All sorts of ideas, tensions, and characters involved in Gift of Snow are dropping into that cauldron known as C.L. Carhart's writerly brain. And I gotta say, this final book in the Elemental Bloodlines series should be an exhilarating ride. Heading back into the 1950s—Ilsa's era in Gift of Air—with Teuton priests promoting the worst methods of maintaining magical bloodlines post-WW2....

But what about that Boxer??? 🐶

I've named the majority of the human characters set to appear in Gift of Snow, but I've yet to choose an appropriate name for the female Boxer owned by the main character's uncle. As a certified cat lady who has never owned a dog, I'll admit I'm about to Google "German dog names" and choose one out of the ether. Assuming any of them seem relevant to the 1950s.

BUT if you'd like to play a role in naming that lovable companion, just hit reply and tell me what you think the Boxer's name should be! If your name resonates with how I envision her character, I'll gladly use it with your permission. 💖

Remember, Gift of Snow is set in 1950s Austria, so a German-ish name might work best. Or a fairly common English name. Whatever! You pick!

4th Quarter Goals

So it's about time I come clean with you about whether or not I managed to crush at least 8 out of my 15 goals from the 4th quarter. Might I have spent the last couple days of 2023 trying hurriedly to finish a couple? Maaaaybe. 😬

Writing Goals:

• write, edit, and publish Gift of Wind—DONE!
• expand and publish Winter Flame on the retailers—DONE!
• outline several bonus novellas for Elemental Bloodlines—outlined one, but one is not "several," so...nope
• write 10 chapters of Gift of Snow—uhhhh nope 🤦‍♀️
• brain dump for my next 2 Teutonic Fantasy Realm series—nope

Business Goals:

• set up email flows for my bookshop's newsletter—STILL nope (for real have to get this done by the end of March....)
• clean out author Instagram account—DONE!
• prepare author Facebook page to run ads—nope
• file copyrights for Darkness, Water, Light, and Wind—DONE!
• format & publish paperbacks for Darkness, Water, and Wind—getting there, but not done yet
• continue business-related online course—DONE! (finished the course 😁)

Personal Goals:

• plan and take a short vacation—DONE! (Blowing Rock, NC is a dream)
• visit 5 waterfalls—only managed to get to 4 😞
• walk the neighborhood at least twice per week—DONE!
• weed, prune, and mulch for next year's garden—DONE!

Welp, looks like I just barely managed to complete more than half of my goals, so that means I won the 4th quarter! 🎉 And yep, my husband and I literally did the weeding & garden prep on New Year's Eve. Because procrastination, yay!

Procrastination hit me with harsh consequences in 2023 when I didn't make the pre-order deadline for Gift of Water on Amazon. Because I completely failed there, I'm not allowed to hold another pre-order on Amazon until August of this year. Which has noticeably hurt the sales of my last 3 releases. 😭

That's what I get for doing everything at the last second. This year I intend to work toward corralling that trait into the cage where it belongs. By the time I send next week's newsletter, I'm hoping to have several chapters of Gift of Snow freshly written and perused by my most trusted beta readers.

And on that note....

Fantastic Stories in Kobo Plus

If you've been hanging out on my newsletter for a while, you might remember the YOLO With Kobo event that occurred toward the end of last year. We've got another one of those coming up on Friday the 19th, which means my next email won't be dropping into your inbox until then. YOLO With Kobo focuses on romance books that you can binge for free with a subscription to Kobo Plus.

What is Kobo Plus? It's pretty much exactly like Kindle Unlimited, where you pay a small fee each month to plow your way through every book that ignites your interest. If you're in the U.S. and have never subscribed to Kobo Plus, you can try it out for FREE for your first month. Check it out here:

https://www.kobo.com/en/plus

You don't have to have a Kobo e-reader to use Kobo Plus (or buy eBooks or audiobooks from Kobo). They've got a handy little app you can download to your phone, tablet, iPad, or PC. When you're in a position to add another useful app to your preferred reading device, take a look at the Kobo app here:

https://www.kobo.com/en/p/apps

Now why am I going on and on about Kobo and Kobo Plus when the YOLO event happens next Friday? Well, today I've got over 200 books in the sci-fi and fantasy genres for you to browse that are all available on Kobo Plus! I know sometimes it's hard to figure out just where to start seeking out your next read, but your favorite indie authors have rounded up a big batch of options for you. Click on the graphic below to see all the great stories you can find on Kobo! 🤩

Rather stick with the usual BookFunnel downloads and bookish giveaways? My fellow indie authors have got you covered. ✊

Steamy Paranormal Romance Freebies - ends January 31st

Michelle Bailey's Fated Mates Giveaway - ends January 31st

Other Books You Might Like

Got two more books by other authors like me for you to take a peek at today. We've got misunderstood fae and sexy werewolves seeking out new readers. Will you be one of them? 👀

Eighteen-year-old Kolfinna is a fae, a near extinct race of “heartless” monsters. The Hunters, the military, and the Royal Guard all want her dead for the murder she committed last year.

When Kolfinna is finally caught by the Royal Guard, they offer her a choice other than death: help them search for magical artifacts in an ancient fae ruin and they’ll erase her crimes. The catch? No one has made it out of the ruins alive. The other catch? The wicked Blár Vilulf will be there. The same powerful ice soldier who maimed her and left her for dead last year.

But evil monsters, strange writings, and ancient magic lurk within the crumbling walls of the castle. Kolfinna might be the key to surviving in the ruins, but she’ll have to cooperate with Blár and learn about her own dormant abilities if she wants to save them all.

✨ All Retailers ✨

Fated. Mated. Naked?

Lia is the kind of danger I never trained for--curvy, brilliant, and resilient. I'm not used to softness, and "family" is only a theory. My role in the pack is need-to-know, but the sexy scientist sees more than she should. For my wolf, it was simple. He was pure animal instinct, no messy human emotions for him. Mate. But that meant she was mine to protect, not mine to keep.

Aarick is strong, heals suspiciously fast, and I swear, he actually growled at me. I found him barely alive in the woods, with no clothes, no shoes, and no concept of personal space. He says my life is in danger, but refuses to tell me why. Maybe I’ve been alone on the mountain too long, but I’m not scared of him–only the way he makes me feel.

✨ All Retailers ✨

Pretty sure I'd better slide back over to my laptop since I just compiled a bunch of research about the Austrian city of Wels—the primary setting for Gift of Snow. I'll be waiting for your reply to this email offering me ideas of what to name the Boxer. Seriously, she'll likely end up with a ridiculous German name from Google without your input. 😉

And yes, next week I'll share my goals for the 1st quarter, along with promoting the second ever YOLO With Kobo event. In the meantime, don't forget to browse all the awesome stories in the Kobo Plus book fair happening until the end of the month! I've linked it down below in case you missed it the first time.

Happy reading, and I'll see you on the other side of my writing cave.

Talk to you soon,

C.L. Carhart

Get Gift of Wind:

https://books2read.com/ebgiftofwind

Get Winter Flame:

https://books2read.com/hnwawf

Get Gift of Water (pssst...it might be on sale...):

https://books2read.com/ebgiftofwater

Sci-fi & Fantasy in Kobo Plus:

https://bf.clcarhart.com/kobo-plus-fantasy-science-fiction-january/3hy7e04jyx