So I have been absolutely busy. Writing and organizing books for publication. Problem is that I have been writing entries for upcoming anthologies… Not stuff that I am able to share. Add in a overwhelming exhaustion… I slept all of yesterday and could have continued to sleep. For me that is a strange thing. I am an insomniac, so sleep often gets left off of my to do list.
I released Dylan and the Pet Zombie, and I put Beautys Tears in to be released. I will probably be doing the book birthday post today. I realize that I forgot to do my Saturday link post for the month. This was a busy weekend… And I will be definitely telling you all about it on Thursday.
Today I am just taking a couch day. I honestly need a chance to recover. I did some yesterday. But I have to finish the resting. This time in less zombie… Lol.
Hello again. Well it’s 2020…and all sorts of jokes can be made there. For me though the first of a new decade, while life changing, doesn’t change my routine much. I submitted some poems to Indie Blue Publishing’s call that I shared yesterday. I have been accepted by the coffee house writers anthology. Serena has a story in for Fae Corps Publishing’s upcoming Light Fae Anthology “Through The Sunshine”. (The deadline to which is the last day of this month.) Fae Corps anthology, Faery Footprints, is due to publish on the 6th. There is a Facebook event for it this weekend.
I have started to build a habit of drawing every day. I have been posting the results to the Myne Drawings photo album on my Facebook page. It’s a public album that you can look at if you are feeling like it. I am hoping that this helps me to improve. Talent is something that you are born with. I have talent for poetry. It comes naturally. My brother got the talent for drawing. It is natural for him. Skill requires work. It requires practice. I am developing my ability. What are you trying to get skill at, and what do you have talent in?
Look for release announcements for Dylan and the Pet Zombie & Beauty’s Tears within January. I am thinking of maybe doing a small series of Dylan stories. I am so in love with the illustrations done by Shannon.
Dylan is such an active young man… The only problem is… The apocalypse has hit. Zombies walk, and he is not able to be out to play like he used to.
It’s a kid’s book, and a really cute one. Cyndi is currently working with Shannon to redo her kid’s book Kiko and the bananas. Due to contractual issues she had to unpublish that one. She is going to release it through Fae Corps Publishing once the new illustration is done.
My word for 2020 is change… But that doesn’t mean that I have to change everything. Marie Kondo has a good idea, at least in a way. You should keep what makes you happy, what sparks Joy. Change is a necessary thing. Stagnation comes from a lack of change. I am not one to allow myself to stagnation. So I am working on changing habits, self recriminations, my inner voice. Things like that.
Each year many of my writer friends choose a word to be their motivation for the upcoming year. I have done this in the past, but I felt like this year would be too chaotic. It was, but that is beside the point.
Let’s start with a review of this year and then I will reveal the word that I have chosen for 2020.
For me January through March crawled. I released one volume of poetry, Spilled Verse. I know that other stuff, personal stuff, happened… But at this point most of that time is a blur.
My Mom visited at the end of March. It is rare for me to see her, and her two eldest Sisters accompanied her. Both of which I have not seen since being a teen. It was a good visit.
The next thing that really happened this year was the release of Dream Drips. I did a migration to Draft2Digital in January which allowed me to offer all of my books in multiple formats.
I took a road trip in June to see people very dear to me. I also released Ink Splashes.
In July we released Under the Mists. Working with such lovely, talented wordsmiths, well it was quite a treat.
The next month of worth was October. I joined Coffee House Writers. I really enjoy working with them.
November was Nano. I have a couple of books in formatting that need releasing. I finished Beautys Tears, Dylan and his pet Zombie, and I am working on layout of Faerie Footprints.
Overall, 2019 has been eventful. I have written, and drawn, much this year.
So, I think that for 2020 my word will be change. I need to figure out what I am doing wrong and adjust to make not only my writing successful but my life. I need change, so I will be aiming for it..
Yeah I know. I usually just post my own poetry or do a spotlight for Monday… But I just spent a week with bronchitis. So I did not have a post prepared. And I felt like that was not fair to those who read my blog.
So I decided to mix the two and add a story of explanation. To change things up and hopefully give the reader a smile.
A Haiku A Day is run by an author that I worked with on Under The Mists. Haiku is for me a difficult form. I do so much better with freeform poetry. He is posting literally a haiku a day. I am in awe of his talent. Well I thought that it would be a neat challenge to try and answer his Haiku with haiku of my own. Silly right? Well I obviously did not manage it every day… But I have been able to do it a few times. Now I challenge you. Take a look at the haiku below and then go check his blog. See if you can match my answer to the original poem.
Now if you can… And send me in email your answer, I will be doing a giveaway. I do not yet know what I am going to give away. But free is always good, right?
Here are my Haiku.
The light was never hers Though she was told that it was Darkness was always home
The words choked the pen For the poet knew to be sin To lay down the pen.
Payment often comes Due in less than convenient Moments slowing life.
Sweetness fades away Memory remains to haunt him Over kisses stolen proper
Sanity is overrated insanity has benefits Missing pieces hide easy
The words outcry all For choosing one is downfall At the beginning then.
Tonight I see a Note of similarity between sleepy poet and me.
Echoes continue till We return to hear wisdom From who we once were
Hello my lovelies! Today my tea is a lovely lemon ginger blend. It is good for digestive problems.
Well I think that I have some excitement upcoming! Changes to how I handle my Patreon. Fae Corps also has a few sheduled changes to their blog upcoming. A new children’s book from me… Possibly a series of them.
So let’s talk about patreon. I have been struggling with what to put there. I don’t like duplicate content. I feel like if you are paying for the content then it should be something that is not posted anywhere else. So I have this blog on a schedule with doable content ideas for each day. I am working on getting the fae corps blog set up the same way. And I think that I have some ideas for patreon too. So if you want to help me to keep doing the art and poetry…. And get to see the fun content that is going to be only available on patreon… Go over to patreon and pick a tier. The smallest amount is $1. There are a few posts each month that are free to see.
Or you can send money via PayPal. Ok. On to other topics.
Serena is still plucking away at Nanowrimo. She has not been meeting goals but she is writing daily, except for yesterday as sleep deprivation hit. I have been struggling with the poem a day. Too much sick time. However thanks to a very cranky muse, I woke up from my sickbed a couple of days ago and needed to write a children’s book. Dylan and the pet zombie is completely written and in the illustrator’s loving hands. I am working again with the amazing Ms Shannon Alyce Riddle. She is the same artist that did the princess lost. Dylan will be released in January 2020. I have other ideas for the character, so I am thinking about making it a series. Here is a couple of concept drawings she did for the characters. Dylan and his parents. Note that these are not actual illustrations for the book, only concepts of the characters.
Those who follow my activities with Fae corps know that we are working on a anthology Faerie Footprints. It is being put together now. I am hoping that it will be available for purchase in December. Don’t forget the deadline for submissions for Through the Sunshine is January 31.
I finally found an app for recording of audiobooks. So I can set about recording of the princess lost again. I am hoping to be able to get to the recording this weekend.
Beauty’s Tears is still needing to go through layout. I am hoping to publish it in December. Of course I will announce the release when it happens.
As you know I have been working with coffee house writers. I was in their probation period. Where I worked with a training editor who could help me get used to the routine. She was a wonderful person to work with… She has an editing business, here is her Page. Well I graduated out of her care and into the poetry department there. It honestly feels like home as there as many of the writers are similar to myself.
Well… I believe that is all of what I wanted to tell you… Now that I am done rambling…. What is new with you today?
So… On tumblr I managed to by virtue of sheer exhaustion do something that has me so embarrassed. I had a talented poet enter into my asks wanting to recieve a poetry prompt. Now… I am on a midnight schedule. My boyfriend works midnight to 9am, roughly. So, I usually am in bed between 2ish pm and 11pm. Well, I am also an insomniac…. Yesterday was a no sleep day. The poet thanked me for posting it… And I in my exhaustion… I did not double check the response before sending it out. Autocorrect got me. I sent Your welcome instead of the You’re welcome that I thought I was sending. So I think that I will attempt the prompt myself as recompense.
Six feet down, In fresh turned earth… Lays love once so dear. He chose another heart, Betraying mine.
So his memory, I buried. To prevent my pain, In hopes that it would Never rise again.
As the wheel of time turned, Away that heartache burned. So here I am with shovel in hand, At the graveside I stand. Hoping to revive All of the memories Buried inside.
Hello lovelies! Tonight, I have coffee instead of tea… And lots of it. I am in the home stretch for Beauty’s Tears – only 9 poems left to write. I am hoping to knock out the writing before the first. I likely will not be getting to Layout until December, but it means that Heart Drops will be started with the poems of the PAD challenge.
Fae Corps will be doing another round of daily prompts in November. I will probably be reblogging many of them. The first group got a good reception so we decided to do them for nano/poetry writers in November.
I have been approached by another poet/author about doing a guest blog. Her idea intrigued me! So I will be posting it as soon as she gets it to me for you to read. I enjoy her poetry so I believe that you will enjoy the post.
So… I am facing my fears… And then some. I asked about doing a author signing event yesterday. I also have found a craft fair to try and sell my art and crafts at. This is such a big thing. I have been making art, jewelry, and resin pieces. And due to fear, I have been sticking it all in bins. Anxiety often keeps me from doing. I was called out for my bs. Joe, my boyfriend, told me that if I was not going to do anything to sell or use it then I should stop making it. I hate it when he is right. So I am swallowing the what if I fail fear. The first craft show is a local hot dog sale on the first Saturday in November. I have to get to earning money for books for the signing event. I personally have 19 poetry volumes, 3 kids books, and a memoir. Plus Serena’s 2. And the anthology. That makes it expensive to have even a small amount of copies to sell. Those numbers just make me want to cry.
The beginning of the year will be seeing a lot of new things, from me and from Fae Corps. We have a lot planned. I will be seeing the release of my Beauty’s Tears and the anthology Faery Footprints in December. I am hoping that Serena will have a book ready for release with the new year. I am looking at the release of the audiobook version for the princess lost.
This year is still going to be bringing new challenges. What are you hoping to do before the end of 2019?
Pattimouse 