Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click hereto 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: When you are working on a story, what inspires you?
Life inspires me, but sometimes I have to focus and seek inspiration. I will listen to music that evokes particular moods or that helps set a scene. I will people-watch to observe natural reactions and responses. I will look at or attempt to create art that helps me flesh out a character or situation. While I might like to sit back and let the inspiration come to me, sometimes I get tired of waiting and just try something- usually a writing prompt.
I had such a good time at RavenCon16. Check out the video below.
I’ve been writing more than I’m used- not a lot- but enough to make me feel proud. I even submitted a story to an anthology. Even if the story isn’t selected, I’m just proud I was able to submit something.
I haven’t written my April book reviews yet, but my reading was 50% positive and 50% not-so-positive. I’ll be talking more about that next week when I post my reviews, but the Book Club Library challenge turned out to be quite a ride.
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What inspires you when writing?
What do you think of this month’s theme challenge?
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.
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.
Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click hereto 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.
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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…🔥👩🏽🚒🧯👨🏽🚒🚒.)
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
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.
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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.
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.
Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click hereto 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: Have you ever read a line in a novel or a clever plot twist that caused you to have author envy?
This happens to me all the time. I don’t know how anyone who loves stories doesn’t feel this from time to time. Even if you are an avid reader with no desire to write your name on the dotted line, I think a small part of you wishes you had the creativity to come up with some of the things that make you love reading.
On the flip side, I’ve also had moments when I thought, “I can do better than that.” For me, it’s all part of the reader/writer journey. If I stop being able to appreciate the writing of other people, that’s a problem.
Still, even with a bit of author envy, I’ve never taken it too far. Yet, I’ve heard of other authors who’ve tried to sabotage their perceived competitors. I hope these are just rumors. Personally, I feel that most writers are supportive of other writers, but that doesn’t mean all writers are friendly. There are writers in this world I don’t like but I can still acknowledge whether they have talent and or creativity. I can still be inspired by someone I don’t like if what they’ve written speaks to me, whether in a positive or negative way.
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The IWSG Book Club Presents:
Falling Down Rabbit Holes
by Toi Thomas, images by Ronel Janse van Vuuren – first appeared in the IWSG March 2023 newsletter, additional images added.
It’s the year of the Rabbit.
So, what does that mean for the IWSG Book Club?
Well, did you see that Tubi Superbowl commercial?
This next book club phase is all about discovering rabbit holes in your reading. We want you to discover or re-discover the joy of reading through exploration.
As an additional tool provided by the amazing Insecure Writers Support Group, the book club will never lose sight of its original objective to help writers hone their skills. Plus, we still like having the option to spotlight the talents of this dynamic group. So, while some things will never change, it’s time to shift gears and remember why we all started this journey- the joy of reading.
We’ve decided to place the book club in a position of comfort and support, giving each member a chance to shine their own light on what matters most to them as a reader. We are keeping our craft books and member spotlight books but will only be hosting discussions every three months. This is a perfect opportunity for those who’ve wanted to participate in a group read in the past but simply didn’t have time to join in.
As always, we set up our discussions in a way that’s easy for anyone to participate in, even if they haven’t read the books. We are returning to our three-question format because people seemed to like it better. Sometimes the discussion is a good place to ask questions and learn more before committing to reading the book(s) if you haven’t already.
In addition to quarterly discussions, we’ll offer monthly activities and encouragement for members to pick and choose from, and perhaps, fall down a rabbit hole or two.
Each month we’ll offer a themed reading challenge where you call all the shots. All we do is provide the theme and some suggestions (which you are welcome to ignore). This is another opportunity to be part of the crowd but on your own terms. You pick your genre, your platform, your medium- it’s up to you. You could take the challenge each month or join when the theme calls you. (Sooo hoping to see some memes on this one!)
Each month we’ll host a discussion called, “What are you reading?” This will be an opportunity to talk about the books you are excited about, apprehensive about, or reading for work/education. Tell us all about it. We want to know. Perhaps we’ll add one of your books to our TBR or provide you with some encouragement to get through a tough read. So go ahead, get on your soapbox, and let us know, “What are you reading?” (Wouldn’t mind seeing a few memes here either.)
Last but definitely not least, in the grand IWSG tradition, we’ll host a monthly check-in poll allowing members to update the group on their reading progress. Perhaps they are taking the Goodreads Challenge, the book club challenge, or some other personal challenge or goal. Tell us all about it and we’ll be there to root you on.
Our first quarterly read is starting a little late but that’s okay. We have to start somewhere. For those interested in our quarterly spotlight reads, the first official discussion will be on April 27, 2023 (Yes, that’s 2 months, not 3 months, away). The featured titles are:
The first themed challenge in the month of March is: Horse Crazy. Click this link provided to view the challenge and learn more:
So, whatever it is that you are or aren’t reading, The IWSG Book Club is here to offer you encouragement. Remember, you can participate as little or as much as you like, but we truly hope to see you around. We wish you all the best with every rabbit hole you dive into.
Now, on to the personal updates.
Long story short- I wrote a little, read a little, did some stuff, but mostly I lost a bunch of email subscribers when my subscription plan ended without notice. You can watch my WIP Update video on YouTube if you’d like to learn more. If you were following me via email, you’re not anymore. Here are ways you can follow me if you’d like.
Ever had author envy?
What do you think of the book club changes?
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.
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.
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