Look at that view!

Somehow, November is almost over. How did that happen? 2023 has simultaneously breezed by and seemed longer than previous years. 

Earlier this month, Husband and I took a trip out to the Southwest to visit Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Neither of us had ever been to that part of the country before and the price was right when we bought the plane tickets. 

Y’all, I am in love. 

The landscapes are gorgeous. The weather was a tad cold, but – well, it is autumn. People were also shockingly polite and nice. New Mexico is a beautiful place and I can honestly say I can’t wait to go back. 

Post-Turkey Day Writing Session

Recent travel, plus my surgery last month, plus a busier than usual day job has meant that I haven’t had much time for writing lately. 

I am planning to rectify that this weekend, when I hope to start editing the WIP I’ve been talking about – but not doing much work on – all this season. As you might recall, this one started out as a horror story but has since evolved into more of a thriller. (I’m a fan of blending genres if you haven’t already noticed.) It’s part of The Serrulata Saga, but could be read as a standalone. 

My goal is to have it ready to send off for editing by the end of this year. Fingers crossed I can actually make this happen. 

It’s Gonna Be a Hot December

If you get my newsletter and/or follow me on social media, you know that my third romance, Because You Asked, is coming out December 20. 

In honor of this, I’ve decided to read and review steamy indie romances all month. I’ll post my wrap-up here right before the new year, of course. 

Anything to keep warm during those cold winter nights, amirite?

If you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you have a fantastic holiday. (Gobble, gobble.)

​See you back here next month! 

Hey everyone!
 
I’ve spent the better part of two weeks recovering from minor surgery on my right hand. Since this is my dominant hand, typing has been hard…but fortunately reading has not! 
 
During my convalescence, I was able to put a bit of a dent in my TBR. 
 
Check out my reviews below – and have a safe and wonderful Halloween!
 
Bennett’s Books – October Wrap-Up
 
A list of books I read this past month with links to my Goodreads reviews:

Roman (Vampire's Mate, #1) – Grae Bryan
A Strange Belief: Weird Stories – N.S. Ford
Splinter : A Diverse Sleepy Hollow Retelling – Jasper Hyde
In Aeternum – Maxime Jaz
Hunted (Blood Moon, Texas Shifters, #5) – Kat Kinney
Dread Scarlet (Shadows of Chicago Book 3) – Rien Nadie and C.J. Twining
TankerTanner – W. Payne Sillavan
A Forest of Grimm Desires – E.P. Stavs
 
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Sat with some old friends recently.

Hey there…

As y’all know, this past summer was very difficult, and then my day job threw several wrenches at me throughout September. I was extremely overwhelmed and am just now starting to feel steady again. Hence, this post, which will be a bit of a ramble. You’ve been warned!
 
For most of this year I’ve been thinking about what I want to do with this space. Before my life got too hectic, I had Notions and Thoughts about writing Meaningful Things and posting them here. I attempted this once but wound up getting frustrated, realizing the exercise just wasn’t working for me. So I’m going to return to talking about where I am with my writing and my plans for the future. Doing so in the past helped keep me grounded and organized. 
 
Rereading My Own Books
 
I don’t revisit many books. I have a few select comfort reads I break out during my summer travels or the holiday season, but mostly if I’m done with a book, I’m, well…done with it. 
 
As I’ve prepared to launch my third book this year (hello, burnout!) I realized that, as much as I was sort of dreading it, it would do me good to reread all of the books I’ve put out so far. 
 
I’ve said this before, but I wish I had a time machine so I could go back and launch Gathering of the Four again. The first version was an absolute mess of a disaster and I’m utterly shocked that anyone got all the way through it, let alone posted favorable reviews of it. (Those of you who did are truly kind.) Though I had gone back and edited it again, I did catch a few more typos and grammatical errors during this latest reread. I am still embarrassed, but the upside is I’ve grown as a writer since the spring of 2021. 
 
So, the copies of Gathering of the Four that are on sale now hopefully shine a bit brighter than the ones from the past. I don’t know if I’ll ever fully forgive myself for botching up my lifelong dream so badly at the beginning, but—it is what it is. Gathering of the Four is as good as it’s going to ever get. 
 
Rereads of Yours and Mine and Second Glance didn’t make me want to hide my head in shame, but I did manage to clean up a few oddly-worded sentences here and there. Plus, delving into the lives of my side characters is always amusing, so combing through those two books again was not nearly as taxing. 
 
In anticipation of starting Book Three next year, I’m also going to revisit Test of the Four this winter. I don’t think I’ll feel nearly as bad about myself after reading the second book in my series as I did after completing the first, so I’m not dreading this exercise as much. Ha!
 
I know I’m never going to be a famous author. Hell, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to consider myself a successfulauthor, but I learn something new with every story I write and every book I publish. What do they say? “It’s not the destination, but the journey?” 
 
If you’re still here, thanks for being by my side!
 
Speaking of Publishing More Books…
 
I’m in the process of gathering alpha reader feedback for the yet-to-be-named next spinoff book in The Serrulata Saga. I had fun writing this one, but I did push myself too hard and so I’m anticipating a lot of comments along the lines of “Wait…what?” I will allow myself a small brag, however, and say that two of my regular alpha readers have already said they very much enjoyed this story, so hopefully I’ll be able to whip it up into shape for a release early next year. 
 
After I get that book out the door, I will commence outlining Book Three. I’m hoping I’ll be able to learn from my mistakes, actually modify my behavior, and not rush. Now that I have pretty much realized I am never going to make money or gain fame from this self-publishing game, I have to keep reminding myself that there is no pressure. The words will come when they come. The next book will be done when it’s done. No one is really chomping at the bit for it, other than the reader inside of me, so I can do what I should have done from the beginning and take my time. 
 
So, Book Three is coming. I just don’t know when. I’m not even going to hazard a guess; however…
 
Spooky Season Inspo
 
If you follow me on Insta, you know that Stephen King is one of my favorite horror authors. Every year around this time I revisit some of my favorite short stories by him, and I’m now in what I like to call “short story mode”. I’ve always enjoyed reading collections and I’m at the point where I want to put out my own. Thus, I’m planning to root around in (digital) folders from years past and dust off a few things I put down before I honed in on Gathering of the Four and self-publishing. I know there’s truly no going back again, so to speak, but it will do me some good to think back to where I was—and what I was writing—years ago. 
 
This has turned into quite a post, so I’ll leave things here for now. I will be back later this month with my October reads wrap-up. Until then, stay safe and well. 

This is going to be a short post. 
 
We had a death in the family earlier this month. It was rather unexpected and has thrown me. My emotions have been all over the place, and I haven’t felt much like writing, let alone blogging. 
 
I do want to take the time to shout-out my August indie reads, however. I’ve always found solace in books and really appreciated the ability to get lost in other worlds during the past few weeks.
 
See you back here in September. Stay safe and well, y’all.
 
Bennett’s Books – August Wrap-Up
 
A list of books I read this past month with links to my Goodreads reviews:
 
The Murder Next Door (Louisa & Ada, #1) – Sarah Bell
Far Removed (The Apidecca Duology Book 1) – C.B. Lansdell (ARC copy)
His Lordship's Blood (His Lordship’s Mysteries # 4) – Samantha SoRelle
Night Black: Book II of the Shadows of Chicago – C.J. Twining and Rien Nadie  
 
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I know it’s only the beginning of August and I am not trying to wish summer away but I’m really excited about my first horror story so, yeah – I’ve put it out there.
 
I would absolutely love it if you grabbed an ARC and let me know what you think! You can also pre-order it, if that’s your jam. 
 
Here and There goes live October 1. 
 
(Note: Here and There is not part of The Serrulata Saga. There will be a Serrulata Saga horror novel coming in 2024!)
 
I’ll be back with a longer blog post in two weeks. For now…
 
Be seeing y’all!
 
Bennett’s Books – July Wrap-Up
 
A list of books I read this past month with links to my Goodreads reviews:
 
Prince of the Sorrows (Rowan Blood, #1) – Kellen Graves
Light My Pyre (Everwood Falls #1) – Kat Kinney
Sea and Sky: MM Fantasy Romance – Morgan Lysand
The Red Pen of Fate – Alley Rose
 
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​During the course of a meditation session earlier this week, I received what initially struck me as a strange reading from Tarot. In the three-card spread before me, I saw heartbreak, upheaval, and the suggestion to examine existing beliefs. The few days prior had been productive and positive, so I was quite taken aback by the cards.
 
But I trust Tarot. 
 
And, of course, it hit me during my meditation. 
 
These are themes prevalent throughout The Serrulata Saga!
 
Gathering of the Four begins when Leora discovers her adoptive family only wants to keep her around to hopefully turn a profit. The upheaval stars the moment she decides to run away from home. And as she races away, she is forced to examine what she believes deep down and has to reject feelings of worthlessness as she learns to survive outside of her home village of Mae. 
 
My other three main characters come face to face with heartbreak, upheaval, and the rearrangement of their core beliefs, as well. It’s how The Four become, well…The Four. 
 
As loyal fans of this blog may know, I wrote the first version of GOTF many, many years ago when I was a teenager. I joke about scribbling my angst onto the page (back then I didn’t have a computer and wrote by hand in a notebook) but there is something to be said about dealing with complex themes at such a young age. Has America as a whole ever taken teens seriously? I certainly didn’t feel heard when I was fifteen, and I wonder if The Serrulata Saga would exist if I had. Or maybe it would be a comedy instead of dystopian fiction. I have never had a desire to re-live my teen years or to return to high school (shudder) but I think perhaps Tarot wanted to remind me of where this story came from. 
 
Since the pandemic, I have gotten into what I now think might be a rather dangerous habit. I forced myself to fill silence and focused on anything and everything that would distract me from sitting with my thoughts. At the time, it was an excellent coping mechanism. But I worry I have gone too far the other way. Now I struggle to be still. While I often yearn for quiet, it terrifies me when I do find solitude. But separating myself from media and people allowed me to create Leora and Roland and Aurora and Leopold. Embracing heartbreak, affecting dramatic change, and questioning my core beliefs set me on the path to becoming the writer I am today.
 
So as I look ahead to planning Book Three, I aim to find a balance. No, I don’t plan on wallowing or shutting myself away from the world (as much as I sometimes wish I could) but I will strive to remember where I was mentally all of those years ago. I do not at all wish to revive my dark teenage mind, but forcing uncomfortable memories away isn’t the answer for me, either. 
 
And I have Tarot to thank for that.
 
A new sci-fi genre? Intriguing!
 
I subscribe to The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. It’s one of my favorite publications and I love receiving the physical copy and clutching it in my hands as I read. I’m exposed to new writers from diverse backgrounds, and I was very pleasantly surprised to learn about a new sci-fi genre in the July/August issue. One of the stories, The Pet of Olodumare by Joshua Uchenna Omenga and Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, is part of Afropantheology—a new genre created by Ekpeki. According to the blurb before the story, Ekpeki announced this at the ICFA 44, where he was a guest of honor. I both enjoyed the story and am excited to learn more about this new genre!
 
Tagging reviews on Insta
 
No, I’m not going to rehash what has been said over and over about tagging authors – especially indie authors – in negative reviews. 
 
Those of you who follow me on Insta know I’m all about positivity, promotion, and fun. What I am going to start doing is tagging authors in my Stories who get 4 or 5 stars from me. I’m elated when people do this with my books and I want others to feel that joy, as well. 
 
I had been holding off because I wasn’t certain others would appreciate it, but I’ve gotten nothing but positive feedback when I have tagged, so that will be my default from now on. 
 
So, look out fellow indies! You might just wind up in my Stories. (And if you have any suggestions for indie books I might like, you can of course email me. Yes, you can hype your own work!)
 
Be seeing y’all!

Last time I blogged, I said there would be changes to this space and, well…now it’s time to make them!
 
During the Summer Solstice last week, I explored what the words ‘meaningful change’ mean to me. 
 
This is a blog about my writing process, so I don’t want to delve too much into my personal life, but suffice to say this year has been a struggle so far. 
 
I haven’t done a great job of maintaining behaviors that are good for my mental and physical health and my writing has suffered because of that. I’ve felt stagnant when sitting down at the keyboard. The words haven’t flowed as they did in the past. I’ve been able to meet my goals but I haven’t felt any joy about my progress – and the whole point of writing, for me, is the joy!
 
So, I created a new self-care regimen. I’m an urban witch, so first I consulted my trusty Tarot deck. After a Body/Mind/Spirit reading, I took a brief walk to tune in to the space around me. (I will say that I have struggled to connect with this area. I appreciate where we live, but we’ve been here for a year and a half now and I’ve never felt settled. I have a few theories as to why, but I’m not going to explore those here at this time.) When I returned home, I came up with a new exercise schedule that I promised myself I would try to maintain until the autumn equinox. I am hoping to form better habits in the coming months, but—and you are reading this right now—I promise I will forgive myself if things don’t go according to plan. 
 
What does this mean for my writing? Well, I am hoping purposeful daily exercise will clear the fog a bit and allow my creativity to flow again. I would love to finish my current Serrulata Saga WIP by the end of the summer while reminding myself that I cannot force the words to come. I think I am also going to try to sit down and free-write like this every Wednesday. I can’t promise the fodder from these evenings will become blogs that y’all see, but I think writing more for the pure sake of writing will do my mind some good. Tarot advised me to build and solidify a solid foundation in that area, so I’ll take its advice. 
 
There you have it. A new self-care regimen for Bennett! I’m excited for the rest of this summer and, as always, thanks for being here with me.
 
Bennett’s Books – June Wrap-Up
 
A list of books I read this past month with links to my Goodreads reviews:
 
Three Meant To Be (Branches of Past and Future Book One) – M.N. Bennet
No Light from the Fires (Sands of Theia #3) – A.E. Bross
The Orc and Her Bride (The Sapphic Orcs of Torden, #1) – Lila Gwynn
Hyacinth – Elle Porter
Death by Silver (Julian Lynes and Ned Mathey, #1) – Melissa Scott and Amy Griswold
The Private Vault of Aleister Crowley – edited by Nicholas Wilkinson
​
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Hey y’all and happy Friday! Thanks once again for stopping by.

As the title of this post indicates, I’m going to start doing things a bit differently with this space starting next month.
 
You’ll still get updates and a list of my reads & reviews, but I want to be more meaningful with my posts. I might also change the frequency, but I’m still mulling that over. Long story short, I’m going through a transitional period in my personal life and some of these changes are going to affect my writing life. Nothing dramatic (or so I hope) but, you know, I’m technically middle aged now and am starting to realize I don’t see things the same way as I used to.
 
So, stay tuned. And don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter if you haven’t already. I’m doing a cover reveal next month that I’m super excited about!
 
Have a great weekend!

Stretching is a good idea!

I’m all done with revisions to what will be my first self-published work in the horror genre. This project was born out of a need to step out of my comfort zone and stretch myself a bit. 
 
Working on this project for the past few months has not only allowed me to explore a side of myself I normally keep hidden, but it gave me the opportunity to make new connections in the indie writing community, too. 
 
As I’ve told y’all before, I’ve enjoyed reading horror since I picked up my first book in the genre (Needful Things) when I was way too young. Now I’ve got the courage to contribute to the genre myself and I have the confidence to do it again. 
 
After this weekend, I’ll be switching back to The Serrulata Saga. I’m still not moving at the pace I’d like, but my goal is to complete this next novella by the end of the summer. 
 
Oh, and one more thing… I’m probably going to do a few giveaways this summer, so make sure you’re following me on Insta and Twitter!
 
Thank you, as always, for stopping by.
 
Exclusive Newsletter Content - Favorite Indie Book of the Month
 
Just a reminder about this new feature that you can only get if you’re subscribed to my monthly newsletter. Sign up if you haven’t already and make sure to whitelist me!
 
Bennett’s Books – May Wrap-Up
 
A list of books I read this past month with links to my Goodread reviews:
 
Skylark in the Fog – Helyna L. Clove
The Lion and the Dahlia (Orchid and the Lion, #2) – Gabriel Hargrave
Of Knights and Books and Falling In Love – Rita A. Rubin
Daylight Chasers – Rue Sparks
Dress the Neck Becomingly (Sanguis et Fauna #2) – Emmaline Strange
The Hex Next Door (Witches of Moondale, #1) – Lou Wilham
 
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​I had so many goals at the start of this year and now that 2023 is almost halfway done I find that I’ve only accomplished about half of them. 
 
Y’all, I am Not Ok!
 
Though the flood damage in our place has been fixed, I’m still grappling with getting a good night’s sleep for a variety of reasons. Exhaustion has led me to neglect my exercise routine, which, in turn, has affected my writing sessions. One thing cascades into another and then I look at the calendar and realize I haven’t accomplished anywhere near what I wanted to this month. 
 
So. Frustrating!
 
I’ve reworked some projects on my calendar and it appears that now this summer is going to involve me completely immersing myself in the horror genre, with a slight break for a bit of romance. 
 
I don’t want to say much about that last bit – you’ll have to subscribe to my newsletter for more details there. 
 
By the end of July, however, I’m hoping to have finalized one horror WIP completely and to have completed the initial draft of my second horror WIP. But if that doesn’t happen and I need to take more breaks, so be it. 
 
Fingers crossed that the rest of this month is smoother! And we’ll talk next week.