August 28, 2025
My oldest has a birthday today and it’s a big one. His brain is now fully developed. Never mind that he’s been living on his own for years, that he’s just started the fourth year of his doctorate program. Nope. NOW he’s done cooking. Although… are we ever truly done? Don’t we change and grow through our lifetimes?
Anyway, I am not nearly old enough to have a kid this old.
I finished yesterday’s edit and got it back to the client, and only spent a little extra time at my desk to do so. They say they are pleased with their first look at what I had to say, so YAY!
Seriously. You think I don’t worry that they’ll hate me, that they won’t agree, that they’ll go on social media and brand me a scammer? (I’ve seen it. Sigh.)
I’ve got the notes to type up and then it’s on to the next, with two more in the queue behind it. Apparently, I have hit a busy season.
Bring me more.
Inspiration struck and I got in about 1500 words, although I’ve fallen behind my daily overall goal, when I took a week and read things over, start to finish. Sometimes, you’ve got to stop and remind yourself of what you wrote in shorter spurts.
Anyway, those of you who read me for the goofy, fun, silly things that usually involve animals, you will not be disappointed in this book, either. And there’s more to come!
For those of you who feel powerless and want to DO SOMETHING to fight back, reminder that there’s only a few more days left in August, and that’s the end of my support for the Blythe Books PBS fundraiser. You buy one of my books — online or in person — at Blythe and I’m donating $1 to the store’s PBS fundraiser. Small acts add up. I promise they do.
Buck Me, by Andrew Grey
Yes, this is an affiliate link!
And a note… I met Andrew Grey two years ago at the Books Books Books show in Lancaster, PA. (We’re both going back to it this year. I believe Andrew’s an OG author, too.)
Andrew and his husband are lovely people, and I’m glad to know know them and to encourage you to read Andrew’s books.
So that’s it for the day!
Remember that your support of me means a lot, so keep it up. Share the Book of the Day, buy my books, book my editing services, talk about me/my books/all of this… Like I said, little actions add up.
And once again, happy birthday to my oldest!
August 27, 2025
Demo Tapes 1, by Susan Helene Gottfried
Pick up a copy of Demo Tapes 1 at your favorite retailer. It’s 99c… unless you buy it at my direct store. It’s only 79c there, and cheaper in a bundle! (I recommend this bundle, in fact.)
Last night, Blythe Books hosted a pizza party to wrap up the summer reading program. Read books. Get pizza. Anyone else remember those days?
Wish I’d met more readers, but that’ll come. I had a lovely time with the folk I sat and chatted with. And Lizzie hung everyone’s reading tracker so we could see what everyone was reading. I didn’t see my books listed (why the hell not?), but did see some trackers whose owners need to come down to the sheep farm.
Yesterday was massage day, so I didn’t get to my desk until late and it was hard to focus, so I wound up being four pages short of my daily goal. I’d like to finish this read-through today and write up the letter and get it back to its author because my next two edits are on tight deadlines.
I left the house for the pizza party directly after my editing day, and got home and settled in with about fifteen minutes left of my writing night, but I got a couple hundred words in. I’ll call that a win.
Four days left of the PBS Fundraiser at Blythe Books! I’d really like to make another restock run… help me help PBS, will ya?
The Build-a-Boyfriend Project, by Mason Deaver
There ya go! Be sure to order or pick up a copy of the Sheep Farm books so I can donate more of my income to PBS. Plus, you’ll own it, and rumor has it that book prices are going to spike into the stratosphere and none of us will be able to afford print copies anymore. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but…
Of course, if you want to support me to say thanks for not paywalling this content, here’s the list:
Book my editing services. Refer me to your book-writing friends.
Buy my books — for yourself or a friend. Talk about them online, via reviews or just in general discussion.
And buy me a virtual bottle of fountain pen ink via my ko-fi.
August 26, 2025
Book cover for ShapeShifter: Demo Tapes (Year 3)
The weather’s cooling off around here, and while I appreciate it, I’m supposed to go out for dinner tonight, and I am debating wearing long pants!
Let’s get to it, because I am SUPER busy.
And yet more manuscripts in my inbox!
It’s actually kind of amusing because I was talking to a good friend last night, who is a crack developmental editor, and they said things were cooling off for them. Around here, it’s getting hotter!
I’ll take it. It’s been an overall slow year, and I like it to be steadier, like it currently is.
Because I’m an editor first, my writing may wind up cooling off a bit. Not the way I want it to be, and I did get my thousand words in, but sometimes, the little tasks that I generally enjoy are falling by the wayside. It’s hard to juggle both careers sometimes, but if I have to, I’ll pick editing first.
That doesn’t mean I don’t need your support as a writer — in fact, I need it more than ever! But I also need your support and understanding about my editing half.
We’re in the waning days of the PBS fundraiser at Blythe Books, so be sure to either pick up or order online your copies of the Sheep Farm books and make me donate $1 from every book sold to the ongoing fundraiser. It ends on August 31, though, so get busy!
When the Tides Held the Moon, by Venessa Vida Kelley
Yep, that’s an affiliate link, so feel free to use it, or show your support for this effort by booking my editing skills, supporting my author self, or just throwing cash at me via my ko-fi.
August 25, 2025
Yes, as August winds down and the school buses are back on the street, that means the PBS fundraiser at Blythe Books is winding down. And with it is that nice added bonus I threw in: $1 from every sale of the Sheep Farm books at Blythe Books is being added to the store’s donation.
What are you waiting for?
Another manuscript showed up this weekend, and so I had to do some reshuffling to make everything fit with everyone’s deadlines.
Reminder that you don’t want to set release dates until AFTER editing. Not that this applies to my editing life right now; it actually doesn’t. But having to reshuffle the queue made me think about how if something goes sideways — and it’s happened to more than one client of mine! — it’s not always possible or easy to reschedule release dates, especially if you’ve already started taking preorders.
Anyway, I’m excited to have this stack; it’s all great stuff, by a great group of writers. Best of all, I don’t have a busy author schedule the next few weeks, so I get to savor being my editor self. Sometimes, she feels more authentic.
That’s not to say Author Susan isn’t authentic! She is, too. But if I could only pick one half of this wordsmithing duology, it’d be the editing half. I can always write for myself, after all.
Speaking of which…
If you love ebook box sets, be sure to preorder your copy of the first Tales From the Sheep Farm box set! Yes, once it’s officially for sale next week, you’ll be able to get it via Hoopla, Libby, Kobo Plus, and a few others.
And yes, it’s the last week of the Blythe Books PBS fundraiser! We didn’t hit my initial goal of 50 books — and why the hell not??? — but this is a situation where every single dollar counts. And you get a book to read!
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath, by Moniquill Blackgoose
Yep, that’s an affiliate link. Use it and help me keep the lights on around here so that next time there’s a fundraiser, I can donate more. It’s all one big cycle…
August 22, 2025
Now that I’ve told my newsletter about it, I can tell you. Because newsletter subscribers deserve to get the news first. (They also get free stuff. Just sayin’.)
I’m dipping my toe into the box set segment of the book-buying population, with this first volume. Yes, there will be more, so stay tuned — and hit me up if you have requests. Do check my direct store, though, for bundles.
What’s the difference? Bundles give you each book in a separate file. A box set gives you one big file.
So… here she is! My first box set. Go grab her, and even better, grab her AND tell your friends to do the same.
Nothing new here. Still chipping away, still have two in the queue, still expecting more. “Here she is!” I hear when some clients stuff my inbox. I love it.
Still a good time to open a discussion if you need my skills. I go all-out for my clients, and if you haven’t realized that by now…
Not a ton of work done last night; lots to do and I was scattered. I did check over the tent because I was convinced I’d seen a small hole I need to patch before the Oil Region Festival of the Book tomorrow, but I never saw the hole, and neither did my neighbor, so… faulty eyesight? Anxiety playing tricks on me? Who knows. I’ll probably get there tomorrow and it’ll pop up and I’ll be all, “Yes. Here she is.”
And it’s still August, so $1 from every book I sell at Blythe Books is going to the store’s PBS fundraising drives. C’mon, friends! I want to make one more, if not two, restocking runs!
As per usual, that’s an affiliate link, so use it to your heart’s content as you expand your reading horizons.
Other ways to support me:
Book my editing services, or refer a friend my way.
Buy my books, for yourself or a friend. (I’m all about the friends today.)
Talk ’em up online, in person. Leave a review. It’s the easiest and it costs you nothing.
And, of course, just hand me cash. Stuff my ko-fi.
August 21, 2025
Vass is waiting, in Saving Sima. He’s waiting to be more than the family asshole. The women in his family will tell you he’s an idiot.
Read the book and see what I mean.
Yes, I’m waiting… I have book news for you and I’m waiting on Kobo to make the presale live before I can tell you about it. If you’re smart, you can do some digging and find what’s up, but official word will come first, as always, via my newsletter.
I’m really eager to tell you about this!
This edit turned out to be a lot more intensive than I’d expected, so progress is slow.
I’ve also started working a little more seriously on the super secret thing I’m working on with Blythe Books. I know waiting sucks, but this will be worth it. Stay tuned, especially if you’re local. If you’re not local, there will be opportunities for you on this front, as well.
As always, if you need me, now’s the time to open a conversation.
Not much to say on the writing front… I’m working away. I went back to the beginning and have been tweaking the story, making sure it’s not off in the weeds at all, and so far, it’s not, even if it’s not quite the story I wanted to tell. I’m eager to get back to new words on it and am waiting to get caught up so I can.
The PBS fundraiser at Blythe Books is continuing… there was an announcement of private money being invested into the system, going to the stations that need it the most (mainly rural, where it provides more of a community service, broadcasting events like football games and band concerts), but it’s not enough, and they acknowledge that. Every bit helps, even for a station as big and well-known as WQED. So stop in at Blythe Books here in Pittsburgh or order online, and for each of my books that the team there sells, I’m donating $1 to the store’s fundraising drive.
I’ll be up at the Oil Region Festival of the Book on Saturday… I’m excited (and a bit nervous about the setup; we have 45 minutes to unload the car and set up our tents and while Beck said yes, we’ll help each other, that still doesn’t make me confident about that narrow window. I’m used to working as a team!) to see a new area of the region — and Oil City is a place I’ve been to many times before. They have a fantastic rail trail up there.
Drama!, by AJ Truman
As always, that’s an affiliate link, so have at it! Your purchases help keep the lights on over here.
And before I go, just a reminder that although I’ve chosen not to paywall this via Patreon or substack or other platforms, I could of course use your support. This is how it goes anymore; we have to take care of each other.
Book my editing services, or steer a friend my way.
Buy my books; they make great gifts!
Talk about my books, by leaving a review online somewhere or just talking about them to friends and people in real life.
Donate to my ko-fi, either with a straight donation, or pay what you will for my Beta Reader’s Guide and/or Writer’s Guide to Library Events.
August 20, 2025
Slow progress? It took me YEARS to get the Complete Demo Tapes out once I had the text ready.
Slow is the word around here this week. I’ve got a lot to do, but… slow chipping away at it seems to be the way to go.
Sometimes, a client says to me, “I think this is all I need from you, but I’m not sure…” And I say, “Don’t worry. If you need more, I’ll do more.” And I do! No issues, no nothing… it’s part of how I take care of my clients — and how they learn. Learning’s the important part here; every time an author works to level up their craft, I know readers are in for a better experience, and will buy more of my client’s books. It really does work that way, and I want success for the authors who want that for themselves.
What?
Yes. I have clients who just want to put books out and enjoy the process and being able to say they’re published. In this ecosystem, that’s possible, and I applaud that! It’s not always about selling the most books. Sometimes, it’s simply about the feeling of accomplishment, just seeing your book on a (usually virtual) shelf.
I was at my desk yesterday for an extra hour, working on the super-secret project. Once Kobo catches up, I’ll announce it to my newsletter subscribers, and then I’ll announce it more generally. Don’t get excited thinking it’s another surprise book like The Complete Demo Tapes was. (I know how y’all have flocked to it!) This is more of a supplemental gift. Stay tuned!
And, of course, the PBS fundraiser at Blythe Books continues, so either stop in the store or make an online order of any of the Tales from the Sheep Farm and I’ll donate an extra $1 for each book — not each sale. Each BOOK — to the store’s fundraiser.
I’m also starting to gear up for the Oil Region Festival of the Book, which will be on Saturday and hopefully a lot of fun. I love doing library-affiliated events, and that’s exactly what this is. As always, if you’re in the area, stop in and say hi.
I’ll Have What He’s Having, by Adib Khorram
Like usual, that’s an affiliate link, so make liberal use of it and you’ll be doing an act of resistance, feeding your brain, enjoying a good book, AND helping keep the lights on over here so I can keep exposing you to more books.
Other ways to support me include:
Book my editing services, or refer your author friends my way. Fiction only, of course, and nothing dark or Christian.
Buy the books I wrote! For yourself, for a friend… doesn’t matter.
Talk up ALL the books online and in person. The Book of the Day and mine… it’s all good!
Just send cash via my ko-fi. Or help yourself to the Beta Reader’s Guide and/or the Writer’s Guide to Library Events.
August 19, 2025
The weather’s finally acting more like it’s supposed to, so it’s been glorious on the deck in the evenings. Not every evening, but we’re getting there. I’m told there’s autumnal air approaching soon, and I am HERE for it.
Just so the rain holds off for Saturday, when I will be with my friends Beck Grey and Katey Hawthorne at the Oil Region Festival of Books.
I’m in deep with the manuscript. The story’s very good! A fresh angle on a couple familiar tropes, and it’s well executed. This is fun to work on so far.
It is, regrettably, slow going. But then, I’m picky… which is what my clients pay me for.
If you’re not on my newsletter, you want to be. They’ll be getting first word of something I’m cooking up.
And the PBS fundraiser is ongoing at Blythe Books, so be sure to take part in that, too. I was talking to a family member yesterday. He’s an attorney who works for PBS stations and… you know, it’s so much more than the kid’s programming we so often talk about. It’s about community, and the loss of ANY PBS station isn’t something that we should be treating lightly.
If you are new here or need the reminder, I’m donating $1 from every book of mine that’s sold through Blythe — online or in person — during the store’s PBS fundraising drive. This is a great time to pick up one of my books there.
Today’s a great day to pick up Permission to Enter. It’s the book birthday of this little volume of short stories and a novella that people at in-person events just love. And I love that they love it. If you’d like a digital (ebook) copy, it’s cheaper at my online store. The link’s up near the opening graphic. As for print copies, I currently have three in stock, with a bunch more ready to order. I’ll be placing that order next week, for reasons.
Love Spells Trouble, by Nia Davenport
That’s an affiliate link, and your use of it will help me keep the lights on over here.
You know the drill by now, but in case you don’t… Other ways to support me:
book my editing services
buy my books for yourself or a friend
Talk about my editing services and/or books online or to friends
stuff my ko-fi, with or without grabbing a copy of The Beta Reader’s Guide and/or The Writer’s Guide to Library Events.
That’s it! I’m a bit late today because the website was slow, so it’s time to get to editing.
August 18, 2025
You have to get to the end of Populated to see why this fits “back at it” as a theme, but it’s there. I promise.
People have been gifting me books lately, and I’m grateful (despite the large number waiting for me in my son’s room). I tried to read two of them last night. One was so full of microdetail — I can tell you the exact shape of her car key, how it feels in her hand, and where she stores it both when she’s in her house and when she’s out and about… and the story itself takes place after she leaves town. In an airplane. And does not need those car keys until, presumably, after the book ends — that I couldn’t read it. Nothing slow the pace like microdetail. (Well, info dumps and badly placed backstory do.). The other book claimed two editors, and claimed to be written by a USA Today bestselling author. After multiple typos per page — a minimum of three — I gave up on that one, too.
A good story does NOT excuse poor writing and worse editing.
Back to it today for me… One of the manuscripts I’d been waiting for arrived, so now I’m working on one and have two in the queue again. Yay!
If you need me, now’s a good time to open a conversation. I won’t leave three typos per page, I promise.
The best part of being convinced the story is bloated and off the rails is going back to the beginning and starting to hone things and realizing that, hey… it’s not. Whew. We’re coming up on two years since I started writing this one. It aggravates me, but I continue every day to remind myself to get back at it so I’m not wasting these two years and you’ll have a fun story to escape into.
I’m also working on a new surprise that you’ll be hearing about in the next two weeks. As always, newsletter subscribers get the first look and notification, so it’s worth being on my newsletter
The monthlong Blythe Books PBS fundraising drive continues! Buy one of my paperback books from the gang and I’ll donate $1 to the store’s fundraiser.
We are Villains, by Kacen Callender
As always, that’s an affiliate link, so have fun with it. Your support keeps the lights on and the roof intact.
Other ways to support me include:
booking my editing services
buying my books for yourself and friends
leaving an online review and/or talking me up to your social circle
stuffing my ko-fi with a virtual bottle of fountain pen ink, funds which will actually go to operational expenses around here.
August 15, 2025
I spent not enough time on the deck last night, with the louvers on the pergola open. And then my battery on the laptop ran low, so I went in rather than drag the cord outside. I wasn’t much in a writing mood, but when I got done is good, solid work, cutting flab and digging into some areas I’d been mulling over.
But wait. let’s do this in order.
I finished the last in the series, sent the author a short list of concerns, heard back about those, and all’s good. I’m excited about their next series, and it sounds like it should be on my desk sooner rather than later.
And then I typed in some more notes, sent the invoice, and got started on the next one! I love working on Send When Ready. I don’t have to wait for the next manuscript to arrive to fit into its slot. It’s here, I’m ready… let’s roll.
Well, I covered most of it above…
I AM brewing something, so stay tuned for that. Like my client’s new series, it’s a “sooner rather than later” situation, and news will break first on my newsletter.
The PBS fundraiser at Blythe Books is continuing, so be sure to either stop in (they reopen either today or tomorrow after the owner’s vacation) and pick up my books, or else order online! I’d love to make a bigger donation than I already have.
And in that vein… let’s bring some heat to this fundraiser, shall we? If I sell more than five books at the Butler City Farmer’s Market tomorrow, I’ll donate a dollar from each of THOSE sales to the fundraiser, too. And remember… when you see me in person and buy a five-book set, you get one for free!
This is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Hey! This one’s won awards!
As always, that’s an affiliate link, and I encourage you to use it heavily for your diverse reading needs, and not just because I get a few pennies per purchase.
Other ways to support me include:
Booking my editing services, or telling friends to do so
Buying my books for yourself or for gifts, then leaving online reviews and/or talking them up via social media or in real life
Just a cash gift via my ko-fi, whether or not you help yourself to the Beta Reader’s Guide and/or the Writer’s Guide to Library Events.
Have a great weekend, everyone! Don’t let the heat get to you…
August 14, 2025
I finally returned to publishing in 2023, with Maybe the Bird Will Rise.
AFter 15 days and waiting until I had gotten settled on the back porch for an evening writing session, the sky ripped open and rained. For over two hours. I don’t know how many inches we got, but it was enough to cause flash flooding in the area. Parts of my lawn greened up overnight; other parts are still brown and dormant.
The next chance for rain is next Tuesday, but I’d bet that’ll change — and not for the better — as we get closer.
In the meantime, it’s hot and awful.
Let’s all take better care of the planet, shall we?
Again with the interruptions, and so I’ll be finishing the edit today. Then it’s typing in another set of notes, from the first chapter of the next book — a new series! — and getting started on the next one.
That’ll drop me to only one manuscript in the queue, with lots more expected. As always, there’s no better day than today to open a discussion about your own editorial needs.
So in total, I figure I got invites to SIX shows earlier this week. SIX. That’s… wow. It’s a lot. I accepted four of them — well, one I’d already been accepted to, so maybe I got invites to five shows?
Whatever. It was still a big week for book shows.
As for writing, I seem to have paused new words and am going back from the beginning. The reason? I wanted to hone conversations, remove a lot of the repetition that always creeps in, and make sure everything’s in alignment. I have a couple relationships I want to buff up. A lot of dissection work, and that’s fine. It’s part of the process.
This is the first time in the past two years that I’ve wanted to do this, so it’s a very very good sign.
And I got royalties today! Hoopla, some Kobo, Smashwords, and a bunch of Overdrive. If this is how you’re reading me, thank you thank you thank you.
Finally, if you want print copies of the Tales from the Sheep Farm books, be sure to stop in at Blythe Books — they’ll be open again over the weekend — or order them online. I’m still donating $1 from every sale to the store’s PBS fundraiser, so make me restock often, and make me make a HUGE donation. I can’t do it without you!
Once again, Legacy was my biggest seller. Reminder that while it can stand alone, it’s best read when it’s done in order… so if it was the first book of mine that you read, go on back and read the others!
Oddly, no one read Saving Sima all month, and that’s too bad. Vassily is one of my favorite characters, and I love his story, all about figuring out who you are in relation to your birth family.
The Jasad Heir, by Sara Hashem
As always, that’s an affiliate link, and thanks if you use it.
Other ways to support me and keep the lights on around here:
Book my editing skills — or send a friend to!
Buy my books for yourself or a friend, borrow them from libraries, leave reviews online, and talk ’em up in general!
And last, stuff my ko-fi, whether or not you help yourself to The Beta Reader’s Guide and/or The Writer’s Guide to Library Events.
August 13, 2025
We’ve been two weeks without rain and yeah… the ground/landscaping looks like it does when we’re two weeks without rain. I’m watering a bunch of my new plantings, but it’s supposed to rain today. I even saw lightning early this morning, but I guess it went north of us. Again.
I’ve been watching rain patterns shift as long as I’ve lived here… and that’s almost 30 years now. (Oddly, I am only 33, so don’t try to figure out how it all works.)
Nothing new here. Just cranking away at this edit. I doubt I’ll finish it today, unfortunately. I’ll have no more than twenty pages for tomorrow, I think.
Two remain in the queue, with more expected, so if you need me, now’s the time to open that dialogue.
Got my words in last night, but they were simultaneously hard and I didn’t want to stop when the time came. I probably shouldn’t have; I’m not sleeping well right now anyway. What’s another sleepless night?
Over the past two days, I’ve been invited to FOUR book shows. FOUR. When it rains…
Is there a point of overload? I’m not sure, but it was a lot in a very short time and between my own calendar and trying to get my name out and doing things for my own personal writing career and and and…
Some days, it’s hard to be an editor first.
Reminder that if you buy my books at Blythe Books this month — in person or online — I’m donating $1 per book to the store’s PBS fundraiser. Make me go to the store at least one more time this month. Preferably twice… or more!
Amrikan: 125 Recipes from the Indian American Disapora, by Khushbu Shah
I know… I ordinarily don’t post nonfiction, but it’s recipes! I’m the one telling people at farmers’ markets to “Feed the body? Feed the brain!” so this is me telling you to do the same.
And, like you’re used to by now, this is an affiliate link.
Honestly, if you’d use the link and buy the book — and others by diverse authors — I’d be happy and fulfilled. Not because I get a few pennies, but because like me, you’re expanding your own reading horizons. That’s resistance to the cruelty of the moment. It really is, and in many ways.
And THAT is the point of this whole series. It’s not for me to tell you about my life. I’m pretty private and content to keep my mouth shut about that. But the blog gods demand more words per post, and so I’m giving you more words per post!
Other ways to support me:
Book my editing services. Send a friend my way!
Buy my books. Leave reviews online, talk about my books to your friends, hand them copies you’ve already bought.
Donate to my ko-fi. I don’t drink coffee, so you’re buying me a figurative bottle of fountain pen ink, but really. Funds go to operational expenses around here. Like everything else in American society right now, my overhead’s rising.
Stay cool, friends, and if you’re in need of rain as I am, may it rain on you.
August 12, 2025
The Complete Demo Tapes, available only at Susan’s direct store
Yeah, SO many options for authors right now. Indie bookstores of all shapes and sizes are opening. And the author events are just… everywhere. I was invited to three alone yesterday! One I accepted immediately. One conflicted with a date I’m already booked for. And the third threw up some red flags and I chose to pass. Maybe I’m wrong about those red flags; time will tell. It was also the day after another event, and two in one weekend felt like a lot. And a lot of stock.
So let’s see what’s going on in my editing and writing life, and then get to what we’re all here for: The Book of the Day.
I’m sailing through this second read-through, but that doesn’t mean I’m not finding things that I missed, or that I’m better able to see now that I know where things are heading. Yay!
My next two edits are still in my queue, and I’m still waiting on more.
So many options out there right now for editors. I’m always glad, grateful, and — not gonna lie — relieved when my clients find me, either for repeat work or for a first-time partnership.
Nothing exciting to report here. I don’t think.
I got my words in — 1400 or so — but had a flash of a new idea that I may play with. I like having things to play with as I focus on one main story; it’s like a palate cleanser. Does it leave me overwhelmed sometimes, yelling so many options!!! Yes. But since there’s generally not a deadline attached, it’s manageable. After all, it’s there to play with, not be the focus. Yet.
Oak King Holly King, by Sebastian Northwell
Nah, the timing of this choice isn’t deliberate or anything!
As always, that’s an affiliate link, so if you choose to make a stand with your wallet, no matter how small, and you use my link, I’ll get a few pennies. And I appreciate that you’re using my link when there are so many options, so many other affiliates to support.
Want so many more options to support me?
Book my editing services
Buy my books, for yourself or to gift them!
(Reminder that if you order them through Blythe Books, I’m donating $1 per book sold this month to the store’s PBS charity drive!)
Talk about my books — online or to a friend.
Stuff my Ko-fi.
It’s really that easy! I try to make it that way because, yeah… in keeping with today’s SEO phrase of the day, there are so many options out there!
August 11, 2025
Safe House, by Susan Helene Gottfried
And it was QUITE the weekend over here.
It started Friday, just before noon, when I got THAT email. The one we all love. It was from Blythe Books, and it was… a call to restock. THREE people had stopped in the store that morning (Lizzie said to me, “I don’t know what you put in the water today, but…”) and bought books. I made a restocking run after dinner, whereby Lizzie and I hatched some diabolical plans… she and I are cooking up a LOT of stuff that will benefit YOU, directly or indirectly. Reminder to order my books via Blythe this week and I’ll donate $1 per book to the store’s PBS charity drive if you do!
Then, Saturday, I took myself out to Niles, Ohio for the first Northeast Ohio Book Signing, where I hung with my friend Mellanie Szereto and helped her sell books. At least, I hope I was a help and not a pain! A two-and-a-half-hour dinner followed the signing with new friends Darlene Kuncytes and Andi Lawrencovna.
Yesterday, I rested, recovered, and went to dinner with my dad at a nearby Mexican restaurant but not Emiliano’s because they’re not open again yet.
I’m still working my way through this second read-through. It’s funny to see how my perception of the story changes when I have fewer interruptions — to fix things, to write down details for my notes, and just from life.
I have two manuscripts currently in the queue and am waiting on… I don’t even know how many. This is your reminder to get in touch NOW if you need an edit at any point in the future, near or not!
Needless to say, all the running around over the weekend cut into my time to write, and I’m only caught up to tomorrow’s goal, I think it is. I have nothing planned this week but to write, so we’ll see how that shakes out. I’m looking forward to the peace.
Nothing’s on sale this week, but here’s another reminder that if you place an order via Blythe Books (and you can only do it online this week; they are closed for vacation) for MY books, I’m donating $1 for every book sold to the store’s PBS charity drive. What are you waiting for?
And that brings us to today’s…
Honey & Spice by Bolu Babalola
Yep, that’s an affiliate link, and if you use that or the link in the header, which takes you to a list of ALL the Books of the Day, I’ll earn a few pennies with your purchase. Anything to help keep the lights on and a roof over my head!
Supporting each other in these times is hard, but I’m trying to make it easy. Use the affiliate link to Bookshop.org. Book my editing services (or send your author friends over!). Buy my books, and leave an online review (I’m seriously hurting for online reviews…) and/or talk about the books to your friends and/or buy a copy to share… I’m not picky! Remember, too, Large Print editions are available! And, of course, failing all that, buy me a figurative bottle of fountain pen ink that I’ll use to take notes on a client’s manuscript via my ko-fi.
Together, we’ll get to a better day, where we can write and read as we want to, and where the pages we read are full of people who look like us.
August 8, 2025
Cover for Populated, written by Susan Helene Gottfried
That wasn’t supposed to happen. But I guess that even when you don’t fly too close to the sun, you’re bound to come back to earth.
It was our third time at the Block Northway farmer’s market and while my friend Doris Dumrauf sold an incredible amount of books, I sold… none. First time since last October that’s happened! And while I’m still ahead financially, this is also the first location where I haven’t earned back my table fees.
It was hard to be frustrated or sad, though, because Doris had such a great night and it was so much fun chatting with the people who stopped by. I love it when people stop and chat, and that doesn’t always happen.
Sometimes, I ask myself if I’m really doing this to have these random human encounters, or if I’m truly trying to find new fans this way. I did meet someone who bought Maybe the Bird Will Rise and passed it to a friend, though. I love those stories, too.
I’ll be back at the Block Northway Farmer’s Market on September 11, and my partner will be Lainey Davis.
In other news that wasn’t supposed to happen…
I came EIGHT pages short of finishing this first read-through of my latest edit! Eight! Aargh!
So I’ll finish today, and then probably immediately start the second read-through. Not only is this client waiting for their manuscript back, but I’ve got two in the queue. Whee! I love having a couple manuscripts waiting even as I hate making authors wait for me. Double-edged sword, no?
Need more “that wasn’t supposed to happen” news? I swear, that was yesterday’s theme.
But I got home around seven-thirty and… well, tallying up the day’s accounting was pretty easy, so it was time to find some food and sit and write for a bit. But I was distracted and even though I had plenty of time to get my thousand words in, I only got a couple hundred.
Yesterday was NOT my day.
Today, though, is a new day, so let’s have a Book of the Day and move along, and just keep focusing on yesterday’s positives.
Usually, I have a bunch of tabs open with interesting books, and I just use the next in line. But yesterday, well, it sucked for sixteen members of my community (That definitely wasn’t supposed to happen!), so I wanted to pick someone with Latin roots.
The Bewitching, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
As always, that’s an affiliate link, and the couple of pennies I earn from your use of my affiliate links adds up, so have at it!
And, of course, other ways to support me include booking my editing services — soon, as the queue is starting to fill up — or buying my books. (Reminder that I’m donating $1 from every sale at Blythe Books this month, so go buy ’em there if you’re not going to buy ’em from me directly) But even more than buying them, or maybe along with buying them, is TALKING about them. An online review. A social media post. A mention to a friend. Just like the pennies I get when you use my commission links, it all adds up and then I have fans and life is happy.
Have a great weekend, friends, and may it not be full of, “Well, that wasn’t supposed to happen!”
August 7, 2025
Vassily has car troubles, too. Sort of. Pick up the duo of Populated and Saving Sima for the best reading experience, but you can also read Saving Sima as a standalone.
So I gifted my car to my child, and the commonwealth of Pennsylvania isn’t happy that that state in which the kid now lives didn’t give me the specific paperwork that PA demands. I’m reaching out to my state rep’s office when they open, and I’ve already been in touch with my attorney and seriously?
Unfortunately, that’s only part of what made yesterday truly suck.
I haven’t had a period of time where I’ve had this many interruptions since my divorce, over a decade ago. It’s been ridiculous. I’m hoping to finish the first read-through today, but now that I’ve got this car thing to deal with, who knows?
This is probably the first time in my career that I’m ready to throw my hands up and close the business because I simply cannot get anything done.
I had my monthly interfaith class last night and one of the goals is for us to all meet each other and mix and mingle, but I definitely sat with the wrong group of people last night. So I only got a couple hundred words in. And tonight, I have the Block Northway Farmer’s Market, too. This is the first time I haven’t wanted to go hang out and sell books, so that’s pretty significant.
Last month, I was home in time to have an hour to write before 9pm, which is the time I have to get off screens. Let’s hope for good sales and no traffic getting home. And a quick teardown.
Magic in the Melanin, by the Melanin Library
As always, that’s an affiliate link, so have at it.
And of course, I’m not paywalling any of this bookish fun, so your support is always appreciated — especially today, since I have lawyer fees staring me down — via booking my editing skills (at some point, these damn interruptions will end, right?), buying my books and talking about them, in person and/or online, or by stuffing my ko-fi, whether or not you help yourself to my Beta Reader’s Guide and/or the Writer’s Guide to Library Events.
Take care of your cars, and if you’re in PA, sell them before you leave the state, I guess.
August 6, 2025
There’s a flash piece called “Hearts” in Demo Tapes 1. It’s super short and it’s just a very sweet moment between Mitchell and Kerri.
I do kind of miss the Trevolution. It was fun, it was no-holds-barred, it was angry. Or I was when I wrote the entire series.
Anyway, today we’re celebrating hearts, particularly Lucy Cat’s heart. I took her to the cardiologist yesterday and… we were presented with a clean bill of health!
Not gonna lie, this whole thing with her has been EXPENSIVE. Ouch. You know how to help.
Between feeling crummy because of this bug bite and then the time away from my desk to take Lucy Cat to the vet, I didn’t get as much done as I wanted to. But it’s nice to hear from other authors on my client list that they’re finishing up projects. Job security; I’ll take it! Does my own heart good.
And a reminder, which I don’t include often enough, that if you need my editorial services, I’m here. Be prepared to work hard.
I had my monthly study group last night, so I only got a couple hundred words in. I’m still caught up to Friday, which is good because tonight I have a class! This is my busy week, apparently, because Thursday I have the Block Northway farmer’s market, too. (I think; they haven’t sent me the invoice, which they’d said they would do no later than Monday and it’s Wednesday.)
And of course, if you buy any of my books via Blythe Books this month (print only!), I’ll be donating a dollar of each purchase to the store’s fundraising drive for WQED, our local PBS station.
Ana Maria and the Fox, by Liana De la Rosa
That’s an affiliate link, and with the vet bills around here, I’d certainly appreciate some support!
Other ways, of course, are to book my editing services, buy my books and/or talk about them in person or online, and of course to stuff my ko-fi.
That’s it. I still feel lousy, so am still taking it easy before class tonight. But at least my heart’s working!
August 5, 2025
Trevor has reason to take sick days too. Trevor’s Song is 99c everywhere but at my online shop, where it’s 79c and cheaper in a bundle!
It’s a bug bite that’s messing with my world, and it hurts more than itches. Fun times.
I’m plugging away. That’s all I can say, and it’s not because of the manuscript — yesterday, I didn’t want to stop editing at my usual quitting time — it’s just because of so many interruptions.
I am not a fan of the interruptions.
Today’s no better, as I have to take Lucy Cat to yet another vet. She too is having a sick day, although hers is the chronic variety.
Once again, I exceeded my word count. I can not write a word until Friday and still be on target. Which is super, as I have my online evening meeting tonight and Thursday is our third appearance at the Block Northway Farmer’s Market. I’ll be there this week with Doris Dumrauf, who has written two historical novels and a bunch of books that showcase her amazing photography. If you’re local, be sure to stop in for a visit.
Reminder that if you buy print copies this month from Blythe Books, I’m donating a dollar from each purchase to the store’s fundraiser for our local PBS station, WQED. That’s the home of Mr. Rogers, friends; we can’t let this gem be harmed!
Oh! Also, when you see me in person next, be sure to check out my new table banner! It’ll be making its debut at the Block Northway on Thursday.
Empire of Sand, by Tasha Suri
As always, that’s an affiliate link, so if you use it, I’ll get a few pennies to put toward operational expenses here at West of Mars. You’d be surprised at how a few pennies here, a few pennies there can add up!
And of course, the best way to show support and gratitude that I’m not paywalling this fun is to book my editing services, buy my books and talk about them online and/or in person, and to stuff my ko-fi with the money you’d be giving me if I DID paywall this!
That’s it!
Hope you’re not having a sick day, yourself.
August 4, 2025
How can you resist that sunny cover?
Also, Maybe the Bird Will Rise was, again, my weekend bestseller. Go figure!
It was a good, laid-back weekend, including a few hours spent at Blythe Books — and people thinking I work there! That’s a compliment — and something I turned to my advantage and hand-sold a copy of Maybe the Bird Will Rise to a very excited patron. A few doors opened for me this weekend, too, so we’ll see which ones I choose to walk through. More on that later… I have plans to lay!
I did NOT work over the weekend. Mostly. A client needed a bit of help via email, and that was easy enough, fix a turn of phrase, insert a comma… and we’re good to go.
I’m looking forward to getting back into the manuscript at hand, however.
I can not write a word until Thursday, and I will be ahead of schedule.
So now I am switching gears. Got my thousand, twelve hundred words in? Go play for a bit with a different project. It’s good to play!
And now the big news: Blythe Books is doing a fundraiser for our local PBS station, WQED. If you don’t know, this is the station that Mr. Rogers was directly affiliated with. It’s got history. And while it’s maybe not as threatened as other PBS stations, it’s still a gem we can’t afford to lose.
So I’ve pledged to donate a dollar from every sale Blythe makes of my books — be it online sales or in-person sales, or what. Any one of my books — and right now, the entire Tales from the Sheep Farm series is in stock. I’ll make sure those shelves remain stocked this month, but you’ve got to make it hard for me! I want to make a donation of around $50!
Print books make great gifts, and it’s getting to be time to think about gifting… all the books are autographed.
Go on. Let’s support public broadcasting AND put books in your hands.
Backhanded Compliments, by Katie Chandler
As always, that’s an affiliate link, and it’s an easy way to keep the lights on around here.
Since I’m not paywalling this weekday Book of the Day, remember that I appreciate it when you book my editing skills, buy my books — or leave a review online and/or talk ’em up to your friends! — and of course, you’re free to simply stuff my ko-fi with cash, or pick up my Beta Reader’s Guide and/or Writer’s Guide to Library Events. Don’t forget the fundraiser at Blythe!
Enjoy the sunny day; I grew up here in cloudy Pittsburgh but I’m not tired of the sun yet. YET.
August 1, 2025
A spontaneous road trip spurs the actions of Saving Sima–at least for Vassily.
Remember, if you’re a Hoopla user, or if your library’s Libby service doesn’t include Saving Sima, request it!
Spontaneous is really the best word for yesterday because I went to bed on Wednesday, thinking the window had closed and it wasn’t going to happen.
But a few minutes before ten yesterday morning, my phone rang. It was my partner in crime and in-person shows, Mary Walsh and as soon as I saw her name pop up, I knew what was up. We’d been offered a last-minute booth at the Greensburg Night Market.
If you were here yesterday, you saw that I was developing a migraine as I was typing. I didn’t let that stop me; I said yes to Mary, got hold of Doug Solter, and went to get caffeine, gas, cash, and clear plastic drop cloths, just in case it rained. Which it did not.
The caffeine banished the migraine (and promptly made me sick!), and we were off to the Night Market.
Just as I was leaving the house, I got the application for the 2026 Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival. It’s going out in today’s mail.
I’m thinking there’s a love affair going between West of Mars®, LLC and Westmoreland County and despite the hour-long drive, I’ll TAKE it.
Between the running errands, the migraine, the not feeling well, and the leaving early for the Night Market, I didn’t get nearly enough done on this edit. I’ll be working tomorrow, that’s for sure!
Yeah… the Night Market… no words got written, since the day job comes first, and the day job is editing, and even that got co-opted by some spontaneous errand-running.
But this is why I like to work ahead of my goals. I have the cushion for things like this, and there’s no thoughts of, “I should be home writing, not out on a spontaneous book-selling excursion.”
Slithery Heat, by Roe Horvat
Yep, that’s an affiliate link! Use it to my benefit, and thanks for doing so.
Another reminder! The link in the subject header now takes you to the full list of Books of the Day. So you can see them in one place and hopefully find new, exciting reads.
And now for my totally not spontaneous reminder that your support, either via booking my editing services, buying my books and leaving reviews online and/or talking them up to friends, or stuffing my ko-fi with cold hard cash is a great way to thank me for the daily effort that’s this series, especially since I’m not otherwise paywalling it. My bank account and I thank you in advance!
I leave you with one last reminder… even if you’re certain you haven’t used the tent light since the last time you charged it, charge it again anyway… Just saying…
Go forth this weekend and be spontaneous. It’s fun!
