New Year - 2025

Life really does pass on fast.  It is now 2025. A new year, new start, new ideas. 

Have not been writing much, shame on me.  Thinking a lot, but not writing.  But 2025 should be a good year.  I have one book almost complete and about 5 other books started.  The book with Vanessa and Tav will be after Sara and Christopher.  So, maybe two books published this year?  That is my 2025 goal. 

Each day I do a little writing and or editing.  Today I started the synopsis of another book, Cassidy and Trent.  Going to be a nice romance - sweet, sexy romance with older characters.. 2nd round in life?  yes..sexy..  yes... romantic... yes... its been running around in my head for a while and now I started the story.  I think I am up to about 15 stories in the queue.  They are going to keep me busy for a while. And my editor.. hes going to be busy too!!  

And another goal for 2025 - more blog posts.  

My biggest failure... not doing any promoting.  I am not used to promoting myself.  Thats the introvert in me.  I have a tik tok page but its not about my books.  I am not as savy as the other authors. But I do have to try to get out there more.  I am starting Facebook again after a long absence.  (free speech and all that) but even FB - is mostly people I know.  How many times do they want to hear about my books?? But I do have author pages in FV - maybe do more promoting on those pages.  This I have to work on. 

Hope you all have a wonderful 2025 and I will blog again soon!!  :)

 

Dog days of August

 Its the Dog days of August.

We are half way through August. Time is going by so fast. Too fast.  When I was just 17, turning 18, my then boss, Gus, said to me: When you get to be my age, time goes by so much faster.  Before you know it, you will be my age and looking back asking where the time went.  I, in my arrogance of youth, said: Oh Gus, you know know what you are talking about.  Well, damn it!!  I am at the same age now and where did that time go??  

And alone, this year, time has gotten by me.  What am I doing to make time go by so fast?  Hell if I know.  I'm just living my life each day and it is slipping by almost unnoticed.  

My writing is coming along, but slowly.  That goes slow... sigh.  But I am also working on a few pieces at a time.  I get my internal inspiration and I write on that.  Should I move more linear?  I don't know.  It does not seem as if my talent works in a linear time line.  I go back and forth.  What hits me, I write about it.  I do have to say, my 3rd book is coming along.  I am sure my editor - john - is waiting with bated breath... lol... 

But My third book flows into my 4th book which then triggers me into working on my 5th and 6th books. And then I can't stop from writing about my 7th and 8th books. Its a process... a drunken butterfly process for sure.  But, I know it will all come together and it will be fabulous for me.  

How does one promote themselves? There are some great authors out there on tik tok and they promote the hell out of their books.  I am not that talented with promotion. I am a quiet introvert and while I do have some content on tik tok, its not a lot and its not that "professional". I am not one to toot my own horn.  Can I get over this?  I am trying.  or not.  

One tik toker did promote my book, My American Angel.  That was nice of him.  (I follow him on tik tok) but nothing really came of it.  Maybe I should promote him promoting me??  How the hell do I do that? Am I at the age when technology over takes my knowledge of technology?  Damn, I'm getting old!! 

All in all, I am enjoying the process.  I will keep moving on and on and on.  Do I wish to be a success?  I think I do but success is relative.  I'm working on that too.  

Have a great rest of your August people.  Keep up writing and just enjoy the process no matter how long it takes.  

Hot hot hot

 We are in full summer mode here in NY.  I am not a summer person at all.  I have that fair Irish skin that burns by just passing a sunny window. 

The evenings are good though.  I like to sit in my little back yard,  under the umbrella, and listen to the wild life in the area.  

I like to take my lap top out and do a little writing. I have a cup of tea and my pug is sitting next to me falling asleep. I let my mind wander.  If I don't have the lap top, I have my pen and note book.  I do a little actual writing. 

At this time, I find myself writing for about 6 books at the same time.  Sara and Christopher's story is almost done.  I have a few more chapters to go. Vanessa and Tav, the very next one, is also being worked on.  While I love S&C, I am loving V&T. Vanessa is a woman who is a work in progress and she finds herself and her love. 

Then right along with that, I have April and Michael. Then I have her sister Daisy and her love Kane.  They will be connected to Bud who is their father (a spy... shhhhh) and his love Diane.  Diane is the creator of Forever Home... which is what this series will all be nebulously connected to.  But then I have Casandra and Ciara - twins.  I have been thinking of Ciara's story and have been writing about her and her love, Bernard, all week.  Casandra is also going to be interesting... and her love Mario.  

It sounds chaotic but in my head, it all makes sense.  This from a woman who can't balance her check book but she can balance 6 stories in her head.

I carry a note book in my bag... a bag that now weighs about 10 lbs... I just can't help myself.. my stuff has to go with me.  You never know what I might need...... you know?  I have lots of great little ideas and bitxs of dialogue that I write down before I forget.  I can always refer back to my notebook and add those little bon mots into their stories. 

and I do write while I am at work.  Its a little bit of a quiet time right now.  I read a little and then I write a little too.  Makes the day go by fast.  HA... I wrote most of my first book at my other job and my boss would say something about it.  I would, of course, deny it.  But I soooo did write so much at that job.  This job, which I enjoy, as more down time, less phones ringing, and I write a bit each day.  So nice!!  

So what is up with you all?  How is your writing going?  Do you feel guilty... or slacker-ish if you don't write for a few days... weeks.... ???  How do you handle that?  

Its been a while

WOW.... time is going by so fast.  

I really haven't been writing that much, except I have been writing.  I think I am working on 6 books right now.  Watch!!.... they will all come out about the same time!!  lol.  

But each day, no matter how little or how much, I get some writing in. 

I have all these thoughts going through my head, ideas, dialogue etc.  So when I think of something for a particular story, I write it down. No matter which story it belongs to.  Before you know it, I am going to have 6 books written!! 

And last night, I thought of a story line for another book.  Have to connect it somehow to my Forever Home series.  It will come to me... at night... when I do my best thinking.  

I am excited about this new story too.  A true romance.... angsty - enemies to lovers - and of course happily ever after!  

Who loves their happily ever after?  I will not read a book without one.  

I read a series of books from one of my favorite authors - many moons ago - the first book started with the son, the second was the father, the third was the grandfather.  I was so looking forward to reading the great grand fathers story.  When the book came out I snapped it up and read it with such anticipation... and the ending was... death!!!  of one of the main characters!  

I was devastated.  I had emotionally invested in all the characters and their stories.  Don't do that to me man!!!  I need my happily ever after endings!  Life is hard as it is so when your fantasy life comes crashing down on  you... its tough.  from that moment on, I read the ending of a book or I make sure I have a HEA book.  

My mother encouraged me to read Clan of the Cave Bear.  I resisted because I read the ending.  I didn't like the ending.  But she insisted I read the book because I would understand the ending. 

Now, mind you, this book was not a romance.  I generally read romances.  But, I read the book.... and yes... I then understood the ending.  I didn't like it over much but the ending made sense. And I have to say, it was one of the best books I have ever read.  I recommend it to this day and that was over 40 years ago I read this book. 

So during the slow times here at work, I write a bit here, write a bit there.  And slowly the stories are coming together. I think my editor will be a little busy towards the end of the year.  

So people... HEA's or no??  What do you prefer??  

Working on book..... now?

 Happy Wednesday all!  

Hope you are enjoying spring.  Here in NY it is actually quite nice.  It almost... almost.. makes me want to dive into spring cleaning.... but... nah.... 

I have been working on Sara and Christophers story which will lead into Vanessa and Tav's story.  But the twin sisters, Casandra and Ciara are occupying my brain.  I can't get them out so I have been writing down their stories.  And.... !!!!  I realized how to link them to my first book!  Both sisters!  That's an epic step for me.  

And then there are sisters April and Daisy... I have been writing scenes of their stories too.  

SO to count... I am working on 6 books at the same time.  I get an idea and then just get it down so I don't forget.  

I have Charlottes story in the wings - her love has not been named yet... and then I have my two marines and a vet story... yes... I am so going to do a throuple book.  And then of course.. a gay romance... I am currently obsessed with my gay romances!  

But I digress.  Do any of you have multiple stories clouding up your imagination? 

oh yeah... and then... where did this come from... I am writing down some poetry.  I am not into poetry... but.. its there in my head.  I have been writing that down too.  I have a special book for that.  My book of poetry.  I am no Emily Dickson or Sylvia Plath... maybe more a Lisa Simpson?  But Hey,  you have to write what is on  your mind. 

And talking about special books... Who has special books?  or keeps ordering special books.  The ones with the pretty covers?  or the leather bound books with the soft leather covers? I have so many of them, its going to take a life time to write in all of them.  Now that's a challenge right there!  

Enjoy the beautiful spring days all... have a great day too. 

So Many ideas......

 I have so many ideas.. my brain is exploding.  I have approximately ten to twelve books in my head.  I have written a synopsis of them so that I don't forget my ideas.  

I do my best thinking at night in bed or when I am in the car... supposed to be paying attention to driving... and on the way home from work the other day... it happened.  My brain was on overdrive and I created a storyline arc to connect Casandra and Ciara (twins) (books 7 and 8?)  to Alexei and Angela.  How does that happen?  

As a writer - where do your ideas come from?  

Ultimately all my books in the Forever Home series, while independent books, will relate to the final book of Diane and Bud. So there will be a common theme in all the books in this series that relate to Forever Home.  As you can see that I started this theme in my first book with Alexei and Angela. 

And while I should be writing about Sara and Christopher, and I have, but Vanessa's story has been infringing in my writing and also Casandra and Ciara are pushing through.  But before Casandra and Ciara, I have April and her sister Daisy - daughters of Bud who will be involved with Diane - creator of Forever Home, need to have their stories told.  

Do you have favorite characters?  While Vanessa starts out hard, I love how her story is evolving and how she is growing.  And while April is a strong woman, her underestimated sister Daisy's story is turning out to be so much fun to create.  

As a writer - do you write only one book at a time or do you have a few in the hopper? 

And to anyone out there who is a fan of Astronomy, did you see the Eclipse?  Here in Long Island, we only had about 91% coverage but I didn't care!  It was beautiful!  Exhilarating! I felt it in my soul.  I love everything about space and natural phenomena like this. I had my solar glasses and I was out every 10  minutes to watch the moon take little bites out of the sun!  It was extraordinary!  

Ok, reining in my geekness..... 

https://www.amazon.com/Conflict-Forgiveness-Catherine-MERVYN

https://www.amazon.com/My-American-Angel-Alexei-Angela- 

Hope you all have a great day... enjoy the spring!!  

Cathy 

Working at work

 I transferred all my docs to google docs because I can easily open them at work.  This week I have been working on my book during some down time. I find that I am more productive during the day at work.  

I addition, I have come to realize that I am going to have to plot more than I have in the past.  I am truly a pantser.... flying by the seat of my pants kind of writer.... but my 3rd book got a little confusing.  So I have a note book and am doing a synopsis of each chapter and what I want to write in it.  I have about 8 chapters done.  I have about 4 more to go.  I have it all in my head, I just have to get it down on paper.  

And I have been writing on my other books too.  the 4th book is going to be related to the 3rd book. They are stand alone books, but there are references back and forth between both of them. So I now am setting this up in my chapter notebook to kind of keep track.  So I guess now I am a plotting pantser??  

I am excited about the 4 upcoming books... and hell, I'm excited about the other books in my brain.  I think one is better than the other and I can't wait to get them all down on paper.  But one day at a time... one book at a time..... well... maybe two books at a time.  

And I have decided that I need to learn spanish.  I  took years of it in high school, but you all know how that goes.... use it or lose it.  I set up an account with babbel and so did my boss.  So we are both learning spanish from the beginning at the same time.  

Squeezing all this fun into one day!!  Oh my!!

later taters......