M.L. Pennock's Blog, page 5

Hello? Anyone there?

*cracks knuckles* It’s been a while, eh? I wish I was coming here to be like, “Surprise! I finished two books and here they are!” But I’m not. I’m still working on the same two I was working on last time I was here, which is why I haven’t written about it. I’m discouraged with … Continue reading Hello? Anyone there?

CTRL+X

Confession: It’s been months since I was able to write anything without wanting to delete it all. All of it. Literally every word I’ve written and published in the last two years. Naturally, my first two books have not been spared and I do not criticize them lightly. I lash out about my writing worse … Continue reading CTRL+X

It’s Monday

And it’s Mondaying with the best of them. We left last Wednesday evening for a long holiday weekend. I don’t see my family often these days because the kids are involved in extracurricular activities and making a two-hour drive back home with three kids more than once a month is actually difficult.We celebrated Thanksgiving with … Continue reading It’s Monday

It’s not about the money …

This is the only "job" I've ever had where it is fully acceptable to talk to yourself and make things up. I start a story and then the characters take over. I love character driven narrative. I like the natural flow of dialogue.

Excuses

Every time I come to this space I feel like all I write are excuses, so I stopped coming here. I’m getting discouraged. I’m upset. There are less and less hours in the day it seems. I have a full plate before thinking about the (not even close to being finished) manuscript sitting open behind … Continue reading Excuses

Steering the narrative

I thought I would be further along writing the third book by now, but summer is so tough. It was tough last year, too, when I was working on To Hold and made the decision I would worry about it once the girls were in school for the year. That worked then. I’m fearful it’s … Continue reading Steering the narrative

Why do you sell them so cheap?

Monday was one of my favorite holidays, partially because of the meaning behind the celebrations and parades – our independence as a nation, our freedom, the open exhibition of pride in our country – but more because it’s one of the few holidays that bring my family together. Swimming, barbecuing, visiting, and being “community.” I […]

That book I mentioned? Published.

I have this really bad habit of forgetting to update my blog. It’s mostly because for a long time there was a whole lot of nothing happening.

Yesterday, I was going to take time to write here. But then, well, you know how it goes. You wake up on “release day” after hardly sleeping because omgIwroteasecondbook and right around the time the coffee maker beeps at least one kid is awake. Then it’s get one ready for school and fight with another one and try to think through the screaming infant you can’t please right that second. After that it’s just … more. More of everyone wanting you and not enough you to go around.

You, if you’re me that is, forget to take 20 minutes to write.

So here’s me writing to tell you, To Hold released yesterday and is available wherever I was making it available with the exception of B&N nook because … I don’t know. I gave the publish button a good whack several times and it’s stuck on “processing.”

Been like this since yesterday morning. Anytime now, B&N, we’re waitin’ on you.

If you purchase a copy (and please purchase it. It’s only $2.99. If you can’t afford that and really want to read it, email me.) take a few minutes when you’re done reading to leave a review, give my Facebook page a like, send me a message with a virtual high-five, or any combination of the aforementioned.

—–> Amazon: http://amzn.to/1TlznE2

—–> Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1WInc5t

—–> Barnes&Noble: Coming soon! I hope. I really have no idea.

—–> Kobo: http://bit.ly/20oyDNx

—–> CreateSpace: http://bit.ly/1ZrwUqg

Add it on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27797325-to-hold

Oh! And a couple wonderful reviews have already been posted. Please go give these ladies some book love … they have been absolutely amazing to work with!

Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews

In Patti’s Imagination

Asking for help is a sign of weakness

But I’m not ashamed to beg sometimes.

With that knowledge out there, I have a huge favor to ask …

If you happened to read that book I published last year and did not leave a review at Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Goodreads, please consider doing so. Reviews are not for me (though, I will admit, I pored over the ones that were left and picked apart To Have based on the not so nice reviews left on Goodreads and Amazon because criticism is hard, y’all), instead they’re for other readers. Since they’re for potential readers, it doesn’t have to be a huge post about why you hated or loved the book. Honestly, I’ve seen reviews that are as simple as, “Three stars. It was a good read.”

Something like that would be awesome if you haven’t left a review, and I’ll tell you why.

With any luck, the second book will be out by the beginning of June. I overshot my goal of having To Hold out by March 1 because it took me a thousand years to edit since I basically couldn’t sit and focus for more than 10 minutes at a time. So now, my goal is June 7 – I’ve even written it on the calendar and circled it in purple pen, and I put it in the ARC request posted on my author page – and I hope you’ll read it and leave a review then, too, even if you hate it (but I’d rather you love it).

If you’d like to add it on Goodreads, you can do that here. I haven’t uploaded a cover yet because we’re still finalizing everything. I’ll probably post the synopsis this week. I’ll also buy the ISBN for the paperback. And not totally lose my mind trying to format everything.

My plan is to also do an eARC giveaway on my author page in the very near future, so if you haven’t liked that Facebook page yet, maybe go do that. If you want to. I really don’t want to force anyone to like me because I’m kind of awkward at times and not everyone wants to be friends with the awkward girl. For instance, this entire post is awkward and it’s taken me two weeks to write it because I feel bad for asking people to do things … like review things.

Now I’ve gone and made it weird, haven’t I?

Okay, if you’re a blogger and would like to receive an ARC of To Hold for review, fill out this form and I’ll be in touch!

According to Goodreads, I’m 12 books behind on my 2016 re...

According to Goodreads, I’m 12 books behind on my 2016 reading goal. Whoops.

My 5-year-old religiously pushes on my belly and reminds me how squishy it is. She doesn’t mention the fact I pushed out an 8-pound 6-ounce child four weeks ago.

This cold weather shit needs to GTFO. I’m ready to enjoy a beer on the back porch instead of while I’m making dinner, changing diapers, rounding up kids, and rushing through the evening routine. P.S.: I have not drank a single 12-ounce bottle of beer in less than 90 minutes since I enjoyed the first one at two-weeks postpartum. I’m apparently too scatter-brained to even sit and enjoy the one adult beverage I occasionally allow myself.

I know I’ve been remiss to post here much since the beginning of the year. In all honesty there hasn’t been much to say. I finished editing To Hold and sent out beta copies. I’m waiting for two more to come back to me and am making changes based on what was noted in the first two I received. The cover is coming. I can’t set a release date yet. I feel like I’m doing nothing but sitting on my hands and waiting for things to happen so I can upload files. And I hate that I feel that way so this is the first time I’ve admitted I have that feeling.

In the meantime I started drafting the third book in the To Have series. I’m all the way on chapter two. *head-desk* After three months of working on it here and there, I’m only on chapter two.

This post has no point other than to give me 10 minutes to write something – anything – because the baby is sleeping and I don’t have enough time to dive into edits or new material before picking Charlie up from school. And now that precious 10 minutes is gone.