? I think it sounds like a good idea lol

I've started trying to keep my nails done. I feel better when I do, and, I mean, they look nice! It helps that I have LED UV light and gel polish so I can do it myself! 

I've also started changing up my phone screen for each month! (Don't mind the calendar, figured I should remove the names from my schedule!)