STUFF! Updates from the hinterland of Northern Illinois
It's been awhile since I updated, so I thought it was time.
Hello from my Winter Wonderland!
Ever since we moved to this place in the summer of ‘23, I’ve been dreaming of this view. The last two winters have been mild (-ish–it is northern Illinois, after all) and we haven’t had much snow. But last Saturday’s record snowfall delivered, and wow, is it gorgeous!
And now it can melt, please, and thank you very much.
I’ll send my regular Free Books Friday in a few hours, but I realized I hadn’t sent any updates since I was in Nevada at the end of October. We’ve got a lot of new people here, including backers of my recent Kickstarter.
Hi everyone, and welcome!
It’s been a busy year, although it may not look like it from the outside. I haven’t published a book since Menace at the Marina, which went live on my store in January and everywhere else in March.
There are lots of reasons for that. The first quarter is always busy for me because I speak at multiple Travel and Adventure Shows. Then my parents came out for an extended time at the end of May, and then I spent half the summer in Wisconsin. (At least, that’s what it felt like!) Then I launched the Kickstarter in August, and let me tell you, those are a LOT of work. Fun, but more moving pieces than a Rube Goldberg machine.
And I’ve got another one coming up soon! Follow this link and then click on Notify Me to find out when Travel is Murder, Vol’s 1 & 2 goes live.
September saw me in Wisconsin again, and then I spent a couple of weeks in Nevada, exploring (including car camping in Death Valley) and attending Author Nation. I also spoke. Sure, it was all of ten minutes, but it was in front of 1200 people and that definitely counts!
In addition to all of that, I’ve been writing like a madwoman, as I’ve taken on a couple of freelance clients. For one, I’ve written a pair of 83k word thrillers. They give me the plot and I flesh it out. I can’t tell you more than that because of the NDA, but suffice it to say I’m learning how to plot longer stories through doing. (And having a BLAST!)
I’m also taking an ultra long series that’s been translated from another language into English and making it sound more “western.” It’s another genre I’ll never write, but it’s teaching me a lot.
How cool is that? I get paid to learn my craft while playing with words!
I am writing my own stuff, just not as much. I wrote Deceit at the Docks, a prequel to my Travel is Murder series, and I’m doing a lot of worldbuilding for an upcoming fantasy quintology.
THAT would be consuming me if it weren’t for Ms. Alex Paige. Her seventh book, set on a fictional Empire Builder, is chugging right along. My goal for publication is March and I’ll keep you posted. In fact, I’ll probably do a cover reveal before Christmas and start sharing excerpts.
Finally, I’ve got a big announcement coming soon, but that’s all I’m going to say about that.
Whew! I know this has been a me-me-me kind of post, so thank you for indulging my ramblings. As I mentioned, in a few hours you’ll get an email with tons of books to add to your TBR list.
Until then, it’s your turn! What’s the weather like where you are? Cold and snowy or balmy and breezy? Share a picture if you’re so moved; I’d love to see!
Happy reading,
Theresa