November Notations
Hello dear readers,
Another month of 2020 behind us! I hope this finds you well and full of holiday spirit. Given the state of our world, the holiday spirit is more important than ever. With so much tension and uncertainty, I've felt very overwhelmed in recent weeks, anxious for the future. Because of this, I felt the urge to retreat into writing. The one month I had slated myself for a break, of course all I do is feel the need to write. Such is life!
I didn't have many goals for the month of November, as I had hoped to spend most of it recharging and preparing myself for 2021. Let's take a look at the month's goals and see where I ended up:
QA SOVEREIGN SIEGED on audiobook - This was an easy goal to achieve because Melissa Green, my wonderful narrator, makes this process so, so delightful. I love revisiting previous Jax adventures, especially with RAVAGED REIGN waiting in the wings. Even though SOVEREIGN SIEGED is only three books behind RAVAGED REIGN, so much has changed for Jax and her friends. As I've mentioned before, I decided, after much deliberation, to veer off in a different direction than I had originally planned for the Realm of Virtues. In SOVEREIGN SIEGED, that different direction hadn't even been thought of, so it's interesting to listen to the book with this new, omnipotent perspective I now have.
Prep for RAVAGED REIGN release - While the book is going through final copyedits and proofing, I am prepping materials for Jax's next adventure. I love the spirit of RAVAGED REIGN because it reminds me of Jax's earlier adventures where she just put herself in the middle of a mystery for the sake of solving a mystery. If everything in the next week or so goes according to plan, RAVAGED REIGN will be released on eBook and paperback on Tuesday, December 15th, with the audiobook to come next year.
Read and recharge - Honestly, I failed miserably at this item. As soon as RAVAGED REIGN was out of my hands, I began to feel anxious, the need to be writing plaguing any chances of resting and recharging. This business is hard because if you aren't producing something, you're basically not creating a source of income for yourself. And if you're not producing something, you worry readers will skip over your work or that you'll fade into the background of the vast writing community. But to constantly be writing and pushing yourself to produce content is incredibly draining and not sustainable in the long run. We all need and deserve breaks. It took me a while to get that through my head and by the month's end, I was able to unwind a bit. But not before I spent a great deal of time on a "backburnered" paranormal cozy mystery. It was crazy to find a 50,000 word manuscript on my computer with a full outline attached. When I'm not recharging, I'm working on polishing it up and finishing it out. Since Coco Cline has gone on hiatus, I am planning to dedicate 2021 to launching this new series.
Sarah's Bookshelf
Because of my abovementioned neurosis, I didn't get as much reading done as I would have liked this month. After reading the entire Countess of Harleigh Mystery series, I went on a bit of "finishing a series" withdrawal. I absolutely loved Dianne Freeman's historical mystery series, and I am already pining for her next release. Check out my review of A LADY'S GUIDE TO GOSSIP AND MURDER, Book 2 in the Countess of Harleigh Mysteries.
A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder by Dianne Freeman
This historical cozy mystery has everything I've ever wanted in a book. Wonderful characters, strong relationships, divine high society events, humor, and a twisting mystery. Book 2 in the Countess of Harleigh Mysteries finds Lady Frances Harleigh welcoming a new charge to her home: Lottie Deaver. Lottie is an American friend of her sister Lily, who has come to London to escape family drama. While attending an event with Lottie, Lily, and her aunt Hetty, Frances learns about the murder of an acquaintance of hers, Mary Archer. While she's intrigued about the woman's demise, it's the gallant and oh-so-dashing George Hazelton that brings Frances on board with an investigation, asking her to partner up. What follows is a delightful mystery full of high stakes and high society.
As a big fan of Dianne Freeman's first Lady Harleigh mystery, I must say, I loved this one even more. Not only does Frances shine with her wit, logic, and spirit, but the supporting characters around her are ever so endearing. I don't know if I've read a more dreamy, crush-worthy love interest than George Hazelton. His respect for Frances paired with his devilish humor and flirting had me grinning like a schoolgirl whenever the two shared a scene. Lottie Deaver was also an absolutely wonderful addition to Frances's sleuthing team. While her sister Lily is more preoccupied with her engagement, young Lottie steps in nicely to be Frances's wing-woman. The two have great chemistry, and I hope Lottie sticks around.
This series reminds me of Pride & Prejudice-meets-Miss Fisher's Mysteries, and it couldn't be a better combination.
Well, these are my notations on November. I hope to have more book related news for you by the end of the year. Until then, wishing you a peaceful and healthy holiday season. Be kind to one another.
Arms around,
S.B.