Even More Published

Well, it is official! I am even more published than before! Today, well technically yesterday, the four short fiction pieces I worked so hard to polish and were accepted have been published in their genre based fictions! So, I am very excited to share the books with you! If you are interested and you purchase using my links, I do get a small kick back. They do not pay us for the stories, but they do offer us an affiliate program, and help us get published in today’s world!  So without further ado, here are the four books that were published today!

 

America’s Emerging Science Fiction Writers: Midwest Region with 14 up-and-coming writers representing five states across the Midwest (IL, IN, IA, MN, and WI) share their short science fiction stories.

 

America’s Emerging Horror Writers: Midwest Region with 17 up-and-coming writers representing five states across the Midwest (IL, IN, IA, MN, and WI) share their short horror stories.  I have never written horror before, so I am actually really excited that this piece was selected!

 

America’s Emerging Fantasy Writers: Midwest Region with 16 up-and-coming writers representing five states across the Midwest (IL, IN, IA, MN, and WI) share their short fantasy stories.

 

 

America’s Emerging Literary Fiction Writers: Minnesota and Wisconsin with 17 up-and-coming writers representing the great states of Minnesota and Wisconsin share their short fiction stories. This one has a piece that many consider my best piece, and it is the piece I dislike the most (yeah even if it is the best piece I have ever written, lol)

 

The most exciting thing about all of this is that it shows my writing speaks for itself across many genres!!! So, anyway, there you have it. I will even leave you with the previous piece that was published twice, because hey… four may not be enough books for you!

The first piece I ever managed to get published: Minnesota’s Emerging Writers: An Anthology of Fiction Covering a wide array of genres ranging from literary fiction to satire, mystery, comedy, science fiction, and more, these young talents will amaze you.

And because it was so well received they wanted to put it in their national edition: America’s Emerging Writers: An Anthology of Fiction (Volume One) 127 of our favorite up-and-coming writers (representing all 50 states) join together to share their words. Covering a wide array of genres ranging from satire, mystery, comedy, literary fiction and more, these young talents will amaze you.

 

Well, I hope you take a little time to check out these amazing anthologies! And please, feel free to share your thoughts! I am so excited to be officially published! And hey… I am traditionally published, how cool is that?!  I hope you enjoy!

Exciting News: Upcoming Release Date!

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Everyone, I am so excited! I have been given a release date for the anthologies I am in!

April 14th they are going to be available for purchase!

So that means that you should get ready for the great stories you can pick up! I am in three seperate anthologies this time around! There is Tattoos & Knitting in the Literary Fiction anthology.  I have two in the scifi/fantasy edition, Stimulus for the scifi piece and Home for the fantasy piece.  Lastly I have Running Late in the horror edition!

I hope that you will be able to enjoy these reads as well! As soon as I have links for purchase I will share them with you, but I had to share the wonderful news that there would be more published works that you could pick up!

I also wanted to say that I am sorry for not posting daily, it is Camp NaNo and I am focusing my attention on the cookbook I am working through. I would share that with you, but I kind of would like to keep it under wraps until it is further along.

I will post some more updates soon!  And you will still continue to receive Letters of Questioning and I may also find some time for letters or at the least postcards from Camp!

What’s To Come

So I thought that I would  take a few moments and share with you some of my up and coming projects!  I have already shared that this year I was not really going to take on a new novel, instead I would be tackling drafting 365 new flash fiction pieces. One for every day this year!

Photo by Cynthia del Río on Unsplash

But I have some other goals, and with Camp NaNo coming up in April, I thought it was a perfect time to tackle one of those goals! And the really great thing, it goes along with my Flash Fiction challenge.  I am going to be working on my cookbook!  I have not talked a lot about the year plus I have been absent here, but during that time I learned I had Celiacs Disease. It has been a rather big learning curve, learning how to prepare foods, how to cook, and taking so many things I used to eat out of my diet. On the cool side… I have learned there are foods I actually like!  But.. being the kind of person who wants to turn things into blessings, I have been trying to find a way to enjoy cooking.  In that endeavor, well… I have started creating my own recipes!  So I had an idea… something different than I have seen before, a cookbook that is also a fun fiction anthology!  So the idea of my cookbook was born. So Camp NaNo is dedicated to drafting the first draft that I am hoping will be useable by November! Here’s to hoping!

Along with that, I am actually hoping to see Mo Thuras be considered a “finished draft” by the end of the year!  Because I need to start finishing my writing! Having pieces published I would like to keep that momentum going and that means actually having pieces finished.

Those are the big ones for now… as the year progresses that may change, but I am really excited to get rolling on the Cookbook!  What about you? Do you ever take the time to take stock of where you are and the goals you have and see where you are going? What are your current goals? Do you think you are on track to meet them?

Flash Fiction a Day Challenge

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Hold on to your britches, bitches!  We have a new scheme about to hit the pages!  A friend of mine does this creative drawing a day thing, and I thought to myself, self that is really cool and we should do something like that.  But naturally we all know that I am a writer, not a drawer, is that even a thing? (No, I don’t mean like the thing in a dresser… boy do I feel like an idiot after googling drawer.) Anywho… you can stop laughing and get back on track, yeah yeah I know… the writer who totally spaced the word drawer, I would laugh to, and did, hence leaving it for you fine people to enjoy and laugh at me too.

Well, now that we know a drawer is really a thing, we can continue with the idea that was born.  Drawing something a day is all well and good, but what about a story a day?  But since I am a novelist and novels are long, let’s make micro stories instead.  And now you have it, next year I will be working on my Flash Fiction a Day project!

It won’t all be great like this post of drawers!  But it will be fun and there may be other creative new words crafted, as that is my way.

If you would like to join me on this journey, hit me up over on Twitch where I will be live streaming my writing and maybe some cooking!  And I will get a page together with the Prompts I will be playing with!

Let me know of any fun little challenges you have tried! I love hearing from you…

Currently – In My Life


I have some exciting things going on in my life these days! I just had to share with you all. I am looking at finally delving into the work that I have been moving towards for several years now! And I can’t wait to see how it goes!
What is more, I have been taking some great online classes trying to get some certifications. I just finished up the Personal Branding course last week and have several more that I am hard at work on (check out my LinkedIn to see my certificates). If you have not heard of Coursera, I totally suggest you check it out! It is a great resource.

 

What about you? Is life moving in a direction you want? If not, what are some easy steps you can take to move it towards your goals?!? Share with me, as always I LOVE to interact with you all!

Long Awaited Update

Found on the interwebs.

Hey all, oh man has it been a while! Well, not as long as it has been in the past, but long enough. So what has happened since my last posting… wow, I have a lot to tell you! So without further ado… well… I will take a page out of my favorite book/movie: (And I wrote this post before I realized I would be posting about my Valentine’s day!)  

Let’s see, I left off way back in the beginning of November. I really did have every intention of sharing with you my NaNoWriMo journey, which I of course did win by the way! (insert image of NaNo win here!) During NaNo, however, I ended up having some things go down, so I did not have the same amount of time on my hands! At some point, I think in the end of October my roommates left. (I hope life is still treating them well!) And at the beginning of November I helped someone I love very much move and have been spending most of my winter with him. (Well, my car is a heap of junk and until I can get a new one, driving in the winter is not always my favorite pastime.)

Outside of that I have signed up for a Creative Writing Course, that I hope to get a certificate in! Along with a few other courses that should really help me, not only with my writing career, but also my Life Coaching and Virtual Assistant type work. So overall, I am of course as busy as ever, and actually loving life!

Goals for the year: I chose a word for my year, and this year is Balance.

Well, I used the yearly book created by Susannah Conway, I really love it! If you have not seen it before I highly recommend checking it out! You can find the article for this years book here.

Well, I do believe that will wrap things up nicely! I hope that the new year is treating you well and I will be back soon! How about you? Do you do any kind of yearly review? Monthly? Weekly? What tools do you use? Are you working on bettering yourself in the new year? Do you have any goals? I want to hear from you!

NaNoWriMo Day 4 – Whoops…

Hey all, well, today I did not do as well.  But then, some days I struggle a lot more than others, and I have pushed my body past its ability, so everything slipped today!  But at the end of the day, that is still ok! I am still ahead of the game, and I still managed to accomplish some!  In all my goals!

Here is my progress report for today!

 I only managed a little more than a thousand words today, but… it is still moving forward!  Instead I vegged out with Criminal Minds, shhh, I am sure it is very important to my characters that I did this!

Well, how about you, my rabid readers?  Where are you on reaching your personal goals?!?  Do you sometimes take a break from the grind, even if it means missing out on keeping up with your goals?  Let me know!

NaNoWriMo Day 3 – Still on target!

Wow, I just can’t believe it! I am actually managing to maintain my goals for the month and I am three days in! I think that is a record for me!  I mean sure, I always manage to do it in the end, but this time… I have so many goals, more than just my writing goals to achieve this month and I am on par for everything so far!!!  I can’t believe it!

What is even cooler… I am writing this story in third person!  A first for me!  So we will see how it goes!  I am currently working on a playlist for my story, please bear with me, I will hopefully get that up for you soon!

Without further ado, here is today’s progress!

A bit of today’s writing:

“Nice to meet you Lukas, I am Destiny” she responds. With her words it is as if little chimes are going off in both twins’ minds.
Glancing over her head at his twin, his eyes wide in shock they just stare at one another. Clearing his throat Markus responds, “excuse me, but… I couldn’t have heard that correctly, did you just say your name is Destiny? That can’t be right.”
“Yes, Destiny is my name, at least it has been for many years now.” She blinks slowly, looking back and forth between the twins.
“What the hell?!? This whole time …” Lukas rumbles.
“There is no way …” Markus says at the same time.
“What is going on here?” Destiny steps back from us, so she can see us both at once. “Is something wrong? I thought you were there to help, was I wrong?” Fear tinges her words, and reflects out of her eyes, making them both stop and look at her.
“We are here to help, I am sorry. Just some family prophecy, nothing for you to worry over.” Lukas says to her quietly.
Looking between the brothers, she can’t help but feel that something strange is going on. Of course she knew stepping in that alley life would change irrevocably. And that really isn’t all bad. Change is a good thing, but it just seems like she sees more than her fair share of change, and right now doesn’t feel like the best time for it. There is no stability, and without stability she feels change wont do any good!
Laughter erupts from Markus, “I am sorry, I can’t help it. All this time…” he leans against the wall and slides down it.
“Would you mind cluing me in? I would really like to know what is going on here!” Destiny comments, eyes narrowing dangerously. Her hair swirling around her head, caught in some mini vortex that no one else can feel at the moment, her eyes glowing silver.
Reaching out for her slowly, Lukas takes her hand in his and places it on his chest. “Please be calm Destiny and I will explain.” He waits as her hair settles and her eyes fade to her natural blue tones.
“I am calm.” She blinks up at him, and it is a long way up.
“Long ago, I don’t even remember how long we set out on this journey. We were told to find ‘The Destiny,’ so you can imagine our surprise when you tell us your name… after that rather intense dream, and the whirlwind of events that has led up to this moment. There is no such thing as coincident and my brother Markus and I, well… we tend to have a very steady life, not this chaotic cycle of change that seems to be swirling around us now.” Taking a deep breath he watches her steadily, waiting for her to respond.
Shrugging she murmurs “welcome to my life. Chaos and change is all around me, always. For as long as I can remember. Prolly as long as I have been chased. I couldn’t rightfully say. Of course, I don’t know who is chasing me for that matter, I just get the feeling when it is time to move on and I do. I am sorry if I have caused you trouble, I can find my own way if you prefer. I don’t want to bring you trouble!”
Markus stands back up, “Oh no! It is more than alright! You will be safe with us, I have a feeling that we are best suited to stick together. I am sorry for my outburst! But you have to see this from our perspective. I mean… all this time we have been looking for something, rather than someone. It is rather humorous when you see it that way.”

How about you? Are you meeting your goals for the month? Do you have a playlist for your story yet? Do you have a favorite piece of your story?

NaNoWriMo Day 2!

Wow… I can’t believe that I am so close to on target for my personal goals for this month! Only the second day in, but I am staying close to where I want to be!  I am rather excited about that!  So, here are todays stats…

 I am rather proud of myself! I have even managed to stay mostly on track for my house goals! I intend for it to be decluttered by the end of the month! To match so many wonderful changes that are happening in my life!

Are you ready for today’s excerpt, here it is!!!

The hair on her body starts standing on end. Carefully she glances around herself, looking for whatever or whoever it is setting off her radar. Looking behind her, she realizes that she is more than halfway down the alley, and he was at the end. Picking up her pace a little, she trips over an old boot that had been just laying in the middle of the alley. Putrid smelling water splashes up on her as she makes her way to the end, at least she hopes it was water. Shivering, nerves pulling at her, she takes a shuddering breath, trying not to breath the smells in too deeply. Glancing up, she sees a shimmer in the air. “Oh please be there, please be there, please be there” she whispers quietly under her breath. Just as a hand appears in front of her, and she looks up into the most amazing lavender eyes she has ever seen.
Reaching out and placing her hand in his “you found me” she says quietly, just as a loud jarring clatter comes from behind her and he pulls her forward and into his arms.
“Time to go, sorry, no time for pleasantries” his voice comes out a husky purr, and before she knows it they are moving, through time and space in a way she has not done for years. Things fly by in a blur, leaving her gasping for air.

I am up over five thousand words already.  How do you fair?  Are you gaining ground?  A challenge for you!  Add to your NaNo Novel a natural disaster, a bridge, and a boot, to any part of your story!  Please share in the comments below a snipit of your story, we would love to hear!!!

Camp Followup!

I did it!!! I don’t know how I pulled it off, but somehow or another, I pulled off my word count by the skin of my teeth!  The amazing 6k day was the best.  It was like, all of a sudden, the words were just flying out.  I don’t know what happened to make the flood gates open, but I am so glad they did!

What I am most excited about, however, is that I managed to get some words and ideas put down in the scenes that I have avoided.  Which was actually my goal for Camp more than words were!  I am really excited to sit down and actually get worked through Mo Thuras now, seeing as I almost have a complete story to work with!  It is so exciting to see this story rolling together!

How did camp go for you?  Did you manage to reach your word count goal?  If you didn’t get your word count goal did you manage to reach any of your writerly goals?  Did you at least manage some words?!?