It's a New Year miracle: hundreds of free books to read!

Jan 13, 2022 2:55 am

Hello again!

At the time of writing, it is January 13th. That means it has been 13 or so days since the New Year began. It also means I can report to you a miracle.

I have been faithful to my resolution to take up jogging.

I know, I know! Thirteen days! It might not be a world record, but it might just be a personal best.

I bought new running shoes and everything. So far, this time, I think reading all about the benefits of exercise on one's mental state has kept me motivated. I just hope I can make a habit of waking up at 5.45am for a jog before it gets too cold. (Another trick is: I sleep in my most comfortable running clothes. Then all I have to do is pull the shoes on!)

How have your New Year's resolutions been going?

I'd really love to hear about them! And something we can all bear to remember: even if things have fallen through in the past couple of weeks, you can just make a resolution again. There's no law against making a Jan 14th resolution ... or a March 22nd resolution ...

I think the trick is to be kinder to ourselves for letting things slide. Life is busy. Sometimes, it's hard or impossible to make time for things. Other times, you might have a few spare minutes, but you're so zonked from everything else that you need to be in recovery mode. And that's okay!

As for writing ...

I've reached the 22% mark on the 'Elixir of Power'. I genuinely tried to get it finished by now, but as I mentioned just a moment ago ... sometimes, you are just too zonked.

In addition, I'm still falling into a perfectionist trap while editing it. I just sit there for long stretches and tinker, tinker, tinker with every little word until it's just right, which slows things down. Hopefully the extra effort makes the final book better, but I think at some point I need to start getting on with things a bit more.

In the last newsletter, I mentioned that it might be available to beta read by February. I can still hold to that commitment .... just maybe the February of 2023. Sorry!

Speaking of beta reading, I want to extend a huge THANK YOU to all the wonderful people that have been beta reading 'The Dragon That Never Was' and offering all their feedback. Literally every comment and suggestion has been really valuable. It might take me longer than planned to get around to implementing the suggestions, but when I do I'll be documenting which comments inspired which changes and why. Then I'll write a blog about it, explaining to readers and writers what it's like to edit a story in the light of valuable feedback.

(I'll keep all the commenters anonymous in the blog, but everyone who wants to will be thanked by name in the final pages of the finished book)

As for reading ...

I've been reading The Hod King by Josiah Bancroft, (Book 3 of Babel series). I don't remember the last time I was so hooked to a book!

I forgot to mention another of my NY resolutions, which was to read before bed. I've been keeping to that one as well! I suppose it sounds really silly, but in the past I would just read 'whenever I had time' which ended up being not often enough at all. Carving out 30 to 45 minutes each evening to read right before bed has helped me stay consistent, and I've been reading at about 3 times my normal pace.

Below are some books that I hope you'll enjoy reading!