Updatey things

Happy New Year? I Think?

Happy New Year? I Think?

Boy, 2026 started off…

I think that’s all we can say, isn’t it. 2026 started off. Happy New Year? I think?

Today is my first day back from a much-needed break. Today, I get started on the sensitivity edits on The Coral Throne, which I hope won’t take more than a week or two. Once they’re done, I’ll be able to get the cover started for the book (I have the stock images already picked out. It’s Daanir on the cover and I can’t wait for you to see him!)

And while we’re talking about The Coral Throne universe, I get to announce that The Sea Prince made it through the lottery for SPFBO 11! It will be read by a blog with which I am unfamiliar (The Fantasy Hive). I hope they like it!

In other news, Have Yourself a Merry Little Witchmas came out on December 23rd, and you can find it on Kindle Unlimited. I’m currently thinking about the next book in the Coven Tree series (tentative title — Six More Weeks of Witches), and planning out the series as a whole. I might start actually writing it if things stay quiet at the tents at the Highland Games. We’ll see how that goes.

The Highland Games are why I’m not jumping right into working on King of Swords. I’m going to be distracted by prep for the Games, and I know it, so I’m going to work on something shorter and easier to transition away from if I need to go do something else. If you come by the Games, you’ll find me at Bairn Care, near the clan tents. Stop in and say hi!

The other project I’m pulling out of mothballs is Holy Orders, which is the sequel to Heart’s Master. 2026 marks ten years since Heart’s Master first came out, and I really should get the next book done. Especially since Coven Tree is set in the same universe, and we might be seeing some familiar faces in the later Coven Tree books. I just need to see where I broke the manuscript (which is why I put it aside the first time.)

In person events are lining up in the schedule. I have at least one a month for every month except May (and I might be traveling in May, so I may leave that month open.) The schedule is below, so check it out and come find me at an event!

Promotions

Now Available!

Merlina Sherbourne was ready to close her magical shop for the holidays—until a charming stranger appears at her door carrying a curse and a quiet kind of desperation.

Camber Kincaid never meant to fall under a spell, but one enchanted ring leaves him with no choice but to seek help from a witch he’s never met. With Christmas fast approaching and magic misbehaving, Merlina agrees to help him break the curse… even if it means changing her holiday plans entirely.

What begins as a practical arrangement quickly turns into something warmer. Late-night conversations, gentle magic, and shared meals by the fire draw them closer, and soon Merlina and Camber discover that some connections feel impossibly natural—like they’ve always belonged together. As family secrets surface and old magic stirs, they’ll have to trust not only their spells, but their hearts.

Sweet, tender, and wrapped in holiday charm, Have Yourself a Merry Little Witchmas is a cozy paranormal romance about found family, soft magic, and falling in love when you least expect it.

Perfect for readers who love low-stakes romance, witchy coziness, and comforting seasonal reads to return to year after year.


Work in Progress

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

 
35962 / 90000 (39.96%)

Appearances

Galentine’s Day Sip and Shop
Native Home Marketplace

February 5th, 2026
6:00pm – 9:00 pm

***

ICFA
March 18-21th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Storyteller Summit
April 11th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

Summer Lovin’ Book Festival
June 6th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

Summer Creatives Market
July 18th, 2026
10:00Am – 3:00PM
Sanford, FL

***

Tanoshii Con
August 22nd – 23rd, 2026
Ocean Center Arena, Daytona Beach.

***

Smut Lovers Conference
September 16th – 20th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 3rd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

Posted by EASchechter in 2026 plans, a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, appearances, Coven Tree, forthcoming works, Heart's Master, progress, promotions, SPFBO, The Coral Throne, The Sea Prince, upcoming books, upcoming work, Updatey things, WIP, Witchmas, 0 comments
Winding Down

Winding Down

It’s the end of October, and my brain is starting the process of winding down for the end of the year. Which is a little bit of a problem, because I am two (I think two) chapters from finishing Have Yourself a Merry Little Witchmas, and it’s due in on Friday! No winding down! Must make all the words!

In a fun instance of “This is Liz’s brain on writing…” Witchmas is now set in the same universe as Heart’s Master. Which means that if I stay with writing Camber and Merlina (which I might, because they are SO much fun to write!), there’s a possibility of a cameo by a certain blind bardic mage.

I really do need to get back to that series and figure out where I broke Holy Orders (Drum Mage 2). And float the idea to my publisher that hey, it’s ten years old! Can we have a shiny new cover and re-release like we did with Sable Locks and Ravenborn? I’ll have to draft that email up later. Or next week, once Witchmas is put to bed.

There are still three shows before the end of the year, but those are short and once they’re done, they’re done. I’m looking forward to Maker Faire next week — I haven’t gotten our placement yet, but the early information shows us in the Opportunity building instead of Spirit (Spirit is where we were last year.) Once I know for certain, I’ll let you know where to find us. And by the time Maker Faire rolls around, I should have hardcovers for Ravenflight! Against all odds, the paperbacks showed up on Friday, right before we left for Author Night at Native Home Marketplace. Considering that they weren’t supposed to be here until November 7th at the earliest? I was more than a little shocked!

They’re very pretty! And they’ll be on the table to Maker Faire!

Back to work!

Promotions

Now Available!

A hero. A son of Eire. A reckoning long overdue.

Lorcan never asked for glory. Crowned a noble and hailed as a savior after crushing rebellion, he walks the marble halls adored by all—except himself. Haunted by prophetic visions, he sees not triumph, but torment: his family caged, his homeland threatened, and his cousin’s dark ambitions on the rise.

He knows where he must go.

Leaving behind the splendor of Empire, Lorcan returns to the emerald wilds of Eire, where ancient magic stirs and old loyalties are tested. Beside him stand his mates and his chosen kin—fierce, loyal, and willing to follow him into the heart of danger. But the blood that binds can also betray, and the most dangerous enemy may not be on the battlefield… but seated at his own family’s table.


Half Off Sale!

I am down to my final four complete sets of Swords of Charlemagne with the old covers. Remember, when these are gone, they’re gone! You can a single title for $12.50, or all four books for $37.50. This includes the thumbdrive!

Why? The Swords of Charlemagne have a new home with Riverdale Avenue Books! New covers and edits will be coming soon!


Sale!

To end the war with the Empire, all Prince Tarjiaan has to do is deny his heart and marry the Emperor’s granddaughter. Peace is assured…

Or is it?

On October 30th, and for one day only, The Sea Prince will be available wherever ebooks are sold for 99 cents! Click the image to see what other books will be available on the day!


Work in Progress

Have Yourself A Merry Little Witchmas

 
19408 / 25000

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

 
35962 / 90000 (39.96%)

Appearances

Maker Faire
November 7-9th, 2025
Central Florida Fairgrounds,
Orlando, FL

***

Enchanted Knights: Winter Bazaar
December 6th, 2025
Oviedo Mall
Oviedo, FL

***

Ravenflight Signing!
Spellbound Books
December 20th, 2025
12:00PM – 2:00 PM
Sanford, FL


2026 Appearances

ICFA
March 18-21th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Storyteller Summit
April 11th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

Summer Lovin’ Book Festival
June 6th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

Tanoshii Con
August 22nd – 23rd, 2026
Ocean Center Arena, Daytona Beach.

***

Smut Lovers Conference
September 16th – 20th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 3rd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

Posted by EASchechter in 2025 plans, a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, appearances, Blood of the Raven, Maker Faire, Ravenflight, the-end-is-near, upcoming books, upcoming work, Updatey things, WIP, Witchmas, wordcount, Write Faster!, 0 comments
Countdown to Smut Lovers. 3…2…1!

Countdown to Smut Lovers. 3…2…1!

It’s Monday the 15th. Countdown to Smut Lovers. 3… 2… 1…

I’m mostly ready. The books are packed. The scooter is ready to load. I got my hair trimmed today and I’m doing my color tomorrow (my hair will be purple when you see me at Smut Lovers.) I still have to pick an outfit for my headshot appointment and for the signing, and I might stop and see about buying shoes tomorrow, if I have time.

Yes, that headshot will soon be going away. I forget who it was who said that if you keep writing long enough, eventually your headshot will be your greatest work of fiction. I’m not there yet, but it’s getting close (I’m not sure how long it’s been since that photo was taken, but I think we’re approaching double digits.)

I won’t have copies of the new covers of Ravenborn and Ravenfall on the table yet, nor will I have them for any of the three shows I’m doing in September and October. They will be in by Maker Faire, I hope (or, even better, by the Ravenflight new release signing at Spellbound on November 1st!).

It’s strange to think that the series that started with my first book is going to be officially complete in a month. I never thought Princes of Air/Ravenborn was going to be more than a standalone. Shows what I know, I guess. You never really can guess where your characters will take you, and mine seem especially willful. I had no idea Lorcan even existed for something like five years after Princes of Air/Ravenborn came out, and I didn’t know his story for a few years after that. (Otherwise known as why it was so long between book one and book two.)

I can’t wait to see what you all think about how this series wraps up!

Promotions

Preorder Now!

A hero. A son of Eire. A reckoning long overdue.

Lorcan never asked for glory. Crowned a noble and hailed as a savior after crushing rebellion, he walks the marble halls adored by all—except himself. Haunted by prophetic visions, he sees not triumph, but torment: his family caged, his homeland threatened, and his cousin’s dark ambitions on the rise.

He knows where he must go.

Leaving behind the splendor of Empire, Lorcan returns to the emerald wilds of Eire, where ancient magic stirs and old loyalties are tested. Beside him stand his mates and his chosen kin—fierce, loyal, and willing to follow him into the heart of danger. But the blood that binds can also betray, and the most dangerous enemy may not be on the battlefield… but seated at his own family’s table.


Half Off Sale!

From now until they sell out, you can get the Swords of Charlemagne paperback books from me directly for half off. That’s $12.50 for each, or all four books for $37.50 when you use the code SWORDS. This includes the thumbdrive!

Why? The Swords of Charlemagne have a new home with Riverdale Avenue Books! New covers and edits will be coming soon!


Now Available!

To end the war with the Empire, all Prince Tarjiaan has to do is deny his heart and marry the Emperor’s granddaughter. Peace is assured…

Or is it?


Work in Progress

Have Yourself A Merry Little Witchmas

 
1501 / 20000 (7.51%)

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

 
35962 / 90000 (39.96%)

Appearances

Smut Lovers: The Conference
September 17th – 21st, 2025
Orlando, FL

***

Necronomicon
September 26th – 28th, 2025
Tampa, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 4th, 2025
Oviedo Mall
Oviedo, FL

***

Ravenflight Signing!
Spellbound Books
November 1st, 2025
2:30 PM – 4:00PM
Sanford, FL

***

Maker Faire
November 7-9th, 2025
Central Florida Fairgrounds,
Orlando, FL

***

Enchanted Knights: Winter Bazaar
December 6th, 2025
Oviedo Mall
Oviedo, FL

Posted by EASchechter in appearances, Blood of the Raven, conventions, Ravenborn, Ravenfall, Ravenflight, Updatey things, 0 comments
Brain Break!

Brain Break!

For some reason, last week ended up being a brain break for me. There was very little writing done, and a lot of reading. I reread Heir to the Firstborn (yes, I reread my own books), and found a continuity error in one that I can’t believe I made, and that I also can’t believe NO ONE has caught! (If you do catch it, email me and identify it, and you can have your choice of any book in my catalog!) I also started The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch, which is all kinds of adorable!

I have a draft of a cover for The Sea Prince, and I’m really excited to be able to show it to you… soon. Ish. Soonish. It’s not quite ready for prime-time yet. We’re on round two of revisions, and it’s closer than it was. Close enough that I can’t confidently say YES, we have a release date! The Sea Prince will finally release on June 10th! Preorders will be live as soon as that cover is finalized.

Now that the house is back together, I need to take all of the book boxes and show stuff out of my closet and get ready for the 6th Annual Mother’s Day Bazaar in Ormond Beach on May 10th. I haven’t done this show yet, but I’ve found that shows on the beach seem to do really well for us (maybe it’s because beach reads? I don’t know.) As always, if you come find me at the show and tell me that you saw this post or any of my social media, you get a 10% discount on your total purchase.

Oddly enough, I’m at about the same point in both works in progress right now — about a third of the way into each book. Usually, when I work on more than one thing at a time, one of them will attempt to eat my brain, and I’ll be a lot further along with that one than the other. Not this time. I’m hoping to have them both done by the end of June, so that I can work on edits before I take time off over the summer. My goal is to have both Tales from the Arena manuscripts in to my publisher in the fall, and have The Coral Throne out before the holidays. Let’s see how close I get!

What’s next? Well, I’m currently doing the research for Iron and Silk, my Venetian inspired pirate princess series that’s been in my brain since 2022. I might start The Iron Virgin in the fall. Or I might start Crossroads, since the Covert Saloon series plan is still fresh in my brain. Or there’s that Metropolis retelling that I was challenged to write…

Decisions, decisions.

We’ll see which one yells loudest in September.

Now Available!

Kidnapped from his home and sold as a slave in Rome, Raven-Prince Lorcan must survive in a world where entertainment is murder, diplomacy is betrayal, and love is a commodity. And where a raven who is only supposed to ever have one mate will somehow find two…

Image of a book cover. Cover is red-orange, with an abstract design over which there is a raven in flight. Text reads Book One in the Blood of the Raven series. Raven's Fall. Wings of Blood and Desire. By Blood Betrayed.  Elizabeth Schechter

Work in Progress

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

30039 / 90000 (33.38%)

The Coral Throne
(The Coral Throne, book 2)

33278 / 90000 (36.98%)

Appearances

Image of a white background with purple and yellow flowers. 
Text reads 6th Annual Mother's Day Bazaar. Saturday May 10th, 2025. 10AM to 3PM at Ormond Beach Elks Lodge. 285 Wilmette Ave. Ormond Beach, FL 32174. If interested in being a vendor, email ftlosevents@gmail.com. Come find mom, grandma, your aunt, friend or yourself the perfect gift for Mother's Day. Plus, door prizes will be given throughout the event. Free to attend.

6th Annual Mother’s Day Bazaar
May 10th, 2025
Ormond Beach Elks Lodge
Ormond Beach, FL

***

Enchanted Knights: Summer Solstice
June 21st, 2025
Oviedo Mall
Oviedo, FL

***

3rd Annual Summer Artisan Market
June 29th, 2025
Brannon Center
New Smyrna Beach, FL

***

Smut Lovers: The Conference
September 17th – 21st, 2025
Orlando, FL

***

Necronomicon
September 26th – 28th, 2025
Tampa, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 4th, 2025
Oviedo Mall

Posted by EASchechter in 2025 plans, accountability, appearances, cover art, Covert Saloon, Draft by the Solstice, forthcoming works, Iron and Silk, progress, promotions, publishing, summer, The Iron Virgin, The Sea Prince, upcoming books, upcoming work, Updatey things, WIP, wordcount, 0 comments
Busy! Busy, Busy!

Busy! Busy, Busy!

Time is supposed to keep everything from happening at once, right? If that’s the case, it is HORRIBLE at its job! Today I am busy, busy, busy!!! And a lot of it is fiddly annoying bits that will only have to be done once, but until they’re done, it sucks.

For example? I’ve already finished the quick tasks — sent the taxes off to our accountant, backed up the laptop, and printed things off for the Lord Ruthven Assembly annual meeting on the 21st. I’ve updated the website to reflect the fact that I’ve set up an Itch.io store! Now you will be able to buy ebooks directly from ME!

The store is currently a work in progress — there’s one book available, and that’s because I wanted to have the shop online before I updated the website. I’ll be adding more for the rest of the day, which is the fiddly part — I have to upload each book individually. And I need to edit the covers to fit the size parameters allowed on Itch.io.

Now, there will only be ebooks of the books that I have full control over — the Heir to the Firstborn series, The Chronicles of John Zebedee, Chains of Light, and all of my short stories. Anything that comes through a publisher is something you’ll still have to purchase through one of the big retailers.

I don’t expect to get any words on the page today. But I’m okay with that!

Now Available!

Kidnapped from his home and sold as a slave in Rome, Raven-Prince Lorcan must survive in a world where entertainment is murder, diplomacy is betrayal, and love is a commodity. And where a raven who is only supposed to ever have one mate will somehow find two…

Work in Progress

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

18184 / 90000 (20.20%)

The Coral Throne
(The Sea Prince, book 2)

19467 / 90000 (21.63%)

Promotions

Smashwords Read an Ebook week started yesterday! My entire catalog is 25% off. And, because of reasons I don’t fully understand, I still have two links. Half the catalog is here, and the other half is here.

(And if you look at my traditionally published books? I have three more pages! Here, here and here. No, I do NOT know why!)

Appearances

This weekend, you can find me in my Morrigan-best attire at the Oviedo Mall Renaissance Festival! And there is a *chance* I will have copies of Raven’s Fall on the table! (It all depends on if the copies come in by Friday.)

Enchanted Knights: Myths and Legends
March 8th, 2025
Oviedo Mall
Oviedo, FL

***

ICFA
March 19 – 22nd, 2025
Orlando, FL

***

3rd Annual Spring is in the Air
April 13th, 2025
Venetian Center,
Leesburg, FL

***

6th Annual Mother’s Day Bazaar
May 10th, 2025
Ormond Beach Elks Lodge
Ormond Beach, FL

***

Enchanted Knights: Summer Solstice
June 21st, 2025
Oviedo Mall
Oviedo, FL

***

3rd Annual Summer Artisan Market
June 29th, 2025
Brannon Center
New Smyrna Beach, FL

***

Smut Lovers: The Conference
September 17th – 21st, 2025
Orlando, FL

Necronomicon
September 26th – 28th, 2025
Tampa, FL

Posted by EASchechter in 2025 plans, a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, appearances, Boosting the signal, ebooks, promotions, publishing, Sales, Updatey things, WIP, wordcount, 0 comments
Show Season Starts in 3…2…1…

Show Season Starts in 3…2…1…

I didn’t realize that February starts this Saturday until I sat down to plan our Highland Games afterparty and went… wait, what do you mean February starts this week? Which means that show season starts in 3…2…1…

I have at least one in-person show planned a month from February until June, with a couple of others unconfirmed but in the works.

I’ve ordered copies of books I’m low or out of, and I have swag coming in for the first event on my list (below, and on my Appearances page.) I just have to bring everything down from my office to the first floor (or have Darling Editor do it for me.)

I’m seeing people online pointing out that owning your physical media is more important now than it ever has been before. You don’t actually own your electronic media. Did you know that? You license it from Amazon, or Apple, or Barnes and Noble. Which means that those licenses can be revoked and that media removed from your reader or your game or your streaming platform with no warning. Think about how movies have been removed from streaming services and all copies destroyed — (*cough*DISNEY*cough*). Electronic media is great for accessibility and portability, but possibly not so much for longevity.

This is very much at the forefront of the romance writer’s mind these days, especially if you write spicy. If you want to support your favorite spicy writer? Buy print books. And if you want to make sure that you get them? By them DIRECTLY from the author, if you can.

And remember that reading is a radical act, too. Especially when it’s a book they don’t want you to read. To quote LeVar Burton, “Read the books they don’t want you to. That’s where the good stuff is.”

Work in Progress

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

11676 / 90000 (12.97%)

The Coral Throne
(The Sea Prince, book 2)

5773 / 90000 (6.41%)

Promotions

The last days of Bookmas are here! Check out today’s offerings here! Did you miss a day? You can still get access to all the offerings by getting an Instant Access Pass.

And you might want to pay attention to TOMORROW’S book… (hint, hint…)


Coming next week! FaRoBub– 200 free fantasy romance and paranormal romance books. One day only, on February 3rd! The link will be LIVE in my blog next week, so keep an eye out for it!

Appearances

6th Annual Love is in the Air
February 8th, 2025
Lakeside Community Center
Port Orange, FL

***

Enchanted Knights: Myths and Legends
March 8th, 2025
Oviedo Mall
Oviedo, FL

***

ICFA
March 19 – 22nd, 2025
Orlando, FL

***

3rd Annual Spring is in the Air
April 13th, 2025
Venetian Center,
Leesburg, FL

***

6th Annual Mother’s Day Bazaar
May 10th, 2025
Ormond Beach Elks Lodge
Ormond Beach, FL

***

3rd Annual Summer Artisan Market
June 29th, 2025
Brannon Center
New Smyrna Beach, FL

***

Smut Lovers: The Conference
September 17th – 21st, 2025
Orlando, FL

Posted by EASchechter in 2025 plans, a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, appearances, Bookmas, can't stop the signal, censorship, deep thoughts, poking badgers with spoons, quotes, thinking thinky thoughts, Updatey things, WIP, wordcount, writer on writing, 0 comments
We’re All Gonna Be Safe…

We’re All Gonna Be Safe…

There’s a Youtube personality named Ranboo, who made up a little song while playing Five Nights at Freddy’s. It starts “we’re all gonna be safe…”

This, I think, is the most accurate reaction to 2025 so far. Don’t you think?

Today is technically my first day back at the keyboard, even though I was doing some business related things last week. Inventory of books on hand, repacking boxes, reconciling accounts, paying taxes and filing copyright. I’m waiting for page proofs on Morrigan’s Heir, which might make an appearance in late January (cross your crossables! As soon as I have a date, I’ll let you know!) The Sea Prince is back from the sensitivity editor, with surprisingly few suggestions! I’ll be getting those done and running them past the editor again, and then we’ll work on getting it out into the world. Looking at maybe April? It’ll depend on when Morrigan’s Heir drops.

I finally really looked at King of Swords and realized that yes, it was two books. So Tales from the Arena: Dead Man’s Hand is currently marinating and I’ll print it off for edits next week. Tales from the Arena: King of Swords already has a wordcount already because I moved two chapters out of Dead Man’s Hand. I also plan on starting The Coral Throne (The Sea Prince, book 2), but right now, I haven’t even set up the file in Scrivener. Maybe later tonight.

I’ve also set up a number of in-person events for this year — I’m trying to have at least one a month, because when I sat down to do my accounting for 2024, I found that most of my income came from in person sales. Which proves once again something I learned when I was still making jewelry — no one can sell your product better than you yourself. The list is below — I’ll be all around the Central Florida area, so if you’re in the area on one of those dates, come check out the show! (Note: I will not be selling at ICFA. I’ll be moderating a panel entitled Reimagining the Night: New Faces of Old Terrors.)

Right now, we’re bracing for winter weather here in Florida (I just saw they’re projecting the temperature to be in the high 20s for tomorrow morning) while friends and family are seeing snow into the double digits. So everyone be careful out there, and stay warm.

Catch you next week!

Work in Progress

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

5018 / 90000 (5.58%)

The Coral Throne
(The Sea Prince, book 2)

0 / 100000 (0.00%)

Promotions

It’s Bookmas! Well, okay, it’s ALMOST Bookmas. Starting January 10th, and running the rest of the month, you can get free ebooks and free tools for writers, with a new book or tool every day! Sign up for the daily emails here.

Appearances

6th Annual Love is in the Air
February 8th, 2025
Lakeside Community Center
Port Orange, FL

***

ICFA
March 19 – 22nd, 2025
Orlando, FL

***

3rd Annual Spring is in the Air
April 13th, 2025
Venetian Center,
Leesburg, FL

***

6th Annual Mother’s Day Bazaar
May 10th, 2025
Ormond Beach Elks Lodge
Ormond Beach, FL

***

3rd Annual Summer Artisan Market
June 29th, 2025
Brannon Center
New Smyrna Beach, FL

***

Smut Lovers: The Conference
September 17th – 21st, 2025
Orlando, FL

Posted by EASchechter in 2025 plans, a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, Bookmas, Happy New Year, ICFA, promotions, public displays of geekery, Tales from the Arena, The Sea Prince, The White Raven, upcoming books, upcoming work, Updatey things, WIP, wordcount, Worldbuilding, writing, 0 comments
That’ll Do, Liz. That’ll Do.

That’ll Do, Liz. That’ll Do.

Four shows in seven weeks, done. Barring any last minute direct sales through the website, I am done with 2024. That’ll do, Liz. That’ll do.

I do still have some housekeeping to get taken care of. Quarterly taxes in late December (I could do it now, but I already had to refile quarterly taxes once already this year because a direct sale slipped in last minute.) I need to repack the boxes and take inventory, but that can wait until December.

I’m not ready to blog about last week and the heartbreak elections. I spent most of last week in an anxiety whirl, and then went right into a show, which helped me break out of the death spiral (fake it ’til you make it is REAL, y’all. I was by necessity projecting happy and upbeat and cheerful all weekend, which gave my brain a hard reboot.) Now that I’m thinking more clearly, I need to figure out what the next step is.

I’m not stopping what I’m doing. I’m still going to write. As I wrote in my newsletter last week, I’ve got a manuscript to finish. I’ve got another book to edit. I’ve got work to do to tell stories about people who love unreservedly and with their whole hearts. I’ve got queer fantasy and science fiction to write and I WILL NOT let anyone tell me that I cannot.

Tomorrow, I ‘m going to sit down and go over consignment agreements for two new stores in my area, and decide which books I want where. I’m going to research Tiktok shops and see if I want to start one up for book sales. I need to keep working on King of Swords, which just had another wordcount bump. I also need to finish the outline for the Covert Saloon series, and decide which series I’m going to start as a serial on THEO. And I need to start uploading Written in Water to THEO, too. Oh, and get started on a slow clean of the house for Thanksgiving.

But for now, I need to rest. I’m more wiped out than I’ve been in a long time.

Things To Remember

You’re not alone.

We’re here.

We’re together.

What do we do when the hope is gone?

We make more.

Let’s make some hope.

Work in Progress

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 3)

91626 / 150000 (61.08%)

Appearances

All done for 2024!

Posted by EASchechter in 2024 plans, 2025 plans, accountability, appearances, consignment, Covert Saloon, freedom of speech, Tales from the Arena, THEO, Updatey things, WIP, wordcount, Written in Water, 0 comments
Cleaning Up.

Cleaning Up.

The storm is over, and now it’s time for cleaning up. Which, for us, wasn’t too bad. The pile of hurricane debris on the driveway is definitely smaller than it could have been. And once again, the storm gremlins played Frisbee with the lid of our compost container. I’m not sure what it is, or how they do it, but some storms just manage to unscrew the lid and fling it around the backyard.

There’s also the inside cleaning up — we have two leaks that are usually not an issue, but for a big storm, we have to prepare in advance. We go through quite a few towels. We’ll be getting those taken care of once the storm season is over, as well as getting the roof repaired.

Goals — finish this book before I have to abandon my office for potentially up to a week. Right now, it looks like the damage to the roof was minor — it just appears to be a missing shingle. But once the team gets up there, they’ll be looking for other damage. If there’s other damage, that means roof work, which means WHAMWHAMWHAMWHAM directly overhead for DAYS. (When the roof was replaced in 2010, it took them a week, but it was August and like an oven on our roof, so they had to go slow.)

Finishing this book — King of Swords is short about 30K words, more or less. Assuming that the book comes in where I think it’s going to, and doesn’t meander off into the weeds for another couple of thousand words. I mean, there are scenes that I want to include, but that I’m not sure will advance the plot. However, I want to write them because they make me happy… So I’ll write them, and then cut them in post if they’re not necessary. That’s what editing is for, after all. Right?

I’m still working on plotting out the Covert Saloon series — if you missed me talking about it, it’ll be another Weird Western. The pairing that I thought was going to be book three is apparently going to be a slow burn through all three books. The book 2 pairing is now taking over book one, and a third pairing in book three with a character I didn’t plan for. Yup, I just take dictation for the voices in my head.

Time to go listen to what my characters want to do next.

Work in Progress

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 3)

79220 / 120000 (66.02%)

Promotions

Kobo is doing a Free First in Series promotion for the entire month of October, so you can grab a copy of Hidden Things for free! (You can find it free where ever ebooks are sold — not just Kobo.)


I’m also a part of Enchanted Realms, and this promotion also runs for the entire month of October — sign up for newsletters, get free books and enter to win a $30 gift card!


Finally, I’ll be participating in a Stuff Your Kindle event from October 18-20th. There are over 400 books that will be free or discounted for that weekend, and I’ll have Written in Water up for free!

Appearances

Wizards, Witches and the Weird
October 27th, 2024
Daytona Beach, Florida

***

Maker Faire Orlando
November 9-10th
Orlando, Florida

Posted by EASchechter in 2024 plans, a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, annoying-muse-is-annoying, Covert Saloon, forthcoming works, Hurricane, promotions, public displays of geekery, Tales from the Arena, upcoming books, upcoming work, Updatey things, WIP, wordcount, 0 comments
Prep All the Things!

Prep All the Things!

Today is September 16th, and I have the first of five shows in a little under two weeks. It’s time to PREP ALL THE THINGS!

Books have been ordered (and in the cases of three titles, more books have been delivered than I ordered, because mistakes were made.) Stock boxes are packed. Prices lists have been printed. Hotel reservations have been made (actually, they were made a while ago.) Vaccines have been onboarded (yesterday.)

Still to do? Haul the boxes off show stuff from my office down to the living room. Print off packing lists. Prep for my panels (and possibly bug the person in charge of scheduling to let me know when those panels are going to be happening because it’s getting late…) And I have to do the things that have to be done before the end of the month, because I’ll be busy from the end of the month until the beginning of November, and a couple of these things are time sensitive.

And, of course, in the middle of all of this, there must be writing done. I’m just over the halfway number on King of Swords, and wondering if I need to increase my wordcount again. Honestly, at this point? I think I’m just going to put words on the page, and if it ends up being two books? It ends up being two books. I can’t imagine my publisher being annoyed at that.

I finished my editing pass on The Sea Prince the other night, and sent it over to my editor to take another look. There are still a couple of questions that need to be answered, but if things fall the way I think they will, then The Sea Prince will launch on Kindle Vella late this year or early next. That’s written in very warm Jello at the moment, though.

While I wait for edits and answers, I’m working on the outlines/synopsis/what my characters are going to laugh at this time for The Covert Saloon series. I sort of pushed that to the side to finish up The Sea Prince, and now I’m almost done with book one. I have a vague idea (nope, not gonna say it…) as to what book 2 will be like, and I know how book 3 is going to end, but not how it’s going to start. Not yet. This series may end up being more discovery writing than I usually do, but we’ll see when we get to that point.

I’m also not sure if it’ll be the next thing I work on, or if I’ll be starting The Coral Throne (the sequel to The Sea Prince.) Or maybe I’ll dive into the Iron and Silk series — that’s all plotted and ready to go, except for some of the research. Or lightning could strike and I could sell Blood Bound tomorrow, which would mean going back into the Flesh and Blood universe and my kinky vampires.

So many choices!!!!

Finish King of Swords first, Liz. Then decide.

Work in Progress

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 3)

63263 / 120000 (52.72%)

Promotions

Shockingly, Counsel of the Wicked is still a contender for SPFBOX, which means that it is still on sale wherever ebooks are sold.


I’ll be participating in a Stuff Your Kindle event from October 18-20th. There are over 400 books that will be free or discounted for that weekend, and I’ll have Written in Water up for free!


I’m also going to be a part of Enchanted Realms, and this promotion runs for the entire month of October — sign up for newsletters, get free books and enter to win a $30 gift card!

Appearances

Necronomicon
September 27-29th, 2024
Tampa, Florida

***

Not So Spooky Hallowfest
October 6th, 2024
Deltona, Florida

***

Wizards, Witches and the Weird
October 27th, 2024
Daytona Beach, Florida

***

Maker Faire Orlando
November 9-10th
Orlando, Florida

Posted by EASchechter in 2024 plans, accountability, appearances, Blood Bound, Counsel of the Wicked, Covert Saloon, Iron and Silk, Necronomicon, Planning, progress, promotions, publishing, Tales from the Arena, The Sea Prince, upcoming books, upcoming work, Updatey things, WIP, wordcount, Worldbuilding, Writer on the Go!, Written in Water, 0 comments