IWSG - Goal progress & cover reveal

 This is my Insecure Writers Support Group post for JUNE.

Alex's awesome co-hosts this month are: 

Liza at Middle Passages, 

Shannon Lawrence, 

Olga Godim, and me.

Please stop by their blogs and say thank you. 

💻💻💻💻💻

Earlier this year, I posted some bold goals. I decided to give an update on them for my IWSG post today. I'm also revealing the cover of my next book. You can skip to that if you want. 😉

Here are the goals for 2024 and my progress (or not):

Publish book 4 in my western series by June.

Not going to make that deadline. But I will publish it this year, possibly even this summer.

Develop a regular social media / newsletter schedule by March & send out 3 to 4 newsletters this year.

I'm still working on this. I blog monthly for IWSG and Cowboy Kisses, but I need to do more with Pioneer Hearts Facebook group. The only newsletter that has gone out is this cover reveal. That said, I will have at least two more by the end of the year, one for release day and one for a sale promo.

Reevaluate my social media activities and nix what isn't giving me something in return for my time (exception: worthy, altruistic endeavors, such as teaching new writers).

This is currently being evaluated.

Plot an entire new western series and begin writing those books.

I've done some brainstorming. Book 4's release comes first, then I'll dive into this project. 

Work on plotting the next book for my other pen name.

That's on the back burner for now. I did pull the existing books out of KU so I could go wide with them. Going wide and selling direct are on my list of things to investigate. 

Read at least one craft book or non-fiction diary/research book per month & make notes.

As of today, I've read one book for research and one craft book, both in April.

When I filled out the 'What got in the way of progress?' sections of each 'Month in review' of my author planner (That's free to download if you want it.), I often listed the same obstacles. 

• Overtime shifts - I worked them by choice the first quarter of this year, to recover from the financial hit I took last year.
• Projects at work - I'm the educator for the unit, and April was our annual skills fair.
• Tax preparation - 'Nuff said.
• Poor self-discipline during downtime hours - This was tough to admit, but interesting to explore. 

Working the night shift frequently chops up my week with naps and makes for less-productive 'zombie' off hours. But when I was honest with myself, I had enough alert times that I could have read more than I did. The reason I avoided reading craft books was that I knew it would make me want to dive into my WIP; and, since I didn't have time to write, that would only serve to frustrate me. 

But all that is about to change. 😊

I managed to accomplish one goal on the 5-year list: 

Reduce my work hours from full time to part time.

As of this month, my status at my job is officially part time! 

I got tired of saying someday. 'Someday' is June 16th.

via GIPHY

Thanks for making it this far. As promised, here's the cover of book four in my western historical romance Forging America series.

Cover by Carrie Butler

Passion knows no prejudice.

After finding her husband’s mutilated body in the field of their Oregon Territory land grant, Eva McCabe assumes the impossible task of running the farm alone. The hatred she harbors for the savage who murdered the man she loved gives her vicious determination to achieve Keith’s dream, even if it kills her.

Hatchoq is a man of mixed blood and clashing heritage. His father’s people tolerate him, and his mother’s people want him dead. When Hatchoq kills a member of his clan to save a white, he’s doomed to wander brutal lands alone—a man without a family or a home. 

During his journey, Hatchoq encounters a struggling young widow and lingers to lend her aid. Hatchoq is drawn to Eva, even though she despises him. He longs to win her heart and help her earn her land. But staying means denying his Mojave identity and risking his life.

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Battered Pride will release later this year.

If you'd like to be notified when that happens, 

follow me on Amazon and or subscribe to my author newsletter. 

If you do the latter, you get a free book!

Thanks for visiting!

❤❤❤❤❤

IWSG is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. It's a monthly bloghop that offers a safe haven for writers to express their feelings and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. It's also a venue for offering  support, both in the form of comments and positive posts. Writers of all kinds are welcome. 

We 'meet' the first Wednesday of every month. If you're interested in learning more, click on the link above. And don't be intimidated by the size of the group. We're not expected to visit everyone on the list.