S.J. Pajonas's Blog, page 10
April 26, 2024
I Have a New Podcast Out!
I'm excited to let you all know about a new podcast that I've been working on. It's not about fiction or my books, so if that's your jam here, then you may want to skip it. This podcast is about the intersection of AI and publishing, and what that means for authors now and into the future. My co-host, Danica Favorite, and I will be covering a lot of ground here between AI and publishing, with guest hosts and lots of insight into what's going on.
You can find us on most of the podcast apps out there. We're working on getting on iHeartRadio next, so watch for us there in the coming weeks!
Visit us at BraveNewBookshelf.com
Come visit our website for links and episode notes. You can also find us on YouTube at https://youtube.com/@bravenewbookshelf
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April 2, 2024
The Blender’s Bargain Starts Today on Ream!
I'm excited to announce The Appliance Uprising Series launching today on Ream!
The Blender's Bargain is the beginning of my fantasy rom-com adventure series, and I plan to have at least 3 books following these fun and quirky characters on Latara and beyond!
When a cosmic event traps ancient magicians within household appliances, Archie, a compassionate schoolteacher, and kind-hearted and fiercely loyal Garrick find themselves thrust into a quest across the planet Latara. Guided by a gruff magician trapped in a blender and a haughty wizard stuck in a toaster, they must reunite these magical beings on a sacred ground, navigating a treacherous path of trials, romantic entanglements, and an underlying mystery that links their world to a past magical civilization.
Are you subscribed to my Ream yet? Followers will be able to read the first 4 chapters of this series for free, and then the rest will only be available to 
Sakura Tier members.
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April 1, 2024
April 2024 Goals
Everything is going great! Making lots of progress…
What are my April Goals?Start publishing my fantasy rom-com to Ream. I am just finishing up the final touches on the content tonight and the first chapter will go up tomorrow. I'm excited to get this one started! More details about this next week!
Work on setting up a Shopify store. I am setting up a Shopify store for a super secret project that will be my test case before I actually do it for myself. This month, I'd like to get the bones up and online and running.
Write the first half of my Kimura Sisters book. I want to get to at least the 50% mark this month. Totally doable, especially now that I know most of what I'm going to write.
Work on a fine tune model of how I outline. I think I can do this before I start writing the Kimura Sisters book and use it to help me along the way.
Continue my work with Future Fiction Academy. Quarter 2 is going to be a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to teaching my Novel to Screenplay class!
Stick with my workout schedule, Duolingo, reading, knitting, and TV. The usual.
What happened with March's Goals?Finish off A Dangerous Connection on Ream. Done! And it all turned out nicely!
Revise all of my Ream tiers. Done! I have revised my tiers and made them all affordable for everyone. I have also made them easier to maintain.
Start researching selling direct through Shopify. I bought a course, but I haven't been able to get started on it yet.
Start writing the next Kimura Sisters book. I started brainstorming this one! I'm excited by all the possibilities.
Start publishing my new fantasy romance on Ream. This is actually starting tomorrow!
Continue my work with Future Fiction Academy. The Academy is going great. I am really pleased with our progress over the first quarter. I can't wait to teach in Quarter 2!
Work on a fine tune model of how I outline. Did not happen. I would like to develop this for when I start writing the Kimura Sisters book.
Stick with my workout schedule, Duolingo, reading, knitting, and TV. All got done!
That's it for this month! Have a great April everyone!
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March 31, 2024
March 2024 Monthly Update
March was a busy month! There were a lot of days where I would look up and suddenly it was dinner time. I flew through the days, meeting after meeting, chore after chore, task after task until I was so burned out I thought I would melt into a puddle.
In March, I returned from New Orleans and got right back to work. I was interviewed by J. Thorn and he published the interview just a week ago. My oldest child took the SAT for the first time, then she turned 17 and went to Virginia Beach on a school trip. My youngest performed in her middle school musical, Newsies Jr. and they did a great job! The bathroom at the beach house was completed as well.
Spring really started to show its face around here! Allergies flared up, buds burst onto trees, and flowers bloomed all over town. I went on a lot of outdoor walks and tried to stay sane with all the work I've been doing. I did two presentations this month. One for a University of Rochester class where they are learning all about Writing with AI. For the second one, I was the keynote speaker at the California Creative Writer's Conference where I spoke about bringing humanness and craft to using AI.
Unfortunately, my insomnia also returned this month. With the travel and then the time change for Daylight Saving, I stopped sleeping well and it really affected my mood. I was cranky for a lot of this month, and I was barely holding it together.
We're now on Spring Break finally! After working my butt off all month, we're here for the week after Easter. I'm planning on finishing up my writing for the Fantasy Rom-Com that I'm starting to publish this week! And I'm also relaxing and reading as much as I can (even though I accidentally broke my Kindle Oasis. That made me pretty damned sad, but Amazon is going to let me replace it for $40. Love Amazon.)
Goals check-inAll of my goals are proceeding as planned. I'm a little behind on my writing, but April is looking to be the month where I catch up! I'm still not on the bike as much as I wanted to be, but that's okay. I've been active every single day.
What I watched and what I'm readingMy husband and I are watching Shōgun, Tokyo Vice, and Masters of the Air, and I am still watching Alias (I'm almost done with Alias). I've watched Taylor Swift's Eras Tour movie at least 3 times so far. Sometimes I just put it on while I work. I also watched the latest season of Blown Away on Netflix.
I DNFed two books at the 19% mark, which was a bummer. I read and loved A Prayer for the Crown Shy by Becky Chambers, and after the two DNF books, I decided to re-read To Be Taught, If Fortunate. I'm glad I got some reading done this month despite how busy I've been.
The post March 2024 Monthly Update appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
March 2, 2024
March 2024 Goals
We're moving into spring this month! Funny how time flies
What are my March Goals?Finish off A Dangerous Connection on Ream. I'm almost done and I only have the epilogue to go. I hope to write it today and get it up on Ream tomorrow.
Revise all of my Ream tiers. I think I want to revise all of my tiers and offer more to my lower tiers. Now that I've had my tiers running for a few months, and I spoke to other authors at the Future of Publishing Mastermind, I have a good idea of what I'd like to do with them going forward.
Start researching selling direct through Shopify. I think I'll be off Amazon Kindle Unlimited by the end of the year, so fair warning now to everyone, get my books in KU now while you can! I'd like to focus on subscriptions first, direct second, and then other stores after that. But for now, I just need to be reading some tutorials and figuring out how much work it'll be.
Start writing the next Kimura Sisters book. (Carry over from last month) Gotta get writing on this.
Start publishing my new fantasy romance on Ream. Once I have my tiers revised, I'd like to start publishing my fantasy romance on Ream, and I'd like to increase it to 2 chapters per week instead of one.
Continue my work with Future Fiction Academy. We're doing really well and we have big goals for this year! I have a lot to get done.
Work on a fine tune model of how I outline. (Carry over from last month) Since I'm starting writing a new book anyway, I might as well build this fine tune! I have a way that I outline a book, and this fine tune will help me save time in the beginning process of brainstorming.
Stick with my workout schedule, Duolingo, reading, knitting, and TV. The usual here.
What happened with February's Goals?Keep working on my backlog books. I stayed on top of this!
Start writing the next Kimura Sisters book. I did not start on this, but I will this month.
Continue my work with Future Fiction Academy. Yes, this is my main priority so I'm doing a lot for our authors.
Work on a fine tune model of how I outline. Moved this to March.
Go on two trips! My two trips were amazing and I'm so glad I got to go!
Stick with my workout schedule, Duolingo, reading, knitting, and TV. The usual here.
That's it for this month! Have a great March everyone!
The post March 2024 Goals appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
February 2024 Monthly Update
Remember that since I'm no longer doing Sunday Updates, here is your monthly update for February!
As February started, it was cold and we were just trying to get through the doldrums of winter. Renovation on the beach house bathroom continued. It snowed a lot. We celebrated Valentine's Day, and I started painting my nails again. And then we got to go visit my parents in Charleston.
Charleston was a lot of fun! We got to spend time with my family, relax, and eat a lot of great food. I'm really grateful for my wonderful parents for hosting us once again and also for Lulu's amazing dog sitter and extra Mommy who took care of her while we were gone.
We bought a new old car this month! It's a car that came to us through a friend of my parents. We got it for an absolute steal and it will be my oldest daughter's car once she has her license. In the meantime, it now has new license plates, we paid the tax on it, and it's been inspected. It's ready to go!
I was only home for less than a week when I got on a plane to New Orleans for the Future of Publishing Mastermind Conference. Y'all, this conference was great! I really loved the format, and I feel like a lot of authors had breakthroughs about their business or their process here. We all learned a lot and I got a chance to see a city I've never been to before. This whole week was tiring but very magical.
I've started One Second Everyday again! Goals check-inAll of my goals are proceeding as planned. I'm not on the bike as much as I wanted to be, but that's okay. I've been active every single day.
Writing and publishing check-inI did not get enough writing done this month because of all the traveling, but I have been posting to Ream!
What I watched and what I'm readingI listened to all of Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, and I read Destroy the Day by Brigid Kemmerer. I think I'm okay with not reading the next book in the Fourth Wing series as I didn't feel like I connected with the world or the characters. I loved Destroy the Day! Brigid is an amazing writer!
My husband and I sped through all the seasons of C. B. Strike on Max, we finished Reacher, and I am still watching Alias.
The post February 2024 Monthly Update appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
February 14, 2024
Tilli’s Second Chance Is Now Available!
After its run in Pets in Space 8 and being held hostage by Amazon for 5 days, I'm excited to say that Tilli's Second Chance is now available! I really didn't expect Amazon to take so long to publish this book. Sigh. But eventually they let it through with no explanation as to why it was delayed.
This is the third book in the Kimura Sisters Series (not counting Ean's Rare Gift) and it was a joy to write and have it be a part of the whole Pets in Space 8 anthology. If you haven't read this one yet because you were waiting for it to be in Kindle Unlimited, now's your chance to download it and enjoy.
A tarnished reputation. A high-stakes competition. A chance to reclaim a shattered dream…
Tilli Kimura had her dreams of becoming a spaceship designer dashed when she was falsely accused of cheating on the entrance exam for the Interstellar Agency. Now, eight years later, she's given a second chance to prove her worth in a cutthroat spaceship design contest. With her loyal cat, Ivan, by her side and her former classmate, Kaito Nakamura, as her mentor, Tilli dives into the challenge, determined to finally have the future she's been reaching for.
Kaito can't believe his luck when he's paired with Tilli for the spaceship design contest. Back in school, he was always drawn to her intellect and resilience, and then she was gone, expelled because of a stupid rumor. Finally, they're both getting their second chance. And watching her work across the table, sketching and inventing, he's falling for her fast. She might be falling for him, too…
But when history repeats itself, and Tilli is let down once more, her dreams and newfound love are put to the test. With Kaito's steadfast support, Tilli must gather her courage to fight for her future once more.
Can Tilli reclaim her dreams, prove her innocence, and embrace the love she's found with Kaito? Or will her second chance slip through her fingers?
Tilli's Second Chance is a compelling story of redemption, love, and the relentless pursuit of dreams in the Kimura Sisters series of sci-fi romance novellas. Readers who enjoy stories of personal growth, enduring friendships, and unexpected romance will be captivated by Tilli's journey.
Download or Purchase Tilli's Second Chance
The post Tilli’s Second Chance Is Now Available! appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
Tilli’s Second Chance is now available!
After its run in Pets in Space 8 and being held hostage by Amazon for 5 days, I'm excited to say that Tilli's Second Chance is now available! I really didn't expect Amazon to take so long to publish this book. Sigh. But eventually they let it through with no explanation as to why it was delayed.
This is the third book in the Kimura Sisters Series (not counting Ean's Rare Gift) and it was a joy to write and have it be a part of the whole Pets in Space 8 anthology. If you haven't read this one yet because you were waiting for it to be in Kindle Unlimited, now's your chance to download it and enjoy.
A tarnished reputation. A high-stakes competition. A chance to reclaim a shattered dream…
Tilli Kimura had her dreams of becoming a spaceship designer dashed when she was falsely accused of cheating on the entrance exam for the Interstellar Agency. Now, eight years later, she's given a second chance to prove her worth in a cutthroat spaceship design contest. With her loyal cat, Ivan, by her side and her former classmate, Kaito Nakamura, as her mentor, Tilli dives into the challenge, determined to finally have the future she's been reaching for.
Kaito can't believe his luck when he's paired with Tilli for the spaceship design contest. Back in school, he was always drawn to her intellect and resilience, and then she was gone, expelled because of a stupid rumor. Finally, they're both getting their second chance. And watching her work across the table, sketching and inventing, he's falling for her fast. She might be falling for him, too…
But when history repeats itself, and Tilli is let down once more, her dreams and newfound love are put to the test. With Kaito's steadfast support, Tilli must gather her courage to fight for her future once more.
Can Tilli reclaim her dreams, prove her innocence, and embrace the love she's found with Kaito? Or will her second chance slip through her fingers?
Tilli's Second Chance is a compelling story of redemption, love, and the relentless pursuit of dreams in the Kimura Sisters series of sci-fi romance novellas. Readers who enjoy stories of personal growth, enduring friendships, and unexpected romance will be captivated by Tilli's journey.
Download or Purchase Tilli's Second Chance
The post Tilli’s Second Chance is now available! appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
February 1, 2024
February 2024 Goals
One month down in 2024! How are you all doing? Flourishing? Surviving?
What are my February Goals?Keep working on my backlog books. I actually HAVE to do this this month since I'm going to run out of chapters for Ream. Lol. But not many! I banked a lot before the beginning of the year.
Start writing the next Kimura Sisters book. I made a commitment for the next Kimura Sisters book so it's time to get started on it. I already have an idea of the story! So now I just need to start brainstorming and planning.
Continue my work with Future Fiction Academy. We've made some significant changes to the Academy over the last month, and we will be implementing them this month. The FFA is always a work in progress! And I really love what we've done with it.
Work on a fine tune model of how I outline. Since I'm starting writing a new book anyway, I might as well build this fine tune! I have a way that I outline a book, and this fine tune will help me save time in the beginning process of brainstorming.
Go on two trips! I have one trip to see my parents scheduled for the middle of February and then I'll be on a panel at the Future of Publishing Mastermind conference at the end of the month in New Orleans. I've never been to N. O. so I'm looking forward to going!
Stick with my workout schedule, Duolingo, reading, knitting, and TV. The usual here.
What happened with January's Goals?Keep working on my books. I did not do much actual writing this month, but I did edit my chapters of A Dangerous Connection and put them up on Ream!
Post my Amagi Series novella to Ream. As above, yep, I'm actually doing it!
Work on more fine tunes of GPT 3.5. My first fine tune was great, but I haven't had time to make any more.
Stick with the Peloton. Doing good with this! I have been walking and using the bike steadily.
Stick with my new workout schedule, intermittent fasting, and Dry January until close to my birthday. I've given up on intermittent fasting, but I'm enjoying my workout schedule and I did Dry January until my birthday.
Keep going with Duolingo, reading, knitting, and TV. Did all of this!
That's it for this month! Have a great February everyone!
The post February 2024 Goals appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
January 31, 2024
January 2024 Monthly Update
As promised, I'm starting up monthly updates this month since I'm no longer doing Sunday Updates!
As January 2024 rolled in, I found myself embracing a mix of personal and professional endeavors. The year kicked off with a long walk and a series of homey activities, including knitting and watching Alias, setting the tone for a month of balancing work with personal care and relationships. I'm not sure if I achieved that, but I certainly tried! I continued with my weekly zooms with friends, dove into my writing and teaching, and navigated through daily routines like a boss. I even decided to kick off the month with a dry January, which meant no alcohol but plenty of good food. It was a mix of sticking to my daily routines, like getting the kids to school and working out, mixed with some fun, like pizza nights and trying not to cave into my chocolate cravings. I really kept it together the first part of the month!
The middle of the month was a bit of a rollercoaster. My birthday came around, and I tried to keep things upbeat despite a few letdowns, like my husband being out of town and finding out my stories won't make it to the moon due to a project hiccup. I still managed to enjoy some Korean food and treated myself to a year of Britbox as an early gift. I also got new walking shoes, and I love them! It wasn't all smooth sailing, though, with the winter weather causing some chaos and me having to juggle family health issues (both kids got sick), school drama, and keeping up with my writing and teaching gigs. I even broke my dry January for a seafood dinner on my birthday, which was totally worth it. 100%.
Ending the month, things didn't exactly slow down. Significant progress was made on the beach house primary bathroom! It's almost done being converted to a nice modern tiled shower. But between dealing with a sick family (my husband now has a cough, I'm the only one who hasn't been sick) and trying to stay on top of my work, it felt like I was running a marathon. But, despite feeling a bit worn out and craving a break, I made sure to carve out some me-time with Peloton workouts and sumo watching in the evenings. It was a month full of ups and downs, but through it all, I kept pushing forward, trying to balance the craziness of everyday life with my writing and teaching.
I've started One Second Everyday again! Goals check-inWell, I think I'm starting off the year fine with my goals. There are two goals that I'm going to abandon, though.
No to getting my exercise done early. I forgot just how cold it is here in the early morning! So I don't think I'll be doing this goal in the winter. I'm better off switching to early morning exercise in the summer when it gets too hot in the late morning to workout.
No to intermittent fasting. I am just not in the mindset to take this on this year. I have too much else going on.
Otherwise, all of my goals are proceeding as planned.
Writing and publishing check-inI did not get enough writing done this month. We made a big switch at Future Fiction Academy to our schedule and so I worked twice as hard there this month as I thought I would. That meant no writing.
I did start publishing my novella A Dangerous Connection on Ream! If you want to follow along, you can subscribe to the Kintsugi tier and read with others.
What I watched and what I'm readingThis month I read Joanna Penn's Writing the Shadow and I listened to Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses. We also watched Slow Horses and For All Mankind on Apple TV+, Alias on Freevee, Break Point on Netflix, and Reacher on Prime TV. I enjoyed all of it!
Okay, that's it for this month! Tomorrow, it's February's Goals. In the meantime, stay safe and healthy everyone!
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