Dead As Dreams - Update and Cover!

I'm nearing the end of April and I'm not done with the revisions of Dead As Dreams. The main revisions were supposed to be completed in the middle of this month. Clearly I was too optimistic in planning my release schedule with this novel!

That said, I'm still making great progress. I'm approaching the 90k mark, which is 3k more than the draft was before I started revising it (with at least 10k left of that initial draft to wade through). The back half of the novel is getting a major overhaul, though, and that's slowing things down. More like a rewrite, actually - more often than not, the old words are getting chucked into the cut document, making way for fresh storytelling. It's looking like I might exceed the 100k word goal, possibly by 5k or more.

And I don't want to rush through it. This novel has been in the works for so long that I feel it deserves the time and attention before it sees the light of day.

This isn't a gloom and doom post, though! I'm focused and determined to finish. My original goal was to publish Dead As Dreams at the end of May. However, it's looking more like mid to late July now. So a couple of months delayed. Not too bad, right?

Anyway, I would like to leave everyone with a teaser. The cover! It's mostly finalized, but if I get any suggestions for tweaks between now and when I put up the pre-order, it might change a bit. Enjoy the cover, and happy reading!

1001 Reason Not To Clean - #61 through #65

Welcome to 1001 Reasons Not to Clean! The main goal of this series is to see if I can actually reach 1001 reasons, 5 reasons at a time (the final post, if I get there, will be 6 reasons). I'm sure I can. It's not just my crazy brain being unrealistic, right? Links to previous posts are below. And feel free to share your excuses, and they might get added to my list (with credit, of course)!

#1 through #5 ~ #6 through #10 ~ #11 through #15 ~ #16 through #20 ~ #21 through #25 ~ #26 through #30 ~ #31 through #35 ~ #36 through #40 ~ #41 through #45 ~ #46 through #50 ~ #41 through #45 ~ #51 through #55 ~

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Welcome to the craft edition of 1001 Reasons Not To Clean!

61. After not having attempted to crochet since well before your grandmother died (she's the one who initially taught me, though I hadn't progressed very far - lol), you decide to pick it back up again. But instead of crocheting things like blankets, scarves, and hats, you decide to dive into another branch of the craft - amigurumi! You also realize that the first couple amigurumi you crocheted weren't done properly, so you feel the need to make more to prove to yourself that you can get it right.

62. You're having fun with the amigurumi, but the holidays are upon you, and you feel the need to make some new ornaments for the tree. Plus you have this pretty, sparkly yarn that would make perfect snowflakes! How hard can it be? Actually, pretty easy. Maybe I should start making sparkly doilies.

63. Since you're on a crocheting kick, you decide a good way to process through your grief over your father's passing is to crochet roses for his memorial service. Lots and lots and lots of roses.

64. You purchased yet another cross stitch kit, even though you have many kits and patterns that you haven't completed. And oh, that might be because you also haven't cross stitched for ages. Since you need a slight break from all that crocheting, you decide to work on one of your new cross stitch kits. It's a cute Halloween kitty. Of course, since you're rusty and a slow stitcher, and the knots that constantly appear in your threads drive you batty (yes, Halloween pun there), you don't actually complete it until November. Plus it's now March and you still need to frame it, as planned. It'll be done by next Halloween, right?

65. Your confidence in your ability to cross stitch has grown, and the holidays are approaching again. Why not cross stitch some cute owl ornaments for the Yule tree and for the parents? It shouldn't take too long to complete all six. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Unfortunately, this thread knots even more easily than the type used for the cat, and you have so many other tasks to get done in December. You definitely don't have time to clean if you want to complete the owl ornament project. At least you manage to get the parents' ornaments done in time, but the ones for your own Yule tree get put up a tad late.

Fractured Fairies Collection - Vote For A Title!

So, I had planned to chat about The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Aside from it being a tad late after the holidays, I decided I really needed more votes on a poll I included in my newsletter last month. Hey, I've at least included a pic of my Guardians LEGO Advent Calendar (why, yes, I do like the Guardians, thanks for asking).

This poll has nothing to do with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though. It's regarding my Fractured Fairies Universe (should I start calling it the FFU? - lol).

Immortal Woes will be getting an update, and I'll be combining all my Fractured Fairies titles into a single collection this coming fall. But I need a title! I'd love opinions, as I have several ideas. So please take a look at the poll below and vote for your favorite title(s)!