Today marks the Celtic New Year, and there are many traditions surrounded this day. One of my favourites, which others might find terribly macabre but I find incredibly sweet, is the returning of dead loved ones. They are welcomed into the home with a place set at the table so that they can eat the Samhain meal with their living families. This is the time of year they check in on their living descendants to make sure everything in the home is well and good.
So, I would like to offer a very warm welcome to my grandmother, who I miss terribly. I hope she does check in on me... and is understanding of the organised mess that is my house. I am looking forward to her company, even if only briefly. She has many descendants to check in on.
If I have other ancestors who'd like to pop by, I welcome them too, and I'm very sorry I don't recall you at all.
Because ghosts, as we all know, read blogs. Hell, blogs are so old and out of fashion that I'm pretty sure they're the only ones who do.
In other news, I have other news!
During a lovely chat with my mum last night, I was reminded that the second book of The Avalon Wars series (working title... I'm not enamoured with it) exists and is a thing. Not only that, but I sent it to her and she has finished editing it. I should be receiving the edits soon. I look forward to reading what I've written, because I've forgotten it all, and I'm excited to read her comments. She did say that she loved it, so I'm anxious to sink my teeth into it.
Then I have to figure out a second beta reader. My usual second beta reader is having issues that are limiting his time on the computer, so I don't want to add to his computer-related workload. Another person I would ask still has The Lioness of Shara Mountain, and is quite busy, so I don't want to ask her and add to her workload. I have some time to think of someone to ask to be my second beta reader. I haven't yet received the edits, and I won't have to worry too much about it until I've gone through all those edits in any case.
Speaking of The Lioness of Shara Mountain, I really need to start thinking about the book cover. This one is going to be a web novel, but even that requires an eye-catching cover. I have an idea of what I want, but I should muck around in my drawing software for a bit. I have so much art stuff to do. Ugh. Why do I do this to myself?!
There need to be more hours in the day. Or rather, I need to spend less time in an office, and more time doing my own thing.
Alright, the last bit of news I have:
November is my birth month. I'm not fussed about birthdays. I tend not to celebrate. But I would like this month to be something special. So, if you are inclined to want to offer me a gift, don't. Instead, consider supporting a charity I am championing - Trees for Life.
How? Well, half of all my royalties of Daughters of Britain are going towards a grove in Caledonia (Scotland), so you can help me celebrate my birthday by buying a copy (purchase links here) OR please buy a tree to plant directly (here). Each tree is just £6, I think.
My birthday wish is to end November with a big, beautiful grove of trees in the place in which I set Daughters of Britain.
Alright my loves, that is all I have. Sort of. I created a mailing/enewsletter thingy. If you want to receive monthly updates on my writing and art and (eventually, but not yet) exclusives, do sign up. You can do so here, if you want.
Now I'm done.
Ciao!