Jammed June
Happy Summer, dear reader!
My favorite time of year is finally here. I love everything summer brings: recharging, swimming, reading, sunlight, warmth. I feel so much more productive during the summer months, mostly because I love working outside. Something about the change of scene always does me good, and my achievements this June certainly show that. I didn't begin the month with many writing goals, mostly because I was planning to take it easy. Yeah…that didn't happen.
My writing goals for June were:
Send Innocence Imprisoned to editor
Revisit beta reader feedback on Crisis in Crucible
Summer reading list
Not only did I finish Innocence Imprisoned and send it off to my editor, but I've kicked things into high gear with my first Glenmyre Whim mystery.
June brought about a lot of changes. Changes to my workflow, changes to my schedule. I began things off by deciding to rebrand "Crisis in Crucible." I wanted to lean more into the coziness of the genre, so Book 1 has since been renamed. I am loving "You Can't Candle the Truth" although my spellcheck does not. It keeps reminding me to change Candle to Handle. Every time it happens, I laugh, because that's the whole point of the title! I love a good pun, and I think this one really showcases the quirks of my main character Hazel and the world she inhabits.
In other exciting news, I also decided to query "You Can't Candle the Truth" with a publisher looking for millennial cozies with just a hint of magic. That's Hazel Wickbury to a T. Despite writing this book with the intention to indie publish, I felt I would be doing myself a disservice not to give Hazel her shot in the traditional publishing world. So, while I am hoping she gets to make her debut through a publishing house, I am prepping to continue with her journey through indie publishing. Because of this, I have to play things more by ear than I had been planning on, but you miss 100% of the shots you don't take and I couldn't pass on this opportunity.
Especially after Coco Cline's first foray into publishing…speaking of Coco, I am getting ready to prep the Trending Topic Mysteries for their new publisher, Level Best Books. It's so fun getting to revisit Coco and her friends. You don't often get a second chance at a first impression, and that's what Coco and I are getting. While overall things are remaining the same, I'm bringing Coco into 2021 (no pandemic, mind you) with some updated content. It's fun to give her and her friends a little makeover. More to come, as Coco Cline is being re-introduced in #FollowMe for Murder, coming February 2022.
And last but certainly not least, I am finally getting the coveted outside reading time I have been craving. I kicked my summer reading list off with one of my favorite cozy mystery series out there. Check out my review (posted on Goodreads) of J.C. Kenney's The Dead of Winter below!
Sarah's Bookshelf:
The Dead of Winter by J.C. Kenney
Even during the dead of winter, Rushing Creek, Indiana seems like the perfect place to visit. Maybe it's the fact that J.C. Kenney's characters make me feel like I'm seeing old friends that I love returning to this fictional town so much. "The Dead of Winter," the fifth mystery in the Allie Cobb series, gives me everything I need: a good mystery, good friends, and descriptions of good food.
Kenney delivers an engaging mystery that begins with a bang - the bang of a car running into a large gun safe. When a body is found inside the safe, Allie gets involved to prove her local vet innocent of the crime. Allie puts it all out there to catch her killer, bringing her beloved feline Ursi along for the ride.
Kenney creates a fun, twisting mystery that showcases small-town life in Middle America. The reader feels like they're being brought along by Allie, encouraging us to solve the crime with her. With an ending that brought tears to my eyes, I definitely enjoyed my stay in Rushing Creek and look forward to returning!
Well, readers, this might be a first. I'm posting my June review with DAYS left to spare. Let's hope this overachieving-ness continues into July!
Arms around,
S.B.