Conferences, Drafting, and Upcoming Book Release - July 22nd 2025 Newsletter
July went by really quickly - or at least the first half did, for me! Also, is it just me or has this July been hotter than expected? I’ve been staying indoors whenever it gets too hot, which is…often. However, at least that means I can write more…or so I thought.
In reality, I was quite busy with several other activities - attending the WriteHive’s 2025 virtual conference, for instance. I unfortunately had to miss most of the panels when they first were made available during that time, but I spent much time catching up when I could!
I also won a free ebook during the conference! That was pretty awesome.
The Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale Is Still Ongoing!
“Winner Takes All,” Book 1 in the Harlow Mystery series, is 25% off exclusively on Smashwords for all of July for their 2025 Summer/Winter Sale!
During this sale, you can get my book, along with books from many other great authors, at a discounts ranging from 25%-100% off (free!) so you can get to reading them right away.
Check out the whole sale: https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos/
Buy “Winner Takes All” on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1317785
Please share this promo with your friends, family, and any other murder mystery readers looking to stuff their ereaders - especially those looking to start a new murder mystery series!
Thank you for your help and support, and happy reading!
“Stay Magical” will be published on September 8th, 2025!
Just last week, I revealed that my YA (young adult) magical girl short story collection, “Stay Magical,” will be published on September 8th, 2025! Preorders are available starting August 25th, 2025.
Spread the word to any magical girl enthusiasts you know, and you can learn more information about it at this webpage! Thanks in advance for your support!
What Am I Writing Lately?
I focused on writing more of “The Secret Gardens We Grew Together” (TSGWGT for short) and the other cozy fantasy book that’s inspired by Fields of Mistria, Stardew Valley, Rune Factory 4 and Skyblock Kingdoms SMP. No, the latter book still doesn’t have a working title yet. Yes, I hope to figure out a title for that one by the end of this month.
Between the two books, I finished writing Draft 1 of “The Secret Gardens We Grew Together!” The other book is about 50% done with its first draft (potentially less if I end up adding more chapters later). I know my initial plan, when July first started, was to write more of “Our Fates Were Sewn Together.” However, I had way more muse for writing the two cozy fantasy books instead! I hope to return to “Our Fates Were Sewn Together” after completing the first draft of one of, if not both of, the cozy fantasy books.
Other book-related things I did that were writing-related but not actual writing included:
Preparing for the release of “Stay Magical,” my upcoming magical girl-themed short story collection!
Attended WriteHive’s Virtual Conference, which took place during July 11th to July 13th! This was packed with numerous panels on the writing industry and other writing-related topics, so this was fun to attend, especially while staying indoors from a heatwave.
What Have I Heard Lately?
Yes, it’s been a while, but I finally got around to listening to an audiobook! Two, in fact!
This time, I listened to “Women Who Run With The Wolves” by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. Estes discusses, using myths and folktales, the “wild woman” archetype. For those that enjoy reading about myths and folktales like Bluebeard, the Little Match Girl, and Baba Yaga, you might enjoy listening to this audiobook.
I also listened to “Blood In The Machine: The Origins Of The Rebellion Against Big Tech” by Brian Merchant.
Merchant discusses the history of the Luddites and how it relates to our present-day development of technology and its effects on our lives (and work). I didn’t know a lot about the Luddites going into this book, but it was definitely interesting. Also, the audiobook has some pretty epic intro music.
What Am I Reading Lately?
Since I’m still avoiding heatwaves, I’ve been checking out many ebooks from the library’s online catalogue recently so I don’t have to go outside! However, I also re-read some books in my personal collection, such as the “Restaurant To Another World” series by Junpei Inuzuka, This is a series that I regularly enjoy rereading, and I’ve also reviewed all the books years ago (still waiting on Book 6 to be published). All the food descriptions in the books make me a little hungry, but they do also provide a sense of comfort.
Other books I read include:
“Empire of AI” by Karen Hao
“pêyak little duck” by Sandra Lamouche
“Bannock in a Hammock” by Masiana Kelly
Thank you for following my writing journey!
I hope you look forward to seeing more of my writing process and work. I also look forward to giving all of you more frequent updates as well, so stay tuned for more!
If you have any questions, feel free to email me at clarislamauthor@gmail.com! I’ll respond within 48 hours (except on weekends and holidays).