Monday Musings

Hi, friends!  I hope you all had a great weekend.  Mine was very relaxing, yet still somehow kind of productive.  I say “kind of” because I never feel like I’m as productive as I want to be/need to be/could be.  But you know, for a couple of days where I’m housesitting two houses, taking care of two cats with medical needs, and writing two books, three different short stories, and designing book covers, it could have been a lot worse.  OF course, just because I feel like I kind of did stuff over the weekend doesn’t mean I can take a break or even slow down.  There is always something that can be done.

For example…

1) Reading and reviewing.  I have several books on my to-read list, and several of those I hope to review as they are written by fellow indie authors.  I finally got to review Heir to the Sun by Jennifer Allis Provost yesterday: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1290975139?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

2) Tidying up.  I am a slob, okay?  Total and complete slob.  I like to think that when I own my future beach house, I’ll keep it nice, but to be totally honest, I probably won’t.  Still, as much as I hate cleaning, I usually do feel a lot better afterward.  So who knows?  Maybe I’ll take the plunge.

3) Designing book covers.  I’m not sure if I’ve told y’all this, but I am redesigning the Cemetery Tours series’ book covers.  I plan on re-releasing the first two with the new covers at the same time as After Death on October 6.  I’ve been playing around with design ideas and having a lot of fun with it.  For those wondering why, I still absolutely love the covers as they are now.  They’re beautiful and captivating and people really like them.  But they aren’t my images.  The photographs on the covers of those books are stock photos.  I’d really like to make the books fully my own, and that means using my own images.  As the release date draws closer, I’ll be sharing the image designs and ideas to get your opinion.  The ones I’m leaning toward right now are actually really pretty, but they still need a bit of work.

4) Working on short stories, not only for submission into anthologies, but for Boy Band!  I feel bad for leaving the story on such a cliffhanger, and to apologize for making my readers wait until December to find out what happens, I’ll be publishing a few free short stories here on my blog until December rolls around!  No spoilers at all.  They’re most stories of what took place before the first book.  Just for fun.

5) Preparing for my sister’s and my trip to California NEXT WEEK!  What?! How did that sneak up on us so quickly?!  I’m not at all ready!  But at the same time… I am SO ready!

What does your Monday have in store?

Seance

I connected with English author Tinsley Collins over GoodReads.  He saw that I had written a ghost story and wondered if I might be interested in doing a review exchange.  I gladly accepted, being a big reader (and obviously, a huge paranormal fan).  Also, when you’re in the independent author business, you never turn down a chance for a good review!  Even if it isn’t a positive review, as long as it’s well thought out and constructive, it’s a good review.  

Mr. Collins wrote me a very good and positive review for Cemetery Tours, and I was very happy to reciprocate.  His book, Seance, is awesome.  I enjoyed it so much that I will be buying a copy for my own collection (I have a section in my personal library for authors that I know/fellow indie authors) on Friday as soon as I get my next paycheck.  The main story takes place in a little London-based bookshop.  Although I have never been to London, I am very much in love with the idea of the city, so it was easy for me to imagine and enjoy not only the story, but the scene and the characters as well.  I imagined Theo as sort of a Tom Hiddleston, and honestly, who doesn’t love Tom Hiddleston?  The story kept me guessing and engaged right up until the very shocking end.  I think I actually gasped out loud.  

I’ve never considered myself a very good “reviewer,” just because I ramble and I don’t think I’m very good at formal writing.  I’m much more of a conversationalist writer.  But, for what it’s worth, here is the review that I posted on Amazon and intend to post on GoodReads when it goes up.  

      “At first glance, Seance was right up my alley: a young man working in a London based old and rare book store meets a shy young woman asking if he had any books on ghosts, spiritualism, or seances. London, ghosts, and romance? I’m already sold.
      But it turns out that Seance, the second novel by author Tinsley Collins, is so much more than your typical paranormal romance. Yes, it tells the story of the skeptical and offbeat Theo, who, despite his quiet charm, has never fully found his place in the world or with people, and his strange connection with the equally awkward and timid Lucy, an avid believer in the paranormal. But it also follows the journal of Mary Bulstrode and her life as a new bride in the late 1800s.
      These two lonely souls, set a century apart, connect in a beautiful and poignant way that will leave readers breathless, haunted, and eagerly absorbing ever riveting detail, from first encounter to heart-stopping last goodbye. Seance has it all, ladies and gentleman; true love, deep mystery, eccentric and profound characters, ruthless murder, and lost souls, desperately seeking comfort, peace, and simply, someone to hold.” 

It has a pretty neat cover also.  Check it out.

 

I think the coolest thing about it is that Mr. Collins’ daughter designed it!  Isn’t it awesome?  

If you’d like to order Seance, you can find it here:  

http://www.amazon.com/Séance-Tinsley-Collins/dp/1910105058/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392070062&sr=8-1&keywords=seance+tinsley+collins

or here: 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Séance-Tinsley-Collins/dp/1910105058/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392070857&sr=8-1&keywords=seance+tinsley+collins

or here:

http://thebookshop.co/the-seance/

Happy Monday, everyone!  We’re expecting snow… again.  

Mission Accomplished!

Hey, y’all!  I’m back.  

After a simultaneously productive and lazy weekend, I’m excited to announce that I finished the first draft of the short nonfiction manuscript I’ve been working on.  Hopefully will start the editing on that tonight so I can get it out there relatively soon.  I’m meeting with my graphic designer on Thursday.  I love working with him.  He’s always so enthusiastic!  

It’s been a lot of fun working on this project, but I really am ready to get back to the Cemetery Tours sequel and finally finish that up.  Not only do I want to begin the publishing process, but I also really miss my characters.  I like writing them!  

In other updates, I literally just had a new idea for a story as I was eating lunch.  Not that I need any new ideas.  I have at least four planned after Cemetery Tours, not including more possible sequels, but this one… I don’t know… it might have to be bumped up in front of stories that aren’t quite as developed yet.  I’ll think about it.  

That’s the best thing about writing.  There’s so much freedom.  That’s really all I want out of life, to be free, with never-ending possibilities.  

I guess that’s pretty much all for now.  As always, I’ll keep you updated!    Happy Monday!