Hey there, Word Lovers, can you believe how fast the end of the year is coming? Blink hard enough and you can already see the Christmas lights!

November is always a busy month for me, and this year has been no exception. But before I get into things, I wanted to share the results of the poll I sent out last month, as well as a sneak peek at the title, which I haven't shared anywhere yet! That's right, y'all are getting exclusive information here.

And the winner is...

Breaking Triviality

This will be the first novella in the 3 part Time Transfer serial that I plan to release late Spring/early Summer 2026. The cover is already coming together beautifully, and I'll be sending it along to my editor next month, so get excited. This book has been a true labor of love, inspired by true events shared in the B-17 Voices of the Air series that I worked on for 5 years. Tidbits of the true stories are interwoven into the experiences of my characters, and I plan to share pieces of the real stories in some of the chapter headings, as well in my author's note at the end of the series. I'm seriously pumped to see this project coming to reality.

This week marked another trip around the sun for me, and that was reason enough to take a picture of all my books together with my birthday doughnut/donut. (Which spelling do you prefer?)

I have to say, seeing all my book babies in one place gives me a thrill every time, and if all my wild plans for next year (which will also include my Czech language exam--prayers greatly appreciated!--and a trip to the US in the summer) come to fruition, I could release as many as 6 new additions to this stack! Wish me luck. I'm gonna need it!

To celebrate my aging process, we went to the annual crafts market in Becov and wandered around the castle. Of course I brought a book to celebrate.

As some of you may know, November has long been a time when writers around the world cram to write 50,000 words in the midst of preparing for the holiday season. Is it nuts? Maybe. But I love it. While the original NaNoWriMo group ended last year after getting kinda weirdly political, many of us are stepping up and continuing the tradition.

In my Mommy Writers group this month we've been celebrating WriMoNo (Write More November). I've spearheaded an encouragement group, cheering on the ladies who have taken a challenge on. As busy moms, 50k can be particularly daunting, so in order to encourage more to participate, I reworked the program, offering lots of options, using a mystery format. Ladies could choose which Clue character suited their personal needs, and structure their challenge, be it in words, editing, or hours spent on the project over the course of the month.

I'm definitely a Mr. Green. I tend to go into a story with some sort of plan, but it can quickly turn completely on its head, as was the case this year. The original first two chapters of my outline became an entire book! And who knew there would be Sky Pirates?

Perhaps I'm a glutton for punishment, but I like to aim high in November. Previous November wins include my first ever printed book, One Week in November and Of Clockworks and Daggers, along with portions of many of my other books that were over 50k.

In an exciting turn of events, I finished my 50,000 words last night! Although the story still has a little ways to go, I'm over the moon about this prequel novella (that has grown into a prequel duology...) for the Games of Greed and Ruin series. It tells the story of Zenith's mother Phoenix and Mr. Woodhouse, the quirky mad scientist character from One Must Die. It also features a Sky Pirate who just showed up out of the blue and swept the story in entirely new directions. Seriously, I can't wait to get this story out in the world. Hopefully it will fill in some gaps in the overall story world we've created for those who wanted more background on the Games and all the mystery of Sky Manor, as well as providing a villain origin story for the illusive assassin, Phoenix.

This month's featured author is Sarah Anthem:

Hello everyone, so happy to join you all. The Sanctity Gene is live! First published with Anaiah Press - a small Christian press that has since reverted rights to its authors. Now I’m self-publishing!

BOOK TITLE:

The Sanctity Gene

BIO:

Watching her students search the library for the next viral-vampire-romance inspired Sarah to write fiction that would resonate with the same powerful thrills, danger, and dopamine rush while presenting an alternative supernatural worldview. 

Sarah writes clean dystopian and contemporary fantasy fiction with compelling characters and unexpected plot turns. Her debut novel, The Sanctity Gene, is a Dystopian thriller that will keep you guessing.

SHORT PITCH: 

A young woman desperate to escape her criminal past must find a way to save a growing number of citizens with altered DNA before an impulsive leader destroys them all. 

TAGLINE: 

Existence has a price.

BOOK BLURB: 

One hundred years after climate disaster, humans with altered DNA are endangering the citizens of City 6.

Recent graduate Anna earned a high-level placement working in genetic science but risks it all smuggling restricted goods to her less fortunate foster sister. When she’s caught at the border crossing, a militant guard promises he’ll overlook her crime in exchange for slides of the altered DNA she must steal from the lab.

When chaos erupts Anna escapes into the depths of the city among an underground community planning an uprising. Now, not only is she a smuggler and a thief, but she’s also a traitorous rebel. Her crimes have taken her further than she ever intended and out of touch with the sister she desperately wants to save.

Her struggle to make things right spins out of control when she collides with a man from the life she left behind. He hides powerful secrets. Convincing him to help her prevent the government from eliminating the people she’s grown to love will take more than the underhanded scheming she’s relied upon in the past.

BOOK LINKS:

Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/54254932.Sarah_Anthem

Amazon: https://a.co/d/5TXfGM1

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahanthem.author/

LINK FOR NEWSLETTER JOINING:

https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/1166908/sites/137104350058120825/OGYqho