Writing Updates, Free eBooks, Book Releases, and Plans for 2019 (Lizzie)

I haven't done a writing update in a while, and since my Writing Life post coincides with the new year and my birthday, I thought it'd be a great time to review 2018 and gaze into 2019. Fortunately, I'm pleasantly surprised (and just surprised in general) at what's happened in the last fifteen or so months. So here's what's happened and what's happening.

1) I wrote five short stories! And I'm working on a sixth with a seventh planned! (Two of these are available for free.)

Short stories. I didn't see that coming. I thought I'd stick to novels since my attempt to write a 20K novella ended up a 120,000 novel. But I really enjoyed writing the shorts (all about 9,000-12,000 words) and will probably write more of them after I finish the ones I have planned. 

"How to Hide a Prince" was published as part of Fellowship of
Fantasy's anthology Tales of Ever After. The ebook is
available for FREE here.

Short story #2 is a retelling of "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King."
It's a cute story with a lovable automaton,
and it is available for FREE here.
Blurb: Janawyn Stahl is convinced there's a connection between her godfather's
suspiciously talkative automaton named Theo and his lost nephew,
but can she protect Theo from the evil Mouse King long enough to find out?

Stories #3, 4, and 5 aren't out yet, but I can give you a few hints about them. Story #3 is due out in April as part of ENCIRCLED, a fairy tale retelling collection with a few authors your might recognize from the blog. My story is "A Spell's End," and it's a quite different Nutcracker retelling from "The Seventh Crown" and is closer to the ballet. ENCIRCLED has a beautiful cover, so stay tuned for our cover reveal! Stories #4-7 are actually a foray into steampunk (with some faeries throw in too), so something new for me. I'm really enjoying working on the collection, called STAR CLOCK CHRONICLES. I'm not sure when it will be out.

2) To Catch a Magic Thief is up for pre-order and releases in February!

As for full-length novels, I edited and re-edited and wrote a epilogue for To Catch a Magic Thief, the next book in The Magic Collectors series (The Rose and the Wand being the first). This is the story that started out as a 20K novella. It's about Alexandria's sister Gabriella and her unsuitable suitor, Marcel. Full of mystery, humor, romance, danger, and a terrible curse, it's a story I'm excited to share.

To Catch a Magic Thief is available fro pre-order here.

3) The Rose and the Wand was chosen for Fellowship of Fantasy's November 2018 Book of the Month!

This was a delightful surprise, and I really enjoyed connecting with the FOF Book Club (a FaceBook group). If you're not a member, consider joining. Most books chosen are available for free at the beginning of the month.

In addition to the above news and 2018 review, I enjoyed a few book signings, which included getting a few copies of The Rose and the Wand into a local bookstore. As for writing plans for 2019, I'll be working on publishing To Catch a Magic Thief  and Encircled, finishing Star Clock Chronicles, and finishing the next Magic Collectors books, THE KING'S SPELL.

I hope your 2019 goes well!

New Year's Blessings (Lauricia)

Greetings and happy New Year! I hope this first day of 2019 finds you warm, well, and surrounded by love.

What is it about the new year that makes this time so special? It is the magic inherent in beginnings. All of that unrealized potential…all of the possibilities yet to be explored…beginnings call us with whispers of starting afresh and living better. Whether we go to bed early or stay up late to celebrate, we all experience a sense of relief when it comes time to put an end to the old, and we look forward with anticipation to the new.

As Christmas has ended and the busyness of the season winds down, I’ve been reflecting on the upcoming year and what I hope to make of it. This is not typical for me, as I eschew New Year’s resolutions in favor of working on my issues as they arise or become known to me. However, I’ve been considering the adage that “failing to plan is planning to fail,” and I’ve determined that my sanity will benefit from a bit more structure in my schedule. With the new year upon us, what better time to make a new plan?

How about you? What do you hope to accomplish within the span of a dozen new months that stretch on the horizon? How do you plan to make it happen?

As you read this in the first, fresh hours of 2019, I hope your year brings 365 days of realized potential and fully tapped possibilities. I hope your beginnings are successful and your fresh starts abound with new life. I hope each day is filled with beauty, wonder, and magic, and I hope the stories you write have enchanting endings. Most of all, I hope your year overflows with grace and love.

(And lots and lots of good books!)