Rachel wRites

I'm Such a Slacker

July 8, 2023 01:34 AM

So, I've been absolutely horrible about keeping up with this blog. Life has me dancing around like crazy, and I've set such a hard deadline for myself for book 3. I won't be doing that in the future. As much as I want to push myself to write four books a year, it's not feasible while I'm working and managing my kiddo's schedules. But, with that comes some great news! See the below post from Facebook this morning!

Oh man oh man…finishing up the last chapters of book three, and…there’s still stories to tell. Lots of them. Selenia, Phillippe, Esmeralda, Agatha…I wanted to finish them up neat and tidy in book three, but I don’t feel like it’s going to do them justice. So…I’ll most likely be continuing their stories in a spin-off series! Not originally what I planned, but as the side characters take on a bigger role in book 3, I think I owe it to them to take readers through their happy endings, not just in an epilogue. Plus, who doesn’t want to see Grayden and Renya again in the future?


Book 3 will still have a HEA! Renya and Grayden will end up exactly where I planned for them to be at the end of book 3. But there is still going to be things that need to be done and quests that need to be finished. But…I especially owe Selenia the spotlight after doing her so dirty in book 2! But I promise, it was essential and she will be BLISSFULLY happy in the end of her story. So…the adventure continues!!!


Keep reading (and get excited!)


-Rachel


Goal Broken Already

February 23, 2023 06:52 PM

Wow. Three days in and I already missed a day. Congrats, Rachel. But, in fairness to me, it's been a busy few days! We've had a lot of snow hit us, which is VERY unusual for our area and for this time of year. My kids have been home from school for two days in a row, and this mommy/wife/employee/author has been going nuts! Plus, we just found out that we are adding a precious pet to our household--more on that in another post!

So it's currently 12:14 AM when I'm writing this, which to be honest, isn't unusual for me. 


Keep reading (and get enough sleep!)

-Rachel

Am I Crazy? I Must Be Crazy...

February 21, 2023 12:35 PM

Seriously, a blog post every day for a month? What was I thinking? I have meetings, doctor's appointments, board meetings, dance schedules, horseback riding lessons to get my kids to...yet I thought I had time for this. I seriously, seriously must be crazy. I wrote-out today's to-do list, and let's just say I don't think I even have time to eat. 

But here I am. Writing and looking over my to-do list while it nags at me perpetually. Stop, it says. Writing is fun. If you're enjoying it, you shouldn't be doing it.

What is that crazy voice and where did it come from? Why do I have a  feeling of guilt for doing something I enjoy over something I don't? Why do we instantly associate things that we don't have to do as pleasurable? Is it literally because there are no deadlines, and we know that we don't have to do them so they innately become more fulfilling and desirable? Or do we just associate anything fun as something that doesn't need to be done and therefore, moves to the bottom of our ever-growing lists?

I'm just over here trying to figure it out. 

Keep reading (and stay sane!)

-Rachel

Commitment and Over-Commitment

February 20, 2023 11:39 AM

Like I don't have enough going on in my crazy life, I decided to devote 10 minutes everyday to write a blog post on my website. It seemed like a good idea when I made the goal while lying bed last night, but as I look at the stack of emails in my inbox, texts and Facebook messages to respond to, pages to write and volunteer commitments to finish, I seriously have started to question my own sanity. 

Plus, it's President's Day and I actually took a vacation day to spend the day with my daughters, who are currently playing with their Nintendo Switches and have no desire to hang out with their rapidly aging mother. So instead, I'm trying to get caught up on work for my income-generating job, do laundry, and chase down parents for cookie orders. Oh yeah, I'm also the troop product manager for my daughter's Girl Scout troop and will have ALL the cookies at my house. Talk about willpower! 

So, I sit here and wonder how much is enough blog writing before I can move on to my next task. Although if I'm being completely honest with myself, writing is what makes me the happiest these days. Enough so that I'm starting to question the other commitments I have in my life. Of course, there are those things we HAVE to do (as much as I'd like to give up on laundry after a while I think my family would revolt--granted, I think they'd last a lot longer than I'd give them credit for) and those things we commitment to because we FEEL like we have to. I really want to work on removing those things that aren't a necessary commitment and are no longer bringing me joy or contributing to my goals. So, wish me luck with that!

Keep reading (and stop over-committing!)

-Rachel

Sigh...'The' TikToks...

February 19, 2023 5:27 PM

Well, despite the fact that I feel incredibly old and outdated, I had another writer friend let me know that if I wanted my book(s) out there, I needed to join TikTok. The slump in sales after the holidays really effected my attitude towards writing, so I found myself downloading the app and making my first video. Easy enough, right? I selected my book cover, and created this short video in which my cover was revealed. I decided to promote the post for $5, because my sales had really dived and it takes money to make money, right? Within 24 hours, my video had 3,400 views. Will that translate into sales? Honestly, I'm not sure. Probably not. But I've been encouraged by a fellow writer who has had a lot of success from using a specific formula, namely, making sure you use your face when developing content.

As a writer who writes under a pen name to retain privacy, this is an immense struggle for me. I drug my feet, but then finally worked up the courage. I spent a half-hour putting on make-up and making my first official TikTok in which you can actually see me. Rachel. I felt incredibly uncomfortable, but I hit the 'post' button and sat back. 600 people viewed my face on TikTok, and I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it. I have a pretty lame amount of followers, mostly personal friends and fellow authors, but I'm willing to give it a go.

My main goal is to get my books out there, in front of people. I don't want to make money, just break even on my costs. So, we'll see what happens. I'd really like to make self-publishing work, but in a world of SEOs, algorithms, and viral TikTokers, who knows what the future has in store.

Keep reading! (And find me on TikTok!)

-Rachel Avery