Last night's event

Sold a few books. 

Brought:

Apollo and Hyacinthus

The Portrait

Please Come Again

Chimera

Over Her Head

Sold all but one title. And it was the book people looked at the most: The Portrait.

Crazy.

Also, gave out 80 business cards, which I love. Met a lovely neighbor table person, Liliana Provencial. She's easy to adore.

All in all, I give it a 7.

What I took in was a few things I'm going to use this coming Saturday, August 1st, at Red Dirt Romance Book Event. 

Will have a sign up for newsletter and ARC readers. Giveaway basket. Some reviews for my books. 

Favorite things from last night:

"They're all so different!"  Talking about my variety of titles.

"I love Greek mythology."  Let me introduce you to my Plot Twist series.

"This sounds so good!" Referring to each title at different points in the evening.

"Are you on Kindle?"  Yes. I surely am.

Also learned:

Never doing another night event.

Never doing another second floor event.

BLESS the young man who helped carry my seven totes and cart up and down the damn steps. May karma give you a massive kiss. You were the sweetest soul.

Today will be working on graphics and verbiage for my ailing website. Needs a good revamp. And I need to keep up with it. 

Panic Mode

 From 1-5, I'm like a 2.5 right now. 

Guthrie tomorrow.

Red Dirt Romance 8/1/26

Ft. Smith and Book Me Romance 8/15/26

Feeling good about tomorrow other than I've never had an event with them before. 

Excited about all of these.

But then...I question myself. Like, more than usual.

Before I break down my breakdown...let me say this: Popular titles will change at each destination and each year. Don't think one title will be the one to RULE THEM ALL. (Man, I love Tolkien.)

Unless it's obviously the whipped cream on your cocoa.

Chimera, an Intersex Romance, is a particular niche, I suppose. At one event, it was the most popular title. Other times, it's Canary, an Urban Fantasy. 

And did I tell you I'm hawking my wares at Smut Palooza 2026?

Mostly C'ann Inman titles, of course. All the Erotic Romance.

Do I need to capitalize genres and subgenres? NO. But I like it.

And I believe that I've previously stated that once I get a ball rolling, that bitch gathers speed like it's covered in grease.

I've stickered all my "display only" titles. Added the genre to some. Tricked out my display rack. Man, to see a lot of my titles all gathered in one place? 

Holy shit.

Amazing.

On the need to do list right now:

Decide on how many for each title for Guthrie and the Red Dirt Romance Book Event.

I ordered more of my Erotic Romance books for Book Me Romance 2026.

What I don't sell then, I'll roll over into Smutville.

Need gold ribbon.

Maybe make a basket?

Panic mode on a cool 3 now.

It's about that time

Book event season!

Let me guide you:

STRESS

Pulling all my shit together

Making more shit

Making sure I have all my shit

EVENT DAY

ALL THE FUN!

Then I will need to lay down for three days.

Finally pulled all my books together for Saturday's event.

Good news? Going back to the pink hair soon. 

And I'll have FIVE titles with me!

Apollo and Hyacinthus--mythological retelling

Chimera--LGBTQIA2S+

Over Her Head--contemporary romance

Please Come Again--erotic romance

The Portrait--romantasy

Bringing a little bit o' everything.

Probably would have squeezed in "Dream Walker", but it may clash with the romance motif. 🤔

My PA is making wonderful reels and posting on my socials. I heart her.

I'm working on my short story, editing Ace, and losing my mind.

Welcome to my Thursday.

To be or not to be...NOT "to be"

Okay y'all. Ya girl is editing Ace, writing a short story for an anthology, and generally roasting her ass off.

While editing Ace, I took out my crutch words. You know the ones. They add nothing to the narrative, but you're obscenely fond of them. I've taken "just" out of my vocabulary and simply won't add it anywhere in my books now. I use "actually" a lot. That gets the axe. "That". "Had". "Then". "So". 

I also stumbled upon a new favorite: to be. Are they, or aren't they? FFS

I'm not even going to delve into all the "to be"s I homicided in book 3 of my Plot Twist series. But it took a long damn minute to do.

You see, we evolve. And that means when we can't reach the old standbys...we fill in something else. 

Word of warning:  You can create crutch words or phrases--no matter where you are in your writing career. 

Embarrassing as fuck. But human nature.

When I'm in the flow, I write to create. Adding in chapter numbers comes in later. I did that today. I'm sure some have a fancy spreadsheet with all the info. I use a colored index card to write down chapter number and page. Quick, easy, and doable for me.

These books came so quickly that the first edit is akin to gazing upon an unattractive infant. It's appearance is not quite what you expected, but you love it anyway.

Story is solid. Spelling in on-point. But correcting usage, homonyms, and grammar mistakes take time. 

Don't get me wrong. Not knocking it. I love it. I feel as though I've created a deep bond with these characters, and I absolutely revel in it.

My literary fam.

Am I procrastinating working on both the editing and writing by typing up this blog?

I should know better...

...but I don't.

Couldn't fall asleep last night. Too much creativity. Too many ideas. If I hadn't taken my nocturnal cocktail, I simply would've gotten up and continued the writing and adjacent items. But I did. No midnight typing for me.

But, The Murphenator woke me at 2:08 wanting to share my pillow. Which is cool, of course, until he starts to make biscuits on my cheek. Then it is decidedly less than frosty.

I get up and give him his can of wet food and attempt to fall back asleep.

*insert hysterical laughter*

Rolled out of bed around 2:30. Cleaned the kitchen and adjourned to the Sanctuary to write a bit on my ideas. Stayed up until 6:00. Rolled back out of bed at 9:30. 

Back in the Sanctuary to prepare for this Saturday, could have said Friday before--I know🙄, and the Romance Book Festival in Guthrie, Oklahoma. 

Uber excited.

Not uber excited about taking on a flight of stairs. 

I firmly believe that every building should have an access to second floors and basements and whatnot for handicapped people. Isn't that a law?

Antyway, had to check with a publisher to make sure I only signed up for one story in their many anthologies. I simply don't trust myself, at this point.

Lo and behold, thank you Lordt, that's it. 

And that's one of the unholy reasons I couldn't sleep last night. 

Idea after idea. Ended up using my "Notes" on my phone which I hate. Talk to text.

Because I think I'm enunciating clearly while it thinks I talk like Reba McEntire. 

(No offense, woman. I love your twang.) 

And oh shit! I forgot to tell you, I haven't gotten to it a second time yet for editing, but there's either book 4 or 5 in the Plot Twist series which has a word in it that I can't figure out for the life of me. Like yeah, I typed that. But obviously didn't mean whatever the blue fuck was put down. 😶

That's a problem for Tomorrow Crystal. 

Today Crystal has enough going on.

The voices need to chill.

I hear dialogue in my head. I have odd notions come to me all hours of the day. Last night, I misspelled a single word and now have an idea for another book.

But holy shit balls. The voices? They are on blast.

Before I wrote full-time, I would have to parse the voices. When I didn't have time, I would nail the doors shut and hope to fuck they didn't break. Because I'm a full immersion type chickie. When I'm in...I'm IN.

And when I open the door to my creativity and don't try to actively block it, the voices have a rave.

I'm editing two books right now and have all sorts of ideas and, wouldn't you know it, the last sentence of  "The Rabbit God". In true Crystal form, the book I haven't started writing yet.

I've tried to put the feral folks in my Mind Cabin (more of a chalet) and have them calm the fuck down. But voices are raised. Confetti is flying. And those obnoxious little horn screamer things are at full volume.

I should put a sedative in the water, shouldn't I?

New office toy!

Writing-my first love. Gathering everything related to writing-my second love.

I've expounded on my hundreds of pens, thousands of post-it notes, and numerous notebooks and planners. Received the comb binding machine for Christmas. Have my own fucking laminator!

And now, I present the Niimbot B1:

Isn't she beautiful? *sigh*

Now, all I need is Excalibur and a unicorn to take over the world. 

😁

Different kind of morning

Not too different. Did a pick up for drugs and food at WM. Then had to unpack and put that shit up. Thought I was having heatstroke. Had to sit down for a bit. I run so damn hot. I have it on 67 in my car. I have two fans on me right now. One is two feet from my person. 

Antyway...I usually blog first. Then post, when I remember and feel like it. That segues into my writing. Did I tell you I finished "The Gordons"? Yes, indeedt. I did. My mind is picking apart "The Rabbit God" as I type this. And when I try to fall asleep. And when I'm cooking. And in the shower. 

And it's delicious. All excited about a book that won't be out until April.

But isn't that how all authors are or should be? Every book is a new piece of the sum of us. The discovery is crucial to the process. 

I could compare it to baking a cake. Or fixing a car. Or open-heart surgery.

But let's be honest here. Even if you're a plotster, and I both envy and forgive you, you still don't have every sentence typed out as a guideline to go by. Something can still surprise you. 

Surprises in the aforementioned tasks would not be a good thing. In writing? It's exhilrating. 

PA already made my first graphic. And it's so cool and different from my offerings. I'm a basic bitch, I suppose. 

This Bill Nye meme gives me life. Because I'm a nerdy author like that.

My new daily routine will consist of writing, editing, and only making graphics when I want to.🥳🎉

With that being said, I'm off to edit "The Morrigan" for the fifth time. 

Oh, and also story build for a short Christmas story published by ASB Publishing. 

Possibly work on another short story for another anthology next year. 

FFS...I need another fan.

O to the K then

I have a PA! 😭

My short ass is so happy. Spent all morning sending graphics she can access to make content and post. 

And took an hour after writing that sentence to work out more issues.

I really don't know how this is going to go, but I have high hopes. And I love this woman to death. That's a comfort. She's in the business. She knows the business. Lordt, let her take care of my business. 

By the way, I suck at networking. Started thinking about this as I have three book events basically three weekends in a row. I will probably talk a bit to the person beside me, but I'm too damn awkward to have it go much further than that.

I can people, but it's not my preference until it has to do with books. And even with that, my battery ebbs pretty quickly. 

The hype is real. 

Surrounded by other authors and readers?

Oh my fuck. Major dopamine hit. It's the fucking most magical place--wherever that may be. You can feel it in the air. There's a lot of chatter and laughter. A light mood with good people.

I AM looking forward to all the upcoming events.

Now. And there's always a "now." I need to ready my books, swag, and important papers. One of the lesser-fun sides of this life. But I always feel accomplished when I'm finished.

NOT...right before.

Let there be a PA!

I've groused on the regular about how publishing has changed in 20 years, and expectations are different. I wrote. They edited and published. But...I never got to choose my cover. I would send the book out for review and keep up with small other things.

Now? I write, edit, publish. I create graphics, reels, and book covers. I have complete control. I love it. But it's a fucking lot. And I desperately need someone to manage ARCs and socials. Because my overworked short ass mightily sucks at it.

And...I may get one as early as this coming week! 

I am so excited I can barely deal with myself. It would take so much pressure off me. I can create. She can market. 

Is this...is this author heaven?

In other written news, I finished (didn't finish) the Gordons. Let me 'splain. 

I have roughly 5000 more words to write to round it out about 70,000 words. 

Cool beans.

But this last 5000 will be the bridge between books 5 and 6. And, of course, it's all new and shiny and I'm SO EXCITED!

That may fade as I'm forced to do serious research on a couple characters. Which, I don't mind. But it makes my brain hurt sometimes. And with another sleepless night under the belt I never wear, it's going to be a challenge? And you know what we all say when we face a new challenge, right???

I'm going to do that shit, but I will probably complain on here about it. 

The last revision

 

I remember English teachers passing out a printed piece of paper with a skeleton slumped forward at their desk, and it simply stated "final revision" at the bottom. You know, like an old-school meme.

As I continue my writing journey, I can tell I've improved. FFS. I hope so. And when I received my rights back to books I wrote twenty years ago, I knew they'd need an edit, even though they were edited by a professional editor at the time.

I was not wrong.

That's not the issue. More than happy to tweak and whatnot. 

My problem, because I'm almost done with book 5, and I'm twitchy as shit...is that I want to go back and edit the first three books in a paranormal romance I wrote about a decade ago. It's a five-piece series, and I've written 3. The others are safe, ?, in my head. I know what's going to happen. I simply haven't had the oomph to deal with them. Because my ADHD brain is going batshit over my Plot Twist series. So, there's that.

This is the hardest part for me. Whenever I'm near the end of a book, I'll immediately start looking for that next hit of dopamine. Did I start on book 6? BAHAHAHAHAHA

Fuck yes, I did. Am I eyeballing old works to edit? Ditto.

But...lucky for me, I didn't sleep worth shit last night. Who forgot their nocturnal medicinal cocktail? Yeah. This heifer. It was a rough one. 

I've decided today is about making reels. Plot Twist series reels. 

Let's hope my creativity is awake.

Another "back in my day..." post

Roughly a millennia ago, everybody blogged. Either on Blogspot or WordPress. I forgot the other big one at the time. 

But when you ask the writing business pros about it, they are not enthused. 

Totally beside the meme...William Shatner turns 95 today.

Y'all know I purchased a weekly reminder calendar for social posts. It's now more of a suggestion than an obligation. 😬

On the other hand, I did it again. "The Gordons" is at 61,161 words. I'm thrilled. I also badly wanted to type that out because all day yesterday I was thinking six one one six one. Made me happy.

Anyway, today I caught myself listening to dialogue for book 6, "The Rabbit God." Yep. There's a "The" in it. Looked back at my book cover to make sure, in case you're wondering how I function on the daily.

And...I MADE THE ONENOTE NOTEBOOK for book 6! 🥳🎉

Y'all. That's like foreplay, I swear. 

Shiny new slate to impose my will on. Okay. Try to impose my will on. *glances around*

shhhhhhhh

For those about to write...

...I salute you! 🫶

It was a lovely holiday weekend. Except Saturday morning when I turned on the kitchen faucet, and the POS sprayer handle flew off and hurtled toward me and my then-soaked ass. 

I wrote a lot Friday, and I actually did some voice to text notes about "The Gordons." I knew Saturday and Sunday with middle child and two granddaughters would not be writing days.

Took up some type of Mah-Jongg on my phone. Damn addictive. Different tiles and whatnot. Then, when I've done well, it says "good job" or "excellent job". Sounds like the male voice in Mortal Kombat that says "finish him!"

Not gonna lie. I love that shit.

But, this morning, after breakfast, I like to ease into my day. I open up the app, and it's a sign from the universe!

A lot of my tiles are Greek mythology figures. Some of my favorite fictional people. Hermes, Athena, not YOU Zeus, Demeter, and I don't like you either, Poseidon.

But I rather loved it.

And as I cruised my socials this morning, I realized I have a lot of work to do today all across the Interweb. Because, damn it, these books DO NOT market themselves. Which is my least favorite part of all of it. piffle

We'll see where the day takes me. "The Gordons" is at 57,117 words. At least 12,000 more. 

Plus, I have to socialize on the big 4 or 5 platforms. 

Yeah. This happened this morning.

I used to love to go grocery shopping. See different stores. Look at regional things. Yada. But since the body collapse, I do pick-ups. And since Sam's was a complete butthole yesterday and didn't have my patties in for this weekend, I had to do another pick up at WM today. Even though I was just there yesterday.

On the weekly, I oftentimes get the same associate. She lives with her sister and like four cats, and they do rescue, and she's a fucking delight. Love her.

Had her yesterday. Had her again this morning.

I asked her to put the items in the backseat because there wasn't a lot.

Cool.

She's putting my five small bags of groceries in, and then, as she starts to close the door, she said, "Hey! I saw your 'Encyclopedia of Serial Killers' book. My sister would love that."

Because me, being me, cleaned out my fucking storage MONTHS AGO, and all my stored books are in the floorboard of my back seat.

Including the lovely aforementioned title. 

I smiled and explained I'm an author.

Then she said she and her sister were raised in the nineties, and her mom watched all those true crime shows. 

And I'm simply happy she didn't call a hotline.

At the end of the month...

 ...this shit is happening:

Romance Book Festival Author Spotlight

We’re excited to introduce another incredible author joining us for the 3rd Annual Romance Book Festival!

Meet Crystal Inman

Crystal will be joining us on Saturday, July 25 from 6-9 PM at Guthrie Brewing Company in historic downtown Guthrie, Oklahoma!

Featured Book: The Portrait

A cursed portrait.
A man who’s more dream than memory.
And a love strong enough to defy the darkness.

When Sophie tumbles into a painted prison, she never expects to find Dylan, a handsome, tragic man bound by an ancient curse. Their connection is instant, undeniable... and forbidden.

But the harder they fight for each other, the stronger the darkness pushes back. Will love be enough to break the curse, or will the shadows claim them both?

If you love:
 Cursed love stories
 Gothic romance
 Fantasy with a touch of mystery
 Star-crossed lovers
 Magic, danger, and unforgettable romance

...this one belongs on your TBR!

Will you be meeting Crystal at the festival? Let us know in the comments!

July 25, 2026
 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
 Guthrie Brewing Company
 30+ romance authors, vendors, books, prizes, and more!

Come see me!

As my business card reads, "Feral but friendly."

😁

Being social

Ack. I did it.

Posted on my FB Author Page. Threads. Insta. TikTok. 

I need a nap now. 😆

Didn't post Monday and Tuesday because I didn't have it in me. 

Officially throwing out "The Morrigan" preorder link. I've loaded the pertinents to Amazon for both eBook and paperback. Do I loathe using Amazon? 

Yes. With my entire being. 

But, for now, it is what it is. They print for me with minimal issues and in bulk. 

I always buy my own ISBNs now so I may sell my books online elsewhere. 

Broke down and made a cover for my April 2027 release, "Rabbit God."

Different, but I really do love it. 

That's all I can ask.

Left "The Gordons" in a pickle and need to help them out. But, for some reason, I'm all about doing anything but.

Shame. Shame on me.

All the shame.

And yet...still ambivalent.

While I realize I don't even need to have this finished yet, I would like to blow right through it. Sit down and type 5000-7000 words a day, which is what I did with the first four books. Literally a month and a half and done.

Am I asking too much of myself?

Aren't I always?

I have both mental and physical issues that make life a challenge. But when I work on writing, it pushes all that bullshit back.

I feel productive with a purpose and focus. 

Simply...makes me feel great. 

And I need more of THAT going on over here.

Maybe. But don't kill my vibe.

😂😌

ahem

Can't seem to help myself. 

Nearly died yesterday unpacking the boxes, putting books in my plastic totes, and packing the boxes with labels.

And if that weren't enough, my short ass decided I DID need to make the book cover for book 6 in my Plot Twist series. 

It's called "Rabbit God" and will be out April 2027. The cover is definitely a bit different, but I love it (for now).

46,313 words on "The Gordons." And I'm sort of in panic mode (my default) before I realize how much more I have to write. Plotting out three places across the globe wore my ass out. And I'm still out of country, by the way.

Plenty of room to wrap up and then make a trail for book 6.

Thought there were lots of things I wanted to watch on streaming. That did not turn out to be true. But July should be interesting. Here's hoping.

Got my new planner in. It's like freakin' Christmas! And my new quad-color pens, of course. Need to transfer info from one to the other.

And while I made myself a weekly calendar for socials, let's be honest. If I'm wore out, things are not going to be socialed. Period. 

I've made reels, mind you. PLENTY of reels. But I'm in that release limbo right now, and it's annoying me. Of course, that will be nearly every month so I should suck it up. But not until I properly bitch about it. It's a process. 

I made myself a list

When I see things, I remember them. On the other hand, out of sight, out of mind. This is no truer than with an ADHD person. 

The Sanctuary is a fucking pit right now. I have:

9 plastic bins full of books

7 Amazon boxes full of books

3 books left to publish this year

4 book events

2 anthologies

to separate books for my first event at the end of July

to sticker up my display books and genres

to make the day bed

I want to:

make the cover for book 6 in my Plot Twist series. (I haven't finished writing "The Gordons" but what the hell?)

fill in my next planner with the pertinents

print out and laminate and bind my table catalog

do everything instead of what I need to

scream

Simply a woman with literally a whole day ahead of her and no ambition to do anything, which is different. But I feel scattered and not in the mood. Which is tough noodles because I need this shit done by Friday.

Not much a fan of Snow White, but she's got my vibe right here.

I'm a Mulan type of girlie.

On that wayward thread, if you ever see a fifty-something woman blasting "I'll Make a Man Out of You" in a blue SUV, it's me. Singing everybody's part.

The furnace life is not for me

Going to be miserably hot for at least a week. My body does not do well in the heat. So many reasons why, but basically? None for me, thanks.

Today my granddaughter, CC, turns 7. You think your kids grow up fast? Wait for the gbabies. I can remember holding her when she was born. Time is a thief. I see that a lot when people realize moments and ages don't last forever. 

Business stuff. Writing on "The Gordons" today and maybe looking at editing "Ace." I'm torn in the in-between of hyping up "Apollo and Hyacinthus" while simultaneously bringing up "The Morrigan" as it releases in a month. 

Also, ya girl lost the fucking charger to her Beats and is about to spiral into no place she wants to visit. It was such a damn little cord. 

Antyway. It's only 9, and I have the whole day ahead of me. 

Yay? 

Ass-backward day

Started out at a decent time this morning. But focused more on tidying up the kitchen and whatnot. Didn't sit down in this chair until nearly 2:00 pm. 🤯

This is...unfamiliar. 

My Prime goodies came in. Half off a Stanley, my first. Three new four-ink color pens. And they're all different! A new eye mask for bed. And a horseshoe looking fan that I can put around my neck, and air blows up. Pretty slick.

And two dozen crinkles for Murphy. Who proceeded to hop in said box, open up his damn crinkles, and absolutely lose his mind.

It was awesome. 😂

I remade a reel for "The Portrait" which was a Paranormal Romance but has now shifted to the Romantasy trope. Because when I wrote the book, that term didn't even exist yet. 

Published in 2006 the first time; I received my rights back last year. Edited and pubbed again as 2nd edition. Very exciting.

Put a new cover on. Ran through the entire book more than a few times. Still enjoyed it.

By the way, I'm absolute shit for remembering some of my characters' names. 

If you ask my about the stories I published two decades ago, I might be 50/50 on names. 😒

That's today. Writing tomorrow and Sunday. Excited about it. Not going anywhere as I don't want to spontaneously combust. Please and thank you.

On display

In the way back, I bought hella stickers, little sparkly bags to put swag in, and a plethora of nice draw-string bags. 

I didn't do that this year. 

I'm going to pass out what I have and then reevaluate. 

First, everyone thought the sparkly bags were for sale. I literally typed out a note for the table that explicitly told passers-by to help themselves. Had a pen, my business card, stickers, and an old-timey stamp library checkout card. 

I couldn't GIVE the nice bags away. They're fabric with drawstrings in black, green, and blue. They are uber nice. 

Everyone liked the stickers, both in the sparkly bags and on the table. 

Candy was a no-go for pretty much everyone. Ended up giving one family an entire bag of Reece's chocolate hearts because they caught me at the end of the day, and those were NOT going home with me. 

I would recommend donating a book or books for a giveaway basket. Or having your table tied into a raffle or bingo card of some sort. Needing a sig to win a prize. That sort of thing. 

But pace yourself. I don't think that results in many sales.

Yesterday, I put twelve of my books in the display I bought. I've several more written. But having a visual of my hard work is certainly a means of pushing productivity. I keep looking at them and simply smiling.

Funny thing, I think I can buy another display and have two, especially next year. 

Sometimes it's not the sales, my darlings. Sometimes it's the knowledge that the dream of your heart is coming true before your eyes.

Is it Wednesday? It feels like Monday.

Errands to do this morning. Bleh. Found some AMAZING cut watermelon at Crest. So sweet. So good. So me having to go to the bathroom every five minutes. 

Worth it.

I have 7 Amazon boxes full of about 10 titles behind me on the floor. I stuck with the table model for book events and the like. I didn't trust myself to like drape things over boxes and set up my books. I bought a display rack, and I'm fucking excited! Going to mark my display copies and then keep the pristine originals on my side of the table. Also, because I'm me, I've decided to have a laminated catalog of my other titles available on the table. Plus, stickers and whatnot. Finally getting into the spirit. About damn time.

Also, it's overcast as hell here, and I'm starving. Like, I had breakfast. Came home and ate some watermelon. But the food noise is real. 

I have 42,855 words on the "The Gordons" and am pleased with the progress. Will write today, but for some reason I'm drawn to making reels, even though I'm not pressed to do that right now. I made 3 for A&H and 3 for "The Morrigan."

I want to say maybe I'm ahead for once???

But then reality struck, and I realized I have three anthologies to write in. 😬

Cue the drums and trumpets, I've outdone myself once again.

Cue Twilight Zone theme music

I find out a lot of things while I'm deep-diving into the ol' Interweb. Some incredibly niche information. All to the good of my books. 

Having said that...ya girl hit a new high (low?) yesterday.

There are three points on a map that I need LA to visit. In a little over four days. But two of the points are closer together whilst the last point is farther away.

Thus, I needed mileage between the first point and second. Then mileage between second and third. And, of course, third to LA's home.

Rough terrain. Communities. Water. You name it, I'm having this heifer burst through everything with her mythological companion. 

You will literally NEVER guess which one. 

Antyway, I have my stats for that. Then, I need to know how quickly they must travel to be able to pull this off. 

Answer: 200 mph, with a few snacks and bathroom breaks.

For those who need to know: 

At the speed of light: 0.027 seconds

At Pegasus's hypothetical top speed? You would be in the air for about 50 hours.

THEN...I wanted to know how fast something would need to move to keep the surface tension of the water beneath them and not fall into it. 

And ONLY THEN...did I hop into the rabbit holes of the Ekranoplan, hydroplanes, and the Basilisk concept.

My brain promptly exploded, and I sought my rocker recliner for the rest of the evening.

But fucking hell...what a ride!

What. A. Ride.

Now, I only need to write it. 

 

Ripped open boxes. Made reels. Threatened Murphy's young life. Before noon.

Been a busy day, and it's only now 11:00 am. Opened my boxes of books for my events and festivals. It never gets old, fam. NEVER

Someone, short ginger and furry, decided to help himself. 😒

Pictures provided.

Electrical issues in part of the house. Man came early this morning and fixed that. Woot!

Came back to my desk to make the last reel for "The Morrigan" so that is out of my way. Another woot for woot's sake.

Nearly gave myself a heart attack yesterday. Like I was about to spiral up into something, y'all. Don't know if this will make sense or not, but I nearly lost my shit.

Five books, thus far, in the Plot Twist series. 

Apollo and Hyacinthus

The Morrigan

Ace

Macaria

The Gordons

But...when I started book 4, I named IT The Gordons. Because, it started out being about them. Only, we all know characters don't listen, right? So books 4 and 5 go together. Like...one bleeds into the other. 

Cool beans. Frosty as fuck. 

But someone with ADHD, Fibro, and menopause thought it would be grand if she put all her notes in one notebook on OneNote. AND...bonus...did NOT rename book 4 yet so she didn't make herself confused.

Laugh with me, please.

I searched through my Plot Series manuscripts in search of one scene that will come back in book 6.

Didn't find it.

Couldn't find it.

Kept opening my current WIP, which is titled Mac and Medi, in most locations. 

To say I was unwell would be putting it mildly. I frantically opened the whole she-bang at least three times and grew more terrified with every turn.

Because now I'm thinking I didn't finish book four and started book five.

WTF???

Because ya girl can't name all her fucking documents the same.

For some profound, unknown to me, reason.

FINALLY figured out my fucked-up file system and found the scene. Gave myself a stern lecture and then promptly left everything like it was. 

Here's Murphy being an absolute ass with his ass. Note the books, though.

Aren't they pretty? 😁💖

Actual writing

Yes. I do still indulge in it. 🤣

Wrote on "The Gordons" yesterday, and I'm a bit over 37,000 words. Today is much of the same after I throw together a couple of reels. 

I'm at that in-between spot of still pushing out information about "Apollo and Hyacinthus", but will turn the corner the first of July and focus on "The Morrigan" and its impending publication. And for my darlings that preordered the second book, I love you with my soul. 

A bit about "The Morrigan." 

It's important to remember these deities are plucked from their lives and deposited in LA's yard. They are as put out as LA. Okay. Edit that. NO ONE is as put out as LA.

And the Morrigan is a death goddess. A Celtic warrior. A revered legend.

LA doesn't give a damn. She just rid herself of one deity to somehow be cursed with another?

The book is an unfolding. Two extremely stubborn and independent women who need to learn to work together to unravel the Morrigan's arrival and, LA hopes, her imminent departure.

It's rather like trying to stick two pieces of Velcro together that is all hooks. 

You're not getting anyfuckingwhere. And it's annoying as hell. 

LA Bennett is forty and completely over the interruptions and unapologetic jaunts through her life. 

Fortunately for me, she has a long road ahead of her.

I did it. Or...didn't do it...

I feel better about life in general when I have a purpose. A focus.

Thursday and Friday?

Instead of being steadfast in my social media posting, I spent two days basically with my cat, Murphy.

I have no regrets. 

He's happiest when I'm posted up in my rocker recliner, and he lays, like a toddler, over me.

Everyone needs a break.

Everyone. Needs. A. Break.

For maybe fifty or so years of my life, I didn't subscribe to that. I totally dismissed it.

Because the harder I worked, the better I felt about myself. 

I had purpose.

Thanks for those across the years that paid into telling me that, at every turn. 

I would finish writing a book.

Immediately start another. 

I would start cleaning and do so until

I felt as though I would throw up.

But...the PROGRESS...🖕

Progress is brilliant, don't get me wrong. But at what price? How much are you actually giving for that perception of yourself?

Too much, my darlings, too much.

I'm on Threads and understand, but am appalled at, all the authors overwhelmed and treading water. 

I see you.

I know you.

I AM you.

I suggest we all take a little break for mental health. Spend time alone. Spend time with your favorite person or people. Spend time with family. But spend time. Because you don't get to take that shit with you.

I'm also a DJ and sound mixer

Yes. You read that right. Because I should not be on my computer unsupervised. 

I'm making reels yesterday of my earlier works with first covers and updated ones. And I use Adobe Premiere Elements 2023. We bought that and Adobe Photoshop something or other at the same time at a big discount. Which is brilliant. That's where I put together my reels and add sound. Except, the audio catalog leaves a lot to be desired. It's, shall we say, limited.

Which, of course, sent my short ass on a digital road trip of where I could find royalty free music and use. Because I need much more than what was available.

I find myself in YouTube audioland. Epidemic Sound, to be exact. 

Being me, I start immediately cruising through genres and moods. Find one I like. Then, the kicker, ah...yes. Subscription land. $120 a year? Exsqueeze me? Baking powder?

The Honey is not going to go for that AT ALL. 

We're frugal here. I mean...frugal. 

Which puts me on the search for a code, deal, or godly intervention.

Finally found 1/2 off for a year! 🥳🎉Hell. Yes.

Shopped that to the Honey. And now I have Epidemic Sound at my fingertips.

Is it overwhelming? 

Fuck yes, it is. There are thousands of songs. But I can mix or snip or download the entire damn song. And that's exactly what I needed. Then save and import into my Adobe Video stuff.

Feeling pretty frosty yesterday. 

Until I wanted to pluck my eyes out and shove cotton in my ears. Stopped at that overstimulated feeling. 

Going to add these titles to my mental list of Crystal of all trades. Master of none. 😁

The first book I published back in 2005

This was the only title I've ever sat down and took time to parse out. I wanted something different than I saw. I wanted something with a draw to it.

Luckily for me, my parents believed in Reader's Digest. Man, do I love a Reader's Digest. I'd read it cover to cover. First, usually my interests. Then the funny pages as I came across them. Then the big story in the middle. And then the dregs of whatever I had left which was often better than what came previously.

I learned so much. And a lot of it stuck.

I read about the wonders of Virtual Reality and how it could help patients with a variety of ills. 

And it came to me...a virtual reality romance. 🥳🎉 

"Virtually Yours" published in 2005 with Whiskey Creek Press (now defunct, I believe). Start Publishing bought it and possibly two more ePublishers July 2014. 

But let's zip back to 2005 when the first book of what would become Inman Books LLC was published.

All the kudos to my cover artist, Jinger Hollowell who I still love dearly to this day. Talented woman still working in the arts. 

Being social aka do you want me to sharpen those bamboo to a point to shove under my fingernails?

I can be social. Sometimes, I even enjoy it. Especially in relation to writing and all its foibles. I'm there. But being social? On socials??? Every fucking day? 😕

In that wide world of TikTok, Insta, Threads, and FB? HAVING to post? 

meh

However, in lieu of me buying that fantastic weekly planner, my short ass filled in the days of the week with how many times I should post on which social. It's...daunting. 

I'm the one who will buck up to societal expectations. And this planner feels like one. So I need to get around that first. I want this to be another labor of love. Something I anticipate and enjoy doing. If I become bored, woe to my weekly planner. Woe, I tell ye.

It's having to come up with videos, I think, that is the most taxing. That's quite a bit of time for me. Making the graphics. Even using the ones I have. Setting the reel. Adding music. And to do that three times a week? 

When am I supposed to write? Which is priority one around here.

This, as all other things I've done as an author, will require time and patience to get into a rhythm. Maybe I can make all the reels on one day and load them on the specified day. Or something else will come to my not-quite-awake grey matter.

The Morrigan is going through edits. She will be available for ARCs the last week of June or possibly the first week of July. She will be available 8/1/26.

FFS. I'm off to figure out this incredibly annoying part of being an Indie Author/Publisher. 

Idiocy update

Ah, yes. When last I left you, I was on my way to Sam's. On a Saturday. In record-breaking heat. 😑

Imagine sweating through every pore you own whilst maneuvering in and out of five thousand people with shopping and flat carts. 

This sucked harder than I thought it would. Which is saying a fuck of a lot.

Misery. Pure misery. 

Came home, and the rest of the day is a blur. Don't want to point fingers, but this was ALL my fault.

Fridays, it is. FFS

Bought this AMAZING weekly planner. 

She is beautiful. Took her out of the plastic. 

You may cackle along with me.

Listen. I have a planner I put appts in and oftentimes check. 😬

But I needed something where I could write in my socials and when to post. Because ya girl is not on top of any of that. 

Oh. Is that the Insta icon? Guess I should post today. 

For another fuck's sake.

My ADHD ass does not have routines. I've attempted to do the same thing for a month and a half. STILL forget sometimes.

Antyway, I'm off to write on The Gordons and check to see if I want to alter any book covers. Do my little Canva check-in.

It's dreary and wonderful here. Hopefully a productive day.