Back in the Saddle After a Decades Long Hiatus…

 Anyone who has known me since childhood knows I’ve always been a creative type. I’ve always loved music and singing even though I can’t play an instrument to save my life (I can read music though) or sing for the life of me, the writing has always come naturally for me once I realized I loved it and my Grade 4 teacher at Petite Riviere Elementary School, Mrs. Hache, told me I had a knack for spinning a tale.

Another thing I loved doing was drawing. I was drawing since I was about six or seven years old, and always seemed to draw something to go with any of the short stories I wrote for my teachers, notably from about grade 2 and up through elementary school. I can still see one story about my longtime pal Cindy and me going to a Bryan Adams concert hanging on Mrs. Hache’s bulletin board in her classroom, she loved it so much, and there was a picture I drew of me and Cindy included with it.

Unfortunately, I gave it up after a while. I got so many hateful and downright mean comments about it that when I got in with the rougher crowd (think the ones who smoked, didn’t do their school work and more) in junior high that I gave it up. It seemed that only the geeky kids took stuff like art class in the higher grades, and some told me I didn’t have what it takes to be an artist. That upset me because my great uncle Howard (Shankle) was a well-known woodlands painter in Canada and parts of the United States, and he was one of the few people who encouraged me – along with my mom and some of my teachers – to keep up with the art, they thought I had a lot of potential. So I set aside my pencils and pens, and started focusing more on the writing.

All of you know how the writing turned out… My debut novel, Stricken (which is now the first book of The Feathered Tartan series!), came out in March 2017, and I am seeing my seventh book, Could Have Been (Feathered Tartan 4), published by Extasy Books later this spring… Two of my published books, Away to Me and Honestly (Feathered Tartan 3), have received the Extasy Books’ Editor’s Choice Seal of Excellence, meaning they are among the cream of the crop when it comes to Extasy’s expansive top of the line stories… which is saying something considering we have tons of talented authors with amazing books published via Extasy!

Recently, I realized that in order to expand my itty bitty art business, I’d better get on the ball and start making ultra-unique items, like drawings and more, all created by me. On paper. Not AI generated (I don’t like it, anyone who knows me knows why!) and I do not want to use stock photos or anything else generated by another human. I want to be able to create one of a kind drawings and paintings with my own hands, for book cover art, and even unique pieces for prints, and more – think selling stuff on art sites as a designer.

My ultimate goal is to be able to draw my own characters like Ewan, Dana and Joshua Campbell (for example), so my readers and others can see them as I do… One of my author and art pals is in the middle of creating a webtoon for their debut novel, a science fiction/dystopian story, and it’s so cool seeing their characters as they see them.

I’d love to be able to do that, but it won’t be for a long, long time.

For one, I have to learn a few techniques. There’s more to drawing than just lines. You have to learn things like shading, blending colors, and more. It’s overwhelming at first, but I’m slowly getting used to holding a pencil different ways, and looking at objects and people to see the shapes in them, plus shading and different shades of colors, etc.

I recently purchased a large art pencil set from Amazon. It includes various pencils in varying hardness for drawing, outlining, shading and more; metallic and regular color pencils; charcoal in white, black and green with various hardness and softness; erasers, two pads (one for watercolors, one for plain sketching); and the most coolest of all – watercolor pencils which you draw with, then activate with water. It’s so awesome!

My new art pencil set... SO PRETTY!!!

I’ve played with shading and drawing with the regular pencils, and recently did a drawing using the black and green charcoals. Today is a fun day, I’m playing with the watercolor pencils. They are so much fun to use! I love it.

I’m not confident or good enough to share my work yet. It’s been ages since I last picked up a drawing pencil or paint, and I’m so rusty that I’m creaking loudly… Worse than a squeaky wheel.

It does feel great to be doing it again after so long. I find it relaxing, and it’s so nice to be able to see how much I’m improving even after a few tries at something. I still have light years to go but I’m willing to walk that distance.

Having a few great friends and art mentors cheering me on is a huge help too. I can’t thank them enough for their love and support!

I am so happy right now. I’m expanding my horizons back to what they were when I was a child. I’m writing, doing art on the computer as a graphics designer, and on my own with pencils and paper.

Life is so beautiful! I love this!

Have a fantastic weekend everyone! I leave you with a new single from Godsmack, who are one of my favorite bands. I can’t thank my longtime friend Lorrie L for introducing them to me. I love Godsmack! Here’s the video for Truth.

Crunch Time!

It’s been a wild few weeks for me. Honestly is now in its final stages of being proofed for publication, and I’ve been going insane promoting it with posters including a countdown, making promos for it, organizing another takeover bash in V.J.’s VIP Lounge, and even setting up a few more takeovers around Facebook to help promote it even more.

We are six days away from it hitting the shelves at Extasy Books, and although I’m really excited to have another release with them, I’m also a bit nervous. Honestly is my first venture into the LGBTAQ+ romance realm, and although I was told I handled the topics featured in it with sensitivity and respect, I’m hoping those in the LGBTAQ+ community think I handled things the right way. People have told me they were happy to see me representing pansexuality, bisexuality and people who were assigned the wrong gender at birth – in Avery’s case, assigned female when in reality, he’s a guy – so hopefully it goes over well with others out there, ones who are just finding my work. Fingers crossed that people like it, and they fall in love with Avery and Dana.

 

This story was not an easy one to write, but at the same time, I am glad I wrote it. I’m hoping this book will help open the door to have trans, non-binary, genderfluid and two spirited people as leading characters in more mainstream romance novels, and others out there will see at least a few of the problems they face with acceptance and such for just being themselves.

 

As Dana’s cousin Ewan says in Honestly, “It’s not a crime to be yourself, no matter what others think.”

 

I just wish the misguided and misinformed people out there would see that instead of insisting everyone be in some neat little boxes the misguided ones have in their minds…

 

Honestly was featured in a blog entry on Extasy Books main site this weekend. If you want a sneak peek, click here: https://www.extasybooks.com/blogs?post_id=11

 

Thanks to the staff at Extasy Books for featuring it this time! I am so tickled and honored to be featured this week!

 

I’m hosting a release day party and birthday takeover bash in my group, V.J.’s VIP Lounge on August 19, 2022 from 10 AM to 10 PM Eastern Time. Honestly is coming out on my birthday this year, and I’m beyond excited. It’s a double celebration, so I plan on living it up and having a blast with a lot of my friends, new and old, and hopefully some readers that day.

 

Honestly Release Day Party

and V.J.’s Birthday Takeover Bash

Date: August 19, 2022

Where: V.J.’s VIP Lounge

https://www.facebook.com/groups/vjsvips

Time: NOON to 10 PM Eastern (Free Promo Hour starting at 10 AM EDT)

 

Participating Authors include:

 

Ø      D.S. Dehel

Ø      Maggie Blackbird

Ø      Tim Smith

Ø      Kat Blackthorne

Ø      Cameron Allie

Ø      Scarlet Blackwell

Ø      Deja Black

Ø      Bre Rose

Ø      Adalynd Grayves

Ø      Kris Jacen

Ø      Stephanie Nichole

Ø      Lyndell Williams

Ø      V.J. Allison

 

Special appearance by Extasy Books.

Special giveaway by Gabriella Bradley and Taryn Jameson.

 

I will be giving away at least one ebook copy of Honestly via Extasy Books site. I can’t wait! It’s going to be so much fun!

 

Last chance to sign up! I will be handing out mod status to anyone who doesn’t have it yet on Monday, so get in there now!

 

SIGN UP HERE!!

 

Everyone is welcome to come in and join in the fun. My group is for authors and readers!

 

I will also be doing a Meet the Author in Book Carousel on August 22, 2022, and I will be featuring Honestly, as well as my other books published by Extasy Books.

 

To join in the fun, you can join Book Carousel here:

  https://www.facebook.com/groups/bookcarousel

 

Upcoming takeovers in Book Carousel include Maggie Blackbird on August 15, 2022 and Kat Blackthorne on September 19^th.

As for my other work, I’m almost finished the preliminary work on Feathered Tartan 4, which is a short story and it is the first part of a duology within the series. It features Joshua Campbell (Dana and Ewan’s cousin) who is dealing with a lot of issues. He meets fiery redhead Lauren at a tropical resort, and one thing leads to another…

Warning: Feathered Tartan 4 will not be a romance so to speak. It will not have a happy ever after or even a happy for now. It will wrap up in Feathered Tartan 5, which I hope to write immediately after Book 4 is drafted, so I can keep things rolling smoothly and submit the two stories within a month of each other, IF I can do it. If not, I’ll just have to hold back on submitting Book 4 until Book 5 is ready.

 

I’m so ready for Honestly to hit the shelves. It was over 3 years in the making, and I’m so happy everyone is finally going to see how amazing Dana and Avery are. I love them dearly, and I hope all of you love them as much as I do.

Don’t forget to check out Maggie Blackbird’s hot new release, His Proposition, available now from Extasy Books!

https://www.extasybooks.com/His-Proposition

 

Have an amazing weekend everyone! My favorite band, Disturbed, recently released a new track, Hey You, from their upcoming album that will be out later this year. I love it! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do… Check it out!

Behind the Writing: HONESTLY (Feathered Tartan 3) COMING SOON FROM EXTASY BOOKS!

One question that has been asked several times ever since it came out that Avery D’Eon, the leading man from Honestly, is a trans man is…

 

“Why did you make Avery trans?”

 

This is a question I’ve asked myself several times over the course of the last 3 years, ever since I came up with the idea to continue with the Feathered Tartan series, and include Dana Campbell – Ewan Campbell’s cousin – as a lead in one of the books.

I’ve known since the time I was writing the first ever draft of what eventually became Stricken that Dana wasn’t straight. I thought at first she was bisexual or a lesbian, but that didn’t fit her character. She’s outspoken, flirtatious, fun, and loves people for who they are.

After sitting down and thinking about her more, I realized she was pansexual.

As defined by Google:

pan·sex·u·al

/panˈsekSH(əw)əl/

adjective

1.  not limited in sexual choice with regard to biological sex, gender, or gender identity.

noun

1.  a pansexual person.

Once I realized that Dana wanted her own story written, I realized she needed an extremely special person, someone who understood her sexuality and loved her sultry side, but was enough to temper her outrageousness and over the top sense of humor.

That’s when I started thinking along the lines of another LGBTAIQ+ person for her. I had considered someone who had intersex qualities, but nixed it. I don’t know a lot about intersex qualities to do everyone justice. I was scared it would turn out highly crass. Maybe in the future, when I am more knowledgeable.

Finally, I started thinking that a trans man would fit the bill for Dana’s love interest. Someone who was kind, gentle, and didn’t mind taking a backseat to their vivacious partner in life. However, he would have faced hatred, fear, and bigotry from people in his former life for not being a cis person. He would move from one part of the province to another, to be in a place where he could be himself without prejudice.

For a while, I was thinking that Avery could still be waiting to get his bottom surgeries done, but after talking about it with some of my author pals, I realized it was best for him and his interests, as well as my readers’ interests, that he have the full operation – so he was able to stand up while at a urinal, and so he could penetrate a woman or a man’s anus if he wanted to. For this story, it worked perfectly, although do not be surprised if in the future, I write about someone who is preop, or doesn’t want the affirming surgeries for their real gender. It does happen, as mentioned in the book, but it just seemed more appropriate for Avery and Dana.

Avery is bisexual, meaning he is attracted to men and women sexually.

It was after Hubby suggested that this story happen in one of our favorite towns, Annapolis Royal on the Bay of Fundy – highest tides in the world! – that I decided Avery was going to be Acadian, the French Canadians who live along the Fundy coast, and in parts of New Brunswick.

His last name, D’Eon, is in loving memory of our friend Vicki D’Eon, who was Marnie’s favorite caretaker at the shelter and who became a dear friend of mine. She passed in 2020, and I miss her horribly.

Dana is Siksika, which is the First Nation in southern Alberta. It’s a part of the Niitsítapi nation. Siksika means “Blackfoot”, it’s taken from sik (black) and ika (foot) with an s connecting the two. She’s the youngest of the Campbell grandchildren, and considers her cousins Ewan and Joshua to be more like brothers. I go more into their relationship in Honestly – Dana is staying with Ewan, Marti and their son at their summer home in Annapolis Royal while Ewan helps set up a branch of Hutchinson-Campbell Real Estate in that area. Let’s just say there’s a lot of stuff flying around, from insults to inside jokes, and a few things even landing in the pool…

Honestly was written over a three year period. I had started it in 2019, but got distracted with other stories, from getting Away to Me and Under Your Scars ready for Extasy Books, then Sweet Child of Mine being written in 2020, and set on the back burner again with Eternity’s Gamble in 2021.

After Eternity’s Gamble was finished, I promised myself I would finish Dana’s and Avery’s story, come hell or high water.

I finally did it in April of 2022, three years after I typed the first line of it. I sent it to my beta reader K. Logan and my author pal JA LaFrance for a critique. It was submitted to Extasy Books on May 28, 2022, and I got the contract for it on May 29^th. The contract was signed the same day.

It’s now in edits with my good friend and fellow Extasy Books author, Jon. He said he’ll have it back to me sometime soon, possibly as early as next week. No sign of the cover yet, but it takes time to create and perfect a cover. I know whatever Martine or Angie sends me will be so pretty and be perfect for this book.

Many thanks to…

 

Cameron Allie

Dawn (DS) Dehel

Maggie Blackbird

Julie JA LaFrance

Krista Logan

Tina Haveman

Jay Austin

Jon Bradbury

 

I’m in between books at the moment… Track season is still happening! My son made second place in the Districts for Shotput, then 3^rd in the Regionals and now is off to Stellarton for the Provincials on June 3^rd. I hope to start the first part of Joshua Campbell’s story – Could Have Been (working title) – once things settle down. I’d like to have it come out around the holidays, it’s set in December!

Have a great weekend everyone… Tonight I leave you with the song that inspired the name of my upcoming book. HONESTLY by Stryper.

“And I love you, can’t you see…

That I can say I love you,

Honestly.”

COMING SOON FROM EXTASY BOOKS: HONESTLY (Feathered Tartan 3) by V.J. Allison

It’s official: I signed the contract for Honestly (Feathered Tartan Book 3) last night. Whoever read it must have burned through it, because I only sent in the manuscript on May 28^th. Twenty six hours from submission to getting the contract. I think that’s a new record!

I’m grateful that they looked it over so fast (love ya Tina and Jay!). I was so nervous about this one. It’s the first book Extasy has seen from me in almost 2 years and it’s about time they finally got something.

Honestly is the third book of my Feathered Tartan Series, which is about three cousins from Alberta who move to Nova Scotia and find their soulmates here. It follows Dana Campbell, cousin of Ewan Campbell (Stricken and Sweet Child of Mine) after she escapes her grandfather’s patriarchal views and outdated beliefs that a woman is submissive to her spouse. She meets an Acadian man named Avery, and although they fight their feelings at first, they fall in love on the shores of the Bay of Fundy.

I have to admit this one wasn’t an easy book to write, even after I got into it. It showcases a lot of problems faced by the LGBTAQIP+ community, notably the bigotry and hate that trans people can face on a daily basis. I just hope I did everyone justice.

HUGE THANK YOU to my beta readers, JA LaFrance and K. Logan, and to my co-conspirators – Maggie Blackbird, DS Dehel, and Cameron Allie. Thank you again to Tina Havemen and Jay Austin of Extasy Books for giving Honestly a chance.

As I promised everyone in my group, V.J.’s VIP Lounge, here’s the blurb for Honestly (Feathered Tartan Book 3)...

 

Honestly

Feathered Tartan 3

Tagline: Love knows no boundaries.

BLURB:

Needing an escape from her grandfather’s outdated and patriarchal views on a woman’s proper place, Dana Campbell flees to her cousin’s cottage on the Nova Scotian coast for some uninterrupted reflection. A trust fund and a prominent name isn’t her idea of happiness, especially if it’s tied to her grandfather’s archaic ideals of marriage. After a failed engagement to a gold-digging fraud, Dana just wants a quiet place where she can evaluate her life, and wonder whether she can ever be open about her closeted pansexuality.

A trans man who has faced hatred, Avery D’Eon is happy being inconspicuous. A bad divorce and a family who shuns him make him wary of being in any kind of a romantic relationship. Despite making life altering choices about his body, as well as finding his tribe in the form of his employee, he still battles a sense of emptiness. His world is tossed off kilter by a vivacious and sultry woman sauntering into his store. One look into her beautiful brown eyes, and Avery sees the missing link in his life – someone to love and cherish.

Despite denying their attraction, Avery and Dana find what they need in a hurricane of desire.

But a tragedy close to home forces Dana to make a life-shattering choice – her wealthy family or the man she adores.

Take care everyone! I’ll post updates as things progress with Honestly, and we’ll do a big cover reveal when the time comes. Thank you so much for being a part of my writing journey!

 

Dreams CAN Come True!

Today was my first local public appearance as V.J. Allison. I visited LaHave River Books in LaHave, Nova Scotia, to talk with the owner and see about getting some of my books put up for sale there. I was shaking in my sneakers but the trip down to the store was worth it, and more.

First of all, this little bookstore is amazing. It’s so cozy, warm, and inviting. It’s the type of place you want to hang out all day, reading and enjoying a coffee and a pastry from LaHave Bakery, which is next door. The scent of books in there is intoxicating, and although it’s tiny, it’s just perfect for someone to come in and hang out for hours, browsing and reading a new treasure. I hope to hang out there a little longer the next time I visit!

I had one copy of Stricken, Away to Me, and Under Your Scars with me – the only three books I have in paperback right now. The owner looked at them, and told me that romance novels have been selling well since COVID hit the province 2 years ago. 

We talked about pricing, and how hard it is to write a book, let alone get it published and then market it. She isn’t an author herself, but she is big on helping out local ones like me and others I’ve seen on her Facebook Page.

It was then that my dream of being an author reached another pinnacle. After pricing them, she put them on the Local Interest/Local Authors area. 

They are on the left here, right at eye level. Stricken is black, Away to Me is white, and Under your Scars is blue. SQUEE!!!!!!!

My books are now on sale at a local bookstore. For sale. 

My books.

Holy stinking catnip.

My dream of seeing my books on a local store's shelf, for sale, finally came true! 

I've been waiting for this moment ever since I was 9 years old, and my Grade 4 teacher at Petite Riviere Elementary School, Mrs. Hache, told me I had a knack for storytelling. It took almost 40 years, but it finally happened!

We chatted for a few more minutes before I left. Unfortunately it’s a drizzly day, so I couldn’t really get pictures of the outside, or its wharf on the LaHave River. Next time!

We also talked about a possible author signing event if my books sell fast. I’ll be shaking in the sneakers but it’s something that I am willing to do.

There are not a lot of romance books set in Nova Scotia, or a lot in Atlantic Canada. I’m trying to fill that gap, and thanks to Extasy Books, I’m able to put Nova Scotia on the map as a romantic location. Come on, we have tons of beaches, a beautiful tartan, tons of amazing places to visit, lots of history a great view of the ocean, and the highest tides in the world, for starters. What’s not to like?

A huge thank you to Tina, Jay, Angie, and everyone else at Extasy Books, for giving this old girl a chance. Love you all!

WRITING UPDATE

At 12:03 PM April 13, 2022, I typed “THE END/To Be Continued” at the end of Honestly (Feathered Tartan 3). It’s had a read-through, and is now in stasis. This past week was insane with me trying to wrap it up. Between Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday, it was a 15K week. Tuesday was an 11K day on its own – thank you to my son for being an angel while I worked on it after he got home from track practice! I was so bad that I was writing this one in my sleep. I was seeing everything happening in my dreams…

Oh, I was a flipping mess. I’m so glad it’s written and out of my head. I’m able to sleep again! It does need tons of work – me and my first drafts are FILTHY – but it’s done and patiently waiting for cleanup, which I hope to do in a few weeks.

I’m now in the prelim stages of getting its sequel started, a two part story – first a short love story, then a full romance novel. It’s going to be a wild ride, but hopefully Universe helps out and lets me work.

I’m thinking the two new ones and maybe one more should wrap up the series, unless I do one I’ve been considering for a while. What it is, is between myself, my publisher and my co-conspirators.

Nova Scotia Remembers, 2 Years Later…

As we Nova Scotians mark the second anniversary of the Portapique Shootings that took place on April 18^th and 19^th, 2020 this coming week, I want everyone to remember the victims. Please say their names and remember them, even if you never met any of them.

The name of the monster who took them from their families, friends and loved ones should never be remembered. Let him fade into obscurity, and remember the lost, their families, friends and loved ones. Thank you.

Just a note to say my old school friend Sammy Oickle Lowe passed away in March, after a battle with cancer. Miss you tons, girl!

Have a great weekend everyone! I leave you with “Angel” by Nova Scotia’s own Sarah McLachclan.

Here I Go Again With the Writing Fog.... (Writing Update)

Here I go again…

I just came up for air, after four amazing days of writing, including today. Feathered Tartan Book 3 is about 2/3 of the way finished – if not more than that – and I’m trying to find the balance between pushing myself to finish this story and not burning myself out.

I first got this idea 2 years ago, according to my notes – the actual start date is July 13, 2020. I remember getting the idea, having it take off a bit for a bit in the fall once schools restarted after a six month hiatus (which included summer vacation 2020) due to the damn plague, and then wound up putting it on hold for a few months while I burned through Eternity’s Gamble last year. Yeah, that was a “fun” start to spring… And insane time, especially since schools went virtual during the month I was editing that one. *head desk*

Last fall, I said I was going to finish this one even if it killed me. Well, it may do it just yet. A week ago, I was at about 51,000 words. Before that, it was about 30K in, working on and off. Now that I know what to do and where I’m going with this one, it just seems I can’t stop.

This week was my first 13,000 week since I was writing Eternity’s Gamble last year. I didn’t write Monday and Tuesday due to appointments on both days, but once Wednesday hit, I burned through at least two chapters, going from 51,000 words last Friday to over 63,000 words after today’s writing insanity. The crazy thing is, I want to keep running with it, but unfortunately, my eyes are starting to get tired, and my brain isn’t exactly computing much. I wrote just short of 5,000 words today alone. Yesterday was another 4600 word day, and the other days were at least 2,000 words each. Yeah, close to 13 thousand words this week. No wonder why I’m exhausted.

I am so freaking close to the catalyst that brings on the finale and kicks off Feathered Tartan 4 that I can almost taste it.

I have maybe two chapters and an epilogue to write, but it could be closer to 3 or 4 chapters. I have to see how things go. There’s still a lot of ground to cover, a lot of issues to explore and a happy ever after to finish – in less than 40,000 more words (books in my genre are on average about 100,000 words or less). Yeah, this is going to be “fun”, but I think I can do it, especially with my co-conspirators from the Maizemerized stories and the rest of my friends, fans and families cheering me on.

If I can write the majority of a 45,000 word paranormal story in less than a month, surely I can wrap this one up in no time, right? I want it drafted before May 19^th, which is Track Day for our district. (Son is on the team again, for shotput, javelin and discus this year!) I want to be able to enjoy hanging out with the other parents and cheer for the PV Panthers without having that story’s unfinished manuscript hanging over my head.

It's time to get this one done. I haven’t released a book with Extasy in almost 2 years, so I am way overdue to have one come out with them. (Decadent Publishing released Eternity’s Gamble).

It is an honor and a pleasure to introduce the characters of Honestly, Feathered Tartan Book 3 – Avery D’Eon and Dana Campbell. 

Yes, Dana is the youngest cousin of Ewan Campbell from Stricken and Sweet Child of Mine. Ewan and Marti, who are now parents of a toddler, are in the story too. 

There’s a few twists and turns I wasn’t expecting in this book but so far, it’s turning out much better than I had originally anticipated.

I’ll share the blurb and information about the story when the time is right – IF Extasy Books takes it…

In other news, I’m doing keto light – none of the fats, some keto recipes and under 50 carbs a day. I don’t eat many carbs through the day until suppertime, and then it’s not that many. So far the glucose is in normal range for the first time in about 2 years, and I’m feeling more and more like myself again. Going off the damn birth control pill – which I really didn’t need after all – was the best thing that happened to me. It was driving my glucose sky high, and made me put on a pile of weight, no matter what I did. I’m so glad I was taken off of it. It’s toxic to a person’s system.

I’m also doing low impact aerobics, weight lifting using wrist and ankle weights, and if the weather is nice, going for short walks.

I’m down 11 pounds in about 2 months. My eventual goal is to drop 100 pounds, but I’m happy with what I’ve lost for now, although I’d like to lose another 10 by the time track day rolls around. Woo hoo!!!

Have a great weekend everyone! I leave you with a song by a woman I deeply admire and respect, even though I generally do not listen to her genre of music... Lady Gaga.