S.J. Pajonas's Blog, page 31
September 24, 2021
SUMMON THE STARS Is Now Available!
I'm excited to announce that my first co-edited anthology with Carysa Locke, SUMMON THE STARS, is now available! I'm sure most of you pre-ordered it, but in case you were waiting for release day, NOW IS THE TIME!
I love this anthology. It has five great stories, perfect for getting to know the authors and their work. I wrote AN UNFORGIVING DESERT especially for this anthology and I can't wait for you to read it and get to know Skylar and Kalvin.
This is only the beginning for SUMMON THE STARS! We're soft-launching this anthology, but I expect it to grow each year as we add another volume to our list of offerings. I want to thank all the authors who participated in our debut launch! We couldn't have done this without Libby Doyle, Erin Hayes, and Christina Westcott and their awesome stories.
Summon the Stars is a thrilling space opera anthology dedicated to badass heroines on action packed science fiction adventures, and the scoundrels—that is, heroes—who love them.
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A ship hijacked. An arrogant and handsome classmate. A relentless desert.
Skylar Kawabata is so close to having her Class Three pilot’s license, she can taste it. She’s worked two years in isolation to get to the final exam, and nothing is going to stop her now, not even Kalvin, the class pretty boy high flyer who can’t stop calling her Princess. She’s going to kill him if he calls her that one more time…
When their class ship is hijacked during the final exam, and Skylar and Kalvin are marooned in the desert, they’ll need more than patience and a supply of water to stay alive until rescue comes.
Will Skylar and Kalvin make it out of the unforgiving desert in one piece? Or will they kill each other before the desert kills them?
The post SUMMON THE STARS Is Now Available! appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
September 23, 2021
The Astrology of AN UNFORGIVING DESERT
If you've been with me for a while now, you know that I love astrology. I consider myself an amateur astrologer, and I spend a lot of time understanding the signs and their traits. Don't worry. You don't need to burst my bubble that it's all hocus pocus and untrue. It's FUN, and that's what matters to me. It helps me bring clarity not only to real life, but also to my characters! And once you get birth charts involved, astrology takes on a real depth.
For AN UNFORGIVING DESERT, I had two characters that I had to develop with astrology: Skylar Kawabata, whom you know from the Flyght Series, and Kalvin, a pretty boy high-flyer flight school student Skylar is stuck with. How do the stars relate to these two characters?
Skylar KawabataSkylar is the heroine of the Amagi Series. She's strong, feisty, determined, and confident. She is an Aries, through and through. She knows what she wants, and she goes out and gets it. Sometimes her temper gets the better of her, but she's been learning to control it, I swear. She has mega energy, always ready to conquer something new and exciting. But she also has her faults. She lacks tact and diplomacy, and she will tell small lies in order to get away with things. She's impulsive and often speaks before she thinks. She's good with money, but she spends it like water on autocabs and sexbots.
A sun sign is not the end-all be-all of a person though. Skylar's moon is in Pisces, and this tends to calm her down a bit. With her moon in Pisces, she's an optimist and a dreamer. She's also a romantic, though she's had no luck in that category. She's extraordinarily gifted with an almost psychic vision, and she sees more in the universe than others do. She works tirelessly and unselfishly for others, though this has led to a childhood of disappointments at the hands of an authority figure who took advantage of her. She wants to be swept away by wild passion, but that's hard to come by.
Skylar's rising sign is in Leo, and this leads to her big-hearted and kind outward appearance. She is often puzzled by the meanness of others, and so she puts on a “princess” air and sticks her nose in the air. As a Leo-Rising, she's blessed with good luck in money, career, and friendship, and we see that throughout the series. She has a fun sense of humor, and it often comes off as sarcasm and a rapier wit.
From AN UNEXPECTED DEBT (Book 1 of the Amagi Series)…
“I hope Marcelo prepared you for the Skylar Vortex,” Lia says.
I drop my eyes and hold back a chuckle. That’s what Vivian calls my effect on people. I whirl in, charm them, wow them, and leave them in a pile of confusion when I’m done. Maybe that’s not the best selling point for men because Saif seems to pale.
Can’t be helped.
I love the fact that she knows she's trouble, and still keeps going anyway.
Kalvin VidalKalvin is Skylar's love interest in AN UNFORGIVING DESERT. Though they start out the story on opposite sides, they quickly learn to trust each other once they're stranded in the desert together. Kalvin is a Leo, and his super ego is always on display. He's not good at sharing the center stage with Skylar. He's self-assured and the ruler of his kingdom. He knows how to get attention and keep it. He thinks everything is for him, whether it's the best of the best or not. His public image is extremely important to him. But despite all of this hubris, he is generous and open-hearted once you get to know him. He forgives easily and never holds a grudge for long. He does get bored easily and shifts from job to job. This is how he meets Skylar in the first place. Flight school is only a hop, skip, and a jump on the path to greatness.
Kalvin's magnanimous personality is softened by his moon being in Taurus. When a moon is in Taurus, it brings stability and strength to an otherwise chaotic Leo sun sign. He does not form opinions quickly. In fact, his opinion of Skylar was formed over many months of listening to his previous boss complain about Skylar. Once he makes a course, he is unlikely to deviate from it. The moon in Taurus makes him resourceful and patient, excellent qualities for a pilot. When it comes to love, he wants to settle down with one woman and sharing her is an issue. Too bad he'll have to learn this one the hard way!
With his rising sign in Libra, Kalvin gives off the impression of natural grace and charm. He is the pretty boy, high-flyer, hot-shot pilot, after all! He loves to travel and meet new people, another plus for being a pilot. He's refined with great taste in aged whisky (yes, that's a plot point), but he can be aloof and hard to figure out. This is something that drives Skylar a little mad throughout the story! Deep down, he is afraid of taking risks and he waffles a lot. But ultimately, his Leo sun sign takes over here and propels him along a path to greatness.
Now that you have a good basis of understanding for these characters, I hope that you'll enjoy AN UNFORGIVING DESERT, featured in SUMMON THE STARS! Don't forget to purchase it today!
A ship hijacked. An arrogant and handsome classmate. A relentless desert.
Skylar Kawabata is so close to having her Class Three pilot’s license, she can taste it. She’s worked two years in isolation to get to the final exam, and nothing is going to stop her now, not even Kalvin, the class pretty boy high flyer who can’t stop calling her Princess. She’s going to kill him if he calls her that one more time…
When their class ship is hijacked during the final exam, and Skylar and Kalvin are marooned in the desert, they’ll need more than patience and a supply of water to stay alive until rescue comes.
Will Skylar and Kalvin make it out of the unforgiving desert in one piece? Or will they kill each other before the desert kills them?
SUMMON THE STARS will be available tomorrow, September 24, but you can order it today! Be sure to pick it up and start off this brand-new series with a bang.
The post The Astrology of AN UNFORGIVING DESERT appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
September 22, 2021
The Music of Pets in Space 6
The Pets in Space pets are dancing in excitement—only two short weeks until Pets in Space 6! And to keep your toes tapping along, the authors have come up with an exclusive treat for you: The official Pets in Space 6 playlist!
Don't forget to pre-order this anthology! You don't want to miss all the great Pets in Space stories!
SURI'S SURE THING
In this best-friends-to-lover romance, workaholic Suri would rather be in space than deal with her ex-boyfriend. Will she be able to leave him behind and find love with her best friend instead?
S. J. Pajonas: I chose Hard to Say Goodbye by Washed Out as it’s one of my favorite bands. In the story, heroine Suri is certain she’s going to have to say goodbye to everyone she loves.
YouTube: https://youtu.be/J_-hPst4zIg
THE THUNDER EGG
Can a freighter captain and an academic outwit their pursuers and get a little alien foundling back where she belongs?
Greta van der Rol: I liked heavy metal in my youth 
. Thunderstruck by AC/DC seems like a good match.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhg9bYNLvOg
WORLDS OF FIRE: METAMORPHOSIS
When an alchemy student is deceived into using her transmutation skills to assist a smuggling ring, will her gargoyle shifter mentor help her expose the criminals or turn her in?
Deborah A. Bailey: Wings by Mozez expresses the stomach-fluttering hope of falling in love.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6wqPsa09Tg
TRADE SECRETS
She wanted to learn about aliens—and ended up uncovering their secrets!
Cassandra Chandler: The whimsical, wistful Life is Wonderful by Jason Mraz.
YouTube: https://youtu.be/1XeT1ErsQ5g
ESCAPING KORTH
An alien interrogator recognizes the human prisoner as his fated mate, leading to danger for both of them.
Kyndra Hatch: Nothing Else Matters by Metallica.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7bIbVlIqEc
SEE HOW THEY RUN
Love blossoms in space, but can it survive being dragged back down to ground?
JC Hay: The love theme for my story is Nothing Else Matters by The Glitch Mob.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LtQJHmW-lc
THE CYBORG WITH NO NAME
Can a rogue robotic horse and a misfit mechanical dog protect a wounded cyborg and a lonely scientist from a vicious new enemy?
Honey Phillips: The Ballad of Serenity by Joss Whedon and Sonny Rhodes, as performed by niconicovox. Firefly was definitely part of my inspiration for this series with the combination of technology and a Western feel.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFe507uW3D4
STAR CRUISE: TIME LOOP
Reliving the same terrible day, Raelyn and her pet are in a race to save the interstellar cruise ship…
Veronica Scott: Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time is a great theme song for my story.
YouTube: https://youtu.be/VdQY7BusJNU
STRANDED ON GRZBT
Can a resourceful human trust the alien determined to help her and her companions?
Melisse Aires: I love this acoustic remake of Take On Me by a-ha, full of longing and uncertainty.
YouTube: https://youtu.be/-xKM3mGt2pE
ESCAPE FROM NOVA NINE
She's a space pirate with vital information. He's a wanted fugitive with enemies hot on his afterburner. Will their unexpected attraction survive escaping a dangerous asteroid mine in time to avert a war?
Carol Van Natta: The Queen/David Bowie classic, Under Pressure, as performed by Queen and Adam Lambert. This is for Julke and Zade, who must pull off an impossible escape.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRgMzHrbNAg
To make it easy for you to go on a musical ride through the galaxy, we've posted the complete play list for you on the Pets in Space Books YouTube channel.
Pets in Space 6 Authors' Playlist
The post The Music of Pets in Space 6 appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
September 19, 2021
Sunday Update – September 19, 2021
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.
It's my 17th wedding anniversary today! We're not doing much to celebrate except to go out for dinner at our favorite local Italian restaurant.
I'm just glad I'm not sick. I had a week of terribly broken sleep. I kept waking up at 4am and tossing and turning all night. Then Lulu went through a few nights where she wanted to play at 1am. She was barking and crying from her crate, so I had to get up and tell her to chill and be quiet so we could sleep. That made it hard for me too. THEN, one of our smoke alarms decided to do the low-battery beep in the middle of the night, too! It was like everything was conspiring for me to get NO SLEEP. Yesterday (Saturday), I woke up with a congested head. Even taking meds didn't help it. By the time dinner rolled around, I knew I had to go to bed early and get sleep or I would be sick. So I went to bed at 9:30pm and slept till 7am this morning. It wasn't straight through, but it was a lot of sleep. More than I usually get. I feel much better today and my head congestion is gone.
Otherwise, the week went normally now that the kids are back in school. They had Thursday off for Yom Kippur, but they were in school every day besides. So far so good. We haven't heard of any covid cases at school, and everyone seems to be healthy for the time being.
I started reading CRASH LAND ON KURAI on Instagram and that's going well too. My first one was hard for me. I was really nervous. But the second one was easier. My third reading is recorded and will go on Instagram on Tuesday. I record Monday, Wednesday, Friday, but post them on Tuesday and Thursday. This way I have a few extra queued up in case I get delayed.
I got my major pass of copyedit revisions done on AN UNEXPECTED DEBT! And I have started my last-pass proofread. I'm sure I'll be done before Wednesday, and then I can send it to my last proofreader and to my ARC team. Then I can start writing Book 2.
I spent a lot of time at my desk this week working on edits and reading CRASH LAND ON KURAI for you!
When I had some downtime, I got some reading done. With Lulu. Of course.
Lulu was a big part of my week. She loves popcorn and pizza crusts. And lying beside me while I'm on the couch.
Spent some time just sitting outside while the weather is still nice.
We got apples and shishito peppers from the CSA. Both were super tasty!
Lunch outside!
Crazy hair on the Peloton. I'll be hitting 400 rides tomorrow!!
I made peach jam on Friday to get rid of the 4lbs of peaches I had from the CSA. It set up nice, too. I'm drinking my martini here with the canning pot going in the background.
This week I made a few Reels on Instagram…
This one is all about the world of REMOVED.
And finally, an excerpt from AN UNEXPECTED DEBT!
Have a great week everyone! Stay safe and healthy.
The post Sunday Update – September 19, 2021 appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
September 15, 2021
I’m Reading CRASH LAND ON KURAI On Instagram
I won't post about this every time I update Instagram with some new chapters, but yes for the first one! I am recording myself reading from CRASH LAND ON KURAI and I'm uploading them to Instagram (IGTV). So far, the first one is about 26 minutes long and I suspect the rest will be about the same length. Why don't you pop on over and give it a listen? If you haven't read this book yet, you can download it for free and read along with me!
If you enjoy my free books, consider supporting me on Ko-Fi! You can either buy me a coffee or join my membership tiers to get other exclusive custom content.
The post I’m Reading CRASH LAND ON KURAI On Instagram appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
September 13, 2021
My 8 Year Anniversary As A Published Author
Approximately 8 years ago today, I became a published author with the release of REMOVED, the first book of the Nogiku Series. I remember it being quite the ride. Even though I had prepped for months, I still managed to screw up the paperback and I wasn’t ready for the deluge of tasks ahead of me. Still, I got it done! And my first few years of being an author were full of excitement and promise of a prosperous career to come.
And I have prospered in a lot of ways. I gained a lot of good friends and readers along the way. I’ve learned about drafting, crafting, and revising stories and I’ve become a better storyteller. After trying three genres, I figured out where I love to write the best. I’ve now published over 25 books, and I’m super proud of them all.
But there have been many downs too. I have struggled with decisions about going wide with my books instead of using Kindle Unlimited. I opened a direct store, closed it, and opened a new one. I had a traditional newsletter and then killed it. I have gone to battle against Amazon's stupid rules and been kicked off Pinterest for “spamming.” I've lost thousands of dollars in ads. I have never “made a living” at this. Most months STILL, 8 years and 25+ books in, I don't even make $100. The last anniversary post I wrote was 3 years ago, and nothing much has changed since then. (Feel free to read it, but it is brutally honest.)
As I come into the last 2 years before I hit a decade in publishing, I’m going to change a few things about my career and how I want to move forward. Starting today, I’m moving into a hybrid model of publishing that’s part sales-income from my newer books, audiobooks, and paperbacks, and part donations. After 8 years, I have realized that I do this because I love writing books and I want people to read them. This is not so much a career but a super passionate hobby, and I want more people reading! So I will be shifting my oldest backlist to free books with a suggested donation. Expect this change to happen before Christmas.
Instead of using Patreon, I have decided to use Ko-Fi to manage my donations and membership tiers. They’re a little more flexible and they don’t take fees from customers. Right now, there are only two tiers of membership, Red and Orange levels, plus you can just buy me a cup of coffee. I plan to add more tiers as time goes on, and I also plan to do more bonus content there. I am setting aside ideas all the time for it! If you’d like to buy me a coffee or become a donation member head on over and check it out.
Learning to be flexibleWhen it comes to being an independent author, you have to be flexible. You need to watch the market and make long-term decisions. You need to diversify and be consistent. You need to market and advertise and understand that things that work for one author do not always work for other authors. I have tried a million things over the last 8 years to make this career work, and this donation system is something I’ve wanted to try for a long time. This gives me the chance find more readers with my free books and gives them more freedom to support me, if they like. I hope you’ll join me on this new path!
The post My 8 Year Anniversary As A Published Author appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
September 12, 2021
Sunday Update – September 12, 2021
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.
My kids went back to full in-person school this week!! One of two of them are vaxxed and they’re all wearing masks and distancing. Both of them were pretty nervous, but not about Covid, thankfully. They were nervous about normal things like finding their classrooms or their lockers or getting their locks open or how nice their teachers were. It felt good. Really good.
With the kids back in school, I celebrated on the first day by going to the dentist. Lol. No. It was a regular checkup and just happened to fall on the first day. Anyway, all is well with my teeth.
This week was also Labor Day week and we had our last days at the pool. It’s now closed for the season which is always a bummer. But we had a good summer with lots of beautiful days spent there when we could. It was a success in my book.
This week I thought I was going to start writing Skylar’s Book 2. But looking at my calendar I decided it was better for me to get the final work done on AN UNEXPECTED DEBT so I can send it out to my ARC readers. And I also realized that working on two writing projects at once does not work for me. I can’t hold both stories in my head at the same time. So I am speeding through revisions at a fast clip and getting them done so I can move on.
Over on Instagram, I asked people what time of day do they read? I'm mostly a night reader.
Got a lot of work done this week on my Amazon Ads School, my Instagram marketing course, and edits/revisions. Every day this week I had planned on writing and I just couldn't. The edits/revisions are taking up too much headspace. So I just need to get those done so I can start writing again.
Last days at the pool…
Plenty of time spent in the saddle on my Peloton. I tried a 30-minute Climb Ride this week and I really loved it. IT WAS HARD, but fun. What the heck is wrong with me? Lol.
Lulu is doing well. Her eyes are all cleared up and she's eating her new food. We bathed her with her new anti-itch shampoo and she was “naked” (without her collar) and running around. It was super cute.
Deer in the front yard.
IGTV Alert! I'll be recording myself reading from CRASH LAND ON KURAI and uploading the videos to Instagram every Tuesday and Thursday. I plan to read and also talk about creative decisions I made along the way.
I made two Reels this week, including this one showing off my knitting.
And this one shows off books in your TBR.
Have a great week everyone! Stay safe and healthy.
The post Sunday Update – September 12, 2021 appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
September 10, 2021
AN UNEXPECTED DEBT Exclusive Excerpt and Final Blurb!
SURPRISE! My blurb for AN UNEXPECTED DEBT came early! I didn't think I'd get it until late September, so this was a pleasant surprise in my inbox today. So I'm going to share an (unedited) excerpt from the book and the blurb here today. Happy Friday!
I chose this particular excerpt from AN UNEXPECTED DEBT for a few reasons. In this excerpt, you see that Skylar is still close with Vivian and her network, but she's been hiding something from everyone her entire life, and it's making her feel isolated. Plus, you get a chance to hear about Skylar's first consort through Marcelo's dossier. Take a peek!
“So, this is who I have picked out for you,” Marcelo says, sitting next to me and handing me his datapad. He could just share the profile with me via my wristlet, but this way, everyone can lean over and read at the same time as me. Vivian leans over the couch’s arm and Jinzo and Gus peer over the top of my head. I reach back and squeeze Ilaria’s foot before I pay attention.
“I’m not sharing names or occupations of any of your men until you meet them in person. I don’t want anything coloring your first impressions except what I have researched and they’ve provided.”
I scan my eyes down the document before I get started.
“Comes from a prominent Rio family. He’s a second son, and he’s active in the family business,” I say, nodding my head. All good things. “The family business has a presence throughout the Duo Systems, on all the major planets.”
Hmmm, that must mean they trade in some kind of goods.
“That’s good,” Vivian says. She reaches out to scroll on the datapad, and I smack her hand away. “Ow.” She laughs.
“Blah blah blah. He works out. He’s creative. He has his own money, too, not just what the family provides.”
“That’s important,” Jinzo says, shifting Ilaria to his other arm. “You’ll want someone who can either invest in your business or invest in the family. If he can’t do either, then it becomes a problem.” Jinzo nods to Gus, and Gus nods as well.
He’s not wrong about that. Miguel is the only man who came into my mom’s network with his own money. My father was fairly poor and did the bare minimum for the family until he ‘retired.’ The rest? Dominic works for my mom, but it’s such an easy job, he might as well be bumming off of her. Communications Director means he answers calls and screens everything Mom has to deal with. A teenager could do that. Juan would have raised Cameron and Nolan if Dominic hadn’t convinced him that I would do it instead.
I clear my throat. “He’s looking for someone independent and skilled at their own job. Someone with strength and a will to get things done. That’s very me.”
I scroll down the dossier some more until I see the words I was looking for.
“Negatives. Should not be a pushover. Doesn’t let other people take advantage of her. ‘This is important because his family business must be protected at all costs.’” I look up at Marcelo, and he doesn’t seem perturbed by this.
“All in all, a pretty good fit, wouldn’t you say?” he asks.
I try to swallow through my dry throat as I scroll up and down the dossier. I believe I even meet the physical criteria for this man as well. I’m not too tall, I have curves, and I take good care of myself. Hell, I just survived being marooned in the desert, so obviously, I’m doing okay.
But the negatives? Doesn’t let other people take advantage of her? I’ve never admitted it out loud to anyone — not to Marcelo, not to Vivian, not even to my own mother — but that’s been my entire life. My heart beats at double speed in my chest, and my fingers shake.
“Yeah, a great fit,” I respond, my voice cracking a bit.
Yeah, Skylar has a lot of work to do in this series!
Hijacked dreams and a high-stakes gamble. Can a young woman secure suitors while trying to soar among the stars?
Skylar Kawabata has her future mapped out. Frustrated by years of misuse from her family, she’s got her Class Three pilot license firmly in hand and plans to take over her mother’s interstellar shipping business. But when she discovers it’s been sold right out from under her to a handsome but infuriating man, the outraged ex-heiress vows to make him pay.
Already struggling to feel worthy enough to attract top-notch men to build her relationship network, Skylar’s fight for her inheritance turns into a heart-stopping power play. But she’s up against long odds from a love-match setup with an old crush, an impulsive bet with the man controlling her legacy, and one of her many dads becoming a dangerous threat…
Can Skylar navigate to the destiny she desires, or will she get knocked off-course?
AN UNEXPECTED DEBT is the first book in The Amagi science fiction romance series. If you like mouthy heroines, an array of delicious men, and amazing world-building, then you’ll adore S. J. Pajonas’ action-packed adventure.
Available November 5, 2021!
Don't forget to pre-order this one! You don't want to miss this story!
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September 5, 2021
Sunday Update – September 5, 2021
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.
WHAT A WEEK.
My youngest was sick the previous week with a cold that lasted for almost 10 days. Then my husband caught the same cold and he was sick all week.
Then Wednesday got crazy. I took my oldest daughter into my hair and spa place to get her a facial. She struggles with acne so I thought this would be good before school. But it ran a little long and I had an appointment after way out at the Apple Store at the mall. My AirPod Pros have been acting up and crackling for months, and I needed to finally take care of it. I had to rush my daughter home then rush out to the mall to make it to my appointment on time. As usual, Apple is awesome and replaced my AirPods free of charge. It was raining and awful when I got out and I couldn’t find my car in the vast parking lot. Always fun.
Then the rain really started as the remnants of Hurricane Ida blew through. People, I have not seen that kind of rain in a long time. It was Hurricane Sandy levels of rain, and we just had Hurricane Henri blow through like 2 weeks ago. Our basement was dry until after dinner when the rain just started seeping in through every seam of the foundation. We tried to abate it. But eventually we just let the river flow through the basement and out the garage door. Thankfully the floor is pitched to send water out of the house via the garage. We just had to set things up so that it would miss important things like the washer, dryer, and Peloton.
Thursday, I spent the whole morning cleaning up the mess. The dehumidifier has been running down there for days and it’s mostly dry now. My husband was wrecked from all the clean up work and not feeling well, and he went to bed at 6pm (no dinner) and slept 13 hours.
Friday wasn’t any better. Lulu wasn’t feeling well again. She hadn’t eaten in over a day and something was up with her ear or face because she was always itching it. My husband brought her into the vet because I was too busy with other stuff. She had a double eye infection, and we needed to change her food because it was causing an allergic reaction. Yay. Now she needs eye ointment every day and new food and pills like 4 times per day. Poor thing. But she's already improving.
We also got a notice that our town water was contaminated and we need to figure out what should be done about that.
On a positive note, I did get my hair cut. That was nice.
I have no work news to report. I was going to start writing a new book this week but with everything that happened? No. I’m just lucky to be here. I did manage to get the paperback for LOST FLYGHT loaded up to Ingram Spark. Now I'm waiting on them to approve it. I hope to start writing Amagi Book 2 this coming week, but with the kids going back to school it’s bound to be rough.
It's been a crappy pandemic year BUT my husband's garden has been out of control awesome with lots of tomatoes and cucumbers and peppers.
National Gray Hair Day was this week, so I posted in honor of it.
When my husband was in bed for the evening, I knit and watched Amazon Ad School videos with some Truly.
Lulu loves to cuddle.
I treated myself to an all Leanne Hainsby day on Monday on Peloton. She's my favorite non-Power Zone instructor so I take her classes in between Power Zone Pack Challenges.
There's been a ton of construction noise around here as the next street over gets ripped up.
I took the kids to the pool all day on Tuesday and Lulu missed me. She snuggled right in close as soon as I got home.
Working on the LOST FLYGHT paperback cover.
My trip to Whole Foods on Friday was a bit stark. They lost power during the Ida rainstorm and had to trash so much food.
A well-deserved Friday martini.
I made a Reel about our basement flooding.
This Reel did really well! With a peek at the world of AN UNEXPECTED DEBT.
Check out this Reel with an excerpt from AN UNFORGIVING DESERT.
When I lost my car in the parking lot. Sigh. I hate when that happens.
And finally, hair cut, before and after!
Have a great week everyone! Stay safe and healthy!
The post Sunday Update – September 5, 2021 appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
September 3, 2021
SUMMON THE STARS Is Now Available For Pre-order!
I'm excited to announce that the SUMMON THE STARS Vol 1 anthology is now available for pre-order! This debut anthology will hopefully be a yearly event featuring science fiction space opera romance novellas from new and established authors. As part of the co-editing team with Carysa Locke, I really enjoyed the process of reading the submissions and choosing stories based on the tone we wanted to set with this anthology. Each of the stories has a great romance but they really show off the world-building and narrative skills of each of the authors. I hope you enjoy all the stories!
But I especially hope you'll enjoy AN UNFORGIVING DESERT, the prequel novella to the Amagi Series! It does have it's own cover, which I'm going to reveal to you right now. You'll see this when the prequel is no longer available in the anthology (next year). I love it! I love all the covers in this series so far. :) I can't wait for you to read this novella and get introduced to Skylar's world.
A ship hijacked. An arrogant and handsome classmate. A relentless desert.
Skylar Kawabata is so close to having her Class Three pilot’s license, she can taste it. She’s worked two years in isolation to get to the final exam, and nothing is going to stop her now, not even Kalvin, the class pretty boy high flyer who can’t stop calling her Princess. She’s going to kill him if he calls her that one more time…
When their class ship is hijacked during the final exam, and Skylar and Kalvin are marooned in the desert, they’ll need more than patience and a supply of water to stay alive until rescue comes.
Will Skylar and Kalvin make it out of the unforgiving desert in one piece? Or will they kill each other before the desert kills them?
SUMMON THE STARS will be available on September 24, but you can pre-order it today! Be sure to pick it up and start off this brand-new series with a bang.
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