Month: January 2022

I Was Going Cross-Eyed

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SURPRISE post on Thursday! (since someone forgot to post on Wednesday…)

But doesn’t it feel nicer being closer to the weekend?

This has been a long week and extremely busy, which is why we’re chatting on Friday-eve and not hump-day. I had every intention of posting yesterday, but my half-thought-through post never made to the computer, and instead, I spent almost two hours after work uploading my entire Arizal Wars series onto a serialized platform distributor because around chapter 90 (of 294) I mis-numbered ONE chapter, and it threw the whole thing off. Lovely. And unfortunately, there was no easy auto update, so I had to go through each following chapter and manually renumber it, and that, my dear friends, nearly drove me insane, especially in hour # 2 when I was going cross-eyed. Hence, no post. Why wasn’t it written beforehand? Good question. You always have good questions.

Obviously, I’ve been busy. I’m still checking things off my never-ending to-do list, so I feel somewhat accomplished but mostly still peering off into the horizon, searching for the end of the list, but I don’t think there is one. That’s okay. Because guess who discovered boxed wine…

Like, I knew it existed. That it was a thing, and I’m sure I’ve even tried it. But (and this is where I’m confused) why didn’t anyone tell me about its most redeeming feature? The spout.

DUDE.

Duuuuuuuuuuude.  Where has this been all my life? Why hasn’t it BEEN in my life? Usually, I’d shy away from bottles because Batman doesn’t drink, and I feel silly popping open a bottle to have one, maybe two glasses of wine. And then I’d put it in the fridge, forget about it for a month, and then realize it’s likely gone bad. So, I started buying the mini 19 Crimes bottles because 1) they’re delicious and 2) they’re the perfect size, but apparently everyone caught on/inflation exists because whereas they were between $9.99-$11.99 for a four pack, they’re now 1$7.99. I’m sorry, but I haven’t inherited a dynasty, so I won’t be able to continue buying it. That’s when Batman recommended Black Box.

*MIND BLOWN*

I love it. It’s delicious and super, super convenient. I can have a glass or I can have five (though I don’t recommend that. I stop drinking when my lips turn purple…) but it’s sitting in my fridge like a Godsend, there to help my nerves, my skin and my heart. It’s probably my favorite thing I’ve discovered/tried in 2022 so far, so this year (despite there being a world of bs in the background) is looking good.

I could go on about Black Box or other writing updates, but I feel like this post is long enough and you want to get on with your Thursday activities. Noted.

Have a great weekend, try some Black Box wine, and I’ll try to remember to post correctly next week. But it’s me, so we’ll see.

~ Lady Caitlin

Hustling Status

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See my newsletter? Meh? Not too shabby…I mean, for someone completely (sort of) starting out. You can say it: you liked that badass logo, that specifically selected color palette, and that link that led to a FREEBIE (because I know how to do that now). All me, baby. Oh, yeah. Amateur at its finest.

I’d like to say I winged it, but that is quite laughably far from the truth. Mailerlite (the newsletter service I’m using) offers these amazing tutorials that help technology-challenged people like me learn with idiot-proof videos. Huzzah! There IS hope for the dim-witted! I haven’t gotten through all of the tutorials yet, but it’s on my to-do list. Actually, there are about a thousand million-things on my to-do list right now, and I feel like as long as I check off one little thing each day, I’m not doing terrible. And that’s my goal at this point: don’t be terrible. I’ve been (mostly) terrible with all this for the past few years, so the goal is to change that. By doing a little everyday, I’m doing more than I did, elevating my “terrible” status to a “hustling” status, and I got to say: it feels good.

Other writing news:

I’m currently working with my cover designer, the fabulous Joleene Naylor, to bring A Royal Pairing in Perish to life visually. I can sort of see it, although some of it’s a bit blurry too, so I’ll have to figure it out here soon. I wonder if most traditionally published authors like having the burden of cover design taken off them, or if they feel they’re losing a huge creative opportunity. I’d feel like it’d be losing an opportunity, but man, a little creative direction would be nice! Of course, that’s what I’ve got Joleene for, but at the end of the day, it’s my choice. My book. My career. My business. It’s kinda important…should probably get it right…

I wish there was more to report, but that would mean more happened in my life and really, that’s not the case. Car is fine (praise the lord!), hubby’s still obsessed with Batman, and the doggos are still the best doggos in the world. Can’t complain.

What about you? What have you been up to this week? Do you have a thousand-million things on your to-do list like me? How do you handle it/get everything done and not lose your mind?

Share your secrets with me…I am royalty.

~Lady Caitlin

Newsletter Island

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So…the plan—the PLAN—is to send out this year’s first newsletter on Saturday. Woot! Are you ready? I should probably be ready. I should probably work on it this week since I’ll be sending it out on 1/15 so… with that in mind, I’m keeping this post short. As in super-short. As in, barely a post at all. Since last week was the *big* announcement, we’ll call this one a bridge to next week with an awesome newsletter island in the middle.

Are you signed up? Would you like to be? In addition to my not-as-annoying pop up as before, you can sign up on my sign-up form, which should* be working. But again, it’s me, so we’ll see.

Alright guys, I’ve got nothing much for you right now. I’m on the cusp of getting my beta reader edits back, so every part of me is consumed with that—and realizing I will be even more poor (how is that possible?!) when this book is finally done because damn it takes money to make money. But at least I have my editor booked, and that sweet relief is enough.

Hope to see you in my newsletter on Saturday! Or not. Again, I’ll have no idea unless you sign up and actually open it (we have ways to know…muahahaha…) but you still might not even read it. It’s all good. (Probably just much more of me rambling anyway…) But still – yay for things happening and boo for being poor! I’m feeling all the emotions, guys.

2022 is off to a great start.

~ Lady Caitlin

*If the signup form isn’t working…please let me know. Thanks!

A Big Year

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To think I almost missed this post because I put it off to do other important writerly things. Guys – it’s the first blog of the year. OF THE YEAR. Can’t miss this one.

I’ve got big plans for this year, and the plan is to stick to them. Releasing book one, writing book two, being a somebody on the indie-author scene instead of the creepy lurker I’ve grown accustomed to. All the things. I’m even breathing life into my newsletter WHICH I WILL BE CONSISTENT WITH. I have to yell at myself because no one else will and I need disciple.

TCATC is out to a handful of beta readers, and I’m only slightly nauseated in getting the feedback. I’m also throwing around the idea of how I want to title the book. The *series* is The Coyote and The Claw, but book one is A Royal Pairing in Perish. But do I want to highlight the series title, or use the individual book’s name? And how should I put them on the cover? Which one should be larger? Series title or book title? These are the CEO decisions I get to make. Just wish I would’ve paid more attention in art class.

Other big, huge, impossibly AWESOME news: my books are available in paperback! WHAT? RIGHT? YESSS. *Santa waved his magic wand/blew his fairy dust (whatever he does) and now I have physical copies of all those insane words. Proof:

Ignore the weird expression/background/adorable dogs (actually you can look at them. How could you not?)

I can literally hold my art. This is just…beyond awesome.

See? Things are changing. They’re improving. Just like my website…which will be worked on since I glanced at it yesterday and…no. BWHAHAHA no. It’s not terrible, but a bit of a revamp is needed, which has been added to my 2022 Kick Ass Writer list of things to do. But when to get to all these things? Your guess is as good as mine seeing as I have a fulltime job, a hubby who craves attention, and two dogs that think I’m only here to play fetch and give the ear-rubbies and neck-scratchies (which, let’s be honest, *probably* is my true calling). There’s so very little time in the day, and I guess I’ll have to start foregoing my sleep to get everything done. Who cares if I have huge, ugly bags under my eyes? Not me. I barely glance at myself in the mirror. Hubs has to look at me, and that fool already married me, so joke is on him.

There will always be new things to report/advertise/celebrate, but for right now, I think the paperbacks and the fact that I will be foregoing sleep to get all this done is newsworthy enough for this post—the FIRST post of 2022.

This is going to be a big year, guys. Can you feel it? You should. Feel the shift because it is COMING.

Dude—it’s already here.

Happy 2022!

~ Lady Caitlin

*Thanks for being the most awesome Santa, Mamabear

Aaaannnnddd for further proof of the awesomeness: