2023: Happy New Year!

Hello everyone!

Happy new year! I hope 2023 has started out well for you. Today I'll be discussing my plans for the new year.

WRITING

Since I had to push back The Fall Fling last year, I would like to write and publish that book this fall. I would also like to write the story, A Bluecastle Christmas, about Westley and Winnie's first Christmas together as a couple. The Fall Fling will be about the same length as The High School Sweetheart (a short novella) and A Bluecastle Christmas will be a short story.

My main writing goal for 2023 is to revise and republish my debut novel, If Only We. There are several discrepancies in the timeline that I need to address, and I also want to tighten up the writing a little bit. It won't change the story itself, but hopefully make it easier to read. Another reason why I want to make sure to republish this year is because the book was first published in 2013, meaning it is the 10-year anniversary! I would love to have it ready by October 27th 2023, so I can do a little mini celebration in honor of my debut.

IN GENERAL

Other than my writing and publishing goals, I would also like to accomplish a few other things, too. One is to complete another Goodreads Reading Challenge with 27 books. I would also like to complete my 2022 temperature blanket. I got behind on crocheting it, so it would be nice to finish it. I also want to be more realistic in what I can and can't do. My life has changed a lot over the years and so has my body. I'm turning 38 this summer, and my 40s are right around the corner. I want to make sure that I take care of myself and treat my body with respect as some bigger changes are nearing. I would like to aim to lose some weight for the betterment of my health. I have some health issues that are connected to my weight, so if I can lose a little bit it will make my quality of life better.

WORD OF THE YEAR

My word of the year for 2022 was RESET. I feel like I was able to do a little bit of a reset when it comes to certain aspects of my life. For 2023, I want to ramp this up a little bit. My word of the year is...

DETERMINATION is the word of the year for 2023 because I'm determined to accomplish all of my goals and make a better everything for myself. I know that if I set my mind to it, I can do it.

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That's all I have for now! Thanks for reading and...

Hope y'all have a wonderful new year!

2022: End of the Year Wrap Up

 

Hello everyone!

It's been half a year since I posted on here, so you may be wondering what's going on in Jessica's world. Well, I'll tell you all about it today!

First of all, 2022 has been a rollercoaster of a year for me. I was able to publish The High School Sweetheart, the first book in the Bluecastle series, on June 21st. That same day, I caught COVID. I was sick for a week and subsequently had brain fog for at least 2 weeks.

My original plan was to write and publish The Fall Fling (the second Bluecastle book) in October, but I pushed it back by a month after the COVID setback, thinking I'd still have enough time. But then I faced major car issues, my neighbor getting sick and passing away, among other setbacks.

I had to face the music: Publishing another book just wasn't going to work out this year. It was upsetting to say the least, but it was the smart thing to do. I didn't want to push myself too hard, especially with the words not flowing and everything else going on.

Here's the thing: I still published one book and that's something to be proud of!

Despite the bad parts of the year, there were definitely good parts. I completed my Goodreads reading challenge, spent time with family and friends, and have been able to work on some cross-stitch and crochet projects.

I'll be back in a few days to discuss my plans for 2023. So, make sure you return to hear all about it!

Here's to a good year!

2022: Halfway Through the Year Check In!

Hello everyone!

Can you believe we're halfway through 2022 already? It doesn't seem possible, but here we are! I thought I'd pop in on the blog and share with you what's been going on and what's coming soon.

So Far...

First of all, I finally released my first fiction book since 2014 last month! The High School Sweetheart was released on the first day of summer, June 21st. It was a labor of love and I'm super pleased with how the story turned out as well as the lovely response I received from readers.

Unfortunately for me, June 21st was also the day I came down with COVID. After two whole years of avoiding it, getting vaccinated, and being as safe as I can be, both my husband and I spent a whole week cooped up in our apartment feeling terrible. Luckily I got the antivirals and got better quickly. My husband has taken a little bit longer to get better, but he's getting there.

This leads me to the rest of this post...

Next Up...

My original plan for the rest of 2022 was to write and publish 2 more stories: The Fall Fling (Finn's story) and a short story taking place at Christmas featuring Winnie and Westley. Sadly, I've had to rework my writing plans for the remainder of this year and the beginning of next year. After contracting COVID, I realized not only how far behind I am but also how much further behind getting sick has made me. The Fall Fling was going to release in October, but I've decided to push it back a whole month to allow enough time to write the story. I've also moved the Christmas short story to the end of 2023 instead of this year.

You may be wondering why I would need to push releases back, especially since TFF is going to be a novella. Surely it won't take that long to write, right? Well, it isn't just about the writing of it, but also other things happening in my life. Getting sick not only put me behind at least 2 weeks when it comes to working and keeping my apartment clean but also seems to be making it difficult for me to focus and think properly. I also write under another name and I've had to make adjustments to that schedule as well.

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So, I just wanted to fill everyone in on what's happened recently and what to expect. I'm still in the process of getting everything in my life back to where it was prior to getting sick and I genuinely hope that as time goes by things start to look up and get back to some sort of normal.

In the meantime, take care and stay safe out there!