JB Lynn

Hijinks, Hilarity and Heart

writing

New month!

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Happy September!

Can you believe we’re two-thirds of the way through 2020 already. As is my practice, I was just reviewing my accomplishments for last month and getting clear on my goals for this month.

Last month’s big work accomplishment was publishing The Hitwoman Plays Games.

My personal accomplishment was getting through a more difficult step workout. (Yes, I know that doing step workouts sounds like I’ve stepped back in time, but they’re the only cardio workout that doesn’t cause my terribly bad knees pain so I’m sticking with them.)

I tend to set very big goals for myself, so I rarely (if ever, lol) accomplish everything I set out to do, but I do tend to get a lot done.

Right now my big writing goals are to finish the second Cursed Chicks manuscript and to work on the third book in the series.

I’m also working on my passion project…though that’s a back-burner project that I’m hoping to finish by the end of the year.

Do you have any goals for September?

Closing in on The End

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I’ve posted through Chapter 36 of 1 FLEW OVER THE RAVEN’S NEST, the first of my Cursed Chicks series and it will end with Chapter 44. 

I’ve enjoyed writing this story and sharing it. (Plus, it’s been fun to see the comments and to know others are enjoying the ride.)

You may think your mother-in-law is a witch, but RV’s really was.

And now there’s a very real chance she’ll be haunted by Mildred Bloodworth for eternity.

The only way to free herself from the curse that binds them, is for RV to make amends for Millie’s misdeeds.

Accompanied by a possessed Siamese cat, RV embarks, in her mother-in-law’s pink camper van, on a journey to right wrongs. But plans, like spells, can backfire.

RV drives right into a crime scene and quickly becomes the chief suspect in a mysterious murder.

Determined to prove her innocence, RV investigates with the help of a lucky penny, a wise owl, a reclusive turtle, and a magician whose agenda is unknown.

So what’s next for me? 

I’ll be publishing the next CONFESSIONS OF A SLIGHTLY NEUROTIC HITWOMAN book and I’ve got two more books featuring RV mapped out to write (okay, don’t tell anyone, but I’ve already started working on book 2!).

I’m also spending a little time each day working on a passion project. It’s a much darker book than my Hitwoman, Cursed Chicks, or Psychic Consignment Mysteries (btw, the first book in that series is currently free!). I don’t know whether I’ll ever publish it, but it’s a good outlet for my dark moods, lol.

I’m also spending time watching birds and developing my photography hobby. I just got a tripod and am hopeful this will help me get better shots.

Neighbors informing my writing

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Real life has been impacting my writing more than usual lately.

A couple of months ago, when we were still on full lockdown, a neighbor called late at night. She’d fallen and hurt herself; and wanted a ride to the hospital.

Long story short, despite my misgivings surrounding the virus, I helped her because I thought it was the right thing to do. 

Got her dressed, put her in my car, took her to the hospital, returned a few hours later to bring her home, took her to the all-night pharmacy and waited inside with her while she got painkillers, took her home.

I then checked on her multiple times a day for the next couple of days to make sure she was okay.

She verbally thanked me.

Now I don’t do things in order to be thanked, but I do notice when someone makes almost no effort to acknowledge an effort that was made on their behalf. If she’d just given me a card, I would have felt okay, but because she did next to nothing, I felt used.

Last week she moved, without so much as a text saying good-bye.

I know that says more about her than it does about me, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot as I finish up Hitwoman 24. 

In this book, despite already having too much on her plate, Maggie Lee does something which she believes to be the right thing, but then she has second thoughts about it and ends up feeling used.  In some ways, her emotional journey in this one is hitting close to home and I’ve been struggling to get it right.

Not to worry, Maggie’s story has a happy-ish ending.

To tap into that, I’ve been thinking about another neighbor.

A few years ago, a woman I barely knew (we’d met a few times but had never really spent any time together) called me in a panic. She was on a trip and hadn’t brought her passport, but they weren’t going to let her on the cruise without it. 

She asked me to go into her home, find the passport and send a picture so that they’d allow her to board.

So I did, despite the fact I’d never stepped inside her home before. I was happy to do it for her.

She was sooo grateful and when she returned thanked me with a sweet card, a sweet treat and a gift certificate. As a result, we became friends and remain so despite the fact she’s moved across the country.

And when she moved, she gifted me this painting she’d done:

I just love it!

The Magic Formula?

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I was talking to an acquaintance the the other day who asked me what the magic formula for writing is.

After exerting ALL my self-control to not roll my eyes or scoff at her (in times of pandemic, I’m thinking scoffing is crueler than usual) I managed to tell her that the “magic formula” is work. Usually hard work that no one can even see that you’re doing until your “magical” success when you finish a manuscript, publish a book, or hit a list.

There’s no magical formula, but there IS some writing advice I give to everyone who asks.

Years ago I saw this advice from author Bob Mayer (or I heard him say it at a workshop…either way he gets the credit): I would do anything to succeed at _______, just don’t ask me to _________.

Most people can fill in both blanks pretty easily.

“I would do anything to succeed at skydiving, just don’t ask me to jump out of a plane.”

“I would do anything to be covered in great tattoos, just don’t ask me to face a needle.”

Those might seem like extreme and/or silly examples, but we’re not always the most logical of beings.

For writers they might look like:

I would do anything to succeed at writing a book, just don’t ask me to give up playing video games to make the time to actually write.

or

I would do anything to succeed at landing my dream agent, just don’t ask to face the rejections that result as part of the querying process.

Right now my personal statement is: I would do anything to finish this latest Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman book, just don’t ask me to be funny in the midst of all this worldwide suffering and turmoil. (If you haven’t read the books, “funny” is a prerequisite and I’ve been struggling mightily with this manuscript.)

What about you? What are you dreaming of? What are your goals?

Take a second to fill in those blanks for yourself.

I would do anything to succeed at ____________, just don’t ask me to _________.

If you can force yourself to actually do whatever the second blank is, you’ve got a decent chance of creating your own magic.

Finding a silver lining

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Is anyone else sick of this “new normal”?

I’ve been having soooo much trouble writing. More hours, less words, even less words that I’m actually happy with. The delete key is my best friend lately.

(That said, I’m loving writing ONE FLEW OVER THE RAVEN’S NEST the first book in my Cursed Chicks series. Currently I’m posting the chapters as I write them, so check it out.)

But I’m struggling with Hitwoman 24 and I’m not making as much progress on my passion project as I’d like to be.

I think that part of the reason is that there’s a distinct lack of stimulation coming in (staying home, not seeing anything or anyone different) and that’s making my output sputter.

The silver lining of all this is that I’ve spent more time on getting into photography and I’ve been enjoying that. (I’d enjoy it more if I ever did it more than a mile away from home, lol.) Still, I’m having fun with it!

What are the silver linings YOU’VE found in all this?

The Cursed Chicks experiment

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I’ve been posting chapters of ONE FLEW OVER THE RAVEN’S NEST (the first in my new Cursed Chicks series) as I write them. Well, technically it’s not AS I write them. I write them, send them to an absolutely wonderful reader to point out any typos she spots, clean them up and THEN post them.

I decided to do this as my way of helping those contending with the Covid-19 debacle. (I can’t tell you how much the comments and notes I’ve received from readers have meant to me. I’m so glad that my silly little story has offered you a few minutes to escape from reality.)

This has been an interesting experiment on a couple of fronts. First, it feels like flying without a net. If I make a mistake story-wise I can’t go back and fix it in edits. My poor choices are already out there. No take-backs!

Second, this book was scheduled to come out AFTER the release of THE HITWOMAN AND THE EXORCISM which will be out on May 28th. RV, the main character in Raven’s Nest plays a major role in the Hitwoman book and I keep writing things that reference that role…but then I have to delete them because I’m trying to avoid spoilers.

Third, there’s a lot of pressure to crank out these chapters. But they’re not the only thing I’m working on. In addition to the prep work for the release of Exoricism, I’m writing Hitwoman 25 (and another passion project) not to mention all of the other things that go into being self-employed. Plus, just like everyone else, there are days when I get overwhelmed by our virus-ridden new world. According to my Fitbit, I haven’t had a night of “GOOD” sleep since March 7th…and that seems pretty accurate. Hmmmm…maybe I should write a new story about a character who goes to ridiculous extremes to get a decent night’s sleep. What do you think?

Maggie Lee will do anything to protect her family…including participating in an exorcism.

When her niece is threatened by an evil spirit, Maggie and her menagerie (with the help of friends Armani and RV) must find a missing skull and rob a graveyard. As if that isn’t enough, they must also go on a quest to collect a list of magical ingredients (including pumpkin spice coffee, because everyone knows that’s some magical stuff right there). 

God is being snarkier than usual, as Maggie also contends with the demands of a mob boss, the fallout of a killing, and an offer of a job that could be her most dangerous yet.

Will she figure out a way to exorcise the evil spirit to save her beloved niece Katie or will the cursed cloud Maggie’s always lived under finally get the best of her?

Have you preordered your copy yet?

Tour of my writing desk

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I’m always rearranging my desk. Here’s the current view:

Yes, I do have three plants, three light sources (candle, salt lamp, regular lamp) and two drinks (water and coffee). I don’t know if this shows my priorities or my obsessions, lol.

The basket holds my pens, notes, and work tracker book. The salt lamp and palm are pretty self-explanatory and that’s a ginger-peach candle.

A terrarium (more on that in a couple of days) and a fern get the center space to make sure they get enough light.

There’s magic in that there little bowl. Seriously….my inspiration talismans for the Cursed Chicks series are in there. And RV’s a badass so I keep the button on the lamp handy for those moments when I need to hit it.

I’d LOVE to show you what’s in the magic bowl but then I’d have to have Maggie from the Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series do you some serious harm, (Have I mentioned that book 23, THE HITWOMAN and the EXORCISM is available for preorder?)

Water and coffee are always on hand. My rule for myself is that every time I want to refill my coffee mug, I have to drink 10 ounces of water (the bottle holds 32).

So that’s the view of my writing desk this week, where I’m currently working on Hitwoman 24, One Flew Over the Raven’s Nest, and a passion project.

Six Chapters Available to Read!

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Have you been keeping busy? I have!

I’ve been writing and posting chapters for

a free serial

Make sure to head over to the CURSED CHICKS CLUB to read the first six chapters (more available soon) of ONE FLEW OVER THE RAVEN’S NEST.

You may think your mother-in-law is a witch, but RV’s really was.

And now there’s a very real chance she’ll be haunted by Mildred Bloodworth for eternity.

The only way to free herself from the curse that binds them, is for RV to make amends for Millie’s misdeeds.

Accompanied by a possessed Siamese cat, RV embarks, in her mother-in-law’s pink camper van, on a journey to right wrongs. But plans, like spells, can backfire.

RV drives right into a crime scene and quickly becomes the chief suspect in a mysterious murder.

Determined to prove her innocence, RV investigates with the help of a lucky penny, a wise owl, a reclusive turtle, and a magician whose agenda is unknown.

I’ve also been keeping busy with finishing up the story edits for Hitwoman 23! I’ll share the cover and blurb for that soon!

Plus, I just finished taking a great class, Unlock Your Five Star Future, for creative entrepreneurs with Mel Jolly.

Make sure to sign up for her newsletter to know when registration opens again. (HINT: it’s going to be very soon.) Even if you’re not interested in the class, you should know that the tips she shares in her newsletter make it a “must read” for me every week.

As you know, I’m always chasing down goals. Next post, I’ll show you how my crafting is coming along. (Prepare to chuckle!)