by Sarah | Jan 12, 2016 | Books, Goals, Writing
In 2015 I set, and met, some pretty lofty goals for myself. I had a roller coaster of a year, including some great highs, some amazing sales months, and some real lows, like my publisher closing.
Last year I wrote over 600,000 words (a goal I met right at the close, December 29th), I published 7 books (and republished all but one of my former SCP books), and my original Dominion Falls trilogy (which are with the editor now for re-release later in the year). I tried some new promotional techniques, and both succeeded and failed. It was a year of change, learning, and growing.
2016 is here, though, and it’s time to set my new goals for the coming year. I already have a few set, and a few things in motion. I’m fortunate to have another PR setup started and a good feeling this new person will do bigger/better things for me. So, without further ado, my goals.
First, some overall goals to set the tone for the year…
- I’ve challenged myself to write 600,000 words in 2016.
- I will build my audience and work harder at promotion.
- I will regain my focus.
- I will face my demon/salvation – the one story I’m afraid of.
- I will decide by July if I will return to Lake Point in 2017.
- I will prep all the things for print. ALL. The. Things.
And next is my list of projects. The list seems small without all the Lake Point books of the past on it, but I’m sure it will change and grow over the year. The books in ORANGE are current works-in-progress.
- Into a Mirror Darkly (Morgana Chronicles 1) – 100k (~10k done)
- Switchback (Dominion Falls 6) – 100k
- Dead Man’s Switch (Dominion Falls 7) – 100k
- Red Zone (Dominion Falls 5.5) – 20k (~3400 done)
- The Raven (The Tribe #4) – 85k (~50k done)
- The Child (The Tribe #5) – 85k
- Auld Lang Syne (Lake Point 12.5 ~ Revisiting Old Stories)
- Secret Project 1 (Series Name Withheld) ~ 40k
- Escaping Humanity (Co-authoring w/ Mary Terrani) – 100k (60k done)
- Masked Hearts – Create new cover and re-release this one last SCP book
I’m definitely not taking it easy on myself this year. Being all Indie now means I’m working harder than ever before on all sides of every project. I thank my lucky stars all the time that my fabulous editor is still my fabulous editor, otherwise I don’t know what I’d do. I’ve already got a good head-start on the year, and hope to have books 4 & 5 on my project list done by the end of March, if not sooner.
Fingers crossed!!
by Sarah | Jan 4, 2016 | Books, Tuesday Tales, Writing
Welcome back to Tuesday Tales! This weeks prompt is Wired.
And I’m back with my little short story fantasy series. This week I’m going to introduce a new character yet again. Ariawynne is an elf from another realm who has very distinct and secret knowledge.
She has been watching and guarding Elora her whole life without the woman’s knowledge. In this excerpt she has one task to complete:
Ariawynne crept along the edge of the river, careful to remain unseen. Most of those in this realm would never spot her. However, the person she trailed was not a normal mortal, she was not even mortal. Smart as she was, as talented with magic as she was, Elora had no idea what she truly was or was capable of.
While the woman tended to the berry bushes Ariawynne had intentionally diseased to draw her out, Ariwynne studied Elora with care. The elaborate mask she bore on her features had kept her an outcast in her own society. It was for the better, though. In the elfin lands, Elora would have been targeted from birth.
Better an outcast than to live with a target on your back.
Ariawynne was one of the few in Shel Thalas that knew Elora even existed or what she was. For near-twenty-one years she had kept the secret, as she’d been bound to do. She’d been tasked by the king himself to keep watch over the Halfling.
The time had come for her days as Elora’s watcher to end, and the young woman still did not know enough. Ariawynne could do nothing to make Elora aware of her, but she wasn’t bound to prevent the Halfling from learning what she was.
She pulled the wire-wrapped pendant from her satchel and turned it over in her hand. The moment it was exposed to air, Elora straightened from her task. The pendant contained a Cilone stone from Shel Talas, and had been wired by Ariawynne’s friend, one of the most powerful metal workers in their land. The simple exposure to the air of Estaria set the metal humming as if an instrument string had been strung.
Sabra, Elora’s familiar, glanced Ariawynne’s way and its elegant tail swished back and forth twice. Years ago Sabra had become accustomed to Ariawynne’s presence. At the moment the feline’s large eyes focused on the stone, her ears twitched a few times before she yawned.
“What is that, Sabra? Do you hear it?” Elora tilted her head. “What an unusual sound. Perhaps Cymbeline is practicing nearby.”
Ariawynne closed her fingers over the pendant until the music ceased. She smiled as Elora stopped in her tracks at the same time.
“For years the truth has been hidden, from your people and ours, Elora.” Ariawynne moved deeper into the woods. “Once the truth is known to you, I can reveal myself and answer your questions. It has been too long, but just long enough.”
Ariawynne set the chain over a branch, and pulled the stone close. She whispered a spell and blew gently on the stone to infuse it with the proper knowledge. The specially powered wire would keep the knowledge where it belonged, revealing it only to Elora.
“It is time.”
*~*
Hope you enjoyed it! Click on the Tuesday Tales badge to see more excellent entries!!
by Sarah | Dec 31, 2015 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Home, All About Indiana, All About Kennedy, All About Marriage, All About Me, All About Molly, All About Ripley, All of Us, Blogging Life, Disney, Make-A-Wish, Redefining Perfect
Tonight is a night of reflection. When we all look back on the year that’s past and examine it, and then look forward to the coming year and anticipate what’s coming.
A breath of hope.
Of change.
Of life.
To look back on my 2015 I can sum it all up with one simple word.
More so in the last 1/3 of the year, but definitely, all around, chaos.
There was much good to be had – Disney (again), getting my son back from the land of emo teenager, book releases, returning to the community theater stage (w/ my whole family, no less) good moments with friends and family.
There were also rough times – my dad’s downward spiral into some pretty bad Parkinson’s symptoms, working triple time at the day job, my publisher closing, and some pretty hurt feelings on my part (sorry, vagueposting that).
The last third of the year it felt like I couldn’t even take a breath we were so insanely busy. Between the play, Disney, work life and home life, I got hardly any writing done, hardly any breathing done.
Now it’s time to step back and take a breath. To look to the upcoming year with hope and excitement.
I see more chaos in the coming year for certain. I see myself setting more lofty goals for myself. I see big changes for my family’s dynamic as one bird flies from the nest. I see growth for my book sales, and moving closer to my dream of being able to stay at home again. I see excitement as more of my Buffalo family moves to Indiana.
So I welcome 2016 with a certain level of anticipation and calm acceptance.
I look forward to whatever it brings me.
by Sarah | Dec 4, 2015 | All About Family, All About Home, All About Me, All of Us, Holidays, Redefining Perfect
The stress is real.
There are cookies to be baked.
A bevy of presents to be wrapped.
A tree to be trimmed.
There are more cookies to be baked.
Carols to be sung.
Play performances to be had.
Many more work hours than normal.
3 kids on Christmas break.
Working the day before and after the holiday (every holiday this season).
…
And then…
There’s the joy.
The presents.
The family together.
The food.
The lights.
The ornaments from the past and new ones.
There is so much to love about this season…all those stresses don’t seem so…stressful.
by Sarah | Nov 30, 2015 | Books, Challenge, Tuesday Tales, Writing
Welcome back to Tuesday Tales! This weeks prompt is this picture on the left (or another, we got to choose). As always with picture prompts, we were limited to only 300 words.
Of course I am still in my land of Estaria for the short story series called Masked. This story goes back in time a wee bit before the leaves have turned.
Cymbeline is the royal songstress. There is power in her voice. She is able to speak to birds with it, and she may have some other tricks up her sleeve. For now, the first sign of turning weather has arrived on her doorstep:
The dawn of a new day broke across the small farm. Cymbeline stepped onto her porch to absorb the energy of first light. The colors had yet to begin the change that would mean the masquerade would come.
On this morning, though, change was in the air. A bright red Chinea bird fluttered to the railing. The Chinea was a unique bird in Estaria. Unlike most other birds that departed for warmer locations once the weather was ready to turn, the Chinea hibernated in warm weather and emerged at the first sign of cold.
The red avian twittered and chirped a song a greeting. Cymbeline smiled in return. She drew her lips together and whistled the song back to the bird. As it lifted from the railing, she held out her hand as a perch. Their songs meshed for a moment before the bird landed.
“Well, my friend, welcome back from the land of sleep. Princess Ani will be glad to know that the time for the masquerade will be here soon.” She pet the bird along the head with one finger. “Have you brought your friends?”
The bird tweeted in the affirmative, fluttering its wings.
“Good. Then let’s have you all take flight. I have a song to prepare.” She lifted her hand toward the sky, in the general direction of the castle. While a small murmur rose from the bushes she lifted her voice in song along with them.
Her unique gift would let her song drift along the wind with them. Though she preferred her quiet life on her small farm, she was the royal songstress. The turn of the season meant her busiest time, and sacrificing her freedom for a few months until the Kingdoms two largest holidays had passed.
“Farewell, home sweet home.”
*~*
Hope you enjoyed it! Click on the Tuesday Tales badge to see more excellent entries!!
*~*
In 2015 I set, and met, some pretty lofty goals for myself. I had a roller coaster of a year, including some great highs, some amazing sales months, and some real lows, like my publisher closing.
