Busy, busy...

Hey there! How are you today? As I mentioned in the title, this week was a busy one.

Last Saturday we got the latest Covid booster (finally available in Oz) and had to take it easy over the weekend because of the usual side effects: headache, sore arm, tired, sleepy. We had plenty of snacks, stayed hydrated, took several naps, and tried to take it easy. Almost a week later, I think that the hardest parts are over. Well, I did wake up with a killer headache this morning that eventually subsided, but sucked a lot of energy out of me. 🫤

Anyway, onto what I got up to this week.

The other day, Cemetery Gates Media revealed the fantastic cover for my upcoming debut short story collection! And it's beautiful. Hit the link if you'd like to see it, or scroll down a bit. Seriously, it's stunning and totally fits the dark vibes. Luke Spooner/Carrion House nailed it. I absolutely love it!

So, that means that I spent most of the week working on the final proofread of 17 short stories. Yikes. I'm SO excited, and very proud of this book. I can't wait to share it with the world. Actually, I've already seen a few ARCs in the wild, which is SO freaking cool!!

Not long to go now. The release date is: January 28!

Since I've been working on something else and my husband had an RDO on Thursday, I put my WIP aside for most of the week. But I still got a chance to add some words and have been taking a bunch of notes on my phone.

So, here's my progress for this week:

• Monday:  17,037 (+2,661w)
• Friday: 21,309 (+4,272w)

Not bad! I managed to cross the 20k mark, and that makes me happy. I'm having such a great time writing this story. The images, situations, dialogue and words are coming as fast and clear as the draft I finished writing last month. This character has a LOT to say and writing this POV is revealing a lot of stuff I didn't expect. Things that will affect both stories.

It's exciting. ☺️

To be honest, I don't think I'll finish the first draft of this story by the end of the year, but that's fine. I'm just going to keep going until I reach the end because I'm loving every minute of it.

I also had the pleasure of reading an amazing ARC. An upcoming novelette called Reap, Sow by S.H. Cooper that I thought was dark and awesome. Here's my review.

Well, that's it for today. Just thought I'd post an update because blogging again is something I'm really enjoying.

Have an awesome weekend!!

REAP, SOW by S.H. Cooper

Reap, Sow by S.H. Cooper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This week, I got the chance to read an ARC of this awesome novelette, and I was hooked instantly.

When Lucky finds herself inside a long corridor with closed doors that have no handles and faceless people who hunt her down, she doesn't know what's going on. But as her family members start showing up, the past returns with a vengeance...

Wow. This story is as dark as it is fantastic. I enjoyed every minute of it and loved how the mystery started to unravel. It's raw and tragic, full of heartbreak and the worst kind of betrayal. It's about the worst choices we make and how easily they can ruin our lives and chase us forever.

Loved it!!


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Cover Reveal!

The other day, Cemetery Gates Media revealed the cover for my debut short story collection, MELANCHOLY DELUSIONS, and I think it's time to post it here.

Take a look at this beauty:

 Isn't it AMAZING? I think it's fantastic!

This gorgeous piece of art captures the essence of my short story collection, which features different characters leading strange and dark lives. But all of them find themselves in weird/bizarre situations.

Luke Spooner/Carrion House did such an awesome job, and I can't stop looking at it!

Today, I finished the final proofread of the ARC and I loved spending time with these characters in their bleak and nightmarish worlds.

The release date is: January 28, 2025.

I can't wait for you to read my 17 dark and melancholy, horror short stories.

Have a great day!

More words?

Yep!

So, how are ya on this fine Friday the 13th? I didn't think I'd be writing a blog post this week because December is supposed to be my mental break month.

I mean, it's the end of the year and I'm usually exhausted by this point, so I prefer to spend my time reading and spring cleaning. Thinking about new ideas...

Yet, in typical 2024-style, that's not what happened.

Instead of sitting back and taking it easy after finishing the first draft of a novel last month, I ended up spending the beginning of this month making additions to that story. I also updated my research and inspirational pics last weekend. Hell, I even wrote a bunch of backstory notes and figured out several timelines on my phone.

When I said this story was eating my brain, I wasn't kidding. At the beginning of the week, after I made the latest lot of changes and additions, the word count jumped to 88k. Yikes.

Then THIS happened. 😳

Yep. You read that right. I ended up starting another story. And here's how it went:

• Tuesday: 1,968w
• Wednesday: 5,500w (+3,532w)
• Thursday: 9,503w (+4,003w)
• Friday: 14,376 (+4,873w)

As you can see, I ended up writing quite a few new words. I honestly didn't plan to start another project so late in the year, but the words just came out of nowhere on Tuesday. So, I typed them out on my phone and thought that would be it, but the character didn't stop. The next day I woke up with more of the story and everything started coming together, and I went with it.

And now, well, you can see how the word count is going.

The thing about this story is that it's not something new that came out of nowhere. It's directly related to the WIP I worked on last month. It's got the same characters and setting. Pretty much takes place at the same time, but it's from the POV of a different character. One who wouldn't shut up. This guy wanted his story told weeks ago, but I just thought it was a funny/cute thought. I honestly didn't think I would actually start writing it.

But hey, I'm not going to fight my muse. Like I mentioned above, 2024 has played by its own rules since the beginning. In some awful ways, it hasn't been a very kind year in regards to my writing... yet, a lot of cool stuff DID happen.

Anyway, there you have it. I started a new WIP that is a direct companion to the novel I wrote during November. I've never done this before while a story was still in first draft status. And I honestly don't think I'll finish this first draft by the end of the year. I still don't even know if this will be a novella or novel. *shrug*

Asides from the above, I also read a very cool ARC.

Well, that's it for today.

Have a great weekend!

TROG by Zachary Ashford

Trog by Zachary Ashford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Firstly, I want to thank Zachary for sending me an ARC of his upcoming novella.

After a traumatic ordeal in the city, Aisha's parents decide to relocate to a property in the middle of nowhere to keep her out of danger. What they don't know is that something is imprisoned beneath their new house, and that danger isn't limited to the city...

Wow. This novella is an action-packed, chaotic creature feature full of interesting characters, terrifying situations, human monsters, and a Yowie with a taste for human meat.

I had a total blast reading this bloody tale about a teenage girl trying to get over a terrible incident that almost ruined her life. Sometimes a fresh start isn't the answer, but you'll have a great time finding out all the things that can go wrong in the sticks.

I know Trog is a wild, feral creature hellbent on destruction, but I did feel for the beast. Humans have a tendency to make everything worse.

Anyway, this is a great and very cool novella!


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