Happy December, writers! Join our monthly Insecure Writers Support Group blog hop, where we vent and lift up. It’s a wonderful community started by author Alex Cavanaugh.
(this is a blog post, not a newsletter, but that reindeer is so dang cute that I had to feature her)
December 3 question – As a writer, what was one of the coolest/best gifts you ever received?
Gifts of support have made the greatest impact on me:
🎄The Insecure Writers Support Group! IWSG is a big factor in keeping me in the writing game, and it’s been a blessing getting to know cool writers like you.A special shout out to Ronel Janse van Vuuren (today’s co-host who invited me to discuss domestic violence on her blog), Natalie Aguirre (also a co-host today, thanks, Natalie!) Louise Barbour (wonderful post), and Alex Cavanaugh for spreading the word about my new release.
🎄My self-publishing team. I’m grateful for pub sisters like Nicki Elson (Bev), my critique partner extraordinaire. I also met editor Jessica Royer Ocken and book designer Coreen Montagna through the small publisher who released my first four novels. Working with a professional editor has definitely sharpened my writing skills.
🎄The gift of readers. That old adage, “You don’t know what you got till it’s gone”? Sadly, I’m living it! Sales for my new release, Low Water, have been deplorable. I’ve heard book sales are down for many authors, but JEEZ. I guess it doesn’t help that it’s been four years since I last published. Or maybe a book about recovering from trauma isn’t commercially appealing. But I have felt fortunate whenever readers have devoted their precious time to try one of my novels through the years.
Two lives marked by trauma. One chance to rediscover hope.
In the sun-drenched Lowcountry of South Carolina, a swim coach haunted by tragedy and a psychologist devoted to healing cross paths just as their lives unravel.
He once believed Olympic-sized dreams and awful dad jokes could get him through anything, but waves of grief threaten to pull him under. She has built a career navigating others through pain, yet she struggles to confront her own.
When their worlds collide, Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD forces the question: is it possible to dive into the past without drowning? Neither expects the other to become a lifeline. But with connection and courage, they search for a way forward—one stroke at a time.
Striving, tender, and surprisingly funny, this is a story about resilience and learning that the best way out of the deep end is together.
The exciting climax of Low Water takes place on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Behind the scenes: Why did I write this book?
It’s been four years since I published sports romance Rivals. In the meantime, I’ve strived to help psychotherapy clients heal.
Have traumatized book characters led you to despair? Did you ever wonder, “How will they ever recover from this tragedy?”
As a psychologist, once I learned a powerful PTSD treatment called Cognitive Processing Therapy, I now feel hope that EVERYONE can recover from a traumatic event. When I read about characters stuck in trauma, I want to yell at them, “Go get CPT!”
Witnessing trauma survivors turn their lives around inspired me to write a fictionalized version. Due to my background as a college swimmer, I chose a swim coach as the protagonist. His psychologist faces her own drama when she meets a mysterious manwhile speed-dating.
~*~
Thanks to fellow author Ronel Janse Van Vuuren for hosting me on her blog to talk about domestic violence and PTSD.
Today’s question:When you began writing, what did you imagine your life as a writer would be like? Were you right, or has this experience presented you with some surprises along the way?
I started on a lark with zero expectations about life as a “writer“. The word felt pretentious and unfamiliar to me. It was simply a delight to create fictional worlds shaped by my characters’ whims. The words poured out of me without much knowledge of structure or point-of-view.
Three years later, in 2010, when a small publisher took a chance on my debut novel, I experienced a mix of imposter syndrome along with incredible support from online friends, authors, and readers. I bounced from envisioning “best-seller” status to feeling like the heel of the shoe worn by those best-selling authors.
Surprises have ambushed me from quite a few corners, like:
Finding my own voice. I used to compare myself unfavorably to other authors, and sometimes I still do. But I heard somewhere that NOBODY writes like you do, and that sentiment has stuck with me. There aren’t many psychologists/ authors (psycho authors) out there, and probably none who share my obsession with swimming, volleyball, Pinterest food creations, and curse words!
I will survive if readers don’t like my books. Reading preferences are so subjective. I’ve found that writing is just like school, work, sports, and relationships in that I perform better by focusing on the process (writing what I want to write, learning the craft) instead of the outcome (reviews and sales).
I always knew I could persevere. Swimming thousands (millions?) of laps while staring at a black line on the pool bottom, as well as my neurotic need for achievement, strengthened my sense of grit. But I never predicted that I would publish ten novels!
Which brings me to my NEW RELEASE on 11/14/25: Low Water!
Cover by Coreen Montagna
Haunted by the past. Healing in the present. Hoping for a better future. And telling cringey dad jokes along the way.
I shared my blurb last month, and it’s available on Amazon as a pre-order.Have you ever felt hopeless about healing after tragic events? I used to. But then I learned a powerful treatment called cognitive processing therapy, and I want everyone with PTSD (real or fictional) to start the therapy, stat. CPT inspired me to return to writing after a three-year hiatus.
Two questions for you, writers:
Would you be willing to publicize Low Water around the time of release day (Friday 11/14/25) on your blog or social media?
If you’d like a special blog post about trauma (sudden death, domestic violence, etc.), cognitive processing therapy for PTSD, writing about sports, or a topic of your choice, please leave your email address in a comment or email me at jenniferlanebooks at gmail.
If you want to share a social media post, here are options:
Trauma survivors, there’s hope! Combine the thrill of competitive swimming with the power of cognitive processing therapy to heal PTSD. Pre-order “Low Water” by Jennifer Lane now and rediscover strength. https://www.amazon.com/Low-Water-Jennifer-Lane-ebook/dp/B0FYV32BV4
Trauma survivors, listen up! I’m Jennifer Lane, psychologist & author. My new ebook LOW WATER reveals how cognitive processing therapy can heal PTSD. Pre-order now and rediscover hope. https://tinyurl.com/2vbzx668
What are the pros/cons of publishing the ebook on KDP Select vs. wide? Ronel Janse van Vuuren helped me try to figure out Draft 2 Digital to publish wide my novella earlier this year, but I’m still unfamiliar with the site compared to Amazon. (I’m trying to publish the paperback on D2D and don’t know how to set the margins to 8.5 x 5.5 while using my own interior pdf, for example.) I’ve had all my books in KDP Select for years, which might make more sense for romance novels, but my new release has only a side element of romance.
I appreciate your encouragement last month, fellow writers! I was able to finish my 10th novel, Low Water, in the nick of time (I hope) to have print copies published before a book event on November 1. My critique partner, Nicki Elson, has provided wonderful support, as always. I sent the manuscript to my editor today, and my book designer is working on cover designs.
Research for the climactic action scene took me to Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island, where I snapped this photo (which might become part of the cover?)
Blurbs are always a challenge, ugh. Nicki helped me craft this one:
Two lives marked by trauma. One chance to rediscover hope.
In the sun-drenched Lowcountry of South Carolina, a swim coach haunted by tragedy and a psychologist devoted to healing cross paths just as their lives unravel.
He once believed Olympic-sized dreams and terrible dad jokes could get him through anything, but waves of grief threaten to pull him under. She has built a career navigating others through pain, yet she struggles to confront her own.
When their worlds collide, Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD forces the question: is it possible to dive into the past without drowning? Neither expects the other to become a lifeline. But with connection and courage, they search for a way forward—one stroke at a time.
Striving, tender, and surprisingly funny, this is a story about resilience and learning that the best way out of the deep end is together.
I’m hoping for a November release date.
What’s your favorite dad joke? Here’s one from my swim coach character, Jordan:
What does the buffalo tell his son in the morning?
Bye, son!
I look forward to reading about the favorite thing you’ve written.
Last Update for my Novel in Progress: Low Water 88,500 / ~87,000 words
Join us for the Insecure Writers Support Group, where we share our doubts and celebrate our victories. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for starting (and maintaining!) the amazing group.
This is the second question of the month that involves A.I., which I know nothing about, so I’ll abstain from answering. I need to get with the times and learn more.
I finally feel some momentum with my novel–thanks to the group for your suggestions for getting unstuck! I have about 15K more words to write. I would love to publish Low Water before an author event I’m attending in Savannah, GA on November 1 (since the novel is set nearby.) It’s probably an unrealistic timeline. But the only space my editor has before February of 2026 is in early October. Therefore, I’m going for it!
If you would like to join me for a writing sprint in the month of September, please let me know.
How was your August? I visited my sister in Chicago, where we took in a Savannah Bananas game. Have you heard of Banana Ball? It’s like the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball:
We also saw the air show from a boat on the lake. *sings* Highway to the danger zone
Novel in Progress Update: Low Water 72,500 / ~87,000 words
Retired science teacher Seffi Wardwell is making herself a new home on the Maine coast. She has a flower garden to keep up to the stiff local standards, a tough job ahead breaking down the locals’ suspicion of outsiders and making friends—and a distressing tendency to find herself in the middle of murder investigations.
Edited Out blurb:
Working part-time at the local inn is fun, until everything goes sideways. When a uniformly disliked writer-in-residence turns up dead, the local police ask Seffi to use her botanical knowledge to figure out what killed her. And could she hurry up, before the inn’s business tanks, and takes the bakery down with it?
Author Bio:
Rebecca M. Douglass has lived, worked, and hiked around the American west for more years than she’ll admit, while raising two children to adulthood and dreaming up interesting ways to bump people off. Thanks to good friends in Maine, she has also spent time on the other side of the country and has fallen in love with that coast. Since retiring from work at the library, the author of the Ninja Librarian series for younger readers and the Pismawallops PTA mystery series lives in Seattle, where she is writing the Seffi Wardwell mysteries. She has also had short stories published in a variety of magazines and anthologies. When she isn’t writing, Ms. Douglass likes to go hiking and backpacking or to travel to discover new places or revisit old favorites, including the Sierra Nevada mountains, the desert Southwest, and of course Maine, where so many of the best cozy mysteries are found.
I’ll skip this month’s question since I don’t know much about the publishing industry. Instead, I’ll focus on my work-in-progress. My novel doesn’t fit into any genre I know. Maybe I’ll just call it a trauma drama.
I’m about three-fourths done with the story, which alternates chapters between a male swim coach and a female psychologist. I’ve known the character arc for the hero since I started the novel over a year ago, but the heroine’s journey is less clear. I’m trying to structure the plot as crisscrossed narratives–as his trauma heals, hers is just starting. But creeping doubts and perfectionism have led me to feel a bit stuck. Since the coach’s therapy involves challenging beliefs that have kept him mired in the past (“stuck points”), my feeling seems ironic.
While writing this post, I experienced an insight. Maybe I know the hero’s path so well because I tread it every day with therapy clients. The indomitable human spirit’s potential to recover is my main inspiration for writing the story. But the horror leading up to a trauma is (thank God) less familiar to me. And maybe it’s tough to go full-throttle with torturing my heroine since we have the same career.
I just need to keep butt in chair and continue writing. One bonus is that I decided to stop working my psychologist job on Fridays, freeing up more time to create and resolve conflict for my characters.
Thank you for listening, support group! How do you get unstuck when you’re not sure which direction to write?
Novel in Progress Update: Low Water 65,500 / ~85,000 words
July 2 question – Is there a genre you haven’t tried writing in yet that you really want to try? If so, do you plan on trying it?
There are quite a few genres that intrigue me. I enjoy action movies, and it would be fun to write a novel about heroes facing crises like in Speed, Top Gun Maverick, Gladiator, or The Fugitive. (Though I have written novels in adjacent genres of romantic suspense and psychological thriller.) Speaking of movies, I would like to learn how to write a screenplay one day.
I’ve also considered writing a nonfiction book in my specialty of psychology. I’m excited about an upcoming psychologist work trip to Germany that will add to my knowledge base!
Unrelated question: For those of you with Mailchimp newsletters, have you seen any strange activity lately? I’ve been getting new subscribers daily, though I’m not soliciting them with giveaways or other marketing strategies. (Alas, my marketing has been non-existent.) A few of the email addresses (that I deleted) were suspicious, but most of them are gmail addresses. Any ideas what is going on?
Novel in Progress Update: Low Water 59,000 / ~85,000 words
June 4 question – What were some books that impacted you as a child or young adult?
Fun question! I was a HUGE reader growing up. I highlight three books, two from my childhood (Ramona the Pest and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH) and one from my young adulthood (The Pistachio Prescription).
One reason I remember Ramona the Pest with such fondness is that I’m reading it now to my seven-year-old niece. Ramona is a plucky kindergartner who strives to do the right thing, but she has to fight her id impulses that drive her to pull Susie’s curled hair (“Boing!”) and chase Davy around the playground to show her affection. Now that I’m thinking about it through my adult psychologist eyes, maybe Ramona has undiagnosed ADHD? She’s wonderfully creative, including coming up with her own take on the Star Spangled Banner’s lyrics when she tells her sister to turn on the “dawnzer lee light”. I could relate to her as a sensitive soul who felt keen disappointment and frustration in a sometimes cruel world. I think this story inspired me to take a deep dive into character emotions.
A story about intelligent rats who have escaped from experiments at the National Institute of Mental Health, their mice friends, and an evil cat who threatens them all? Sign me up! Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH sparked my interest in mental health at a young age.
The Pistachio Prescription is a young adult book (though that genre probably didn’t exist in the 1980s when I read it) describing a thoughtful, quirky girl, Cassie, who hopes to become president of her 9th grade class. I could relate to her rocky relationship with her mother and turning to food to soothe herself. This story fed my obsession with dysfunctional families.
Honorable Mentions for my influential books:
Thurston House by Danielle Steel (I probably shouldn’t have read it as a teenager!) I liked the romance aspect along with the troubled family dynamics, and the rape scene made me bawl.
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. Again, I was too young to read this one! I watched the TV mini-series with my mother then searched for the book. The forbidden romance really drew me in.
Author Lois Duncan (teen suspense stories like The Gift of Magic and I Know What You Did Last Summer).
I can’t remember the title of a 1980’s story about a girl named Reagan(?) whose father kidnapped her and hid her from her mother, but I loved the suspense element.
Novel in Progress Update: Low Water 54,000 / ~85,000 words
May 7 question – Some common fears writers share are rejection, failure, success, and lack of talent or ability. What are your greatest fears as a writer? How do you manage them?
To decrease the intensity of our fears, it’s important to talk about them and examine their likelihood. But I had to think about this question for a while. At first I thought I that I had no fears in writing since it’s a side hobby to my day job. As I delved deeper, though, I unmasked my biggest fear…
Rejection from traditional publishers.
I was fortunate to sign with a small publisher (Omnific) to edit and release my first four novels. Then I ventured out on my own to self-publish the next five books. I’ll likely self-publish my work in progress, Low Water. There are some advantages to self-publishing, including speed and creative control. I also have a wonderful editor and book designer to polish the manuscript.
But it would be way cool to sign with an agent and submit to traditional publishing houses. With the flood of self-published novels out there, a larger publisher has the potential to bring more attention to my little novel. I tell myself I don’t have enough patience for the Big Five route, which is true, and I also don’t have a clue for how to land an agent. But the more salient hurdle is fear. What if I put all that effort in, and I get rejected? I hear rejection is quite likely on the trad pub path. I know I could handle the rejection (I’ve handled worse in my life), but I doubt I’ll risk it.
Another fear I have is not improving. I started writing on a lark, and there was so much I didn’t know upon the release of my debut novel. I want to keep learning and growing as a writer, and it would be disappointing if I remained stagnant or got worse.
Novel in Progress Update: Low Water 50,000 / ~85,000 words
April 2 question – What fantasy character would you like to fight, go on a quest with, or have a beer/glass of wine with?
I would like to have a beer with Westley from The Princess Bride (without iocaine powder added, I hope!) Not only is Westley clever, funny, mysterious, and tough, but he also portrays an air of vulnerability that draws people to him. Most endearing is his lasting love for the princess that helps him persevere through countless adversities.
Thank you to Ronel Jansse van Vuuren for helping guide me with publishing wide for the first time, and I also appreciate fellow co-host Natalie Aguirre as well as IWSG founder Alex Cavanaugh for spreading the word!
It was nice to see the short-lived orange banner on the Amazon site for the obscure category I chose.
Novel in Progress Update: Low Water 45,000 / ~85,000 words
I’m excited to launch my second sports-romance short-story today.
Who Can Help Her Meltdown on the Pitcher’s Mound?
Fast-pitch softball is Andie Wilson’s life. She’s a fierce pitcher hoping to score a college scholarship, and she hates the annoying distraction of cocky baseball players crashing her high-school charity game. But she doesn’t anticipate the impact of one baseball player: Colt Turner. As Colt stares at her through his catcher’s mask, his steadfast gaze may be just what she needs to guide her through a crisis. And Colt may need Andie, too—to cope with the secret hiding behind his mask.
I’m grateful to author Ronel Jansse van Vuuren for featuring her review on her blog! And stay tuned to authors Alex Cavanaugh’s blog and Natalie Aguirre’s blog for spotlights.
Thank you to early reviewers Michelle and Kate for 5-star reviews!
A special congratulations to Ronel Janse Van Vuren for the new release of her dark fantasy series, Smoke on the Water!
Instead of answering the optional question, I want to share the cover and blurb for my upcoming short story, Behind the Catcher’s Mask.
Who can help her through a meltdown on the pitcher’s mound?
Fast-pitch softball is Andie Wilson’s life. She’s a fierce pitcher hoping to score a college scholarship, and she hates the annoying distraction of cocky baseball players crashing her high-school charity game. But she doesn’t anticipate the impact of one baseball player: Colt Turner. As Colt stares at her through his catcher’s mask, his steadfast gaze may be just what she needs to guide her through a crisis. And Colt may need Andie, too—to cope with the secret hiding behind his mask.
~*~
I originally wrote this story for the IWSG Anthology, Masquerade: Oddly Suited. Thanks for the inspiration, IWSG and Dancing Lemur Press! I added a bonus scene and decided to self-publish the story. Because I’m reeling from a recent event in my family, I haven’t set a release date yet–hopefully late March or early April.
If you would be willing to help spread the word about this young adult sports romance, please let me know on the google form. I hope this link works as it’s been years since I created a google form?
They’ve been alive forever. They’ve been bored for some time. And now they’re showing it.
Congratulations to Ronel Janse van Vuuren on the completion of her dark fantasy series, Irascible Immortals!
Smoke on the Water
Immortals + Boredom = Catastrophe
Something old and dangerous is awake and influencing the immortals to act in ways they’d only imagined.
First, small things like Odin, Anubis and Mab going on separate vacations and leaving their seats of power open for the taking. Then, Yue Lao, Cupid, Bast, Apollo and a Kitsune messing with the lives and memories of mortals. It grows to pandemonium when Pan and Poseidon upend the world, creating the Warp – and a free-for-all where it comes to the immortals’ wildest fantasies. Especially the twisted fantasies of Baba Yaga and her Nightmares, Morrígan and her love of War, and Isis who has no qualms unleashing hell on Earth to get Osiris back, plunging mortals even deeper into danger.
Thankfully, some immortals are older and wiser than others, catching on that everything isn’t as it seems… But damage control, trying to avoid the Apocalypse of all realms, and discovering who the ancient evil is, takes more magic, wit, and sacrifice than they could’ve dreamt possible. Can the unlikely grouping of Hel, Aphrodite, Set, Thor, Loki, Apollo, Freyja, Ra and Ammit save the realms?
Scroll up to buy now and enjoy the hilarity, disaster and more that ensues when bored immortals let loose.
When I heard that each book is a 30-minute read, I needed to learn more.
Let’s talk about your creation of the series. Did I read correctly that each book is a 30-minute read? If so, how did you choose that format? That sounds unique and interesting.
I was talking to my optometrist about reading whichever series I was bingeing at the time, and she said she had like five minutes a day to devote to reading which meant that long books and series just didn’t work for her. Which got me thinking about how much punch a short story can give in a limited amount of time…
I had already written “Breaking the Habit” and submitted it to an anthology. (The first three books are featured in the “Grumpy Old Gods” anthologies.) From there, it was easy to build the world and the characters that inhabit it. Going from various gods and immortals being bored and just having a bit too much fun messing with humans to bringing about destruction was just a case of indulging my inner psychopath. LOL. I was listening to a Nightwish album and “Symphony of Destruction” came up and it just clicked: Pan and Poseidon clean up their domains, cause havoc among humans, and whatever happens next isn’t their problem.
Various gods and goddesses vied for my attention, so I wrote about the ones I’ve always wanted to write about (like Isis reuniting with Osiris).
At first, it only built to no-one doing anything to fix the Warp (the result of Pan and Poseidon’s competition) and adding to the mayhem. But after a while, I realised that I didn’t like things hanging there without any conclusion. That’s when I wrote a couple of stories to end the series and published them all together in “Smoke on the Water”. I stuck with the short format (which I recently heard is called a “mosaic novel”) so even in the collected edition, each story can still be read on its own.
Going from mayhem to fixing it, meant finding an antagonist behind it all. It was fun finding someone that is even more powerful than ancient gods like Ra. It also worked well with foreshadowing I (unintentionally) added in the first book.
We live in a world with short attention spans, limited free time, and a lot of competition for said attention and time, so we need to work with what we have.
I used my warped sense of humour, the need to focus on fixing Climate Change, and remembering that we should live and not just exist, to add different layers to this series.
It was a fun experiment in length, character POV, and world-building.
Award-winning Dark Fantasy author Ronel Janse van Vuuren writes about kick-ass heroines, the duality of being human and loves to use folklore to underscore her point.
She’s a Rottweiler pack leader, chicken wrangler and horse servant.
All of her books are available for purchase from major online retailers.
February 5 question – Is there a story or book you’ve written you want to/wish you could go back and change?
Oh, YES! I wrote my first two published novels in third person omniscient point-of-view. Though this POV provides a broad perspective to the characters and story, the downside is unfortunate head-hopping within the scenes. Cringe-worthy! I did seize the chance to edit my debut novel seven years after its initial release. To tighten the story, I chopped about 30K words, but changing the point-of-view would’ve been too extensive. My publisher released the edited ebook version but did not update the print copy.
Speaking of revising stories, I’m preparing to self-publish Behind the Catcher’s Mask, a short story that was part of the 2019 IWSG anthology, Masquerade: Oddly Suited. The theme of the anthology was young adult love featuring a mask of some sort, so naturally I turned to my favorite genre (sports romance) to pen a romance between a softball pitcher and a baseball catcher.
I hope to rekindle my writing and publishing mojo in 2025. I even signed up for a book event in Savannah, GA this fall!
Novel in Progress Update: Low Water 40,000 / ~85,000 words
Happy New Year, writers and readers! How is yours starting? I have a sinus infection that has turned me into a phlegm factory (sorry for oversharing). My 88-year-old father was in the hospital with heart problems, and I probably picked up a bug visiting him there. But he’s now in a great acute rehab facility, so I’m hoping he recaptures independent functioning soon.
January 8 question – Describe someone you admired when you were a child. Did your opinion of that person change when you grew up?
I choose two men who I admired as a teenager: my Spanish teacher, Neil Frank, and my college swim coach, Jim Steen. I admire them just as much now as I did then.
Sr. Frank taught four years of high school Spanish to me and other lucky students in Cincinnati, Ohio. His hyper-kinetic approach was so loco that I became endeared with the beautiful language and various cultures of Spanish-speaking countries. I’ve created quite a few Latino characters in my stories. I also strive to add a spice of his mischief to teaching college classes, including “board relay races” in which two teams of students race to the board to scribble the correct answers. I dream about becoming fluent in Spanish, which would help my psychologist career. I recently downloaded Babel, but I haven’t spent much time with the app yet.
Another person I deeply admire is my Kenyon College swim coach. Coach Steen is the NCAA’s most-winning coach (though most don’t know about him since Kenyon is in the small-school Division III.) He innovates and inspires. Jim is so insightful about each swimmer’s psychology, and he balances a challenging yet lighthearted approach that helps unlock his swimmers’ potential. Now that I think about it, he’s rather hyper, too. I guess I admire high-energy male educators with an exuberant sense of humor!
I’ve come up with a tagline for my work-in-progress, Low Water: A swim coach and his psychologist team up to heal from trauma. I’ve written 35K out of about 85K words.
I hope you’re having a clear-sinus start to your New Year!
(I realize this image says “newsletter”, but it was too cute for me not to copy/paste! Hope the IWSG creator doesn’t mind. (Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay))
December 4 question – Do you write cliffhangers at the end of your stories? Are they a turn-off to you as a writer and/or a reader?
I have mixed reactions to cliffhangers. Mostly I feel robbed from a satisfying ending, but sometimes I think they’re brilliant. One of my novels ended in a major cliffhanger, and some readers were angry with me!
My book that sold the best is Blocked, a New Adult volleyball romance. I wanted to write an opposites-attract love story, so I chose a romance between the college-age children of US Democrat and Republican presidential candidates. (I wrote this in 2014 before the vitriol of partisan politics became even more incendiary.)
I strived to present an unbiased view of both political parties until the very end of the story, which featured the results of the presidential election. Therefore, it didn’t feel right to choose a winner, and my story ended, “The next president of the United States is…”
Some readers were furious, whoops!
I hadn’t intended to write a series, but I felt motivated by reader feedback (a mix of love/hate, haha). I eventually chose a winner for the rest of the trilogy, Aced and Spiked.
November 6 question – What creative activity do you engage in when you’re not writing?
I know how much devious inspiration it takes to weave plots involving compelling characters, so I can only imagine the multitude of additional creative pursuits my fellow writers have undertaken. I look forward to seeing what you’ve been up to!
For me, I adore cooking and baking projects so much that my friends call me The Pinterest Assembler. Maybe it’s not that creative simply to recreate recipes, but it sure is a blast! Here are a fruity owl and a cookie cake:
Since moving to South Carolina to live closer to my six-year-old niece, I enjoy babysitting and playing with breakfast:
Update on my Novel in Progress: Low Water 28,000 / ~85,000 words
It’s great to participate in the October giveaway hop–my first from my new home in South Carolina. I’m sure the Halloween weather will be warmer compared to Ohio.
As a psychologist / author (psycho author), I took a hiatus after the release of Rivals–a romance between Ohio State and Michigan coaches. I’m thrilled to be writing again! My next novel is a psychological drama titled Low Water that features a powerful treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.
I’m giving away two of my ebooks and a $20 Amazon gift card. Enter on the Rafflecopter, and be sure to check out all the cool giveaways.
Happy Halloween! Stop by my blog October 5-26 for a $20 gift card giveaway as part of the Howl-o-ween Giveaway Hop hosted by The Kids Did It and Mommy Island.
Do you like to dress up for Halloween? I haven’t in years, but I found a cute set of cheetah ears, bowtie, tail, and face stickers to accompany my cheetah shirt and black skort. (My inner cat lover will be so happy dressing as a big cat!)
One year I dressed in this carrot costume, and it became my Twitter and Blogger avatar. (Random!)
As the family story goes, my mom (an avid sewer) asked which silly costume my sister wanted, and she replied, “Carrot.” Then my mom sewed this easy felt + yardstick + wire hanger creation, and it was a hit!
October 2 question – Ghost stories fit right in during this month. What’s your favorite classic ghostly tale? Tell us about it and why it sends chills up your spine.
I’m not a horror fan, but two movies come to mind. One is The Changeling, which traumatized me as a child. As an adult, I loved the mental health aspects of The Sixth Sense.
Novel in Progress: Low Water 23,500 / ~85,000 words
September 4 question – Since it’s back to school time, let’s talk English class. What’s a writing rule you learned in school that messed you up as a writer?
The first answer that comes to mind is adverbs. My teachers encouraged their use, but adverb abuse led to bloated and boring writing. Learning to tighten my prose has been a steep mountain. To climb perilously and precipitously? I’d rather wriggle and inch up the incline. While I’m not a fan of Stephen King, I agree with him that snappy, active verbs are better than mundane verbs + adverbs.
Upon further thought, I also wish my English classes focused more on creative writing in general. I adored writing wild stories in elementary school, but my middle and high school teachers favored structured essays over creative writing. And though my undergraduate institution (Kenyon College) was renown for its English department, I neglected to take creative writing classes at the collegiate level. I regret the missed opportunities to build skills and let my imagination fly.
I decided I will end my posts with a little WIP update for motivation:
Novel in Progress: Low Water 19,000 / ~85,000 words
It’s the first Wednesday of the month and time for the Insecure Writers Support Group, started by Alex Cavanaugh. Writers, join us here to share our hopes and fears!
Today’s optional question is about using artificial intelligence as a writer. I have not even started to use AI, so I will skip that question and hope to learn more about possible uses from fellow writers.
Thanks for the accountability, IWSG! This monthly post helps motivate my writing, however slow it may be. I’ve written around 15K words for my next novel, Low Water. In the midst of writing, I’ve had the opportunity to experience the high waters of my first tropical storm (Debby) in my new South Carolina home. I’m thankful I’ve only faced heavy rain and winds without flooding or a loss of power.
However, there was a 9-foot alligator roaming the streets of Hilton Head island:
Image by Christian Sudduth in The Island Packet
And a gator in a woman’s swimming pool!
Image courtesy of Lisa Bisgard in The Island Packet
July 3 question – What are your favorite writing processing (e.g. Word, Scrivener, yWriter, Dabble), writing apps, software, and tools? Why do you recommend them? And which one is your all time favorite that you cannot live without and use daily or at least whenever you write?
I feel old (and old-school) reading this question, because I only know Microsoft Word. I’ve used Word for all of my writing, personal and professional, since starting psychology graduate school in 1994. I think Word is quite user-friendly.
While I’ve heard of Scrivener, I don’t know much about the other writing tools, so I look forward to learning more from fellow insecure peoples.
How’s your writing coming along? I haven’t made much progress on chapter three of my new novel, but I did send the first two chapters to my critique partner.
Meanwhile, my homeowner’s association has tantalized me with this gorgeous pool…
But they haven’t opened it yet!
I moved to a new-construction community in South Carolina last fall. Now that steamy summer weather has arrived, I sure would like to cool off in these serene waters. I hope my HOA gets their butts in gear and opens the amenities soon.
The middle section of the pool appears 25 yards long, and I plan to turn it into my personal lap pool, hehe. And a relaxing adult beverage at night will be nice.
I’m excited that I finally have some momentum on my new novel, Low Water. I’ve written about 10,000 words (out of a probable 80-90K), and I’m hoping that the upcoming therapy scenes in my story will flow more easily since my day job immerses me in psychotherapy.
After falling in love with a trauma treatment I learned called cognitive processing therapy for PTSD, I wanted to write a story about a swim coach not only healing from a horrific event in his life, but also experiencing post-traumatic growth. It’s not a psychological thriller, though. More like a mental health drama, but that’s not really a thing. Have you ever written a story that doesn’t fit easily into existing genres?
Balance is on my mind while writing this story. Cognitive processing therapy utilizes cognitive-behavioral therapy, an approach that helps you balance your thinking so that you feel better. Trauma survivors sometimes get stuck in the past when their thoughts are full of self-blame, self-doubt, and/or self-directed anger.
Speaking of writing therapy scenes, I want to balance the five elements of writing (mentioned in this insightful Writers Helping Writerspost) and avoid too much dialogue. I hope to portray evenly the elements of setting, action, reaction, and inner thoughts/feelings along with the dialogue. How well do you achieve a balance in your writing?
(Have you ever tried to paddle board? That’s one area where my balance is HORRIBLE! I spend way more time in the water than on the board, but it does elicit plenty of laughs.)
Have you heard of the Insecure Writers Support Group? Started by author Alex Cavanaugh, it’s a monthly blog post to vent our fears and share our dreams! Join us here, where you can also find great content to help your writing.
May 1 question – How do you deal with distractions when you are writing? Do they derail you?
This question reminds me of strategies I review with athletes and other performers to help them focus. The first step to overcome distractions is to identify the ones that plague us most–external and internal.
External distractions may include cell phones, social media, noise, people, and obligations. My biggest external distractions? Busy day job that drains me, four email accounts, Facebook, American Idol and other TV shows, audiobooks, construction noise outside my new-build home, decorating said home, helping my 87-year-old dad adjust to a new state, and cleaning up cat barf.
Internal distractions typically include thoughts and emotions like frustration, anxiety, and INSECURITY (*points to the name of our group*). I imagine that physical and mental health issues could also distract us. Of all my internal distractions, I think that perfectionism slows my writing and derails me most.
How do I deal with distractions? Not well. I’ve written about one paragraph a month this year! But when the writing flows better, I take long walks to the beat of music instead of audiobooks, which frees my mind to plot novels. I keep in touch with my critique partner and schedule writing sprints with friends. And I carve out time for writing, mostly on weekend mornings.
April 3 question – How long have you been blogging? (Or on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram?) What do you like about it and how has it changed?
What a great question to prompt reflection. My fledgling blog (and social media) started in 2010, right before the publication of my first novel, With Good Behavior. Book bloggers were a fierce force in the publishing industry then, and I participated in blog hops and book tours galore.
Almost 15 years later, blogging in general has seemed to become less influential and mainstream. I’ve seen author blogs like mine shift away from a sole focus on book promotion. I moved from Blogger to WordPress in 2020, and I still haven’t gotten to the housekeeping I want to do on here. But one constant has been meeting wonderful writers and readers like YOU! Book nerds like us are special people.
As my writing has slowed, so has my blogging. I’m quite grateful to the insecure writer’s support group for nudging me to blog at least monthly, which has kept me in touch with writing. Hey, Alex Cavanaugh, when did IWSG start? I’m proud to have been part of this gregarious group from just about the beginning.
Congratulations to Shannon Lawrence on the release of her new urban fantasy, MYTH STALKER: WENDIGO NIGHTS!
Myth Stalker: Wendigo Nights
By Shannon Lawrence
Warrior Muse Press
Release date: March 26
A late night call from her mentor sends Selina Moonstone on a mission to Canada, determined to track down a Wendigo and exterminate it.
Accustomed to facing off with the all too real creatures of Native American lore, Selina discovers the Wendigo is someone close to her, forcing her to change gears from destruction to frantic search for a cure. There’s no known way to rid a person of the Wendigo spirit once it has begun the consumption of the victim’s soul, a lesson she learned the hard way in her youth.
With her loved one’s transition to Wendigo imminent, Selina must fight her own lifelong training as a Myth Stalker and find another way. She gathers a mismatched group of allies, including a charming Sin Eater and a conceited mercenary Cryptid hunter from her past, and embarks on a mission to find a solution before it’s too late.
Available in paperback and e-book, from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and more. Find the book at your favorite store using the universal link.
A fan of all things fantastical and frightening, Shannon Lawrence writes primarily horror and fantasy. Her stories can be found in over fifty anthologies and magazines in addition to her collections. Her nonfiction title, The Business of Short Stories, is available now and her debut urban fantasy novel is releasing March 2024. You can also find her as a co-host of the podcast Mysteries, Monsters, & Mayhem. When she’s not writing, she’s hiking through the wilds of Colorado and photographing her magnificent surroundings, where, coincidentally, there’s always a place to hide a body or birth a monster. Find her at http://www.thewarriormuse.com.
I’ll be brief this month as I’m rather tired in the midst of some family stuff. Life sure presents ups and downs.
The positive aspects of my life include longer daylight starting this weekend in America (can we PLEASE keep Daylight Savings Time?!?), writing a little bit, and my 87-year-old dad moving from Ohio to South Carolina (where I live, along with one of my sisters).
A sad reason for my dad’s move is the death of my 87-year-old mom in February. We are fortunate that Mom lived so long, and it was scary and surreal to witness her health decline the past four months to the point where her body was done with this world.
Mom endured a rough upbringing, and my childhood attempts to soothe her anxiety were likely the foundation for my career choice of psychologist. She was a teacher who loved crafting, swearing, laughing, and Jumbles puzzles. I hope she has found some peace.
Here are my parents in their 40s:
I hope you stay strong as you navigate life’s highs and lows!
February 7 question: What turns you off when visiting an author’s website/blog? Lack of information? A drone of negativity? Little mention of author’s books? Constant mention of books?
One aspect I enjoy most about IWSG is the opportunity to check out different writer blogs. It’s fun seeing how creative minds design their blog or answer the question of the month so uniquely. I like to see published authors’ book covers, and attempts at humor endear me to the writer.
I do find it frustrating when I have trouble locating the blog URL or IWSG post for that month. I’m even more frustrated when Blogger won’t let me comment from my MacBook. I also prefer to avoid reading political commentary, which seems to polarize and infect almost every aspect of life.
I haven’t made much progress on my new novel, but a recent swim vacation to Belize inspired my thinking about plot and characters. This school of blue tang mesmerized me.
I spent New Years Eve with family watching my beloved Cincinnati Bengals lose, but I did enjoy altering a Nutella Christmas tree recipe to create a puff pastry NYE dessert:
January 3 question: Do you follow back your readers on BookBub or do you only follow back other authors?
Alas, my marketing efforts have fallen off across the board the past few years, including on BookBub. I am not involved on the site these days, but I have followed authors as well as readers in the past.
Have you ever run a BookBub ad? I was lucky to get one of my books, Blocked, on BookBub in the New Adult category years ago. However, I’ve tried many times since, to no avail, and it’s tough to feel motivated to continue to submit new deals.
I’m excited that I started writing my next novel! It’s a sport psychology story with a tentative title of Low Water. My progress is slow, partly because I’ve been traveling to Ohio to help my aging parents, but it feels good to write again.
December 6 question: Book reviews are for the readers. When you leave a book reviews do you review for the Reader or the Author? Is it about what you liked and enjoyed about your reading experience, or do you critique the author?
It depends. If I’m reading a book that is published by a Big Five publisher, I tend to review more for the reader. If the book is published by an indie author (who I may know), I tend to leave a review more for the author. I like to function at Goodreads in both capacities (as reader and author).
I’m excited to co-host this fantastic giveaway. Besides the chance to win $100, individuals who comment on this post are entered to win a Jennifer Lane ebook trilogy of your choice, either romantic suspense (The CONduct Series) or sports romance (The BLOCKED Series.)
Please comment on this post and tell me your favorite book or favorite reading genre that keeps you warm during the cold winter!
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ONE entrant will be selected by the entry form to win $100 USD PayPal Cash! Open for entry WW, 18 years and older from 12/01/2023 at 12:01 a.m. ET thru 12/21/2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET. No purchase is necessary. Void where prohibited. This event is not sponsored or endorsed by PayPal. A winner will be chosen after/around December 22, 2023. The winner will have 12 hours to respond to the notification email to claim their prize or a new winner will be selected. See Rafflecopter for official rules. The Kids Did It and The Mommy Island are responsible for sending the winner their prize.
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November 1 question:November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not?
I have never participated, though the idea of writing 50,000 words in one month intrigues me. I find that working a full-time job and carving out some time to exercise every day leaves little free time to write during the week, so I don’t think I could win NaNo as long as I keep my job. (And I don’t even have a spouse and kids to care for!)
Lately, I’ve also been consumed by moving, unpacking, assembling furniture, re-assembling furniture after I screw up, and spending time with my sister and her family in my new home in South Carolina. It was a treasure to trick-or-treat with my 5-year-old niece, who dressed as Barbie (of course). She had fun at a Halloween dance competition but couldn’t compete with a manic T-Rex:
Happy Halloween, happy writing, and good luck on NaNoWriMo for those who accept the challenge!
Hey, writers! I didn’t want to miss this month’s post, but I’ll be brief, because I’m moving to South Carolina in 5 days *EEP*
I’ve lived in Columbus, Ohio for 24 years–that’s a whole lotta STUFF that I’ve accumulated. And my stuff had babies when I wasn’t looking. But soon I’ll be in the sunny south, yahoo!
HAPPY TWELFTH BIRTHDAY, INSECURE WRITER’S SUPPORT GROUP!!! 🎈✨🎉🎊🎁🎂🍰
September 6 question: The IWSG celebrates 12 years today! When did you discover the IWSG, how do you connect, and how has it helped you?
Wow, 12 years! I’ve been part of this amazing support group for about 10. I believe a fellow author with my publisher, Nicki Elson, turned me on to the group. Nicki became my critique partner, and the IWSG became an inspiring source of support!
While the self-depracating group name drew me in, the welcoming writers led me to return month after month. I so appreciate author Alex Cavanaugh’s investment in creating and maintaining this group. I’m also grateful to writers who often stop by to comment and encourage, including Natalie Aguirre, Pat Garcia, emaginette, Janet Alcorn, Diane Burton, Joylene Butler, Cherie Colyer, Nick Wilford, Olga Godim, Louise Fundy Blue, Esther O’Neill, and so many more.
Image by gerald at Pixabay
As a therapist, I have facilitated support groups, but it’s even more fun to vent my angst as a member of this writing support group. The IWSG gave me the courage and skills to start self-publishing in 2014, and I’m so glad I made the leap. This group has also inspired imagination, helping me to consider new ideas and opportunities from book covers to genres to editing.
So thank you, Alex, and all you impressive and interesting writers. Your support and collegiality mean a lot to me!
Water is special to me. As a competitive swimmer, I’ve spent countless hours submerged in clean chlorine. My favorite vacations include lounging on the beach, absorbing the warmth of the sun while the rumbling rush of waves lulls me to contemplation.
Ohio has been my home for over 40 years, but the water and my family lure me closer. I’m moving to South Carolina!
Not only will I live 30 minutes from the shore, but I will revel in quality time with my sister and her family. I’ve missed many moments of my three nephews growing up in Chicago, and I want to witness my niece develop into the vibrant person she’s becoming.
And I’ll take my nephew doggie, Auggie, on meandering walks.
Though I’ll start a psychology private practice eventually, I’m thrilled my employer offered a full-time position working remotely (video visits).
Saying goodbye to friends is tough, and I’m crossing my fingers that my feline companions, Tess and Tux, don’t meow for the entire 11-hour drive. But I’m up for a new adventure! The setting for my next novel will definitely be the South Carolina Lowcountry.
If you’ve moved across states, any words of wisdom?
Writers, we all know insecurity and self-doubt. If you’d like to join our supportive community to feel less alone on this writing journey, check out the Insecure Writers Support Group, hosted by Alex Cavanaugh.
July 5 question – 99% of my story ideas come from dreams. Where do yours predominantly come from?
One of my novels (psychological thriller Twin Sacrifice) came from a dream, but I’m more likely to be inspired by various media sources (TV, movies, books, music) and my psychologist career. I enjoy throwing my characters into therapy, the poor things.
The spark of inspiration for the next novel I’ve outlined is a bucket-list swim vacation I took to Baja, Mexico last year, as well as a wildly effective trauma treatment I’m using called cognitive processing therapy.
I hope all Americans had a great July 4th celebrating our escape from tyrannical Brits hehe. I made this Patriotic Fruit Pizza for a friend’s cookout.
This month’s question: If you ever stop writing, what will you replace it with?
I’m test-driving this question currently, given that I haven’t written since 2021. However, I consider it a break–not a stop. Instead of writing on the weekends, I’ve increased my time listening to audiobooks, traveling, swimming, and meal-prepping with my Instapot. I’d like to socialize more on the weekends, but the pandemic has seemed to decrease friends’ availability. 😦
If I stop writing for realz, I’ll likely replace it with another creative endeavor like pottery painting. And with or without writing, I hope to spend more quality time with my 5-year-old niece!
May 3 question – When you are working on a story, what inspires you?
One reason I became a psychologist is that people fascinate me. How do our childhoods affect us? Why do we engage in behaviors that end up hurting us? How can we rise above past wounds to become the best versions of ourselves?
I feel the same way about the characters I write. The challenge of developing rich characters with flaws, fears, and triumphs truly inspires me.
I also feel inspired by…
song lyrics (mostly I pay more attention to the melody, but sometimes I hear lyrics that summarize my plot or character conflicts perfectly)
books, TV shows, or movies that engage me or make me laugh and cry (The Chain, The Golden Couple, Ted Lasso, Friday Night Lights, Prison Break, Top Gun Maverick)
funny / weird things people say (I recently heard the term “big dick energy” and just have to use that in my next book)
taking walks while listening to music lets my writer mind wander in all directions plot and character (but lately I’ve listened to audiobooks on my walks…and I haven’t written anything…hmm)
April 5 question – Do you remember writing your first book? What were your thoughts about a career path on writing? Where are you now and how is it working out for you? If you’re at the start of the journey, what are your goals?
Though I enjoyed creative writing as a child, I never intended to become a writer or author. But the world of fan fiction swept me up in its encouraging community, much like the support of this wonderful writer’s group. I posted one chapter at a time about characters in a favorite TV show, and fellow fans cheered me on (even though my writing was quite amateur at first).
As a psychologist, I listen all day. As a writer, I guess I had a lot to say, because the words poured out of me. After two long, rambling fan fiction stories, I started writing my first novel featuring an ex-psychologist who fell in love with a felon she met at her parole officer’s doorstep (With Good Behavior). And I was lucky to find a small publisher, Omnific Publishing, to release my baby into the world in 2010.
I have since published nine novels and two short stories. Writing is a side gig for me, not a career. Since the pandemic began, I have taken a hiatus from writing. But I recently started outlining novel #10, once again featuring a female psychologist character and a male swim coach character whose trauma she helps heal. I can’t wait to dive in!
I had let my Microsoft Office license lapse on my home laptop, but I finally bought it again–the first step to getting back to writing. Writers, do you use Microsoft Word or another application?
March 1 question – Have you ever read a line in novel or a clever plot twist that caused you to have author envy?
All the time! I like to highlight quotes that speak to me–maybe clever similes, hilarious dialogue, or psychological truths–and post them in my reviews on Goodreads.
Here are a couple of favorites:
“Have you ever held a three-year-old by the hand on the way home from preschool?”
“No.”
“You’re never more important that you are then.” ― Fredrik Backman, Anxious People
~*~
The conductor stepped up, tapped twice on the rostrum, and great hush descended. I felt the stillness, the auditorium alive, expectant. Then he brought down his baton and suddenly everything was pure sound. I felt the music like a physical thing; it didn’t just sit in my ears, it flowed through me, around me, made my senses vibrate. It made my skin prickle and my palms dampen.
Today’s question: If you are an Indie author, do you make your own covers or purchase them? If you publish traditionally, how much input do you have about what goes on your cover?
I was fortunate to start my author journey with a small publisher known for their eye-catching book covers. Omnific Publishing created this cover for my debut novel, With Good Behavior, which portrayed the romance element between two convicts well, I thought. (Some thought the handcuffs represented BDSM, ha ha!)
I was mostly pleased with Omnific’s receptivity to my input, though I did want a larger image of a couple kissing underwater on my new adult swimming romance, Streamline:
When I turned indie in 2014, I knew the importance of a professional cover, meaning I would never try to create one on my own. I hired my publisher’s book designer, Coreen Montagna. We didn’t intend to focus on hot shirtless men, but that was the best image we could find for the first book, and sequels just *had* to follow the same format.
For my latest novel, Rivals, I had a lot of input with my graphic designer friend, Dan Irons, including the design for my first audiobook cover:
Of all the publishing tasks, creating book covers can be challenging, but also a blast! (At least more fun than writing blurbs.)
I’m getting my post up late today because I just returned from visiting family in South Carolina. I’m feeling discombobulated as I juggle unpacking, grocery shopping, and laundry in the midst of returning to work after a restful holiday.
January 4 question – Do you have a word of the year? Is there one word that sums up what you need to work on or change in the coming year?
My word of the year is MOVE. I plan to make a big move in my life, and that brings excitement and anxiety. I’m still hoping to get back to writing, but I don’t know how that will figure in with my plans.
In November, I had the opportunity to take a bucket-list dream vacation revolving around my favorite sport: SWIMMING! A company in England, SwimTrek, hosts swimming vacations all around the world, and we decided on Baja, Mexico. My college swimming teammates and I glamped on Isla de Espiritu Santo while swimming 2-4 miles a day in the crystal-blue waters of the Sea of Cortez.
The island had no electricity or wi-fi, adding to the spirituality of the experience. We were lucky to have a talented chef who prepared ceviche, fish tacos, and even a birthday cake! There were seven swimmers from my alma mater, and fun new friends from California, Canada, Germany, and Italy.
A highlight was swimming with sea lions.
What a memorable experience! A swimming vacation just *might* be the setting for my next novel.
November 2’s optional question – November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not?
While NaNoWriMo intrigues me, I have yet to participate. A big reason why is that it’s a busy time of year in my day job. It’s also true that writing every day hasn’t been my style.
I think that writing 50K words in one month is a cool concept, and I would like to try it one year.
For those who have participated in NaNo, what were the best and worst aspects for you?
Hey, writers! How’s it going? I’ve been swimming more to train for a swim vacation in Mexico soon. We’ll swim 2-4 miles a day in the ocean while glamping on the beach.
I still haven’t been writing, but I’ve listened to quite a few audiobooks, including Book Lovers and The Cheat Sheet.
Both books are romances, which brings me to this month’s question: What do you consider the best characteristics of your favorite genre?
It surprised me how many writers answered a previous month’s question by stating that they could never write romance. The romance genre, especially sports romance and romantic suspense, is about all I know as a writer.
How do I love thee, romance? Let me count the ways:
Unresolved sexual tension. You know that feeling when two characters lust for each other, yet neither ponies up to share their feelings due to fear of being rejected? When they clearly belong together? It’s palpable! The Bridgerton series on Netflix captures UST perfectly, and I’m enjoying the book series as well.
Shared vulnerabilities. Sharing your heart with a potential boo leaves you so exposed, but your partner will likely respond by opening up their inner insecurities, too. Writing romance is an effective way to reveal characters.
Opportunity for creativity. Authors have covered first dates and marriage proposals countless ways, but how can a writer come up with a fresh take? It’s a fun challenge.
Happy endings. Life can be painful, and I relish happy (yet still somewhat realistic) endings.
Congratulations to Nick Wilford for releasing the third book in the Black and White trilogy!
Title: Reckoning
Author: Nick Wilford
Genre: YA dystopian
Series: Black & White
Series #: 3 of 3
Release
date: 20th September 2022
Publisher: Superstar Peanut
Publishing
Blurb:
The time has come for those
who perpetrated wrongdoing and suffering on the land of Loretania to face their
judgement. Lord Histender and the other members of the deposed Reformers’
Government are in jail awaiting trial for keeping that country in a state of
disease-ridden deprivation, alongside other heinous crimes.
Wellesbury Noon and Ezmerelda
Dontible, the kind and benevolent new rulers of Harmonia, are looking forward
to seeing justice finally being done. But nothing is that simple. Lunkin, the
psychotic former Chief Scientist, has one more trick up his sleeve and is
wreaking havoc even from behind bars. Soon, Loretanians who have come to make a
new life in Harmonia are falling victim to hate crimes and brutal attacks. And
things take a turn for the desperate when Wellesbury himself becomes
compromised.
Can Welles and Ez turn the
tide of public opinion and secure justice for the people of Loretania before
it’s too late?
Nick
Wilford is a writer and stay-at-home dad. Once a journalist, he now makes use
of those early morning times when the house is quiet to explore the realms of
fiction, with a little freelance editing and formatting thrown in. When not
working he can usually be found spending time with his family or wrangling his
six adorable dogs. His first traditionally published novel, a YA sci-fi
adventure entitled The Becalmer, will release from Creative James Media in
August 2023. His other books include the Black & White trilogy, a YA
dystopian series, and A Change of Mind and Other Stories, a collection
featuring a novella and five short stories, four of which were previously
published in Writer’s Muse magazine. Nick is also the editor of Overcoming
Adversity: An Anthology for Andrew.
I was honored to serve as a judge, and I swooned over the sweet and sexy meet cutes in each story.
First Love: The Art of Making Doughnuts
An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology
The sweetness of first love…
Could a fiercely independent cop’s heart be stolen by the guy who makes her favorite doughnuts? Will a maid who used deceit to snare a mail-order husband get a dose of her own medicine? Can her handsome neighbor rescue a modern-day “princess” from a tenacious ex-boyfriend? Can two strangers in a rideshare be honest enough to fall in love for real? Can you remember your first love? How about your second? Third? Fourth?
Featuring the talents of Linda Budzinski, Melissa Maygrove, Michael Di Gesu, Sylvia Ney, Katie Klein, Kim Elliott, Templeton Moss, S.E. White, Denise Covey, and Sammi Spizziri. Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will touch your heart and rekindle lost feelings. Prepare to return to that first love…
How’s it going, insecure writers? My writing life is meh as I’m more focused on my day job these days, but I do feel inspired by those of you bravely writing all the words.
The stellar performance of USA at Track and Field World Championships also stimulated me (when my cat, Tuxedo, allowed me to watch the events!)
August 3 question – When you set out to write a story, do you try to be more original or do you try to give readers what they want?
I don’t have a clue for how to write a story that readers want. All I know is how to write words that reflect my passions and interests. Only when an idea sparks my curiosity, a “What if…?” question, do I dive in to a novel. I need to write what excites me. If I worry about trends or try to mind-read what others might want, I’ll never start the damn thing.
Though I’ve taken a writing hiatus, an idea for my next novel has percolated for months. You probably haven’t heard of cognitive processing therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, but it is the BOM-DIGGITY of psychological treatments. I’ve been so impressed by CPT’s effectiveness that I can’t wait to bring the protocol to life in a fictional story. Do readers want to read about a character’s therapy journey in healing from a tragedy? Hell, no! But I’m stoked to write it.
Whoops, I almost forgot about IWSG again! Too many summer days at the swimming pool. Ahhhhh.
Instead of answering this month’s question, I have a question for you. Have you ever asked for your rights back from your publisher in order to self-publish past novels? I’m considering doing so (now that the contracts have elapsed), taking time to update, and I’m looking for tips and pros/cons.
Jennifer Lane Books 