Sara Martin's Blog, page 4

This year I will read ALL the books

Dear reader,

This is the year I've decided to make an effort to get back into reading.

Last year, I hardly read any books. It wasn't for lack of trying—I started many… I just couldn’t finish them. It takes a lot to hold my attention these days, and I’m sooo picky!

Time for a new approach:

Revisiting series where I enjoyed the first book, but never continued on to the later books.

Reading more from backlists of authors I already know I like.

Indulging in some "guilty pleasure" reading (Light novels, m...

Who will I be in 2029?

Dear reader,

Do you know about five-year journals? Each page contains space to record what happened on the same day over the course of five years (or longer, if you miss some days and come back to them in later years).

I’ve wanted one for ages. Just when I took the plunge to buy one for myself, I got gifted one as a late Christmas present on the very same day! Luckilly, I had time to cancel my order - or else I would have had ten years’ worth of journals to get through.

The journal I recieved is th...

My 2023 author recap

Dear reader,

As I reflect on 2023, it was a year of ups and downs in my author journey. Let me catch you up on what I wrote, published, and sold, plus some updates on projects in the works and plans for 2024 and beyond.

What I wrote

I worked exclusively on my forthcoming book, Clashing with the CEO. I didn't track my word count, but Scrivener estimates I wrote over 144,000 words while reworking this manuscript, which sounds about right to me. I expect the finished manuscript to come in at about 120...

'Tis the season for books

Dear reader,

I'm back in my hometown of Hawke's Bay for the holidays. As always, it’s a bit stressful and hectic being here, but I also appreciate the time with family. My parents are preparing to downsize to a smaller home, so my brother and I are helping them in all their preparations.

Photo by erin mckenna on Unsplash

On the writing front, December is shaping up to be one of my best royalty months ever! I'm thrilled to see my books doing so well this month. I kinda want to treat myself to someth...

A surprising movie recommendation

Dear reader,

When T asked if I wanted to come along to see the new Godzilla movie with him, I agreed without really knowing what to expect. But I’m pleased to report I’m glad I went!

Godzilla Minus One is an absolute masterclass in storytelling principles, and I think every fiction writer should watch it—even if monster movies aren’t typically your cup of tea.

Source: godzilla.com

The movie is good because it follows classic story rules to a tee. It’s so conventional that it actually feels fresh, if...

I just wrote my steamiest scene ever

Dear reader,

I have a confession to make: I just spent two whole weeks working on one scene in my book. Even for me, that’s extreme. And not just any scene—the first love scene. As some of you may know, this is my first book with “open door” scenes. That being the case, I really wanted to get it right. It has taken a while, but I’m pretty sure I’ve pulled it off!

A little sneak peek:

And another one:

How does one talk to their family about their books when they have steamy scenes, though? 🤔 With the...

At a crossroads on my author journey

Dear reader,

I'm back from yet another visit to Hawke's Bay to see my parents. It was so nice to spend time with them, and I'm happy to report my dad is doing much better than the last time I saw him. I'll be heading back down for Christmas.

Photo by lilartsy on Unsplash

It's about that time of year where I start thinking about goals and plans for the new year ahead. For 2024, I'm going to focus on streamlining my book production process. I want to get more efficient with my writing schedule so I c...

I'm back! Writing progress amidst spooky season 🎃

Hello. Long time no see. Two weeks ago, I was in Hawke's Bay visiting my parents, so I decided to skip the newsletter. I also didn't write for about a week—probably the longest I've gone without writing anything so far this year. Now that I'm back into it, I'm loving it, and I feel like I'm making fast progress (fast by my standards, at least!).

In other news, I'm starting a sport (gasp). It's a social thing at my local park. This is me attempting to make some friends (Friendship in adulthood is ...

Writing romance while life gets real

Dear reader,

Sometimes, life throws you punches. My dad’s illness… yeah, the diagnosis isn’t good.

First and foremost, I’m trying to take care of myself: eating well, exercising, refraining from excessive social media use. I took one day off work for a mental health break, but that’s all. Keeping a normal, structured routine is helping me to cope.

I’m still writing. It’s comforting and an escape, as it always has been. Progress on the book is going well as I come up to revising the final 25%.

A few ...

New excerpt & update from the house sitting halfway point

Dear reader,

I’m about half way through this house sitting gig now. Settled in but still counting down the days until I get to go home.

Life has been stressful lately. As well as being away from home, my day jobs have been very busy, and my dad has been battling with ill health. The writing is still getting done—thank goodness. I’m just plodding along, making progress each day. A reminder that the pre-order is now up. I’ve also shared another excerpt below.

Apart from writing, my time has been cons...