Deja Elise's Blog, page 2

The Process of Writing and the Thing About Rotten Reviews

At the Deep End: Deeper, the sequel to my debut novella is out and though part 1 didn’t necessarily make big waves on account that I literally just threw it out there to see if anyone would care, the feedback I got early on did give me the motivation to keep writing. It had decent reviews…up until I got a doozy (which was to be expected) of a review just a couple of weeks before releasing part 2. 

   

 

Talk about inconvenient!

 

I understand that I should take reviews with a grain of salt, but...

4 Things I’ve Learned Publishing My 4th Book

Publishing my stories has been a fun ride. With my latest work, I now have four book babies out in the ether.

Valentine’s Day has come and gone and I love the story I have just published on the very theme. It’s my favorite to date and so far it’s done the best out of all my books. I suppose that has a lot to do with my teeny-tiny, growing following. This time I took a real stab at preselling. I tried with The Bluest Christmas, but didn’t quite realize how short of a timeline 30 days is.

I tried ...

V-Day Promo

Check out my video promo for my upcoming release!

 

Why I Love Writing Romance, Even Though I’m Not About That Life

Okay, it’s not that I’m not into romance, I’m just not the romantic type. It literally makes me uncomfortable, at least when it comes to receiving gifts or any gestures that is perceived to be romantic, such as candlelit dinners for two where we both pretend not to know that one of us farts out loud for fun.

 

 

I just don’t know how to react to it, the act of romance, not the farting.

 

I have never cried at a wedding, not even for my own vows which is what leads me to think that I might be br...

5 New Year’s Goals I Think I Can Keep

The New Year is upon us and though I’m having the itchy desire to start making resolutions I won’t keep, I’ll be doing something a little different this year. Firstly, I won’t call them resolutions. I have a long history of not being resolute about anything. It’s too much pressure and I only do well under certain types. Oh ho! {insert rimshot}

I’m going with My 2021 Goal List.

Amongst the many things I’m goaling for, including lofty health, financial and personal growth goals, I am putting an em...

I Wrote A Christmas Quickie!

The end of the year is near, and Christmas is just around the corner, so for you, a little gift titled the Bluest Christmas.

I went back forth on whether or not I should do it. Would it be worth the effort, especially since I started late, but I’m glad I did it.

It’s not your usual bright and cheery oopsies and oh my’s type of Holiday story. I tend to venture on the darker side of life because life is complicated and hardly ever goes how you want it. But it also full of surprises, which I think makes it interesting and worth living especially where love is concerned.

Now that I’ve got it out in the ether, I’m thinking about next year and all I hope to accomplish for my slow budding writing career. If I can just stick to the plan and learn how to focus, I think I can make these happen.

At least one or two readers have suggested they’d like to sequels to my first two releases. I tend to write as if it will be the only one, but I think To Be Loved By Mia certainly deserves one. Mia didn’t get a happy ending and not everyone liked that. Will she get one in the follow up? I make no promises. Sometimes these characters tell me what to do. Don’t blame the messenger.

I also have a novel that I’ve been working on for at least five years. It’s the one I started working on first, called Teach Me. It’s about a housewife who finds out her husband has been cheating on her with an escort. For various reasons for you to discover, she makes an unorthodox move to save her marriage by asking his mistress for help. As she works at improving her bedroom game, she finds out why her husband has been willing to pay for her high priced sex. I have finally worked out the ending and I will be completing that.

Additionally, I may add a Valentine short and have been considering jumping into other genres, such as Romantic comedies of the heterosexual persuasion. I’ve had two stories toiling around in my head, but I wonder if I might spread myself too thin.

Either way, I have my work cut out. My website needs to be updated and I want to start blogging in earnest and using social media more. It’s not enough to just write, I actually have to market my work. Who would’ve thunk it.

Anywho, if you haven’t read any of my books, I’m not sure what you’re waiting for. And if you like them, make sure to sign up at Lickherature.com for some sneak peaks, freebies and more.

Coming up for 2021

At the Deep End 2: Deeper
To Be Loved By Mia 2: Subtitle Pending
A Valentine Short: Title Pending
Teach Me: A Novel

So excited!

4 Reasons I Love Lesbian Books Even Though I’m A “Supposedly” Straight Woman

I found a book by Sarah Waters in a free book bin once and scanned through the pages out of simple curiosity. Two hours later, I was still reading. That was mostly due to Ms. Waters’ gift for transporting the reader into an entirely different time and place with the expert use of elegant prose. All I know was, I was hooked. Since then, I have sought out all of her books, and many other books featuring lesbians or bicurious women.

 

My husband, who I consider a secure man once asked about my tend...

Book Two Is Taking Forever!

So I wrote my first short At the Deep End in 30 days. It sort of just spilled out of me. I published it in April with the hopes that people would love it as much as I did. So far, the reviews are coming in slow, but they're coming.

My goal was to have book two ready by May. Here we are in June and I'm still working on it.
Actually, I started on another book but it wasn't working out itself fast enough.

I didn't want to force it. I think readers can feel that. I've read one too many over the top, boring, or confusing stories you know was dragged to death just to have something to publish.

I think one of my biggest issues is procrastination. I've been getting lost in TikTok. I realize though, that I tend to get distracted when I'm still working out the story in my head.

My characters aren't behaving as I would like them to. One of them doesn't like the job I assigned her and she's making it very difficult to move on. I have to go back and rewrite a whole chapter because of it. Sometimes, I feel like I'm in control. Other times, my characters pretty much want to drive the bus. That's the fight I'm really having and at this point, I just need to sit for at least 4 hours straight and hammer this thing out to my will.

My goal is to have it out at the top of July. Back to work I go!

4 Reasons I Love Lesbian Books Even Though I’m A Straight Woman

I found a book by Sarah Waters in a free book bin once and scanned through the pages out of simple curiosity. Two hours later, I was still reading. That was mostly due to Ms. Waters’ gift for transporting the reader into an entirely different time and place with the expert use of elegant prose. All I know was, I was hooked. Since then, I have sought out all of her books, and many other books featuring lesbians or bicurious women.

 

My husband, who I consider a secure man once asked about my tend...