Volume #5 in the series is now available & the series has a new look!

It’s been a long time in coming, I know, but the fifth book in the Jorja Matthews mystery series is now available. Happy dance!!

Here’s the new eBook cover for Price of Betrayal and you can swing over to Amazon anytime to make your purchase. The paperback is also available but with a different cover at this point, as I’m still in the process of trying to rework that cover to match the eBook. It has been, to put it lightly, a process.

The fifth book would have been available much sooner except that I made the decision to redo all of the covers for the series. I wanted to release the new book, but decided to put it off until I could complete all the necessary changes on the other books in the series. I knew it would be a project, but I didn’t realize how long it would take and once I began the process there was just no turning back until I reached the end. While the paperbacks aren’t technically complete since I still need to update them if everything works as I hope, all the hard work is past me now.

Needless to say, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment, and I’m very pleased with the end result. I hope readers will be, as well.

When No Mother of Mine was originally released, I worked with a cover artist who gave me what I wanted at the time but it was before I realized I would leave myself stranded with a lack of ideas for future covers that would need consistency. From that point on, each new book received a cover not in harmony with the others. I’ve been unhappy with them for awhile now but wasn’t sure how to fix them.

One day it finally hit me about how I should update the covers (I’ll credit this to finally tackling morning pages – something I’ll write about later). What I decided to do with each cover for the series was to use photos from the local area – my stories are fiction but the town I’ve set them in is not. When I originally wrote No Mother of Mine, it wasn’t with the intention to write a series. That’s just how it ended up working out, as I worked through the story, learned more about the characters and realized there was more to the story than I had originally realized. A series was born by accident, if you can believe it, because that’s what the characters wanted.

And a series of books should look like they belong together. I’m thrilled now that my series does just that. More importantly, the covers will share pieces of this little town I decided to place my characters in. Even better still, I’m free from worrying about what my covers on other books in the series will look like! This gives me freedom you can’t imagine.

The local cemetery

Without further ado, here’s a look...at the new look with details about where the photos were taken:

The photo for No Mother of Mine was taken at the local cemetery. Why use the cemetery? It has history. I have family there. It's also a beautiful, quiet area that will forever be a part of this small town.

Trail at the city park

The photo for Best Kept Secrets is from a trail that's part of our city park. It's a nice little walk over the hills and through the woods, past an old foundation I have no idea would have been used for but must have had some purpose, over a small creek and through more ferns that you could count.

Old bank, recently remodeled

The cover photo on Ties That Bind is part of the historical district on the main street through town, and is of the old town bank that was recently remodeled. The inside turned out amazing and while it was a huge undertaking, it was great to see my friends tackle the idea and set forth in motion the vision that became a reality. 

Quarry rocks near the quarry pool

Cross My Heart shares a photo of some of the quarry rocks which were stacked on each other haphazardly years ago near the quarry in the city park and have been a place for kids to play ever since. I remember playing on them as a kid myself and I take Jozee there even now to climb on them for fun. It was only after I decided to use this photo for this novel that I realized there was a cross carved into the top right rock. 

The photo used for Price of Betrayal is of McIntosh, one of our local lakes as seen from the Yelm-Tenino trail. This is a lake my husband has enjoyed fishing on, especially when our boys were little and catching fish was a fun experience.

So this is what I've been working on and what I'm now thrilled to share with you. I'll share more later once I know where I stand with the look on the paperbacks.

Until then...read on and carry on!

Happy Mother’s Day!

My plan had been to write a full-blown blog post today but I decided that my mental and physical attention will be better spent outdoors, not planted in front of my computer where I'll likely find other tasks to fill my day once I've completed a blog post. 

So, for Mother’s Day I’m going to play outside and go with the flow, doing whatever activity draws my immediate interest. 

In the meantime, I thought I’d share some photos of flowers I’ve taken over the years…just because. Consider this a virtual gift from me to you.

Some of these flowers were gifts, others were in my garden or my mom's garden - I enjoy placing cut roses or other flowers from my garden in old Ball canning jars.











To all mothers out there, whether you’re a biological mother, a stepmother, or an aunt or other family member who’s like a mother, I hope you have a beautiful, wonderful day!

How I keep myself accountable as I work toward my goals

In my last post I described how I’ve been formatting my quarterly business plans in an attempt to stay on task with my projects. I thought I’d share what I do to track my progress during the month while I’m working on projects. This has been a WIP on its own as I figure out what works and what doesn’t, but the following is an example about how I try to keep myself accountable: 

Weekly

I use my weekly planner to track my word count, weekly focus, status of projects, scheduled promotions, social media and blogging content and anything else I feel I should note down.

Here’s an idea with samples of some of my recent notes:

Monday – formatting font, spacing, page breaks and chapter starts & caps – morning pages completed

Tuesday – formatted size – cover created – issues with options – changed title name again – began review and possible new cover idea for BKS

Wednesday – proofs of new book ordered – reviewing BKS with new margins and basic editing updates – will reduce by 50 pages? – unpublish & republish as vol. 2 with new cover & edits

Thursday – signed up for women’s business conference – need to schedule doggy daycare - further revisions on BKS

Friday – morning pages completed – didn’t stick with them as well this week – updated business plan to include new projects and marketing ideas – signed up for upcoming author webinar

Monthly

My calendar is set to remind me to do a monthly check in and I use a check list to answer questions, starting with how the previous month went. I add up my word count, make note of the status/next step for ongoing projects, list any events, conferences or webinars I took part in, track stats for my blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and whether engagements are up or down, and schedule in any blog post ideas based on the previous month.

After reviewing the previous month, I have a check list for ongoing tasks, as well. I make note of any marketing or writing books I’m reading, how I might market the series or a current project, update my series Bible if needed, list any monthly challenges I took part in, review my editorial calendar (still a WIP) and plan blog posts. I review the status of my current WIP at that time and where I’m at in the development of the project (idea, currently writing, editing, formatting, launch), and what my monthly focus will be beyond the current WIP. The monthly focus may be a new book idea, developing new ways to reach readers, planning a promotion, attending a conference or event, a monthly challenge, researching the competition or updating my business plan if it’s time.

Quarterly

My calendar is then set to remind me to check in quarterly, before I update my business plan. My quarterly review is also based on a check list and ongoing tasks so that I can track my progress after I review my notes from the previous three months. Did I promote at least one book? More? How will I promote again during the next quarter? Did I take part in any monthly challenges? How did I do? Did I attend an event, conference or webinar? How did the event go? I update the editorial calendar for my blog. I check my stats, ranking and sales. I make note of any spikes and compare them to any promotions, thereby making further note what promotions work better than others. Will I be taking part in an event or attending an upcoming conference? If so, I make note of deadlines for specific tasks related to the coming event. Are there any contests I might want to check out? I review my yearly marketing calendar and make note of any holidays or other specific date-related tasks I need to add to my quarterly plan.

And the list could just go on and on, especially when I get around to what’s involved with sending out regular newsletters.

As noted before, this has been a WIP and will likely keep changing based on what does or doesn’t work, but this process keeps me constantly on my toes because regular reviews keep me “in the know” rather than getting away with burying my head in the sand. If I’m not making progress on a project, that’s on me and I can adjust accordingly if I know where the problem lies. If I don’t know the problem, then I know I need to figure it out. I believe a regular review of my status not only keeps me accountable, but is the best way to set myself up to achieve my goals and therefore, to set myself up for success.

To end this post, here’s a quote I feel is fitting:

“Keep steadily before you the fact that all true success depends at last upon yourself.” 

~Theodore T. Hunger~

Have a great week!

Quarterly check in…Making a business plan work for me

The decision to finally begin using a quarterly business plan is probably one of the best decisions I’ve made…besides making the decision to begin writing in the first place. J 

Each quarter when I review my progress and map out another quarterly plan, I can see in black and white where I’ve done well and what needs attention or tweaking.

When I reviewed my progress based on my expectations for the first quarter of this year, it was immediately apparent that my intentions had been great, but not realistic. I thoroughly expected to have the first draft of my young adult completed by March along with the final draft of the next book in the mystery series on top of an eBook for marketing purposes.

But I didn’t hit the mark.

My young adult is still in the works and the eBook didn’t see the light of day. The main reason is that I spent much of January and part of February reviewing and revising my manuscript so that it could be ready for my editor. The editing and revisions on my end took more time than I had anticipated. It happens and it is what it is. And even though I was able to work on my young adult (and a completely new series idea!) for a few weeks while my novel was being edited, final revisions have been my main focus for the past few weeks and now I need to focus on cover & formatting and publishing & marketing.

When I spent time prepping my second quarter business plan, I didn’t beat myself up about the uncompleted projects. Instead, I used the plan to appreciate the progress I’ve made and to assist me as I reworked my action list on how I might complete the remaining projects during the coming months.

It’s not an exact science – projects take longer than anticipated or unseen hurdles pop up but that’s why reviewing my projects on a quarterly basis works for me. Based on how my schedule has gone or if my personal life has affected my progress, I can assess, analyze and amend the plan as needed. Having a plan doesn’t always mean I’ll always stay on course, but it’s better than the alternative of driving by the seat of my pants. I may write that way because I don’t mind taking a fork in the road when it comes to writing, but when it comes to all the admin responsibilities and other tasks related to an author’s life, I’d prefer to have it down on paper so I can stay in my lane.

However, when it comes to business plans, there are many opinions about what to include…vision, business structure and planning, writing and publication plan, market analysis, audience research, marketing strategy, pricing strategy, sales projections, financials, platform building, growth and development, and so on.

But I wanted a plan I could look at every day and use in a relevant way. I found many ideas and played around with a few, but overall I just wanted something simple. After researching the idea more and feeling bogged down by suggestions, I was saved when I finally discovered this post by Jane Friedman about a suggested business plans for writers. I like Jane’s suggested format, so that’s what I use. It’s simple with four columns: Area of Focus, Goals, Timeline (my word; she says “Timing”) and Action List.

So I thought I might share with you what I include in my business plan.

In the focus column I include four main areas: Writing, Publishing, Marketing and Platform. These areas have their own row and for each focus area, I add projects and ideas as goals, note an expected timeline and add an action list for each particular project.

The goals column for writing and publishing would include whatever projects I’m currently working on, whether they are in first draft, final revisions or just the nugget of an idea that I want to begin researching and making notes about. I note in the timeline column when I anticipate completing each project, or I leave it open-ended if it’s still an idea that’s a WIP. Under the action list for writing, I use bullet points to list tasks still pending for each project. Those tasks might include the date the manuscript is due to the editor, how many words per day/week will result in my completing the novel within the timeframe I’ve guesstimated, what areas need further research, cover option or ideas I need to check out, and anything else to keep me focused. Under the action list for publishing, I use bullet points for tasks relating to final formatting, anything necessary to do right before publishing and also tasks I need to complete once the book is published.

My goals related to marketing are based on the projects underway and soon to be published, along with ideas on how to market previous listings and what I might do to further market myself. These might include online promotions for previous listings, a specific promotion for a newly published book, social media marketing, or live events where I can promote myself as an author. My timeline column for marketing can be all over the place for new books, since I’m hazarding a guess based on when I think I may publish. That timeline is more forgiving, but it can also help me stay on task to keep up with regular or seasonal promotions for past publications and for any upcoming events I have already scheduled. The action list for marketing will include bullet points with specific ideas on how to promote a newly published book, an event or tasks for regular and seasonal promotions, but it can also include a brain dump of random ideas that I may like to utilize during the next quarter.

Goals relating to the focus of platform building are not necessarily specific to each quarter. My goals usually include a brain dump of what I hope to begin working on soon, or what I need to focus on in order to expand and build on where I already reach an audience. These goals reflect new ideas for engagement, visibility, interaction with readers and networking. The timeline is very forgiving, and sometimes I just list a season or the first or second half of a year, since I have no idea how long each project might take me. This action list is added to regularly whenever I come across a new idea that might help me with that particular platform idea.

This is how I’ve been organizing my business plans for the past year and so far, it works for me. I’ve tweaked a thing or two but overall, I can easily manage it, refer to it and update it (i.e. scribble all over it) as I go along and at the end of each quarter.

How I keep up with it, though, is due to quarterly and monthly check-ins. However, since this post has become long-winded, I’ll have to share my thoughts on those another time.

What works for one doesn’t always work for another, but I thought I’d share what’s been working for me. If you organize your writing, or any other creative business with a business plan, I’d be interested in hearing additional idea or thoughts.

Until next time…keep planning and carry on!

Will your child someday ask, “What’s snail mail?”

Did you know April is National Card and Letter Writing Month? When is the last time you mailed a handwritten letter to someone? Recently? Last year? Never?

Your answer to that question may very well depend on your age or generation. The older generation, who recall when typewriters were a thing and computers were not the norm in a household, would remember letter writing as a way to communicate, while the current generation of young adults barely use phone calls to converse, much less write a letter. Their form of communication has been texting or messaging for as long as they can remember. In fact, if I had to guess, I doubt either of my boys, on their own, have used even half a book of stamps between the two of them their whole lives.

This reminds me of a comedian we saw recently while visiting the Brad Garrett Comedy Club in Vegas. Collin Moulton had some great humor about aging parents and the huge generation gap between kids and grandparents. One subject that brought tears to my eyes was when he joked about a grandfather having to explain to a young one what writing and sending letters was all about. This video will give you an idea of what I’m talking about [disclaimer, he picks on the USPS a bit in this video]. All joking aside, it isn’t an easy task to ask young adults or children to write a letter. The concept is extremely foreign to them. If you’re a parent with kids, you’ll know this or understand when the time comes to inform your son or daughter they need to write thank you notes for gifts or money received after their high school graduation. The question I got was, “What do I say?”

I can’t recall the last letter I wrote but I’ll admit it’s been quite awhile – I had a great aunt who loved sending and receiving cards and letters (plus she never owned a computer or used email), so she and I continued to write to each other for years until she passed away a number of years ago. I’m thankful we shared the experience because the notes and cards I received from her are now keepsakes and will always hold special memories for me.

My aunt and I wrote back and forth because we both enjoyed the process of writing and receiving cards and letters. During other time periods when I’ve written to family and friends for any length of time, the reason has always been due to distance or because there was no other way to communicate. One example is when my brother was in the service or when he was out of the country and gone for months at a time on missionary trips. Email was not always an option given whatever location he might be in. Another stint in letter writing was when a friend of mine was in prison for about a year. I couldn’t visit her at the prison, so it was the only way we communicated until her release. When I was in middle school, my best friend in the world at that time moved out of the state and I was devastated. As devastated as you can imagine a 13 or 14 year old might be. We wrote from that point and all through high school, almost religiously, and even a bit beyond I believe. Those types of letters are precious and likely the most honest truth about our young lives beyond whatever we wrote in our own journals.

Having a month dedicated to sending cards or letters has made me pause and think…I miss writing letters. I miss having a reason to write and sharing the love of writing letters with another person.

Do we need a reason to send a card or write a letter? No. We can send one, just because we want to.

Does someone have to live states away or even in another country to deserve a card or written letter? No. we can send one, just because we want to.

But the way our lives move on at such a fast rate of speed, we don’t tend to find the time to sit and write a letter or a cute note in a card to someone special. Especially when it’s just as easy to pick up the phone, send a text or stalk them on Facebook.

So for me, because I have more stationary and cards than I need (I’m sure I’ve mentioned it…I’m a stationary/paper/journal addict), I plan to use this month as an excuse to get back into snail mail. Some challenges I’ve seen involve sending a card or a letter every day – that’s too much for me. So my challenge to myself is to pick at least two friends or family members each week and send them either a card or a letter. Even if they don’t reciprocate with a card or letter of their own, that’s okay, as that won’t be the point of the challenge. What I’ll enjoy is the fact that they’ll smile in surprise when they realize there’s something in their mailbox between the bills and the junk mail.

If I can make a loved one smile at the sight of something as simple as a note card or letter in their mailbox, that idea alone will brighten my day and is the only reason I need to take on the challenge.

How about you?

Is there someone you know who would smile at the sight of a card or a letter from you in their mailbox?

Even something short & sweet?

I'm betting there might be… J

Winter projects: writing, therapy dogs & the ideal routine

PNW winter

I’m singing the winter blues while I look forward to the comfort and warmth of mild spring weather. The idea of spring seems far-reaching when temps in the PNW continue to hold fast to flat-out bone-chilling cold and we are teased with a few days of sunshine only to get blasted with a blanket of snow again. 

Getting out for walks with Jozee is a highlight for me, and we were treated to a few days of beautiful weather last month and the end of January when we were able to enjoy parks and lake and river walks, even if it was a little cold. The sun on your face helps you ignore the cooler temps. 

But I’m seriously ready for spring and warmer weather, even if it means rain.

Jozee on a river walk

In the meantime, while I dream of hikes on sunny days, I’m working on my book projects...

My young adult is coming along while I continue to write and also while I work through notes and pages first typed years ago – it’s interesting when I can see the difference in my writing (then versus now) and can make changes based on what I’ve learned since I first began writing the book.

My new series has also received my attention and I have a list of projects to complete now that I’ve mapped out what I want to do with the series. I’m excited to start checking those items off of my task list.

In addition to my writing projects, I’ve also focused on a couple of other projects…

Therapy dog training

Jozee and I have begun some new training. I’m currently taking classes to become certified as a therapy dog handler and she’s taking classes to prepare her for testing to become a therapy dog. My classes will be complete later this month and her classes go into next month, after which we’ll complete a test together as a team. If we pass, we’ll begin visiting at a nearby hospital a couple of times a month. If we aren’t able to pass the initial test, it’ll mean some additional training and another test in six months. It’s not all bad, as that would mean Jozee would be older (closer to 2 years) and I’ll have shadowed other handlers to learn better skills. Either way, we’ll get there and eventually take part in the rewarding experience of visiting hospital patients.

This time of year is when resolutions from the New Year begin to fizzle and I’ve noticed a swarm of posts and worksheets or e-course offers from bloggers and writers about how to avoid procrastination, increase productivity, find an ideal routine and prioritize priorities in order to stay on task. Since I’m a writer and not immune to procrastination or self-sabotage, I read some posts and took advantage of some of the worksheets and a few e-courses. While I have my 90-day plan for my writing projects, which helps me review my goals in an attempt to stay on task, I never thought about a 90-day plan for my personal life. In my review, I realized I haven’t been solidly on task and that my work/life balance isn’t really balanced, possibly because I’m working from home and sometimes those lines are just too easily blurred.

The month of March is going to be a month of learning, where I’ll learn more about therapy dog training, more about myself as I work on the “ideal” routine and more about my writing while I review and revise a project from the past and get to know new characters as I piece together a completely new series.

These projects will keep me busy enough while I wait for the break of winter when it finally gives the stage to spring.

What about you? What projects keep you busy during the cold winter months?

Whatever the project may be, stay warm out there.

Until next time…

This time last year – same drill, different focus

This time last year I had just published Cross My Heart (the 4th in the series), we had only recently brought home and introduced Jozee to the family and we received a good amount of snow. Jozee was thrilled on both counts – she loved her new home and she enjoyed playing in the snow.

Time jump to today and the 5th in the series is now in the hands of my editor and will soon be ready for publishing, Jozee is a year old but still in the puppy stage and after a recent winter storm brought with it a lot of snow, she’s been having a great time playing outside. February has become our true winter month in this area of the PNW.

Now that my book is in the hands of my editor, I’m in that in limbo stage…while I wait for the return of my manuscript with suggested changes and while I consider what project(s) I want to work on in the meantime and what I will completely focus on once the edited novel is published.

My young adult novel, in the making now for awhile because it keeps getting shoved to the back burner behind my other books, will take first priority. I’ve had to complete some particular research for this book and while reviewing what I had in my folder recently when I was conducting additional research, I couldn’t deny the excitement I felt at the prospect of finally completing this book. It’s a completely different genre and a world of my own making, which makes the project both intimidating and stimulating at the same time.

It may get tricky, but I’m also working on the idea for a new series and I do hope that while I focus primarily on my young adult, I’ll be able to take time to work on this series. It’s a project that has brought about new excitement while I’ve made notes about new characters, scenes and settings. I still have some planning to complete but I’m excited to begin, as this project has already proven to be near and dear to my wanderlust heart.

And for those who follow the Jorja Matthews mystery series, I have the story line of the next novel mapped out (until the characters take over) and will work on that novel as time permits. While working on multiple projects isn’t always easy, it’s great to have options if the characters in the other books don’t want to come out and play on any certain day.

One thing I’ll say about completing one project and preparing for the next is how clean my desk looks! My desk gets a complete face lift once I update my series Bible, file away my notes for safekeeping and store my notebooks for later use when I begin to work on the next novel.

I almost hate the thought of messing up my clean desk again…almost, but not really.  J