Fresh Books And Fresh Goals Are Underway ✍️
Oct 11, 2023 3:31 pm
It's been a rough week all around the world, so I hope you're surviving as best as you can. If you're looking for a brief escape from life's struggles, the Teutonic Fantasy Realm is open for you. And for this author, who's got another full-length paranormal romance novel in the works. 💕
If you haven't checked out the two free novellas that are part of the Teutonic Fantasy Realm, now's the time to grab yourself a copy of each one. You can find Gift of Air, a steamy standalone featuring Ilsa and Horst, right here:
https://books2read.com/ebgiftofair
Or start with Veiled Magic, a bonus story related to my dark romantic fantasy series. Meet ice witch Swanie, her outsider friend Vreni, and a respectful dude who wields the element of warm wind, right here:
Now it's time for me to share my 15 Quarterly Goals for the final part of 2023, to give you a peek into the inner workings of an indie author's world.
C.L. Carhart's 4th Quarter Goals
Earlier this year, I decided to start setting a batch of goals to work towards for each quarter of the year in an effort to keep myself on task. One issue a lot of indie authors face is that since we work for ourselves, we don't exactly have all the accountability that comes with holding a typical job. No bosses peering over our shoulders, and no coworkers dependent on us to keep things running.
So that means stuff tends to slip through the cracks. At least for me.😣
Therefore, I try to keep myself accountable to all my readers by stating my goals at the start of the quarter and admitting which ones I finished—and which ones I didn't finish—at the end of the quarter. You might remember that I managed to complete 9 of my 15 goals for the 3rd quarter.
Can I manage to match that number—or beat it—in the final quarter of the year? We'll find out at the beginning of January. But for now, here's what I've got on the docket for October through December:
- write, edit, and publish Gift of Wind
- expand and publish Winter Flame on the retailers
- outline several bonus novellas for Elemental Bloodlines
- write 10 chapters of Elemental Bloodlines Book 6
- brain dump for my next 2 Teutonic Fantasy Realm series
- set up email flows for my bookshop's newsletter
- clean out author Instagram account
- prepare author Facebook page to run ads
- file copyrights for Darkness, Water, Light, and Wind
- format & publish paperbacks for Darkness, Water, and Wind
- continue business-related online course
- plan and take a short vacation
- visit 5 waterfalls (already got 3 done!)
- walk the neighborhood at least twice per week
- weed, prune, and mulch for next year's garden
Oof, that's a darn lot of tasks I'm hoping to accomplish! And as you can see, I've gotten behind with some stuff—like copyrights and paperbacks. 🤦♀️ Hopefully I'll be able to turn things around so I can start 2024 on stable ground.
Mountain Views
I'll admit here and now that I've already finished one of the personal goals listed above. My husband and I took a short vacation at the end of last week. We vanished into the mountains of western North Carolina, where we visited 3 waterfalls and a really lovely state park.
That's one of many magnificent views from Grandfather Mountain, a place I'd recommend for everyone, even if you need a cane or wheelchair to get around. I've also figured out—after nearly 20 years of living near the Appalachians—why I like this particular mountain range so much. The peaks aren't exactly high, but they're all covered in fuzzy, bumpy-looking trees. 🌳🌲🌳🌲
Book Fairs & Promos
Be sure to browse all the intriguing stories hanging out in this week's book fair by clicking the graphic above. Forty-nine tales by a whole bunch of indie authors—one of which happens to be one of my own boxed sets. (It's been a while since I've offered this one as a freebie with newsletter signup, so you might want to snag it while I'm being more generous than I should be. 😜)
Then you can check out all the other book fairs & giveaways going on this month. It looks like LoveBite Books is still offering Gift of Stone as its PNR download, so if you haven't picked up Zehra's story yet, act fast!
***Reminder: Gift of Stone includes very dark themes and content, so skip over it if you have triggers.
LoveBite Books - newsletter freebies
Permafree Romantic Sci-fi, Fantasy, and Paranormal
Wide World of Sci-fi and Fantasy Book Fair
Other Books You Might Like
Got two books by my fellow indie authors to share with you (as usual). One is heavily discounted for a limited time, and it looks like a Viking-inspired fantasy romance, so definitely check that one out! And don't skip over the freebie with newsletter signup, because all us indies need your faithful support. 💖
As the god of war and bringer of order and justice I can have anything. Except one mortal woman.
I came to Astrid's prayer for justice. Why, I didn't know. I should have left after that, but I didn't. Something about the mortal woman lured me like no other had. It was wrong, I knew that. I should have allowed her to live out her short years as they were intended.
Yet, not even I am a match for a yearning heart.
From shared drinking horns to unforgettable nights, I am determined to bring her the honor she deserves, just as she has sworn to shield me from the horrors of the world. But when trouble amongst the gods stirs, Astrid may just pay the price for my transgressions.
And the price for spilling the blood of my Valkyrie, is one too steep for any god.
For years, I kept my emotions in check and my magic a secret from almost everyone, but one look into Nash's gray eyes, and everything changed.
I learned at an early age my powers were dangerous. Thankfully, working as a barista, I never used my magic for more than locking doors and lighting candles.
Then one day, Detective Nash Yun walked into my life.
The instant attraction I felt towards him blended with the power within, and though he's an arrogant jerk with no regard for other people's feelings, I want him. Bad.
But he's not here on vacation, he's here to solve a missing persons case and time is running out. For the first time in my life, I have the opportunity to use my powers for something good. No, something great.
The only question is can I control them this time?
Welp, we've made it to the bottom of this week's newsletter, and you know what that means. C.L. Carhart needs to scurry over to her own laptop so she can dive back into crafting Book 5 of Elemental Bloodlines. And you might have caught sight of the book's title in my list of Quarterly Goals....
💨 Gift of Wind 💨
The story of Karl Hippler and Skye Stern—a second chance romance that brings both of them the peace and satisfaction they'd long desired.
I can't wait for you to go on this journey with them. By next week, I ought to have a snippet to share, along with links for the pre-order. For now, wish this writer luck and success with her mystical muses.
Talk to you soon,
C.L. Carhart
Get Gift of Air for free:
https://books2read.com/ebgiftofair
Get Veiled Magic for free:
Elemental Bloodlines series:
https://clcarhart.com/collections/elemental-bloodlines-series-ebooks
This week's book fair: