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New Journals
A Quick Note!
Summer is almost over, (aww) but Autumn is arriving (yeah!) School has now returned and I feel like my schedule is back on track. Though I suppose that I could’ve kept a schedule going throughout the summer but I was either hunched over my computer writing my first draft to my latest novel (Prince Noralv: Edge of Shadows, Book Two!) or I’ve been going on family outings and gatherings. My summer has been full and I am grateful.Now with Autumn (Fall as some prefer to call it) on the horizon, I am so very in the mood for sweaters, books, stationery, fire in the fireplace, pumpkin spice everything, but most of all Halloween. Soon, my pretty, soon.
My wish for you all is to have a fabulous end of summer and to embrace the pumpkin of autumn.
Cheers!
New Journals!
Do you love journaling? I know I sure do! I love putting pen to paper throughout my writing process whether I’m brainstorming descriptions or working through a scene in my story I always have a journal next to me. Plus, it’s great to be equipped with one while I’m out and about because I never know when an idea will strike next.
For my love of stationery, I decided to make make a few journals. Some of the journals I’ve created have a plotting guide at the beginning and the others are plain lined paper.
Please check them out here:
http://jtharriswriter.com/?page_id=537
There are lots of different styles to satisfy many different personality types and I hope to make some more in the near future. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if there are other styles or ideas you’d like to see. I’m always creating.
Free Short Stories Coming Soon.
I’ve got a couple of new short stories that are coming together nicely and will be available for free to my newsletter subscribers. If you are already a subscriber, thank you so very much. The new short stories will be showing up in an inbox near you.
Lost in a Dream is still available for free when you sign up for my newsletter but will be retiring soon.
To get it while it’s still available please follow this link.
https://www.subscribepage.com/jtharriswritershortstoryoptin
Until next time, keep creating.
JT Harris.
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Taking Time For Myself
Hello, Everyone.I hope everyone’s summer is, so far, full of adventure, even if it’s just the adventure of reading. My stress levels were high this August with trying to stay on target with my writing goal, among other things.
My son was recently designated as being on the autism spectrum, diagnosed with ADHD, and a learning disability due to his ADHD. My husband and I were already anticipating this outcome and were emotionally prepared when we were given his designation. I have chosen to homeschool my children (and am feeling blessed that I am in a position in my life I can choose how he gets schooling) and I feel it was the best decision for me and my son. This will be the first year for my daughter to be in school so I have yet to decide if she would benefit from homeschooling or public school. For my son, though, it was too busy and overwhelming for him to be in a chaotic environment. There have been lots for me to learn this year and lots and lots of paperwork for me to do. In spite of all that, I still pushed myself to maintain my writing goal but was a tad past my deadline I set for myself. I am not disappointed that I didn’t finish right on time. The point is, I finished. I have completed another draft of my manuscript. Yeah, baby! (I may have had tears in my eyes when I was finished.) Breathe.
Draft done! Time for celebration (and sewing). I truly believe in celebrating not only the big milestones but also the little ones too. Life needs those little victories. For those who don’t know me, I am all about throwing themed get-togethers (usually intimate rather than large parties). (From an Alice in Wonderland tea party to video game nights.) Such fun!
Now that my draft is finished I will be taking a break from writing for about two weeks. That story needs some air before I tackle it again. (I’m not really breaking from writing as a whole but definitely a break from that story.) Do you find you need to take a break from writing – to those of you who write? A fresh, rested brain is needed before I tackle the next round of edits. I’m not sure how many I will be doing but more edits are in this story’s future.
I wish you all the best for what’s left of the summer. May the autumn, whether you’re in school or not, be kind and gracious to you.
Much love.
End of Summer Reading!
For those of you who like to read YA fantasy, sci fi, paranormal, and dystopian here is a box set with 25 novels on for
$0.99 for a limited time. Now that I have some time to read I will be jumping on board and giving this a try. (More books for my ebook collection!)What are some of your favorite fantasy novels to read during the summer?
Keep reading!
JT Harris.
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/marked-by-fate-kristin-d-van-risseghem/1126655058
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Book Feature and Very First Giveaway!
Hello, all you wonderful humans!
This blog post is a bit different than some of my others but I’m sure there will be others just like it in the future.
Today I am featuring the author Kristen Martin. I first discovered Kristen on YouTube, as I have found many a wonderful YouTuber, but she stood out to me because of her clear and informative videos. (I have watched many while doing the dishes or folding laundry. That’s not weird, right? *nervous laughter*) Anyway, her advice has helped me figure out which publishing path(s) I am most likely going to take. I think. (Really considering both CreateSpace and IngramSpark too.) Thank you, Kristen, for being awesome!
Giveaway time!
Update:
Congratulations to Jen of Victoria BC! Winner of The Alpha Drive by Kristen Martin giveaway.
Now, I am very excited to tell you that you lovely people have a chance to win a signed copy of Kristen Martin’s YA novel, The Alpha Drive.
For those of you who are curious what this book is about you can read the blurb here: https://www.kristenmartinbooks.com/product-page/signed-paperback-of-the-alpha-drive
I encourage you to check her out. Truly fantastic!
For the chance to win a copy of The Alpha Drive all you have to do is subscribe to my newsletter by August 21st then on August 22nd I will contact the winner via email. (You can find the subscribe button in the sidebar of my website)
Good luck!
You can also check out Kristen Martin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYyy_hiZRaSLGLOn62Nc4AA
And you can follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorkristenm
Thank you all so much.
Happy reading!
JT Harris.
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Fairy Tales and Costumes
A few years ago, there was a missed opportunity for me to dress up my daughter as Red Riding Hood and my son as the wolf (a lumberjack-type werewolf to be exact) for Halloween, but my son had his heart set on being a different character, so I put the idea on the back burner. This year for Halloween the idea came back into my mind: I wanted to have a Little Red Riding Hood group to go out trick or treating. It would be fun. I tried asking my kids if they wanted to do the idea with me, but they are still young to understand the fun of being in a costume group. They have their own ideas and I love their imaginations and want them to dress-up as anything they wish. Alas, the Red Riding Hood group would have to wait.Who Am I kidding? As much as I love to write I also love to create characters, and costuming is another one of my creative outlets. If my son and daughter wouldn’t be part of the fairy tale group I would make one with my husband (the woodcutter/ lumberjack), myself (Red Riding Hood), and my dog (the big bad wolf). This group will happen!Fairy Tales have been apart of my childhood and probably lit the fire for my love of stories and, at the very least, kept me in the dreams and wonder of where the fairy tales could take me. As a child, the fairy tales told to me or read by me were often the lighter versions of their darker counterpart, but as I grew older I began to explore the origins of these stories and, my goodness, were these ever creepy and sometimes down right disturbing. (Halloween and fairy tales seem to be a great fit, am I right?)Despite the ‘grim’ stories (pun intended) there are gold nuggets among the pages. Many authors in the past decade have searched these fairy tales and put their own twist to these stories of old and have come out with amazing retold stories of their own. Red Riding Hood has been told and re-told time and time again, each with small changes that make it slightly different than the last. Some re-told Riding Hood stories have been changed so much that they are hardly recognizable. Two things remains the same. The person with the red hood and a depiction of a wolf.Any hint of the essence of fairy tales being told in a story, consider my interest piqued.Tell me, what are your favourite fairy tales of old or new?Until next time, keep creating.Inkblade Writer.http://Photo credit: chiaralily via Visualhunt.com / CC BY-NC -
Don’t Forget To Take Time For Yourself
Hello again! These next few blog posts will be short and sweet. October will soon be upon us and it’s always a busy time of year for me. I make costumes quite often so naturally, October becomes costume making month as I like to make my kids, husband, and myself costumes for Halloween. I will soon be up to my elbows in fabric, boxes, paint, and tape. There will be princesses and creepers of plenty… 🙂
As important as it is to write all the time it’s just as important to take time for yourself and for your family and friends. So, peel your way from your laptop or notebook. Go outside. Bake something. Drink tea (always drink tea) and say hello to your friends and family. They’ll love you for it.
Also, read! Reading is very important to writing. Words are magic. Mmm… magical words. Oh goodness, I love October. I could go on forever chatting about magic. So, in the spirit of magic and October what are your favorite books to read that include the element of magic?
Hopefully you can share some great magical stories with your friends and family.
Happy costume and magic month!
Keep creating.
Inkblade. -
The best place to write.
Where is the best place to write? The best place to reflect and hone in on your inner creator? At a coffee shop? A library? At a park?
My “best place” to write at the moment is at night, with no lights on, the TV running in the background, or listening to music that is inspiring me in the moment, sitting in my favourite corner of the couch, and my little fingers typing away on my keyboard. Mmmm… bliss.
Honestly, finding your favourite place to write is a personal choice. Everyone is different. We are meant to be different. Different is fantastic. That’s what makes everything so interesting.
Venture forth and find your “best place”, whether it be in bed, at a desk, at a library, or snuggled on the couch, just write. Keep trying new spots, whether they are around your house or around your neighborhood, just try until your soul says ‘yes, this is a good spot’. Sometimes it will change. Just go with the flow of life. New writing spots will emerge.
Where is your favourite place to write?
Keep creating.
Inkblade Writer. -
Writing and a baby!
Well, I guess it’s been a bit since my last post. My biggest excuse is that I just gave birth to my second child on October 11th. I know, excuses, excuses… Welcome Miss M!
My writing has been on a bit of a hiatus since just before she was born and haven’t gotten back to since. Now I think I’m ready to start typing and put my story together. Yeah, re-writes! As my re-writes go underway I will also do a bit of reading – probably more than a “bit”. Reading is awesome!
I’m feeling inspired. Time for dessert and sleep. OK, sleep after some reading… right!
Until next time, be creative.
