Decision Time

Hi everyone,

Well, another month bites the dust and its departure means we are a third of the way through the year. This month hasn’t been the easiest for me and in all honesty I will be glad to see the back of it. One small good thing has come out of it though because I’ve spent the last couple of days going over some things in my mind, and I’ve come up with some tentative plans regarding my writing which take me to the end of the year. They aren’t completely fleshed out yet, but I wanted to give you a rough idea of what I’m hoping/intending on doing.

I’ve looked over the series that are currently live via Kindle/Smashwords, etc, and what I’m intending/hoping on doing is taking those where the next book within them will be the last one and focusing on them for the remainder of the year. My next release before the first new plan kicks in which is the start of a new series, looks like it will have to be pushed back a week, but I will post more about that on my Facebook page. So if you want to know more then please check that out.

My second plan revolves around merchandise. I’m aiming to start work on merch carrying my author logo and merch connected to the new book coming out and subsequent new series in the next couple of months.

Also, when things start moving in the right direction I might consider an email newsletter. If and when that happens I will let you all know here.

That’s all for now 🙂

Raven

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What a Week

Hi everyone 🙂

Well, this has been an ‘interesting’ week. I’ve been working on edits, working on my secret project, and when I headed out for a break I slipped over on a patch of ice. Balance wasn’t my friend that day. While resting up I managed to get through my latest batch of edits ahead of schedule and now I’m working on the second to last round. Fingers crossed, I will actually manage to post some snippets on my social media next week. My secret project is moving along nicely. I’m figuring that will be published towards the end of this year. I’ll update you as things progress.

I’m starting to get a grip on my time management but it’s still proving slippery to maintain a hold on at times. I will get there, my stubbornness will see to that 😀

Well, that’s all for now.

Raven.

Where’s the Coffee?

Hi everyone 🙂

Well, we are into the second month of 2023 and things are as usual, hectic in the Raven house. I’m on the second round of edits for my secret project and my new story is slowly starting to take shape. I’m also in the process of trying to become more organized, which I’m finding harder than I thought. It’s amazing how much stuff I have that I either don’t need or have no clue why I got it. Anyway, I am slowly decluttering and what can’t be recycled is just going into the trash.

While all this is going on my muse is feeding off my increased coffee intake and is bouncing around like crazy. Given how my secret project is going, I think the characters in that are also hyped on coffee. As long as the words keep flowing and they keep talking, I’m happy 🙂

Regarding the next part in the Hellbound Chronicles, it’s looking at the moment as if the first novel won’t be out until 2024, but I will keep you all up to date on that.

That’s all for now 😉

Raven

Starting at a Run

Hi everyone,

The start to 2023 has been interesting to say the least. I’m sticking to my schedule regarding my secret project and the first draft remains on course to be completed by the end of January. My characters, as usual, have decided that they don’t want to stick to the original plot and have gone off on their own tangent – and it works 🙂 Also a new story waved its hand and as much as I wanted to set it to one side and focus on the book I’m currently working on, the main character insisted I start on his. So I now have two books on the go.

Now, concerning the Hellbound Chronicles and what I alluded to in my previous blog post. They will continue with the old characters and some new. The novels will be the next chapter in the chronicles and will come under the heading of “The Hellbound Chronicles: The Next Generation.” I’m aiming to get the first book out either at the end of this year or the start of 2024. I will let you know more when I’ve made a decision, which will be based on the number of books I’m already aiming to get out this year. I’m not going to rush any of them, including this new one, and put out subpar novels. That wouldn’t be fair to either you the readers or the characters.

That’s all for now, so back into the writing cave I go 🙂

Raven.

Come Yule, Come Christmas, Come New Year

Hi everyone 🙂

I hope that you are all doing well as we head into the festive season. This will be my last post of 2022, so it is basically going to be a round up of all that will be happening for the remainder of the year and a heads up regarding what is going to happen regarding one of my series. Firstly, my last release of the year which is the fourth book in the Hellbound Chronicles is on schedule to be released by the end of December. It was my intention that it would be the last one in the series, and in a way it is. However, the main characters still have stories to tell, so the fourth book will be the end of the first half of the series. The second half will consist of books which take up the main characters stories afterwards. I’ll provide more information in 2023, so watch out for that 🙂

My secret project is moving along nicely. The back story is in place, along with the main characters and the locations. I’m aiming to get started on the actual writing before the end of the year. I’ll provide more info next year regarding release dates, etc. I am also setting other plans in place which, fingers crossed, will move my writing career forward.

Before I sign off for 2022, I want to thank you all for your support and for taking the time to read my posts. I wish you all a Happy Yule, a Merry Christmas, and a happy, healthy, and wonderful 2023.

Raven.

December, December

Hi everyone 🙂

Sorry for the lack of a post last month, things have been pretty hectic in my writing world. Edits are well underway on Hellbound Chronicles 4, the idea I had connected to that is gaining ground, and my secret project is moving along nicely. All in all, last month was productive and I’m aiming for the same this month.

With the start of December the countdown begins not only to Christmas but the end of another year, and while it is too early to start looking back I can’t help but just peek at the last couple of months. Yes, they weren’t the greatest for me, but I continued to move forward and things eventually improved. Now, I’m just taking one day at a time and seeing what the last month of the year has in store for me. Only good things I hope!

As I type this I have a calendar hanging on my wall, one that carries inspirational quotes for the month, and I want to share the one for December with you. It goes as follows; You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. C.S. Lewis said that and I believe it. For any that need it, I hope that gave you a little inspiration today 🙂

Oh, before I go I wanted to let you know that the provisional release date for Hellbound Chronicles 4 is December 30th. I will keep you updated on that and the cover reveal and blurb reveal date.

That’s all for now, so take care 🙂

Raven.

Moving Forward

Hi everyone,

I hope October is treating you well 🙂 The start of the month was filled with the usual ups and downs I’ve come to expect. However this week has been slightly different. I think sometimes you reach a point mentally where you come to a screeching halt at a crossroads, stare at the options in front of you and wonder what direction you should go. Over thinking (which is something I admit to being guilty of at times), can leave you frozen in place, allowing doubt to seep in and force you to backtrack. The start of this week found me approaching the crossroads and I’ll admit to being scared I might end up stuck there, but something happened. The clarity I thought I’d lost, returned, bringing with it a fresh, stronger sense of determination. My feet never froze, I never stopped, I continued walking, and the moment the crossroads were behind me I felt a weight lift off my shoulders.

Today the words flowed, tentative plans were worked on, and my determination helped to start forging a way forward. Will I stumble occasionally? Yes. After all I’m human and an occasional slip can in a way be a fresh lesson to take on board.

I will do my best to keep you all up to date on how things are going in my writing wolrd and how my plans are progressing. You can also follow me on my Facebook page where I will post small updates 2 to 3 times a week.

That’s all for now, so back to writing I go 🙂

Raven.

A Touch of Clarity

Hi everyone,

Do you ever get those moments when out of the blue you gain clarity over a problem, situation, or issue? Well, that’s what happened to me today (Wednesday). Maybe it was lack of sleep or something else I’m not sure, but after getting some writing done I was sitting down with a coffee, when it happened. I’ll admit that over the past few days my motivation hasn’t been 100 percent and that I’d hit the “I’ve done some work, so I’ll take a break for an hour” mode. Of course, an hour turned into more than that and before I realized it the day was almost over.

Coffee cup clutched in my hands, I just sat looking out the window when I realized it was easy to make plans, set goals, but without the motivation to follow through with them that would be all they remained. So I took a long hard look at myself and asked a question I think on a subconscious level I had been avoiding; do I want to continue to write. That single question shook me, but it was one that I answered without a second thought. Yes. That answer had me looking at what I was doing that might be self-defeating, and one of the things I do is set undue pressure on myself, which is a motivation squasher. I admit I can at times be my own worst enemy, but knowing that and facing it means I can start to deal with it.

What does that mean going forward? It means I’m going to continue writing. It means I am going to continue pursuing my goals. I know what I want and I am going to do all I can to achieve them. It also means stopping myself from putting unnecessary pressure on my shoulders, for beating myself up if on one day all my targets aren’t reached. So, for me, daily goals are going to become weekly goals. And if after a certain period I want to shift back to daily and I can do so without increasing pressure on myself, then I will.

The decisions I’ve made have already had an impact. I’m eager to write, new long term goals have been set, along with more realistic timescales. Books are being worked on, among them the fourth in the Hellbound Chronicles series. There is also a secret project which as it unfolds I am loving. I will share more about them in future posts 🙂

The fire within this Raven is burning brightly again, and I couldn’t be more happier. So I’m off to get some words down and see what chaos my characters unleash 😀

Raven

A Busy Raven

Hi everyone,

As you can tell from the title, I’m a busy Raven at the moment. Not only am I working on the next Hellbound Chronicles novel, but I’m also working on the first draft of the second Vampire King novel, and a secret project. Add into that I’m working on a few other writing connected things and I’m starting to think having a clone to help out might not be a bad idea 😀 And I swear if my coffee intake goes up any higher I might end up a shareholder in a coffee company!

While coffee is my main go to, chocolate is a pretty close second. The two of them help to keep me going while I write. Well, those and my writer’s insanity 😛 Ahh, the things it comes up with sometimes lol

Well, that’s all for now, so back into the writing cave I go.

Take care one and all,

Raven

Turn the Page

Hi everyone 🙂

Sorry for the gap in posting. There has been a lot going on, some good some not so. On the good side, my latest book, Destiny’s Kiss is now live. It’s the first in a new series and I’m really excited about it. I’m now working on the next book in the Hellbound Chronicles which I’m aiming to release mid/end November. I will try and keep you all up to date on its progress 🙂

The not so good side is health related. I’m struggling at the moment, but my stubbornness will no doubt help me as I move forward. For me, each battle I fight leaves a seed of strength behind, waiting to blossom at the right moment.

The muse is treating me well. She recently whispered in my ear and gave me a new story idea. One, that if things go according to plan, should be published some time next year.

Well, that’s all for now. Take care, stay safe, and never stop dreaming 😉

Raven