Mia Counts Lynch's Blog, page 2

What was 16th century Spain like?

Let me be upfront: Sins of the Father took a LOT of research.

Luckily for me, I majored in History in college, and my focus was on colonial Latin America which (spoiler alert) involves a lot of research about Spain. So I did have a lot of prior knowledge to work with.

But what about specifics? What would an upper class wo...

All about Sevilla

Sins of the Father takes place in Sevilla, Spain in 1561, so let’s talk about two of the landmarks mentioned in the book!

Sevilla is an Andalusian port city in the south of Spain. Originally an Iberian town, it went through multiple rulers before finally becoming a Spanish city in 1248. During Spain’s golden age of explo...

Title Reveal!

This is an exciting time for any author, particularly when it’s their first book. As I go through the publishing process, I’m slowly but surely checking items off my massive master list that only seems to be getting longer. Launching a novel involves a lot of work separate from the writing and editing process (and if yo...

Update

As many of my friends and family know, I have written a novel (a lighthearted romance and cozy mystery set in 1560s Spain). Luckily for me, lockdown has given me the time to ready the manuscript for publication.

There are quite a few things that go into publishing a book, including formatting, cover design, and marketin...

Bored of Netflix? Here’s What to Do Instead

So. You work from home, and there’s no end in sight to the stress caused by the pandemic, election cycle, racial injustice, climate change…(should I continue?). You’ve been through your entire Netflix queue at least twice, and there’s nothing new for you to binge watch. You’re bored and ready for this mess to be finish...

Why Now is the Perfect Time to Get a Dog

My 7-month old pup on a hike in Cornwall, UK.

Doesn’t it seem like everyone you know has gotten a dog during lockdown? Here in the UK puppy demand has risen so sharply, that there’s a legitimate puppy shortage. Full disclosure, I did get a puppy (and became one of th...

Presidential Debate Got You Down? Here are 5 Tips to Handle News Fatigue

Every time you read a newspaper, look at social media, or turn on the news there’s another eye-catching headline about COVID, civil rights protests, the Supreme Court nomination, or the presidential election.

I firmly believe it is our duty to be informed citizens. We have the responsibility to educate ourselves on curren...

6 Months In…

We’ve survived spring and summer, and now we’re winding our way into fall.

At the beginning of each new season, I like to take stock of my surroundings and reflect on my life and my business. What’s working? What can be improved? What are my short-term and long-term goals?

After 6 months of lockdown, I encourage all of y...

Productivity Under Pressure

 












































 

Our society prides itself on doing more. We are always on call, check Slack before work, answer emails on the weekends, and more. Even when going into the office, we don’t always make the distinction between work and play hours. Now that non-essential employees are wo...

Spring Clean Your Business

Today is the first day of Spring, which makes it a perfect time to do a little spring cleaning in your business. We are all searching for a bit of control, especially when our lives and businesses are out of whack and uncertain. I’m very lucky that my business is completely virtual, but many others are not so lucky. To that end, know that everyone is in the same position of uncertainty, and that there isn’t much anyone can do about it.

With all this in mind, take stock of what you can do for y...