#IWSG Apr. 2023- Proof of Existence is here!

Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click here to learn more or sign up.

This post contains affiliate links. If you click through to make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Any amount I make goes towards my dream to host a book fair in Hampton Roads, VA. Please see my About page for more details. Thank you for your support.

Optional Monthly Question: Do you remember writing your first book? What were your thoughts about a career path on writing? Where are you now and how is it working out for you? If you’re at the start of the journey, what are your goals?

I do remember writing my first book. I wrote my first book when I was in the 7th grade. It was absolute teenage garbage, but I remember it being fun to write. At that point in my life, writing was not part of me and definitely not something I wanted to pursue. I remember writing the book while attending summer school (voluntarily- I was trying to graduate early).

Fast forward many years, I begin to write to help me cope with the world and process my emotions. I had many failed daily journals and was beginning to think that writing just wasn’t going to work for me. Then I took a creative writing class in college and realized that I could write stories to help me process, I didn’t have to write about myself or my day-to-day.

Fast forward one more time to me as a married woman and college graduate with a job that left me with PTSD. I found myself writing furiously. Then I had a dream about a gray man and wrote a whole series about him. While that series is currently unpublished, I do hope to re-release it one day.

For the past few years, I’ve put a focus on writing and illustrating picture books, while working on the craft of writing short fiction and constantly trying to develop a larger piece. This month, I’ll be speaking at the RavenCon in Richmond, VA. I do several local library and vendor events each year to promote reading and the book industry.

I went through a period where I was making money with my writing, even though I still had a day job. It never replaced my income, but was nice to have around the holidays. Now, I’m not trying to make money with writing, and therefore I’m not. I have a small Patreon community that helps keep me motivated and I’m really enjoying the process of creating with them. I’m focusing on writing better and perhaps I’ll create something that I feel is worth promoting to the masses again.

****

Hey, did you know it is Peeps Day?

Proof of Existence
Book 2 of the Existence series
By J Lenni Dorner

The main characters of the Existence series are omnipotent beings living in our world. (As the cover image suggests, several of them live in New York City. The Brooklyn Bridge is a part of two scenes in Proof of Existence.) Here’s an unusual inclusion in Urban Fantasy: a recipe!

Jezebel (Jez) loves bread crust. It’s one of her unusual quirks, as many people dislike those. In this scene, which is part of Chapter 9, her mom Jyotisha is making “Pinwheel Crust.” I was inspired by a friend of mine who included cooking in her story as an action for a character. I hope you’ll enjoy this short excerpt. And, if you make this treat, please upload a picture and tag me so I can see it. (My spouse prefers I stay out of the kitchen. You set two or three little fires…🔥👩🏽‍🚒🧯👨🏽‍🚒🚒.)

Check out J’s Pinterest board for a variation with bacon.
https://www.pinterest.com/jlennidorner/my-existence-series-books-would-have-this/

~

World-ending secrets and threats…

Proof of Existence picks up from Fractions of Existence‘s cliffhanger, where Gwendolyn is among the hostages of the Eyes in the Shadows, a religious sect that has been trying to free humans from the “prison” of life on Earth for millennia. Rescuing her requires the Existence to expose themselves. As omnipotent beings, their work to protect humanity has been mostly in secret for the last two centuries.

Gwendolyn must remember and embrace what she truly is, though fear and doubt stifle her. She risked everything by acting on her attraction to Xavier, but her religious beliefs stop her from taking the important next step. Life-threatening news has her wanting to go home to see her family. Will they still love and accept her, despite her actions and choices? Or could a secret rip her family apart?

Feeling lonely, tormented, and useless, Existence member Heath goes off the grid. A ransom video from Eyes in the Shadows demands he be traded for the lives of others. Can the Existence find him in time to tell him about the threat? Even if Heath can be reached, would his kind really trade him to potentially save someone else?

The Eyes in the Shadows is set to finally end all human life on Earth forever. Only if the Existence is reunited, with all members at full power, could they stand against them. How many will suffer if the Existence should fail? How much damage could possibly be done in the next twenty years? Proof of Existence, the second book of the Existence mythological urban fantasy series from J Lenni Dorner, is set during the first half of 2006.

J Lenni Dorner is best known for the Existence book series. Book one, Fractions of Existence, and book two, Proof of Existence, are on Amazon. Author of the short story, Lumber Of The Kuweakunks, on Smashwords. Also known for the writer’s reference books, Preparing to Write Settings that Feel Like Characters and Writing Book Reviews As An Author: Inspiration To Make It Easier.

J is part of the Operation Awesome Team, where he runs the Debut Author Spotlight on most Wednesdays. J is an April Blogging from A to Z #AtoZchallenge international bloghop co-host.

(he/him 👨🏽 or 🧑🏽 they/them) ~ Speculative Fiction & Reference Author, OperationAwesome6 Debut Author Interviewer, and Co-host of the #AtoZchallenge

https://jlennidorner.blogspot.com 
https://twitter.com/JLenniDorner 
https://www.facebook.com/WhatAreThey
https://www.instagram.com/jlennidorner 

Buy it here. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BYN6SG7Y

Add to your TBR here. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65150644-proof-of-existence

Glimpse it here. https://www.bookbub.com/books/proof-of-existence-by-j-lenni-dorner

Enter the Giveaway here! http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4fa90ac752

****

IWSG BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS

#iwsgbookclub

Member Spotlight

Spiral of Hooves- Goodreads, Amazon

Craft Book

Fight Like A Girl- Goodreads, Amazon, Bookshop

Now, on to the personal updates.

I have been feeling very discouraged in my efforts to record and post videos. Moving from a PC to a Mac has not been a great experience. I’m at a loss, but I’ll keep trying. If you want to know more, check my Patreon Monthly Update– it’s a public post (free).

I’ve been reading, writing. I completed the IWSG Book Club challenge for Horses last month and got a head start on the Library challenge this month. I’ve also been writing, which makes me happy, even if I’m not writing as much as I’d like.

I continue to test out food recipes for my new diet. I’ve had some hits and some misses, but at least I’m not relegated to eating plain chicken and rice for the rest of my life. I know that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world considering people in this world are starving, but it does improve the quality of life when you have options. I’m just happy to be able to eat without ending up in the ER (I can’t bring myself to call it the ED, just not a habit for me yet).

Here is a fun video I posted on YouTube (with great effort). Next week, I’ll be sharing my March book reviews here, but you can see them now over at my YouTube channel.

****

Do you remember the first book you wrote?
Are you trying any reading or writing challenges this year?
It may take some time, but I promise, I will eventually stop by your blog.
My response time has gotten slower but I’m still making my rounds.

****

After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts:
Jemima Pett,
Nancy Gideon, and
Natalie Aguirre!

****

Click here to visit other IWSG blogs and sites to receive and share more inspiration and support. (This month, I’m #28).

Thank you for making it this far down the virtual page. Kudos to you! I’d love to know what you thought of this post in the comments below. Stay safe and be blessed.