Release Day: Nugget the Space Chicken and the Dragon of Ishenor

 

It's release day for Nugget the Space Chicken and the Dragon of Ishenor! 

I had so much fun writing this book and watching my daughter's illustration sketches come to life. Now, here we are in print. Woohoo!

Jasper and Opal’s first mission with their scientist parents is to study the world of Ishenor to see if it could be a home for humans. They travel to the planet’s surface with Nugget, their pet chicken, to collect samples. Everyone has a job to do.

While their parents explore the landscape, Opal gathers plants and Jasper collects rocks. Nugget’s job is to stay out of trouble, but hunting for bugs leads her to a lost baby dragon.

Can Opal, Jasper, and Nugget get the dragon home safely before their parents return, or will they all be grounded forever?

If you'd like a preview, I did a reading of the first chapters on Indie Reads this week. It's available on Spotify and YouTube

 

You can find me and Nugget's book at the Third Coast Author and Book Fest today (March 22) in Grand Haven, MI, along with a hundred and some other authors who are taking over the downtown shops.

New release: Nugget the Space Chicken and the Dragon of Ishenor

March begins the busy times that will continue until September. Deeeeep breath and GO!

The first book in my new Nugget the Space Chicken series releases on March 22. Pre-order links are live on all the usual online locations. Book two is outlined and on my writing schedule for 2025, along with Interface. I9 is currently in the hands on beta readers, and I've been hearing good things. Hooray! I also wrapped up an editing job and the first two chapters of the Sahmara audiobook are in my inbox for approval. #somanyprojects

Nugget the Space Chicken aims to fill the early reader gap in my book catalogue, offering something fun for kids between picture books and full chapter books. Aimed at ages 6-10, this fun sci-fi  series will follow the adventures of Jasper and Opal and their pet chicken, Nugget as they explore new worlds with their parents. 

Jasper and Opal’s first mission with their scientist parents is to study the world of Ishenor to see if it could be a home for humans. They travel to the planet’s surface with Nugget, their pet chicken, to collect samples. Everyone has a job to do.

While their parents explore the landscape, Opal gathers plants and Jasper collects rocks. Nugget’s job is to stay out of trouble, but hunting for bugs leads her to a lost baby dragon.

Can Opal, Jasper, and Nugget get the dragon home safely before their parents return, or will they all be grounded forever?

Amazon / B&N / etc. and also signed copies direct from me on that handy tab above

If you're not familiar with 

the Insecure Writers Support 

Group, check it out here 

and find links to all the other 

participating writers.

This month's ISWG Question is: If you could be anyone or anything in the world, what would it be?

I'm pretty happy with being me so other than the improvement of being me with enough $ that I don't have to worry about bills being paid every month, I'm good as is. If you'd like to help the improvement come to fruition, links to all my books are over there <-- 

Last month was my return to book signing events after the holiday hiatus. Our Michigan Author gang had a good time at the Mid-Michigan Women's Expo. 

After three long days of pitching books, most of us 
still managed to smile.

I also did a small comic con and a tiny library event with Laya.

Hanging out at my booth at the Women's Expo

Last weekend was the Mona Shores Comic Con, another small local high school event, but with lots of author and vendor friends. Next weekend, I'll be driving to Toledo, Ohio for Fantasticon, then staying closer to to home in Grand Haven, for the Third Cost Book Event, and finally, venturing over to Alma, MI for Alma Con. Busy busy!

We're Off and Running!

Last weekend was my first comic con of the year. A small show but perfect for getting back into the swing of things after the holiday break. It was fun getting the con vendor gang back together and meeting new readers. 

This weekend I'll be remembering how to do three day events again at the Mid-Michigan Women's Expo. Our author alley will feature eighteen Michigan authors (who will likely be chugging a lot of caffeinated beverages). Books are stocked and my event gear is ready to roll.

In writing news...

Nugget the Space Chicken and the Dragon of Ishenor is ready for ARC readers. If you're interested in a review copy of this early reader chapter book aimed at ages 5-9, there's a sign up form here.

I9 is out with beta readers while I ponder cover art. The blurb is done. It's looking like a May-June release.

In non-writing news...

We've been attending small concerts almost weekly. Lots of great music! Including blasts from the past Big Head Todd and the Monsters and an excellent ABBA tribute band. 

The exchange students are halfway through their USA adventure and are doing well, enjoying snow days off of school, and doing their favorite thing: taking naps and reading books. Two things I can get behind.

Which brings us to...

This month's Insecure Writer's Support Group question:

Is there a story or book you've written that you wish you could go back and change?

If you're not familiar with 

the Insecure Writers Support 

Group, check it out here 

and find links to all the other 

participating writers.

Change as far as go back and entirely rewrite? No. 

That said, I do go back and read my published books every couple of years for two reasons. 

One: Because I wrote a story I wanted to read. 

Two: To fix little things that I now see with my more experienced eyeballs. So, no, not rewriting, but tweaking here and there. Not changing the content or story, but more the mechanics behind it. Smoothing out a sentence, inserting a better verb, or fixing formatting errors or ninja typos.

Thankfully, my books are all printed POD so I don't have to sell off a couple hundred copies before new readers get the most polished version of my books. If you pick up a copy with a current 'Also by' page, it's likely the newest edition of that book. 

I don't publish and forget it. These are my book children and even through they're grown up now, I nag them get a hair cut now and then and I still buy them new socks for Christmas.

2025 Goals

If you're not familiar with 

the Insecure Writers Support 

Group, check it out here 

and find links to all the 

other participating writers.

Welcome to the first Insecure Writer's Support Group post of 2025 (AKA my incentive to write a monthly post - and yes, I'm posting early. Look at me go.). I'm bypassing the optional question this month in favor of a quick chat about goals. Every January I update my new goals and check in on the old ones to see how I did. Goals are what keeps us going. Well, that and breathing.

Let's see what was on the agenda for 2024 and how I did.

New books I hope you'll see in 2024:

Frayed - out with ARC readers RELEASED!

One Shot At The Sphinx - in the last round of edits RELEASED!

Laya's Vacation - waiting for illustrations RELEASED!

Projects I hope to get to or wrap up in 2024:

Godmother - currently just notes I did start this one. So yay? Is it wrapped up? Nooooooo

i9 - first draft in progress First draft complete! Hooray!

Interface - first draft in progress Ooooooh, yeah, so uhh..... FAIL. AGAIN. Sorry, Interface. 

On the bonus side, I did write Nugget the Space Chicken, which wasn't even on my list (currently out for edits and a reading by my target audience). Woohoo!

Other goals for 2024:

As always, I'm hoping to read more. I have so many books on my TBR stacks and on my kindle.  I did get at least one if not three books read a month, so I'll call this a win. Did I also add to my TBR stacks so I looks like I accomplished nothing? Yep.

I'd like to get out in my flower garden more. We'll see if my body cooperates. I did return to the flower garden and cleaned out / replanted several large sections, redid my stone stairway, AND built a large raised vegetable garden out of five pallets full of very heavy blocks. #muscle  

Maybe work a little less. Yes, I'm laughing at that one while looking at my 2024 events over there on the right, but we're back to that hope thing. On paper, I did work less. A little. I only did one book event Sept - Dec so yay me. The down time would have been fantastic had I not also taken on two exchange students in Sept for the rest of the school year. Are they fun kids? Yep. Are we having a good time? Yep. Am I relaxing? Umm Nope.

Which brings us to... Goals for 2025:

Publish Nugget the Space Chicken

Publish I9

Finish writing Godmother

Finish writing Interface (Shaking my head at this one. Poor Interface)

Successfully juggle enough book stock for all those events ---> 

Read two books a month

Keep working on the overgrown flower garden

Did you have a good year? Do you have goals for the year ahead?

Plowing through December

November's writing month was a success! While I'd hoped to get to more than one project, I did at least manage to finish i9. 66,951 words spewed from my head to the the keyboard.  The rough draft of i9 clocked in at 117K. There are definitely some spots than need fleshing out so I'm guessing that will increase a bit but we'll see how the edits shake out when I get that far.

I had a goal of at least 1K a day. Other than the one day 
I was gone at a comic con for long hours, I was able to at
least touch my WIP every day. Yay!

So what's next on the agenda? Editing? Nope. That story needs to rest for a bit. More writing! Those other two projects aren't going to write themselves. Sadly.

While I take a day to ponder which project I'll be diving into next, let's get to this month's Insecure Writer's Support Group question.

If you're not familiar with 

the Insecure Writers Support 

Group, check it out here 

and find links to all the other participating writers.

Do you write cliffhangers? Are they a turn off for you as a reader?

As a writer, I endeavor not to write cliff hangers. The book needs to end. Does the main conflict need to be resolved? Yes. Do the characters need to have meaningful growth? Yes. Can there be a few unresolved tidbits floating around to tease the next book? Yes, that is acceptable.

Would I ever end a book with: to be continued? I have strong words on that topic so we'll leave it at a HARD NO (see the toned down version below).

As a reader, if I invest time and energy into a book at it ends with any version of 'tune in next time to find out', that book is flying at a high velocity into the nearest wall and I will not read that author again. For the love of all that's holy, end the damned book! If an author cannot end a book,  my faith is lost in this little contractual thing we have going on. I purchased a book. I did not purchase a book with the unwitting obligation to by two to twelve other books to find out how it all ends. There need to be 'endings for now' along the way. If the author can show me a gratifying end to a book one and I enjoyed book one, I will likely give book two a try. Leave the choice to continue in the reader's hands.