Category: Writing

Weekly writing check-in: the one with good ghosts and tiny dragons

So! A Few Good Ghosts is out in the world. I spent most of the week working on the revision and listening proof for the final episode. This is a bittersweet sort of thing. I mean, I never say never when it comes to writing, but for now, episode three will be the last Coffee & Ghosts story.

I might write some standalone stories (I left some “white space” between The Ghost That Got Away and The Wedding Ghost just for that reason). Or something might hit me out of the blue.

But I have ideas for other series and only one pair of hands for typing.

In other news, I have a drabble out this week, in issue #2 of  Spirit’s Tincture. What’s a drabble? It’s a story of exactly 100 words. This one involves a dragon.

Writing Work:

  • Revising, listening proof Coffee & Ghosts, episode 3

Submissions:

  • Fire and Ivy

Rejections:

  • Fire and Ivy

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

The Bargain in issue #2 of Spirit’s Tincture.

a-few-good-ghostsA Few Good Ghosts! Now available everywhere!

Now Available: A Few Good Ghosts

a-few-good-ghosts

Katy Lindstrom is pretty handy with a cup of coffee and a Tupperware container—it’s what she uses to capture even the most elusive ghosts.

But when a powerful necromancer unleashes a new type of ghost in Springside and traps Katy and her friend Belinda inside the Springside Pancake House, it’s not the ghost, but the cracks in their friendship that may do the most harm.

Katy can’t eradicate this ghost and repair her friendship—not without Malcolm’s help, not without some Kona blend, not all on her own.

She has her wits and her budding skills as a necromancer, but before Katy can secure her future, she’ll have to visit her past.

And what she finds there changes everything.

Available on all vendors for a special launch price of 99 cents. You never know when you’ll need a few good ghosts during the holiday season.

New to Coffee & Ghosts? Read the pilot episode for free (or listen to the audio version from The Drabblecast). Or jump right in with Season One and Two.

Weekly writing check-in: the one with formatted ghosts

Again, all about Coffee & Ghosts this week. The first read through and revisions are done, now for the listening proof/edit. I also formatted episode two. Now that I use Vellum, this is so easy. In fact, it’s so easy, I still wonder if I’m missing a part of the process or if I’ve overlooked something.

I double check, of course. Every time. But it’s just that simple to format with Vellum. If you own a Mac, definitely look into buying the application. It’s worth every penny.

But that means A Few Good Ghosts is up for pre-order, with an on-sale date of November 30th.

Writing Work:

  • Revising Coffee & Ghosts, episode 3
  • Formatting and uploading episode 2

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • Paper Trail

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

a-few-good-ghostsNone, but A Few Good Ghosts is available for pre-order in some places, including Amazon.

Weekly writing check-in: the one with so many ghosts

ghost-cupWe’re pretty much nothing but coffee and ghosts around here. I’m revising episode three and doing final edits on episode two (which should come out on November 30th). This involves revision work on episode three (reading over scenes, thinking about scenes, staring at words and wondering if they’re the right ones).

For episode two, in addition to extra eyes on the story, I’ve also completed two “listening” proofs–that’s when I send the file to my Kindle Fire and have it read it to me with text-to-speech.

I have to say that text-to-speech is one of the best proofing tools there is. If you don’t own a Kindle Fire, you can try the free online apps or if you own a Mac, there are several apps you can download as well (I have one on my Mac Book Air that I use). I like proofing on the Kindle since that lets me check the e-book file for glitches at the same time.

And that’s about it for this week before (the US) Thanksgiving.

Writing Work:

  • Revising Coffee & Ghosts, episode 3
  • Final proofs of episode 2

Submissions:

  • Fire and Ivy

Rejections:

  • Fire and Ivy

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

Weekly writing check-in: the one with Veterans Day

Still doing that Coffee & Ghosts thing. I completed the second pass on episode two and made my book map and wrote the description for episode three. And that’s about it, well, except for the book review I hope to post in a bit. So, I’ll keep this short.

Oh, and in honor of Veterans Day, The Fine Art of Holding Your Breath is only 99 cents.

Writing Work:

  • Revising Coffee & Ghosts, episode 2 and 3

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • None

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

fine-art-waterNone, but The Fine Art of Holding Your Breath is on sale for Veterans Day. 99 cents on all vendors. But hurry, it will go back up to full price next week.

Weekly writing check-in: the one with Ghosts and Consequences

ghosts-and-consequences

So, Ghosts and Consequences went into the world on Halloween, which I think is appropriate. And fun. It was a lot of fun, too. I’ve completed the first pass revision for the next episode, which I’m calling A Few Good Ghosts.

I want to publish that at the end of November. I’m aiming for every 30 days or so for each episode. Not too far apart, but at a pace that’s reasonable for me to maintain.

This week, I plan to make a second pass on the second episode and also do the book map and description for episode 3.

As you can see, it’s pretty much all coffee and all ghosts around here and will be for a while.

Writing Work:

  • Revising Coffee & Ghosts, episode 2

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • None

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

Ghosts and Consequences is now live on all vendors. You can check out some early reviews on Amazon as well. Plus? It’s only 99 cents.

Weekly writing check-in: the one with trick or treat

ghosts-and-consequences

So, a quiet week this week. Final proof of Ghosts and Consequences. I sent the book to the Coffee & Ghosts review list and got the pre-order ready to go for the sale date of October 31st.

That’s right. Halloween is the day! (Although, truthfully, you can buy a copy on Amazon already).

I did get the chance to dive into episode two, and I’m revising that. Also percolating a few short story ideas … we’ll see if those come to anything.

Writing Work:

  • Revising Coffee & Ghosts, episode 2
  • Proofing and publishing episode one for season three

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • None

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

Weekly writing check-in: the one with the award

ida-2016-winner-buttonSo, it was a banner week this week. First, I sold audio rights to Escape Pod for In a Manner of Speaking, which first appeared in Selfies from the End of the World: Historical Accounts of the Apocalypse.

Then I was notified that Dating on the Dork Side placed first in the 2016 International Digital Awards. I kept the fact that I entered a secret from Darcy. One, I didn’t want her to be disappointed if the novel didn’t place. Two, on the chance it did? I wanted to surprise her.

I finished up revising episode one of season three, and I’m working on episode two while episode one is being proofed. Then it’s onto the formatting and uploading and all the rest. Halloween. I’m hoping for an on-sale date of Halloween because … ghosts.

Writing Work:

  • Revising Coffee & Ghosts
  • Proofing and publishing episode one for season three

Submissions:

  • Like Bread Loves Salt

Rejections:

  • The Life Expectancy of Fireflies

Acceptances:

  • In a Manner of Speaking

Publications:

  • None

Weekly writing check-in: the one with more ghostly revisions

shutterstock_332682269Rejection, submission, and one on a short list–and lots and lots of revision. I’m closing in on being done with episode one of Coffee & Ghosts, season three. So. Close. Also? A lot of fun.

And that’s about it.

Maybe next week I’ll have a bit more to say.

Writing Work:

  • Revising Coffee & Ghosts

Submissions:

  • Fire and Ivy

Rejections:

  • Fire and Ivy

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

Weekly writing check-in: the one where I dive into the revision

shutterstock_332682269A quiet week where I made a lot of progress, but it’s the sort of progress that isn’t all that exciting to write about. Watch me read! Watch me take some notes! My, that’s a nice book map I have there.

See? Revision isn’t much of a spectator sport.

And that was pretty much my week. It feels like I did a lot, but now that I’m here, describing it, not so much. Some writing weeks are like that.

Writing Work:

  • Reading/revising Coffee & Ghosts

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • Like Bread Loves Salt

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None