*drops in* Hello there! Yes, I am still alive...but barely. It has been SO busy lately, which means I ended up pushing back a lot of posts here on le blog. I’d like to say I plan on catching up this month, but, uh...that’d be a lie. However, I do plan on posting more consistently and easily, so maybe I’ll have a posts schedule? We’ll see. I’ve tried being organized in the past, and it just ain’t for me. *chuckles* So y’all don’t hold your breath.I ain’t.
ANYWAY. It is November. *holds back her complaints over how fast time is flying* We here at le Johnson Chateau have already decorated for Christmas—you snooze, you lose; that’s all I gotta say—and are enjoying the holiday festivities! (And The A-Team, our new binge show of choice.) What about y’all? When do you decorate for Christmas? What are you currently watching? Let me know in the comments!
what i did last month
Let’s review last month’s to-do list, shall we?
Complete absolutely everything I need to do with BAD
Read/review five books
Edit yet another novel for a client
Write several guest posts
Redo my Instagram theme
Wrap up this last class
TMYLM cover reveal
Finish beta-reading
Surprisingly, I managed to get a lot of this done! I did redo my IG theme, wrap up my last class (my certification in on its way!), and reveal the cover for Tell Me You Love Me! However, I totally missed the beta reading deadline—but the author was gracious enough to let me continue reading anyway (since I’m her twin, of course) (long story)—and I STILL have stuff to do for Bound and Determined. (Surprise, surprise.)
And my guest posts have been like Hydra. I wrote one, and three more popped up in its place. *snorts* But that’s cool. I can handle it. Maybe.
As for my editing, I’m halfway through! So I’ll meet the deadline, thank the Lord, but I’d kinda hoped to be done early. (And obviously I didn’t read and review all I wanted to, or y’all would’ve seen the reviews. I’ve read all but one of the books and reviewed all but that one and two others, so it could’ve been worse.)
HOWEVER (and I blame most of my inability to complete certain projects on this), I DID put together something absolutely AMAZING that I cannot wait to share with y’all—so stick around ‘til the end! This special project took pretty much the whole month to organize, and y’all, did I feel burned out up until yesterday. *shudders* *sips her calm tea for her shot nerves*
this month’s goals
We’re keepin’ it simple this month.
#1: Release BAD.
#2 Do what I didn’t do in October.
The end.
monthly progress
I maybe wrote a few hundred words in a short story for preorder perks bundle. But that was it besides a couple hundred in an extra scene (also for the preorder perks bundle, so if y’all wanna read these BAD extras, y’all preorder your copy HERE! #shamelessselfplug) at the very end of October.
OH. And some super special secret scenes for a certain rewrite in the future!!
*coughs*
Okay, so I wrote some fun Rina and Xavier scenes that I hope will make it into the revised edition of Held Captive. I just couldn’t help myself.
All in all, I actually wrote a couple thousand words or so, and BOY did that feel good after not writing for six months!!! *sighs* I miss writing.
reading highlights
I legitimately forced myself to read several extra books because I am SO behind on my Goodreads challenge (like...fifty books behind...help), so I ended up with a total of seven books—much to my surprise!
The top reads, though, were easy to pick.
Numero uno is the deliciously Gothic and simply exquisite Beneath His Silence by Hannah Linder—I’d give it a thousand stars if I could!! Read my review HERE!
And the runners-up are We Could Be Villains by Megan McCullough (review to come)! and The Management Methods of Jesus by Bob Briner—which is, yes, a Christian nonfiction book about business. Totally outside of my usual genre, but SO good! A must-read for entrepreneurs of all kinds—from authors to Etsy sellers!
top blog posts
follower updates
And this, my friends, is the fun part! Why? you ask.
Because I’m currently hosting a HUMONGOUS giveaway will over FORTY other clean & Christian indie authors! And with forty-some-odd authors, y’all know what that means...TONS of prizes!!! We have TWO winners—one US winner who will receive 20+ ebooks AND several signed print books AND some epic book swag like character art and stickers...and an international winner who will receive 35+ ebooks AND some digital goodies like downloadable bookmarks and phone wallpapers!
Sound good? I thought so. *winks *
If you wanna enter before the giveaway closes on November 7th (which is Indie Author Day), then click the button below! OH, and don’t forget to read over the rules HERE!
And, of course, y’all don’t forget...Bound and Determined releases THIS MONTH, on the 17th (we have less than TWO WEEKS), and if you wanna receive a discounted Kindle copy of BAD AND a whole host of epic digital goodies like bonus scenes, a recipe, and character art, then make sure you PREORDER before release day!!! (And submit your proof-of-purchase too, of course!)
The indie author giveaway isn't the only epic giveaway going on either! In honor of Bound and Determined, I'm giving away ONE signed paperback copy of BAD, a bookmark and character art card, and some extra SURPRISE goodies!!! So y'all be sure to enter below! (US only. Entrants under 18 must have parental permission. Giveaway ends November 17th.)
(Pst! You can gain FIVE extra entries by preordering BAD!!!)
Well, that's all for now, folks! *tips hat* Y'all have fun entering, reading, and hopefully winning! *winks*
yours in spirit and script,
Grace
Ooo, I'm so excited for your book release, Grace!
Lol, I love your goals for this month. Mine is to start editing a writing project.
Wow, thank you for all the awesome giveaways, Gracie! And I'm so excited for BAD to release this month!
WOO!!! That's such an epic giveaway!!! And I can't wait for BAD to release!!! (I can't believe how soon it's going to be! *is mindblown*) (Oh, and I want to know this story of you being Izzy's twin lol... *raises an eyebrow* I keep hearing about it and am SO curious! :P) YOU WROTE MORE FUN SCENES BETWEEN RINA AND XAVIER? EEEE!!! That is so exciting. :D
Something we're currently watching... well, for my birthday I wanted to watch the 2015 Cinderella because I had never seen it (but had already fallen in love with based on a few clips I'd seen haha) and it was sooooo good!!! I want to watch it all over again. 😂 The love at…
I hope you get some time to rest (and to enjoy the Christmas decorations) this month! I can't wait for BAD to be published!!
Bless it, try to get some rest this month! Maybe take a couple of days off after BAD releases to celebrate.
We always wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate for Christmas, but as soon as that Friday morning arrives, it’s on. We go a little nuts with lights… 🤪