Joey Paul's Blog, page 8

#TeaserTuesday

Tara isn't all that good at making friends...BUY NOW: http://www.books2read.com/DTFT

[ID: A cracked yellow wall background with the title DYING THOUGHTS - FIRST TOUCH at the top and out now in ebook, paperback & audiobook just above the title The except reads:

“Were you with your dad when he died?” I asked her. Okay, so I know that isn’t what you ask someone but I never claimed to have tact either.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Kaolin said.
“You sure? It can help,” I pressed. Okay, so I don’t know if talking really does help. I’ve never been a big fan of all that ‘sharing and caring’ crap. But if it made Kaolin open up to me…then I was all for it.
“Tara?” she looked at me. “Just drop it, okay?”

At the bottom is Joey Paul and just below that the website www.joeypaulonline.com, and in the bottom right corner is the logo for Bug Books. END ID]

 

Six Month Check In With Goals

SIX MONTH CHECK IN WITH GOALS

Every December on my Authortube channel (found here) I make a list of goals that I want to accomplish throughout the coming year. I usually then check in with them here because I want to have some idea of what I've managed, how they're going, and whether or not I'm going to manage to pull them all off.

So, today I'm gonna be reviewing the fifteen goals I set and see how I'm doing with the year so far!

1. PUBLISH TRANSLUCENT IN 2025 - Done
I managed this first one, Translucent was published on May 13th 2025 and I was really happy with how it went. I've been loving the reaction to the series, and the story and I am happy to tick this one off my list!

2. PUBLISH CRAMPING CHRONICLES: THE FOURTH TORMENT IN 2025 - In Progress
I've just started line edits for this book, so it should be done by the end of the year. I used to put months along with the year on my goals but I found too many times that things went wrong, and I would have to call the goal half done, but this is on the way to done!

3. REVISE VISIBLE FOR RELEASE IN 2026 - In Progress
I started revising Visible in January. I sent it off to the sensitivity readers in June, and will be getting that back at the end of the month, and hopefully from there, it's a case of doing their changes and getting to the point where it goes to the editor in November.

4. REVISE CRAMPING CHRONICLES: THE FIFTH AGONY FOR RELEASE IN 2026 - In Progress
I started revising this one earlier than planned. Normally I'd have waited until November, but with the way Fourth Torment went, I know it needs more rewrites as the big bad has changed from when I first wrote it. I'm still very much in the beginning stages as I started revising in July.

5. FINISH REWRITES OF I'LL SEE YOU THRU & THIS IS HOW IT ENDS - Done
I finished both of these at the end of March. I'm really happy with how they both turned out, and can't wait for the chance to revise them more, send them off to betas and get them ready for the editor in the coming years. But this is very much done!

6. REVISE AND REWRITE I WISH I COULD SAVE YOU & PROJECT: WITCH HUNT - In Progress
I started the revision and rewrites for both of these in April and have been steadily working my way through them both. They'll need a lot more time, but it's happening.

7. KEEP UP WITH AUTHORTUBE CHANNEL - On Track To Be Done
I've been able to keep up with this, posting on Thursdays with videos and Sundays with shorts, so I'm hopeful that this will be something I can check off at the end of the year. 

8. KEEP UP WITH MONDAY AND FRIDAY POSTS ON BLOG - On Track To Be Done
I've also kept up with this too, as evidenced by this being a Monday post. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to keep doing the advice pieces and the reviews and interviews on Fridays too.

9. POST TO INSTAGRAM DAILY & A REEL EVERY SUNDAY - On Track To Be Done
So far I've done this. I've had a few hospital stays, but scheduled posts have allowed me to keep posting on Instagram, and my reels always go up on a Sunday!

10. READ 350 BOOKS - In Progress
I started the year with a bit of a reading slump, and because of that I ended up dropping my goal to 300 books. I don't know if I will catch up with myself before the end of the year, but even if I don't, 300 books is a win.

11. TAKE AT LEAST TWO DAYS OFF COMPLETELY EACH MONTH - On Track To Be Done
I've done this every month so far. I usually have been two and five days off each month, and I've been very much enjoying them!

12. SEND 12 NEWSLETTERS - On Track To Be Done
My newsletters go out on the 1st of every month, and I've not missed one yet. I like writing my newsletter and while my reach is small, I do get a lot of enjoyment out of it.

13. DO 12 MONTHLY SPREADS IN PLANNER - On Track To Be Done
My planner spreads have become a routine for me. I find it easy enough to get lost in planner, in making it look pretty and keeping track of what I managed and when.

14. HAVE AT LEAST 12 AUDIOBOOKS OUT - Done
I actually surprised myself with this and had it done by March! I didn't think that would happen, but I'm also thinking there wouldn't be many, if any, more audiobooks out this year just because the one I have in progress, and the other ready won't be done before the new year.

15. OPEN SIGNED BOOKS & VIP SWAG PACKS SHOP IN 2025 - Done
I actually cheated a little bit at this one. I set it as a goal so that if I didn't get my ducks in a row for the end of 2024, I would be able to do it in 2025. But I did manage to get it done at the very end of December last year, so I've ticked this one off. 

So how are you doing on your goals? Lemme know in the comments!

Follow Joey to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books.   

Review Of A Promise Bright And Fragile by Lisa Amowitz

 Orphaned young and thrust into foster care, 18-year-old Tyler Fredericks remembers nothing of Salttain, the mysterious Maine island where he was born. His only link to his past is the shadowy Uncle Randy, a man whose unsettling presence makes Tyler feel as if his thoughts are being twisted.

Desperate to break free, Tyler relies on his stellar academic record, his uncanny knack for winning people over, and his secret love for Rosalie Gatell, the brilliant and beautiful daughter of a legendary climate activist. Rosalie is still grieving her father’s death, and Tyler has promised to never attend the Maine university where he taught—to always be there for her.

But when Uncle Randy dangles an irresistible scholarship offer, Tyler’s plans unravel, dragging him back to the one place he swore he’d never go. As inexplicable events begin to threaten the fabric of his reality, he must fight to maintain his sanity—and discover whether it’s true that you can’t go home again. Amazon My Review:  5 STARS

I picked this up when I grabbed the first in the series but was advised, even though it’s a prequel, to read after book one, and I have to agree with that. Seeing the start of the story with Tyler, and knowing, having read the first book all the things to watch out for, I was enthralled and excited to dive into this world more and learn a little bit of the backstory. Tyler and his fight against his uncle just made the world richer and more real and engaging, pulling you into the lore, the world, and everything within it. Very much recommended, and have to agree with advice to read book one first, and then the prequel!

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here

Writing With... Depression [CC]

Talking about writing while having depression and my tips for it! #Authortube 
BUY TRANSLUCENT: http://www.books2read.com/TRANSLUCENT
BUY SIGNED BOOKS AT MY KO-FI SHOP: https://ko-fi.com/authorjoeypaul/shopBUY DYING THOUGHTS - THIRD WISH IN AUDIOBOOK: http://www.books2read.com/DTTW
BUY LIGHTS ON IN AUDIOBOOK: http://www.books2read.com/LON
BUY LYNNE & HOPE IN AUDIOBOOK: http://www.books2read.com/LANH 
MY STANDALONES: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/standalones.html
THE DYING THOUGHTS SERIES: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/dying-thoughts-series.html
THE LIGHTS OUT TRILOGY: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/lights-out-trilogy.html
THE CRAMPING CHRONICLES SERIES: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/cramping-chronicles-series.html
THE INVISIBLE QUARTET: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/invisible-quartet.htmlSIGN UP TO MY NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/h89_5fBUY TICKETS FOR WONDERLAND 2025: https://buytickets.at/wonderland1/1078461
BLOG: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/TUMBLR: http://authorjoeypaul.tumblr.comFACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/JoeyPaulOnlineBLUESKY: https://bsky.app/profile/msjoeybug.bsky.social
INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/authorjoeypaulTHREADS: https://www.threads.net/@authorjoeypaul

 

#TeaserTuesday

Tally is sick of hearing about her supposed drug use...BUY NOW: http://www.books2read.com/BOUT

[ID: A dark blue background with the title BLACKOUT at the top and out now in ebook, paperback & audiobook just above the title The except reads:

“Right, Tally, Lisa. I’ve wanted to talk to you both about how far behind you are from the rest of the class for various reasons,” she said, after about five minutes. If she mentions the words “drugs”, “coma”, or “lucky to be alive”, I swear I am going to ram a bunsen burner up her arse.

At the bottom is Joey Paul and just below that the website www.joeypaulonline.com, in the bottom left corner is the Readers' Favorite Review Seal, and in the bottom right corner is the logo for Bug Books. END ID]

Deciding On An Idea

DECIDING ON AN IDEA

I have always worried that I will run out of ideas. It's never happened, not once in my writing career have I not had ideas that I can work on. But that worry, the anxiety, is still there and very much present. Now normally, when I'm drafting, my focus is so much on the stories in front of me that I don't give much time or thought to other ideas. So when it comes to the end of my drafting, I find myself scrambling and worried that nothing is going to happen. I worry this time will be the first time when I fail to find something new to write about. It's never happened, but my anxious brain is sure that this is the time it will.

Part of me knows that writers are filled with ideas. It's not always fully formed ones, but a scene, or a snippet of dialogue, or even just some characters and the thought of what you'd like to do with them. Given I usually have some kind of mystery within my works, I will find myself focusing on that, what thing can happen to them that will focus on something no one knows the answer to? It's worked for me, but I also know there can be times when I have way too many ideas or snippets, and they can't all fit in the same story, so then I have to decide what to keep, what to prune, and what to store in my back pocket for the next time.

Deciding on an idea can feel like it's easy enough. Just choose the one that you want, and done, right? Nope! As most writers will tell you, we find it hard sometimes to narrow it down. We find it hard to work out which project or idea excites us the most. While I'm more methodical in my choosing, as in if I'm working on a series, I will always write the next book in that series next, others don't do that, and that's perfectly okay and valid.

After all, a lot of the time, the idea is what keeps the words coming on the page. If you don't have anything for the next book in a series, then what do you do? How do you make the most of your time? If you're not actively writing something, doesn't that mean that you're slacking off? I don't agree. I really don't buy that you always have to writing something to be valid as a writer. I know that some readers have been shocked that when it comes to series, the next book from an author is not always going to come first. Everyone works differently, and that's okay.

But if you've got a myriad of ideas, and you want to find one that works for you, then there are three questions I find help me narrow down whether or not it becomes one of the ideas that I want to work on. Just quickly, I usually work on multiple projects at once not all authors do this, and that's not a slight on them. They work in their own way and that's okay.

Onto the questions:

#1 DOES THE IDEA MAKE ME EXCITED TO WRITE?
#2 DO I HAVE THE START IN MIND?
#3 WILL THE IDEA GROW WITHOUT HELP?

I'm not going to go into detail here, just because it would be a lot of the same information. I ask the first because if this is an idea I am itching to write, then I will find it easier to get the words on the page. The second is more because for my planning phase, I need the start, without that, I'm pretty much swimming in the dark. And the final question is basically because if I can't grow the idea in my mind without constantly playing what if this and that, then for me, the story is not ready to me written.

Like I said, everyone works differently and that's okay, but this works for me. You gotta find what works for you, and keep writing.

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments! 

Follow Joey to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books.   

Review of Community Garden by Kyla Stan

  Nilsa “Nichi” Rivera struggles every day with her fibromyalgia pain after her papi passed away the previous summer. Her disability causes extreme muscle discomfort, exhaustion, and she tries to force herself through a normal teenage life. Plus, living in a strict Puerto Rican household is not easy when Mami picks on Nichi’s weight, lifestyle, and inability to fight through her physical disability. But when the topic for this year’s senior project is Improving the Community, Nichi scrambles for an idea, until she comes across an empty lot and immediately envisions a garden for her barrio, or neighborhood. Plus, a new girl at school steals Nichi’s heart with her punk rock style and flirtatious ways.

Nichi must face financial burdens, family conflict, and understanding her sexuality. But can she break the barriers of a traditional Latin household while dealing with insurmountable grief?

In this celebratory novel about love, family, and the power of gardening, Nichi learns to find meaning in her life and how she can remember her papi. Amazon  My Review: 5 STARS

Having read books by Stan before, when this one popped up on my feed, I had to read it. Not just because of the sound of the story, but also the chronic illness rep, and the way the blurb called to me. I adored Nichi and Jayden, the way they both came together, even with Nichi trying to honour her father with the garden. The story was a quick read but packed with hard hitting scenes and rep. The way Stan portrayed Fibromyalgia really drew me into the story. Very much recommended and one I enjoyed!

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here

Writing With... Chronic Pain [CC]

Talking about writing while having chronic pain, and my tips for managing it! #Authortube 
BUY TRANSLUCENT: http://www.books2read.com/TRANSLUCENT
BUY SIGNED BOOKS AT MY KO-FI SHOP: https://ko-fi.com/authorjoeypaul/shopBUY DYING THOUGHTS - THIRD WISH IN AUDIOBOOK: http://www.books2read.com/DTTW
BUY LIGHTS ON IN AUDIOBOOK: http://www.books2read.com/LON
BUY LYNNE & HOPE IN AUDIOBOOK: http://www.books2read.com/LANH 
MY STANDALONES: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/standalones.html
THE DYING THOUGHTS SERIES: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/dying-thoughts-series.html
THE LIGHTS OUT TRILOGY: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/lights-out-trilogy.html
THE CRAMPING CHRONICLES SERIES: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/cramping-chronicles-series.html
THE INVISIBLE QUARTET: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/invisible-quartet.htmlSIGN UP TO MY NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/h89_5fBUY TICKETS FOR WONDERLAND 2025: https://buytickets.at/wonderland1/1078461
BLOG: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/TUMBLR: http://authorjoeypaul.tumblr.comFACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/JoeyPaulOnlineBLUESKY: https://bsky.app/profile/msjoeybug.bsky.social
INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/authorjoeypaulTHREADS: https://www.threads.net/@authorjoeypaul

 

#TeaserTuesday

Jessie never wanted it to end up like this...BUY NOW: http://www.books2read.com/PANG

[ID: A dark blue background with the title CRAMPING CHRONICLES: THE SECOND PANG at the top and out now in ebook & paperback just below the title The except reads:

Roe fell into step with us as we made our way to our class, I didn’t even acknowledge Meera trailing behind me. Roe must have realised something was up,  because she asked if I was okay. I wasn’t okay, I was far from okay, so far that it felt like I was in another country from okay. Meera’s pain hit me in the chest, a dull ache that I didn’t think was going to go away any time soon, and it stole my breath.

At the bottom is Joey Paul and just below that the website www.joeypaulonline.com, in the bottom left corner is the Readers' Favorite Review Seal, and in the bottom right corner is the logo for Bug Books. END ID]

 

Working With Revision As A Main

WORKING WITH REVISION AS A MAIN

Last April I finished off my last two drafting projects for a while. I'd wanted to take some time to go back over older projects and rewrite as needed, but also to revise them and get them into better shape. I started with two standalones that were basically the next standalones to be released. I had a way of revising so I knew some of what I'd do, but at the same time it'd been years since I last looked at both projects and I didn't know how long it would take, or what state they'd be in.

Since then I've finished with those first two projects and started on two new ones, also revising and rewriting where needed. These are both the first in trilogies, and both, I knew, needed a lot of work, and a read through by sensitivity readers. I gave myself a whole year to work on them because I had some other revision projects due for release that would cut into my dedicated time.

All that to say, it's now been a year since I switched to mainly revising, and it's opened my eyes to things in a way I didn't see coming. I've always preferred drafting. I still do in a way, but I have to say there's something nice about getting to see, and make, older works shine. I've been able to work out what things I need to focus on pretty quickly, and because I know what happens, vaguely, but enough to work with, in the second books in each series, I can work out how to foreshadow things, and what to lean into and what to remove because it goes nowhere. 

It's been an eye-opener in that regard because I only remembered the bad parts of the drafts. I only remembered that things didn't flow, that the pacing wasn't brilliant. I only remembered that I didn't like this twist and didn't know if it paid off. I didn't remember the way the characters feel real, and I didn't remember the little bits and pieces I'd snuck into the work that ended up being a massive thing. 

It's easy enough when we don't have that distance, and time, away from our work, to think that what we're doing is rubbish, and that you'll never be able to get it into shape for publication, and if you do, people will hate it. It's easy to get caught up in the things that don't work, that sometimes, we forget the things that very much do work. 

While I have more time on these projects now because when drafting I would see a handful of chapters at a time over six months, now I'm reading through the projects at least once every month. That helps me get the bigger picture, it helps me work out what beats of plot I'm hitting and when, and it allows me to see things clearer and therefore enables me to make changes easier. The whole thing has been a learning experience and I'm really glad that I took the time to do it. While I don't think I'll be skipping over revisions again when it's time for the stories to start on the editing train, I do know that they are in a lot better shape than they were, and that's very much a win.

For those wondering, I do plan to go back to drafting next year. I have two ideas that are brewing in the back of my head, and while I will spend my time writing them, I do also want to go back to revision as a main focus again as well. I have a lot of stories that I feel like they could benefit from being looked at without too much of a deadline attached. It's working for me, and that's a great thing!

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments! 

Follow Joey to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books.