Month: December 2020

It Pays Sometimes To Be Unemployed

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So…I started playing with my blog because I’m trying to make it look more professional, and I meant to tweak the background and colors a little, and somehow my font got updated? I’m not sure how that happened, which means I’m not sure how to fix it, which makes me hesitant to touch anything else on this blog I’ve barley learned how to use over the past six years. Hope you like the new look.

But why the updates, right? The leaves were functioning…okayish. Well, I’m actually trying to be more professional here, and this website still seems super novice-y and I’m sure that’s a deterrent for some potential readers. So, not a good thing for me. But at this point, with my lack of know-how and incredible talent for being anti-techy, maybe I should enlist help? Go to Fiverr or update to Squarespace? I don’t know. I’ve had the mentality of at least having a blog for my writing was good enough, but after six years, it should look a little better—right? I don’t know. You tell me.

Also, with this whole trying to be professional thing, I’d like to come clean about something I’m working on. Ready for this? And I am NOT teasing this time (I don’t think). But yes, after seven self-published books, I am finally going to be smart and have an actual newsletter (and not immediately cancel it) to provide updates on me, what I’m working on, and to promote other entrepreneurs. I didn’t understand the importance of having one of these for the past few years, and I guess, it sort of came together in the world’s longest click over the last few months, when I recently realized that, oh shit, yep, I do need one of those.

*drums fingertips dramatically*

And here we are.

But deciding to have one alone isn’t enough. I need to know when y’all want this—for those who do—and the question is all about timing. I don’t want to come at you like a missile with something every three days because frankly, I can’t come up with that much content. Only the coke-writers can, and I am years away from that kind of depression. But I also don’t want to fade into nothing, so when an email does pop up, you aren’t like Who? Her? Meh. Nope. Please don’t Who? Her? Meh. Nope. me. It’s a difficult line to gauge the frequency newsletter emails should be sent. I’m thinking monthly. Just enough to remember me, but not too much to make you hate me. The perfect amount to subtlety capture and brainwash you.

Also, why sign up for it, right? What makes it any different than this awesome blog? Two great questions. The first because, who doesn’t love more awesome content?  And second, because I’ll include snippets from current projects I’m working on, and highlight a different entrepreneur each time so you can learn about other people and not just me. Win-win-win. PLUS, this is sent to your email, so you won’t have to go digging or searching for it, which is always good in my book. (Also, yes, I am still updating my Patreon, but it’s about the same frequency – once a month. And if you want to get on that track, which you totally should, please be patient because I’m in the midst of updating all that too. Wow, it pays sometimes to be unemployed).

This whole thing is sounding really cool in my head, so let’s see if I can pull it off. Look for…something soon. Like, really soon. I’m thinking this newsletter will go out around mid-month because that is a date I can likely remember, so let’s aim for a release every 15th.

Be on the lookout for…something. Some sign-up. We’ll see what I can figure out here in the next two weeks. Depends on how well my brain works. And how much wine I still have to get me through it.

Please everyone have a safe, smart, fun, and healthy New Years. 2020 wasn’t great in many ways, but it was in others (Batman and I got married, friends had babies and got great new jobs!) Remember the blessings we all take for granted and lets bring this positivity in 2021. Please for fucks sake.

~ Lady Caitlin signing off

Calling All BETAS – Assistance Needed

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Guys. I still don’t have a working title. Still. This has never happened.

I have titles for books I haven’t written yet, and I’ve been working on this monster since May so…where the heck is it? Why hasn’t it come to me? GUYS.

This is all very strange. Like my blog, the title usually comes from a sentence in the post, and it’s usually the same with my books. I’ll literally write it out and be like, aha! There it is! Title achieved, bitches. But I’ve gone through like 4 drafts of this thing, and it still hasn’t hit me. Like, at all. Which wouldn’t be disconcerting to me except IT’S ACTUALLY REALLY DISCONCERTING TO ME.

Titles typically correspond to the central character or plot or place, and I’ve gone over their names and the conflict and setting a bunch of times and nothing fits. Nothing even comes close to sounding right. They all sound dopey and forced and I don’t even have working titles to throw together a poll and get some feedback. I literally have nothing.

*nothing*

What does this mean? Do I not truly know what my book is about? That can’t be it. I’m calling on the Gods of writing to assist in this weird new obstacle. How do I overcome it? Do I let Betas make suggestions? Do I keep it (kind of) boring to just the lead character names? What?

That’s the other thing. Although I have—and let me re-emphasize—no working title, I’m nearly ready for other people to look at it. This, by the way, is the scariest part, so just know I’m inwardly hyperventilating as I throw this request into the void-o-sphere. I am now accepting any readers interested who want to take a look at what I’ve got and let me know how to make it better. Help me find plot holes and anything I might’ve missed. Maybe I overuse a term? I do that. Just looking for some feedback, so if you’re not in the market to steal my work, and this sounds like something you want to read, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts. Also, maybe you can tell me what my title is? That would be great.

No Working Title includes: alpha male, enemies to lovers, mobsters & vigilantes

Quick blurb: Desperate to leave her crime-ridden hometown, Lilah ends up contacting a local vigilante organization after a friend’s mom is put in the hospital. But when Nik, one of its members, continues to recruit Lilah for assignments, her interest in leaving sways.

This is a high-heat, romantic suspense clocking in at 122K words. Yeah. It’s huge. (That’s what she said.)

Anyway, if this sounds like something you’re interested in, send me an email (Cgcoppolawrites@gmail.com) and we’ll go from there. Yay!

Well, that’s all I’ve got this week. I’m still working on that honeymoon post and will have it up probably sometime in the future. Until then – enjoy your week however you are celebrating it! Happy holidays!

~ Lady Caitlin signing off

The Wedding Post: F*cking Finally

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So, here’s the thing: I don’t have my pictures back yet from my wedding, and I’m kind of waiting for some nicer ones to post, but at this point, the wedding is fading like a lovely distant memory, and I need to write this before I fondly remember unicorns and doves and llamas being a part of it (though I still might do that) because that sounds magical and in my future brain, totally possible. If you didn’t get a chance to read my I’m getting married during a pandemic post, go check it out! It’s a real hoot and a downer, but it ends on a happy note: marriage to my best friend which I am *proud* to say we are making it last already. I’m only directing you there so you can have a history on me and Batman before I walk you through the magical day (that sadly did not include unicorns and doves and llamas) but was still the picture-perfect fantasy event that child-Caitlin always imagined.

First, let me start off by saying it was supposed to thunderstorm. I know, because the second the 10-day forecast became available, it became my new heroin. But around five days out, I relinquished that stress and worry to my poor Maid of Honor who took on the role like a champ, smiling and saying not to worry about it every time I asked for an update. The amazing thing? It was a beautiful day.

And I mean beautiful. It was cool, which, in Florida, is a Godsend, and although we did the rehearsal the day before under the nearby pole barn (second option for the ceremony site) because it was torrentially down pouring, we were still able to revert to the original plan for the actual day—in front of the tree.

I shouldn’t take all the credit, but I will. People loved the flowers. We received so many compliments on just how gorgeous the displays and bouquets were, and even though I didn’t technically do anything to arrange them, I gave the original inspiration and color scheme, and therefore, all the credit goes to me. (This is what I’m telling myself. All the REAL credit goes to A Fantasy in Flowers who did an amazing job. Seriously, if you’re in the Jacksonville area and finally subdued your life-partner, I’d hands down recommend this company for all your floral needs.)

Besides the flowers, the food was on point. This is what I’ve been told and if I recall correctly, everything was yummy. I was solidly distracted by everything—everyone and making sure they were having a good time—but I tried a brie-apple tart thing with strawberry sauce and I remember thinking, yeah, we picked the right caterer. I heard (remember in the contract?) there was a carving station for our prime rib, but I never saw it because I was at our sweetheart table, admiring the charger and plate combination I’d selected and wondering if everyone noticed how well the gold trimming complimented the hanging votives.

Everything—like I was told, like I knew would happen—flashed by. It was the beginning of the day with mimosas and struggling to pop the champagne bottle, and somehow, I was in this beautiful dress that kept falling because I’d lost too much weight, which, in my chubby-existence, I never thought could be a real thing. And then I was taking pictures with Batman around the venue, like I’d researched a thousand times before. Then my guests were arriving and I saw my stepdad (who made the journey just for the ceremony, and then had to drive three hours home for work in the morning), and then my dad was coming to get me, and the music started playing…

After everything, all the work and planning and crying—so, so much crying—it was worth it. It came together beautifully. Batman looked snazzy and sexy and like James Bond (his inspiration besides Batman) and I’d like to think it was one of my better fashion days. Although, knowing what I know now, for my second marriage, I will not be wearing a lace dress. Lace and pavement, as I’ve discovered, do not mix well, especially when elements like twigs and leaves and acorns want to jump in the mix. I do recall part of the day helping my photographers pick nature out of my veil, which kept me from displaying the full train of my dress. Which sucked, because it was gorgeous.

Other than a few tiny screwups, I’d say it was a success. There were going to be screwups regardless (I’ve hands-down attended a thousand weddings and nothing ever goes perfectly. It’s called reality.) but having a wedding during a pandemic is such a feat by itself, that the issues were like gnats; I just didn’t give a shit about them.

There are, of course, a billion details that even I don’t remember, and I could go way more in depth, but I’ve already used up some of your time based on your reading speed/skippage, so I’ll end it here. Again, I wish I had some truly flattering photos of us/the event from our photographer, and not to say these aren’t, but they’re not professional (borrowed from family and friends) since I only picked up my phone to check the weather and make sure the universe wasn’t fucking with me. It wasn’t.

 I’ll try to have a honeymoon post up soon. But, it is the holidays, and I’m the only one holding myself accountable, so we’ll see.

~ Lady Caitlin signing off

P.S. Also, my bouquet weighed eight pounds. Just remembered.

#IWSG The End of the Beginning

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Well, that was a bunch of time not posting.  To be honest, I almost missed this week too, and only because I’m still not ready to write about the wedding and honeymoon (although both were awesome!) but, if I didn’t post today, I’d lose my place in the Insecure Writers Support Group, and I’ve spent over five years getting to my place on the list. I’m not starting over. So, here I am, fresh under self-pressure for your entertainment.

How’s it been going? Me? I’m an old married woman with thirteen years of dating and less than a month of marriage under my belt. So, I’m doing great. Currently taking a break from writing N & L, and searching for my next career adventure since I still can’t simply apply to be an indie author and make buttloads of money right away. Lame.

That’s right—you saw N & L. No longer “Untitled” or “Guardians” (have I mentioned I started calling it Guardians for a bit?) as I’ve had the story titled across several draft documents. N and L stand for the MC names, and no, not ready to share those yet. Might be a jinx or something, but who knows? I think—THINK—I’m nearly to the end—the REAL end—of this story. So far, it’s had about three different endings, and then I found one I liked (and the characters liked, and felt real) and then it’s stretched into a few scenes now. So, again, I stress that I think this is it…the end of the beginning. Which feels awesome, man!

Since this isn’t a wedding/honeymoon post (check back at some point most likely in the future) and because I don’t want to lose my standing with IWSG, let’s just jump right into their optional question—and the last one of 2020:

Are there months or times of the year that you are more productive with your writing than other months, and why?

Nope.

Wait, I take that back. I tend to get more writing done on days when I’m off work/on the weekends. So…not really months per say, just whenever I’m suddenly gifted with loads of free-time. Because as awesome as all the binge-worthy shows and books are, I’d rather spend my time with my own characters, because that’s a drama I never see coming—and one I’m actively (safely) apart of.

Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) is a monthly blog hop for writers at all levels to share their fears and insecurities in a safe and encouraging place. Please drop by and say hi to Alex Cavanaugh who started this nifty concept in bringing us all together.

Enjoy your week!

P.S. – Any guesses to their names? N & L? Just curious if they’re a bit obvious…