Episode 128 - Guest Jenn Taylor

Jenn Taylor – author of Hello, My Name is…Warrior Princess

Website

Episode 127 - Guest Fern Ronay

Fern Ronay - author of the Better series

Website

WORD PLAY PODCAST - WEEKLY TOP TEN - 12/29 - 01/04

These are the most-listened-to episodes of the week. Did your favorite make the list?

1)   Matt Whiteside
2)   MJ Preston
3)   MJ LaBeff
4)   Andi Lawrencovna
5)   Mark Carnelley
6)   Miranda Oh
7)   Scarlett Braden
8)   Marj Ivancic
9)   Rochelle Bradley
10) Charles Peterson Sheppard

*stats compiled from Podbean - these do not include numbers from ArtistFirst Radio Network

My year in review ~ by Joanne Jaytanie

2019 was a year of surprises and change. I’d made a list of the projects I wanted to complete for the year and was more successful than past years at reaching my goal.


 



I released Salvaging Truth on January 31st. I couldn’t be more pleased with the reviews it has received from Kirkus Reviews, Chanticleer Book Reviews, BookViral, and InD’tale Magazine-including the coveted Crowned Heart. Salvaging Truth was also awarded Best Book Blurb for published work at Emerald City Writers’ Conference.





 


Twice As Bad, Miss Demeanor, PI, book two was the next book I released. I truly enjoyed writing River and Gage’s second story. This time they found themselves in more danger and more personal conflict. I’m anxious to get back to their journey, but they will have to wait a bit.


 





Writing the third Forever Christmas in Glenville book was also on my list. I have wanted to return to my Christmas collection for over a year. But in July, I’d succumbed to the realization that once again, I wouldn’t have the time to devote to my Christmas story. Not two weeks later, I was offered the opportunity to take part in a Christmas collection with nine other authors.

The goal was to work to get our collection into USA Today. I didn’t say yes right away because the deadlines were very tight, especially for me. I’m primarily a pantser, which means I go into a story knowing my two main characters, have a general idea of what’s going to happen, and I start writing. It also means I write my book blurbs and taglines after the book is written. No matter how I worked it, I didn’t think I could get my story done. Then the suggestion was made for the common theme of the collection to have a Mistletoe Lodge. This theme was perfect for Forever Christmas in Glenville Book Three, because I didn’t have to create a new world or all new characters, and Christmas Chemistry came to life.

For the next two months, all I did was write, edit, and promo. It took a great deal of time and a lot of effort, but it was all worth it. Christmas at Mistletoe Lodge made its debut on USA Today at #88. I am beyond honored to have been invited to write with a fantastic group of authors. Women that I now call friends.

The final book I completed in 2019 was a three-part novella, Dogs of Fortune. I’m a member author of Romance Books 4 Us (RB4U) and this was the first time I’ve written with them. The idea of this series was to do an episodic series, just like the multitude of weekly series most of us watch at night on television. The title of this series is Soldiers of Fortune. Sadly, we didn’t get the turnout of the authors we expected. Therefore each book is shorter than we’d hoped. Even so, I truly enjoyed writing this romantic suspense with paranormal elements, and I love my characters, Zane, Blair, and their Dobermans. My plan is to continue their story.

Unfortunately, I realized when I committed to Christmas at Mistletoe Lodge, I wouldn’t have the time to write a fifth book for The Winters Sisters series. But I’ve already put my list together for 2020. The Winters Sisters, books five and six are the first two priorities for this new year. I am chomping at the bit to get back into the Sisters world.

After the two Winters Sisters books are completed, I’ll be returning to Hunters & Seekers, and Miss Demeanor, PI. I have a full year, and I’m excited to get my new stories out into the world. I write primarily romantic suspense, supernatural, thriller, and mystery. My Christmas stories are sweet romance.

Thanks for inviting me, Kristine. I thoroughly enjoyed our chat and look forward to visiting with you again in 2020.

Wishing everyone a new year full of love and adventure. Don’t forget to take some time to be with those you love and create new memories along the way.


Website

Originality by Design

BookBub

Listen to Joanne Jaytanie's podcast episode here.

Episode 126 - Guest Matt Whiteside

Matt Whiteside – author of Trent Foster and the Council of 10 and the Incredible Rhett Smiley: Infinity’s Mirror

Website

Episode 125 - Guest MJ Preston

 

MJ Preston – author of The Highwayman series, Acadia Event, and The Equinox

Website

WORD PLAY PODCAST - WEEKLY TOP TEN - 12/22 - 12/28

These are the most-listened-to episodes of the week. Did your favorite make the list?

1)   MJ LaBeff
2)   Andi Lawrencovna
3)   Marj Ivancic
4)   PJ Tracy
5)   BB eBooks
6)   Eric Malikyte
7)   Bullet Books Speed Reads Part Two
8)   Ava Cuvay
9)   Lynne M. Spreen
10) Heidi Luerra

*stats compiled from Podbean - these do not include numbers from ArtistFirst Radio Network

Writin’ Around the Christmas Tree ~ by Andi Lawrencovna

First off, a HUGE thank you to Kristine Raymond for inviting me to write a guest blog for today.

Secondly, a HUGE apology, because I have holidays on the brain, and so that’s where my head was headed when I sat down to write this.




I can’t tell you how many times over the past couple of months that I have sat with other authors discussing the need to stick to and follow a writing schedule. Setting aside specific time each day, or just forcing yourself to take time each day, at whatever time of day that might be, to write. Developing the habit of actually working on something so that you get a word or words down on a page every day.

Forming a habit, in everything, can be onerous, and very beneficial. I mean, my doctor tells me all the time that if I work out everyday it will become a habit and so that must be a good thing, right?

Well, writing is a form of mental workout, doc, so I think I should be good then, right?

Regardless…

Habits do actually work, if you stick to them and build them up, and habits can in fact be good. Many authors look at “NaNoWriMo” (National Novel Writing Month) as the first chance to build a writing habit up that they can stick to after the month is done. Essentially, if you write 1,700 words (+/-) a day in November, you can write a 50,000 word novel by the end of the month, and that will add up to a LOT of novels if you stick to that habit after November ends.

But at the end of November is Thanksgiving. And at the end of December is Christmas. And then New Years. And then my mom’s birthday. And then dad’s…and then…oh, I digress.

Now, I’m all for forming a habit and trying to stick to it, and this post is in part about that, but it’s also in part about breaking those habits to focus on equally important “other” things too.

Not just breaking the habit but allowing yourself to feel “okay” in breaking that habit, and not like you’re failing because of it.

Personally, the “holiday season” starts at Thanksgiving and ends February 1st. So, from Thanksgiving to February, there is a constant slew of parties, baking, decorating, shopping, wrapping, caroling, grousing, etc. that fills my waking time outside of the 9-5 job I pretend to hold down most days too. That doesn’t leave a lot of time to keep at that habit I tried to form during NaNoWriMo, or that I’ve stuck to the rest of the year up until this point (HA! Don’t make me laugh…).

I spent a lot of years agonizing and berating myself for not getting things done – those things being “writing” related, mind you.

Well, that negativity seriously does not help matters either. I don’t need to add more negative thoughts to my head above and beyond that tiny voice in the back of my mind already questioning if my writing and work is any good to begin with. Telling myself that I’m not worth it if I don’t reach a writing goal for a day…yeah, not good for relieving stress.

Sometimes goals and habits have to break for your own benefit and health. And let’s go further and say for your family and friends benefits and health too.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying: DON’T WRITE! Just don’t feel like you have to force yourself to write if there are other things you have to do or need or want to do instead.

It’s OKAY to take a break, to do what you need to do to be the best you. A break can lead to so many things, and you don’t need to be ashamed at needing one.

I noticed that I started to panic when I took a break from writing. My brain kept whispering these thoughts of: what if you don’t start again? What if it never comes back? What if you were never meant to write in the first place?

WOW!

Brain, you are a dark stinker and I don’t think I like you write now! (And yes, I intentionally used the wrong “right” right there).

Every time I tried to look at a blank page, I got this pit in my stomach and those thoughts in my head and my “break” became this negative existence of wallowing because I wasn’t allowing myself to recognize that I needed to recharge and that taking that time to do so was okay.

I used to look at the holiday season as this glaring stop that my writing world had to come to so that I could get done everything else I needed. Then I used to fight through it trying to force writing that didn’t want to happen. Now I know that I can write, or I don’t have to, because everything comes in its own time, and a habit once formed can be broken and reformed and transformed time and again, and that is part of what being a writer, and what life is all about.

SO, for this Christmas, I’m going to probably put my pen down for a few minutes and sing some carols around the tree. I did not “steal” the recipe from a certain coffee shop for an eggnog latte, but I have definitely perfected it and I will be sampling throughout the season. And if I get some words written, great, and if not, that’s good too, because I can keep a habit, or change it, or pick up from where I left off when I decide it’s time, not when pressures tell me too.

Wishing you all the very best of holidays and the happiest of New Years! May your writing be blessed!

~ Andi 


Listen to Andi Lawrencovna's podcast episode here.