So This is the New Year

Jan 15, 2025 6:15 am

Happy January, Word Lovers!

I have plans to be more on top of my monthly updates this year, especially as I have joined a group of other authors doing a monthly share swap, so I'm kinda committed. Here's hoping that will keep me more on top of things.

I know we all have crowded inboxes, so my joy is just to bring a little monthly smile to your face, let you know anything interesting that's coming up, share about some friends, and move along.

If there is anything you're particularly interested in seeing in this space, please reply to this email and let me know. I want this to be a cozy space where we can chat like friends, bringing back the joy of pen pal letters from my childhood and all those good times.

Here's a quick review of last year and all the things that kept me busy:

In 2024, I released three books - Dawn of the Darkening, Bohemian Dragon Awakening, and One Must Die. I also did a print version of the short story you all got for signing up for my newsletter.

In my job as an editor, I edited 9 books by a variety of independent authors, ranging from fantasy to historical with some romance mixed in for good measure. I also edit for a couple of businesses, so I was kept quite busy on that front.

In my personal writing progress I:

Drafted 2 novellas

Nearly completed one full length manuscript

Wrote 143,520 new words

Edited 429,235 words across all of my personal projects

Overall, it kept me pretty busy, especially considering my month long trip to the US to see family.

As far as this year is concerned, I've drafted the spinoff for my character from One Must Die. It's gone through a round of beta reading by the authors of some of the other characters from OMD that show up in the story, and if I can just finish my other editing projects, I'm hoping to get it in shape for a Spring Release! More on that coming soon!

Dragon Corner:

As a little fun addition, I'm hoping to include a segment where I can show you all around the fabulous country of the Czech Republic that I currently call home. My little Pocket-sized Lasia is perfect for these adventures. This picture is from a palace we visited back in December. We were unfortunately there on the wrong day for the fairytale event due to a miss print on the website, but we still enjoyed the grounds and had a nice walk.

Yesterday J.L. Burrows new dystopian novel FreeFalling released. I'm currently reading the book, and thoroughly enjoying it. It's fast paced read, and I'm excited to see what happens next. Here's a bit more about her and her books:

J. L. BURROWS

BOOK TITLE:

FreeFalling book 1 of The Reconditioned Series

BIO:

Jennifer Burrows has a message in her heart about God's love, and she’s shared that when she was a musician in her father's church, as a missionary to underprivileged children in a third world country, and as a wife who stood by her husband through terminal brain cancer that God miraculously healed.

Now, she’s sharing God's powerful love through the art of fiction, pouring herself into edifying and helping other writers, and teaching others how to use faith in the face of adversity. Jennifer teaches in the greater Nashville area where she lives with her husband and their two children. Get to know Jennifer better at jlburrows.com, or connect with her on social media at www.facebook.com/jenniferlynnburrows or www.instagram.com/jlburrowsauthor .

SHORT PITCH:

Sere, her illegal AI tech, furry beast companion, and ragtag group are pitted against a government with cutting edge technology and genetically modified bio-weapons. The odds are stacked against them, but the Truth needs to rise out of the deception. Will Sere find a hero within herself and face down a future on the brink of oblivion?

TAGLINE:

Under the Dome, peace reigns ... forcefully.

BOOK BLURB:

One hundred and eighty years in the future, the U.S. government eradicates warfare and violence.

Serenity should feel safe, but she doesn’t.

Serenity Knowles knows two things for certain. Finishing her government assigned community service as a teacher is mandatory in order to start her adult life. And stopping those in power from reconditioning two of her favorite students will ruin her chances at a future and a life.

Everything she thought she once knew to be true, suddenly is now in question after her typically peaceful girls fight in plain view of everyone at school. The Federal Bureau of Acceptance storms in and collects them both for reconditioning—chemical brain washing. With no one to help, Serenity is driven into a wild rescue and escape plan. The girls can’t be made into shadow children, brainwashed and limited to a menial future.

All that stands between the overreaching government and her girls is Serenity’s budding faith, a furry beast companion, her modified illegal AI, and a ragtag group of men and women set against the use of cutting edge technology and genetically modified bio-weapons on citizens under the Dome. If any of them get caught, they will be reconditioned. If they don’t move fast enough, the girls will be lost. If she doesn’t become a hero, any hope of a real future will be forfeit.

In her transformation from a teacher with a broken family to a radical defector leading a team of rebels, Sere discovers America’s deadliest threat—its own government.

BOOK LINKS:

Good Reads: Freefalling (Reconditioned #1) by J.L. Burrows | Goodreads

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPTFGM8S

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferlynnburrows

Youtube: (608) Jennifer Lynn Burrows - YouTube

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jlburrowsauthor

Pinterest: Pinterest

Website: www.jlburrows.com

BookBub: FreeFalling (The Reconditioned Book 1) by J. L. Burrows - BookBub

LINK FOR NEWSLETTER JOINING:

https://BookHip.com/TTZQCBA - Includes a freebie Prequel Anthology - Invading Darkness the origin stories to my Balance Keepers main characters.