Happy Friday Friends!

It's crazy to think that another week has gone by already! There has been a lot of things going on this week and it feels like it has just slipped away from me.

However, last night I got incredibly overwhelmed and had a bit of a breakdown. Not a terrible one, just feeling like I needed to step away from all the things and take some deep breaths. 

There are still days when I feel almost super-human and forget that I can only do one thing at a time. 

I had not only double booked myself, but had packed things around the double booking, so when I finally came home and saw a dirty kitchen that needed my attention, it got to be a bit much. Not only that, but I knew the next couple of days where I will be working a craft fair were also going to be long and busy. 

At first, I got a bit manic, trying to just get stuff out of the way trying to clean, even if some dishes weren't dry. Then my sweet husband tried to point out that I was putting wet dishes where they didn't belong, trying to slow me down off my manic moment, I had to run to another room for a moment. 

I've always had an issue dealing with overwhelm, and know I need to take things in bite size chunks, but when each item on your to do list has a voice and all 30 things are yelling at the same time to be taken care of, right now, I have to turn them off somehow so that I can look at it logically and be able to actually do the things instead of walking around in circles.

My life has become a bit much, and I have to take a moment to sit and decide what is the most important thing I want done.

Like today, I chose 3 things this morning that if nothing else gets done, I'd be ok with it. First was loading up my car, then going to work, and working the craft fair. 

Easy peasy.

But also, what 3 things can I potentially get done during work to take some more things off that list?

First, blog post. I've been doing so well at being consistent and I want to keep that going. 

Second, read over the information I received yesterday from a meeting.

Third, do some research into a grant I want to apply for, which will also help me close several tabs on my computer that have been open for too long. 

Sometimes I forget how essential planning is for me. Otherwise, I get a little too excited about all the things. Which really is a good thing and I'm grateful I have this trait.

Life really is short and I'm grateful to have so many things that get me excited about life and having so many things I want to do. I want more out of life and I'm grateful I have the desire to chase after this life as I want to live it. 

Sometimes I wish I could manically complete tasks, I do love the sense of accomplishment, but the point of completing these things is to be able to relax and enjoy things as well. 

It's a delicate balance and a lesson I keep learning over and over. 

Maybe one day I'll figure it. Maybe not.

I'm only human, after all.

Holiday Update

This week has not gone at all as expected. I have started to pursue an opportunity locally and it has taken up a lot of time, and continues to do so. I'm not at liberty to say yet, and it may or may not even happen. It will be a month's long process if it does. 

The bad news in all of this, my marketing efforts have been slowed and I have had no sales in the past week. The good news is there is a craft fair this weekend, so that won't be an issue for long. 

More good news, this opportunity has opened doors that will help me as an author, regardless of the outcome of this opportunity. it feels good to be growing as a business owner. There are a lot of details to go over and see if this opportunity is really possible, then looking at steps to take to make it a reality.

That's really all the update I can give at this point in time.

I am doing research for my next two books, one will be a children's book and the other is a full length novel. Again, there isn't much of an update I can share since we are still in the research phase, but eventually I will have a lot of great and exciting things to share with you!

Remember, if you are shopping for the holidays, you will need to place your orders sooner rather than later.

The deadline for me to order from my printer and get them in time for the holidays is November 22 for hardcover and December 6 for paperbacks. 

You can place your orders on my website at https://paulajeanferri.com/shop

Happy Halloween!

This week had a lot of unexpected happen, so I never got a costume together, but I hope you are having a wonderful holiday! Here is a photo of my husband and I back when we were dating. This was actually his idea. I'm not a huge fan of Ariel, but when he made the argument of "but I wanted to be your prince Eric(h)" I melted and caved. 

As for my writing work, I am lucky to have a brother in law who is also a writer and keeps me accountable. We have a writing session scheduled this weekend, so I'm getting an idea for my next book. 

There are actually two books in the queue that I'll be working on. One is a children's book that Erich will actually be writing, but I will be outlining. He is better with prose than I am, so he will make it sound nice once I have the general idea.

I'm also beginning to research my next novel, also a biographical fiction. I have noticed that many people have a strong dislike, even hatred for Em's mother, which honestly breaks my heart. 

Em's mother, Eulalie, is in reality quite a tragic character. I want her to have some sympathy and some grace, so her story is the next one I will be writing. 

However, it does take place during a very different time period and different part of France, though some of it might overlap into Guermantes, if I go all the way to when she meets and marries Em's father. 

I'm excited to write more of his story as well as Eulalie's. We will also have another returning character in Em's husband, Louis. As Eulalie's cousin and only one year younger, he will be a fun dynamic to write about. 

And all of this while juggling a new exciting venture that I'm not at liberty to talk about yet and leading up into the holidays. 

I certainly have my work cut out for me!

I Blinked And...

I have no idea how another week went by. This week was so crazy busy with so many ups and downs. I don't know how we got here TBH. So here are a few of the highlights:

-I did make my goal on Saturday and passed the 100 books sold mark-YAY!

-The company I work for part time is selling.

-I might buy the company (looking into logistics).

-Bookmarked Literary Arts Festival has to pay a property tax? Doing research there, too.

-There was an evacuation needed at work yesterday.

-Had a meeting with my book club where we read my book. Leading up to it was nerve-wracking, but it went really well and people enjoyed the book and asked me some awesome questions. I kind of wish I had audio recorded it and used the questions for content online.

-I have ideas for my next book starting and research happening.

I am REALLY looking forward to the weekend and not doing anything for a few hours. Until I get bored and decide to tackle some of these things, but at my leisure and as I WANT to do them rather than feeling tossed around as things ebb and flow.

Anyways, I hope you have a marvelous weekend and don't forget to read Madamn and leave a review when you finish!

Whoopsie!

Soooo I missed last week. But to be fair, the past couple of weeks have been absolute chaos. In all the best ways, of course. Last week was almost entirely preparation leading up to the Bookmarked Literary Arts Festival since I am on the board.

We had a great turnout of over 30 writers from across the state of Wyoming and a fantastic book fair. 

I jumped right back into the work week, focusing on selling more copies of Madamn while also preparing for this weekend's craft fair. Which is where I currently sit, so this will be short and sweet. 

But in case I haven't mentioned it yet, I set a goal to sell 1,000 copies of Madamn by the end of the year. It's been a bit of a slow start, but I am seeing the momentum build, especially as we get closer to the holidays.

If I meet my goal today, I will have sold 100 copies of Madamn since it launched! I currently just need 3 more copies of Madamn sold to hit that. 

If you haven't gotten your copy yet you can get it on my website, Amazon, B&N, or Bookshop!

Highlight of My Week!!

I'm a little off schedule today, there were some changes made to my schedule at work and I was off yesterday, which means I forgot to post. Good thing I still have Saturday to write in the week!

It's raining here and I'm at work, though I would much rather be curled up with a blanket and a book and some hot cocoa. 

If you need a book for a rainy Saturday, let me know, I have one I could recommend.

I'm not actually sure where this week, so I'm not sure I have anything new to report. I only sold 2 books this week, bringing my total to 48, but I am seeing some awesome reviews coming in and it makes me so happy. I think my favorite was this one I got through my Instagram:

This was from a girl in the United Kingdom who also has Tourette syndrome, so this was especially meaningful to me. It's good to know that I have not misrepresented others. It was a concern since Tourette syndrome can vary so much from person to person.

Anyway, Next week will be even better since next weekend is the Bookmarked Festival in Lander, WY and I will be there selling my books in person. With any luck we will have additional reviews pouring in as well!

Hopefully I can get a bit more accomplished this week in regards to expanding my reach and promotion. My goal is to reach out to several bookstagrammers and podcasts to schedule and plan for promotion.

I want to have as many come out sooner rather than later, but I'm also planning a re-launch  or reboot during Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month from May 15-June15. So results might not come right away on that.

However, if I am going to sell one thousand copies of my book by the end of the year, I am going to have to come up with another pathway and plan for that. If you are unable to purchase a copy of your own, please mention it to your local library. If you do have a copy of your own, please read it and leave a review. I can't tell you how incredibly helpful that is for visibility!

So until next week my friends!

Madamn is Launched! So What is Next?

It's officially out and launch week is coming to a close! Madamn has done really well, and depending on how you gauge success, might be my best launch to date. I am so grateful to see how well it is doing! 

Not only that, but I managed to both go on a local radio show and record a podcast this week. I have still been busy, but at the same time, found myself with some spare time and am grateful for the chance to relax. At least for a little bit before I double down on marketing and promotion tactics.

So fun fact, Madamn launched with 100 days left in the calendar year for 2025. So I thought it would be fun to sell 1 book per day for the rest of the year. 

Then I realized with the book launch, that goal was a bit too easy. So I 10x'd the goal. I want to sell ONE THOUSAND COPIES of Madamn before the year ends. It's a stretch and I might not make it, but I really hope to.

For the record, that is more than I have sold with all four previous books combined. Like since I first published almost ten years ago. August of 2016 is when I first published and I still haven't hit that mark. But I am going to do it in 100 days with just Madamn. 

Any additional book sales will be nice, but don't count towards this goal. 

I, of course, will also be working on my next project. I have two ideas I plan on pursuing, one with the help of my husband, the other might be related to Madamn, but I'm not sure this is the idea to pursue. It might be a new project entirely. We shall see!

It's Finally Here!!!

Mostly here, anyway. Madamn has been in pre-order all week and is doing SO well! Better than all 4 of my past books combined. Which isn't saying much, they didn't do well. 

But even on it's own, it's been getting highly ranked and highly visible on Amazon. The following screenshots are from this morning, which means I have these numbers as I head into the weekend! It is ranked #14 for physical copies, #25 in digital copies, both overall.

The #1 rankings are for "Hot New Releases" in multiple categories on Amazon.

Isn't this amazing? I feel so lucky to have been able to write this novel. What a privilege to share her story, to feel her excitement. This week has almost entirely been promotion and it's cool to see it paying off.

I'm still attempting to schedule book signings and go on podcasts, possibly even do a few press releases and then hunker down for winter. Luckily, there will be craft fairs and things I can do around town and thank heavens we live in a digital world, where I can still do things to keep the momentum going forward!

Also noteworthy, I went to a board meeting for our local Bookmarked Festival in Lander, WY. It was most likely our last meeting before it starts on October 10-11. 

It was super productive and I'm very excited to attend this year. I get to be on our local radio station to promote it. This festival was created to connect readers and writers, and we have over 30 authors coming to read excerpts from their books.

If you are nearby, I strongly recommend it!

Madamn Updates

This has been a crazy week. It has been very heavy for a lot of reasons. I don't want to go into it too much, but you can find my thoughts HERE. 

Personally, it has mostly been good, Madamn is officially in preorder and gaining some great traction and visibility, which I'm super excited for! It has gotten up to number 18 in it's category and number one in New Releases on Amazon!

It has slowly been put onto websites like B&N and Bookshop as well.

You can also go into any bookstore and request it if you have a local shop you like to support. The traction and growth I am seeing so far is amazing and I am so humbled and grateful to be the one to tell the story of this amazing woman.

I also launched a giveaway for a paperback copy of Madamn as well as 4 gifts to open as you read to give you an immersive experience. Due to shipping costs, it is only available for citizens of the United States. 

If you would like to enter, you can check it out here:  

Reader's Experience Book Box

https://kingsumo.com/g/36qj4o1/readers-experience-book-box

Once you enter, the more you share, the greater your chance to win! I can't wait to see who the lucky winner is!

So despite all of the chaos, I remain optimistic and hopeful about life in general, but the launch of this book is absolutely the high point. 

Thank you in advance for sharing about this amazing novel and good luck in the giveaway!

Where Has Humanity Gone?

How is it already Friday again? This week went by so quickly, but also feels like so much has happened. It has been very heavy.

I'm kind of in shock about how much absolute chaos is happening right now. Between stabbings, shootings in schools, assassinations, remembering 9/11, and the overall cruelty of people cheering for the death of others, I'm saddened by the mess we have gotten ourselves into. 

Where has the humanity of people gone?

You are allowed to disagree with people without resorting to violence, much less murder. I don't even know how to address the cruelty towards children. There is no way to even comprehend taking the life of an innocent child.

But the cheering. That shocked me the most. 

I'm quite proud of the fact that I have friends that politically cover the entire spectrum, and I love each of these people. But I'm simply appalled by how many of my friends would be happy over murder.

Especially as someone who lost a brother to murder.

Losing a brother was hard. I can't even imagine how losing a husband, a father, or a son would feel.

But this isn't just about Charlie Kirk. This is also about Iryna Zarutska, Melissa and Mark Hortman, and far, FAR too many more. None of these were good in any way, shape, or form.

And standing idly by deprives us of our humanity.

We have more in common than we differ. 

And differences should be celebrated, not removed. 

September Morn

How has another week passed already? This week has been productive, I've finally been able to approve the proofs for the paperback and hardcover books, meaning they are both available for presale!

You can find them on my website, on Amazon, or by asking for it at your favorite bookshop! 

The book will officially launch on September 22, 2025. I know, it's a bit late, but I'm just so excited to be DONE!

If I was "smart" I would still give myself several months of presale time, where I can focus just on the promotion, but also, I'm ready to share this story. It's been five years in the making. 

I will still be able to do a bunch of promotion and I plan to do a whole campaign around Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month (May 15-June 15). In the meantime, I still have Kickstarter orders to fulfill and I'm ready to just run with it!

Also, fun fact about me, September is one of my favorite months. 

It just seems to be a time where things start to magically fall together. So it makes all the more sense to move forward when I feel such magic in the air. 

I mean, look what the magic has done for the cover of Madamn:

Isn't it GORGEOUS???

I love this update. Seriously, I'm so excited to share Em's story. I don't even care if it is "smarter" to wait. I know she is ready to share her story as well.

She has been forgotten for far too long.

So (even if it is a little late) on the 225th anniversary of her birth and 200 years since she saw Dr. Itard, from whose records Tourette syndrome was able to come forward, her book is absolutely coming out this year.

Chaos Leads to Cool Stories

This week has been full of the unexpected for me. There was certainly plenty of progress, but at the same time, I got lost in the chaos and I can't believe it is already Saturday!

While I don't want to share much of the personal things that happened over the week, know there have been a lot of tears. 

Sometimes my favorite thing about being an author and owning a business is that good things still happen that allow me to cheer and smile when smiling might seem impossible.

I received an order yesterday for Awkwardly Strong and a t-shirt from my website. And this is not an every day occurrence for me. It's been at least a month, so this was a bit of a thrill to see it come in!

I also made progress on fulfilling the Kickstarter campaign, Madamn is waiting on proofs to be sent to me for final approval, and the bookmarks story just kind of makes me happy.

So I ordered bookmarks from a local supplier that didn't have the 2 bottom graphics and were HUGE. So they apologized, let me take them home while we worked on a corrected version. Turns out their software doesn't play nice with Canva, where I do my designs, so I ordered replacements directly from Canva.

But I hated the thought of just throwing away 120 bookmarks, even if I didn't pay for them. 

I took it to social media where there were so many great ideas from people, some even liking them as they are.

In the end, I took a paint pen and signed all 120 in the blank space and I'm so happy with how they turned out. So now I'm STOCKED with bookmarks for the Kickstarter, as well as book signings! I'm so excited about it!

Look how good they turned out!

Anyways, I'm going to spend a day away from the business and spent time with my husband today.

Rest and recover is so important and I'm so grateful I'm in a place where that is an option!

Happy Birthday Ernestine!

Hey friend! I'm currently enjoying the relaxation of the Reader's Escape, so it will be a short post this week. I'd like to say I'm enjoying the break, but most of my reading has consisted of reading and re-reading Madamn. 

The formatting software has changed and things are not translating correctly, so I'm reading to find fonts and sizes changed, missing accents and making sure italics are where they need to be. 

It is weird because there are times I just get lost in the story and I'm enjoying it, but also, I'm tired of reading the same book and I want to read something new!

Not to mention, it's a bit of a kick in the gut knowing today is Ernestine's birthday and should have been launch day... yet I'm still reading and re-reading and re-reading...

But there are fewer mistakes each run through and I should still be ready to launch in September. Although prayers, good energy, etc. are all welcome and appreciated!

But if nothing else, I need to make sure I acknowledge the 225th birthday of Ernestine Emilie Prondre de Guermantes. Not to mention this is 200 years since she saw Dr. Itard and put things in motion for a diagnosis of Tourette syndrome to be possible.

I have loved getting to know this woman and her story and I really am so excited to share with you!

Happy birthday, Em!

Launch Update for Madamn!

This week has simply flown by! It's funny, when I first left full-time employment, I felt like I had SO MUCH TIME and was crazy productive. I got so much done and still felt like I had extra time on my hands to relax.

But apparently the relaxing part has taken over a bit.

Time is a fickle thing. I heard someone earlier this week compare it to money. They said that both have to have a plan or they can disappear through your fingers. 

But every once in a while, I just need out of the strict and scheduled routine, so I haven't used my planner at all this week.

But then I realize how little I'm able to get done and need to get back in the habit. It's a complicated balance.

It means I had to officially reschedule my launch date for Madamn because it's not done and won't be done in time to launch in just one week. 

I do still plan on attending my Reader's Escape and a tea party to celebrate Em's birthday next week, while plugging away at my novel.

It's so close, I can taste it. 

So mark your calendars for a launch on September 22, 2025.

Even better, if you are in the United States, you can finally pre-order your copy on my website! 

This is for the physical books. If you are more of an e-reader, it is currently available on Amazon for preorder as well.

It was a really difficult decision to change the launch date since I was so set on publishing on Em's birthday, but I do think she would be proud of my efforts and I know we both want to put out the best possible story.

It still is the 225th anniversary of her birth this year, so I'm still happy with how things are progressing and moving forward.

Be sure to get your copy, because it is going to be amazing!

Happy International Cat Day!

I don't know how it is Friday already, but can I just tell you how excited I am to finally have Madamn with the formatter?

I actually spent part of yesterday wondering what to do with myself, before I remembered all of the other things I have going on and had to do. There is still a Kickstarter campaign to fulfill, I'm on the board for a local book festival that I had a meeting and assignments for, etc.

So I am keeping busy, but there is just so much less...pressure. 

I am able to accomplish so much more now that I'm not so focused on finishing the book because it is DONE. At least as much as I can do. 

So assuming all goes well with the formatter, I am still on track for my soft launch on Em's birthday! Which would really make me so happy.

I am however, still working on the issues regarding my physical cover. 

One exciting thing this week, I finally have the stickers to fulfill the Kickstarter campaign. If I was smart, I ordered extra that I can have a few extra to sell at book signings, but we will see what I did. But look how good they turned out!!

The lighting isn't the best, but I'm still quite happy with how they turned out. 

Also, it's apparently International Cat Day, so I have to give a shout out to these little cuties.

This is Bella and Scooter and I love them. So today I also want all the snuggles with these two while I plug along with promotion and fulfillment and figuring out what is going on with my physical books.

Hope you have a marvelous weekend!

Important Update

How has another week passed already?? Good news, it was productive. Bad news, I still have lots to do. 

Upon receiving more feedback from beta readers (some of them even having the updated version!), I still have lots to fix. One of them I've been working on for the past 2 days and I'm still only a third of the way through it. 

Things are getting a bit tight if I'm keeping to this deadline of publishing on Em's birthday... which unfortunately means I will likely have to delay publication for a month or so. I'm not sure details yet, I'm still considering a soft launch for the book, allowing the ebook to launch on schedule, but delay the print copies.

I'm not sure exactly what yet, I just know there will be some changes regarding the official launch. I'll keep you posted when I know what those are. For now, I'm still plugging away at it to attempt getting it done in a timely manner.

Which means this will be another short post so I can get back to it. 

I'm just SO glad and grateful we are finding all of this before it goes out! Beta readers are amazing and I'm so glad that I've got such talented people willing to help me out during crunch time! 

Hope you have a fabulous weekend, don't forget to pray for me!

Social Media

Another week closer to Madamn being in your hands! It was a bit of a rough one, to be sure. After getting it to beta readers, I started getting feedback. And there was a lot more of it than I thought there would be. I've luckily gotten through most of what has been sent to me and am just waiting to hear back from the rest.

In the meantime, I'm finalizing as many other details as I can... 

Finishing Kickstarter rewards.

All the fun stuff that goes at the end of the book (Acknowledgements, Author's Note, etc.).

Selling spots for the Reader's Escape.

Setting up presales (this one isn't going so well...).

In addition to still working a part time job or two and maintaining the day to day of life. So I still keep pretty busy, but I can't tell you how grateful I am I left full time employment. I'd be in a real pickle. It's tight as it is.

Because while I am still doing all of the above, I have dared to enter into the MARKETING AND PROMOTION side of things. 

I had a meeting this week with someone who is pretty close to my exact ideal reader for this book. 

We had a lovely meeting that lasted almost 2 hours and I got so many great ideas to help me promote the book. 

So if you don't already follow me on social media, you might want to jump on. I'm on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok with the handle @jesssqueaks for all of them.

Can't wait to see you there!

What Success and Growth Look Like

Another week come and gone! I managed to get Madamn out to beta readers on Monday and I was so proud of myself! So while I'm waiting for feedback from them, I've been working on fulfillment for other items needed for the Kickstarter and still working on filling the Reader's Escape. 

It's wonderful to feel like I'm making so much progress after so long where movement was minimal. I'm still thankful every day that I quit my job at the bank, even if I'm still wishing I had done it a couple of months earlier.

I'm still cutting all of these deadlines really close. I'm honestly worried I might have to push the launch date back a few weeks just so I have time to promote it. But I guess that depends on what I hear back from beta readers.

In the meantime, I'm spending my time working my part time job as I continue to build and prepare as much as possible!

It doesn't feel like there is really much to tell right about now, but soon there will be more than plenty!

This week has had a few days where I've been barely able to function, but luckily those were also days when I had support and things were still moving. 

Every once in a while, I feel successful. It's not often tied to any kind of income. Back in the fall of 2020 I had what I then considered the most successful I had ever felt. It might still be the top, to be honest. 

I was working as an elementary school librarian at the time and had just showed up to clean the books that had come in the day before (because COVID). I had been there maybe 10 minutes when my grandma called very worried because Grandpa had doctor appointments in a town 2 hours away but wasn't feeling well enough to drive. Grandma couldn't drive because she is blind.

She asked if I would be able to take them to the doctor. I said, "Absolutely." I stood up and walked out the door. I did not have to ask to use any time off or cancel any classes or explain to anyone. I just left.

This week, I had another one of those, but different. 

My goal for this week was to finish one specific project for Kickstarter fulfillment. I had asked for the help of a woman I go to church with. I thought the two of us would knock it out pretty quickly. However, I was not feeling well, but everything got finished while I actually did work on something less physically involved.

So I actually made MORE progress than I thought I was going to. It's a cool feeling to have the help and support of others and to know that not everything depends on or revolves around me. 

Thinking lately about success and growth and what that looks like. Obviously, I don't always think it is a monetary thing. Sure, the money is helpful, but having the ability to leave full time employment, to take care of people I love, and to have people who not only love me and take care of me, but who also believe in the projects I do. 

It feels really good. 

I feel more successful than I did a month ago in a bank job, making good money with great benefits.

But the biggest success of all to me is feeling like I get to follow a unique and inspired path for me. A divine purpose that means more to humanity than I do on my own. I'm not saying this like I'm unimportant, quite the opposite, it makes me feel MORE important. Which, coming from someone who always questioned her worth and if life was worth living, means a LOT.

I love feeling like I am doing something good in the world around me and that I feel so fulfilled doing it. It brings me joy, not just to write, but to feel like others need what I have to say, even if it hasn't been published yet.

But it is absolutely worth the highs and lows of publishing a book.

The more I grow into this role, the more successful I feel. Like I'm going in the right direction.

And THAT is the ultimate success in my mind.

Oh No...

Friends, I'm sitting here wishing I had quit the bank a month or two earlier. I've been so excited and proud of how much progress I've made in the past month... It has been really good and really needed. I still am proud and excited.

But I'm also filled with anxiety and dread of how much MORE needs to be done and just about ONE MONTH to do it all in! 

So today's post will be kind of short, I do have to get back to the editing and all the things. 

Pray for me y'all. It's going to take a miracle to get this all together in time!

Happy Independence Day!!

This year, I feel like there is a lot I am celebrating. Not only the independence of the United States of America, but also my recent freedom full a full time job.

Although, not gonna lie, this week really put a bit of a wrench in things. There was no routine so I'm still a bit scattered and less organized, but still incredibly happy. 

I started my new job this week which is every bit as wonderful as I was expecting. In fact, Paula got so excited that a woman stepped around the corner with an excited look on her face looking for the puppy that just barked.

Spoiler alert, it was me.

BUT this shop that I work at also happens to carry my books, which then naturally led to me pointing them out and selling a copy!

I'm still so excited about this job and how much progress I've been able to make this week on my work. 

There is still more than I would like as far as cleaning up the novel, but I'm thrilled with the progress I'm making and can't wait to share Madamn with you!

Back at It!

Hey friends!

Things have finally settled down a little bit in my life. Mostly. Our water heater had a leak in it while we were away from the house, but all things considered, we had the best case scenario and we took care of most of it yesterday.

Which means today I am back at it! I've already been to the post office, drawn up an invoice for books to be in a traveling book trailer (that will also be at the Reader's Escape!) and purchased a few gifts for the Escape book boxes. 

Things are moving right along with Madamn and I love how well things are finally starting to come together! 

I should have it to beta readers in mid-July and ready to go in time for me to focus completely on marketing and promotion for the release day!

I'm just so ready for it to be done. As much as I love this book and this process, it has been a long time coming and I can't wait to start on the next project with my husband!

What Day Is It??

Remember how I quit my job and last Friday was my last day? While this past week has been very full and fulfilling and I've been able to make so much progress on my novel and in business in general... I actually almost forgot that today is Saturday and that I needed to do a blog post!

I'm actually really proud of myself right now. So now that things are more free and flexible, I might be posting more often. 

Maybe not, we will have to see.

I will for sure continue to post every week, but it may not be strictly on Saturday anymore since I obviously can't remember what day of the week it is anymore. 

But this week has been very special in a lot of ways and very hard in others. 

I've loved having a full week with no job to attend to, how much progress I've been able to make on Madamn, being able to relax and spend time with my family. The hard part is that my family has been in a bit of emotional turmoil.

It's been so good to be here for the support and to support my family as well, since this would be happening regardless of where I am, but it's still never easy to watch people you are close to struggle and suffer. 

But I have still managed to write a few new scenes and been able to do a few edits, as well as other important aspects of running a book business, while being here to support my family.

Honestly, that is my favorite part about being a writer. Knowing that I have the flexibility and freedom of time to do what is needed to support those I love and be active in the community.

I Survived!

Whew! What a week. To have a full moon in a customer-facing job and your last day be on Friday the 13th was a bit of a challenge! But I finally made it and am free to schedule my days much more freely.

Working full time this close to a book launch has been a challenge, but I'm excited to see how things are finally able to progress.

Because I'll be honest, there hasn't been much of that lately.

At least not near the level I need it to be. I'm so excited to know that it's going to get so much better. This weekend is going to be spent in recovery, which does actually include cleaning my house. It's hard to relax when I have dishes in the sink that need to be washed and laundry that needs folding.

But then the real work begins and hopefully you will be seeing a lot more of me online so that I can finish this novel and really get the word out for the launch in August.

With all of that said, this is going to be a short post so I can get to it!

Have a great week! I know I will!!!!

What A Week!

I don't know if your week was as crazy as mine, but I may have done something fairly drastic, but oh so good.

I quit my job. 

I'll be working part time for a local company, which means I might actually finish this novel on time. 

This week will be my last week at the bank, I'll take a few weeks off to visit family and start when I get back. Which I am incredibly excited for. I miss my family and this trip will be so good for my soul. As will this new job. 

This post is a bit late today because I spent most of the day doing work for the Bookmarked Literary Festival. Remember how I joined that board a couple of months ago? I spent today at a local festival's booth promoting it and connecting with local authors. 

The event is happening October 11-12 in Lander, WY and I'm so excited for it. I always meet some wonderful people and have a chance to sell a few great books. 

It's already late in the day and my husband and I have errands we need to run still, but things are certainly picking up speed and I can't wait to see where things land!

New Tic Alert!

So the whole point of this blog int he beginning was to record all the funny tics I have, so once in a while, when something new pops up, you get a new treat. Like just this morning.

After waking up, my husband started making breakfast. I had intended to come and help him, but didn't actually make it out to the kitchen until the meal was ready. 

When I came into the kitchen I apologized for neglecting him and said that I felt bad about it. Since I had been in the bathroom for a while, he was quite understanding, but also called me gross.

Paula came to my rescue and piped up with a, "nuh-uh!" tic. Which made us both giggle, but then my husband called my pet monkey bird (how he refers to Paula) as a liar.

But Paula's response had us both laughing.

She followed up again with the "nuh-uh!" tic, which would have been great timing, but what really put it over the edge was a new tic, where she squawked like a parrot.

The parrot squawk was new, but I've done it a couple of times this morning, so she is really starting to play up this monkey bird role my husband has put on her. 

Anyway, in book news, I have finished the new section I was writing and got through another chapter this week. I haven't made this much progress in a while, so I'm super proud of myself and plan on getting a lot more done now that the Kickstarter is out of the way.

The only other thing I have going on right now is to fill the Reader's Escape house for August! Which is sneaking up quickly. But at least everything else is planned!

Keeping Up with All the Things!

Whoops, I missed a week. I've been so good about posting every Saturday and the past couple of weeks have just been so hectic!

But good news, it will get better soon, I am officially going down to part time at work starting June 16th. I am so ready and it can't come fast enough. I'm already thrilled to have a 3 day weekend and get caught up on all of the things I missed that I normally do, like this blog post, finalizing the new chapter I'm writing and catching up on edits.

But great news, the Kickstarter has funded and I have already paid the artist for the 3 remaining scenes that will appear in the book!

I'm already starting to compile things that will need to be shipped out to backers. 

So while that is going on in the background, I'm focusing on selling spots for the Reader's Escape and book launch party. 

All things considered, I'm keeping my head above water, though it feels like just barely. With Monday off, I'm hoping to not only maintain, but move ahead of the game just a little bit. 

I feel like the momentum surrounding the book has died down a little, but part of that is feeling overwhelmed and not having enough healthy balance in my life. So I'm also hoping to do something fun with the bit of extra time. 

I might need some ideas, feel free to comment and share your plans for the holiday weekend and/or something fun you have done this week. 

With all of the working, it is taking over my life and I need something to bring a breath of fresh air into my life again. 

We Made It!!!

So the Kickstarter is done finally. The 3 weeks flew by, but at the same time, it was exhausting. We made it to 300% funded though! I'm so proud of how it turned out, and it was worth all the work.

However after, I needed a break and my sweet husband took me away for a weekend and it was a much needed reprieve. 

It also happened to be our anniversary, so he surprised me with a trip to not just one, but TWO bookstores. So after spending my budget, we spend the weekend reading and relaxing. 

But now the pressure is on to actually finish the novel and get the goodies to the people that have contributed and backed the novel. 

It's sure difficult with all the new shiny, pretty books calling my name!

However, the design end of things all look great, and it's just the novel and overall promotion to be working on until August.

Speaking of, the book launch itself was moved to Salt Lake City where I can do book signings and host a Reader's Escape, while having a "birthday celebration" for Em at the Grand America Hotel.

Want to join me? 

Let me know and I'll get you information!

Three Days Left!

Happy Saturday friends!

I actually almost missed posting today! This weekend has already been kind of crazy. Partially because my Kickstarter project ends in just THREE DAYS!

I'm super proud of how well it's doing, but could certainly stand to have a bit more support so I can really turn this novel into something fantastic.

Here is the link again for you:

Madamn: The Cursing Countess - A Regency Novel Based On Fact

This week has been pretty crazy, so my husband and I are taking the weekend off (hence me almost forgetting about this), while we enjoy local doings and goings on.

So please support, please share about the Kickstarter, and as always, remember you are awesome!

Kickstarter Update

Hey there my friend. So remember how I launched my Kickstarter last week? We are at the halfway point and we are over 200% funded!

We even hit the first stretch goal to give everyone and added bonus when I send out their rewards. I would love to double this goal, and I still have a week and a half to do it.

Already, in addition to the goodies you get for backing reward tiers, I'm sending out 3 stickers and digital artwork of the characters. 

I'm considering adding additional add ons so that people can get extra bonuses since I kept it fairly small at first. There is plenty of merch that I could add on. We will see what I can come up with today.

Click on the image to go the the campaign and poke around!

In other news! 

Nothing is set in stone yet, but there are talks of me going part time at work, which would free up so much more time for me to do things like keeping my house clean and actually finishing this novel. 

It would be nice not to feel like this book is consuming my waking days and I can do things outside of all that goes into a book launch.

Because right now it feels like it's slowly killing me. I have overdone my schedule and I am ready to take a break. I will be SO ready for the Reader's Escape when it comes in August. 

Anyway, I'm off to it. Hope you have a marvelous week!

Kickstarter is LIVE!!

I finally did it! I finally launched my Kickstarter campaign! Even more exciting, it is already FUNDED!!!

Which means I get to move on to the stretch goals I have created, allowing me to put more goodies into the hands of backers. Some of the things will only be available on Kickstarter, while others (like the book itself) will be. 

A lot of what is available will depend on how popular it is during this campaign. 

So far, the canvas tote is a popular add on, so that one will continue to be available, but we will have to see what else does well. 

Below are some of the add-ons available during the campaign. Comment and let me know your favorite!

Campaign banner

Here are a few of the add-ons available with the book. 

First of all, we have the embroidery pattern inspired by events that take place during the novel. I may not be a professional pattern writer, but I am pleased with how it turned out.

This design is for a t-shirt. It features a silhouette of our main character. Above the silhouette is the title of the novel and below is a clever line my husband came up with that I feel perfectly describes the novel. 

I have tried my best to keep the story of the cursing countess clean and low spice. 

At the same time, I didn't want to shy away from important aspects of her story. But overall, the tone is wholesome.

This design is also for a t-shirt. There is no cute story behind it, just the lovely embellishments common for the Regency time period during which the novel is set. 

But of course, it had to be book related because that is what I do. Everything always seems to come back to books.

This is the design for the canvas tote. I'm hoping it comes out like I envision it, but I'm still working on making it look exactly right.

However, it is easily one of the best moving add-ons for the Kickstarter campaign. Meaning once I finally get it right, this piece might be sticking around for a while.

And why wouldn't it, with such a powerful reminder (and line from the novel)?

Just in case you needed another reminder, the same line is going to be put on bookmarks that are available with all of the physical tiers on the Kickstarter. 

It also features Em's chateau (her actual home, not just what I imagine it to look like) and her family coat of arms.

Last year, I decided I wanted a hobby that didn't revolve around books. So I picked up crochet. 

Then I started to crochet bookmarks. So now this is also a thing I do and I've made several. I've used the smallest yarn I could find (it feels more like thread) and once I'm out, I'm done. Micro-crochet is not my jam, but was a great learning curve.

As I write, I sometimes will use music to inspire me and get me in the mood and help with focus. 

I tried to use a lot of songs from the time period Em lived in and would have potentially listened to. So I created a Madamn Playlist that I am offering as an add-on.

As I listened to these older classical pieces, sometimes what I really needed was something more modern to get me in the right mood for character building.

So I also have a playlist of songs Em would be listening to if she were here today. This playlist is also available during the Kickstarter campaign.

As the campaign grows and I have increased funding, there will be additional perks and goodies that will be added to the tiers, but occasionally, I might also be able to add additional products as more add-ons once I know we are able to fund them.

One of the biggest stretches that I'm hoping we hit if we can make it into 5 figures, I want to make a collector's edition cover of the novel. But not just any special cover.

I want it faux leather with debossed and gilded embellishments. Doing a special print run is going to cost significantly more, especially with all the bells and whistles and is going to cost a pretty penny. So while I'm not holding my breath that we will actually make it, I am working and praying that we get there.

I had some mockups of it made and I am just drooling over them! I'm not going to share them unless we get close to the possibility, making it a motivation to fund just a little bit higher. Right now, it feels cruel to dangle a carrot that might not be within reach. I know it's frustrating me.

Maybe I'll have to run another campaign after this one to see if we could fund on it's own, offering only the special edition and merch. But we shall see.

Right now the goal of the Kickstarter is to help fund the editing and formatting process as well as some additional artwork. 

But here's to hoping it will be possible to actually knock it out of the park!

Concept of Time

I'm sitting here amazed that another week has already flown by. It's crazy to me how fast time can go... while at the same time, so much can be done.

There were times this week that time didn't feel like it was simply passing me by, but that I had time left to do just a little bit more. 

There was one day this week that on my one hour lunch break, I managed to walk home from work, make and eat lunch, hang out with my husband, pick up an order down in town from a local print shop, walk to my hairdressers to schedule an appointment, stop by the grocery store for a couple of items, drive home so I could smooch on my husband a bit before walking back to work- and all easily without feeling rushed at all.

It felt so good. 

I'm actually impressed with what I was able to accomplish this week, but also, wow, it's already Saturday again!

I do think a lot of it has to do with how much better I'm feeling and needing excessive amounts of sleep. And since I have more energy, I'm able to accomplish more rather than simply doom scrolling at the end of the day.

Which is also shocking considering how short staffed we have been at work and how much extra work we are doing to pull the load. 

Yet I feel better than I have when we were fully staffed. 

Maybe there is also something to the fact that I can feel of my divine destiny pulling me forward and growing in ways I never thought possible.

I've said for years that I know how much this book is going to change my life once it is published. And I 1000% believe that. I can feel it pushing me forward, almost beyond my control.

And it's getting incredibly close. 

There are times when I feel stressed and behind schedule with editing and all of the moving pieces, but at the same time... I know it will work out.

As will the timing of it all.

Thank You!

I can't even tell you how much better this week was from last week! Not that much changed circumstantially, but that I feel better and more capable of handling things. (Prayer works btw, I asked for prayers last week and I'm feeling them.) So thank you so, so much.

I feel much more calm and like I have a better idea of how things will play out. I feel supported and capable. It's a fantastic feeling. 

SO! With that in mind, we are moving forward! I have the first private room for the Reader's Escape/ book launch week sold, feel MUCH better about the Kickstarter campaign and am finally making progress on Madamn so things feel like they are coming together!

I hope I'll be able to report some amazing progress this week, since I'm feeling so much better. It helps that the sun will be shining all week with warm temperatures here, I absolutely function better with sunshine and warmth. 

So off I go! Keep those prayer coming, they are sustaining me!

Send Help!

This week was another crazy week at work, which meant most of the week was spent just recovering from my day to day job. 

Then I found a missing chapter in my novel. So I'm working on writing a new scene today. 

I'm starting to get a bit nervous about finishing this book on time. Especially with all of the other projects like the Kickstarter and preparing for the actual book launch. This is exactly what I was hoping to avoid when I set a deadline for the book being ready to print by December. 

Having a full time job, trying to run a household, and still try to grow my career as an author is really starting to take it's toll. I'm simply exhausted most of the time. I'm going to have to figure out how I can best balance all of the things and fast.

There was a meeting this week with a friend helping me to get things right with my Kickstarter, so there was at least a little bit of progress made this week, but right now, I'm living for the weekends to get things accomplished. 

So please send any and all prayers this week for me to have the energy and inspiration and focus to get things progressing. 

I'm Feelin' Good!

Happy Saturday friends!

While I made some good progress this week with edits (and finally sent the document to an editor- yay!), I also took a day off to completely just to relax and NOT have a strict plan to follow for maximum productivity.

I can't even tell you how good it felt. I feel like I finally have more energy and can absolutely plow through things today. And it's only Saturday! Yesterday felt so much like Saturday with all the running around I did!

Not only do I feel more rested, but I also feel like I'm figuring out my own health things, which is contributing to the energy I'm feeling. This week has been fantastic.

Even when I made a mistake at work and had to spend almost an entire day digging through old papers, I'm came out feeling like I had a great workout on my glutes, and wasn't emotionally ruffled, like I normally would have been. I can be so hard on myself when I've made a mistake, but I was just so unbothered by the whole experience.

It's only been a week on this new supplement I'm taking, but it's making a WORLD of difference. I've been taking it in conjunction with another supplement, which is about to run out, and will be the true test of how well it works. If I can use JUST this supplement and still feel this good, you can bet I'll be letting you know!

So that's my big update this week, stay tuned and there will be more fantastic updates next week!

Updated Images!

Happy Saturday friends! This week has been absolutely chaotic, but despite all the things, I managed to get some new scenes written and received the updated images for my characters. I love them!

Just look!!!

These make me so happy!

I can't even tell you how much these characters mean to me. I'm actually starting to get nervous about sharing their stories, because I want people to love them as much as I do. 

It has changed my life so much as I get to know them and have been writing this story. I'm glad that I've had the chance to go through this week and make so many good changes. There are just about 5 months left until the launch!

OH! And I'm not sure if I mentioned this or not, but the Paris trip is delayed...

The castle reached out and let me know that someone else wanted the entire chateau for the week I was looking at. If I wanted it, I would have to sign the lease and send a (quite large) deposit within 36 hours. And while I have had plenty of interest in the trip, I haven't had anyone pay yet, so we are going to postpone until next year.

But I figure that way people will have time to save for it and have a chance to read the book and love the characters as much as I do.

So we are still trying to figure out what the plan is for the launch party. It will involve a Reader's Escape, just maybe not something international. I will keep you posted, though.

Anyways, I'm going to get some more writing done, but I hope you have a marvelous week!

How Did This Week Even Happen?

Wow, I almost forgot to write an update today! Y'all this week has been insane. I can't believe we are already a week into March! It was spent trying to recover from getting sick last Saturday and getting back into "normal" life, which was ridiculously busy. 

Hopefully now we can have a bit more of a "normal" start to the month and keep things moving forward. Maybe. Today is already half gone and we lose an hour tomorrow, so, you know.

In case you couldn't tell, I'm starting to feel the pressure of the 5.5 months left to the book launch, especially where I have not yet started my Kickstarter campaign. 

Don't get sick, everyone, ok? Life turns into some kind of hot mess when you start feeling better. 

On the upside, I have been crazy productive today trying to do all the things. Writing done, Kickstarter updates discussed, living room cleaned, blog post up, about to send exclusive info to my email list...

Speaking of, if you aren't on there, you should be. You can do that over on my website.

Anywho, since there is so much going on, I'm going to keep it short. Maybe by next week I'll have more cohesive thoughts I can share!

Sad Week Updates

Hey there friends! This week has been kind of crazy for me. I'm writing this away from home, I am attending the funeral of a friend of mine. So there are plenty of distractions and today's post will be short. 

Sad update: I was contacted by the chateau and there is a large group wanting to book every single room the same week I want to be there. 

I had no paid guests and crickets when I asked for an update from people. I had no ability to pay the deposit required with the signing of the contract, so I bit the bullet and withdrew. Here's to hoping it can happen next year when I have some more dedicated fans of the novel and a bit more time to prepare. 

Meaning the book launch party will be moving to somewhere a bit more local. I'm not sure exactly where yet. I'll be sure to update you when I have more information, but know I'm working on still planning an amazing book launch party in August.

Since I already have the time scheduled off work, I will still do a reading retreat in connection with it. 

Again, I'll let you know when I have the info I need. But, at the same time since I'm no longer planning an international retreat, I'm feeling much better about being able to focus on actually finishing the novel since I'm behind schedule there.

So I made a whoops this week. I was all excited about some portraits I had commissioned of my characters from the novel. We had done some preliminary work and I thought I had received the final version. 

Tuns out, it was actually still a rough version. Which I learned when he sent final versions of Em and her sister. 

I had loved them before, but wow, I adore these updated versions! I don't have them all back yet, so in the meantime, here are the preliminary sketches I thought were the final versions. 

Silly me even printed them up and framed them! Anyway, I hope you enjoy, I've got to get to work on the Kickstarter!

I'm behind. I was hoping to launch that on the 25th after getting feedback from a group of authors who have run successful campaigns. So it will be more like the beginning of March. It's right around the corner, so I have to get my tail in gear!

So Many Updates!

Whoops, sorry I missed last week friends, I was working a craft fair. Usually, there is a bit of downtime and I'm able to still get the blog post up, but I was surprised at how busy this fair was! 

Especially considering the low foot traffic, but those that were there, we had some great conversations and opportunities come up. 

Good news, I was asked to speak to a local writing group! 

Also this week, things at work have been improving and I'm loving that. 

Then while in conversations this week with a friend who started a local book festival, I learned that she is taking a step back and there is now an opening on the local board. That board met yesterday and discussed me being a part of it and I was accepted!

I am not the newest member of the Bookmarked Literary Festival! So maybe I didn't need one more thing on my plate, but at the same time, I'm excited to get to volunteer thanks to a job that is supportive of the community. 

I also managed to finally figure out how to get my email list up and running, so I'm hoping to start making email updates more consistent. I sent one out recently, but today's email is going to be very special!

You see, I have commissioned art for Madamn and have portraits of 4 of the main characters. There will be a total of 7 scenes throughout the book with art illustrations.

My husband indirectly gave me the idea. You see, he bought a book from a local thrift shop with an inscription dated Christmas day 1872. This book had illustrations throughout in the following style:

The collector's edition of Madamn will have them colorized, while the regular editions will be black and white. 

If you would like to be on this list to receive early access to fun stuff like this, you can sign up HERE. 

Or you could keep your eyes peeled. I'll share them here eventually. 

For this coming week, I should have my Kickstarter up and running, so be sure to watch for that to go live as well. There will be all sorts of exclusive goodies available, so I recommend following and getting notified when that goes live. 

You can do that from this link HERE.