An Explanation

I just wanted to explain a few changes I’m making this year in order to take the pressure off myself.

I’ve got 4 books I want to publish in 2022; 3 e-books and 1 paperback. As I’m still behind my self-imposed deadlines, I’m easing up on a number of things in order to spend more time writing and drafting, marketing and launching my books.

Blog

I won’t be posting quite as much as usual here. I’m aiming for 2 posts per month (that’s 2 posts in every 32 days as I work to an 8-day week). I may re-blog my poetry / book reviews and the like in-between my usual posts, depending on how much time I have. I will still be posting about books I have read and films/TV series I’ve watched etc.

Newsletter

I’m reducing my Newsletter to once every 2 months this year, and it will still be appearing on or around the 15th of the month. I will still be telling readers about new books and discounted books, and the free story I give away each year to those who read my Newsletter, will be serialised in each issue (6 episodes). Character studies (which I introduced in 2021) have been moved to Patreon.

E-Pod Interviews

I’ve decided to retire my E-Pod interviews as there hasn’t been any take up for the last couple of years. I don’t have time at the moment to market it, and, with all the deadlines I need to meet this year, I won’t have time to process any requests. You can read all about the E-Pod interviews and visit the authors / artists who took part HERE.

Pure Haiku

My other blog, Pure Haiku, is still going strong. We’re currently exploring the theme of Ghostlight – check it out so far at Pure Haiku. If you didn’t make it to the selection for Ghostlight, Pure Haiku will be opening just once in 2022 to submissions, in June. If you’d like to be informed of the theme in June, please sign up to follow Pure Haiku.

Patreon

My Patreon supporters will start receiving Character Studies and have access to my playlists for each e-book that I publish this year. You only have to donate $1 a month to receive these goodies along with posts about my real life and a poetry postcard. If you want to donate $5.00 a month you get all the aforementioned plus sneak previews of my book covers and book trailers as well as one short story of at least 2,000 words a month and sample chapters of each new book that I publish. What are you waiting for?!!!

I hope this goes some way to explain why I won’t be posting as frequently as I have done in the past. I am, first and fore mostly a writer and writing is what I am happiest doing. Make me even happier, by purchasing one of my books today!

November Catch Up

A mega thank you to Editor Susi Bocks for nominating my poem, Sailing, for The Pushcart Prize! Wow! I am overwhelmed! You can read my poem and find out about Pushcart by clicking on the links.

A huge thank you to Swords & Sorcery Magazine for publishing my short story, Bladesong. If you’re into The Kaerling series, this tale will give you an insight into the dark world of the First Age of Nirunen and of the horrors the ancient heroes had to face.

And a big thank you to Cold Moon Journal for publishing my haiku about the ocean recently!

Thank you also to Spillwords for publishing my poem, Bite Me, recently. This is a vampire poem with a difference; can you tell which one is the victim and which is the predator?

And thank you too to Luna for publishing my poem, Mist, back in September. This poem portrays a scene from my latest book, Uneasy Allies.

Have you bought your copy of Uneasy Allies yet? It’s the latest volume in The Kaerling series. If you have already read it and enjoyed it, I would love it if you could leave a one line comment about why you liked it at the store you purchased it from!

Pure Haiku closed to submissions on 31st October on the theme of Ghostlight. I’m in the process of selecting the haiku to be published at Pure Haiku between 1st January and 31st March 2022.

My Patreon supporters have been reading my tales about Kirri and Ebkah, two heroes from the First Age of Nirunen, and they’ve also been receiving my unique poetry postcards every month, painted and written by me! If you’d like to get more of a glimpse into the mysterious world of Nirunen as well as helping me promote my books, please consider donating on my Patreon profile!

My Newsletter readers have received three character studies this year as well as poetry and a story. The third and final part of my serialised story, Resurrection, will be available in December.

I’ll be making some changes to my Newsletter and this blog in 2022 so watch this space and I’ll explain more in January next year!

That’s all for now, as I’ve been busy writing volumes 10 – 12 of The Kaerling recently – 89,000 words in October. Who needs Nanowrimo?!!!

I’ll be back next week with my final post of the year and a new book cover reveal. See you then!

February Book Reviews

Three completely different books by three talented authors!

Requiem for the Wolf by Tara Saunders was one of the best books I read in 2020. Saunders creates a world that ensnares your imagination from the first word. The magic in the tale won’t let you go and you find yourself empathising with Breag, despite the difficult choices he has to make. The writing is lyrical and descriptive without wasting words and the plot seamlessly flows and ebbs to a tragic, climatic ending. Can’t wait to read the next 2 books in the Tiarna Beo series! Read my reviews of this book at Amazon and Bookbub.

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The Prince’s Man by Deborah Jay was one of my favourite books in 2020. What starts out as a typical fantasy tale of intrigue, develops into a thoroughly enjoyable, unpredictable tale. I enjoyed the brilliant plot with an excellent, uncliched ending that left me wanting more. Jay’s writing is vivid and sensual and the characters are well drawn and engaging. I adored Rustam with all the changes he had to go through, both physical and spiritual. And I definitely want to live in the land of Shiva! Looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

Shadow of the Fae by KJ Baker was the first book I read this year! I thoroughly enjoyed this paranormal romance for its fascinating characters and neat, concise plot. Baker’s writing is descriptive without being too wordy. The pace is brisk and describes a rollercoaster of emotions. Asha and Raven are intriguing characters whose relationship develops into a climatic resolution! Humour and love, tragedy and mystery are all part of this spell binding read. Can’t wait for book 2 to arrive!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?

Catch up December 2020

Well, we’re nearly at the end of 2020 and what a year it’s been!

I hope you have all survived OK. Despite the Lockdowns, or perhaps because of them, I have been prolific and creative. Without a business to run between March and July, and then again in November, all I had left was my writing!

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Thank you to WhizzBuzz Books for featuring my novel The Day of Weird in August. Check out the link HERE! The Day of Weird contains the first three volumes of The Kaerling in one paperback book!

Thank you to Susi Bocks who published a haiku sequence of mine in October, “Once upon a time in Nirunen…” with an amazing photograph that complimented the poetry! If you’re reading The Kaerling series, you’ll enjoy the historical references in these verses.

Thank you also to Spillwords for publishing my poem “Wake up and smell the corpses” in October as part of their Halloween special! It’s a cheerful little ditty about the wild hunt and demons trying to walk the earth again…

Keep a look out for my poem “Finger of light” that’s going to be published at Fmme writes poems tomorrow as part of Sarah’s Poetry Advent Calendar! Thank you to Sarah Connor for supporting and promoting self-employed writers such as myself!

I’ve still managed to publish 3 books this year: The Day of Weird, The Butterfly Tree and Hidden Lands. If you’ve read any or all of them, please take a moment to leave a positive comment online! Thank you!

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If you’re looking for a new book to read, I can thoroughly recommend Victoria Goddard’s Stargazy Pie: Greenwing & Dart Book One! It’s different, it’s quirky, it’s humorous and I couldn’t put it down! Check out my reviews about this book at Amazon and Bookbub.

I’ll be blogging all the way up to Christmas as I’ve got a couple more things to tell you about! So, keep reading, keep buying and keep sharing!

Much love Freya xxx

Black Friday

I don’t do Black Friday.

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I run a mile from it. I refuse to buy ANYTHING in a Black Friday or Cyber Monday or anything-sale.

Why?

Because it means small retailers and self-employed artists and writers lose out. The huge discounts might seem appealing to you, the buyer, but have you ever thought how the low price is affecting the sellers’ abilities to actually make money?

As a self-employed person I know how precious each penny is. That’s why I save up my pennies and buy full price direct from local shops. I only ever buy online if nowhere nearby sells what I want to buy. And if I do buy online, I always do it well before the big boys start putting pressure on people to let their products go for a song.

In the same way, I never reduce my book prices for Black Friday kind of events. My books are already very reasonably priced between $0 and $5.99. (My paperbacks are priced by the retailers – once I’ve set the base price, I have no control over what the retailers and middle-men do!)

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So, instead of waiting to rob people like myself on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I’m suggesting that the general public support small business and self-employed artists and writers this year instead. Buy just one of my books each month – $1.99 is hardly going to break the bank! And, if you want to treat yourself, buy my $5.99 books for Christmas!

What do you think? Are you a cheapskate who buys all their presents for as little as possible, whilst looking incredibly generous? Or are you a genuine buyer who goes for quality over quantity and wants to support small business and self-employed writers?

If you’ve not yet bought An Ancient Song, you can get it for just 99p/99c until 27th November 2020 at Amazon US, Amazon UK, iTunes, Nook, Kobo and other online stores! (This isn’t a Black Friday offer – it’s been going on since 18th October!!!)

© Freya Pickard 2020