Thursday, October 26, 2017

Review: Haven Kansas by @AletheaKontis

Looking for something spooky for Halloween?

Step into Lora's life-turned-nightmare in young adult horror novel, "Haven, Kansas" by Alethea Kontis, where Lora and Erin's dreams of getting in touch with spirits and magic come true in the worst way. Lora wears black and reads about the occult, but at heart she is only a teenager living an average rural life in Haven, Kansas. Her oldest brother likes to fix tractors. Her younger brother and his friends like to pull pranks on the school. And her best friend Erin shares everything with her, including a years-long promise to keep their hands off their mutual crush. Except, Erin doesn't tell Lora where she's going that fateful night, and this innocent little secret makes solving deaths that much harder.

Also, murderous crows. Murderous crows make everything harder. The best clue Lora has is a foul-smelling, centuries-old book engraved with a single name, and meanwhile, people are dying around her.

In "Haven, Kansas" by Alethea Kontis, Lora confronts the power of hate with the help of her family and friends--not exactly your typical super-powered line-up of exorcists, but it's all they've got. Grab your copy here!


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Saturday, October 21, 2017

Review: UFO6 by @AShvartsman

In UFO6 (Unidentified Funny Objects 6), editor Alex Shvartsman once again delivers the high quality comedy we've come to expect from his UFO series. A good portion of UFO6 titles utilize epistolary formats for a non-traditional punchline—these stories are otherwise quite unlike each other. A wonderful collection, expertly arranged.


Stories range from the self-explanatory “Twenty-Nine Responses to Inquiries About my Craigslist Post: Alien Spaceship for Sale. $200, You Haul” by Tina Connolly to the surprisingly touching “A Crawlspace Full of Prizes” by Bill Ferris, which is a bit like if your life were a video game, while being nothing like other stories about video-game lives.

UFO6 includes heavy-hitters Jim C. Hines with parody “A Game of Goblins,” Jack Campbell with “Agent of Chaos,” in which a writer's muse forces her on a trek deep into the mountains where she coincidentally encounters Gothlack, God of Chaos, Alan Dean Foster with a Mad Amos Malone story, “A Mountain Man and a Cat Walk Into a Bar,” and Mike Resnick with a Harry the Book story, “The Great Manhattan Eat-Off,” which is as perfectly ridiculous as it sounds. If you've never read Mad Amos Malone or Harry the Book, you're still in for a treat with these two. And let's not forget Ken Liu, whose “An Open Letter to the Sentient AI Who Has Announced its Intention to Take Over the Earth” drips with sleaze.

On the hard science fiction side of things, “The Breakdown of the Parasite/Host Relationship” by Paul R. Hardy shows how a symbiote and its host can degenerate into petty arguments as fast as your roommate. The Captain reluctantly attempts to intervene as disagreements turn violent and regulations fly out the spaceport. “Display of Affection” by P. K. Sambeaux serves up a healthy dose of creepy in a world where everyone's wired into the net. Guy can't take any more of it when his mother dies, and—well, you'll never look at a museum quite the same afterward. In “Common Scents” by Jody Lynn Nye, symbiote Dr. K't'ank helps host Dena Malone solve a murder mystery with his love of stink. “Alexander Outland: Space Jockey” by Gini Koch may make you wonder if a comedic anthology could, indeed, be complete without space pirates and explosions. “Approved Expense” by David Vierling gives us a chance to live vicariously through dimension-hopping Special Operative Morgan T. Graymael as he explains his itemizations to The Budget and Accounting Administration.

Israel's lost tribe returns on a spaceship in “Lost and Found” by Laura Resnick, in which they are quite shocked to learn what's become of their temple. Esther Friesner introduces readers to the mythical Yiddish town of fools with “From This She Makes a Living?”—along with some interesting phrases, uttered at the discovery of a people-eating dragon come to town. Both Friesner and Resnick's stories treat religion with whimsical irreverence.

Dear Joyce” by Langley Hyde turns all your fantasy tropes on their head with an opinionated advice columnist in this parody reminiscent of LOTR, if Frodo had written to Joyce. “Return to Sender” by Melissa Mead takes us back to folktale classics with letters written by giants of the fe-fi-fo-fum persuasion. “An Evil Opportunity Employer” by Lawrence Wayt-Evans pokes fun at both lawyers and secret identities as our hero tells a henchmen that he should have read the contract. “The Friendly Necromancer” by Rod M. Santos shows us the proper way to deal with those pesky Knights and Knaves riddles—with violence. Santos delivers an excellent blend of characterization, quest-like trickery, and irreverent humor.

Told in first person by the morally-ambiguous scientist who unleashed chaos on the world through humanity's greed and self-loathing, “Impress Me, Then We'll Take About the Money” by Tatiana Ivanova, Translated by Alex Shvartsman, closes out UFO6 with a bang.


Friday, August 4, 2017

Review: Stolen Legacy by @GoblinWriter


Stolen Legacy is the third book in fast-paced, smart and funny space opera, The Sky Full of Stars, by Lindsay Buroker. Stolen Legacy is just as smart and engaging as its predecessors, The Rogue Prince, (reviewed here) and Angle of Truth.

This time, trouble comes knocking on Jelena Marchenko's figurative door in the form of an unlikely treasure hunt with dubious characters, so naturally, she says yes. It can't be that bad when the contact is passed on by her experienced mercenary parents, can it? Not only will Jelena get paid as a transport/smuggler, but she will get to meet Starseers outside of her small family circle. Marchenko has always suspected that the Starseer community shuns her family, though she's not sure why. Surely it is all a big misunderstanding and she can make valuable contacts on this mission, all while aiding her fellow Starseers.

Unfortunately, the treasure hunt involves Starseer powers--a temptation that seems to affect everyone except Jelena. Space pirates are only the first of their troubles as opposition tears at the crew from inside and out. A classic SF mystery provides the bones for this adventure as well as a twist near the end, and one not quite as happy-go-lucky as rescuing lab animals. Stolen Legacy adds depth to The Sky Full of Stars universe as Jelena and her crew hop from space battle to space battle.

The Sky Full of Stars is perfect for voracious readers who enjoy smart and funny characters and plot with soul. Buroker has a great way with dialogue and a good balance of character development and long-reaching plot.

Join Lindsay Buroker's email list to keep up-to-date on her releases, and get free content. Buroker is a prolific writer with a variety of series to whet your appetite. Pick up The Rogue Prince, Angle of Truth, and Stolen Legacy now on Amazon.

Friday, July 7, 2017

Review: Angle of Truth by @GoblinWriter



Angle of Truth is the second book in fast-paced, smart and funny space opera, The Sky Full of Stars, by Lindsay Buroker. Angle of Truth is just as witty and engaging as its predecessor, The Rogue Prince, which I reviewed here.

Young Captain Jelena Marchenko would never regret saving mistreated animals from a giant corporation, but she does feel bad about the debt incurred by her family’s business from her adventures. Apparently, space bases are costly to repair--who knew?

After seeing the bill and her new monthly payments, Jelena turns to her crew for creative solutions, and soon settles on mercenary work. Childhood friend and practiced assassin Prince Thorian warns Jelena that she doesn’t have the cold, killer’s heart needed to be a mercenary, so the team settles for the most heroic-sounding mission: rescuing war prisoners.

Jelena Marchenko still has a knack for getting into trouble as she acts on her bright moral principles in a post-war universe. Angle of Truth piles space battles, magic-like Starseer powers, and witty banter onto the platter of a classic SF moral quandary: outsiders interfering in a civil war.

The Sky Full of Stars is perfect for voracious readers who enjoy smart and funny characters and plot with soul. Buroker has a great way with dialogue and a good balance of character development and long-reaching plot.

Join Lindsay Buroker's email list to keep up-to-date on her releases, and get free content. Buroker is a prolific writer with a variety of series to whet your appetite. Pick up The Rogue Prince and Angle of Truth now on Amazon.

Friday, June 23, 2017

Review: Unleash by @LaurenScribe

I was so excited for Unleash, which already had good reviews from awesome people, like:

“A visceral, heart-pounding ride of a book that will keep you guessing until the final bloody breath.” – Award-winning fantasy author Pip Ballantine (The Books of the Order, The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences)

And Gail Carriger intereviewed Lauren Harris. How cool is that? So of course, I read the book, and after devouring it in two days, I can give you my own glowing review:


In contemporary urban fantasy Unleash (Spellhounds, Book One) by Lauren Harris, Helena Martin fights to break the spell binding her to her sadistic abuser, a powerful mage intent on destroying her family lineage. When well-meaning mundanes offer her a couch to crash on while she waits to contact her cousin on the run, Helena gets a taste of the normal life her abuser has stolen from her. Too bad the Guild is after her and strange happenings keep endangering her and her mundane rescuers.

Lauren Harris writes heart-stopping action scenes while delving into the emotional backlash of abuse--which for Helena includes panic attacks and a painful disconnect from your average social scripts. Readers get a good feel for how dangerous and damaging Helena's situation is, and as a result, Helena comes out on top as an even stronger character. The gritty realism of Unleash was a welcome break from the lighter urban fantasy I usually see. Flowing banter, plot twists, and pointed descriptions round out the action to make Unleash a compelling read.

The wonderfully nail-bitting world of Unleash involves ancient magic drawn through mandalas, blood magic, shapeshifting, and a powerful sorcerer's intent on hiding it all from mundanes. And then there's the heart-warming volunteer dog rescue and the rescuers who only want to give Helena a safe place to stay, away from whatever horrible thing she ran away from. Mandalas and dangerous puppies. Doesn't that make you want to dive in?

Pick up Unleash by Lauren Harris on Amazon.

Add it to your Goodreads list and give it some love there and on Amazon. Every review counts!

Join Lauren's mailing list for an exclusive prequel!  You can also find her on Patreon where followers get exclusive content.

Unjust is the cool prequel you get for signing up!

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Review: The Rogue Prince by Lindsay Buroker

The Rogue Prince is a fast-paced space adventure by Lindsay Buroker. Young Starseer Jelena Marchenko captains her first mission running cargo, to prove to her parents that she's mature enough to handle the family business. Or, you know, to divert on an impulsive rescue mission to rescue abused animals from Stellacor. Whoops. Stellacor ends up being bigger than she imagined, sporting a high-security facility complete with mounted guns and secret super soldiers. And it's not just herself that Jelena drags into this--she couldn't do it without the help of her Erick Ostberg, her friend whose like a brother, and whose Starseer powers balance her own talents.

As Jelena and Erick race back in response to a family emergency, their little diversion continues to pester them with this little thing called consequences. Meanwhile, news of a friend gone rogue further complicates their return home: Jelena wants to talk to prince Thorian to find out if he's really the one behind the assassinations on the news. If they can even find him.

Jelena Marchenko has a knack for getting into trouble--much like her mom, Alisa. Witty banter,  believable family dynamics, Starseer powers and plenty of life-and-death encounters make The Rogue Prince an entertaining read, while the larger story line add depth and complexity.

The Rogue Prince is part of The Fallen Empire universe, in a timeline which begins with Star Nomad (see my review below) in The Fallen Empire Collection. It's not necessary to read The Fallen Empire Collection first, but reading one series will make you want to read the rest. Star Nomad begins it all with Alisa's quest to reunite with her daughter in the wake of chaos following the collapse of the Empire. The Rogue Prince stars her daughter, Jelena Marchenko, and the books share many characters. And let's not forget Cyborg Legacy: A Fallen Empire Novel, which goes into Leonida's backstory, a cyborg character integral to the series.

Guys, this series is FUN and Buroker is prolific, so if you like to devour your SF at a fast pace, you'll have a lot of material and you won't have to wait long for the next installment or spin-off. Buroker has a great way with dialogue and a good balance of character development and long-reaching plot.

Keep an eye out for book two, Angle of Truth--join Lindsay Buroker's email list to keep up-to-date on her releases, and get free content.



PS:
My review of Star Nomad:

Lindsay Buroker was a new author for me and I am 100% sold. I couldn't join her newsletter fast enough after reading this. Star Nomad jumps right into the action and is fast-paced throughout. Great banter, smooth character development, and a complex universe and backstory give the story surprising depth. A great mix of humor, suspense, and a splash of grim. Fans of Firefly will indeed enjoy this because it has a similar tone and tackles similar political nuances--but Buroker's work stands completely on its own. I love Alisa and Mica (the lead female characters), and I also can't wait to read more of Leonidas' story in Cyborg Legacy: A Fallen Empire Novel.

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Review: Little Green Men--Attack! by @BryanThomasS @BaileyRobinW




Little Green Men--Attack! edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt and Robin Wayne Bailey is an entertaining collection I recently had the privilege to review for Tangent Online. However, I only reviewed the first half of the collection for Tangent. Do you think I stopped reading half-way through? Of course not! So, here's another look at the collection as a whole:


Little Green Men--Attack! from Baen, edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt and Robin Wayne Bailey, is a collection of 18 new stories and 1 classic reprint. Each author takes the idea of little green men and runs with it in their own direction, sometimes playing with SF and conspiracy theory tropes, and sometimes shooting off into the unexpected--unless you were expecting Japanese mythological demons (“A Cuppa, Cuppa Burnin' Love” by Esther M. Friesner), or Victorian roller-skate-offs (“A Fine Night for Tea and Bludgeoning” by Beth L. Cato) complete with satirically stiff Victorian style. And speaking of sportswomen who take their sport seriously, “School Colors” by Seanan McGuire is another particularly funny story featuring a paranormal-fighting cheer leading team that may remind readers of shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Turn the ridiculousness up another notch for “Big White Men—Attack!” by Steven H Silver, in which aliens the size of dust motes (Mars dust, to be precise) face off against unwitting astronauts Buzz and Neil.

Elizabeth Moon delivers plenty of creepy factor in “A Greener Future,” where an entertaining troop of little green men are more trouble than they appear. Then in “Rule the World” by Jody Lynn Nye, we get suspiciously charismatic aliens who just want to sign a peace treaty with us, but psychic cats object.

“Stuck in Buenos Aires With Bob Dylan On My Mind” by Ken Scholes is an escapist piece with a beatnik feel (beatnik because... Bob Dylan) in which the narrator is stranded on Earth with the ability to play Bob Dylan songs and speak Spanish, which isn't quite as helpful as one would think in France.

Kristine Kathryn Rusch gives us a wonderfully cynical essay from student to teacher in “Little (Green) Women," because in a universe where little green men might exist, maybe they're bizarre enough to like Little Women.

Martin L. Shoemaker's  “Meet the Landlord” is a tale of one-upmanship that zips along with clever dialogue and running jokes after invisible aliens demand back-payment for humanity's use of the moon.

Little green men can be quite belligerent in “The Little Green Men Take Their Hideous Vengeance, Sort Of” by Mike Resnick. In “Good Neighbor Policy” by Dantzel Cherry, bad attitudes are met with good ole Texas hospitality, which includes pie--the fire ants aren't nearly so accommodating. “Little Green Guys” by K. C. Ball brings us another goofy tall tale in which aliens with attitude demand help in recovering their ship.

Closing the anthology out is “The Fine Art of Politics” by Robin Wayne Bailey, an appropriately over-the-top riff on enthusiastic military who like to shoot every thing out of the sky. “Day of the Bookworm” by Allen M. Steele earlier in the line-up offers the opposite approach, where librarians handle the aliens before the military even knows about them. “First Million Contacts” by Bryan Thomas Schmidt and Alex Shvartsman take the idea of appeasing aliens in another direction--what if your first alien tried to french kiss you...in Walmart?

Also included is “Hannibal's Elephants” by Robert Silverberg, a classic 1988 reprint from Omni.

From psychic cats to french-kissing aliens, Baen's Little Green Men--Attack! offers up a variety of laughs from seasoned story tellers and editors. Get it now!

Full Table of Contents:
“The Little Green Men Take Their Hideous Vengeance, Sort Of” by Mike Resnick
“Little (Green) Women” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
“Good Neighbor Policy” by Dantzel Cherry
“Stuck in Buenos Aires With Bob Dylan On My Mind” by Ken Scholes
“Rule the World” by Jody Lynn Nye
“School Colors” by Seanan McGuire
“Meet the Landlord” by Martin L. Shoemaker
“Big White Men—Attack!” by Steven H Silver
“The Green, Green Men of Home” by Selina Rosen
“A Fine Night for Tea and Bludgeoning” by Beth L. Cato
“The Game-a-holic's Guide to Life, Love, and Ruling the World” by Peter J. Wacks & Josh Vogt
“Day of the Bookworm” by Allen M. Steele
“A Greener Future” by Elizabeth Moon
“A Cuppa, Cuppa Burnin' Love” by Esther M. Friesner
“Little Green Guys” by K. C. Ball
“The March of the Little Green Men” by James E. Gunn
“First Million Contacts” by Bryan Thomas Schmidt and Alex Shvartsman
“Hannibal's Elephants” by Robert Silverberg (1988 reprint from Omni)
“The Fine Art of Politics” by Robin Wayne Bailey

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Cover Reveal: Unleash by Lauren Harris

Craving a gritty, kickass heroine?

Coming in May from Lauren Harris, a Contemporary Fantasy for those who love guns, magic, & romance...



A deadly price for freedom. A power she can't control.

Helena Martin doesn't know who she hates more, the sorcerers who fired the magic-laced bullet or the gang-lord master who used her mother as a shield. Both hunt the remnants of her pack and the only way Helena can protect them is using her newly-unleashed magic to lead the two factions away.

With a coveted book of spells as bait, she flees Miami and heads for her mother’s Minnesota hometown. There, salvation comes in the form of a dog rescue willing to take in a different kind of stray. The illusion of a peaceful life is seductive but with sorcerers and bounty hunters sniffing around every corner, Helena fights to keep her past, her pursuers, and her unstable power a secret.

Then she discovers it’s not the spell book her enemies are after, but Helena herself, and the strange power she can barely control. When her master’s bounty hunters threaten her new home, Helena realizes that protecting the people she’s grudgingly come to love leaves her with one option: join the sorcerers who killed her mother.



PREORDER NOW




Join Lauren's mailing list to for an exclusive excerpt and a reminder when the book is out!  here: http://eepurl.com/CB6Pv


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lauren was raised by an impulsive furniture mover and an itinerant TV News professional in a string of homes up and down the East Coast of the United States. Eventually settling (sort of) in Raleigh, NC, Lauren befriended a band of whimsical nerds who found themselves de-facto beta readers for her scribblings.

After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she studied English and Classics, Lauren moved to Tokyo, Japan for three years. While there, she studied Japanese, taught English, and fell in love with the hot drink section in the vending machines.

Now, Lauren balances a day-job of Cardiac Ultrasound with her passion for writing and other creative persuits. She is the author of The Millroad Academy Exorcists novella series and an Assistant Editor at Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show. Her narration and voice acting can be heard on Audible.com, EscapePod, and various short fiction podcasts.

Keep up with Lauren on the Words of a Feather podcast, her Patreon ( https://www.patreon.com/laurenbharris), or her website,www.laurenbharris.com

Friday, February 10, 2017

Review: The Truth About Cats and Wolves by @AletheaKontis plus Once Upon a Kiss

These two new releases by Alethea Kontis will entertain and nurture the romantic in you. What better way to weather these trying times? And as per usual with Ms. Kontis, the stories have a delightful depth to them, blasting through tropes even in the context of a fairy tale.



The Truth About Cats and Wolves: A Nocturne Falls Universe Story by Alethea Kontis is a fun, refreshing romantic urban fantasy following Kai Xanthopoulos, a young woman on the verge of discovering--and deciding--her fate, beginning with her inexplicable encounter with a refugee werewolf who wants the Nocturne Falls police to catch him. Finn's arrival is certainly no accident, but his connection to Kai comes as a surprise to everyone and leads to the discovery of her long-awaited powers. To add to the fun, Owen--the cat that can talk to her?--he's more than he's let on, and his secrets could mean trouble for Kai on the distant horizon.

Kontis' love story busts through urban fantasy tropes with glee. Kai is a wonderfully strong young woman, both in personality and in her emerging powers. Kai's powers give her options, as contrasted with some urban fantasy stories where the woman is constantly beholden to her dangerous companions. Furthermore, Kai's introspection--balanced well by the story's action and magic--is honest in a way that makes me want to be her. Where other protagonists might simper over the abusive bad boy, Kai evaluates her options and her emotions in a way that respects her self and those around her. As icing on the cake, werewolf Finn is not your typical 'bad' boy, either, or Kai would kick him to the curb in the second chapter.

There's plenty of magic and fun, too. Both cat and wolf carry endearing traits over to their human form. Kai's family and friends range from fairy to novice witch. Nocturne Falls is a delightful urban fantasy town (by Kristen Painter) where paranormals like Kai keep the human residents in the dark using spelled water. But of course, spelled water can't hide everything! Kai and her fae friends have to be careful not to give away the town's secret (or get in trouble with Harmswood paranormal school) as they seek to break Finn's curse.

I hope there's a follow-up to The Truth About Cats and Wolves. Kontis gives readers a light-hearted coming-of-age romance, with a tasty hint of more adventure to come.



And as long as we're talking about Alethea Kontis, here's another recent release that I couldn't resist snatching up!


Let's take a look at Once Upon a Kiss: 17 Romantic Faerie Tales anthology, with "Glass Mountain" by Alethea Kontis.

In this gorgeous anthology, an author's note accompanies each story, noting the original fairy tale inspiration and thoughts behind changes made to the original source material. Many of the original fairy tales will be familiar to readers--such as the little mermaid in "The Sea King's Daughter," a beautiful retelling by Anthea Sharp. Kontis' tale is based on a folk tale I'd never read before and is even more enjoyable for it, complete with strange spells and princesses who fall into them. The stories range in length from short stories to novellas with chapters. A very enjoyable anthology with surprising diversity in tone and subject, and a steal at its current 99c price.

Here's a fun "Fairy Tale Rant" by Alethea Kontis covering the original fairy tale, Old RinkRank. I'd never read the tale before myself and found it enjoyable to look it up after reading the anthology. Her Fairy Tale Rants were quite popular and she would love to do them again for her patreon members.

Enjoy!

Monday, January 2, 2017

How to Meet Your Goals in 10 Not-So-Easy Steps!

I'm a very goal-oriented person, but also easily distracted and not always organized. Here's what I've learned over the past few years about setting better goals, and my goals for 2017:

  1. Don't Compare. This is the hardest for me because I'm naturally competitive and use that to motivate myself. However, it is too easy to make unfair comparisons to people whose lives differ greatly from ours. Am I going to compare myself to a novelist who writes full time? No. Comparing to someone far more productive than yourself creates internal backlash. Always compare yourself to yourself first, and then to other people at a similar level of output. This will start you out right for the next steps:
  2. Depend On Yourself. Set goals that depend on you, not on an agent or publisher agreeing to publish your work. Shift the focus of your goals to how many places you submit, or, for a bit of humor, how many rejections you get, like this 100 rejections goal. 100 rejections means you've submitted 100+ places, and that's the point. With longer projects, there's always word counts!
  3. Know Your Output Level. As you get a baseline of experience tracking your writing speed and other measures of output, you'll be able to set reasonable goals. Know how much time you have and how fast you write, and how much time or how many steps a project needs before it is complete. Remember that real life WILL get in the way at some point, so leave time for that. I wrote 50k+ for NaNoWriMo and then barely met my 15k goal for December. I knew I'd need to do holiday things and give a little time to other projects that I didn't count.
  4. Know What Motivates You. Do you reward yourself when you reach a goal? And remember to let your completed art to be a reward in of itself, too. If your writing is not intrinsically rewarding, either you've hit a temporary bad spot, or your life and/or writing may be out of balance. Word counts motivate me so I find ways to use them even when I'm revising.
  5. Set Short-term Goals. Break projects down into manageable steps. Instead of thinking only "I'm going to publish this fantasy series!" (eek!), breaking it down into word count goals and the revision steps needed after that brings a big project down so you can wrap your head around it.
  6. Revise Your Goals. We're all human and we all make mistakes. Maybe we get to the end of a word count goal only to realize that the draft needs 30,000 more words, which has totally never happened to me ever. Also, we're all human and have to live on this physical plane where we need food and have to work or raise kids and then goodness forbid something tragic happens. Or maybe you hear about a short story deadline and you have the best idea for an entry. Don't be afraid to revise your goals in order to make room for opportunities or to acknowledge that you're not superhuman (bummer!).
  7. Set Flexible Goals. Long-term goals are important for flexibility. That way, if you don't meet your short term-goals, you can see that you've at least made progress, if not as much as you wanted. But you don't want to be revising your goals all the time--that's a sign that you're chasing after every new idea or you're setting your goals way too high (because life!). One way to avoid adjusting your goals all the time is to have a "goal" and a "super goal." The super goal is that high goal you know you can reach if all the stars align, like if my toddler sleeps at night. The regular goal is something that allows for life and all that, but still means that I didn't spend all month procrastinating by magically finding other things to do besides write. 
  8. Organize. I Guess. Last year I attempted to organize by moving all my files off every device and unto the cloud. I was tired of having to switch devices to find the latest draft of a project or a file I needed to submit, plus I didn't want to lose files in a computer crash. What I didn't do was organize every single file in the cloud to make everything as perfect as I want it. I wrote a novel instead. So, organize enough that you can find what you need, but don't use organization as an excuse to procrastinate, either. Thanks to search features, I can find the files I need, and websites like Submissions Grinder help me keep track of short story submissions. I use my google calendar to set alerts for deadlines and for reminders of projects I don't want to leave behind. My other organization accomplishment last year was to create media files for each published and soon-to-be-published work, so that when I want to reach out to beta readers or give potential readers a purchase link, I know where to find it.
  9. Be Nice To Yourself! Do you know what bites? Not meeting my goals! A lot of this advice boils down to being nice to yourself. Sure, you want to push yourself, but that doesn't mean you have to be mean about it! Set reasonable goals and if life really kicks you, revise your goals. Meeting reasonable goals gives you the confidence and experience needed to know when to take a risk - like NaNoWriMo, or pushing a new project into the mix.
  10. WRITE. You can't meet your goals if you don't write! You won't know your output level if you never output. Yoda says there is no try! You can conceivably publish fiction without setting goals, but you can't publish anything if you don't write. Use goals as motivation and focus on the process of writing itself, on sitting down and typing those words. 


Review of 2016 Goals:
  1. Revise opening of Dragon Islands - 50%. I did revise (a lot!) but plan to revise again and technically don't have an opening scene right now. (I have two... This was before the great migration to the cloud!)
  2. Finish and submit short stories. 100% I have 7 pieces and 20 rejections. This was a huge deal to me as I've been focusing quite a bit on Dragon Islands.
  3. Some kind of NaNoWriMo. 100% I surprised myself by changing my mind from doing revisions to writing the next book in Dragon Islands, and it was absolutely the right choice at 65k since Nov 1.
  4. Improve my platform for Premeditations. 100% My publisher recently thanked me for 'not giving up' on my chapbook. See, many authors and publishers act like a book is dead after a few months to a year. But that doesn't fit my long-term goals. I felt like I could have done more when Premeditations came out, but I saw no reason for that to be a permanent mistake. I learned more about marketing and long-term planning.
  5. Reviews and blogging. 100% I review 1 magazine a month for Tangent Online, and on top of that, I wanted to review more on my blog, keep up with Pendragon Variety posts, and release regular content both here and on my homeschool blog. I mention this because I think periodically about giving up, but I didn't. I even sold an article or two to homeschooling magazines. Done!
  6. SURPRISE GOAL! At the beginning of the year, I had no idea I'd write, illustrate, and self-publish a children's book, Charlie Cat Does NOT Like Halloween. It's been a long-term goal of mine to write picture books and this year I did it! 

2017 Goals:

  1. Release Charlie Cat Needs a Break on Thanksgiving.
  2. Write another Charlie Cat book.
  3. Finish drafting the Dragon Islands series. (Continue logging word counts).
  4. Revise the opening to Dragon Islands and send the first book to beta readers.
  5. Write, revise, and submit more short stories for 30 rejections.
Ahhhh, so scary! A year is a long time to plan for! Anything could go wrong!

Or things could go right. Hmm.

Here's to a great 2017!