Hello,
Spring is trying so hard to… spring here in the Salt Lake Valley. We are in that awkward stage of the year when it can be 70⁰ one day and snow the next. Today it is rainy and overcast…at least right now as I’m writing this. But this weekend is supposed to be beautiful. I hope to be able to get out and do a little hiking. Fingers crossed.
New Steps (toward a Writing Career, a.k.a. the business stuff)
I can’t say anything brand spanking new has been going on since my last check in. I do have a one-day local writing convention coming up in a few weeks, so I’m excited for that. I’ve joined a couple of Meetup groups that focus on writing or reading. Nothing to attend yet, but I’m looking forward to meeting some new people.
The Spring deadline for the Writers of the Future contest is March 31st. Yikes! It’s coming so fast, but I think my entry is in a good place. I have done all my normal editing and I’m going to be throwing it into Pro Writing Aid over the next couple of days to polish it. Honestly, I really love this story and I hope it does well.
It is called “The Reservoir”. It is an urban fantasy about a wizard named Willet. He is from an Earth-like planet called Soven in another dimension. He was sent to Earth to help round up a bunch of baddies collectively called the Unseemlies and send them back to their own plane before they can cause the same havoc they have caused in his plane. While in the middle of a chase, he runs into Kenji, literally. A romance ensues but the problem is, Kenji knows nothing about where Willet is from or his role in hunting down the monsters. Now, four years later, Willet is hoping the Unseemlie threat will be wrapped up soon so he can just stay on Earth and live a quiet, normal life without having to expose Kenji to the possibly mind-breaking truth. One day the choice is taken from Willet as the monsters crash into their lives sending them racing away from danger and into a world Willet hoped Kenji would never have to know existed.
The Breakdown (mini-review and synopsis of the current book/podcast/YouTube channel that has piqued my interest.)
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
As made obvious by the title, this is a non-fiction about why we sleep and the role it plays in our (and other species’) lives. It is a bit more on the sciency end of things, so it can get a little dry in places, but over all, it moves right along. I’m about halfway through it and so far, I am really enjoying it. Did you know that dolphins and whales sleep with only half their brain at a time so they can continue to move (so they don’t drown) and respond to the world around them 24/7? I didn’t either. I am listening to it on audio book and I highly recommend it. I love the narrator’s voice. Plus, it transforms my morning commute into a classroom.
Living Life (Musings, actions I’m taking, and things I’m going through.)
This past month I decided to set a thirty-day challenge for myself. I regret to say that I have not followed through with it because, you know, life. So, I am re-committing myself to it next month with the hopes of it becoming a permanent habit. I am planning an article outlining this challenge, so stay tuned for that.
Big, potentially life changing things are around the corner. I will let you know what’s going on when it gets closer, but for now I will say that this has been a long time coming and I couldn’t be more excited for it.
That’s about it this time around. If you’d like to share your thoughts (I’m particularly interested this time around to hear about the new format), send me a message through the contact form, or shoot me an email at mel.ashey.writes@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you.
Don’t forget to check out my social media, and my partner page on Medium.
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