This is normally the week where I share “Mommy’s Night Before Christmas,” my parody of Clement C. Moore’s poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” Unfortunately I’m not doing that this year because I’ve done a slight revision in anticipation of it becoming a picture book! (Don’t worry, you can still enjoy the old version here.)
I’m currently working with an illustrator for a fall 2022 release. So keep an eye out for more news on this!
In the meantime, I want to wish all of you a peaceful rest of the holiday season. I know there’s a lot that makes this time of year stressful, especially these last couple of years, so it is my wish for you all to find the calm in the storm whenever you can. Health and happiness in the New Year!
After a writing whirlwind of a November with a couple of virtual events, my Highlights Foundation writing retreat, and successfully completing NaNoWriMo (you can read about that in my post “The Magic of Highlights Foundation Writing Retreat”), I had planned to take a bit of a breather in December. November left me feeling a bit burnt out, so my plan was to watch some lighthearted movies, catch up on pleasure reading, and maybe bake a little with the kiddos. I also wanted to play around creatively with painting my playing guitar, things that had been put aside last month.
Overall, I’m doing pretty well on those goals. I have just one article due this month, so things are quiet on the freelance side. I haven’t done any fiction writing except for tooling around with one picture book and jotting down a few notes for when I gear up to revise the young adult novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo.
I’ve watched a bunch of movies, done some reading but I’d like to do more, and a little bit of baking with more planned for once the kiddos are on their school break. The painting and guitar playing I’ve been less successful on, but I’m trying to keep those things low-key, so I’m okay with that.
So I seem to be doing well on my goal, except…I got an idea on how to develop one of my writing projects and I kind of ran with it. (I know I’m being annoyingly vague here, but more details will be coming on this.) It’s stretching me in new ways on the business side of things and it’s hit a few bumps along the way, adding some stress to my life. Which wasn’t in the plan for December, and maybe all of this could have waited until after the New Year.
But I also didn’t want to wait on it, so I’m just decided to go for it. It hasn’t really been time-consuming so much as uncomfortable as I do things that are new to me. It’s made me feel unbalanced when I was striving for more balance this month. In the end, I think it’s going to be really good. So while it has put a wrench in my relaxing plans for this month, it always feels good to move feel like I’m making progress.
I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m very good at taking a full break. We’ll call it a break-ish. What are you all doing/celebrating as we close out this year and look forward to a new one?
Remember how back in the beginning of the pandemic there was a shortage of toilet paper and since then there have been various shortages of certain items? That’s happening now with physical books.
The supply chain issues regarding books can’t totally be blamed on the pandemic (this problem has been years in the making, see “Looking for Answers to Supply Chain Challenges” by Michael Seidlinger), but the bottom line is there is a shortage of physical books.
While publishers are pushing back release dates and paper is in short supply, you don’t have to worry because I have all of my books in stock. For the entire month of November, you can get signed copies of my books at a 10% discount when you use code NOVEMBER10 at checkout on the Purchase Books page.
Signed and personalized books make for great gifts, and I have choices for all the young readers in your life! My picture book THE BEDTIME KNIGHT is a fun read aloud where young kiddos can participate by seeing what is revealed in the illustrations. For the 8-12 crowd, PIRATE ISLAND has pirate treasure and a cursed island (and a little real history thrown in there for good measure). My YA fantasies, the award-winning ELIXIR BOUND and ELIXIR SAVED, are perfect for teens or fantasy loving adults.
This discount is running through the end of November so I can make sure to get them all mailed off in time for the December holidays. All orders come with a bonus bookmark or sticker, customized to the book(s) you’re ordering. Buying direct from me also means that you’re supporting a small business!
I think we could all use a good laugh to end this year, so I’m breaking out my parody of Clement C. Moore’s “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” It has become something of a tradition to post this each year. I’ll be posting about my newest book, the picture book THE BEDTIME KNIGHT (you can find more about it on my picture book page), and a reading round-up when I return to blogging in 2021.In the meantime, Happy Holiday and wishing you all the best in the New Year!
‘Twas the night before Christmas, the kids were in bed Anxiously awaiting the Big Man in Red; The stockings weren’t hung (we don’t have a chimney), We just set them down in front of the TV.
Who am I kidding? The kids weren’t sleeping, The baby was teething, drooling, and weeping; The preschooler was playing with a million toys, Driving his cars and making lots of noise.
Half an hour later, the baby passed out, His brother went to bed (not without a good pout); I let out a great big sigh of relief, Then I looked around and thought, “Oh, good grief!”
The house was a mess, the laundry never-ending, And there was still that ornament that needed mending. At least we were done hiding that stupid elf, Went back where he came from, him and his shelf;
Hours passed, we thought we were finally done; We found more gifts, the fun had just begun; We were out of wrapping paper and tape, Reused gift bags put us back in good shape;
I sat down to relax, put my feet up, Snuggled into a blanket with my tea cup; A bang outside roused me to my feet, I peeked out the curtains, looked down the street.
“I don’t think it’s the neighbors,” Daddy said; “What? You think it’s Santa in his big sled?” He went to check it out, shot me a look, And told me to go back to reading my book;
A minute later, I heard a great yell, And said under my breath, “What the hell?” I put on my shoes, grabbed the monitor, Slipped into a coat, and stomped out the door;
The clear winter night brought no Christmas snow, Instead moonlight washed the yard in a soft glow; Daddy stood there staring up at the roof; I hissed, “What are you doing, you big doof?”
He merely pointed, his face full of fear, And gave a soft whisper, “It’s a reindeer.” Now, I haven’t believed since I was six, Thought surely his eyes must be playing tricks;
Then I heard a stomping and a nicker That made my heart beat a little quicker; Looking up, I saw the brown muzzle, red nose The Fat Man himself, and I simply froze.
Daddy and I exchanged a look of wonder, The shock could’ve put us six feet under; I shook my head and came to my senses, Glared at Santa, went on the offensive;
“Get off my roof, your reindeer too,” I hissed; I glared at Santa, feeling really pissed; He laughed, “Don’t end up on my naughty list.” Clearly this guy wasn’t getting my gist.
“With all due respect, get the hell out of here; If you wake my kids, you won’t see next year.” Quiet as a shadow those reindeer took flight, Santa whispered, “Merry Christmas and good night.”
Leading up to the July 14, 2020 release of my latest YA fantasy ELIXIR SAVED, sequel to the award-winning ELIXIR BOUND, I’ll be posting teasers and tidbits on Tuesdays. Feel free to share!
For inspiration for today’s quote , I looked up what obscure holidays are celebrated on April 21st. Turns out it’s British National Tea Day . Since tea is my drink of choice while I’m writing, I thought it fitting to find a quote to match.
ELIXIR SAVED teaser text:
Katora tended the fire, and Kylene sipped her tea—that’s what they called the boiled water seasoned with rosemary and lavender. It helped warm the chill away, at least until Katora settled down next to her and spoke again. “I think it’s Fyren.”
Kylene choked on the tea. “What?”
“I think he’s the one making it so cold. It might be a message or maybe a rallying call to our enemies. Whatever it is, it’s tainted with dark magic. I can feel it to my core.”
About ELIXIR SAVED:
Three lives saved by the Elixir; three lives bound by it.
The Elixir entwines the lives of those it touches. Once upon a time, Kylene, Zelenka, and Devon tasted it and escaped death. None were left without scars. Now, a shocking message from the Ice Queen–one of Mother Nature’s higher beings–sends each survivor on a quest. Kylene travels to the frozen depths of Blanchardwood, Zelenka heads back to the wilds of Faway Forest, and Devon journeys to a reclusive mountain temple. The three paths converge in a war against an ancient and tricky foe. And even the Elixir cannot save everyone. The fate of the world balances on the edge of a sword, and the outcome depends on whether the survivors will sacrifice their second chances.
Escape back into the world of the Great Peninsula in this much-anticipated sequel to the award-winning ELIXIR BOUND. Perfect for fans of the Thrones of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.
