~General Updates~ Upcoming Releases, Cover Reveals, Website Revamps

Hello again, my lovely readers! I've left you in the dark about a great many things lately. Truth is, I've been plagued by a bout of depression so bad that I just didn't care anymore. I was ready to let everything fall to the wayside, eventually disappear. I've managed to claw my way mostly out, though I'm by no means in the clear yet. I will get there, though. I've climbed out before and I can do it again.

That said, here are a few things that I've done recently and a few things to look forward to. 

Upcoming Releases & a Cover Reveal

That's right, my lovelies! There is a new book on the horizon. It's called Gertrude's Grace and it's a bit of a change from my usual offerings. While it has a streak of seriousness to it, it's by no means as dark as normal. It's even a bit humorous—I've been told it's "laugh out loud" funny. Which is good, since that's kinda what I was going for with this. It's my fluffy Regency offering to the world, and I hope it's received with the good humor I intended.

There's no set release date on it, as of yet. Honestly, it started out a really short story of about 6000 words (for those of you unsure how long a story that is, a novel is over 40,000). After my beta readers expressed the desire for a longer tale about these two characters, I gave the manuscript another look. It has two more chapters at the time of this post and is currently over 9000 words. So I'm not sure how long it will end up being, thus the reason I don't have a clear release date yet. I will endeavor to keep you lovely readers updated on that score. 

Meanwhile, I do have a cover for the story and I will share that, and the blurb, with you now. 

Blurb:

Ladies know how to behave in Society. Ladies never put a foot wrong, never say an inappropriate word, and never cause their parents a moment of distress. Ladies can overcome any embarrassment with grace and poise.

….and then there's Gertrude.

Gertrude struggles in the bright light of Society, trying to keep her poise and not embarrass her adoring mother. But when she falls for the most eligible bachelor the Season has to offer, she literally falls.
​
….on him.

Lord Chatterton survives Lady Gertrude's onslaught with dignity. While Society mocks her from the sidelines, Chatterton isn't laughing. He's falling, too. For Gertrude.

And there you have it. I hope that little description makes you eager to read it. ;)

At this time, I have no plans to make this available in paperback, but if it gets any longer, that could change. I'll keep you updated on that, as well.

Website Updates

In other news, I've completely revamped my website. The image I used behind the name is one I took myself. It's a pink carnation my husband gave to me one anniversary.

I hope the site more inviting now, and easy to navigate. Click HERE to give the site a view and, if you want, you can let me know your thoughts in the comment section on this blog post.

I plan to redo my business cards, design new bookmarks, get more cool things to advertise my books, and host more contests and giveaways this year, too. I have a busy, busy year ahead of me. :)

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There’s a jukebox in my head. It’s currently playing

♫♪ FFXIII-2 ~ Yeul's Theme

~Regency Wednesday~ Basket Maker

Hello, my lovely readers! I hope you are well this fine Wednesday, and eager to learn about another trade from the handy 1818 Book of English Trades, and Library of Useful Arts. This week's selection is the Basket Maker.

"The ancient Britons have been celebrated for their skill in the manufacture of baskets, from the time of the Romans; and so much were the baskets of this country valued by that people, that immense quantities of them were exported to Rome, where they were held in great estimation, and bore so high a price, that they are mentioned by Juvenal, among the extravagant and expensive furniture of the Roman tables of his time."*

It goes on to discuss the various materials used to weave baskets—even going so far as to explain the optimum growing conditions for some of those materials—and how those materials are prepared for use. Eventually, the book gets into the way baskets were used at the time this work was published. 

"Baskets have, of late years, been introduced by coach-makers, to form the bodies of gigs, for which purpose they are particularly well calculated, as we know of no other means, whereby so much strength can be obtained with so little weight. The mail carts in London are baskets, and many of the stage coaches have baskets placed behind them, for the purpose of carrying parcels; and we are convinced that the principle of basket-making might be extended with good effect, to many other purposes, where the three qualities of strength, lightness, and elasticity are required."*

...and then we learn about the basket-fish. LOL

*Taken verbatim from The Book of English Trades, p. 18-22 (1818). Get the Google e-book HERE.

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There’s a jukebox in my head. It’s currently playing

♫♪ Sarah McLachlan ~ Fallen

~Regency Wednesday~ Disguised

How about a few more slang terms from my 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue? 

Disguised. 

Drunk. 

Dogged. 

Surly. 

Earth Bath. 

A grave. 

To Feather One's Nest. 

To enrich one's self.* 

*Taken verbatim from 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Get your FREE kindle copy from Amazon HERE. 

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

2016 ~ What I'm Planning to Accomplish

Another year and another set of goals. What's a writer's life without goals, after all?

I had no goals last year, not really anyway. I didn't take the year off, though I avoided social media. Here's what I hope to accomplish this year:

• Finish polishing and publish short Regency comedy Gertrude's Grace in January. Reveal cover by Jan 10.
• Work more on my 10-book sci-fi series. Consider sending the first two off to beta readers. 
  
• Work more on my dragon series. Get Part 1 ready for second round of beta readers.
• Finish the first draft of Retribution (the next in my Regency series).
• Finish Temptation (another in my Regency series).
• Revamp Entangled (aka Spellbound) and finally get the new edition out there.
• Compile book of short stories. Write 3-4 new stories for it. 
• Finish short contemporary romance Locksmith's Daughter and send it off to beta readers. 
• Beta read at least three manuscripts for other authors. Actually finish beta read, send notes, and be [kindly] brutal. (Yes, this is something I need to work on.)
• Do at least 30 Regency Wednesday posts this year. 
• Be more balanced when it comes to.... well, everything. LOL

That's it for now. These will probably change or morph as the year progresses, but at this point, this is my plan. 

So what are your writerly—or even non-writerly—plans for the year? 

*Image found on Wikimedia Commons.

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There’s a jukebox in my head. It’s currently playing

♫♪ OneRepublic ~ Counting Stars

2015 ~ The Year In Review

It's time for the end of year blog post.... 

This year has been an emotional rollercoaster for me. I took a break from online life, which included social networks and blogging. I made a comeback mid-November and was touched by the outpouring of love and support I received from my friends, readers, and fans. It was humbling to see that even if I didn't think so, my presence made an impact in some people's lives. 

Due to a severe bout of depression, my gaming increased tenfold. I even started a gaming blog. Okay, that's not exactly true. I'd already started the blog, but this year I added a lot more to it. In a strange way, it helped me work a few things out in my head. Not many will understand that, but I know some of you will. That's enough. :) If you're into games and are curious, go ahead and check out the blog. It is public, but I basically have the thing turned "off" so to speak. Not sure I'm really ready to put my gaming self "out there" yet. So I do a lot of talking to.... myself. lol

Oddly, this was one of my best years for writing. My word count went over 110,000. Granted, that wasn't one story; more like eight different stories. Three of them got the coveted "the end" on their first drafts, though. One is a Regency short that will be published early in 2016. That one's been to beta readers already and the cover only needs a few more tweaks before it's officially revealed. 

I think that's it. Not much happened this year. Oh, yeah. I got a new laptop when an unfortunate accident destroyed my old one. Forgot to mention that. 

I'll be back tomorrow with my goals for 2016. Much ♥ to you, my faithful readers!

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There’s a jukebox in my head. It’s currently playing

♫♪ OneRepublic ~ Stop and Stare

~Regency Wednesday~ Toad Eater

For the final Regency Wednesday post of 2015, I've randomly selected another slang term from my 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Enjoy! ♥ 

TOAD EATER.

A poor female relation, and humble companion, or reduced gentlewoman, in a great family, the standing butt, on whom all kinds of practical jokes are played off, and all ill humours vented. This appellation is derived from a mountebank's servant, on whom all experiments used to be made in public by the doctor, his master; among which was the eating of toads, formerly supposed poisonous. Swallowing toads is here figuratively meant for swallowing or putting up with insults, as disagreeable to a person of feeling as toads to the stomach.*

*Taken verbatim from 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Get your free Kindle copy from Amazon HERE. 

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There’s a jukebox in my head. It’s currently playing

♫♪ Imagine Dragons ~ Bleeding Out

~Regency Wednesday~ Slug-A-Bed

Haven't done a slang definition in a while, huh? Here's a few I randomly selected from my handy 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Enjoy! ☺

SLUG-A-BED.

A drone, one that cannot rise in the morning. 

SLY BOOTS.

A cunning fellow, under the mask of simplicity.

SMABBLED, or SNABBLED.

Killed in battle.*

*Taken verbatim from the 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Get your free kindle copy from Amazon HERE. 

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There’s a jukebox in my head. It’s currently playing

♫♪ Staind ~ Epiphany

~Regency Wednesday~ Bookbinder

It's been so long since we've had a Regency Wednesday, and I thought it was time. I probably won't be able to do this regularly, but I'll aim for every few weeks or so to share just a tidbit of Regency trivia for your enjoyment. 

For this edition of Regency Wednesday, let's take a look at another Regency profession.

The bookbinder.

  "BOOK-BINDING is the art of sewing together the sheets of a book and securing them with a back and side boards. Binding is distinguished from stitching, which is merely sewing leaves, without bands or backs; and from half-binding, which consists in securing the back only with leather, the pasteboard sides being covered with blue or marbled paper; whereas, in binding, both back and sides are covered with leather."*

It goes on to talk about the history of bookbinding and how there's no way to be sure exactly when it started. Very interesting reading. ☺

*Taken verbatim from The Book of English Trades, 1818, p. 29. Get the Google e-book HERE.

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There’s a jukebox in my head. It’s currently playing

♫♪ Staind ~ Epiphany

*SALE* Death Becomes Her

Something just kinda hit me and I decided to offer the digital edition of  Death Becomes Her for only $0.99 for a limited time. This is the slightly morbid (the heroine steals dead bodies for the anatomy schools) serial Regency romance I wrote for InD'tale Magazine over the course of a year.

But there's a bonus! This compilation includes a short story called The Devil She Knows that the magazine's readers didn't get to see. This is a story I wrote just for my readers and fans, a thank you just for being you. I hope you enjoy it! ♥

Get your copy from Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Amazon (CA), Amazon (AU), Smashwords, B&N, Apple (iTunes), or Kobo. 

This offer is only good until Jan 1, 2016 so tell your friends and grab your discounted copy while you can! Have a wonderful rest of 2015, my lovelies! 

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There’s a jukebox in my head. It’s currently playing

♫♪ Imagine Dragons ~ It's Time

Taking a break...

It's been a while, hasn't it? I haven't dropped off the earth, or died, or anything equally dramatic. I'm taking a break. A really, really long one. From blogging, writing, cover design—basically, from everything except my family. I have written some since I disappeared, but the last few months have been virtually "written word" free. It's strange and I can't say that I like it. But things are settling down around here, so I hope to get back to writing again soon. The cover design, however, will remain on the backburner, with only a few exceptions. I am sorry about that, but something had to go.

That's all. I just wanted to let you know. I should have done so earlier than this, but I couldn't face things at first. This was a really tough decision. 

I might be making an online appearance November 10. My bestie's next book is coming out and that's the day of her book release party. I don't really want to miss that. She's so awesome! ♥ 

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There’s a jukebox in my head. It’s currently playing

♫♪ Imagine Dragons ~ Demons