A New Year, A Fresh Start
Jan 04, 2025 6:01 pm
Happy New Year!
2024 has come to a close, and it is time for a fresh start.
So, as this year dawns, I'm hoping to get back into my writing again. As some of you may know, I've been struggling with writing and my confidence since 2022. It hasn't been easy to continue, and I considered quitting several times. This is one of the reasons I've been focusing on the Heyward and Andersen stories; shorter fiction is easier for me to write and publish.
I do want to get back to creating novels, and the new lighthouse ghost story book (which finally has a title, Dark Beacon) has me excited again, so that's good. I've also made a projects plan for 2025, to keep more on track with goals and finishing books.
So here's what to expect in 2025 from me.
The Firm Goals:
Publish the Paranormal Cozy Mystery by July
Editing this book will be my first goal of 2025, and yes, it does have a title, but I'm not releasing the name quite yet. I'll also need some beta readers this year, so if any of you like cozies as well as the dark stuff, be sure to sign up when it's ready.
Publish Tales of the Norse Gods in November
I've pushed this back until November because the storyline takes places around Christmas, so I think that will be the best release date. It still needs some more editing, but it's coming along.
Write and publish Adventure at Reichenbach
This will be the final Heyward and Andersen story before I release the print collection, and will wrap up their storyline, as well as close the Sherlock Holmes thread I've been running through the stories.
Write the first draft of Dark Beacon
This horror book won't be published this year, but I hope to get the first draft finished, or close to finished this year. Thanks to a brainstorming session, I have some excellent ideas for the plot that should be nice and creepy.
Update some formatting for my backlist.
I have several backlist books that need new covers and formatting, plus some other paperback/hardback formatting to complete, so that's on the list of grunt work to get done this year.
The Maybe Goals:
These three tasks I'd like to work on this year, even if only in part.
Edit Masks and Shadows, my historical fantasy book.
Edit Shadows of the Dead, my horror novella.
Prepare the Heyward and Andersen print story collection.
So that's my lists of projects for the year. If all goes well, I'll have three books out this year.
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The Shadows and Ink Podcast
The season 1 finale aired, our Holiday Horror episode with Lily Luchesi, where we chatted about writing, Supernatural, and affirmed that Die Hard is a Christmas movie. We will also have a new look this year, and we kick off Season 2 with a folklore episode.
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Giveaways and Books To Browse
New Year Sci-Fi & Fantasy Bargains
Ends January 31st!
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HORROR
The Curse: Spiritual Grimdark Horror Graphic Ballad
by A.G. ZoderoT
A.G. ZoderoT's grimdark spiritual horror fantasy ballad opus, set in a foreboding fantasy realm, unveils the saga of Drakko, an ordinary youth teetering on the brink of destiny. His encounter with the enigmatic One ignites an inner odyssey that has long been underway, unbeknownst to him, hastening his journey as disparate worlds coalesce into One.
As Drakko undertakes his final quest, trials test his resolve, propelling him to realms both internal and external, beyond the confines of his wildest imaginings. Witness his harrowing metamorphosis, decipher the clues pointing inward, and behold the fate of those who believe they've grasped the elusive Truth, only to realize their quest has just begun!
This book is a sample / preview copy
In Shadows by D.C. Fergerson
Jack Layton is recovering from a car wreck that took the life of his wife. Between guilt and grief, he isolates himself in their home. But when he finds a letter from his deceased wife, everything he knows comes into question. Something is haunting him in the darkness. As he digs deeper, his car crash may not have been an accident at all.
If he can face it, Jack must confront these nightmares and find out what's lurking in shadows.
FANTASY
Fundamental MAgics by Alex Evans
In a world where magic is returning after centuries of absence, Professor Adrienne Imlay has been able to balance her secret shamanic abilities with her academic career. But when she becomes entangled with Philidor Magnus, a charismatic inventor with a dark secret, she is drawn into a deadly plot involving demons, rival industrialists, and shadowy magical authorities.
When rifts to other dimensions threaten to tear her city apart, she must confront her own abilities and their ethical quandaries.
A special note for readers: this book contains a lot of different characters and a lot of worldbuilding. If you prefer your settings conventional and your story focused on a few heroes and villains, you probably won't enjoy this novel.
The Tear of the Iron Maiden by Bruno Martins Soares
It’s the 22nd century and the Corporate Wars rage through our Solar System. Alex 9, an elite commando on a crucial mission, finds herself in Deep Space. Something went wrong with her ship, and she ended up on a planet much like Earth – a world at war where Humanity is still in the Middle Ages. Armies of knights, bowmen, and spearmen clash as empires fight to the death and alliances are stretched to the limit. But is Alex there by accident? A mysterious prophecy seems to have predicted her coming. And why is she in possession of the deadly Japanese Sword of the Dragon, once the prize of the Takahashi-McNamara Corporation? What secret powers are at work? In this new world, she will have to find a new family, a new mission, and her own destiny.
A story from the Alex 9 Saga universe.
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My Merch Stores:
Vintage and artsy designs on a variety of products
Scifi, fantasy, and horror designs on a variety of products
Writer and reader-based designs on a variety of products
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Find me on:
Website | Facebook Group | YouTube | BookBub
Instagram | BlueSky | TikTok| My Amazon page
Lemon Squeezy Store | My Books on StoryOrigin
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That's it for this edition. And I'll return next month with more updates.
