Wake me up when September ends...

I never meant to take those song lyrics literally but I guess that was just the name of the game this month. I didn't post my "Newsletter" post in here. I didn't share much on Social Media... or like at all. I didn't even write a small blog post until now!

**In my defense, I did start one, but never ended up finishing it. Par for the course this month.

The worst part is, I had made a deal with myself that if I shared reels consistently in July, I would allow myself the luxury of working with someone on other projects that I had in mind. Fun, creative things that were percolating my head. But... well by the time I was ready to reach out to the right people, I realized that I hadn't done ANYTHING on my socials for the first two weeks of September. Made it feel a bit hypocritical to reward myself just yet.

My kids are both in "5 day a week" sports. This is a whole new ball game (eek 😬😬 terribly pun there) for our family and there have been more than a few hiccups along the way.

The only other BIG thing I've got going on is the Romance Hockey League's Hockey Night in Romance Land event going on next weekend. I will be participating in a Live, VIRTUAL book signing alongside some of my favorite sports (hockey) romance authors. If you want more info on that, head to my IG for the details.

I am actually already working on my 25 for 2025 list. Goals: big and small that I want to achieve next year. They run the gambit of personal and professional, creative and nitty-gritty things. One line item will definitely be to put my books onto Audible throughout the year. I already have several books in the queue, contracts out and signed. But I want to make sure that each time I release a book, I have at least two narrators in mind to possibly narrate it closer to the original release date. I love Called Up and working with Kamryn was such an amazing experience, but I do wish I had been able to get that book to audiobook readers sooner. Now that I'm a bit more versed in the process, I think it'll feel less daunting to make those release dates happen closer together.

GIVEAWAY

Actually... speaking of 25 for 2025. I always do a Word of the Year alongside it. The word helps tie everything together while also reducing decision fatigue throughout the year. A good WOTY has multiple meanings. My ADHD Tangential brain had this thought process: I was listening to Gretchen Rubin talk about her previous WOTY and she had Wave when she went on her tour.

Wave-- ocean. Ocean--tides. Tides--ebb and flow. They "Recall" into themselves. Recall: to remember. To bring back.

So, in that line of thought here you go.

I need a word!

Here are the perimeters. It needs to "feel blue." I'd like it to convey memories but also not be so specific that all you think of is MEMORIES when you hear the word. I'd like it to be something that I can "visualize" too.

**Example for clarification: Previously I use the word "Sage." It means a wise person. It is a plant used for purification of spaces. It is a distinct color. That year, if I needed to replace something, I'd get it in a shade of green. A lot of my designs that year had a flower or nature aesthetic to them. I tried to consider if doing something would benefit me or others.

Reach out on IG and comment your suggestion. The winner will receive a box with a signed copy of the book of their choosing from my backlog OR two digital books that I will send over through Bookfunnel, as well as bookmarks, stickers, and a Sharks friendship bracelet.

This contest will end on Monday, September 30th at 11:59pm CST