New Releases Start This Week

I feel much better and much more productive this year, and it's good to feel relatively normal again.

On Friday, Feline Navidad (Millersburg Magick Mysteries #4) will finally be hitting retail stores. Yep,  Christmas story on Valentine's Day. That's assuming everybody goes live at that time. I'm still uploading to the files to the other retailers, but Amazon has been on pre-order for a bit.

I'm also getting Alter Ego's books reissued on Amazon, again FINALLY. I made the mistake early in my career by releasing my books under my personal account rather than a business account. Same with a couple of other retailers. I started switching titles over to the business account back in 2016, but I didn't get everything moved before I was diagnosed with breast cancer. So, while I update the back matter, I'm updating the covers before I upload them. It's been years since I looked any of them over, it's been interesting how my style has changed.

Plus, I'm assigning the copyrights to the company, so when I pass, the administrator of my estate won't have to do much paperwork for the company to change hands.

83 books takes some time to update and move. So, I'm glad I'm glad to finishing up that portion of the business changes.

After nearly two years, I also glad to release Feline Navidad into the wild.

BLURB

After a horrible, traumatizing autumn, the Wilson family panics when a holiday tree mysteriously appears in their living room. As the twins search for their benefactor or foe, neither Kaley or Kristen bothers to ask their familiars. And Teller and Penn know who the real culprits are.

Enjoy this light-hearted tale of friends trying to make the holidays special for the people they care about, the cats who face a major translation problem, and the fae-blessed man in a red suit who can fix anything.

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Computers, Ice, and Naps

Time got away from me over the last couple of days.

First, the hard drive caddy for Baby Blue 2.0 arrived. I bought a replacement for Baby Blue because I can no longer update her. Baby Blue 2.0 is a rebuilt, higher end version of the same computer model from Dell. Even though a decent solid state drive ("SSD")and a new battery had been installed, it was missing the caddy and some essential screws, which meant the SSD kept sliding out of its socket. So, Tuesday morning was spent installing the caddy and screws. I now have a working travel laptop again!

Tuesday afternoon was dedicated to fixing the cover and a typo on the interior of the paperback version of Magick and Murder (Millersburg Magick Mysteries #3). I didn't leave enough dead space next to the edge, so the trimmer at the printer was whacking off part of the three. I'm waiting on the author's copy to double check the spacing. I'm waiting for my formatter to return from a trip before the typo in the ebook is fixed.

(Hey, I know my limitations with tech.)

On Tuesday evening, I sprinted with writing buddies in Boise, so I got a couple of pages written on Death Goddess Fighting (The Books of Apep #2).

Wednesday morning, I went to yoga class, and...

...fell asleep in my recliner while I was going through email. *sigh*

I woke up shortly after 5 PM. DH and I had ordered new phones because several of our apps on our old phones were no longer working. We both rely on our phones for business. A fully functioning phone is necessary.

Anyway, both phones had arrived, and we went over to the AT&T store for assistance in setting them up and transferring our data from the old device to the new.

(Even DH admits to his limitations with some of the newer tech.)

We picked up dinner and spent the rest of the evening installing the necessary apps, syncing with our other devices and accounts, etc.

After DH went to bed, I started writing the first chapter of Divination and Distribution (Millersburg Magick Mysteries #5) to include it as a sample on Feline Navidad (Millersburg Magick Mysteries #4).

As for today? Well, it depends on whether the ice from last night's storm has melted sufficiently for me to safely pick up my drugs and the Grandpuppy's.

And for the rest of the day, I need to finish that first chapter for Divination and Distribution and edit Feline Navidad since my formatter should be back by tomorrow.

I'm making progress on my stories, just not as fast as I would like at times.

It's Been a Busy Monday and I Can't Shut Off My Mind

I know, I know. Monday is usually Movie Mania Day, but DH and I haven't gone to the theater in a while. That will probably change after the Super Bowl. We're cutting out a streaming service.(We've already axed Apple+.) Plus, we've got the monthly deal at our local AMC theater. The subscription pays for itself in just two movies, and there's a few new flicks coming out this month I absolutely want to see. (Hint: Captain America 4 starts to lay the groundwork for the X-men to join the MCU.)

Our 2024 returns were electronically filed tonight. Seriously, this is the earliest I've ever had my taxes done, but dammit, I want my refund before a certain douche bro raids the IRS.

After I dropped off the check for out new CPA, I finish the first draft of Feline Navidad this afternoon in a rush of mad typing at Starbucks.

Tonight, I worked on Death Goddess Fighting while sprinting with gal pals in Idaho.

So, tomorrow will be my breather day. A day between writing and editing where I work on some other creative things. I sorted through dolls and came across some original Jem & the Holograms dolls.

These figures were the reason I started into repainting and rerooting dolls. These poor toys were ones I'd stripped for clothing and accessories I was missing from my collection. I couldn't throw them away or resell them. The animated show meant too much to me.

As I was working, I got to thinking. It's been ten years since the disastrous Jon Chu big screen adaption failed on its first week in theaters. Seriously, when DH and I walked out of Wicked two and a half months ago, he asked me what I thought.

The first thing out of my mouth: "At least, Jon Chu didn't fuck up this one."

I can't blame everything on Mr. Chu. Hasbro threw an easy nine figures to do decent versions of Transformers and G.I. Joe, but only threw a measly $5M into the Jem production.

Anyway, Jem & the Hologram's fortieth anniversary is this year. I think it's time to give the girls a makeover.

And that, gentlefolk, is the hamster wheel of my mind.

I Need A Time Machine

The reason there was no post yesterday was because the day got away me. After yoga and a few necessary phone calls, I settled down to work on the current wip, i.e. A Cup of Conflict. Last week, I had to re-read the nineteen chapters written so far in order to remember where I was going with the plot. I smoothed out a lot of transitions between scenes, added some details to paint the picture in readers' heads, and clarified some conversations.

But yesterday. . .

The Muse cut loose on the next steps in the puzzle Anthea must solve to protect Jing's soon-to-be-crowned emperor. Next thing I knew, the sun had set. And my back and fingers ached.

No matter how much effort I put into my posture and the typing positions for my hands, Subconscious literally wants to climb into the laptop screen and live the adventure.

So I went in my art room and worked on a Tarot card bags while I watched Ghosts, the US version of the series. It's one of the rare cases where I like the American version better than the UK version of a series. It may have something to do with the heroine who sees and speaks with the ghost is a blond reporter named Samantha. LOL

I missed the last few episodes of the second season because of my father-in-law's death. And about the time the third season debuted, my mom passed. Then, I became consumed with re-releasing the first three books of the Millersburg Magick Mysteries. Now that the fourth season began two weeks ago, I went back and started over from the pilot. I finished last night's bag as the second season cliffhanger ended. (I am so glad they finally solved Alberta's murder!)

It was seven p.m. when I finished that little project. Time for dinner and a little TV with DH before I went back to work on the novel. Took a break for the last quarter of the Steelers game and Stephen Colbert after which DH and the Grandppuppy went to bed. I wanted to finish a scene and...

Next thing I knew, it was two-thirty in the morning. I love it when a story takes over my brain!

In the Windy City

I went to Chicago at the last minute. (Long story) I haven't been in the city itself for thirty-one years. (Layovers at O'Hare or Midway do not count.)

It's amazing how a city can be the same and different over the decades. I'm at a cute little hotel on Michigan Avenue. Rush hour is starting to fade. From my window, I can see the sun is glinting off the lake.

The Millersburg Magick Mysteries, my second Kickstarter campaign, ended last night. It funded with nearly 200% of my goal. It was a normal campaign compared to the Soccer Moms campaign. Rewards will be out before the end of the year unlike the Soccer Moms campaign. No one is allowed to die in the next month!

Meanwhile, I'll enjoy my morning. In a little bit, I'll head out for some breakfast.

 I just hope I don't get lost between the hotel and the restaurant. LOL

Last Week for the Latest Kickstarter!

The Millersburg Magick Mysteries Kickstarter Campaign is down to its last six days!

Get all three e-books, plus Amish, Vamps & Thieves (Bloodlines #4) which introduced several of the Millersburg adults, for only $10. Yep, that's half the price you would pay if you get all four books from an online retailer.

It's pretty simple. Kickstarter handles the transactions, so you're not giving me any credit card numbers. If you pledge for a physical reward, I'll need your snail mail address, but that's it. Between Kickstarter's rules and my own personal policy, no one else sees your personal info.

These YA books would make lovely holiday gifts for your young person.

Millersburg Magick Mysteries closes on Tuesday, October 17th, at 11:59 PM EDT. Check out this campaign before it's too late!

It's Officially Live!

I hit the publish button last night. The Millersburg Magick Mysteries Kickstarter campaign is officially up and running!

I really hope everyone will check out the campaign. It was nice to delve back into a world that's a lot of fun. Plus, I've got the covers for the next three books, so I'll have some fun over next summer! 

The campaign will run until 11:59 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, October 17th.

Pre-Launch Page for Kickstarter Is Live

It's happening! My campaign was approved earlier than I thought it would. I now have an active pre-launch page! Hopefully, my pink hair in the video isn't too shocking. LOL

Yes, I'm giggling gleefully! I can't wait!

New Kickstarter Coming Your Way

I was up very late (late for me anyway) finalizing a new Kickstarter. Therefore, my Monday morning didn't start until 5 p.m. But the campaign set-up is done, it's in review with the nice people at Kickstarter, and (fingers-crossed) it should go live sometime this coming weekend.

Actually, this campaign is a Witchstarter, i.e. one of Kickstarter's magic-themed campaigns for the month of October. I'm celebrating the re-release of the Millersburg Magick Mysteries.

This campaign is short and simple. You can get one or more of the three books in e-book and/or trade paperback form. And you have the option to get a beaded sugar skull bookmark handmade by yours truly. 

Short, sweet, and simple. Also a perfect All Hallows Read gift for the young person in your life!

Note: If you supported the Soccer Moms of the Apocalypse  campaign, the download links for last of your digital rewards will be sent out later this week!

When Things Don't Work Right

I was about ready to pull out my hair last night while setting up the Kickstarter for the Millersburg Magick Mysteries. For some reason, the darn software won't let me post pictures in the main body of my Story.

Plus, I've been having to wait until after DH and all the neighbors got to bed before I can record for Demons Run at Halloween. Almost everyone around us is retired, so they are using power tools for their automotive work, woodworking, and gardening. The vibrations come through the recording if I do it during the day.

So I'm bebopping along at night, and when I listened to the playback I hear bells. It took me a couple of tries before I realized it was Bella's collar and tags.

No, I cannot lock her out of my office. That would result in incessant crying and barking. However, taking off her collar did work. Yeah, I was seriously overthinking that one. I'm turning into my father-in-law.

I'm going to blame everything on Mercury in retrograde. The little bugger turns direct on Friday afternoon, so thing should start falling into place over the weekend.

Right?

Change of Plans

I'd planned to send the first three paperbacks of the Millersburg Magic Mysteries to a couple of friends' daughters for #AllHallowsRead this year. Plus, I've been having fun with some bead work and found some cute sugar skull charms to go with the theme, so I decided to make the girls Dia de los Muertos bookmarks to go with the books.

As I'm working on the bookmarks, I realized the series and the sugar skull bookmarks would make a perfect #Witchstarter campaign! This will now be my second Kickstarter campaign!

It's gong to be short and sweet. Two weeks. $100 goal. Only the Millersburg Magick Mysteries ebooks and paperbacks and the Dia de los Muertos bookmarks for the main rewards. Maybe some stickers for the first stretch goal.

I'll post here and on the www.suzanharden.com website at the end of September before the campaign goes live.

Note 1: All Hallow's Read was started back in 2010 by Neil Gaiman as a book-giving holiday for us non-Icelanders. Iceland has Jolabokaflod, which makes me want to move there!

Note 2: Witchstarter is the name given to October Kickstarter campaigns with a magickal theme.

Crazy Week and It's Only Monday

I spent the weekend filling boxes with loot from last year's Kickstarter. It will be a relief to have my living room and office back. DH asked why I wasn't sitting on the floor, which has been SOP for years when I was mailing Christmas presents to out-of-state nieces and nephews.

Needless to say, I dared him to sit on the floor. He quickly learned that if a human is on the floor, it's a signal to Princess Bella to drag all her toys over to you and place them in the open boxes. Some of my backers almost ended up with Kongs.

I'm still putting together the paperback for Queer Eye for the Super Guy. The re-write of Spells and Sleuths is finished and edits have started. And I need to finish the two short stories that were the part of the Kickstarter stretch goals so the audiobooks can be recorded.

There are surprises in the works for the Justice series' tenth anniversary. I really, really hope the readers of that series love the things in the works. My artist is doing some wonderful artwork for the projects.

Best of all, I had my annual mammogram this morning. For the last five years, it's been like sitting on a grenade. Has the cancer taken hold in the other breast? I've already had a lumpectomy, several needle biopsies, and a core sample. 

To my relief, the radiologist said everything looked good. Which means I'll be off tamoxifen at the end of June and I can drink during a writers' retreat I'm going to in July in Oregon. Like I told a few friends, it's not that I'm a huge drinker. I just don't like choices being taken away from me.

Actually, it's the second best thing. Genius Kid and the Grandpuppy are on their way here. Which means it'll be a Cincinnati chili and Long Johns week, too.

Ghost Hunting in Millersburg

I planned to take this trip over two years ago, but the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and...

We finally drove over to Millersburg on Friday afternoon. I convinced DH he needed a break from dealing with his father's estate.

We stayed for the long weekend at the Hotel Millersburg, which is one of the oldest continuously operating hotels in the state. For those who want to check it out, it is ADA compliant, but don't expect 5-star luxury. It's a nice, clean place to sleep while you're running around town, taking notes and pictures.

It's located on Jackson Street, which is the main drag through town. I made a point of reserving a room on the Jackson Street side in order to watch the traffic.

In the Bloodlines and Millersburg Magick Mysteries series, I place Jo's coffee shop across the street from the county courthouse. I made a point of taking a picture from what would be her shop's front door. The retail spot is currently empty.

Even if I wanted to put a coffee shop there, I wouldn't. There's a (relatively) new coffee shop two blocks to the right of this picture called Broken Grounds. DH and I had breakfast there two of the three mornings. The only reason we didn't stop in the third morning is because they're closed on Mondays.

The Broken Grounds also has church services on Sundays at 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. The pastor's a bit of a character, but he reminds me of one of my uncles who is a retired Lutheran minister.

I also found my peeps at The Expansion Gaming Corner, which is caddy-corner from The Broken Grounds at West Jackson and Mad Anthony. The owner was awesome, knowledgeable, and didn't look at a gray-haired, female customer like she was crazy. I will definitely go back the next time I'm in town.

Saturday night, we had tickets to attend Paranormal Night at the Museum. It's sponsored by the Victorian House Ghost Guild and held at the Victorian House Museum. Everyone who attended had a blast. If you want tickets for the evening session, go to the Ghost Guild's Facebook page. Normal visitation and other special events can be found at the Holmes County Historical Society's website.

So, yes, the Millersburg, Killbuck, and Berlin in my stories are based on the real towns in Holmes County. This is what folks mean by writing what you know. But that doesn't mean you can't use a little imagination in the process.

Ghost Hunting

Tomorrow night, DH and I are going ghost hunting in Millersburg, Ohio. For those who've read Amish, Vamps & Thieves (Bloodlines #4), yes, this is the town where the book is set.

The sequel series, Millersburg Magick Mysteries, is also set there. At the end of 2019 when I first started to write the sequel series, I'd planned to take a long weekend doing some research. It had been nearly thirty since the last time I visited Millersburg. I know stuff changes over the decades. But 2020 and the COVID pandemic forced a change in plans.

I wrote the first three books. And frankly, they sucked. The pandemic had sucked the fun out of me and my writing. So I pulled the books from Amazon (the only retailer I'd uploaded them to at that point), and decide to start over again.

Every time I looked at them though in 2020 and 2021, I got that sick feeling in my stomach. Those were my plague books. And Cthulu, how I resented that plague.

This year, I don't what exactly changed other than things were opening up again, including night-time ghost tours of the Victorian House Museum in Milllersburg. So yeah, that's the plan for Saturday night. Our niece will keep Princess Bella company while we're gone. And I'm simply looking forward to a night out.

I don't expect things to go back to "normal" after the pandemic. But I do like the opportunity to do some onsite research.

Y'all have a great weekend!

Millersburg, Ohio - The True Story

Fifteen years ago, I had a meeting with an agent where I pitched Zombie Love. She immediately rejected the book because (a) she hated Los Angeles and (b) I'd never been there. She told me I could only write about what I knew and places I'd been.

Damn, I dodged a bullet there.

But at the time, I was pissed, and as a response, I wrote Amish, Vamps & Thieves.

I set the story in Millersburg, Ohio, which is the county seat of Holmes County. It's also the heart of the Ohio Amish community.

I grew up in a little town south of Millersburg. I went to college in another little town north of Millersburg. But I hadn't been there in thirty years. Things change, and I needed to learn about the 21st century version of the town I once knew.

I'd planned to visit when I started the Bloodlines spin-off series, Millerburg Magick Mysteries. But by the time I'd recovered from my cancer treatments and returned from a workshop in Las Vegas, the COVID-19 epidemic was blowing through the U.S.

So next month, DH and I are heading over to Millersburg to tour the town and do a little ghost hunting. I'll post pictures of the real life settings for the series. And hopefully, I'll have revisions for the first three books available soon.

The Joys of Being an Artist/Businessperson

After sun and a sixty-degree weather at the first of the week, it's back to cold with snow on the way.

In the meantime, I'm keeping myself busy with a couple of classes in between writing and marketing. I've made a few alterations to the the Soccer Moms logo so it shows up better on the canvas totes I've selected for the Kickstarter. I'll order a few next week to see how they look in real life.

I'm finishing up Apocalypse? Not Now! this afternoon. It will go to the Alpha readers later tonight so they can pick it apart. I doubt if I finish Pestilence in Pumpkin Spice tonight though I'm at the climax and the downhill slide to completion.

I was hoping to get the Millerburg Magick Mysteries revised and back up at retailers long before now. Rest assured I'm plugging away at those. Hopefully, the recent classes I've taken and the hard look at my time and process will kick those projects into gear and get them back where they need to be.

So that's my Hump Day. How's yours?

New Release! - The Yule Switch

That's right! A brand-new holiday short story drops today!

Lonely craftshop owner Finlay Brewster has already lost her family. Can she save a homeless woman from a motorcycle club leader on the Winter Solstice? Or will she lose her soul to her mysterious guests?

P.S. Deputy, now Sheriff Jimmy Birkheimer from the Bloodlines series and the Millersburg Magick Mysteries makes a special guest appearance!

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Under the Gun

Once again, I find myself with limited time and a ton of stuff to do.

I got very behind over the last two years in getting paperbacks out. So far behind, a couple of readers contacted me to find out if I was still doing paper versions of my novels.

Ironically, just as I'm getting caught up on that end of the production, Ingram is having problems with file reviews, production, and distribution thanks to the Delta variant of COVID-19 that's currently sweeping across the U.S.

I've got to finish A Very Hero Wedding and buckle down on the Soccer Moms of the Apocalypse series, not to mention finish revisions on the Millersburg Magick Mysteries series.

I also need to finish unpacking the boxes in the living room and get everything put away before the kids bring Adorable Spawn here for Halloween.

I also need to shop for new Halloween decorations and a new area rug for Adorable Spawn to crawl on to replace the few things I lost in the unintended indoor pool situation.

However, it's September 1st, which means I WILL hang one of my Halloween wreaths on the front door this evening!

Early, Early, Early

There's just so much going on in my life right now. We're fairly certain Significant Other's due date was calculated incorrectly, so Adorable Spawn may be making his appearance any day now. If he comes early, DH has already stated he'll load me on a plane, and then drive out to Texas.

(DH no longer does planes. For our honeymoon to Hawaii, he popped a sleeping pill, washed it down with the complimentary champagne, and was out for the entire six-hour trip. The flight attendant was a little worried about him, but I said, "Trust me, you don't want him awake while we're still in the air.")

So the projects I wanted to get done before spending time with the new grandbaby have taken on a new urgency. My morning projects are getting  the paperbacks formatted for all the latest three Justice books completed. In the afternoon, I work on A Hand of Father. After dinner, I write Pestilence in Pumpkin Spice. Then after DH goes to bed, I've been reading Loren L. Coleman's Crowdfunding Your Fiction and studying some ongoing fiction Kickstarters. And in between all of that, I'm rewriting Spells and Sleuths.

I've found several pirate sites that have the old versions of the Millersburg Magick Mysteries. All I can do is shake my head. The first half of Spells and Sleuths was salvageable because it was written prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The rest? Well, they definitely show signs of my low-grade depression through May of 2020.

I feel much better now.

Onward. There's many words to add to my works-in-progress

Status Report - May 2021

Hey folks!

After putting out books every month since February 2020, I'm taking a little break for June and July this year. For those who haven't heard, DH and I will be first-time grandparents!

Adorable Spawn's due date is July 6, but babies like to come on their own time table. Not to mention Genius Kid and Significant Other live 1300 miles away, so we're keeping our options open.

That doesn't mean things won't be happening!

1) From now until the Fourth of July, Bloodlines: The First Boxed Set will be on sale for $0.99! The first three Bloodlines novels are sexy, hot hero fun when you're lounging by the pool or on the beach this summer.

[ETA] Oops! I forgot the buy links!

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2) The rest of the Bloodlines series (Books 2-9) are on sale from $2.99 to $3.21.

3) If you're outside the U.S. or you use another retailer other than Amazon, Blood Magick is free. For those of you in the U.S., Amazon set it to free last week, then abruptly raised the price on Friday. I've complained a few times, and the answers from Amazon have ranged from "It's a problem with your browser" to "Tough shit, we can do what we want".

So I'm asking you to please contact Amazon's customer service and complain. They will listen to customers before they will listen to me, though I plan to constantly nag them from now to Labor Day.

3) The two-month break doesn't mean I won't be writing. I'm working on rewriting the Millersburg Magick Mysteries, which I hope to have out by August.

4) I'm also working on August's new release, A Hand of Father (Justice #7).

5) The Soccer Moms of Apocalypse series is shaping up. However, I want to have all the books written before I start releasing them. That may mean the first release Pestilence in Pumpkin won't be until November. I really love this series, and I want to make it as perfect as possible,

6) The late release for Soccer Moms is because I'm looking forward to the chaos of A Very Hero Wedding (888-555-HERO #8). Let's face it--weddings can be crazy enough. I know mine was. Add in crazier supervillains on top of crazy relatives, and...

Well, you get the drift.

Anyway, that's what's happening in my world. If you have any comments or questions, enter them in the comments section below, or send me a private message through the Contact Me tab.

Next week, I'll start posting snippets from A Hand of Father.