Floofy Kitten and Lots of Announcements!
Oct 19, 2023 3:45 pm
Hey there!
It's been another couple weeks already which blows my mind. As we're rapidly approaching the end of the year, I need to reflect on the things that I still need to accomplish before we enter 2024. Homeschooling has begun once again in earnest, and the kids are having a blast. Winterizing the homestead is a big job, and we're finding that we are a bit behind with the frost and snow right around the corner. On the bright side, we did knock a massive project off the list which gives us some breathing room for the winter (more on that below). And we have a kitten (pics below) to add to the mix of mousers living on the homestead.
Fortunately, on the more exciting note, The Kids of Cybercity Trilogy is scheduled to be published at the end of next month! Yes, as in, just over a month away. If you're looking for a great middle-grade sci-fi read to gift to your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, or even a random child on the street, we've got you covered. To see more about the books, check out the LINK HERE.
And for kicks and giggles, here is the blurb for book 1:
Silence is prohibited. Sound and stimulation are the only truth for the citizens of Cybercity. For most, this truth is the basis for how they run their life.
For some, this truth is the most annoying thing in the entire world.
Sadie, your atypical fourth-grader, wants nothing more than to deconstruct the Sensory Overload Auditory Processing Systems forced onto every citizen’s ears. Silence is a thing of fantasy, a reality that exists only in dreams. And it’s a dream she shares with no one.
Until she bumps into Jaesun. Reality bends and shifts as two kids delve into a dangerous path toward silence.
But are they prepared for what they’ll find?
My Progress This Week (and an announcement!)
I've jumped headlong into writing book 2 of The Hidden Heritage series, Demonblooded. So far, I'm at about 23K words and pretty thrilled with where the story is going. To be honest, when I came back to drafting the story, I wasn't sure where to go with it. With my discovery writing process, it's easy to go with the flow until I finish. Stopping for a couple months made it challenging to return. But, like all good things in life, I just needed a little time.
With all the shifts I've made in my author focus, particularly towards YouTube as a platform, I'm proud to announce the rebranding of the channel! I will heretofore be known as The Casual Author on YouTube. I've changed the name of my channel to reflect this, as well as the branding on some of the videos. Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any videos! The plan is to post the podcast episode on Wednesdays and another video on Friday morning each week.
This week I've been diving into Amazon Ads. The Lightbearer Chronicles is in dire need of readers, and given that I've proven not the greatest at social media, it comes to me attempting to master Ads. Have I seen success? Not yet. Am I going to keep cranking at it? Absolutely. If you haven't had a chance to read The Lightbearer Chronicles it's never too late to have a read.
New Episodes of The Casual Author!
Writing is challenging enough as it is, in any genre, no less. But what if you want to take that to a whole new level, crafting a complex world with politics, creatures and magic that goes far beyond this world? Join Mikel and me as we discuss all that went into crafting his epic fantasy book and all the complexities within.
OR
Do you have expertise in or an obsession with something seemingly random? Put that to good use in your writing! Join C. J. R. Isely and me as we discuss how her expertise in medieval history and horse care adds validity to her writing and delights her readers daily.
Chicken Run and Socks the Floofy Kitten
As mentioned above, we were able to check a huge project off the list this week. Ever since we moved here nearly three years ago, we've been wanting to build a permanent roofless chicken run to add onto the already existing run. Fun fact: chickens need sunlight to lay eggs. With the previous run (which is roofed with tin) they just weren't getting enough of the precious rays. But this week, I secured the last bit of fencing on the run, and I have to say--it looks dang good.
In other news, you may recall that a few weeks ago one of our adorable barn kittens met an unfortunate end in the road. Not only were we sad to not have her sweet personality on the homestead, but it also meant that we might not have enough cats to help with the mouse population. So, we did the logical thing. We kept a kitten from one of the recent litters. His name is 'Socks' because he's all black with white feet. He's about the fluffiest thing I've ever seen.
And just one more....
You'll have to ignore the sawdust covered floor. I haven't swept since all the wood cutting I did for the chicken run fencing.
And Now for the Free Books of the week!
More great books to check out!
warm regards,
Dan
