RITA ® Award-Winning Author of Fantasy Romance
//Our topic at the SFF Seven this week involves our writing schedules – what’s our most productive time of day, when do we actually write, how much time each day, week, month, etc.
I chose this photo I took of the moon at sunrise, because seeing amazing sights like this has become one of the great benefits of being an early riser. Who knew that catching the moon at dawn could be so very beautiful? I certainly didn’t, because I was never naturally an early bird. Come on over to learn more!
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//THE ORCHID THRONE ebook is on sale for only $2.99! This is a great deal, so go snap it up. Pretty soon the sequel, THE FIERY CROWN will be out, so now is a good time to get book one in your reading queue. I’ll be starting to write book three soon, so now’s your chance to offer a wish list for what you’d like to see happen! 
An update on THE FATE OF THE TALA: it will not be out by January 15, 2020, as I’d hoped. BUT – I am finishing the final draft today or tomorrow. Figuring time for editing, I think I’ll have it out by the week of January 27. Really really. If you’ve preordered, you’ll get an email informing you the moment it’s ready for download. For those who don’t know, I’m doing preorders through my website store only. But, once I’ve got the book live, I’ll start adding it to all of the retailers as usual. So it will be up everywhere before the end of January!
That said, because I’m so behind, we’ll be featuring the first chapter (maybe more!) of THE FATE OF THE TALA in the Dispatches from Jeffe’s Closet going out at the end of this week. So, if you don’t already subscribe, you can sign up here.
I was having a conversation with my friend, SF and horror author Kelly Robson, and she was complaining about making little progress on the story she’s writing – and how she’s realized that the scene she was working on has to go another way. She’s been listening to me struggle with THE FATE OF THE TALA all these months, so she knew I’d commiserate. She also commented on her frustration, and how she hates “going in the wrong direction.”
I totally feel her pain.
And yet…
Though that can feel like wasted effort, it’s really not. I liken it to those rooms in the funhouse (reinterpreted in this day and age as immersive experiences like Meow Wolf). Sometimes you end up in a mirrored room. Those are really cool, with the infinitely reflecting images, but once you’re done playing and are ready to leave, finding the actual doorway can be difficult. If you’re not into smashing your face into a hard reflective surface, you pretty much have to feel your way. Poke each mirror until something gives.
The relief at finding your way out is quite the thrill!
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//For a lot of us – especially Romance writers – the stress of the last few weeks has been at best distracting and at worst devastating. That kind of emotional stress, on top of the holiday season, which can be emotionally draining for many people, can leave us with empty wells. So what do you do when you need to be creative, but the well is dry?
In other words, how do you even when you can’t even? Come on over my tips!
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