This is my Insecure Writers Support Group post for April 2026.
Alex's awesome co-hosts this month are:
Please stop by their blogs and say thank you.
💻💻💻💻💻
I have so much to post about this month, I don't know where to start!
I'll begin by answering this month's question.
If you have a playlist (or could put one together) that either gets you in the groove to write or fits with one of your books, what is it? What type of music or what songs?
Sometimes I search instrumental music scores that fit the mood of my WIP and listen for a bit, but I write better with brown noise in the background. It keeps my mind from wandering, and using it consistently reduces distractions and increases my word count.
If you'd like to try it, here's the YouTube link:
It's 8 hours long and has very rare ad interruption.
Now for my news! 🎉
A Confederate past. A Union Widow. One chance to make peace—with her and himself.
Confederate surgeon Charles Avendon
treats a Union soldier whose death haunts his conscience and whose dying wish
sends him on a quest to find the man’s wife. But will she want him once she
discovers the startling truth?
Sometimes the bravest thing a heart can do is take a chance.
Hannah Keegan travels west to marry
widower Eli Owens and become the mother to his children, only to discover his
dying wife is the one who summoned her—and is still very much alive. When a young
suitor offers Hannah the future of her dreams, she must choose whether to walk
away or stay and risk loving a man who might never love her in return.
To view the entire Sagebrush Springs series on your country's Amazon, click here. What's happening in your writing life?
Thanks for stopping by!
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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.
Interesting books. I hope you get record-breaking sales!
ReplyDeleteApril is the ideal time to refresh goals and turn small daily actions into major wins, utilizing the season's new energy for growth.
“Every day is a chance to begin again. Don’t focus on the failures of yesterday, start today with positive thoughts and expectations.” ― Catherine Pulsifer
J (he/him 👨🏽 or 🧑🏽 they/them) @JLenniDorner ~ Speculative Fiction & Reference Author and Co-host of the April Blogging #AtoZChallenge international blog hop
Me, too. LOL
DeleteCongrats on your book release and your cover for your next book. I really like your book cover. Thanks for co-hosting this month.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Carrie Butler made it.
DeleteCongratulations on the new release and happy to host you today.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting this month!
You bet!
DeleteCongrats, Melissa!
ReplyDeleteThe term brown noise intrigued me. Running water - I never would've guessed.
There's a static-like noise added in.
DeleteYay for guest posts and book releases! Whew! You have been one busy cookie. Have you taken time to breathe?
ReplyDeleteI finally have. I'm taking a break before starting the next book, or trying to. I'm actually champing at the bit to get it plotted. It keeps invading my thoughts. LOL
DeleteSome of my grandchildren have white noise when going to sleep, or waves and stuff. I can't sleep or write with any music or noise. Probably why I can't get a lot of writing accomplished and those sleepless nights...Melissa, congratulations on your new release!! I loved reading Come Back. And thanks for co-hosting !!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI turn the noise down to a level that it's soft in the background, not enough to bother me but enough to keep my mind from wandering.
Happy IWSG Day! Thanks for co-hosting this month. I too like to use sound to block out distractions, I use a free app on my phone that has all the noise sounds including brown. I also use songs to help set the mood.
ReplyDeleteThanks fo visiting!
DeleteI often have ambience videos going, though I like music too. As long as it's not so slow it puts me to sleep. ROFL
ReplyDeleteLOL
DeleteCongrats on your upcoming books! They both sound intriguing. I'd never heard of brown noise, so I had to look it up. It does sound like a great way to work.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Brown noise at a low volume level really keeps me focused.
DeleteCongrats on the new release and the cover. You have lovely covers :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! Carrie Butler makes them.
DeleteThank you for co-hosting this month. Your books look intriguing, especially Book 3!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteCongratulations on your new release and the upcoming novel. This series sounds very interesting.
ReplyDeleteThank you! If it all goes as planned, it'll have 16 books total.
DeleteCongratulations! I plan to read them both ;-) Thank you for co-hosting in the midst of all your busyness. I am thoroughly impressed!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I hope you enjoy them. :)
DeleteCongratulations on your new release! I really like your book covers. A reader knows a lot about the story when they see the cover. Also congrats on the pre-order and wow chomping at the bit to finish the next one! You go, GRRL! Thanks for co-hosting.
ReplyDeleteThank you! It's great to be writing and publishing again.
DeleteI love to have obscuring noise in the background, too. I tend toward pink noise or a thunderstorm. I totally get needing to block things out and not get distracted. Also- congratulations on so many fronts- from the new cover to the new release! And thanks for co-hosting this month. Happy writing!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteIt's really strange...you wouldn't think having subtle noise in the background would do much, but it does. It occupies the part of my mind not being used for drafting and keeps my thoughts from wandering. It also helps to drown out noises in the house, even though it's not turned up loud.
I've never heard of "brown noise," so I was curious and now it's playing in the background. It's quite a different experience than listening to rain, water falls, or music. Thank you for sharing and co-hosting this month.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on releasing book 2 of your new series, "The Rebel's Redemption"!
Thank you!
DeleteCongrats on the book release - hope it sells well, garners magnificent reviews, and that you gain numerous fans. What is "brown noise", please and thanks?
ReplyDeleteI had to look it up! LOL
DeleteFrom Google: "Brown noise, or red noise, is a deep, bass-heavy sound profile with higher-frequency sounds filtered out, creating a low-pitched, rumbling effect similar to a powerful waterfall, thunder, or a roaring airplane engine. It is frequently used for sleep, focusing, managing ADHD, and masking tinnitus."
Many good things happening for you, Melissa! I like the sense of action in your new cover--the heroine turned to the side makes her seem poised to start something new while the town bustles around her. I turn on "dark noise" on my iPhone every morning at 4:30 am to block out the construction truck noise in my new-build community, but that's interesting to use similar noise while writing. Thanks for co-hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I like the new cover, too.
DeleteThanks for co-hosting this month!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your book release and cover reveal!
A lot of my playlists for my WIPs have instrumental or orchestral music. Although I try not to include too many songs with lyrics, I tend to tune them out. So I don’t get easily distracted while writing too.
Thanks!
DeleteThat seems to be the consensus of the blogs I visited; we need the words in our heads to be the ones we're creating.
Congratulations on the new releases. Your covers look lovely! @samanthabwriter from
ReplyDeleteBalancing Act
Thank you!
DeleteCongrats on the new releases! What lovely covers. I've never heard of brown noise, just white noise, so I'll have to look it up.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the release and the beautiful new cover! You're certainly busy!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your book release and thanks for co-hosting! Thanks also for the brown noise YouTube - I'll try it. I found a Spotify playlist of binaural beats for focus that works well, but it's nice to change things up.
ReplyDelete