Here's to finishing my goals for the month! 

 

I'm so excited to share today some fun stuff I've been working on for the last few weeks. I've never been great at cover design, but I got inspired and stumbled onto a good design. So, I'm happy to share with you the new covers for a few of my shorter works.

The Maple Leaf Books:

 

A little over a year ago, I noticed my newsletter was losing readers fast. I wanted to find out why and do better. So I took a survey. The number one reason people weren't liking my newsletter at the time was  they felt they were getting information that was already on the blog or social media. They wanted original content. This led me to radically change my newsletter as well as examine all my social media outlets.

I made the switch. I created original content for Instagram, Facebook, and my newsletter. My blog suffered and became little used (even though it is one of my favorite outlets). I spent time creating fun graphics for Instagram, spent more time making my newsletter original, and creating unique Facebook posts. 

It worked. People were loving it and engaged. 

And I burned out. 

I wasn't prepared to make that radical change. I quickly became exhausted trying to learn what people wanted in each space and creating that kind of content. I wanted to give my readers what they wanted. I really did, but within two months, I had gone silent across all my social media accounts because I had burned out. 

I learned some valuable lessons that I wanted to share with you. 

No matter what I'm doing as a creative, I need to make sure I never lose sight of my passion. This may be basic, but I was spending so much time creating content for social media, that I lost writing. Yes, there are still days (like today) I spend most of my time on blog posts and social media content creation. But I want to make sure that I'm spending more time on the reason for those posts - my writing. 

One of the things that caused my burnout was my inability to make cute little videos that are so popular right now.  I learned that while it's good to try new things, it's also okay to admit it's not for me. I will never be a TikTok star or make viral Instagram Reels. I'm just not good in front of a camera. I'm a writer, not a performer. That's okay. Trying to be something I wasn't burned me out quickly. I want to keep learning new skills and new ways to connect with my readers. However, I don't have to do things I'm bad at.

I'm very big on pushing myself to work when I don't feel like it. I have to be. If I didn't, I would write one day a week, edit a chapter once a month, and make zero progress. But sometimes, I push myself at the wrong times. I've learned that just as important as pushing myself to keep creating is using my creative rhythms to the best advantage. This means that on days like today, I write blog posts and create social media content because I was inspired to do so. The rest of this week, I'm working on editing and writing.

From my readers, I learned I needed to make original content for each outlet. But just as important, I learned the content I create always needs to be what I'm passionate about. I'll never be passionate about creating short videos for entertainment purposes. I don't even watch much of that kind of content. I'm passionate about writing, books, my family, and mentoring young women. I need to keep focused on those things.

What are some lessons you've learned from times of creative burnout?

 

As Long As I Belong novella launch

I'm so excited to be releasing As Long as I Belong in time for Thanksgiving this year! I and a few of the authors who were part of A Very Bookish Thanksgiving last year are promoting the release of our individual stories. You can can be part of the lunch team for my story and the others. 

Sign up HERE

Christmas with Taelis

This is a unique opportunity for you to review an audiobook and then give it away to your readers. You can request up to four audiobooks to be reviewed in the first part of December. 

Sign up HERE

Eeek!!! I'm so excited, how about you? J. Grace Pennington, Rebekah Jones, Kate Willis and I each have written a novella for this collection. Each novella is based loosely on an old novel, with a character who loves that book! Trust me, this is going to be an amazing collection. As I've watched these novella's take shape, it's increased my excitement! The stories are:

Molly and Anna by Sarah Holman
Gingerbread Treasures by Rebekah Jones
Sylvie of Amber Apartments by J. Grace Pennington
Love, Jem by Kate Willis

Now, there is one thing that you should know about this collection, It's only going to be available for a limited time. Starting next month, it will be available for preorder and it will be available through December. So, make sure to be ready to get it! You can add it to your Goodreads to-read list now. Click HERE.

April was a crazy, busy month for me. There were some tough moments in it, but May has brought some wonderful things. The biggest being the end of my job at the thrift store so I can spend more time writing! For the first time in over a year, I'm spending more time with my writing work than anything else.

Honestly, this week has been off to a slow start. The last couple of days I've felt anything but motivated. Yet, I'm pleased with the progress I've already made the last couple of weeks. I've finished a novella for a secret project (details coming in July) and I've made some progress in Kate's Christmas. The first draft is now full of notes and I'm about to dive headlong into editing. 

This past weekend, I was very blessed with some time with my friend Kelsey (the beautiful girl with the red hair). She is a dear friend as well as a fellow author. She is also is the reason I've ventured into the world of classics. We read one a month together. We had a lot of fun going back over the books we've read together. We might be working on a project to bring those conversations to you, so stay tuned.

I've been enjoying getting back to doing something that I enjoy and some things that I don't love but feel good in the long run. Running is one of those things. I was very blessed with some perfect weather this last week as I started back.

Speaking of other things I'm really enjoying getting back to is reading!

I celebrated my return to having reading time by one of my all-time favorite books, The Heavens Before. This book is so compelling and...well I can't say enough good about it. You can read my review about it HERE.

While I'm enjoying catching up on some of my reading, I've been on a Perry Kirkpatrick kick. Her books are clean and so much fun. I started The Accidental Cases of Emily Abbott series. Red Rover, Red Rover was so much fun. You can read my review on Goodreads HERE. I also I'm catching up on her cute series, The Kitten Case Files.

Well, I'm off to have pizza and a movie with my siblings. Catch you all soon!

I have a couple ideas for some blog post series. You get to pick which one I'll start in February.

It happens about this time every year: I look over the projects I am working on and have to figure out how best to use my time for the reminder of the year. What books do I want to release in time for Christmas and what projects do I need to set aside to make that happen. As I take off the month of December, I also want everything to be in a good place to be set aside for a time. A couple weeks ago, I did that planning.


I feel like, for the first time in a few years, I have a really good chance of meeting my goals. This year has been full of bumps, both in my writing and personally, but I feel like, through it, I have found my writing rhythm. I have found how much work I can plan so that I am challenged, but not overwhelmed if I end up needing to take a day off. Finding this will make me a better writer I think.
So, what are my plans for the next few months? I won’t bore you with all of it, but I will show you my publishing schedule. Lord willing, I will be able to keep to it.

October ~ The next Tales of Taelis short story.
November ~ There was Always Laughter in Our House
December ~ A Christmas short story/  Kate’s Case Files #3

Which one are you looking forward to the most?

It had happened again. Yet another delusional man claimed to be the Messiah. Jonathan moved with the crowd, his anger pulsing with his heartbeat. If only Israel was not controlled by Rome. This radical man would not have been allowed to teach as long as he had, Jewish law would have stopped him long ago. Yeshua of Nazareth had claimed to be so many things, like the son of God, King, and Messiah.
 “Blasphemer!” someone shouted as Yeshua was dragged out onto the stage, bloodied from the whipping he had received. Pilate stood not far away looking across the crowd.
Jonathan's hands balled into fists and he felt anger surge within him. They should not have to be groveling to a Roman ruler to carry out justice. Yet, as long as this blasphemer died, justice would have been done. He saw that his anger was mirrored on many of the faces in the crowd. He had seen a man or woman here who supported this Yeshua, but they had been silenced hours ago. He peered around trying to look for one face. Somewhere in the crowed, he knew that Tabitha would be there with her family. He had seen them earlier, but the press of people had separated them.
The anger ebbed a little as he thought of Tabitha. They had become betrothed a few months before, and he was grateful. She was a devout and sweet girl who would make a good wife. If Adonai smiled on them, they and their children would see the restoration of Israel.
Pilate raised his hands, and the crowd quieted. “I tell you, I find nothing wrong with this man!”
Jonathan shook his fists and yelled along with the other men in the crowd at Pilate’s words. How could he find no fault with this man?
“He should be crucified,” someone next to him whispered.
Jonathan had heard this spoken of before, but now he allowed his anger to carry him away. He shouted along with the crowd, his anger burning.
“Crucify him! Crucify him!”
“Why? What crime has he committed?” Pilate asked.
Jonathan was barely able to hear the words between his own shouts, and he only shouted louder when he did hear. Pilate would not understand; the man was Roman, not a Jew. He had no fear of God in his heart. Justice must be served. This Yeshua of Nazareth must be punished.
Suddenly, everyone around him grew quiet. He felt almost as if he had plunged beneath the water, so sudden and heavy was the silence.
Pilate washed his hands in water and held them up toward the crowd.
“I am innocent of this man’s blood,” Pilate yelled. “He is your responsibility.”
The silence ended with a wave of noise that started from the back of the crowd. The cry was picked up and repeated over and over again. Jonathan heard it and picked up the chant.
“May his blood be on us and on our children! May his blood be on us and on our children!”
The Romans grabbed the troublemaker, Yeshua, and dragged him away. Jonathan cheered and moved with the crowd, his blood pumping. This was justice. Adonai was at work, even through these Romans.
“Jonathan!”
He looked up and saw Tabitha in the crowd. He moved toward her, moving against the press of people. Her father and brother were with her, yet she still looked frightened. It was not surprising, the crowd, having had their way, were becoming angrier and violent.
“Are you going with them?” Tabitha shouted above the crowd.
Jonathan nodded. “This is a glorious day! Today, justice will be served. Adonai will use the Romans to carry out His justice.”
Tabitha’s father put his arm around her shoulder. “I think I will take my children back to the house.”
Jonathan nodded. Tabitha had no doubt seen her share of crucifixions. Rome had often lined roads with crosses when rebellion had come. Yet it was a sight that, if a woman could avoid, she should.
Without another word, he moved along with the crowd, letting the tide of people carry him along. There were a few who sympathized with this man, Yeshua, and Jonathan was ashamed. This should be something that all Jews were united against! Blasphemers like this should not be tolerated, yet there was a woman crying over Yeshua’s fate. Someone spat on the woman and shoved her aside.
“You do not know what you are doing!” a man shouted, looking straight into Jonathan's eyes. “He is who he claims to be. You have cried out that his blood is on you and your children.”
Jonathan grabbed the man’s arm and pulled him along. “Come and see how powerful your king is!”

While Jonathan was happy to see justice done, the blood and horror of a crucifixion was sickening. This was never what it was supposed to be like. The Jews were supposed to stone people like this, not have them die like this, exposed to the world without any clothing, struggling for each breath as blood poured out of their body.
He looked at the ground as men taunted Yeshua. All the anger had evaporated from him when he had watched Yeshua offer no resistance as the men took his clothes, and then he had lain down on the cross himself, without fighting. Shouldn’t he have fought? Shouldn’t he be angry and shouted at the Romans?
Jonathan’s head shot up as a cry escaped Yeshua.
“Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing,” Yeshua cried out.
Jonathan winced and looked away. The words disturbed him deep within himself. Who was this Yeshua? What kind of man asked for forgiveness for those who called for and carried out his execution?