May 2024

Existential crisis, a promise and celebrating fellow authors.

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Inside:

• Manage your subscription:)

• May updates & existential crisis

• Writing Updates & more existential crisis

• Links to read all my free stuff

• Reads & Recommendations

• Congrats Realm Awards Finalists!

Spring has been such a whirlwind that I missed last month’s newsetter, managed to get snow and sunburn in the same week, and feel pulled in a hundred directions at once.

We’ve had the usual gamut of Montana weather.
There are baby animals popping up (out? lol) everywhere!
And I took a quick trip to California sans family (for the first time in seventeen years) to visit a dear friend.

It’s all given me so much to think about. If you’re familiar with the MBTI, I’m an INFJ, which means my emotions swing from everything is so beautiful (with “IT’S SO FLUFFY I’M GOING TO DIE” energy) to existential crisis. I’ll be honest, all the spring things and conversations with friends have me lingering in existential crisis a little longer between the everything is beautiful moments. I even managed to write a blog post about it on my actual website here, but it crashed a third of the way in, and….well, you’ll see. It’s fine. I’m fine.

Anyways, let’s move on to writing updates, shall we? Just a few snapshots of the month first, as usual:

Yosemite, California, Lambs, Duck Pond Inn, the same sheep before & after shearing.

Writing Updates

If I had a dollar for every time someone said, “You sure have a way with words.” I’d be sitting pretty. Of course, this only applies to the written word. Generally when I open my mouth to speak, what comes out is clumsy, dirty, seemingly irrelevant, frighteningly passionate or absolutely goofy. Often some combination.

So I can write about doing chores in a way that makes some people sigh…so what? Well, I think it’s important; I think there’s a reason. Recently I posted on Instagram how and why I prioritize time for writing. Here’s part of the caption:

The culture around me said certain activities are more valuable than others, especially when it comes to bringing light and hope into the world. I felt like I had to earn the right to write by doing the good others expected of me.

But what if God made me passionate about the written word because that’s precisely how he wants me to serve him? What if showing up the way other people do just because it’s the norm is like running my foot race in skis?

There are a hundred ways I’m not gifted. There are a couple of areas that I am. A large percentage fo my efforts should go to the areas in which I’m gifted, not the other way around.

I’ve been toeing a thin line between two extremes. On the one hand, I feel like I should be a good steward of the various gifts God has given me. On the other, I feel like writing will never make a big difference so I should just shut up and cook supper. In this current season of existential crisis, God is teaching me that my act of worship, whether writing or cooking supper or moving sheep again, matters if it’s truly done for his glory and not my own.

So this is what I decided. (‘Bout darn time, I know.) I'm going to have a novel published. And soon. The ‘how’ may still be up in the air, but the books are getting closer and closer to ready. I’m not going to shove them on a shelf to be forgotten.

So, let’s make a deal. I’m committing to have one of them into the world (or well on its way if say a publisher’s timeline requires) by the end of 2025. I’ll provide you with 2-20 days of reading entertainment (depending on your reading speed and busyness level). What do I want from you?

Come with me. Continue to read these e-mails. Share with people who would enjoy my writing. Read and share all the freebies. (Links below!) Besides buying our books (and giving glowing reviews), e-mail addresses are one of the best gifts you can give to an author.

So, if you haven’t already read them all, here are your current options for free stories. As usual, more are on the way.

Letter From Yesterday Island (Novelette)- This is an outside look at the events of my first manuscript, Between Yesterday and Tomorrow as viewed by a marine biologist in the area. It has a little science (I really am a nerd) and a lot of sneaky hints.

To Dance On Paths Of Starlight (Novella)- In a world where the wilderness is considered deadly, a human sacrifice escapes her ritual death and flees to steam-run Sanctius City. Unfortunately, it doesn’t turn out to be the refuge she imagined and her citizenship consultant is drudging up all kinds of “uncitizen-like” emotions. You can meet the MMC of the Endling, get a glimpse of the wildernes vs steampunk world plus a little second-chance love and light allegory.

The Shantyman (Serial Fiction) - Jack Hudson is the shantyman of the age. His fiddle and voice fuel a crew or settle nerves like magic. In fact, it turns out that the frequencies of his enchanting music can move mountains. Follow Jack around the world as he’s pressed into a plot that requires all the musical magic and courage he can muster. Conspiracy, treasure, pirates…and a little sciencey magical realism make this a unique and enjoyable read.

Season One Episodes

1 Roll and Go
2 Billy Riley
3 Haul Away Together
4 Mari Lwyd
5 Haul Away, O hear me sing!
6 Lowlands Away

Reads & Recommendations:

Sorry that I’m on a huge nonfiction kick. I’ve been reading tons of agricultural books as my growing season begins. (Joel Salatain, James Rebanks and Wendell Berry are favorites. Also Tara Cuture’s substack

Slowdown Farmstead

is lovely food for thought.)

Most of my fiction time is going to ARC/beta reads for authors such as Tommie Michelle, (who’s book made the short list for the Realm Awards. More on that below.) I’m trying so hard to find a fiction book that I’m in the mood for that I can also share! Most of the books I’ve checked out from the library have been duds, at least at the moment. I picked up a cheap penguin classic version of Emma, my favorite Jane Austen, to annotate, so there’s something.

I just finished Becoming All Things by Dr. Michelle Reyes - Better than the poles of wokeness, colorblindness and prejudice, this is a challenging book about understanding our own and others’ cultural identities for better relationships in business, personal and spiritual relationships. I have done a cultural consultation with Dr. Reyes and she is so kind, gracious and wise. I’m not saying you’ll agree with everything in the book, but it’s worth sitting in the discomfort of being challenged for moment in order to grow. Dr. Reyes is one of my critique partners and has such lovely, genuine heart.

I need to celebrate a couple of my other critique partners as well. In the author world, I get along with nearly everyone, but I sit at the speculative Christian author table. It’s called the Realm Sphere and we are Realm Makers, Realmies. Anyone who’s anyone in the clean/Christian speculative world is a Realmie. This is where I found my critique group and TWO of my partners are finalists in the Realm Awards in multiple categories! If you’ve been around, you’ve seen me tout these books before. They’re amazing! Congratulations Bryan and Paul!

Author swap:

I try to be picky about authors that I do newsletter swaps with. So I read the beginning of Kalani: Shadows of Destiny for you guys and I was totally hooked. From what I’ve read, the writing is solid, the premise is super interesting and the themes seem edgy and rich (Read: not cheesy!). Good Christian sci-fi can be hard to come by, so definitely give Jolene’s work a peek. You can grab this book FREE by dropping your e-mail here.

That’s all for April and May. Not many deep thoughts but some very fun projects! Thanks for being here, friends.

Happy adventures, literary and real-life!
With love,
Elli