Melancholy or Merry? Both.

It's the end of the year sadness for me. Quiet. Introspective. Some read more into this than they should. I'm allowed.  

I need this as much as the mania, laughter, and snark. Maybe even more.

It's as if I've a blanket on me that I've snatched and pulled all around me, holding tight, making sure I'm covered properly with all the security I need and trust. And now it's the time to loosen my hold and straighten the fabric to fold and put away for 2023.

Because I won't be taking my 2023 blanket into 2024. 

New goals, books, decisions, and thoughts. New experiences. New intentions. 

But between now and January 1st? 

Lots of thoughts. 

I've pushed back starting a book because I need the separation. I have tabs open, but I haven't dived into OneNote yet. But when I do, it'll be back to the heart of it. The absolute madness of the story and the love affair we'll have. The air will be electric.

But for now, I'll relax at my desk, talk sweet to Simba, and let the end of the year wash over me like gentle waves.

Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years!

Crystal*

Overwhelmed? Yeah. A titch.

I will have five things to do and add two more. Or say "sure" when someone asks if I can add something on to what I'm doing.

I'm an idiot like this. Always have been.

I also like to book myself to the nth degree and then wonder why my ass is hitting my heels.

Let's book events two weekends in a row, cook Thanksgiving for a large crowd (the best crowd-wouldn't change a thing), then stumble into December with appointments, parties, no Christmas shopping done, and another event. OH! And a book dropping Black Friday.

I can do it all or die trying. 💀 

I'm booking four to five author events for 2024. And they are asking if I have a Personal Assistant.

A what? 😕

Personal assistant?

An assistant that is personal to me?

Do people have those? Other writers have those?

What is that even LIKE?

I'm completely perplexed and envious.

I'm making that a goal for 2024. Acquire a Personal Assistant.

It all sounds so...wonderful.

Always writing*

It's beginning to look a lot like...

 ...The Big Christmas Expo in El Reno!

I'll be spending my Saturday and Sunday from 10-6 here this weekend. I'm incredibly excited. Last year, I had ALL my Christmas shopping done early. First time ever. I've not replicated that this year. But this year has been a bit different and definitely busier.

I will probably do a LOT of Amazon shopping because my days are busy with family, events, and writing.

I'm a bit twitchy because I always get this way before an event. The unknown tends to rattle me. But I'm prepared with books, swag, and I'll be bringing some suckers. Woot!

I think the atmosphere is going to be absolutely amazing. I'm ready for it.

August took approximately three years. Then September and October was an inhale and exhale. November looks to be another quick one.

More good news!

I have my Canary: Dark Descent ebook for pre-order. I have it on sale the day it releases, Black Friday 11-24, through Cyber Monday, 11-27. It'll be discounted at $2.99. The price will go up to $4.99 on Tuesday the 28th.

Look for me bundling Canary and Canary: Dark Descent paperbacks around the beginning of December.

Have a great week!

Always writing*

...and doing a jig with my anxiety...

Perfect example

 Gave myself a week break between stories. Longer than I usually do. 😄

Prepared to write today on a Contemporary Romance I'd already started. But no...I'm working on another Contemporary Romance that came to me last night with the first scene absolutely perfect. As in, it sets the tone for the whole book.

This is another example of why I don't plan everything tightly. I know how I like to surprise myself. 😆

But also, it has no title. *clutches my imaginary pearls*

What the hell?

The title is my road map. I always have one before I even start typing a word down. 

What's happening here? In my OneNote, I only have it saved under the name of the town. 

I am unknown territory.

Meh.

Let's see where it takes us.

Always writing*

...without a title...ooooooooooo

Finished Dark Descent

 Lazy Sunday here. Simba's curled up on the floor. I have the fans fanning. 86? In the fall? Thanks, Oklahoma. 😑

Finished Canary:  Dark Descent Friday, and I'm so excited! 

Then there's...?

Take a small break. How small? Really small? I mean I have half a dozen books to work on INCLUDING Out of the Shadows, the third book in the Canary trilogy. My brain is full of Canary right now. I will probably work on my new Contemporary Romance. Unless I want to write another Fantasy? Maybe a standalone?

I become twitchy if I haven't written in five-seven days.

Bigger break? Deep clean the house? Completely scrub my cranial palate? At least during the day. Scenes and dialogue still come to me at night.

Jump right the hell back in immediately and calm the restless beast inside me. She's purring right now, but she'll be snarling soon enough. Bored and edgy. Tapping her long nails impatiently. Waiting for me to make a move, or she'll make hers.

Aren't writers fun?

Always writing*

...well, not right now. but maybe soon. but maybe not. but I can't decide...give me a week... 

Dreams come true

It happened. 

I now have an 8 year-old grandson, and 5,4,3, and 2 year-old granddaughters. Wasn't I just 25? With a 1,2, and 3 year-old of my own???

In my early fifties now. I've lived over half a century. It's not off-putting. It's fucking marvelous.

Sure, my body is in a bit of disarray, but I'm still here. And I'm living my dream.

How many people can actually say that?

Started publishing in 2005 and hit it HARD. Several books published from then until 2009, I believe. Then, you know, several life traumas killed the creative life, and my family came first. Large hiatus from then until I began writing again.

I ramped back up in 2016. Still hard to truly immerse when I'm working forty hours a week and commuting ten more. But weekends were purely writing.

Able to retire early in July 2021.

THAT began my real journey.

I'm what I will term a "floodgate" author. Once I open my mind to writing and let ideas flow, I'm inundated with them. Stop and start writing was nearly painful for me. I didn't know what I was shutting out, and it was awful.

Now? I write six out of seven days, full-time. I'm going to at least four or five author/book festivals a year. I am WRITING. Jotting any and all notes for current and future books.

THIS is my dream. I want to continue to grow and develop my skill. Write books that make people think, feel, love, and dream. Because that's what writing them does for me.

Dreams come true.

Always writing*

...finishing up Dark Descent... 

Author events and book signings!

Author events I will be attending with my merch:

October 15, 2023   Books & Brew Author Festival  Lawton, Oklahoma

November 11-12, 2023  The Big Christmas Expo-El Reno El Reno, Oklahoma

November 18, 2023  Oklahoma Author Showcase  Sapulpa, Oklahoma

May 25, 2024  Authors on the Riverwalk  Des Moines, Iowa

August 17, 2024  Book Me Romance  Ft. Smith, Arkansas

*******

There are other venues I've contacted for information and haven't received anything back yet. Some won't post until spring 2024. I hope to add dates in February, March, another August, and October 2024. Those sites include Kansas City, MO, Arlington, TX, Cedar Falls, IA, and Waco, TX.

I'm also looking into 2025 because it's so much better to have your year lined out at the beginning. There's a more than good possibility I'll be in Minneapolis in late June. 😄 

If you'd like me to attend your showcase/festival/signing...please go to my website:  Inman Books and contact me through there.

Have a wonderful week!

Always writing*

...I'm looking at YOU, Canary:  Dark Descent...

 

Romancing the Reader

Every fiction story written is contrived, as in occurring deliberately instead of spontaneously or naturally.

The nuance between good fiction and bad is if you can see the contrivance. 

The ebb and flow of a novel is key to keeping a reader interested. Always best to end a chapter on a cliff so the reader will want to continue to read the next chapter. Clever. 

A writer must also be a magician. A bit of sleight of hand, and the reader doesn't realize they've been directed to see or hear something germane to the story. It's only when the reader is putting together the pieces at the end do they realize they were given the important piece earlier in such a smooth way. There's an art to the craft.

I've read books that feel like all knees and elbows. I feel constantly bumped and pushed in odd directions because the author doesn't know how to direct traffic yet. And so it's a bumpy ride. I've read books that feel as though are neon signs above the places the reader should be allowed to pick up, themselves. I don't like obvious in books. 

I'm still reading Fairy Tale by the most-talented Mr. King. Normally, I would have gobbled it up in about three days, but we were out of town last Thursday through this past Monday. I'm not sure if this is considered a spoiler...but if it is..*SPOILER*

Hardback page 186:  "In a fantasy story, the author would invent some way the young hero or heroine could explore that world I was starting to think of as the Other. The author, might, for instance, invent a retreat his parent, or parents had to attend for several days, thus clearing the way for the young hero to visit the other world without provoking a bunch of questions he couldn't answer."

Our Mr. King is cheeky as hell. This is exactly what he's done in this book. He takes our hero's father and sends him on a retreat so Charlie is able to visit the Other without all those pesky questions. It's smooth and sly. A wink wink nudge nudge, if you will. 

Being able to connect with readers subtly without knocking them about is finesse. It's an author's love letter to the reader. This is my offering to you, with all my love. 

It's a beautiful thing.

Always writing*

Clear your calendar! OCTOBER 15TH 12-4

 

Come and see me October 15th at the Lawton Farmers Market. Coffee, pastries, and books!

Going to be a great time. 

I'll bring swag and my sparkling personality. They'll supply sugar and coffee.

It's a win-win!

Hope to see you there!

Always writing*

...or going to these awesome events

Canary: Dark Descent

Giving myself about three more weeks to finish Canary:  Dark Descent. Then off to my editor. Hope to publish a bit after Thanksgiving for holiday sales.

It's dark.

Canary isn't a walk in the park, but we see sides being drawn in Dark Descent. We see characters evolve into harder beings because they have to. We see loss. We see sacrifice. Love. There's always love. Like an undercurrent. But there's a darkness, a pall, that hangs over our characters. They thought one quick strike would finish the war, but the battle has only begun.

This series has given me an opportunity to explore and go deeper with my characters. I love Ray, my mercenary girl. She has her own set of rules and morals. No one else has to like them. But they keep her sane and alive. 

Good isn't always good, and bad isn't always bad. It's not a black and white world. Some would like to believe it is. Easier for them to think less if we were all carbon copies of either angels or devils. No comment on my placement.

Authors give characters attributes they need for the story, and those are not always pretty. We often walk the fine line between anti-hero and asshole. Readers want to punch this character in one scene and hug them in another. That's talent. 

I'm reading Fairy Tale by Stephen King on weekend evenings. What I'm enjoying, more than anything in the narrative right now, is the duality of Charlie Reade, the main character. And Charlie Reade is aware of his duality. Yes, he's done some pretty awesome things lately, but he's also capable of incredibly dark ones. And he doesn't let you forget it.  

Ray and I have miles to go before we rest. We're both committed or should be committed.  😶

See you in the story.

Always writing*

What world domination looks like

I couldn't leave it alone.

Let's be real.

I haven't brushed my hair in two days. I'm in boxers and a tank top. I'm on my second load of laundry. My feline love, Simba, isn't talking to me since I took him to the vet yesterday. The dishes need to be unloaded from the dishwasher. Kitchen needs to be cleaned. Rug needs to be vacuumed. Need to take out the trash. I haven't had lunch yet. No idea what that's going to be.

 

lmao  😁

TA-DA!

I always make the kitchen wait until after two when I'm mostly finished writing for the day. 

Still...laughing...

Dreams

I've always been a dreamer. I dream big. I love big. Like...I am the WHOLE DAMN ENCHILADA. 🥳

Happens to be a lot for some people. And I DO try to gauge my audience. But I'll be your hype chick. I will whoop and holler and rise up for your success. Because that's what we should do for each other.

I've been my own cheerleader for a bit. My own hype chick. Giving myself high-fives and doing dances in my office chair. 

Because...dreams.

I wanted to write. I wanted to be a published author. I wanted readers to enjoy my books. I wanted readers from all over the world. 

I've accomplished all of the above.  What's next?

World domination!  😁  slightly kidding...

Movie based on one of my books. USA Today bestselling novel. NYT bestselling novel. More conferences and book events to connect with fans--around the world. So many dreams to still work on and someday realize. I want name recognition. I want readers to chat with each other and ask, "Did you read this book by Crystal Inman?" Then they chat away.

But, for now, I'll work on Canary:  Dark Descent.

I'll eyeball my box of books. 😍

And I'll continue those world domination plans. 😉

Always writing*

The Audacity

I submitted "Canary" to a book magazine to see if one of the many editors would pick it to write a review. I received an email stating yesterday that they all passed.

For a literal millisecond, my feelings were hurt. Then I immediately shifted to--the audacity.

Then I laughed because that's probably what they were thinking about me. 😄

I've never heard of this author. Which may have been followed by any number of things. Not enough this. Not enough that. Que sera sera. 

But I'm still at--The Audacity.

I am one audacious soul. I freely admit it. 

I'm bold. Spirited. I'm a balls-out kinda girl.  And I always think in these situations--I took a chance. Why can't you?

Give it a shot. If you hate it, all's fair.

And this goes with everything. Sixty years old and want to go back to college???  Baby...GO!  Rooting for you! 👏👏👏

Having a baby late in life?  All the blessings for you and the tiny one. 🍼💝

Did this stop me in my professional tracks?  Ah, no.  *snort* Hurt my feelings for a millisecond. Irritated me for about twice that. Then pushed my drive button even harder.

Speaking of that. I'm booking for author events next year. August 17th is locked in. Poking around in February, March, and May, I think. I'll post when I have things finalized.

Also doing November 18th, a Saturday, this year at the Sapulpa library. More info to come on that the closer the date.

Don't let anyone take a bite out of your dreams. Or stomp the edges. You keep working. Polish the edges. 

Love it to life.

Always writing*

...and looking for places to listen to me talk or simply let me sell my books...😁

Conferences and Author Events!

 I've been trying to find author events and/or conference where I could sign up. As much as I would LOVE to go to Wyoming (oh, SO bad...you just don't know), I'm probably going to keep my yearnings fairly close for now.

Except Iowa. We have people there. 😁

If you've been stumbling along the Internet, here's where you need to go:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/AuthorsConnecting

Join this snazzy little group.  They have a spreadsheet in Google Docs that has listings from 2023-2025, as of now. 

I didn't realize how quickly tables go. I submitted four interest forms for 2024 and one for 2025. THAT was exciting. 😄

And I love the spectrum I submitted forms for. One was the inaugural. Another was the 11th year. One was only romance. Another was across all genres. I love to be a part of all of it. Meet new people. Learn new things. Laugh. Commiserate. 

Man, I love my people. Readers and authors. 💕

Now that I've done my due diligence, I'm off to look at my two Stephen King books I rented from the library yesterday. I have "The Outsider" 2018 and "Fairy Tale" 2022.

If you've read my bio, you know that I grew up reading the prolific Mr. King and any fairy tale I could get my hands on. This "Fairy Tale" he wrote sounds a lot like "The Talisman" he penned with Peter Straub and Jack...lonely brilliant Jack.

Either way, I'm sure he'll emotionally eviscerate me. I won't let just anyone do that to me.

Always writing*

...and letting some authors in so far, the words are imprinted on my soul

New cover. Same great story.

 Time for a cover refresh. 

"Over Her Head" is a Contemporary Romance. First in a trilogy. Set in Oklahoma.

It needed a new cover, but I looked and looked for probably two weeks and couldn't find anything remotely like what I wanted.

Shutterstock and I are frenemies. And I know it's been said that authors shouldn't create their own book covers, but HEY! I do it all. Literally.  All.

Then I perused what's selling in this genre and what the covers look like.  And let me simply add...I loathe doing that.  I want covers that are different, but different doesn't sell.  Or, rarely, which is incredibly disappointing.

Lo and behold...this sells.

I can see why it would. But dang.  *sigh*

Here's the new cover. Same great story. Guess it's easier to sell more feathers with a peacock than a sparrow.

Always writing*

I love libraries

 I'm a library kid.

Practically lived in one as a child. Spent every summer in one for years until I turned sixteen and worked as a shelver for two years.

Then back to it, right around eighteen years later, to start as a shelver for three months and then hire on full-time in Circulation. Worked for sixteen years.

Books are everything to me.

When I took early retirement, I knew I would miss my coworkers. Complete no-brainer. But the stacks. THE STACKS! To walk through and run my finger down hundreds of spines. Look at the new books. Smell the old books. Find new authors. Reread old series. Look at covers. Read blurbs. Admire. Feel. Immerse.

Libraries are timeless treasures that hold timeless treasures.

When I found out Chimera is available in libraries in at least six states and Canada, I nearly hyperventilated.

THIS IS PART OF MY DREAM! I want readers from all over the world to be able to read my books. And libraries, those beautiful, venerable, and cherished institutions, are helping my dream. 💖

Much love to my libraries and librarians! I see you! You'll always be my home away from home. 😊😌

Always writing*

...and reading...

I'm a sponge

I love being a sponge. Of course, sometimes I forget what month or day it is, but I DO know scorpions are biofluorescent. 

Anyway.

One of my favorite things about meetings and conferences is learning things I don't know and can use. If we're only going over things I already know, I give twitchy an entire new definition. But if you hook my ear with the talk of new knowledge? I am yours to the bitter end. 

The Romance Conference had a company, Draft2Digital, speak. I'd never heard of them. The COO? CEO? The C something or other gave a presentation. And it was amazing. Wide distribution in multiple formats with great customer service.

You've seen my IS posts about trying to fix my book covers and their customer service. 😣

I had enough. I emailed IS and told them to delete my account. Then went on to explain a few things of how I felt about their service. I'm sure they will be glad to delete me now. And I published both "Canary" and "Chimera" at D2D, less than ten minutes each.

LOVE learning new stuff. And I always come around to using it for something or other. 

Always writing*

...or publishing

My dance card is full

Mid-July through mid-August has been quite hectic.  Watching grandbabies.  Having everyone up for a BBQ (except the oldest 😞).  Attending the awesome RomanceLahoma conference.  Appointments and all the like.  Tomorrow, my baby child is having a same-day procedure that's not really simple.  And fibro.  

I'm ready to exhale.  

Except...I've about one week I can before September ramps up, and I'm spinning again.

We have three of the five granddaughter bdays in September.  And the Honey's.  October is all my kid's bdays--3.  Thanksgiving.  Christmas.  🤯

What the what?

I'm squeezing in Canary:  Dark Descent, second book in the Canary series, and I'd like to either finish Incantation, 4th book in the Rivers Sisters series, or my Erotic Romance.

That's what's happening here.  Will I still be writing?  Did Eminem give Elton John cock rings for a wedding present?

Yes and yes.  😁

Always writing*

...and sharing weird factoids...don't get me started on the carnivorous caterpillar...it's like a bad Grimm Bros fairytale...

Retirement

I've been retired a year on July 5th.

One year of no day job but my own.  Not going to lie.  That first month was weird.  I deep-cleaned the house and weeded and spun like a whirling dervish.  I knew I had a due north, but I was so used to being on my feet non-stop and moving moving moving, I had a difficult time slowing my roll.

Gradually.  Gradually.

I began to breathe.  I focused on being in the Sanctuary each day until fourish and worked on my writing.  I've published three books in this year, "Fascination, Chimera, and Canary."  Not bad.  😁

I'm grateful for the time I've been able to spend working on a career that means everything to me.  The opportunity to become the author I'm meant to be.  I can't explain how absolutely vital this is to who I am.

But besides the career, I've been available.

I've been available to watch grandchildren, be Nurse Ratched for Molly's knee operations, and come back to myself.  I've been available to help clean out a grandparents' home, have lunch with friends during the week, and be the weirdo that enjoys shopping at nine o'clock on a Tuesday morning.  I can clean the house, make dinner for Molly, and finish laundry by five.

This time is precious.  This time is...amazing.  I never take it for granted.  Not one minute.

Always writing*

CANARY

Anti-hero.

Fae.

Demons. Rage siblings. Mouthy mortals.

Ray Smith is a solitary soul.
Hijacked by determined siblings, she’s thrust into a Fae war with high stakes and ruthless consequences. Ray reluctantly agrees to help and soon becomes head of the growing group. She embodies the daring leader her siblings need, but apathetic anti-heroes aren’t above the fray.
A psychotic birth mother. Creatures bred to kill. An obnoxious Fae Queen. Siblings to protect.
Ray finds herself thrust into the twisted lineage game that takes no prisoners. There is no room for errors, and the clock is ticking.

"Canary" available in eBook and paperback. Book 1 in the "Canary" trilogy.

Always writing*

Double the pleasure. Double the fun. Double the stress.

Y'all of a certain age probably remember the doublemint twins and their commercials.  Cute tie-in between the twins, and the gum being "double" mint.  Catchy jingle.

Double can be good or bad.  I always wanted to be a twin.  Thank the good Lord he saw what an incredibly bad idea that would be.  

I was going to strictly use IngramSpark for distribution for "Chimera" and "Canary."  Turns out that isn't working for me, and I've also released them on Amazon.  I'm not even going to compare the difference in intuitive instruction. 😒 

Sometimes it's hard to keep track of both of anything.  Two FB pages, one professional and one personal.  Same with Twitter.  I've given up on Insta.  Shame on me.  Streamlining sounds great.  I tried tweetdeck for one day, had a small mental breakdown, and never opened it again.  I like my chaos how I like my books.  Started by me.  😎

Hope I've made a good call here.  If not, brace yourself for the blog post that states I'm an idiot because I think I can multi-task things outside my head like I can INSIDE my head.  😬

Koo koo kachoo

Always writing*

...and diversifying my portfolio...😂

Monday? Again?

And nearly July?

And some horrible horrible person on my Facebook feed had the AUDACITY to remind everyone that six months from yesterday is Christmas.  My thoughts as of this morning:

Time needs to slow its roll whilst I need to speed my roll up.  😬

I wrote myself a timeline for the books I've started and when I thought to finish and publish.

I have "Incantation", Book Four in the Rivers Sisters set, finished in July and "Canary:  Dark Descent" finished in the fall. I'm going to have to swap those out. I'm about 20,000 words short, give or take, on Canary DD.  But it's going out next.

Think I'll meander over and open that one up.

Always writing*

...and NOT thinking about the 'ber months and their holidays...😑 

I write.

I've written, to publish, since 2005. I put together a website. I started a blog. I was committed to it. 

A fire burned my home to the ground in 2006.

I started over.

But it's hard to set aside the time when you work forty hours and commute an hour a day. A million issues with the loss of the house and several relationships.

Moved to town. A hundred and six more issues. Not an ideal time to work on writing. Dedicated myself to my kids and job.

Fast forward myself to now. I write full-time. The game is completely different. You don't send SASEs and receive form letters shoved back in them. Most use query tracker (I LOVE QUERY TRACKER), and it's all online. 

Need new website, blog, Twitter, Insta, TikTok, FB page, etc. It's crazy how much as changed (good or bad) and how much has evolved for the better.

Googled myself today. The first site to pop with my name is LinkedIn! My website IS in flux as my tech mistress is working on a brand new site. 

Sites in order:

LinkedIn

Amazon Author Page

Simon & Schuster Author Page

Goodreads

ThriftBooks!!!

InmanBooks

Twitter

That floors me. Truly. Need to work on raising a couple of those sites in the results. I feel my website needs to be in the top spot with Amazon and Simon & Schuster right below. 

Goals.

Always writing* 

When I made friends with IngramSpark

My views have bumped up a bit. Hello to all my new visitors! Glad to have you.

Today I shall be cussing and discussing my experience with IngramSpark. 

To be fair, I went into this new foray with zero idea of what in the hell I was doing. Zero. Incredibly more labor-intensive than Kindle Publishing on Amazon. That's simply what it is.

I didn't have "embedded font". That took me two weeks and several sleepless nights, only to find out it's a simple print issue. Color me educated. I threw together an entire book cover (front, spine, back) and simply wanted to import it to use.

Um, no.

I learned I must use a "template book cover" from IS with their calculations to print correctly. Okay. That took a good couple of weeks while I was struggling not to punch a wall and cha cha on my laptop.

Formatting. Two books in, and I've finally understood what I need on calculations. I probably had seven revisions on formatting the interior for "Chimera." Nobody was happy in Whoville.

But the biggest issue was the back and forth with ISBNs, barcodes, and uploading files. What did I need first? And I needed a cover to get the ISBN. But I needed the ISBN to begin the file for the new book. And I had to have all the info for both to fill out because Bowker and IS want everything. Understandable.

"Chimera" was three weeks of throwing my hands up and cursing everything from font to format and back again.

"Canary" was three days of pulling my shit together and using all the new knowledge.

Was it worth it?  We shall see.  Right now, the eBook distributors have my eBook but aren't showing the cover.  😑

IS assures me they have 30 days to add all the meta data, including the cover.  They resent all the info, to make sure the distributors have it.

Hard to sell a book with a black cover, no matter how good the story. 😶

meh

Always writing*

...Dark Descent...second story in my "Canary" trilogy...

I made this.

Let's say I wanted to stomp on my laptop about 2 1/2 weeks ago. I couldn't work my Chimera book cover into IngramSpark specs, and I was about to lose my shit. I worked on that SOB for well over a week, tweaking it. 

My first foray into IS territory, and I was dying slowly and horrifically.  I hated Canva, Adobe, and really, every other picture program because I WAS NOT GETTING IT.

After revising the cover, probably about seven times, I received a proof I could approve!!! 🥳🎉

Yes, Virginia. There is a Santa Claus.

Then I immediately went to work on the cover for Canary. I used Canva. The Cold War was over. And I made this:

I love this cover with my soul.  It's exactly what I wanted, and I am damn proud.

I learn something new daily. And I DO NOT give up. 

Here's to the lifetime learners and stubborn souls who keep going even when they want to use their laptop for target practice.  You are my people.  And you can do it!

Always writing*

A cover! A cover! My kingdom for a cover!

For some unknown reason, IngramSpark is having one hell of a hard time accepting the cover for my paperback, Chimera. There is a process. I've followed it. Repeatedly. Still shows my cover as pure black. I've sent two HELP ME emails. No response. I've lost what little I have left of my writerly sense of humor. I wanted Chimera available at the beginning of June. 😣

Tick tock, Clarice.

I'm also on my last edit of Canary. I need to look for cover images. Now. I don't know whether to put the cover together as a whole and then add the file, or try to use the IngramSpark Cover Template something or other because maybe they will finally take my fucking artwork. ???

Guys. It's only ten o'clock. If I had an ulcer, it would already be flaring. 😒

Luckily, I've put an extra big scoop of Energizer powder into my smoothie this morning. 😁

Always writing*

...and making covers that SOME places seem to have a problem with, but not the ebook...OH NO...that one's fine...😑

Priorities

Y'all know I'm a Mom and Mimi.  The past five days, I've been basically a full-time Mimi.  My middle daughter has the girls in "school."  They are two and four.  But they had a break to switch from the school year to summer, and my daughter didn't have anyone to watch the girls while she worked the past five days.

Take that in. 

If she missed one day, she could be fired.  She could lose her apartment, have utilities cut off, and be at zero.  Because she didn't have anyone to watch her girls.  One of those days was Memorial Day.  No one is going to watch your kids on Memorial Day.???  It's a holiday.  Everybody has a day off.  Except for those who don't.  😑

Some families don't have built-in friends and relatives who will watch the kids.  I didn't have that.  She doesn't have that.  And it's hard to find someone you're going to trust your two small children with.  Great concept.  Terrifying reality.

I had this problem twenty years ago.

Single parents need help in ways that aren't being offered.  And, per usual, programs and guidelines are made by those who have never had to deal with the issue.  

They crunch numbers and nod their heads and plug in calculations that look right on paper.  

Parents and their children deserve better.  We should be doing everything in our power to cultivate young minds and giving parents the opportunity to have better choices.  

Period.

Always advocating for parents and their babies*

I'm tired.

 I feel guilty because I'm tired.

Is that a woman thing? A "me" thing? A both thing? I'm not sure.

When I've particularly gone through it and come out on the other side, this quote resonates in my head: 

“Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child you have stolen, for my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great. You have no power over me!”  Attributed to Jim Henson who I love with my soul.  💖

Usually I'll give myself a day or two, at most, and I start again on editing or writing. "Chimera" is off for processing. Publishing through IngramSpark, which was an entirely new experience. I feel as though I've been put through the woodchipper. 😬 It was an entirely new experience, but now I'm adept at submitting and publishing through them. Only took half my mind and most my soul. 😶

I think I'm going to give myself a day or two. Then I'll edit "Canary" and publish. 

Today? 

I think I'm going to make a casserole and vacuum. 😎 

Always writing*

...this blog counts 😁

It's been eight days since my last blog...

 ...forgive me.

I'm not even Catholic, yet I feel as though I should atone somehow. 😄

Currently taste-testing IngramSpark for "Chimera".  To say it's been an adventure would be the understatement of the year, so far.

I purchased ISBNs and barcodes.  It's a complete mind shift from Amazon, believe me.  And when I think I've finally found a toehold?  My foot slips.  

IngramSpark is more hands-on and interactive.  Amazon is plug and play.

It's taken me five days to create the cover I want.  Others could probably whip it out in two or three.  Good news?  Next time it'll take me around three.  The more I do, the easier it will be, and we all have to start somewhere.

I don't have someone who does any writing business things for me.  It's me, myself, and I.  Sometimes I want to light my hair on fire, and other times I'm the proudest heifer on planet earth.  

There are so many more facets to writing a book than tapping out a story, and I want to be proficient in all of them to give myself the best chance for success.  And I want the books I write to touch readers.  That's what I reach for anytime I sit at my computer.  Connection.  

If you want to write, just to write, please do.  And bless you if you have any type of help with any of it.  Writing can be sexy, but it is, after all, still work.  It reminds me of this meme that I love.

  

Always writing*

To infinity...and beyond...

...and probably farther than that. 😬 

I'm editing "Chimera."  Again.  Yesterday I used the "find" option to look for those words I use I don't necessarily need.  And holy shit.  Easy to get real happy with certain words, isn't it?  Not one "very" which I was incredibly pleased about.  But "that"?  Oh, help me.  Half of those I simply deleted without changing any meaning to the sentence.  ARGH  

Crutch word.

A phrase I used ad nauseum.  And the word "started."  Oh, that one is a devil.  Horns and all.

But now it's tighter and leaner.  And it has me wondering.  Is that how I talk?  Going to be paying more attention to that.  

Sometimes I will literally edit what I say before I say it.  Do other writers do that?  

Endlessly fascinating.

Still on vacation.  Sitting in this uncomfortable ass chair and working on the words.  

EDITING

We're almost there, darling.  Almost there.

Always writing*

  

Roll with it

I AM ON VACATION!!!

This was actually postponed from three years ago.  We were definitely overdue.  And while we will enjoy the sauna, grilling, and a different view...I still have editing.  Because of course I do.  😁

I've set up shop in the kitchen.  This place has a decided lack of desks.  It's disturbing.  And I can't type with my laptop on my lap.  Too wibbly wobbly.  

We brought the fur children.  My feline son has ants in his pants.  Can't seem to settle his cute little butt down.  We're staying for a week.  He was running this place Day 2 of the last time we were here.  

But back to the theme.

Roll with it.

I'm a creature of habit.  I like what I like how I like it.  I love my desk, my Sanctuary, and all my regular writing habits.  And I'm not someone who turns a corner easily, so this is a bit challenging.  But here I am.  Sitting at the kitchen table in a rigid wooden chair with my laptop and my special light-up keyboard because I need the familiarity of the clack clack clack of the keys.  My power cord to my laptop is stretched from table to cabinet.  And it's a bit uncomfortable.

But it's no more uncomfortable than sitting around and doing absolutely nothing with my writing.  That's simply unacceptable.  If I have to sit on the floor and put my laptop on a coffee table, I will.  If my ass goes numb, already halfway there now, I will still sit here and finish what I started.

Rarely is there a perfect writing day.  Those are for rich authors who can sequester themselves in a suite or writers' haven and only concentrate on one thing.  The rest of us juggle on the daily.  Squeeze this love in when we can.

Picture of Simba sleeping by my feet.  Obligatory feline son picture.

  

Simply, write when you can, even in not-so-great circumstances.  You'll be glad you did.

Always writing*

...signed numb ass in Oklahoma

Please Come Again Review

I have an author interview and review for Please Come Again available.  All my love and thanks to Lily who did both.  💖  

When I began publishing, I could send a story off to six different review sites and come back with three good reviews I could use on my webpage.  This was circa 2006.  

The game has changed...and then some.

Most of those sites no longer exist.  The ones that do have changed their protocol.  Some are "members only" for authors.  Some no longer review and only advertise.  And some are booked for months for reviews so why bother?

Then there are ads.  They're expensive as hell.  And where do you want to place them?  Twitter?  FB?  Insta?  Amazon?  There are so many sites willing to post one post for you for an exorbitant amount of money in front of their 60,000 followers.  I can't justify that.  Believe me, I've tried.  I have to be smart with my advertising dollars.  

I find my reviewers.  I post my ads.  I scour the damn Internet looking for ways to promote myself I haven't thought of previously.  My hair is always on fire.  I want to give my works the most and best exposure I can find.  I want to blast the ever-loving hell out of them, as a proud parent does.  😊

So go take a look at Lily's site and check out my review.  We'd both appreciate it.  😁

Always writing*

...and working this ass off...😉

Write to Market

Write to Market also means Write to Trend.  Crunch numbers.  Look at Data.  Observe what is popular.  Sink your teeth into and write something that fits into those parameters.  I think it's a losing game.

I will go farther and even admit that I would rather do the research than pay one of MANY sites to do this for me.  

I'm talking hundreds of dollars to point you in the right direction.

Problems I have with this:

1.  The market can become saturated nearly overnight with the "trending" genre.

2.  I feeling like continuing to "write to market" leaves you chasing instead of leading.

3.  There are certain genres that will always be popular, and a good book will always find a home.

4.  Some agents ask for such a particular book on their MSWL there is no way you're writing it before interest fades, and the next hot thing comes down the pike.

5.  I want to be the first Crystal Inman--not the next whoever else:  Nora Roberts. MaryJanice Davidson. 

6.  There isn't a next new thing---UNTIL THERE IS.

My Facebook feed is full of ads promising to make my book a bestseller if I pay them to do this, that, and the other.  There are magic words they can use, and voila!  Tricks of the trade.  Blah blah blah.  

I've tried to educate myself on SEO, press kits, keyword searches, etc.  

The best you can do as a writer is write what you are called to write.  Believe in yourself and your words.  Don't chase someone else's dream or their stories.  Build your own so magnificent and beautiful and grand there is no possible way you won't succeed.  No matter what the market trend says.

Always writing*  

Used to it

 As I was leaning over the dryer and stretching up to open the cabinet above it to grab a trash bag to clean out Simba's litter box, I suddenly thought:  1.  I forget how short I am.  2.  I'm used to inconveniencing myself to grab said trash bag.  3.  Why haven't I moved trash bag box down to an easier accessible place for my short self?

Because I was used to it. 

This has been my routine every other day for years.  Maybe my spine is getting something out of it, though I doubt it.

Then I started thinking back about things I've become used to.  I'm more of a homebody, but that's due to Fibro and kick-starting my writing career into high.  I need to make myself get dressed and go out to eat breakfast by myself.  Thrift store shop.  Mix it up a bit.

But there are things in your life that you do NOT get used to.  That's because you're not meant to.

I was treated poorly at my previous job.  I would go in optimistic each day,  and by the time we opened the doors, I wanted to cry.  Not once did I get used to it.

Being in a relationship that you have no benefit from but wishing upon wish it will change?  No.  Exit stage left.  Been there twice.  It won't change.  You have to change the dynamic.

Now.  Professionally.  I'm an optimist, mostly. 😉😁

Query rejections are BRUTAL.  They pop in my email, and I file them and continue on.  I don't let myself become used to them because that's not where I live.  I live on the bestseller lists doing book tours and meeting readers and making a difference in lives.

Now that?  THAT I could get used to.

Always writing*

Self-doubt

I am my own cheerleader.  I am also my family's cheerleader.  I believe everybody should have someone who cheers them on no matter what.  Being the matriarchal maven of Clan Inman, that be me.  And I will never let me children, gbabies, or future ggbabies believe they don't have what it takes.

I raised myself a great deal of the time so I learned to be my own cheerleader.  But it took me many years to figure that out.  Now, it's second nature.  Most times, I'll do it in a humorous way.  "Let's do this, bitches!"  Knowing I am, indeed, bitches.  😂 Or muttering the Bob the Builder catchphrase paraphrased..."Can we do it?"  You bet your balls we can.  😁  It eases the pressure a bit while giving me a bit of an oomph to continue.

But self-doubt?  She's a wily fucking cow.  I'm not a regular on Twitter though I really enjoy a handful of accounts.  But it seems as though every time I hop on Twitter, I see a feed full of people who are being asked to send fulls on their first queries, and they found their dream agents on THEIR FIRST BOOKS.

Not going to lie.  I'm this meme right here.  

Oh.  Did you?  That's so wonderful.  For you.  And your first book.  Wow.  😐

Then begins the litany in my grey matter of:  "What have I done wrong?" "What part of my story is unpalatable?"  "Should I stop trying to find an agent?"  "Maybe I'll never be what they want."  

ON AND ON AND ON AND ON

And I have to shut that voice down because it won't fade away.  Oh no, friends.  It'll grow louder and louder until I can't hear anything else, and I can't let that happen.  I won't let that happen.  At book talks, I tell the audience, "Good books find a home."  And I mean that.  I wouldn't say it if I didn't.  

I'll shake myself off.  Take a few deep breaths.  Dive back in.  Because I have so many stories in me, and I'm not going to let a few stumbles along the way completely derail me.  Rah rah, Crystal.  RAH RAH

Always writing*

First kisses

That intoxicating first kiss.  

Fascination

One minute Megan was standing on the ground.  The next minute, Wade’s mouth angrily took hers as his arms tightened around her.  Her back pressed against a tree, and she had nowhere to go.  There was nothing gentle in the kiss.  Wade's mouth sealed over hers and took everything he’d never asked for.  The bite of it had her moaning against his mouth.

Megan’s hands fisted in his hair and kept his mouth pressed to hers while she nipped at his lip and told herself that Wade's intensity had sparked hers and this wasn’t her fault, and oh God, his mouth tasted like nothing she’d ever had before.

*******

Always writing*

When the real world intrudes on my fantasy life

In a perfect world, my short ass would tap tap tap away creating worlds that readers would enjoy whilst others worried about book covers, editing, marketing, publishing, et al.  I would do book tours, signings, and anything else required, but my main job would be the stories.

In the real world, I have depression, anxiety, fibro, and am prone to headaches.  Actually have one working my right temple currently.  Depression and anxiety are a ridiculous pair of assholes you think would ALMOST contradict each other.  Like hey!  You sorry fuckers should cancel each other out!  Alas, no.  I, at least, understand depression for what it is.  Anxiety?  ANXIETY?  It's your brain playing chicken with you.  

Why are you anxious, Crystal?  I have no idea.  Seriously?  Yeah.  Take it up with my brain.  😑

I literally lost a week to fibro.  Had the worst flare of my life on the weekend, and it pretty much sucked the life out of me through the week.  Body flared.  Weak.  It was awful.  My PCP and I believe stress triggers it.  😫  Hey Anxiety!  Nice to see you again, you absolute POS.  😡

Immersing myself in writing calms my circuits down.  I may bitch, whine, and moan, but it's absolutely therapeutic.  It's when I am at my best.  It's falling down the rabbit hole on purpose and skipping down any path you choose and knowing, KNOWING, it'll still be better than what's topside.  

Writers are prone to depression.  I've many theories as to why.  But a large part of me thinks it's because we have to come back out of the rabbit hole.

Always writing*