Saturday Funday Party

Created by Patricia Harris in Canva

Hello, My Lovelies! This is my Saturday Tea Today I am drinking a peach cold tea.

Tomorrow (Well tomorrow when this releases…lol) is my 47th birthday. Due to a lot of stress, I really have been hit or miss posting. I spent nearly two weeks fighting a stress migraine that I would never want to face again. I am going to try to get back onto a semi-normal schedule, but I have a lot going on. Most of it is for Fae Corps.

We are doing a poetry contest this year… And we are as busy as one-armed paperhangers otherwise.

If you missed it Ashira Datya released her second book in the Magik Saga – Evil resists on the 10th.

Raz T. Slasher is releasing Book two in his Riverside Chronicles – Silence is Crimson Homecoming on April 20th. I don’t have the link for that yet…

Gathering Teardrops is done being written – But my schedule is crazy…so I will be releasing it May 6th.

My Next Volume will be split between Handprints on my soul and Fighting Ignorance. This is because with the state of the world I am writing more political poetry than I ever expected myself to…But I am not writing only politics. Handprints will be everything else. Fighting Ignorance may take longer than a usual volume…

In April I will be releasing the next Pip the Pup story. I chose the release date because it is my mommy’s birthday. I felt like it was appropriate.

Fae Corps Has two anthologies releasing June 1st. One was my project from the beginning. Grandmother’s Wisdom. It is a gorgeous book. I love how it came together. I am going to be meeting with representatives from No Kid Hungry next week to find out how to give away half of the proceeds from that anthology. (I reached out because I want to do it the right way, and they are going to help me to do the work to make it shine.)

The other anthology, Seeking Stories, is in the edit stage. So I am working on that. It is filled with fun adventures.

That leaves me very busy when you add in life, writing, and other responsibilities. I have done half decently considering. 47…Yeah I never expected to make it to 30, so each year just brings more surprises.

I am going to post my random if ya wanna’s not because I am asking for anything…but in case anyone is interested..

Paypal : iampublishd@gmail.com

Cashapp: $pattimouse

Kofi: https://ko-fi.com/pattimouse

I find that the thing I would love most for my birthday if I am honest is someone to review my books, or tell me what they liked or disliked about what I have wrote. It means so much to know what I am doing matters.

Saturday Funday Party

Created by Patricia Harris in Canva

Hello, My Lovelies! This is my first Saturday Tea Party. I am sitting here drinking Mocha coffee and thinking that is a funny thing for a tea party…maybe I will make some green tea next just to feel less strange about it.

I will be getting an interview on Friday with the Library in the Blue Box in April. It will be a video interview.

I will be releasing the Next Pip book (Pip and Friends) in April on the 29th.

Serena’s Poetry volume – Death Becomes Her – will release on June 1st.

My next poetry volume (Gathering Teardrops) is probably going to release in May but until I am certain it will be done I have been reluctant to set the release date.

Fae Corps has been putting the release dates and submission deadlines on google calendar. This is public and allows the readers to know when things are scheduled.

I am working on getting art I have done inked and layout done for a coloring book from my art. It will be titled Color My Art.

This is the upcoming announcements for the next year…subject to updates of course 😉

I am still trying to get back into the habit of updating the blog. I may still miss here and there. I will do my best not to though.

Thursday Tea Party

Hello Lovelies! Today I am drinking some lovely peach tea. What will you have?

There is a lot to announce!
First off, one of my art pieces that I submitted to Indie Blu(e)’s Through The Looking Glass: Reflecting on Madness and Chaos Within was accepted! I will try to keep you updated on that as I know more. I am so excited as their books are so pretty. I submitted to that and to But You Don’t Look Sick …I have not yet heard about But you don’t look sick. Again, updates as I have them. *Edit: I finished writing this and scheduled it. Then I went to check my email, only to find the acceptance letter in the email I will have 4 poems in that anthology.

Next, Serena finished writing Madness and Truth. It has been through the alpha readers and is handed off to the editor currently. The story is creepy and carries a good haunted feel to it. I expect that we will be publishing it some time in 2021.

I have finished writing Afraid of Shoe Mountain and am currently working on the illustrations. Though I love Shannon’s Illustrations, and will likely hold Dylan and the Hotel Zombie until she can do the art, I am not wanting to continue to wait with Afraid of Shoe Mountain. I am enjoying the illustration of this book. I have been uploading them to DeviantArt for those who are interested. (I only have 2 finished so far).

I am nearly done with the writing for Heart Drops, and Half-Mad Meanderings. Serena has been working hard on Death Becomes Her. Half-Mad Meanderings is only 5 poems away from done. Heart drops 2 art and 7 poems away. And Serena says she still needs 20 poems for Death Becomes Her. Likely all three will be released in 2021.

Circle City Publishing is nearly ready to release their An Absurd Apocalypse that will have Serena’s Flash story in it. I do not know how much longer that will be. I will let you know more as I do.

Fae Corps Inc is going to release Faery Playground with my art and a story from Serena in May. The tone of the submissions had the cover needing redone. They plan to reveal the cover on April First (No Joke!). It has been a fun anthology to edit if I am honest. I am looking personally for 2 ARC reviewers. (ARC reviewers are readers who, for an advanced copy post an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads. )

Well, I think I am finally done with the updates! whew! That was a lot!

Oh! and I am considering adding a store to my blog. I make jewelry and Resin pieces that I need to find a place to sell. I am going in April to the local flea market, but I like the online store idea better. My studio is very nearly set up. So the next focus is a storefront. Watch here for more information.

Thursday Tea Party

Time for Tea, Thursday Tea Party
Thusday tea party

Hello lovely readers! Time for tea again. Today is a Lipton Ice tea for me.

I don’t know if you noticed… But I stopped doing the monthly link posts… This is because I added a page for the links. I feel like this makes them easier to find. However it also, I suppose makes it easier for some people to ignore… It has good and bad to it. Still I feel like this is a better way.

The pandemic has been doing a real number on my ability to focus and thus my ability to write. I am currently working on writing my submissions for Fae Corps anthology Fae Dreams. The theme is Goals /dreams. Serena has already submitted for this and Nightmare Whispers. Both have the deadline of August 31. So far I have 1 poem to submit… Out of the 5 possible. So I have got to get writing! Can’t let Serena outdo me, right?

I finished with a sketchbook. I plan on doing a video sketchbook tour for patreon this weekend (patrons only but you can be a patron for as little as a $1 a month. ) I think that I did really well with some of those pieces.

Also I just got a new deck. Readings are available (by donations only, I don’t set a price. I ask only that you donate something for your reading and leave the amount up to you. ) I will be doing a full post about this tomorrow with deck pictures.

Thursday, A Case of the Blahs

I am a creative person… First and foremost. It is just a truth about me. And I usually have some idea of what to create… But every now and then I get the blahs. When I don’t want to do anything. I just can’t think of anything I want to make/write. Sure, I can do prompts… And I often do to break the blahs. But sometimes I just like letting the mood work itself out.

That means that I don’t have an update for a tea party. As I have been lacking in forward momentum for a couple of weeks now. It will pass. But until it does… I am just not feeling it.

Thursday Tea Party

Hello there. Today is a green tea sort of day for me. This year has been a strange one, time passes either on fast forward or in slow motion. I am looking forward to the release of both preorder books (Through the Sunshine, and Poetic Reminders.)

There is a deadline coming up for two of Fae Corps calls for submissions in June. Nightmare Whispers and Fae Dreams. There is going to be a call for submissions put out in August for a new anthology as well.

I have been updating keywords on my books… And it was brought to my attention that a few of my covers needed work. It feels like I do this yearly… But I have been updating covers again as well.

The original
The updated cover
Original cover
Updated cover

The person who made the suggestion is a poet of considerable talents. I had approached her for marketing advice, and what she said was basically that some of my covers lacked the personality of my poems… I immediately understood. There was some of the covers I liked better than others. I started with the covers that I liked least.

Please don’t get me wrong… That does not mean the covers are bad… Or even in need of replacement. It just means that I could see her point. I was not happy with those covers because they did not suit me. I had something similar happen with a logo I had been using… Someone stopped me and said that it did not suit me. When I asked why she simply replied that it was just not colorful enough… It seems that I have a lot of personality and it shows up in my work.

For me these books are my art. Yes I could pay for the “perfect ” cover… I would likely sell more… But it would not be mine… Does that make any sense? I don’t write for the money. I write because it is part of who I am, who I always have been.

Thursday Tea Party

Hello, lovely readers! Today, my need for caffeine was strong, so I am enjoying coffee. Triple chocolate coffee with cinnamon creme creamer. That and the toothpicks propping my eyelids open might allow functionality.

So much news today. Two preorders… One for Poetic Reminders and one for Through the Sunshine. Upcoming events. What is being worked on now. And commentary about life at large.

So let’s start with talking about the preorders. Fae Corps is doing a party all through May. There is going to be a chance to get to know the authors in the anthology. Giveaways and just general fun. Go check it out and join us for the fun! I am not doing anything so big for Poetic Reminders…. However if I get comments on this blog post I will do a random drawing for a free ebook copy… So tell me something that makes you smile.

Coffee house writers anthology is moving right along. My submissions have been assigned to its first editor. They are going to assign three separate editors to catch all errors. That way you, the reader, get the best piece possible. With Fae Corps we have the authors read the manuscript after the final edits have been put together to make sure that there are no errors. That is often 10+ sets of eyes on the whole thing. That helps to insure quality. Quality is the best way to ensure the stories are showcased properly.

So, Serena is working currently on a short horror story for the Nightmare whispers anthology. I think that it is off to a good start. She is still working on The Kingdoms of Sin, but the short has a deadline. She is determined to get both done soon. I hear that she is hoping to release her book some time this year.

As for me… I have started a new poetry volume. The cover is above… I really love how it turned out. I still am working on heart drops, but as I don’t often write love poetry… I wanted a volume that could catch the other poems… The darker poems. I think that this volume suits that idea. I have the next Dylan book written, and am waiting for the illustrator. If I have time I want to finish Attack of Shoe Mountain. I have so much going on though that it may be a while.

Life has been chaotic for me for a bit now. Back in November we started expansion of my daughter’s room. Due to the lack of people to assist or timing being bad or just bad luck… It is still unfinished. That is changing this weekend. So next week will be me cleaning up the mess left by construction. The next project is my master bath, hopefully it will be done faster.

So I mentioned a giveaway above. I asked for things that make you smile, but I am also curious about how life has been for you. How has the current situation in the world affected your day to day life?

Thursday Tea Party

Hello my lovely readers! Welcome! Today, I am drinking orange juice to boost my immune system. I am normally sick during the winter but it’s been worse this year then it normally is. So, a little self care never hurt.

Well, now that we are working on edits and such for Through the Sunshine, I feel free to leak a new project. We will announce it offically on the Fae Corps Blog in April. We are going to be doing an anthology about Dreams, goals, plans, etc. The title is going to be Fae Dreams. I did the cover and I am so proud of it… It will be revealed when we announce the project. We will be doing a call for submissions then as well.

This sick has been killing my writing. I was doing multiple poems daily and then some writing as Serena… Then I got sick. In the last month the only writing that has been done was either on this blog, or put on coffee house writers. I am getting better but it has been a struggle. One that I hope is over soon. I dislike not having stuff to share with you. It makes me feel like I am failing.

Dylan and the Motel is due to the illustrator in March. She is incredible, but she is busy. It will be published in 2020 but I am not positive as to when.

2020 is shaping up to be a busy year. I have a lot possible to do this year…I just am not sure what all will be. Between Fae Corps, Serena, and my own endeavors. I hope to be able to tell you about many new projects that are coming together.

I am hoping to get a new laptop to assist with both my writing and my art. I am eyeballing the Acer Aspire 3 with a tb harddrive. It is affordable but it is likely to take me a couple of months to get. (If you want to donate to the cause, I appreciate it. PayPal me! ) The computer will allow for me to do more with my writing and allow for a wider variety of art. Currently, I use a Samsung Android phone to do everything. I have a older model Dell pc that I use for layout… It is so painfully slow that I would not be able to write on it or use the art programs.

Due to the lack of writing… I think that at least through March, to give me some time to get some work built up… I will be doing the poet segment on Monday. I still have many poets that I love. It would give me time to recover.

Thursday Tea Party

Hello Lovelies! So much has been going on here. Personally, we are doing rehab on a couple of rooms and deep cleaning others. That means that I have no coffee or tea this morning as I have been scrubbing the table that both pots reside on.

Professionally, The deadline for Through the Sunshine was extended to the 14th. As one of the editorial staff I am gearing up to start editing the submissions. We will soon be posting the submittors bios on the Fae Corps page.

I discussed schedule with my illustrator… And she will be able to by April /May do my next book of the Dylan series. “Dylan and the hotel. “

I am also working on the coffee house writers anthology. Though I have the submission written, I still have to do all of the other stuff involved.

I am also still working on heart drops. This volume is taking longer than the average due to the amount of responsibility I have taken on lately. Add in a extraordinary amount of illness this year…. And I am far less productive than normal.

Tuesday Tea Party

Hello lovelies. Pardon me if I am less active today… Yesterday I was deathly ill and today I am still… Weak.

Today I am mostly doing water, because I am trying to rehydrate. But I hope that will not stop you.

So much upcoming. Before I start with the upcoming….I have a question to ask… Have you read any of mine or Serena’s published work? Have you left a review? If not, why? Those reviews really do help me and Serena to know that we are doing this writing thing right. It may not seem like much but it really does help.

Now, as to the upcoming… I am working with formatting on a faerie anthology for Fae Corps. It’s a mismatch of information that we used for the Birtchwood grove blog we did a few years ago.

We have a deadline coming up for the through the sunshine anthology. It is looking like it will be amazing… The stories so far are great. Our deadline allows for a first draft submision. We will be helping with editing.

I submitted to Indie Blu(e) publishing’s upcoming anthology and await the decision on whether or not I will be included.

I have been accepted for 4 poems in the coffee house writers anthology. There is an amazing amount of talent included in this anthology.

I have working on my volume Heart Drops, and I have decided that I will be doing more in Dylan and the pet zombie’s world. I have already discussed with my illustrator sending the next volume to her in March. I have to spend more time with Dylan.

Serena is still working with the kingdoms of sin. She is also involved with a short that I may be posting here at some point.

Patreon is seeing a more regular posting schedule. Saturday I am posting patreon people. This is where I point to more interesting people on patreon. Monday is patreon possibility. I discuss diy projects. This week I was talking about bookmarks.. Wednesday I do wishlist. This is where I discuss tools and other supplies and why I want them. Friday I am doing a free for all where I will be posting what ever strikes my fancy.

There is a lot more upcoming as this is only the first month of the year. So stay tuned.