I make plans all the time. Lists of things to do. I write them down on my schedule and then feel like a failure when I look back at that schedule and none of my plans were finished. Hell, I’m usually messing up the schedule a week later. Started, abandoned, and put aside for Life. Like Sara Cannon said in a Spa Girls podcast recently — the process of making plans brings hope. Which is why we keep doing it. 

But the reality, well… the reality is what it is. And that’s where the Serenity Prayer kicks in. 

“Goddess grant me the Serenity to accept
the things I cannot change, 
The Courage to change the things I can, 
And the Wisdom to know the difference.” 

It’s that last part that’s a doozy. 

Life is Life-ing

Yet…Life…was Life-ing in the past few months. Lots of Life-ing. From things with my house, loss of friends, and then my daughter breaking her foot. Now the holidays that play with retail schedules and another tragedy I cannot get into right now for fear of dripping tears on my keyboard…dammit.

I am working. I swear. I put 8 hours a day into the day job, and 4 hours a day into writing/editing/publishing/formatting/photoshopping, etc. 

So…given my schedule and sometimes interruptions of that schedule, I knew I needed an update. I also realized that I need to make sure NOT to schedule anything for December of 2025. 

NEW PLANS

2025 is going to go in Quarters, which is a conscious choice by me because I now have a writing partner. Not someone who is writing my books with me, or I’m writing her books with her, but we’re going to keep up with each other and make each other accountable. 

She and I got in a Discord call and planned out the first 3-ish Quarters of 2025. But we both also had books we hadn’t finished yet for the 4th Quarter of 2024 and we knew with family obligations, that just wasn’t going to get done. We’ve had to move stuff into 2025.

So, my schedule looks like this: (it’s loose with no definite dates)

SCHEDULE  1 – 3 QUARTERS, 2025

That’s a very simplified schedule, but it’s enough for me to keep printed out on a piece of paper by my monitor. I’m still working on Arcane Tower. During the 3rd pass…I was hit by divine inspiration and a very clear picture of what the book is about, and how that’s going to work on through to book 3, so I started outlining book 3 in the middle of finishing up book 2. *faceplant* 

Which brings me to a bit of clarification: if the book is in that quarter, it just means I’m in process on it. It could be outlining, writing, editing, proofing, publishing, etc. That doesn’t mean that’s when it’s going to be published. 

Yeah, my process is very, very complicated. Which is why I decided it wouldn’t work for Ream. 

Phaedra

PS, I’m also working on updating the website. But that’s a sloooow process. 

We did it! 

I am so shocked and happy. Humbled and gratified. 

After having been virtually non-existence in The Eldritch Worlds since Elemental Dreams, and that was published in 2018 or so, returning to a day job and taking some much needed time to refill my Garden, to actually have funded at all is close to a miracle for me. It is inspiring, and has helped me get my rear end back in the chair (though I need to watch how that backside expands when not active). 

Arcane Rising is still in the first story edit (I had some major uh ohs to fix), and A Midsummer Night’s What? is being looked at for continuity and story. These two are the beginning of the new series, set FIVE years after Elemental Dreams. 

As I’ve said before, there have been major changes in New Orleans. We’ve added in the new spot for the The Amaranthine series and updated the front graphic. I’ve also added in a COMING SOON for a section I hope to maintain for readers interested in terminology, as well as characters, races, world building and histories. 

It will be called THE DIOSCURI FILES, for previous readers of the Zoe books. Those files are finally coming to light. The section will have graphics (made with Midjourney), as well as references–I hope. I have big plans–let’s hope I do it right. 

For those of you who did not participate in the Kickstarter, I’ve included a sample of some character creation I did with Midjourney. 

Here are 3 of the main characters in Arcane Rising: 

This has been a wild ride. Educational. And humbling! Take it from someone who burned out a few years back, returning to this beloved world and its denizens, not to mention the added prodding of Loren Coleman and especially Anthea Sharpe, I am forever grateful to those who contributed to this campaign. 

The Campaign comes to a close on Thursday (I forgot I’d extended it from Tuesday to Thursday before I launched and my calendar still has Tuesday on it!). We broke 1K, which adds in Magician’s Game to Backers above $5.00 and that makes me happy. I want everyone to read about Dharma and Ivan, because they become a major part of the next series and the story’s evolution 

Take a last look at the Campaign by clicking HERE and see if you find any Reader Cookies for yourself. I will see you all in New Orleans again! 

Phaedra