A New Year Moving Forward

It's been a bit since I announced that career change. I'm still moving forward in my career as a first responder in police dispatching.  I've completed and been signed off on my first half of training. I begin the second half in March. 

It's been a big adjustment for me.  Shift work and learning a new job has been hard for me.  Despite the months off while unemployed, I'm still battling with fatigue from burnout and the ptsd moments the stress my last job (or rather the manager I had) left me with.  

I still struggle not to spiral every time I make a mistake at work, regardless of how small that mistake may be.  I keep struggling not to think that each mistake might lead to me losing my job. That maybe my supervisors will not like me in the same way my last manager did and they'll hold every little error against me.

My logical mind knows that's not going to happen but the logical mind doesn't control the reaction from what I experienced. However, I'm seeing a therapist who I'm hoping will help me work through the mess I've been left with.  

Shift work has also been a challenging adjustment for me.  Two 12-hour day shifts followed by two 12-hour night shifts and then technically 4 days off doesn't sound that bad on paper, but for someone who has worked an office job for nearly 15 years previously and has struggled with insomnia,  it's been extra challenging.  I no longer need the energy drink to make it all the way through the nights, but I know its wearing on me all the same.  

I have days where I'm bone tired, that I sleep-in super late but wake every 4 hrs.  I've tried taking melatonin to help but I worry about becoming reliant on something to sleep,  even if it is sold in the vitamin and supplements section.

However,  the people I get to work with are amazing.  They're all a bunch of weirdos which works for me.  A couple of dog snobs as well which is super nice to have.  I miss a lot of my old team.  After working so long together, it's hard not to miss them.  

Speaking of dogs,  my girls are mostly adjusting well to my new schedule. My old girl, Treble, has had the hardest time with it.  She's taken to a bit of a hunger strike and I'm doing my best not to give into her demands for specific foods now that I feel as though there is nothing seriously wrong with her.

So, mostly, I'm doing okay.  I'm trying to be kind to myself.  I'm trying not to stress over things that have fallen to wayside lately.  I'm mostly trying to focus on keeping one foot in front of the other without tripping myself.  

Two Positive Things

 It's been a bit. These past few months have had their ups and downs, but there are two things I want to tell the world. 

 First, I have a job. Yours truly is making a huge pivot to become a 911 Dispatcher for the RCMP. I will be starting training at the end of July. I am looking forward to this move. I know it is a stressful, difficult job, but I feel like I will still find more balance there. Unless I say something otherwise, assume that I am still doing that job.

While in training, most of my shifts will be from 7am to 3pm. After the middle of December, I will be moving over to shift work of 4 days on (2 days, 2 nights) and 4 days off. They will be 12 hr shifts, but considering the insane hours I was pulling at the end for my last job, I think I can handle the length of the shift. Adjust to working days followed by nights is going to be a much bigger transition for me. 

Second, I have started writing again. In the last few days, I have written several pieces of flash fiction and a 5K word short story. 

I am so happy to be able to be writing again. It feels like forever since I finished a story that I started... or even attempted to write. 

Just a short update for now, hopefully I will have more to keep reporting to you in the future.  

 

 

Win Some, Lose Some

Now, I love my little old house, but I am not a big fan of the tan that was used as the main paint colour. The chance to paint a small part of this place a different colour held great appeal to me. So, I bought it. 

 I've had little luck in finding full time work, but a few leads have emerged. Nothing concrete yet, but do keep your fingers crossed.In the meantime, I have been keeping busy. For all the years I have owned my little house that nearing a century old, I have never really had it all to myself. I am taking this chance to pull apart the house and reorganize. It's been a lot of work, especially since I lost a close friend in April and a lot of her stuff has come to stay with me.

I had not expected what came next in the organization project.

As I walked through the hardware store looking for something niche and specific (that I did not find), I saw that there was a low VOC paint on for a really good sale. Paint that would be perfect for a bathroom. 

Tonight, I pulled everything out of the main bath and painted the bathroom.

Everything went fairly smoothly. I love the new colour. I am happy with my choice. It was what happened after that didn't go so well. See, I had to move everything from the bathroom to the kitchen. It was late when I finished painting. I needed to feed the girls (and myself as I'd only had two granola bars since the morning). I had to move a few things around to access my fridge.

And that is when disaster hit.

I managed to destabilize the carefully placed items that I had moved from the bathroom to the kitchen. The cabinet organizer for behind the toilet was the first to topple. The leg broke right off as it crashed to the ground. In move of retrospective idiocy, I tried to grab for it. It is not a light thing and there was no reasonable way for me to break the fall from where I stood.

However, I managed to send the closet door tumbling over. 

The door came crashing down hitting the counter... and my coffee pot. Glass and the cold remnants of this mornings coffee exploded all over my kitchen. Cue an epic meltdown of overwhelm.

I am hoping a metric shit tonne of wood glue will help repair the storage thing, but the coffee pot was a total loss. However, my sister called me that evening and I told her about my day. Her response was "Well, I guess I know what I am getting you for Christmas now."

At which point, after much laughter (which I needed), she bought me a fancy new coffee machine that I need to drive to the city to pick up tomorrow. 

You win some, you lose some. In the end, it all works out in the wash.

Edited to add: After posting this and despite my careful cleaning of the kitchen to prevent any one of my furbabies from stepping on glass, I managed to step on a piece of glass... Go me.

So, I got fired

I don't post much about my day job but as you can tell from the title of this post, this is kind of a big thing. After almost 15 years at the same job, I was fired just the other week. My brain cannot really decide how to feel about all of this. 

Over the last few years, my ability to live the creative life I wanted to had been drowned out by the exhaustion and the burnout my day job was causing me. The mental stress induced from a non-supportive environment and excessive hours did a real number on both my physical and mental health. 

So, in some ways, it's not bad thing that I am not working there anymore, but not working in general is very anxiety inducing. I have a positive attitude about it all, but I am not sure if that attitude stems from true belief that I will land on my feet or if it is a habit stemming for a lifetime of not wanting to let others worry about me or something else entirely. 

I can honestly say that I do tend to land on my feet, but I really want to find a way to not return to the day job life. However, I am not a prolific or popular enough writer to make my living that way. I am no great social media guru to find my way as an influencer. My freelance work is entirely sporadic.

I honestly am not sure what I am going to do next. I am still applying for regular jobs and hoping that it all works out.

I am sure that somehow, it will work out. Maybe not the way I would necessarily want it to, but the way it has to. 

Staying positive isn't a terrible thing when it doesn't fall into the realm of toxic positivity, but I cannot ignore the anxiety that resides with me as I look forward to the unknown. 

I am staring into the void of the future and, so far, it has stared back in unknowing silence.

Omg, I forgot one of my WIPs

 Okay, first off, go read the previous post first and now I will add that I forgot to include one of the works in progress that is actually high on my list of things I want to get finished!

Several years ago I published a short story as a part of an anthology. The story was titled "A Peccadillo
Problem" and the shared world was a series of stories based on Alice in Wonderland. The anthology did not sell that well and went out of print at the end of 2023.

I was just fine with this anthology going out of print because I was already in the process of taking this story and making it something much more. I was never really happy with the story I had written. I knew there was more potential than what was published.

If you're a writer, you probably know exactly what I mean by that.

Now, when I say I was making it something more, I mean I was entirely revamping everything from the characters to the plot line. If you did read the original story from this anthology, you may find yourself recognizing certain events and scenes. I salvaged a lot of what I had including some of the characters, but then I made it something so much more. 

 This story is a few chapters away from being a finished first draft of a novella with a brand new title. It will also be moving a bit more towards the darker writing that fans of my work expect from me. I will hint a bit about what to expect in this novella with the title and tagline. As an added bonus, you're going to get a sneak peak of the new cover.

Title: Not Alice

Tagline: Alice is perfect. Smart, athletic, kind—everyone loved her. Then, one day, Alice disappeared without a trace. This isn’t her story.

Yes, I'm Still Alive

 I even updated the website a bit. Exciting, right?

Okay. Not really, but it is what it is. 

However, I just finished taking part in one of my favorite conferences for creatives, Flights of Foundry. Every year since I discovered this incredible and accessible event, I've made a point of taking part. This year, it wasn't just taking part in an event (as both a panelist and a participant), but a reaffirmation of how much life creative work fills me with.

Not only did I start a few new pieces of short work, but it reminded me of the novels in progress that I want to desperately get back to. 

If you're wondering what is on the list of things I wish to complete in the near future, well that shouldn't be too hard for me to tell you about. 

Most importantly, I would love to finish the final edits 'Rising Darkness', the sequel to 'Falling Light', and second book of the 'The Shadows of Fate' trilogy. This book has been sitting at the final revision stage for far too long.

The third book in the series, 'Penumbra', is still in the first draft stage, but I do want get that out. There are a few sticky plot points I am still working through, I am sure that those who have read and loved the first book, want me to finish the story of these wonderful characters. 

And yes, when all is send and done, I promise as happy an ending for those "goobers" (as one fan refers to them) as I am capable of writing.

Beyond that, I had a chance to talk about and really think about my other works in progress and I am not sure how much I have talked about them on my blog or outside of my writing groups. So, I thought I would write about them here and tell you why I am so excited to be able to work on each of these stories.

One of things that I really want to do is finish the second edition edits for the re-release of my novel 'Feathers & Fae', I even have a new concept cover for it. I have no plans to change the plot structure of this story, but I very much want to elevate this story to where I always wanted it to be. 

After that, I want to finish a story that I started years ago based on the joking challenge of how many times can I kill a main character in a story. In line with the tone of the story, it is called "Where the Dead Fern Goes'. The cover shown here is not the final cover, but something I created for fun. It has a snarky main character, Fern, who is death's assassin, killing those who are responsible for creating one too many traumatized souls. When her most recent investigation brings back memories that should have been erased, she risks losing herself and becoming an untethered, vengeful spirit.

One of the panels I attended at the conference reminded me of why representation is important. It brings me to a novel I have been longing to write for a while now, but haven't had a chance to get to that has an aro/ace main character. The tentative title of the story is 'Ace of Hearts' and this is the rough synopsis "Sam comes from a long line of demon hunters and has always been expected to learn the family business. When her entire family is brutally murdered, Sam learns that other families of hunters have been completed eliminated as well. Determined to get revenge, her investigation points to a cult of incubi and succubae. What she didn't expect was one incubus who wants to help her, or the friendship that develops between them."

Lower on the list, but still stories I really want to get to is finishing the sapphic, gothic horror novel, 'The Curse of Oakwood Manor' that is about halfway through the first draft. I do want to keep working on the next two novels in the 'Saints & Sinners' series with a couple of chapters of the next novel, 'Shards of Shadows' having been written. Though, with the first two books being my earliest published novels, I would love to be able revise the first two books 'Depths of Darkness' and 'Road to Redemption' up to my current standards.

There is also a book that I wrote years ago that I have never gotten out of my head. I loved the rich and detailed character. It was a fun imaging on the sword and sorcery genre with richly developed characters. It is called 'Blessings of the Damned' which is about an immortal sorcerer hiding from the
demons of his past under an assumed name in a quiet village. When an exiled queen discovers his true identity, she kidnaps his adopted niece to force him to help her break the curse his brother placed on her land. Unfortunately, this means facing the one person he never wanted to see again as the set out on a journey that can only end in death.

There is one last novel I want to talk about. This one started as a planned series of novellas of which the first was originally published in a short lived anthology that was published by Kyanite, one of the last things before they put out before they closed. The story was titled 'Call of the Void'. With the other stories in the series planned out, I wasn't going to let that work go to waste. The entire series will be under the novel name 'A Kingdom of Broken of Shadows'.  The other four parts of this are titled, 'Weight of the Throne', 'Curse of the Crown', 'Blood of the Ghost', and 'Heart of the Darkness'. 

Poodles and Cosmic Horror?

You may wonder what in the world poodles and cosmic horror have in common. It's certainly not the most typical combination. Unless, of course, you're some who loves their poodles as much (if not more) than you love writing. 

Hi, that's me. I'm sure if you follow me on any social media you know that my dogs are my life beyond writing. I show them, I groom them, and they are my everything. A fan favourite is Fred, my youngest standard poodle. 

She's got a lot of personality that comes through with nearly every picture and certainly every video I make of her. 

So, when I was struggling for an idea to write a short story influenced by the work of H.P. Lovecraft, I searched for inspiration where I could find it. 

And I found it in Fred. 

Now, I won't ruin the surprise of the story because I am happy to announce that it has been published in an anthology by JayHenge Publishing!

The story is titled 'Dog Gone God'. It features Fred in all her wonderful, sassy and sweet glory, and a
creative groomer who got in way over her head. If you want to find out how a standard poodle, a creative grooming competition, and cosmic horror go together then you'll have to pick up the anthology: The Nameless Songs of Zadok Allen: & Other Things that Should Not Be 

Burnout is a Bitch

 If you had read my last post at all, you probably had a good guess at what was coming. Heck, I knew what was coming and I ran head first into it anyway.

Everything came to a full stop and I was simply doing my best to make it through each day as it came. I was exhausted and, even when I tried to create, little to nothing came out. It was terrible, it was frustrating and... was is past tense. If I am being honest with myself, I am still sitting the tip of the tail from that flaming crash. 

I'm trying hard to find my way back to everything. To my podcast, my writing, my editing. It's hard. And, in the fashion of being me, I added new things to my life still. Including playing D&D and trying my hand at digital art.

Last night, actually, was my first attempt at really using my new drawing tablet. I have a very sketchy style of drawing because I tend to have a habit of drawing with ballpoint pens on scrap paper most of the time. 

I'm sure, with practice, I will improve and find a way that works for me, but for your amusement here is my first less than an hour of trying.

This was the very first thing that I attempted to draw by myself.

It's supposed to be Fred and, those that have seen a lot of pictures of her actually realized it was her. So, all-in-all, not a complete failure, but it could have been better. 

I also tried a side profile of her head, but I didn't really like that at all which is why I am not sharing it here. 

One thing I noticed was that this style of drawing on the tablet would make a pretty feather, so that was what I did next.

I liked how the feather turned out well enough to then see what colouring a drawing would be like with the new tablet and art program. I liked how that turned out, but I wanted it better blended. With a little bit of a look around, I figured out how to blend well enough. 

And below the progress of my feather:

Where Have I Been? Well...

Treble turned 8 years old
during the chaotic events

I am only posting this because I took the time to break down the events of the last three weeks. Well, not even quite three weeks because that would be 21 days worth of events and all of this happened in only 18 days.
Sadly, this has been a good example of life for the last few months more or less. Though the last almost three weeks took things to an extreme. However, there has ALWAYS been something going on, some sort of demand on my time almost constantly.

 

Day 1 -  Drive 6 hrs to Saskatoon because I can't get the time off to leave for the dog show early because my supervisor has time booked off. My friend needs to groom our other friend's dog for the show. I can groom my own dog for show, but our other friend does not.

Day 2 - Help groom or get ready to be groomed 4 show dogs. Drive 6 hrs back home, arrive a little late and slightly wired so I need to calm down.

Day 3 - 5 - Back to work! Extra long hours because my boss has booked days off! Day 5 is Wednesday and despite everyone knowing I had to drive 6 hrs after work that day and that I needed to be in Saskatoon before midnight or I would need to sleep in my car on the side of the road, one of my coworkers threw a fit and walked out before the work was done.
Somehow, I still make it Saskatoon before midnight.

Day 6 - 11 - I get up the next morning nice and early to drive to the dog show at a city over an hour

Fred and I at the dog show

north. That day and the next four days are all dog show days. While not extremely busy, and somewhat enjoyable, I am sleeping on a couch, they are long days and a bit hard on the body. Day 11 should now be Tuesday, where I drive home, but not straight home.
You see, I am getting good enough at grooming my own dogs that I am finally getting a new pair of scissors. My first new pair that I've ever bought for myself. It's very exciting, but it also means a stop well off my normal route and, therefore, a much later time to get home. I do get home at a half decent time, but still rather late. I also come home to find that something is not right with my fridge.

Day 12 - 14 - My boss has called in sick (and she was, in fact, quite sick). Though there is an option to work from home, she didn't exercise this option. It was very busy at work. I get home Wednesday night and attempt to fix my fridge. No luck. I'm going to need to buy a new one. Thursday after work, I go to the store and find a new fridge. In the end, I don't get home until 10 pm that night. I get myself packed and ready to leave for Saskatoon all over again. I have something far more than a dog show to attend to this time
Friday they deliver my fridge, thankfully my friend and part-time roomie was there to get it all set up for me since I wasn't going to be going home. Instead, she met me at my office, we drop my dogs off at a friends place and away to Saskatoon we went. This time, I booked a hotel so when we got at midnight, I didn't have the concerns that I would wake someone up by arriving too late.

Day 15 - 16 - I wake up at 530 am thanks to wonderful internal alarm clock. I hate this about me some days. I cannot get back to sleep. Thankfully, this day isn't packed or overly hard. I take my nephew to his football game. It's the first time I've ever been able to attend. Seriously, guys, I almost cried I was so happy to just BE there.
Then comes the reason we are really there. To move my bestie out of her wife's house. It was very sad. There was no anger or stress that way, but when she was off of work, away we went to take one load before heading out to dinner with some friends. We spend the night in the new room my friend is renting until she finds a place.
I can't get comfortable. I don't fall asleep. I'm exhausted.
It's Sunday, Day 16, that we do the rest of the moving. I was unaware that "bring tools" was meant to include a drill. So, I ended up strong arm screwing a TV support into the wooden wall stud. Guys, this is NOT an easy task, but I got those screws most of the way in. It's late and time for another 6 hr drive home.
Let me be clear, I do NOT begrudge my friend needing my help in this way. This was important. I wanted to help her, but I was so exhausted that my roomie who came with me took one look at me and said "You are not driving half of this, you look like death." So, we grabbed some food and she drove the 6 hrs back home. She wanted me to rest, but I want to make one thing very clear. I struggle to fall asleep in moving vehicles. This was no exception. We get home at 12:30am and I shuffle my ass straight to bed.

Day 17 - Hello, 530 am. It's time for work. I am exhausted. I grab food from my fridge and head off to work. I am beyond exhausted. My core body temperature is dropping and as the day progresses I get colder and colder. I wrap myself up in four blankets, I take a break a lunch and try to have a nap. It's a late night. By the time I get home, my stomach is a bit crampy and I attribute it to possibly eating something wrong on the weekend. Some gluten contamination.
It's a late night at work, but my boss left at 530 because she had to pick her daughter up from the after-school program. I am beyond tired. It's 730 pm by the time I get home with my dogs. I picked them up after work, because I wasn't waking my friend up at midnight to get them. Home I go and feed my puppers and I go straight to bed with no supper. 

Day 18 - I realize on waking that it wasn't gluten hurting my insides. It was a mild case of food poisoning. It was not a kind morning, but I still go to work. I work another late one. Once again, the boss left at 530 to pick her daughter up. I don't want to begrudge her that, but I seriously still need some rest. My insides, by the end of the day, are feeling better. Finally, I get to actually LOOK at my new fridge. My roomie hadn't returned to check on her dad yet and had made me some dinner. It was great. I was still tried and went to bed early, but not too early. It was my first chance to just really sit and snuggle my dogs.

I am not officially including Day 19 - because this is Wednesday. Yesterday, as of writing this. Things have finally slowed a bit. Well, maybe by my standards, but perhaps not by anyone else's. My boss had to take her daughter to swimming and left at 5pm. I worked until 630 pm before rushing home for the poodle club meeting. My roommate had left for her other residence (where she helps to keep an eye on her father) and the house was mine. After the meeting, I prepped my meals for the next day. Made some grilled cheese and called myself done for the night.

So, where have I been? Well..

you just got a snapshot of some the craziest days of the last while.

Review: Never Say You Can't Survive by Charlie Jane Anders

Have you ever felt a little insecure about your writing? Life beating you down a bit and it's impacting your writing life? Having trouble focusing on the story that you think you need to write?

Then this book is for you. Seriously. 

This next post was supposed be about my recent struggles with mental health and imposter syndrome, but when I finally got my copy of this book from the library, I knew that this would be a far better post than my own ramblings. 

I don't know about you, but when life is hard my writing tends to suffer. That was the reason this book got recommended to me in the first place. In fact, I am still struggling, but this post isn't about me. This is about Never Say You Can't Survive by Charlie Jane Anders and why I honestly think every writer who has ever struggled at any point should read or listen to this book. 

This book gave me the lift that I so seriously needed at this moment. Charlie Jane Anders interjects her own personal anecdotes and writing journey that really made me feel as though I am not alone in my journey or struggle. It's these anecdotes that really will draw you into this book in a way that many other writing advice books often lack. 

That are many incredible nuggets of extreme wisdom that any writer at any stage of their writing career can cling to before we even get to the nuts and bolts portion of this book.

So, about the nuts and bolts section? Well, the author has some wonderful insights on how to make things work and she gives new ways to look at things in the most common sense language. She gives wonderful and entertaining examples as well that work for both pantsers or plotters. (And if I am being honest, a lot of writing advice isn't always targeted for pantsers).

Her personal anecdotes continue along the way as well from throughout her life and experience. She's not only talking about how she did it in her books. Every story she tells really helps to give a lot of relatable content to lend context to the writing advice.

To be honest, I could go on about why this book is great, but mostly if you write—whether your goal is to publish or not—this is a book I think you need to read or listen to (bonus: audio is narrated by the author herself). This is a book where, no matter whatever you on your writing journey or where you want to go with it, you will find things here that help and resonate with you and make you feel a bit better about your writing journey.

As an addendum, this book is super 2SLGBTQIA positive. I would be remiss in my duties as a reviewer if I didn't mention this wonderful bonus and there is writing advice in relation to this topic as well as in regards to being a part of any marginalized community. Trust me when I said it made my little heart soar to have these things included.

Overall, when it comes to writing advice in these troubled times, I say this is the book to read.

Christmas Cancer Cut Fundraiser

 Guys, I am shaving my head for cancer.

That's the most important thing you need to know besides the link to donate. Which is right here: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/christmas-cancer-cut/

So, why am I shaving my head? Well, it takes a lot of hair and $2000 to make one wig for a child with cancer. I have a lot of hair, not enough to make a whole wig, but enough to make a good dent in the process. So, I am shaving it as a part of donating it to Angel Hair for Kids. An organization here in Canada that makes these wigs. 

If you follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok, you'll get to see the before and after photos from all those luxurious locks in that image to shaved to bald. 

If you can donate for this cause, please do. If you can't, please share so that I can make or exceed my goal. 

Thank you.

Review: Lucid Book 1: REM World Trilogy by L.R. Evans

When I read the author's logline for this book on Twitter, 'An angsty gay funeral director must stop a bubbly male escort from joining an immortal tyrant', I expected something completely different than what I got. I am thoroughly NOT disappointed, and what I read matches well with the tagline on the cover of the book, 'Dreams are real and they can kill you'. With the logline, I had expected a more humorous tale than the story that delivered more in line with the tagline. I tried my best to not go into this book with too many expectations when the author approached me for a review. My only hesitation at the time is one that might cause hesitation for others: it's a big book.

And, of course, if you follow me on Twitter, you already know that I am a very busy person.

Lucid gives you an intriguing and often action-packed first half. It flows smoothly and strongly, slowly revealing the mysteries and intrigue of this new world we find ourselves in called REM World. It's a fascinating place and Evans does an incredible job of laying the groundwork of the world-building without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary details. It flows beautifully.

The character development is wonderful, bolstered by glimpses into our contemporary world which often adds to the intrigue of the story that is being delivered to us in REM World. It's a beautiful jigsaw puzzle that, in certain instances, gives us wonderful insight in retrospect.

One thing about this story that gave me a small issue is that about the midpoint of the story, I found myself expecting that we were wrapping up already for the next book. It felt like a setup for what should have been book two. However, what came in the second half of the book would have been lacking if separated from the first half. So, I understand why this was one larger book instead of two slightly smaller books. To be honest, I wouldn't have minded the chance to spend MORE time in this world. It really is a good story.
 
In my opinion, the mid-point lull in action which serves the purpose of building up to the second half of Lucid dragged on a bit too long. It was a necessary setup, but a part of me wishes it could have been a bit shorter. I also wonder if Evans had treated the book a bit like two books combined as I have sometimes seen. Lucid Part 1 and Lucid Part 2 (subtitles optional) to make the transition in the story easier for readers to adjust to. Other than one or two clichéd phrases, this is probably one of my two biggest critiques.

In the second half of Lucid, the mysteries have become less about the world and more focused on the relationships between the characters. While the first part of the book was significantly more plot-driven—this is what I mean about a shift between the first and second halves of the book. It provided plenty of tense moments and the revelations provided really gave a new perspective to the first half. In this second half of the book, we are also given the chance to see more of the contemporary—well historical to us—waking world of our main character.

This second part really dragged me into love the our MC, Julian. It was also so incredibly heartbreaking and hard. Evans didn't shy away from dealing with some major LGBTQ+ issues and, not to give anything away, also presents an honest trans and poly positive narrative in this second bit. It made my heart sing. There is nothing I love more than to see representation.

As the story culminates toward the final battle, we still have a few surprises left to discover. I won't spoil the ending for you. I hate spoilers in reviews. I try to never do them, however, the end of the book did leave me with a few mixed feelings. Do not get me wrong, I really liked Lucid and I am excited to find out what happens in the next book, but I am also a bit worried. How it ended left me wondering about a few major plot issues--including a certain critical plot point that isn't generally something that bothers me, but that one is too big of a plot point to even mention here.

As per usual, I read the back-cover blurb after the fact and I will say that Evans summed a huge part of the second half in one sentence "A harrowing journey of self-destruction, addiction, grief, trauma, and healing." This is what made it a hard, but worthy read because everything was handled so well.

If you love honest LGBTQ stories that give you a new way of looking at things and if you aren't tied rigidly to the expected story structures and genre conventions, you will like this story. You might even love it because there is so much to love. This was such a close call to being a five-star review for me and I really wish I could so with integrity, however, the two major issues I had did bring it down to a four-star which means this is still a good novel and worthy of your time and attention.

I cannot wait to see what Evans does in the next book.

Review: Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody.

 Do you ever hear a book get recommended to people so often that you just had to pick it up? Save the Cat! Writes a Novel is that book. I've been hearing about for a long time and I finally got around to buying only to not have time to actually read it. Thank god for libraries loaning audiobooks because, although, I own a paperback copy of this book (which I recommend), I listened to the audiobook due to my time restraints.

The reason I recommend getting the paperback is not simply because of the worksheets, those are provided as a PDF with the audiobook (when purchased), but because this is something you will want to refer back to. There is a lot of information to unpack in these pages and one readthrough will not be enough for most of us to take it all in.

So, what makes this a five-star rating from me for a writing book?

Well, this book didn't just go into to detail about the structure ideas that they are setting before you, but gives you well broken-down and explained examples of what they are talking about. They are also upfront and clear about any book spoilers that are going to happen in every chapter. And, for the record, they give examples from a lot of books, some of which you may be familiar with and some you may not be. There was at least one book a chapter that I already knew the vague plot of and this was great for me to be able to understand even better what they were trying to teach me.

Another thing to hold up high is the very fact that they say these are not hard and fast rules. There is wiggle room. This, at the beginning of the book, when they were going over the 15 beats in a standard structure, made me happy because one thing I've learned well in my years as a writer and editor is that there is NO one true way. Nothing in this industry is a one-size-fits-all solution and that *is* acknowledged in this book.

Okay, getting down to the specifics: does the 15 beat structure and the 3 must-haves per (their) genre type make sense and are they usable for most writers?

I believe the answer to this question is, yes. I think there is enough inherent flexibility within this layout to make the suggestions and advice offered within this book useful for the vast majority of writers out there. Whether you plot in detail or make it up as you go (or somewhere in-between), there is a lot in here that will really help you structure your novel better. Even if you have been writing for a long time and don't really struggle with structure, you might find this book a bit eye-opening.

And as a bonus? It even helps with the difficult one-sentence pitch lines that so many still struggle with.

So who should read this book? Anyone with a vested interest in the writing industry and not just the writer themselves. I think editors and reviewers will also benefit from giving this book their time.

Cover Wars and MORE

 So, for the first time ever I have entered one of my covers into cover wars. Falling Light. I know I might be biased, but I think it's the best of the choices available.Of course, we also know that most people vote for their friend's book which means it's not always a fair contest in that way. 

I would love it if you could vote in cover wars and, if you agree that mine is the best cover there, please vote for me. 

 Here is the link: https://authorshout.com/cover-wars/

Other than that, just a quick update. Summer has seen me stretching myself thin with social demands and the garden. I have a lot on my plate and a lot to do which is why I've been mostly silent in blog posts because that would be one more thing to have to do.

I've been loving working on my new press and have discovered a new love of formatting books. I think it's by far my favourite behind-the-scenes work when it comes to publishing. To the point that I am now offering freelance formatting for those who need it. Just drop me a line to get a quote.

Okay, back to the one million things I am working on, but one last reminder: I also now have a newsletter so if you are curious as to what I am up to, about my life, my garden and new things... then sign up by going to my website, crystallkirkham.com

Writing Outside the Lines

 

When I first started writing, all I wrote was science fiction. Year after year, I wrote science fiction until I wrote my first mainstream novel and then found a groove in urban fantasy. Like most creative endeavours, writing is an art. One that takes practice to perfect. So how did a science fiction writer end up publishing various types of fantasy novels?

Simple.

I learned to write outside the lines of the type of writer I thought I wanted to be. I practiced writing in other genres and styles. I expanded my writerly horizons. I learned how to deepen the emotional impact of my scenes by practicing romance and erotica. Neither are genres that I want to spend a lot of time in, but they are different style of writing than what one typically sees in most speculative fiction genres.

The more I dive into the world of writing, the more I learn about what other genres can offer each other and every genre has something to offer to writers.

From contemporary fiction, I learned the impact of character driven stories, from fantasy and science fiction I’ve learned the importance of world building and overarching storylines. Mysteries, thrillers and suspense can teach you a lot about pacing and the importance of the little details.

There is so much to learn that sometimes I wonder why so many authors rigidly write and practice only a single genre. I do know that this can work well for some people and can make them an expert in their chosen genre, but I also believe that learning other genres—even without the intent to write and publish in that genre—can expand your abilities.

When I started on the journey of learning genres, mostly it was so I could better understand what makes a genre what it is. I didn’t go into it with the intention of actually writing these things. I simply wanted to a better understanding.

While I am still learning, I have had the good fortune to help guide other writers on their journey into learning new styles of writing, even as I learned from them about their genre. Even something as small as writing microfiction can teach you a lot about editing and conciseness. How to make an impact with few words.

Writing outside the lines you have drawn in the sand can you teach you a lot. I highly recommend giving it a try. You never know what you might learn.

Review: Sophie's Key by Jodi Jensen

Cover of Sophie's Key

This is a novel by Jodi Jensen and published by Champagne Books.

It's been a while since I've done a book review. For those of you in the know, this is because of a few factors that led to me being so busy I wasn't able to find the time to read anything other than the work I was editing. Unfortunately, Sophie's Key by Jodi Jensen was a book that arrived right before all this started so it has been sitting on my bedside table waiting for me to say hello to the story contained within.

I finally had a chance when I was stuck with a friend at the hospital while she had day surgery. It was a good book to have with me even though it is not the type of tale I would normally read. While I do write and read some romance, I am rather particular about it. I am not a fan of the insta-love trope. If you've ever read my work (any of it), you would know that I prefer stories with a dark edge to them.

This is not that kind of story.

Which also means that I am definitely not the target audience of this book, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't give it a fair review. A part of being a good reviewer is knowing that and still be able to review a book without the bias of that preference. So, let me tell you about this novel.

Sophie's Key is a brilliantly written time-travel romance. There is no denying the talent with which the author crafted the book and the scenes within. Every character you encounter is well-developed, intriguing, and delightfully written. I fell in love with a couple of the side characters that were so dynamic that they almost stole the scenes!

There is also ample evidence that Jodi did her research into the historical accuracy of the era in which our heroine, Sophie, finds herself. There is nothing that can ruin a time travel book quicker than a blatant inaccuracy. Or even a minor inaccuracy, if you're a history buff.

And of course, this is a true blue romance. That means there are several scenes that do get rather "spicy". Once again, the talent of the writing shines in that the author does a great job of balancing the sensual prose with the physical descriptions. These scenes were neither too technical nor too flowery.

Even though I was not the target audience, I can say that there are plenty of scenes in this story that made me laugh, wonder what was next, or simply kept me engaged. So there is no denying that this is a good book.

My biggest critique that I do have is that I wish I had a better feel for Sophie prior to her ending up in the past. I didn't really feel like I knew her before things got turned upside down, but the facts that are relevant later in the novel are established well enough that it doesn't affect the plot line at all. So my biggest critique is rather minor in the long run.

So, if I am not the ideal audience for this book, who is? Well, I would say this book is for readers who adore a more traditional style romance with only slight fantastical elements, or anyone who can't get enough of those good, old-fashioned, hunky cowboy heroes. 

Find out more about this story and where to purchase it here: http://champagnebooks.com/store/blanc-de-blanc-paranormal/837-sophie-s-key-print-9781771553421.html