(Image used with permission.)

Well, hello Serrulata Saga Squad! 
 
Spring has certainly sprung here in the DMV, though it has been unseasonably cold, and I feel like I haven’t had a chance to rest since I last blogged. 
 
I haven’t written much this month, since I’ve been sorting out some personal stuff (nothing bad—but it’s been a lot of adulting) and next month is shaping up to be fantastically busy, so I don’t think I’ll be back at my keyboard until this summer. (Reminder: I’m taking a break from my newsletter in May, so the next one will come in June.)
 
My biggest news at the moment involves the Picky Bookworm Awards. Yours and Mine has been nominated in two categories: Best Romance and Best Hetero Couple. I’d love it if you’d head on over to the site to vote—and I’m sure Octavia and Gerald would like it, too. There are a lot of fantastic indie books nominated in every category, so please be sure to check out each one!
 
Also, be sure to catch The Picky Bookworm Podcast every week. 
 
Catch y’all later!
 
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Cover reveal!

Well, I’ve gone and done it, Serrulata Squad. 
 
I’ve sent Test of the Four off to my editor. 
 
I know there is still a great deal more to do with this one before I feel comfortable releasing it into the world, but during my last few writing sessions I found myself spinning my wheels instead of making actual progress. So, goodbye for now, dear book. We’ll meet again later this year. 
 
In other writing news, I’ve received lots of feedback from my critique partners about my second romance. I think this is going to be a powerful story once I’m done with it, but the work is going to be challenging. I’m also not sure when I’m going to be able to actually sit down with this one again in the near future; life, it seems, is intent on getting in the way of my writing this spring. 
 
Now for some more positive news…
 
My #PeakBloom contest was a success! I got a lot of sign-ups, both in the U.S. and abroad. A huge thank you to everyone who trusts me with their email! (If you haven’t yet signed up, you can do so here.) A reminder that I will be taking a month off from my newsletter next month, so you won’t hear from me again in your inbox until June. 
 
Also, my social media posts for my cover reveal yesterday got a lot of likes and shares, which always feels good. (Thanks for those serotonin boosts, y’all!)
 
Until next time, pals! 
 
Bennett’s Books – March Wrap-Up
 
A list of the indie books I read this past month with links to my Goodreads reviews:
 
The Old Love and the New - Alistair Caradec
Fear and Fury (Adventures of a Villain-Leaning Humanoid #1) - Jamie Jackson
 Donum - The Gift -  Maxime Jaz (ARC copy)
 Shake Things Up (Love at Knockdown #2) – Skye Kilaen
 Hidden Magic: The Eldritch of Hallows - Elana McDougall
 The Fox Returns - Cherry Pickett
 Monstroddities - various
 Carillon's Curse - Sionnach Wintergreen
 
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​Peak Bloom is next week. I’m also celebrating the first anniversary of Gathering of the Four, so I’m doing a giveaway!
 
The winner will get free copies of both Gathering of the Four and Yours and Mine, as well as a shoutout in next month’s newsletter.
 
All you have to do to enter is sign up for my newsletter. 
 
The winner will be chosen at random. 
 
(Note: If the winner is in the U.S., they’ll get paperbacks; an international winner will get digital copies. Alas, international shipping costs are out of my budget.)
 
Good luck, Serrulata Saga Squad… and please spread the word. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram and share my posts!
 
Oh! And please make sure you whitelist me when you do sign up. Next month’s newsletter is going to be one you won’t want to miss… 
 

So many words. So little time. 

It’s early March, and here in the District we’re getting excited for Peak Bloom. The National Cherry Blossom Festival is returning this year and, needless to say, this gal is excited. 
 
In other prunus serrulata news…
 
I’ve made progress on the editing front. As of now, I have all chapters pertaining to side characters ready for my editor. I had to rework several scenes, but I think I have all of these characters doing exactly what I want them to do (for now).
 
Now it’s on to take another look at all of the scenes with The Four. These are going to take a lot of work. The Four have a lot to do (as you might imagine) and a lot of growth to achieve, and they’re not all there yet. 
 
Wish me luck!
 
Bennett’s Books – February Wrap-Up
 
A list of the indie books I read this past month with links to my Goodreads reviews:
 
Immortal Whispers (The Legend of Hereward Book 1) – Kon Blacke
Dust and Lightening – Rebecca Crunden
Haven (The Fae Queen's Court, #1) – Ceril N. Domace
Talia: Heir to the Fairy Realm (Servants of the Moon and Sun Book 1) – Joel Flanagan-Grannemann
Fall – Maxime Jaz
Selenium Night (ShadowShifters #1) – Kharma Kelley
Bride to the Fiend Prince (Dark Rulers, #1) – Rebecca Kenney
Captive of the Pirate King (Dark Rulers #2) – Rebecca Kenney
Fall Into You – Georgina Kiersten
The Future Bride – J.G. MacLeod
Winter's Dawn (Flos Magicae, #3) – Arden Powell
 
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Snip, snip.

It’s halfway through the month of February and I’m about halfway through gathering all of the feedback I’ve received so far from my critique partners.

​I’m really grateful for these folks. 
 
In some instances, they’ve boosted me with much-needed praise. They’ve also each pointed out where improvements could be made, or where scenes should be cut.
 
Cutting scenes.
 
This is the hardest part for me because I want my readers to know everything about all of my characters! 
 
My brain knows this just isn’t possible, but my heart aches knowing that I’m going to have to chop and chop some more. 
 
But I want Test of the Four to be a great second book in The Serrulata Saga. And, who knows? Maybe some of the scenes that wind up on the chopping block will reappear somewhere else…
 
A Thing I Enjoyed This Week
 
Yoga! Or, well, my new commitment to it. 
 
I’ve gained weight since everything shut down around the DMV in March 2020. This has been hard for me, like I know it’s been hard for a lot of folks, and last year I sank into a deep depression over it. Though I’ve been running more, I’m still not happy with the way I look. Honestly, I’m not sure I ever will be again. I’m older and it’s not as easy for me to lose weight as it once was. But I’m tired of being sad about it all of the time.
 
In an effort to improve my mental health, I challenged myself to complete a 30-day yoga program last month. All in all, it did wonders for my mental state. I’m happy to say that I’ve remained committed to keeping this as part of my daily routine. I’m still larger than I’d like to be, but that dark cloud that used to hang over my head all of the time isn’t there as often.
 
Until next time – stay safe and well, y’all!
 
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Thinking of spring...

It’s February, Serrulata Squad! 
 
I’m not sure about you, but January 2022 felt incredibly long but also somehow flew by for me.  
 
It’s been bitterly cold here in the DMV and I yearn for spring. I will be taking some time away from social media and writing this coming weekend for a much-needed recharge.  
 
I sent my second romance off to critique partners yesterday. I’m really hoping folks like it; these two characters grew on me like you wouldn’t believe. 
 
When I return from my mini-break, I’ll begin the process of first edits to Book Two of the Serrulata Saga. I’m also going to be doing the title reveal this month. As always, newsletter subscribers will hear it first – so sign up if you haven’t already!
 
Bennett’s Books – January Wrap-Up
 
A list of the indie books I read this past month with links to my Goodreads reviews:
 
Sweet & Dark: A Collection of Gay Erotic Stories - Grayson Bell
Afterlands: After the Harrowing – Boots
Magic in Autumn Springs - K.B. Davenport
Saving the Stray - Darlane L. Evans
A Bitter Drink - Azalea Forrest
Stormbringer - Erinn Harper
Flowers for Fara - Amara Lynn (ARC copy)
The Savior’s Rise - Talli L. Morgan (ARC copy)
Toad! And the Glass Eye - W. Payne Sillavan 
Bloody Spade - Brittany M. Willows
 
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Some Serrulata Saga inspo!

It’s only the middle of January and already I can tell 2022 is going to be a busy one for The Serrulata Saga. You might have noticed that I didn’t post last week. After considering my mental health and how much it can suffer when I put too much pressure on myself, I’ve decided to post here every other week instead of weekly. Trying to find time to write a blog post on top of working on writing and marketing, in addition to my day job, was just too much for me. 
 
So, we’ll see how it goes! 
 
Anyways, I’m so glad you’re here.  
 
Pretty Great Progress
 
Though this month has been a bit more hectic than I planned, I have been making steady progress on my second novella. I’m super happy to report that I’m close to the finish line and only have one more chapter to write. As I’ve said before, I’m excited about this one. I hope my betas will feel the same when I send it off to them early next month. 
 
I’ve also been doing well on keeping promises to myself as far as healthier eating and exercise are concerned. I wasn’t happy with my body for most of last year and I want to have a happier relationship with myself moving forward. (Less pizza, more running and yoga.) So far, I’m on track, though it is only the first month of the year. Fingers crossed I can keep up this momentum!
 
A Thing I Enjoyed This Week
 
This past week I binged the second season of All Creatures Great and Small (PBS). It’s a delightfully wholesome show based on a series of books written by James Herriot. (I read the books in middle school and enjoyed them.) Check it out if you need some eyebleach!
 
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Early 2022 sunset.

​After a much-needed break, I’m happy to be back blogging away. I had a rather hectic—but fun—December and then basically lounged around the house last weekend, taking time to recharge. I feel energized and prepared to tackle all of my writing goals in 2022. 
 
I’m about three-fourths of the way done with my current WIP. Regular visitors to the blog will recall this will be my second romance novella. Dare I say, I think I’m getting the hang of writing romance? I will always be devoted to my main story, but romance is so much fun to write and I’m pretty positive now there will be more to come from me in this genre. This latest work is super sexy, full of angst, but will come with a satisfying HEA, of course. 
 
Book Two is still with beta readers, though I’ve already started to get feedback. (One of my betas said, “It’s really good,” which made my heart soar.) Because of the holidays, I gave my betas a deadline of the end of February to get all feedback to me, so now I’m working on being patient, something y’all know I struggle with. I do have a title for this WIP now, and newsletter subscribers will hear about it first when my February newsletter goes out, so make sure to subscribe if you haven’t already.  
 
Ok, that’s probably enough from me for now. Can you tell I’m excited, though? I’m so happy you’re here! Thanks for being a part of the Serrulata Squad!
 
A Thing I Enjoyed This Week
 
The Great (Hulu) has returned for a second season and, y’all, I’m enjoying it immensely. I’ve always been a fan of period pieces and snark and this show combines the two. I’m a bit of a Russian history buff, as well, though this show isn’t historically accurate and doesn’t claim to be. I recommend this if you’re looking for something light and pretty to start off the new year.

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​Well, this is it, y’all. My final post of 2021.
 
I love the holidays—don’t get me wrong—but between my day job, my excitement around my current (and very sexy) WIP, and getting together with friends near and far, I just won’t have the capacity to update this blog for a few weeks.
 
This year has been one wild ride and I’ve so enjoyed engaging with everyone—fans and friends alike. 
 
I also still can’t believe I released not one, but two books this year!
 
I’ve learned so much and met so many wonderful people in the writing community.  
 
Here’s hoping 2022 will be just as great.
 
Wishing all of you the best! Happy holidays and happy new year!

Here we go again!

​This past Wednesday was like a beautiful whirlwind. Yours and Mine launched successfully! 
 
I’m so grateful to everyone who supported me: those who pre-ordered; ARC readers; and those who took the time boost my posts on social media. Y’all are the best!
 
And…good news! I had such fun with Yours and Mine that I’m already working on my next romance novella.
 
It’s still in the Serrulata Saga universe and will center around a side character from Book Two and a yet-to-be introduced White Rider. I worked on the initial outline this week and—whew—I think y’all are going to be in for a real treat. 
 
And this is new territory for me—a m/m romance! 
 
There will be much more to come on this. Until next week, stay safe and well, y’all!
 
A Thing I Enjoyed This Week
 
Cheesy. Christmas. Movies. 
 
I’ve started watching them in earnest this past week and I can’t get enough. Some of them are simple, where others (looking at you, Princess Switch 3) are over-the-top hilarious. They’re a welcome escape from reality and a great way for me to relax after work. ‘Tis the season!