*emerges from her hovel of loose papers and red ink* Y’ALL. IT’S MAY. How are y’all handling this sudden passage of time? Y’all hanging in there?
*glances outside to see birds gliding on the wind and flowers swaying in the breeze* I’m not. I’m suspended in utter disbelief over this wild turn of events that already—already—it is May. And y’all know what that means, right? It means the cover of Bound and Determined should be on its way by the end of the month (y’all. I cannot wait. It is gonna be EPIC!!!)...my first-ever devotional is out in the world...and Tell Me You Love Me is halfway through the editing stage! I am beyond excited for all that will be completed, began, and grown during this spring, and I can’t wait to have y’all join me on the journey!
what i did last month
My goals? Finish my first round of BAD edits and get it to betas; release With Fear and Trembling; start editing TMYLM stories; post for blog tours, Book Nations, and Sky’s the Limit Press.
Well, I’m not quite done with BAD...but I’ve only got, like, 40k left to edit...which isn’t half as difficult to edit as it is to write. *winks* So I’m counting that. I got a lot of progress, and I’ve been thoroughly enjoying reading my betas’ feedback! (They are awesome. I love y’all.)
But With Fear and Trembling is out in the world!!! WAHOO!!! You can snag your copy HERE!!! (Or learn more about it here!) And I’ve only got a few TMYLM stories left to edit, which is fantastic! Plus, I’ve had the AH-MAY-ZING Miss Issabelle Perry editing with me and y’all. She is fabulous. I don’t know how she does it, but she is SUCH an amazing editor and so encouraging will really whipping the material into shape! I’m in awe of her editorial skills!
I did manage a couple posts on BN...absolutely nothing on STLP (I’m so ashamed)...and I’ve gotten through a few of the reviews/blog tours I was a part of this month, but I’ve still got a LOT more to do!
I did get Instagram, though, which was a HUGE step for me. I am SO excited for all the marketing I can do! (Because, yes, I am a marketer. This is what I do. This is what gets me hyped up.) (Also. If you’re on Instagram, you can find me @graceajohnsonauthor!)
I also tried to tackle a lot of other projects in April...and didn’t complete a single one. Oops. Better next time, eh?
this month's goals
Naturally, finish Round 1 and Round 2 of my BAD edits. Get TMYLM polished and ready for betas. Post more regularly on BN and STLP. (Yes, everything has an acronym. That’s me for ya.) Review, review, review. (I’m so backlogged I could cry.) Grow my IG platform (and take lots of pretty pictures, of course). Plan the cover reveal for BAD. Get some things together for the next issue of The Journal. And, yeah, lots of stuff. Let’s just stick with this for now, eh?
monthly progress
I haven’t written a word (in, like, a huge fiction project, that is), so we’re skipping this section for now. Peace.
reading highlights
All That It Takes by Nicole Deese. This beautiful contemporary romance was SO GOOD! Balanced and immersive, with lovely characters and spot-on development!
The Wonderland Trials by Sara Ella. Started out confusing and zany (I mean, this is Wonderland we’re talking about here)...but soon became engaging and intense! AND THE CHARACTERS, Y’ALL.
The Bounty Hunter’s Bride by Janis Jakes. Such a refreshing read with a tender and authentic romance and smooth development!
top blog posts
Tell Me You Love Me Anthology Winners Announced! (Y’all, this one got over 300 views in less than a MONTH! I know what y’all are excited for! *winks*)
Well, that sums up my month! What about y’all? How’s your WIP coming along? Do you have Instagram? What were your favorite reads in April?
My bad, Grace. My bad.
Pfffffffffffft, I've got way too many in MY hovel of notebooks...even if I'll never use them anymore...LOL!!!
Instagram has never quite worked for me. 😂 GREAT job with everything, though, Grace!! ❤️❤️❤️
You always have so much going on! I'm impressed!
May has come WAY too fast. XD Wow, you got a lot done in April!! Congratulations!!! (Also, you should do a post sometime about marketing! That would be so cool! 😉)
My WIP is beginning to pick up in pace, thankfully! A new character popped up and I never knew he would exist, so I need to develop him and figure out his personality and backstory, which will be pretty fun. I think. :P (Clearly, I'm not a hardcore plotter even though I outlined my WIP.) Other than that, I'm getting closer and closer to the plot twist, which I've kinda been waiting all along to write, so I'm very excited, lol!
Hi, Grace. Wow, you have been busy last month! I love the description that you wrote at the beginning. Last month for me was a whirlwind of nothing, but school and projects. Sadly, I still do not have an Instagram. *Sobs. My favorite reads from April were The Bridge Home by Padama Venkatraman and Lord Edgeware Dies by Agatha Christie. MY WIP is going well. I am up to Chapter 4 of The Great Unknown: 9/11 Story. My story is taking me a long time to write because I am writing in different language, and I am having to learn the ins and outs of it. I am hoping to finish up the writing portion this month, then edit it.…