August Catch-Up

I've been wicked busy this month doing three beta reads for author friends, and now editing up a book interior text copy version of one of those author's five connected stories so that everything is ready for this first time self publisher to upload his book and complete the design process when Kelly and I send the almost ready for publication file to him (he just needs to plug in his copyright info, dedication, and author bio!) I have 50 pages to go before putting the project back in his hands.


Meanwhile, I've been tweaking two of the five recently released books I self published. I wasn't happy with the cover fonts I chose (well, I liked them just fine, but they proved difficult to read ont he actually book covers front and back) so I pulled them, changed the fonts on both Bending Birches and Life, Death, Love, Cats & Dogs, and also cleaned up a few minor issues I found in each book, plus the I don't have a clue how it happened spacing issue in the last ten or so pages of Bending Birches. There last section of the book never got justified! Very strange since I did the entire text at once...but, stuff happens. Stuff gets fixed. Both books were off the marketplace for just 24 hours or less.


Another project for me this August is finishing all the book revisions I began earlier this year. I have the three volumes of Christmas stories to revise the interior of (I published them before I knew how to justify the text.) As the holidays approach I want to get them done, looking their best, and also upload them as Kindle books like all the rest are. I also need to redo Halloween Story which was published under Victoria Bell, my pseudonym for young reader and young adult books, of which there are just two, Medea being the young adult/new adult novel. I might redo Medea also. I'm still thinking about that. First up, though, are the Christmas volumes. I have one re-edited and started the second this morning.


Also, I'm happy to announce here that Kelly is a Municipal Liaison for NaNoWriMo this year. November will be a busy month for us with each of us writing a novel, and her hosting local write-ins, etc.


WhipCity Wordsmiths has its first meeting September 23rd here in town. I planned the meeting agenda the other day, have some materials stockpiled, and a fun writing assignment lined up for this inaugural meeting. The membership response has been more than I had hoped for- what an amazing group of people! Many of the group members are included in my dedication in Out to A League of Extraordinary Authors/Writers- all of them local authors I admire.


I've been catching up on some reading and posting a few book reviews this month also.


I also scheduled an author event for October 21st for Out, my vampire romance novel. I'll talk about the book, the journey involved in writing it, the four revisions, read from the book, and will either discuss vampires in literature, or vampire legend and lore- haven't decided yet. Last year when I did an author event for Miss Peculiar's Haunting Tales I had a scavenger hunt for Miss Peculiar's Curiosities afterwards in the store that was fun. Everyone who attended went home with an armload of Halloween décor goodies and treats. Not sure what I'll do this year!


Meanwhile, Out is currently a goodreads giveaway. The giveaway is for seven signed first edition copies. The giveaway ends September 30th. It started August 22nd and has already drawn interest from over 150 people!


There's a hint of approaching autumn here in western MA this evening with acorns thudding down through the green leaves of the oaks into the lawn, and a distinct coolness in the air now that the sun has set. Perfect sleeping weather! Also the perfect weather for a cup of tea and to pay some attention to all these story ideas percolating in my brain. There's a Ghost Stories LIVE! event coming up October 28th- I had a scary idea pop into my head while at work this afternoon! I really need to develop this one. I don't usually write stuff that's too terrifying- but this idea has the potential to be more chilling than usual!


There are a dozen other story ideas circling around waiting for their chance to be fully heard. But first,  I need to get all these projects I've tackled this month done before I can go back to writing new stories and novels.


Time for tea! My toes are cold sitting here barefoot at the kitchen table with the back door open, crickets chirping, frogs croaking, and the occasional trill of a mockingbird disturbed by the ballgame on TV while trying to sleep in the rhododendron outside the open front window. (Or maybe it likes TV commercial jingles? I don't know!)