I spend a lot of time thinking about the stories we believe. How the ones others believe play out in their lives, and how the ones I believe play out in mine.

But recognizing what they are and thinking about them doesn’t mean you can automatically change them. Which gives me even more to think about.

That’s all.

I don’t have any great wisdom or ponderings to share today. I’m quite low-energy this morning, like a fire that has burned down to the embers. When I feel like this, it’s all I can do to get through the musts of my day, let alone find a little light to share with others.

So if there’s any light to share with you today, friend, it’s that I’ve learned these days come and go. And the sooner you get on with your life, the sooner a funk tends to dissipate.

So, since I’m generally lacking in good ideas today, I’m just going to share a few things I’ve been up to lately (and which are more than likely responsible for my sponge being a little dry).

New Knitting Pattern Release

The Trailfinder Hat, my most recent knitting pattern, went live on Thursday night and had a rather busy first weekend. I’m thrilled with and so grateful for the response.

I started this design in early October, so it’s one of my faster concept-to-completion designs. As far as pattern formatting and clarity goes, it’s also the best one I’ve ever written, in my opinion. I’m very proud of it.

And it’s on an introductory price of over 30% off for the month of December, but only if you buy it here on my website.

Jessica Renwick releases Fifth Starfell Book

Jessica is an amazing editing client of mine, and I’m so thrilled to be able to spread the news about her latest book release: The Song of Embers, which comes out tomorrow (Tuesday). That brings her middle grade fantasy series Starfell to five titles in total. And I know it’s for middle grade, but it’s such a delightful fantasy series that even those long past the middle grade years can enjoy it. (Like, Harry Potter good. And the series keeps getting better with every book.)

For this project, not only did I get to help Jessica finesse the story a little, I also did the interior design of the print version, which was a fun challenge. Her previous designer has had to step back, which is a bit of a downer for an author mid-series. I’ve been learning how to do book designing with my own books, but this was my first time doing it for someone else—all while trying to match the previous designer’s specs. I learned some more about book formatting and Adobe InDesign with this project, which is always fun. I don’t want to do this kind of thing all the time, but it was a nice change from my normal stuff.

And the results turned out beautifully, according to Jessica. :-)

(Note about the universal book link: I’m an affiliate of Amazon.com, .ca, and .co.uk, as well as Kobo. If you click through from my link to one of those platforms and make a purchase, I make a few cents at no extra cost to you.)

Cover Experiment

In October, I had a little fun with creating an experimental new cover for Finding Heaven that draws inspiration from bestselling author Colleen Hoover’s current branding. A quick poll of my Instagram audience gave mixed results about whether people liked the new cover or the one from 2020 better, but they definitely leaned in favour of the old one.

So, the one from 2020 remains. But I thought I’d post the new one here for posterity. Now that it’s made, I’m pondering creating a special print edition that uses it for the folks who liked the look. But that will definitely wait for a while.

What do you think? Of the three covers this book has had, which is your favourite?

Current Work-in-Progress

This fall has been a bit dry as far as writing is concerned. I’m making very slow progress (in fits and spurts) on my next novel, which is book two in the Peace Country Romance series, Every Bell that Rings. But I have no great urgency to write, which is weird. I do feel a lot of urgency to get some other things in my business resolved, as well as some niggling things I have to do in my personal life. But, like so many other things, my writing mojo has burned very low.

I’m not stressed about the lack of writing, which is also weird. But I think my adoption of the slow productivity ethos, and my constant re-focusing on what I want my life to look (and feel) like this year, is helping with that.

Writing shouldn’t be stressful, it should be fun. And as long as my books aren’t paying my bills, why was I so stressed about producing them?

That’s why I’ve been spending a lot of time this year looking at the foundations of my business, adjusting how I work, and adjusting how I market to something more sustainable and enjoyable for me.

I’m definitely planning to release this book next fall now. It’s a Christmas book, so releasing it earlier wouldn’t be the best start for it. I’m hoping I get my writing mojo back in the new year, which should allow me to not only finish this book but be able to release the next one in the series not long afterward.

But if it doesn’t? Oh, well.

One thing I don’t want to do: get so burned out I never write fiction again. I’ve got too many ideas and too many stories I want to tell (both to others and myself) to let that happen. Which is why I feel like this current lull is a time of healing, and when I’m ready, I know I’ll be able to regularly put words on the page again. (I’ve been writing in some form or another since I was nine. I don’t foresee that changing until they put me in the ground.)

In the meantime, I’m using my energy to prepare my business to grow to another level. So when my books do catch fire? I’ll (hopefully) be ready for what comes along with it, and once again have the fuel to keep that flame burning.

Okay, I’ve stretched that embers metaphor as far as I can. Happy Monday, friend. May this week find you merry and bright.