School’s IN for the Duration! (Plus Other Things!)

Labour Day has come and gone, and the Canadian Summer Season is officially over.

 It’s been a wild and wacky summer. This is the first time I’ve had to sit down and write up a blog entry in a few weeks. I had a lot on the go during August, and it’s gotten even crazier with schools reopening today.

 

Son is off to Grade 10, and high school! (Junior high runs to Grade 9 in our district). This means a new school with new teachers, and a lot of other different things for him. Thankfully, he does know a few people who work there already, like one of the receptionists (she works at his old elementary school too), and a few of the teachers. One of our neighbors – and mother to a friend of his – is one of the resource teachers there, and he’s already talked to a few of the other ones during orientations this past winter, and he knows a lot of the students there – friends who had moved on over the last 2 years.

I’m excited but nervous. I attended this very school years ago, when it was still a general high school with International Baccalaureate courses being one of the only unusual things about it back in the 1980s and 90s. Now it has several schools within a school and you can even take courses focusing you toward community college, university, or a combination of both if you’re not sure what you want to take when you hit post-secondary status. Its colors were brown and orange back then – BLECH! – but (thank heavens) have changed that to black and orange instead. Son is happy, he loves orange!

There will be strict pandemic protocols in place though. Social distancing is required when able to achieve it, and masks are to be worn in areas where it’s not possible to stay at least 2 meters apart – except when eating.

We’re ready. Son has his masks (2 black, one orange), his iPad is charged, and he has tons of new to him clothing, as well as a lot of other things.

 

Veridian Rose Designs

 

 

Veridian Rose Designs  officially opened its virtual doors in mid-August, after I went bananas in a few sites that sold vectors, fonts, stock photos (which I can use to create designs to sell to clients – you can NOT do that with free stock sites, it’s classed as theft!), and other goodies I found on a great deals site. (Thank you to the person who told me about it! Love ya!)

So far, I’ve designed a lot of new things for myself, including a logo, a web/blog banner, business cards, and even a bookmark. They have the same general design and theme, but I’m doing it deliberately so people remember my name when they see it.

Check them out!

I adore the Wallington Font Family. It is absolutely gorgeous! Unfortunately, GIMP doesn’t do it justice. I need something like Photoshop to really show off how pretty it is. It’s an open type font, which means some letters will have some flair to it. It’s easy to see on a for sale page… Wallington Font Family.

You have to have a full license for it to use it I do, on bookmarks, cards, and anything else you use for your clientele. I purchased it in August after seeing it up for sale. My publisher has used it on several covers, and I fell in love with it. I had to have it! MINE!

 

I’m also getting other font bundles as I can afford it. I have a bunch of cursive fonts and a few other goodies thanks to the same deals site, so I’m off to a good start. I will be getting a full membership to a few paid for stock photo sites as things start taking off. I’m doing this in between writing sprints, so I won’t have time to be bored at all now that things are back to *somewhat* normal here.

Yes, I am able to design book covers. No, I’m not designing any for the business right now, because I need a much better and more powerful program than GIMP. It’s a great program but where I’m now designing things professionally, I need something better. (Thank heavens for royalties!) Photshop, anyone?

My list of prices is on my page. Go check them out and if you want me to design something for you, message me!

 

Writing Update

 

(Showing off another font I purchased…)

Things are progressing with Feathered Tartan Novel 2/Story 3. It’s slow going because things have been completely loco here. Hubby is working full tilt at his job, and that means most things – including the dreaded *cue creepy music* grocery shopping *echoes* falls on my shoulders.

Not that I mind getting out of the house… Masks are required indoors in public areas at the moment here, and the masks make my trigeminal neuralgia go insane. I still wear one though. Can’t be too safe. Plus people are getting yelled at for being “drama queens” if they are not wearing one. It may be required but it’s not being enforced so there are some going without at the moment. No thanks. As much as it hurts, I refuse to go without one. It’s protecting me from others and protecting others from me. I still social distance, but with the mask, it makes it an even lower chance of catching anything, thank you…

Anyway, I’m going to get at least a page or two added to Novel 2/Story 3 this week. I want this one done ASAP so I can finish Novel 3/Story 4 and get both off to our lovely Acquisitions Editor.

Sweet Child of Mine has had its edits, and it is now with our Proofer. I’m not expecting anything until October or November. It is a Holiday Story, after all. I don’t have its cover yet either, and I am not expecting it for a while. Martine and the rest of the Art Department have enough on their plate for now. Besides, this is a general cover, and it’ll be exactly like the rest of the Stocking Stuffers line for 2020.

I’m just happy to write and keep busy until it’s time for proofing, edits, etc.

 

Together We Stand

 

I’d love to thank everyone who purchased a copy of this amazing anthology! We’ve raised a lot of money for Canadian charity. The best of it is, it’s now in PAPERBACK via Amazon!

So far, the stories have gotten some rave reviews… COVID’s Arrow got a FIVE STAR one from someone who had never read any of my work before! Check it out:

Praise for COVID's Arrow: 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"This is story is about is Vicki and Mason, two grocery store cashiers, who aren’t only colleagues but who became also friends. Sadly, because of the COVID virus they had to keep their social distance from each other, so no more movies nights for them. Vicki misses her friend but then during a lunch break that they spend together, Vicki discovers that Mason may want to share his bubble with her and maybe even more. It’s a sweet and cute story, told in Vicki’s POV." 

- Reviewed on Amazon.com.

Isn’t that awesome? I’m so tickled this person enjoyed my short story. Not bad for something that was written in about three hours! It is written to eXtasy Books’ guidelines for a sweet romance story. That’s how I write, and I think all of my work should be up to their high standards, whether they publish it, or I contribute something to an anthology. Readers prefer a well written, well edited and nicely rounded story after all.

 

Other News…

As of the end of August, I am doing beta reads and critiques for eXtasy Books/Devine Destinies authors only. I have the House Rules memorized, so it’ll go easier and faster for all of us. I really do not have the time to beta read or critique for anyone else. I am not an editor… I think the proof of that is in my submission drafts to eXtasy Books! 🤣

I’m not sure if anyone noticed or not, but I’ve trimmed down on hosting book tours. I’m a romance author, so I am now hosting only romance novel tours or romance novels. It opens up my blog to host other things, as well as frees things so I can slap up something if I choose on a moment’s notice.

I think that’s all for now. If not, keep an eye on my Facebook page and profile. Links are on the website… Click on the banner with my logo on it, and it’ll take you there, that’s all under the LINKS tab on the site. ꜛ

I hope all of you are staying safe, and taking care of yourselves. Have a lovely week everyone!

I leave you with one of my favorite songs of all time… Open Your Eyes by Alter Bridge. Enjoy!