December 28, 2021

Focus on Book Tropes for #TirgearrTuesday

In A Fairy Godmother's Redemption, The Magicals Series Book Four, Drew Parker has a bright future ahead of him despite his father's abandonment when he was eight. Ten years later, he's heading to college when he's hit with a surprise. His father and step-mother died in a car crash, leaving him sole guardian of his eight-year-old twin sisters. In this reverse Cinderella tale, Drew experiences disaster after disaster until his fairy godmother intervenes. He even falls for a princess, pop star Seraphina Jacobs. Looking for a fairy tale and/or coming of age story? A Fairy Godmother's Redemption covers both book tropes.





December 24, 2021

2021 Writing Goals

In order to make progress in whatever it is you do, SMART goals are an essential part of the process.

S - Specific

M - Measurable

A - Achievable

R - Realistic

T -  Timely

At the beginning of 2021, I set some writing and writing-related goals. I am pleased to say that I achieved (mostly) each of these goals.

1. Write creatively everyday for one hour. This falls under mostly successful. I didn't write everyday, but I did write most days. I participated in NaNoWriMo as well.

2. Engage on social media (see social media goals). Increase the following: brand awareness (measured by number of followers and reach of posts, including mentions, shares and retweets); website traffic (measured by number of visitors to website and blog); lead generation (measured by newsletter sign-ups); and engagement (measured by likes, shares, comments, mentions, and replies). I saw increases to the number of followers on each social media platform except YouTube which stayed the same as 2020. My website, blog, and Pinterest had steady daily traffic. My social media posts were shared and liked, although I didn't receive many comments. My newsletter mailing list had a net increase of 64 people. Some of my posts had hundreds of shares and likes.

3. Publish A Fairy's Quest. I submitted my book in late 2020 and published it on April 6, 2021.

4. Publish A Fairy Godmother's Redemption. I submitted my book in early 2021 and published it on July 27, 2021.

5. Write A Magical's Gift. I started writing this book for NaNoWriMo 2020 and finished the first draft in September... some 310 days later. I have submitted it for publication.

Bonus Goal:

1. Revamp website. I'm always tweaking my site and updating images. This year, I went dark... Well, I changed to a dark theme. It is very dramatic with a black background and white text. Images against the black "white space" really pop out. I also incorporated my new logo, and added links to my book covers.

This year, I made positive strides focusing on my author platform and brand. If I'm going to be serious about writing—which I am—I need to set and achieve SMART goals.

As I look to 2022, I think about what I want to accomplish in the next year. I want to publish A Magical's Gift, finish writing this year's NaNoWriMo project which is Book One of a new series (I'm 37k in), and write Book Two. The new series is set to be a trilogy, and the pipe dream is to finish all three books next year, but that goal doesn't sound very achievable or realistic with everything else I have on my plate. I have more than enough ideas, but time is at a premium. On the author platform side, I'd like to increase social media followers and engagement; my newsletter mailing list; and my blog subscribers. I'll set my SMART goals and let you know how I measured up next year.


December 21, 2021

Focus on Book Tropes for #TirgearrTuesday

An assassin and a princess make an unlikely couple, but A Fairy's Quest, The Magicals Series Book Three, is not your ordinary opposites attract storyline. Fairy princess Alina Lehrer encounters a handsome stranger Rylan Jackson at the airport on her way to Paris. Her trip is a quest to restore her family's heritage, but she's determined to enjoy her time in The City of Love. Alina entertains the idea of a holiday fling with Rylan, unaware that his job is to prevent her from completing her quest by any means necessary. You get royalty meets holiday romance in A Fairy's Quest.





December 17, 2021

Christmas Stories

Looking through some of my older writings, I found two short Christmas stories which I posted on Wattpad this week.

Approximately 95% of my reading material is romance. It would be a resounding 100%, but unfortunately I must read such nonfiction as recipes and news articles on occasion. Much of the romance I read falls into the historical subgenre. My own writing leans toward a contemporary time period with paranormal elements. So, it's noteworthy that often my short works are based in a historical setting.

In "Christmas Dreams," my heroine Allie falls asleep and "dreams" of the past which bears a striking resemblance to her present. "Grace's Christmas Wish" takes place in the regency era. I wonder if a full-length historical novel may be in my future...





December 14, 2021

Focus on Book Tropes for #TirgearrTuesday

A Wizard's Choice, The Magicals Series Book Two, offers more than a closer look into my magical world. My wizard apprentice Kurtis Warde crushes on his friend's mother, the enigmatic vampiress Dee, while fairy Alina Lehrer imagines a romantic future with Kurtis. If you're interested in the book tropes opposites attract and/or unrequited loveA Wizard's Choice is a solid choice for your next read.




 

December 7, 2021

Focus on Book Tropes for #TirgearrTuesday

There are more options for romance novels than ever. Most avid readers I know (myself included) have TBR lists that keep growing. How do you pick your next read? You can focus your selection process by using book tropes that have piqued your interest.

A Vampire's Tale, The Magicals Book One, is a paranormal romance novel that features a vampire hero Corgan Halton with protective tendencies toward the heroine Marisa Clements. If you're in the mood for book tropes vampire and/or protector, A Vampire's Tale could be your next read.