Not poetry related, I know. Still my brain is a little bit fried. So instead of trying to fight against the brain fog… I decided to share what we got yesterday. I will return to poetry related posts on Sunday.
Category: relationships
Why I have to play catch up here
I missed two days. I was supposed to be posting something poetry related and then Saturday was also supposed to see the link post. My boyfriend was called to assist with a friends hot water tank. I went with. We spent two days fixing the tank (see here replacing). Her home is sweet and inherited…. Including the fact that it was built by her grandfather. A lot of slapped together with duct tape, hope, and just prayer. So replacing the tank took a lot of cuss words and more than a little sweat.
That being said, I don’t want to do three more posts… I will make sure that the link post goes up. I may do a couple of exra posts through the week to make up to y’all
I have been struggling this year to keep up. I know that many of you are as well. Thank you for your patience.
Oh and before you yell at me for going to her house… We practiced social distance. It is definitely a dark time…. But I don’t see myself or my boyfriend turning our back on a friend in need. We were not going to party. We were not “visiting”…we were lending a hand to good friends.
Blog Tour Interview : Cait Marie
Cait is a friend and fellow Coffee House Writer. I was tickled when she agreed to let me be part of the blog tour for her new book. I was so disorganized and panicked… Then her very professional email comes in with the entire interview and everything I would need. I was supposed to post this yesterday, but I was crippled by migraine and unable. Please do show her love, and look into her work. The new book is nothing short of amazing. I was in the ARC readership and I preordered the ebook because I enjoyed it so much.
Have you always wanted to be an author?
No. I never wrote outside of school, which I hated. I’ve always loved books, I just never thought of writing myself. I started my first fiction story in the fall of 2015, but I didn’t start writing seriously until 2017.
Is writing your full-time profession?
No, I’m a freelance editor, and I offer a variety of other author services. I also own and manage Functionally Fictional, work for Coffee House Writers, and am part of the indie staff at YA Books Central.
What are some things you like to do unrelated to books or writing?
I love creating pages in my bullet journal, singing along to a huge variety of music when home alone, watching Disney movies… Most of my life revolves around books anymore though.
What are your daily writing habits like?
They’re nonexistent for the most part. I have a tendency to write a lot within a couple days, then nothing for a while. I need to work on that actually.
Are you a plotter or pantser?
A little bit of both. I write out a vague outline and any ideas I have, then I start writing for a bit before plotting more thoroughly. Once I plot out the chapter-by-chapter outline, I jump around and kind of let the inspiration direct the writing. Things change as I go, but the ending and big plot points stay put usually.
What’s something you could eat every day and not get sick of it?
Probably pizza… or peanut butter.
How do you work on more than one book at a time?
I say I have a lot of books started, but I’m not actively working on them all at once. Remember, I’m still new to all this. So far, I typically have one fantasy and one contemporary going. The Last Summer is a YA contemporary romance coming out in June, and I’ve been writing it while promoting The Lost Legends. While I’m promoting The Last Summer, I’ll be writing book two in The Nihryst series. I like working one step ahead at all times.
I also write based on mood and inspiration. For example, if I get really inspired for a scene in the next fantasy book while I’m technically supposed to be working on the contemporary, I will switch for a day or two.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
England and Wales. I’ve been obsessed with British history for as long as I can remember.
What music do you listen to while writing?
I have different playlists for different books and moods. For fantasy, I listen to a lot of Ruelle, Florence + the Machine, The Lumineers, and movie/tv show scores. For contemporary romance, it’s a lot more upbeat pop like Taylor Swift, Paramore, Parachute, Jonas Brothers, and Khalid.
Favorites time…
Movie: The Wizard of Oz
TV Show: Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Song: Where We Come Alive by Ruelle
Book: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare or A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Color: Coral
Animal: Flamingos
What can we look forward to in the future?
I am working on The Last Summer, which is coming out in June if I can get it finished. Book two in The Nihryst series will hopefully be out in the fall, and another contemporary or two will be out in the winter. Book three in The Nihryst series will likely be out next spring. I also have a fae duology in the works that I’m really excited for. I wrote half of the first one like a year and half ago, so I need to get back to it. OH! And I may or may not have a sci-fi retelling series planned… with The Lion King being one of the stories, but with humans and cyborgs…
The Lost Legends is now available on Amazon!
Get your copy here!
About the Author
Cait Marie has been obsessed with books her entire life. The love of writing didn’t hit until 2017. Since then, she has held multiple positions within Coffee House Writers, including C.O.O., Advertising Supervisor, Editor, and Writer. In 2018, she used her passion for reading to create Functionally Fictional. In 2019, she joined the indie staff of YA Books Central as a reviewer and then Indie Assistant Blogger.
Cait graduated with honors in 2019 from Southern New Hampshire University with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, and she is currently enrolled in their Master of Fine Arts program. She lives in Indiana, where she freelance edits and provides a variety of other author services. When she’s not writing or reading, she can usually be found watching Disney movies or Brooklyn Nine-Nine, creating bullet journal spreads, or singing along to various soundtracks and showtunes.
Where to Follow
Twitter: https://twitter.com/c8_marie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cait.marie.h/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caits.inner.circle/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c8_marie/
Newsletter Sign-Up: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/v1d5i1
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Cait-Marie/e/B083W2CG3Z
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19751293.Cait_Marie
Website: https://caitmarieh.com/
Functionally Fictional: https://functionallyfictional.com/
Lost Legends
👑⚔️A plague. A prophecy. A centuries-long curse.⚔️👑
The Lost Legends by Cait Marie is now available!!
✨Blurb✨
All her life, Princess Adalina heard tales of the legendary, immortal warriors known as the Nihryst. Cursed and bound to a deck of tarot cards by her ancestors, the Nihryst were stranded on a remote island nearly a century and a half earlier.
Her brother, Prince Shane, is destined to rule the kingdom of Detmarya. Though preparing for this role has encompassed his entire life, control of the kingdom may come sooner than expected due to their father’s sporadic behavior.
Discovering the king’s plan to set a war in motion with a mass assassination, Ada unwittingly joins a crew of pirates in search of the only beings powerful enough to stop him: The Nihryst. Meanwhile, Shane and a group of underground rebels make a haunting discovery of a plague infecting the streets of Detmarya.
With a looming deadline to save multiple kingdoms and thousands of innocent lives, both royal siblings join quests worthy of Ada’s beloved fairy tales.
Available on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083VT99FT
About the Author
Cait Marie has been obsessed with books her entire life. The love of writing didn’t hit until 2017. Since then, she has held multiple positions within Coffee House Writers, including C.O.O., Advertising Supervisor, Editor, and Writer. In 2018, she used her passion for reading to create Functionally Fictional. In 2019, she joined the indie staff of YA Books Central as a reviewer and then Indie Assistant Blogger.
Cait graduated with honors in 2019 from Southern New Hampshire University with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, and she is currently enrolled in their Master of Fine Arts program. She lives in Indiana, where she freelance edits and provides a variety of other author services. When she’s not writing or reading, she can usually be found watching Disney movies or Brooklyn Nine-Nine, creating bullet journal spreads, or singing along to various soundtracks and showtunes.
Where to Follow
Twitter: https://twitter.com/c8_marie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cait.marie.h/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caits.inner.circle/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c8_marie/
Newsletter Sign-Up: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/v1d5i1
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Cait-Marie/e/B083W2CG3Z
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19751293.Cait_Marie
Website: https://caitmarieh.com/
Functionally Fictional: https://functionallyfictional.com/
Tired Tuesday
I am an Introvert. I am slightly agoraphobic. I really only go outside to get supplies or to go to the doctors. So, I don’t understand most of the time, why people avoid being home. (Note that when I say outside…I consider outside to be beyond my fenced in yard.)
I don’t watch the news…for my own mental health…people tend to hurt other people in the news. My soul is bruised by just reading about it. So I avoid the headlines. My main source of information tends to be seeing something on social media and then following my own curiosity to find the truth.
I have been trying to avoid the panic that is going along with the COVID-19 pandemic. I have been trying to publicly share educational activities on my Facebook page. Mostly because I realize that many people are facing children who are bored and have no idea how to deal with that.
We as a society have become dependent on being told what to do, and have been trained that school is for keeping our children busy. Life doesn’t always work that way…but we have become comfortable with it.
Now this was not a post to complain about societal issues. It came about because in a time of panic…I found that for Tuesday tunes I was unable to pick a song to offer hope…The only songs I could think of were apocalyptic. That is not good for me or you. So instead I will just say I am tired. I am tired of panic. I am tired of worry. I am tired of feeling helpless. Something that I am willing to bet many others feel. So…I am instead offering resources.(Copied from posts yesterday.) And I am asking if you would help me. let us gather together ideas to assist bored children to learn and families who are suffering to find assistance. State the country if it is not USA or international please.
I’m starting with graphics I found. Some of the sites are duplicated, but it provides a good variety.
Now some links…. These are for stuff to do with children still.
- https://www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/virtual-field-trip-apps-and-websites
- https://adventuresinfamilyhood.com/20-virtual-field-trips-to-take-with-your-kids.html
- https://www.noguiltmom.com/very-simple-science-experiments/
The next links are for assistance.
Okay. That is the resources that I have (Mostly). I may be posting a list to Facebook later of Educational Youtube channels. or I might post it here…not sure. Regardless…let us add to this list. Gather together and support those who are struggling with the lack of humanity today. understand that not all of us can handle being in our own space. And be safe!!!
Cover Reveal For a Friend
So my friend, and fellow Coffee House Writer, Cait Marie, has a book coming out in June. I volunteered to show you the cover and blurb, and give you the link for it. Having gotten to read the ARC for the other book she is releasing this year, Let me tell you that I look forward to the chance to read this one. She is an amazing author.
Blurb:
For the first eleven years of their lives, neighbors Lila and Gavin were inseparable best friends. They did everything together. Until they didn’t.
Every detail of Lila’s life has been meticulously planned out since she was a child. To the point where she forgot one vital thing: to live. When she receives news that drastically alters the path of her future, she realizes she has one last chance to create memories and make the most of her summer.
Gavin, on the other hand, is known for his carefree attitude. He has lived a charmed life for almost eighteen years. He’s never short on friends or a good time, he has a supportive family, and he’s all set to go off to college and follow his dreams. The one thing he doesn’t have is the girl.
He doesn’t know why Lila pushed him away all those years ago, but when Gavin finds her summer bucket list, he’s determined to help his goody-two-shoes neighbor cross off every item and hopefully mend their friendship in the process. Even if that’s not all he wants from her.
He just hopes it’s not too late.
And here is the link to pre-order a copy of your own. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B085RMVBKC Let’s show her how amazing this sounds!
Tuesday Tunes
Lyrics I’m not a perfect person
There’s many things I wish I didn’t do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know I’ve found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you I’m sorry that I hurt you
It’s something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
That’s why I need you to hear I’ve found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you And the reason is you
And the reason is you
And the reason is you I’m not a perfect person
I never…
My 2 cents So I end up associating people with songs…used to be only lovers, until this song. There was a young man …I truly thought of him as a little brother. He was about the same age as my little brother. I met him because he hung out with Joe’s kid brother. He was dating a friend of mine when this song came out. I have always had a huge music collection…multiple cd’s /cassettes back before mp3’s were a thing…and now gigabytes of mp3’s. I love music variety. However back then…I had never listened to the same song on repeat…I just had so many that I could put it on Auto Dj and not hear the same song twice in a day…even in a week if I am honest. Well Jeremy…The little brother like fellow…He would get on my computer and blast this song on repeat…we must have heard it a thousand times if we heard it once.
I am sharing this for a reason…he died, very young. He was 28. I find I am missing him lately often. He was all about his games, and we have all (my gaming group) been missing his enthusiasm. So Duesy…You are the reason I can’t hear this song with out cryin.
Book covers and ambitious ideas
Ok. April is likely to be a very busy time. National poetry month usually sees me posting poetry posts on here daily as I do the P. A. D. Challenge. I also plan on doing a daily prompt for the Fae corps Blog. It is also going to be when we are starting a call for submissions on two different anthologies. Fae Dreams… Poetry, art, and short stories with a theme of goals, plans, and dreams. (We recieved one too many submissions for Through the Sunshine and offered a guaranteed spot in this to the author). And Nightmare Whispers, a group of horror stories. This one is a tribute to where we started.
I am working on editing the stories submitted for Through the Sunshine, and compilation of Birchwood Grove Gazette. We are doing the basic edits… Then we give the author time to do their own edits. After we recieve the polished story we finalize the formatting of the final anthology. We have to get it all ready by the middle of May for release in June.
My partner and I discussed delaying Fae Dreams. We may still. I have to see how things go. I don’t know yet how ambitious we are going to be. We have ideas for a thriller themed anthology as well, though the title and cover have not been forthcoming from our muses so far.
I am proud to claim that the above covers are my creations. I think that I am really getting better at this. Keep an eye on the Fae Corps Blog, as that is where any official announcement will be. This is mostly me doing mental meandering.
Echoes Into the Void
So I was having an email conversation with a friend about social media. He was pointing out the algorithm that sucks the orginality out of social media in general. While I agree with him and sometimes I think that I would be happier without the view of humanity that I recieve from reading the interwebs, I would miss the delight of seeing the creativity in the human soul.
The conversation ended with the idea that we both often feel unseen. It is not, I am sure, a novel feeling. To feel like instead of being actually heard… You are merely sending echoes into the void.
So I think that I want to hear the echoes…tell me something that you feel like isn’t being heard. One thing that you want to say. I will listen. And then go through the comments and hear others. Or pass the post on to others. Let’s get it to where no one feels like that echo.
Tuesday Tunes
Lyrics – A distant lullaby, dying from my sight
A glow is amiss, fleeting from my side
Oh why, oh why
Alone in a cruel world
Leaves me
Cold and curled
But then
Friends
Warmth
Eyes that gleam
A glow returns once more it seems
I want hair like yours
I want hands like yours
I want fingers that curl in the cold like yours
I want eyes to stare
And to cry
When I’m feeling scared like you
Just like you
Soft lullabies, never leave my side
Glowing warm fur and gleaming round eyes
Isolated no more
My friends
Don’t struggle there is no point
You’ll never be alone
From now
Friends
Warmth
Never leave
Struggling only make the hugs much tighter
I want hair like yours
I want hands like yours
Fingers that curl in the cold like yours
I want eyes to stare
And to cry
When I’m feeling scared like you
Just like you
I want hair like yours
I want hands like yours
Fingers that curl in the cold like yours
I want eyes to stare
And to cry
When I’m feeling scared
Like you
My 2 cents- I am new to this song. I was drawing a blank as to the song to pick today… There are just so many good options… So I asked my 16 year old to suggest a song. Now mind you, she is where I go to for new music. Her tastes tend to run the gauntlet, but she usually suggests songs that I fall in love with. She appears to have chosen a Gothic tune to share this time. I love the melody and the lyrics are really good.
So since I got today’s song from her… I ask you, what song would you want to share with me?
Pattimouse 