Wading Through Life...
We all need a little inspiration sometimes, right?
OK, that works too! **wink** But right now I am needing some inspirational focus for Book 2 in the Secrets of Thornbury Woods series (Psst: Title Coming Soon!). Visual images help the ideas flow little faster.
Here are some visuals that are really inspiring me for this book.
Or maybe these?
What ideas do these images bring to your mind? Do they inspire a story in you?
Looking for a Free Book?
I’m part of the Bad Boys & Good Girls BookFunnel event!
So many hot, steam bad boys and the good girls they can’t resist. Just looking at the covers made me drool. 😊
Find it HERE
Did you know?
The second book in the Backstage Pass series, SETTLING THE SCORE, featuring Michael’s brother Daniel, is on sale for a limited time at $1.99. Have you gotten your Backstage Pass yet?
This rock star can have any woman … except one.
Daniel Korvello, rock star front man, can have any woman—except the one he really wants. Becca Buchanan, the band’s publicist, has been burned before by rocker romance. But when Daniel exposes the molten heat beneath her Ice Maiden exterior, Becca may never be able to freeze him out again. Can he keep her safe long enough to prove that together they’ll sizzle only in the sweetest way?
Daniel Korvello isn’t your average Joe with a case of unrequited lust. He’s a world-famous rocker who wonders if his publicist will ever see him as anything other than a job. Then they team up to hunt down a threat to Daniel’s family ... and he seizes the chance to show her he’s up for more than just a one-night stand.
Becca Buchanan already lived through one rock-star scandal with her reputation barely intact. She’s determined never to put herself, or her family, through that again. But she can’t deny the desire she feels for Daniel. But when their amateur investigation takes a dangerous turn that threatens the lives of those they love, can their newfound trust extend past the bedroom? And can Daniel let go of old guilt enough to embrace a future with Becca?
Caution: Contains volcanic sexual tension, hiding from paparazzi, and judicious use of a blindfold in the bedroom--get your copy of Settling the Score today!
Find your copy HERE! Wading Through Life....
The heat and humidity are really starting to show up here in the South! The days for the next few months will revolve around running from air conditioned space to air conditioned space, trying not to sweat through my nice clothes. 😊 But there are some Favorite Things I love about the summer, especially during my birthday month! My Favorite Things—June Edition 1. My birthday, which I share with my twin. 😊 I’m getting old enough that I don’t want to make a big deal out of it anymore, but my family never fails to make it special in some way. 2. Getaways with friends. This year I was lucky enough to be able to go away for the weekend with some special friends. We went to a nearby state park and spent the weekend eating, talking, and laughing while surrounded by some beautiful nature. A very relaxing way to spend some down time!
3. The Strawberry Moon. This photo doesn’t do the full moon justice. It was actually a pinkish orange color and reflected beautifully off the water at the state park.
4. Sandals and painted toenails. It’s always fun to change out my shoes in the summer, but it also means I need to paint my toenails. I’m always excited by new colors and having my nails painted makes me feel fancy. 😊 What’s your favorite color for your nails?
5. New stove!!! Our house came with all the original appliances and we’ve been replacing them one by one as they’ve needed it. This one marks the last, and now they all finally match. I just have to get used to the way a new one works.
Do you have big plans for the summer? Mine will mostly be spent editing and painting. Gotta get the outside of the house finished and The Secrets of Thornbury Woods Book 2 in tip top shape for release!
Sign up for my newsletter to read the new exclusive Character Interview feature (with inspirational photo)!
I hope your summer is a great one!!
Dani
Author Joanna Penn talks about the different types of energy authors use – “starting energy”, “pushing through energy”, and “finishing energy”.** This final one is the push to get a project completed, to see that story through to the very end. Usually it is fueled by the momentum that has built up during your project and the rush to see your story wrap up.
I’m full tilt in finishing energy right now, and its both satisfying and exhausting. Normally I find it exciting to push to the end of a story, but my current energy is also muddled by everything else going on in my life. Finishing up at my old job... That meant (for me) wrapping up any outstanding tasks, trying to proactively cover anything that might come up while there’s no one there to do my job, leave instructions behind, and clean out my office (on top of the emotional energy of closing out this chapter of my life).
And now learning my new job. Yes, my expectations of myself are a little high…
But I’m trying to focus o the joy of setting all of that chaos aside for a few hours so I can explore this adventure with my characters. Not easy, but oh so fun!
What story are you enjoying to escape your work load today?
Take Care,
Dani
** More on different energies in the book writing process from Joanna here: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/starting-but-not-finishing-writing-projects/
She’d watched him from afar for years…now he’s up close and personal.
Shy librarian Cara spent her life overshadowed by her three older brothers, while secretly crushing on their best friend. After a family tragedy, he cut himself out of their lives, but she still watches his house on the hill from the darkness of her bedroom every night.
Then she gets a second chance to reveal the man behind the mask. A night of revelry leads to passion and high hopes, until her tortured hero’s troubled past rises from the shadows.
Will he retreat into the darkness once more or let obsession lead him to her love
Novellas in Secrets of Covington Corner series in order:
Shadow Manor
Haunted Heritage
Dark Destiny
Holiday Storm
Amazon
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Apple Books
Kobo
Add to your TBR Shelf in Goodreads
Only Have Time for a Short Read?
Check out my novella series set in Covington Corner...starting with Book One for FREE.
She’d watched him from afar for years…now he’s up close and personal.
Shy librarian Cara spent her life overshadowed by her three older brothers, while secretly crushing on their best friend. After a family tragedy, he cut himself out of their lives, but she still watches his house on the hill from the darkness of her bedroom every night.
Then she gets a second chance to reveal the man behind the mask. A night of revelry leads to passion and high hopes, until her tortured hero’s troubled past rises from the shadows.
Will he retreat into the darkness once more or let obsession lead him to her love
Novellas in Secrets of Covington Corner series in order:
Shadow Manor
Haunted Heritage
Dark Destiny
Holiday Storm
Amazon
B&N
Apple Books
Kobo
Add to your TBR Shelf in Goodreads
It Caught My Eye…
My daughter and I are headed to Salem, MA in a few weeks and I'm knee deep in deciding what we will see while we're there. Yay!!
I was thinking just the other day about some upcoming changes in my family’s life. We have our oldest graduating from college and our youngest graduating from high school. Which makes for a busy season in our lives. That involves lots of activities, appointments, and as my son is entering a music program at the same college that I work at, there are auditions and meetings for that too.
This is also a bittersweet season for us. While I’m excited to see my babies find their wings, and they aren’t completely leaving the nest because it takes time to get established as an adult, it’s still the realization that they no longer need us as much anymore, and they’re becoming their own independent selves. I certainly hope that they find a sure footing as they move forward, and happy, healthy lives, doing things that they love.
We also have a summer project of painting the exterior of our house. It seems, just as soon as we settle into a routine, things have a way of getting shaken up. But this isn’t unusual. There’s always something new around the corner, which is great, unless change unsettles you…like it does me. 😊 Maybe that’s why it keeps showing up. Heaven forbid I should get complacent and comfortable!
The same is true for the new series that I’m working on. Book one has been a series of ups and downs, as I try to find my voice in a new, contemporary southern romantic suspense, and battle the usual demons of creativity – self-doubt and fear.
But I’m really excited about the direction that it’s going, and I’ve found some beta readers to help me refine it before it gets released. I really hope you enjoy this new genre much as I do. I’ve always incorporated a lot of Gothic tropes and atmosphere in my books, and now I’m going all in!
Just a heads up, I’ll have a new giveaway series coming up on the blog. If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you may have seen my recent book anniversary posts, where I highlight one of the books that was released in that month. In putting together the series, I realized I have quite a few books through the years that have been released all in the same month. So I’m planning to do some giveaways of each of those books during different months on the blog. So watch for a link to comment and be entered to win. Coming soon!
I hope that you were looking forward to the start of spring as much as I am! My flowers have started coming up, and I’m looking for to seeing survived in my garden and how it progresses.
For those of you across the world who spring and summer will be winding down, I hope you enjoy your coming fall. It’s my favorite time of the year! Have an outdoor fire and marshmallow roast for me.
Take care!
Dani
FR💜💜 NOW: BENEATH THE SURFACE
Welcome to Cadence, TN–where secrets can be deadly.
Too many secrets…
Hidden in a quiet town along the Tennessee border, a secret society exists where the privileged fulfill their darkest desires. One of their members initiates a desperate act designed to bring home his lifelong obsession: Emma Hartwell.
A past not forgotten…
Drawn back to her hometown by the psychic connection with her twin, Emma must fight the stubborn silence of those around her in her quest to find her missing sister. Colin McIntyre hopes to make up for his past mistakes with Emma by helping her, but his own ties to the Gathering might be exposed along the way.
Time is running out…
Exposure could be dangerous for his family, along with himself and Emma. Can they fight the secrets and lies to rescue Emma’s sister… and their own chance at life-long love?
Other books in the Small Town Secrets series (can be read in any order):
BEHIND THE SCARS
SNOW BOUND
DOWNLOAD NOW on:
Amazon
B&N
Apple books
Kobo
Or add it to your TBR shelf on Goodreads
This is also a bittersweet season for us. While I’m excited to see my babies find their wings, and they aren’t completely leaving the nest because it takes time to get established as an adult, it’s still the realization that they no longer need us as much anymore, and they’re becoming their own independent selves. I certainly hope that they find a sure footing as they move forward, and happy, healthy lives, doing things that they love.
We also have a summer project of painting the exterior of our house. It seems, just as soon as we settle into a routine, things have a way of getting shaken up. But this isn’t unusual. There’s always something new around the corner, which is great, unless change unsettles you…like it does me. 😊 Maybe that’s why it keeps showing up. Heaven forbid I should get complacent and comfortable!
The same is true for the new series that I’m working on. Book one has been a series of ups and downs, as I try to find my voice in a new, contemporary southern romantic suspense, and battle the usual demons of creativity – self-doubt and fear.
But I’m really excited about the direction that it’s going, and I’ve found some beta readers to help me refine it before it gets released. I really hope you enjoy this new genre much as I do. I’ve always incorporated a lot of Gothic tropes and atmosphere in my books, and now I’m going all in!
Just a heads up, I’ll have a new giveaway series coming up on the blog. If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you may have seen my recent book anniversary posts, where I highlight one of the books that was released in that month. In putting together the series, I realized I have quite a few books through the years that have been released all in the same month. So I’m planning to do some giveaways of each of those books during different months on the blog. So watch for a link to comment and be entered to win. Coming soon!
I hope that you were looking forward to the start of spring as much as I am! My flowers have started coming up, and I’m looking for to seeing survived in my garden and how it progresses.
For those of you across the world who spring and summer will be winding down, I hope you enjoy your coming fall. It’s my favorite time of the year! Have an outdoor fire and marshmallow roast for me.
Take care!
Dani
FR💜💜 NOW: BENEATH THE SURFACE
Welcome to Cadence, TN–where secrets can be deadly.
Too many secrets…
Hidden in a quiet town along the Tennessee border, a secret society exists where the privileged fulfill their darkest desires. One of their members initiates a desperate act designed to bring home his lifelong obsession: Emma Hartwell.
A past not forgotten…
Drawn back to her hometown by the psychic connection with her twin, Emma must fight the stubborn silence of those around her in her quest to find her missing sister. Colin McIntyre hopes to make up for his past mistakes with Emma by helping her, but his own ties to the Gathering might be exposed along the way.
Time is running out…
Exposure could be dangerous for his family, along with himself and Emma. Can they fight the secrets and lies to rescue Emma’s sister… and their own chance at life-long love?
Other books in the Small Town Secrets series (can be read in any order):
BEHIND THE SCARS
SNOW BOUND
DOWNLOAD NOW on:
Amazon
B&N
Apple books
Kobo
Or add it to your TBR shelf on Goodreads
Something really special is happening this week! It’s National Library Week here in the US and to me it is something truly worthy of celebration.
I grew up going to the library. My mom would take us when we went “into town”, which is country talk for driving to the nearest actual city (for us—that was 30 minutes away).
We were homeschooled, so this was our primary source for stories of any and all kinds. My sister and I would come home with the maximum number of checkouts every two weeks. When the librarians asked my Mom if we actually read the books, she said, “Yes, then they read each other’s.”
I would never have been able to afford to buy all the books that we read. We quickly graduated from the children’s section to the adult fiction. Romance has always been a favorite.
That small-town library introduced me to my favorite gothic romance author Mary Stewart and Phyllis A Whitney. I also remember a line of hard back gothics that I would randomly find among the other books, like a treat I had to hunt for…
The librarians were always helpful and friendly and I wanted to grow up to be one. It was a place my true self loved and felt at home in.
I hope you have a place that’s the same for you. Now, working at a university, I still try to go over to the library to write sometimes and it brings back those warm memories. Do you have any memories of going to the library? I’d love to hear them!
Go by your local library to support their services and events. While you’re there, ask them to stock your favorite books! That’s a great way to support an author too!
Take care,
Dani
We were homeschooled, so this was our primary source for stories of any and all kinds. My sister and I would come home with the maximum number of checkouts every two weeks. When the librarians asked my Mom if we actually read the books, she said, “Yes, then they read each other’s.”
I would never have been able to afford to buy all the books that we read. We quickly graduated from the children’s section to the adult fiction. Romance has always been a favorite.
That small-town library introduced me to my favorite gothic romance author Mary Stewart and Phyllis A Whitney. I also remember a line of hard back gothics that I would randomly find among the other books, like a treat I had to hunt for…
The librarians were always helpful and friendly and I wanted to grow up to be one. It was a place my true self loved and felt at home in.
I hope you have a place that’s the same for you. Now, working at a university, I still try to go over to the library to write sometimes and it brings back those warm memories. Do you have any memories of going to the library? I’d love to hear them!
Go by your local library to support their services and events. While you’re there, ask them to stock your favorite books! That’s a great way to support an author too!
Take care,
Dani
BOOKAVERSARY!
It's a BOOK ANNIVERSARY!
The 1st book in my Backstage Pass series and first southern rock star romance! This couple will always be near and dear to my heart, because they gave me the freedom to write something that didn't feel "safe". A big step for me now, much less than in 2013.
FINDING HER RHYTHM
He’s a rock star with the world at his feet—but he’d rather have her there.
Taylor Jemison lost everything when her first dip into the world of consensual kink went wrong, and she wound up on the run from a dangerous ex. Driven from her home and the teaching job she loved, she needs a safe haven. As nanny for a rock star, she’ll live behind gated walls with a private security team. As for the teens’ sexy dad … he’ll be on the road most of the time. That’s good, because one touch of his strong hands leaves her body and heart craving submission to his commands.
Guitarist Michael Korvello may have a rep as an all-in, balls-out hard-rock star with a penchant for kink, but he keeps his personal life firmly separated from his home and his kids. One look at the curvy little nanny, and he knows she can’t stay, because her big green eyes say she craves the control he wants to wield. And though Michael can have any number of beautiful women, he aches for one who’ll truly accept him—inside and out.
Just when neither can deny their need for each other, Taylor’s ex surfaces, intent on taking back what he considers his, and ready to destroy Michael’s world to get her. Can two kindred souls protect their private passion from an outsider bent on ripping them apart?
Don’t miss this sizzling, sensual peek into the private world of a rock star —get your copy of FINDING HER RHYTHM today!
FR
on all platforms.
on all platforms.
"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall."
- F. Scott Fitzgerald
Fall has always been a season of beginnings for me. Weird, I know, but its traditionally a time when I re-evaluate or begin plans anew.
Maybe it’s a holdover from school, when autumn was time to buy new supplies and adopt new schedules. Or maybe its that the relief from the brutal southern heat as summer ends gives me a renewed sense of energy. (I’m never high energy anyway, so I have to take what I can get.)
A genuinely cool breeze. Tidying up the yard. Hiking. This is even when I get the urge to clean out my closets (no spring cleaning for me! That’s when I’m out in the flower beds.)
So I was also excited to start this month with Romance Author Mastermind, a conference for established romance authors. Most conferences I find a few things that inspire me, but most of it is about connecting with readers. At RAM, the ideas for leveling up your author career are like drinking from a fire hydrant. Massive amounts of inspiration, A little bit of overwhelm, and a lot of imposter syndrome (for me).
As an author with a day job, I have to be careful what I pick and choose to work on. But pairing up with this feeling of fall, and the start of a new year, I can look at the ideas with more motivation,. It’s really helpful that they encourage us to just pick a few things to start with, a few things to work on and implement, not the whole shebang.
Winter is a time that’s perfect for writing, hibernating underneath a fuzzy blanket while the scenes play out in my head. For me, the next year’s goal will be consistency. Regardless of what’s happening in other areas of my other journey, it will help my motivation if I can maintain consistency. The story will flow better if I can consistently hold the images in my head no matter what else is going on.
Hopefully that means you’ll be hearing from me more often!!
Take Care,
Dani
Discover more secrets from Covington Corner: She knew something incredible waited in the shadows of the abandoned mental institution, but she never imagined it would lead to love.
Jamie Dixon and her fellow video game developers set out to document the layout of the famed Harrington Institute for the Mentally Ill. Then an accident leaves her to explore the decaying buildings with only Ian, the one guy she’s crushed on since high school. Too bad he never seemed to notice she was a nerd of the girly variety.
But Ian Jameson has a secret agenda for coming to Harrington. As they uncover the ramblings of an abusive doctor, evidence of a secret prisoner and an obsession over an ancestral line, Jamie and Ian discover a passion that transcends their former workplace camaraderie.
Will the old trunk in the attic reveal a new kind of storm? Will his investigation into a long lost heir destroy the very love they’ve both been longing for?
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Apple Books
A genuinely cool breeze. Tidying up the yard. Hiking. This is even when I get the urge to clean out my closets (no spring cleaning for me! That’s when I’m out in the flower beds.)
So I was also excited to start this month with Romance Author Mastermind, a conference for established romance authors. Most conferences I find a few things that inspire me, but most of it is about connecting with readers. At RAM, the ideas for leveling up your author career are like drinking from a fire hydrant. Massive amounts of inspiration, A little bit of overwhelm, and a lot of imposter syndrome (for me).
As an author with a day job, I have to be careful what I pick and choose to work on. But pairing up with this feeling of fall, and the start of a new year, I can look at the ideas with more motivation,. It’s really helpful that they encourage us to just pick a few things to start with, a few things to work on and implement, not the whole shebang.
Winter is a time that’s perfect for writing, hibernating underneath a fuzzy blanket while the scenes play out in my head. For me, the next year’s goal will be consistency. Regardless of what’s happening in other areas of my other journey, it will help my motivation if I can maintain consistency. The story will flow better if I can consistently hold the images in my head no matter what else is going on.
Hopefully that means you’ll be hearing from me more often!!
Take Care,
Dani
Discover more secrets from Covington Corner: She knew something incredible waited in the shadows of the abandoned mental institution, but she never imagined it would lead to love.
Jamie Dixon and her fellow video game developers set out to document the layout of the famed Harrington Institute for the Mentally Ill. Then an accident leaves her to explore the decaying buildings with only Ian, the one guy she’s crushed on since high school. Too bad he never seemed to notice she was a nerd of the girly variety.
But Ian Jameson has a secret agenda for coming to Harrington. As they uncover the ramblings of an abusive doctor, evidence of a secret prisoner and an obsession over an ancestral line, Jamie and Ian discover a passion that transcends their former workplace camaraderie.
Will the old trunk in the attic reveal a new kind of storm? Will his investigation into a long lost heir destroy the very love they’ve both been longing for?
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Apple Books
The most frequent question authors are asked is, “Where do you get your ideas?” Well, the idea for my upcoming contemporary Gothic series has been long brewing, but when it came to the setting – I have real life inspiration.
I had counted down the minutes and it was finally here – the long postponed trip to celebrate our anniversary with my husband. Last year was our 25th, but we had to put off our big celebration until this spring.
But I’ll admit, as authors often do, my trip had a dual purpose. Research! A huge part of my upcoming Gothic series is a grandiose, atmospheric prep school and I needed something sweeping and grand for story inspiration.
My research led me to America’s Largest Home—Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. The perfect place to refill my research well and spark creative ideas.
#1: Most of my research of the Biltmore had to do with the interiors (what kind of rooms? How many bedrooms? How are things arranged?). I wasn’t quite prepared for it to look and feel like a castle.
I can just imagine it in fog or a thunderstorm… Apropos, yes?
#2: My brothers-in-arms – brothers by choice, rather than blood—need a space to hang out and bond. Doesn’t this make a very elegant man cave?
#3: The ambience here is perfect for a prep school dining hall, even if it’s a little small. This school is a labor of love for these men – a chance to provide opportunity for those less fortunate. A way to make up for their own sins. Can you imagine the awe of eating here every day?
#4: I’ll admit – I wasn’t emotionally prepared for the library. It’s every book lover’s dream! I could have stayed for hours.
#5: Lots of touches the ad Gothic ambience. The creative hamster in my brain was working overtime. Imagine sneaking down this tunnel… creeping across the hall lit only by the flickering sconces… standing at the bottom of the stairs in the darkness wondering if something is coming down to meet you…
All around the Biltmore is beautiful and a must see. I found it inspirational. You see, research isn’t just about finding facts. It’s also an author’s need for new sights and unique experiences—oh, and hubby enjoyed it too. 😊
What’s the most inspirational place you’ve ever visited?
I'd love to hear from you!
Dani
She knew something incredible waited in the shadows of the abandoned mental institution, but she never imagined it would lead to love.
Jamie Dixon and her fellow video game developers set out to document the layout of the famed Harrington Institute for the Mentally Ill. Then an accident leaves her to explore the decaying buildings with only Ian, the one guy she’s crushed on since high school. Too bad he never seemed to notice she was a nerd of the girly variety.
But Ian Jameson has a secret agenda for coming to Harrington. As they uncover the ramblings of an abusive doctor, evidence of a secret prisoner and an obsession over an ancestral line, Jamie and Ian discover a passion that transcends their former workplace camaraderie.
Will the old trunk in the attic reveal a new kind of storm? Will his investigation into a long lost heir destroy the very love they’ve both been longing for?
Novellas in the Secrets of Covington Corner series in order:
Shadow Manor
Haunted Heritage
Dark Destiny
Holiday Storm
Amazon
B&N
Kobo
Apple Books
But I’ll admit, as authors often do, my trip had a dual purpose. Research! A huge part of my upcoming Gothic series is a grandiose, atmospheric prep school and I needed something sweeping and grand for story inspiration.
My research led me to America’s Largest Home—Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. The perfect place to refill my research well and spark creative ideas.
#1: Most of my research of the Biltmore had to do with the interiors (what kind of rooms? How many bedrooms? How are things arranged?). I wasn’t quite prepared for it to look and feel like a castle.
I can just imagine it in fog or a thunderstorm… Apropos, yes?
#2: My brothers-in-arms – brothers by choice, rather than blood—need a space to hang out and bond. Doesn’t this make a very elegant man cave?
#3: The ambience here is perfect for a prep school dining hall, even if it’s a little small. This school is a labor of love for these men – a chance to provide opportunity for those less fortunate. A way to make up for their own sins. Can you imagine the awe of eating here every day?
#4: I’ll admit – I wasn’t emotionally prepared for the library. It’s every book lover’s dream! I could have stayed for hours.
#5: Lots of touches the ad Gothic ambience. The creative hamster in my brain was working overtime. Imagine sneaking down this tunnel… creeping across the hall lit only by the flickering sconces… standing at the bottom of the stairs in the darkness wondering if something is coming down to meet you…
All around the Biltmore is beautiful and a must see. I found it inspirational. You see, research isn’t just about finding facts. It’s also an author’s need for new sights and unique experiences—oh, and hubby enjoyed it too. 😊
What’s the most inspirational place you’ve ever visited?
I'd love to hear from you!
Dani
Interested in another gothic read? Try Dark Destiny, a Secrets of Covington Corner novella.
She knew something incredible waited in the shadows of the abandoned mental institution, but she never imagined it would lead to love.
Jamie Dixon and her fellow video game developers set out to document the layout of the famed Harrington Institute for the Mentally Ill. Then an accident leaves her to explore the decaying buildings with only Ian, the one guy she’s crushed on since high school. Too bad he never seemed to notice she was a nerd of the girly variety.
But Ian Jameson has a secret agenda for coming to Harrington. As they uncover the ramblings of an abusive doctor, evidence of a secret prisoner and an obsession over an ancestral line, Jamie and Ian discover a passion that transcends their former workplace camaraderie.
Will the old trunk in the attic reveal a new kind of storm? Will his investigation into a long lost heir destroy the very love they’ve both been longing for?
Novellas in the Secrets of Covington Corner series in order:
Shadow Manor
Haunted Heritage
Dark Destiny
Holiday Storm
Amazon
B&N
Kobo
Apple Books
The best laid plans…often go awry… Robert Burns
I’m definitely a planner. I’ve talked about this often. I do a lot of scheduling, lists, goals, etc., for both my every day life and my creative life too.
But many times I don’t take into account how outside forces/life happenings/family needs/many other things can affect or halt those plans. I’ll admit, I’m not good at “going with the flow”, so these types of things often derail me.
My goal for the early part of this year was to get my new series started, specifically write the first of my contemporary gothic books. I knew my day job was going to ramp up, because my colleague retired and I would take on her job until we hired a replacement, but in true Dani-fashion, I reasoned I could do it all somehow.
But the strain of the pandemic on our family and doing a job I had to learn and do took its toll. Every evening, my brain was so tired it simply could not create (or do much of anything else).
So I spent a few weeks beating myself up for my lack of productivity (outside of the day job) before coming to my senses. Here’s what I started to tell myself INSTEAD:
But the strain of the pandemic on our family and doing a job I had to learn and do took its toll. Every evening, my brain was so tired it simply could not create (or do much of anything else).
So I spent a few weeks beating myself up for my lack of productivity (outside of the day job) before coming to my senses. Here’s what I started to tell myself INSTEAD:
- Sometimes, you can’t do it all.
- Sometimes, forcing yourself to do something doesn’t produce your best work.
- Sometimes, you have to set goals aside for a season and come back to them when you can.
- Sometimes, the “dig deep” button is not worth resurrecting. (Brene Brown)
I am addicted to productivity.
There. I admitted it. I’m either making a list of things I need to accomplish. Actually doing things I need to accomplish. Checking off things I’ve accomplished…or feeling guilty over not doing the very things I should accomplish. 😊
My therapist told me I needed to work on letting go of all this. Anyone else there with me?
So when I planned my writing retreat for this month, I though it would be just like all the other writing retreats I’ve been on. The goal has always been to get as many words as humanly possible during the period of time while I’m gone. After all, how else can I justify spending that time away from my family and using my precious PTO from the day job?
But that’s not how it actually worked out this time. I did get writing done…but this time I actually spent time doing, well, nothing. And I’m not a nothing kind of girl!!! But my brain simply wouldn’t focus on the story. Or at least, not the writing of it. I did some planning. I did some plotting. But none of it was measured by productivity.
And that was a little weird, to be honest. Usually my brain is going 90 to nothing. So I found this disconcerting but possibly a step in the right direction. A chance to let my brain work out whatever it needed to. And it helped me come home with a better perspective on some things. A determination to enjoy the small things (which isn’t easy for me, but I’m trying). I guess all of that quiet, thinking time just reinforced some of the things I’ve been trying to come to grips with over the last few months.
I’ve been pretty open about my struggles with mental health this year, hoping that others will realize they aren’t alone and we can all help each other. How do you help quiet your mind? What’s your favorite fun thing that gets your brain off the hamster wheel?
Take care,
Dani
Don't forget to check out my Secrets of Covington Corner series! HAUNTED HERITAGE is out this month!
Amazon
B&N
Kobo
Apple books
Goodreads--Add To Your TBR List!
But that’s not how it actually worked out this time. I did get writing done…but this time I actually spent time doing, well, nothing. And I’m not a nothing kind of girl!!! But my brain simply wouldn’t focus on the story. Or at least, not the writing of it. I did some planning. I did some plotting. But none of it was measured by productivity.
And that was a little weird, to be honest. Usually my brain is going 90 to nothing. So I found this disconcerting but possibly a step in the right direction. A chance to let my brain work out whatever it needed to. And it helped me come home with a better perspective on some things. A determination to enjoy the small things (which isn’t easy for me, but I’m trying). I guess all of that quiet, thinking time just reinforced some of the things I’ve been trying to come to grips with over the last few months.
I’ve been pretty open about my struggles with mental health this year, hoping that others will realize they aren’t alone and we can all help each other. How do you help quiet your mind? What’s your favorite fun thing that gets your brain off the hamster wheel?
Take care,
Dani
Don't forget to check out my Secrets of Covington Corner series! HAUNTED HERITAGE is out this month!
Amazon
B&N
Kobo
Apple books
Goodreads--Add To Your TBR List! 
Yep, I'm in the final stages of my personal edits for Luke and Avery's book (Mill Town Millionaires Book 3). It's taken a bit longer than expected. When I went to turn it in, I realized I was about 5000 words over word count. O.O Per Awesome Editor's instructions, I'm working to cut several thousand out now, then we will cut more during Editor Revisions.
What are Personal Edits, you ask. Well, my drafts are never very clean, so I edit them once before they go to Awesome Editor in the first place. Then I go through it again when he sends me his notes (I call this Editor Revisions). Then there are Line Edits. And then--once more after the copy editor is finished.
Oh my! It gets tedious, but I do my best work in revisions (and both my editors are awesome when giving directions!), so I endure so the story turns out the best it possibly can.
So there's where I am this week. :) Pray for me--I may need it!
Dani