Anjelica Grace's Blog

We are going to ignore that it's been over a year and a half (at least) since the last time I posted a blog post here. Acknowledging it would be acknowledging how massively I've failed at the one thing you're all here for... writing!

At least I've released books, right?

So much has happened since my last blog, I'm not even sure where to start?

My family has gone through some insanely crazy highs and lows, that all happened outside of the craziness 2020 and Covid brought. One parent has fought for his life, battled stage 4 cancer, and gone into remission. One has moved, started a new job, and is working on being his own happy, bad ass self. And mom, well, she's been trying to be the pillar for me and my step-dad while he's battled... All while fighting her own health battles.

BUT! We've come out of all of this stronger, happier as a family, and cherishing every moment life gives us with complete and utter appreciation.

I'm now the proud author of four full length novels, a short story, and a novella! I was accepted into not one, but two incredible worlds in 2020: The KB Worlds Driven World and the Cocky Hero Club, and I started a new job, grad school, and have figured out what I'm doing with the rest of my life.

In August of 2020, I started working as a behavior therapist for children who have Autism. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be the job that changed everything, but it was. I fell head over heels with the job, and working with the most incredible kiddos on the planet. After about six months, my supervisor said I would make a good BCBA one day, if I chose to go that route. It was the nudge I needed...

I did some serious thinking, evaluating, and comparing things, and realized without any doubts BCBA is exactly what I'm meant to do. So then I started my Grad school application. As of April 1, I'm in a Master's of Science in ABA program, and by this time in 2023, I should be done with school, practicum, and be board certified to practice.

It is truly the most amazing, rewarding job on the planet.

I'm also writing my fifth full length novel, and I'm so excited for this one. On days where school and work, or the Colorado Avalanche, aren't occupying my time, you can find me hard at work trying to get this book written so I can release it this summer.

Fingers crossed that pans out!

I think that's the briefest, readers digest version of the last year and a half (plus) I can give.

I hope if you're reading this, your life has been less eventful... even with Covid.

<3 AG

No, really, where has the time gone? It feels like it was just yesterday that I was getting ready to publish Hold on Tight. And, now, here we are two months later and I'm a published author of two months! It's been a crazy summer of adjusting to being published and trying to keep myself visible in the always changing, and always growing, romance publishing world. I've been doing takeovers and giveaways galore--because putting myself out there, along with my books, is the best way to attract readers not just to one story or one couple, but to me and ultimately everything I write. And, I've been trying to be present and helpful to my mom, who started the year off being told the surgery she had late last year never healed, and that she'd need a second corrective surgery to hopefully have the foot heal again. That happened in late April, but she was on bed rest for 8 weeks after to make sure her foot was given ample time to get better. And even after she was on restricted movement. So, that's kept me--and our family--pretty busy, too. We have had some other family stuff going on, as well. And I've been working on getting things together so that I can get back to school and finally start pushing toward my ultimate career goal. I will start classes again in September! So, as you can see, it's been crazy. Insanely crazy. But I'm published! We are in my favorite season of the year! I'm writing book 2 and I'm at about he halfway point in it now! And things are rolling along. Even if it's a slow and steady pace. On top of all that, Book Bonanza 2019 in Dallas is in two weeks! And so is my birthday! More to look forward to in the busy, full, chaotic first summer as a published author!

No, really, where has the time gone?

It feels like it was just yesterday that I was getting ready to publish Hold on Tight. And, now, here we are two months later and I'm a published author of two months!

It's been a crazy summer of adjusting to being published and trying to keep myself visible in the always changing, and always growing, romance publishing world. I've been doing takeovers and giveaways galore--because putting myself out there, along with my books, is the best way to attract readers not just to one story or one couple, but to me and ultimately everything I write.

And, I've been trying to be present and helpful to my mom, who started the year off being told the surgery she had late last year never healed, and that she'd need a second corrective surgery to hopefully have the foot heal again. That happened in late April, but she was on bed rest for 8 weeks after to make sure her foot was given ample time to get better. And even after she was on restricted movement. So, that's kept me--and our family--pretty busy, too.

We have had some other family stuff going on, as well. And I've been working on getting things together so that I can get back to school and finally start pushing toward my ultimate career goal. I will start classes again in September!

So, as you can see, it's been crazy. Insanely crazy.

But I'm published! We are in my favorite season of the year! I'm writing book 2 and I'm at about he halfway point in it now! And things are rolling along. Even if it's a slow and steady pace.

On top of all that, Book Bonanza 2019 in Dallas is in two weeks! And so is my birthday! More to look forward to in the busy, full, chaotic first summer as a published author!

I hadn't realized the date today, yet. But when I did, it took me back to this very day, 11 years ago, when my great grandma passed away. That day was... Frankly, it's up there with one of the very worst in my life. It was a very, very sudden loss and she lived with us. And we were close. So close. I was even named after her, in part. Though, my parents spelled it wrong. So, if you ever wonder why my name, Anjelica, is spelled with a 'J' and not a 'G', that's the reason. lol Looking back, remembering my grandma, is always so incredible, and sad. I can't remember her without remembering the day we lost her. And it was a pretty traumatic, awful day. Anyway, I miss her something fierce. She was insanely religious, Catholic, and I'm not sure how she would have felt about the books I write. I mean sex and kink aren't typically the devout Catholic thing. lol. But, knowing her, she would be sooooo freaking proud of me. And she would support me, and be my biggest cheerleader, simply because writing brings me so much happiness. And at the end of the day, that's all she ever wanted for me. So, I'm going to go write now. And I'll do so knowing that no matter the topic, she's still supporting and rooting for me, from her place right beside the big man upstairs. Because I know that there is no way she's anywhere else. I miss you Grandma C. And I love you. Always.

Let me say that again--it's cover reveal week! My first "big" reveal as an author. And, let me be honest here--if not a little biased, too--my cover is GORGEOUS! I am so grateful to Mary Ruth of Passion Creations by Mary Ruth for making this for me. I gave her very little detail about what I wanted. I was very general and vague, and she managed to take what little I gave her and turn it into my cover. The colors, the fonts, the way the images all blend together so perfectly, it is just brilliant. I'll work with her always because why wouldn't I?! As for the reveal itself, well, that's been pretty great. I am using Give Me Books to promo my reveal and my release and it's given me a great turnout for blogs willing to share, which has been cool. And the team behind GMB has been phenomenal to work with! I recommend them to everyone wanting to promo their books! The one draw back with reveal, and I don't put this on anyone, or anything that can be controlled, is visibility. Facebook, with their new grand algorithms, makes being seen increasingly hard. Especially when links are shared in posts, too. So I truly am grateful to all the bloggers that have signed on to help promote. The more, the harder it is to hide! My anxiety about releasing and people hating my book still comes and goes. But I have some (a lot!) more TBR adds on Goodreads now, so maybe people are interested enough that they won't hate it. And maybe it's because they really want that Amazon GC offered up in the giveaway. lol. I'm 30 days away from release. I'm ready to send my second pass to my editor. And ARCs will be going out in the next couple of weeks. This is all so real. And with every day that passes by, I get a little more excited and a little more anxious for what's to come.

Something that I see come up a lot when it comes to starting out an author career, and keeping it going even after you've published many books, is that you should establish who you are and let readers get to know you. Often times, I see people saying you should define your brand. Your theme. Your niche. I don't have any of those. I won't stick to one lane with my writing. Sometimes my stories will be contemporary, sweet series. Sometimes they'll be serious, or down and dirty standalones. Sometimes they'll be sports, others men in uniform, and right now, it's cowboys. I'll write what comes to me, and it may be all over the place, just like the stories I enjoy reading are. So my brand, my theme, my niche...whatever you want to call it, won't be just one thing. It'll be me, Anjelica. I'll share as much as I can about as much as I can in my life. Some stuff maybe readers will relate to. Others, maybe not. But what better way to create an identity your readers get to know you b than to use your actual life, loves, likes, dislikes, flaws, insecurities, and everything in between? So let's start with a few basics for me. Purple is my favorite color. You may have guessed this already, everything I put out has at least a little purple in it. I hate odd numbers--it's like an obsession, or perhaps a compulsion for me that things have to be done evenly. I only make one exception to this...well, two (see what I did there?). I am okay with a single something, or the number one. I am also okay with sevens. We will chalk that up to David Beckham. Speaking of, I grew up playing soccer. Soccer and school were all I knew in my childhood. I had big dreams with both. I played it competitively, traveling and playing on top teams, until I was eighteen years old. Speaking of eighteen, that is my absolute favorite number. Always has been. Always will be. And yes, it is also an even number. Probably not a coincidence. I'm a firm believer in trying to end the stigma surrounding mental health. Anxiety and depression (and other stigmatized diseases) are neither a joke nor something to take lightly or make fun of. And it's my own battle with them that has really opened my eyes to the truth of what it's like to suffer from them. Speaking of mental afflictions, I also have an interest and fascination with psychology--especially Myers-Briggs Personality tests and labels. I am an INFJ. And I don't think there is any gray area inside its parameters that could maybe have me in another . When I found out my MBTI label, I found me. Sorta. I'm still very much a work in progress. And I will likely be one for a very long time. And while I am a work in progress, one that has more insecurities and fears than I'd care to admit, I will always be certain about one thing... If you are someone I care for and love, I will always be in your corner. I will support you endlessly. I will love you unconditionally. And I will do everything I can to always be there, regardless of what I'm going through. So... yeah... There is the start of my brand. Being open and honest with anyone that wants to know me, and for anyone that takes the time to read my words.

This all seems so surreal still. Writing a book. People reading it. Preparing to publish. It's such a whirlwind of activities and feelings. My grandparents ask constantly how things are going, and if I'm excited. And I am. Man, I really am. But I'm still terrified, too. Even after the feedback my team of Beta readers. I was so lucky to have five amazing women read my first, unedited draft and see past the grammatical errors to focus on my story. The first five people, in the world, to read it. And... they all enjoyed it. They didn't hate it! I'm still sort of stunned, honestly. My first thought was-- Are you sure you're not just being nice? If you really hated it, tell me, I need to know. And, if I'm honest, that thought is still rolling around my brain--what if they just didn't want to hurt my feelings?! But I keep pushing forward. I try to shut those thoughts down. I mean, do authors ever think their work is good enough? And I'm trying to accept positive feedback for what it is. Except for when I'm talking to my editor... If I thought sending to Beta readers was scary, the prospect of my editor going through, pointing out everything that's wrong with my manuscript that she can find, and possibly maybe hating my story (which she swears won't happen) is another level of scary. I mean really. Her job is to find the bad, and yes, help me fix it, too. And I'm so ready...and sooo not for what she finds. But with any luck, the errors won't be awful and the story will keep her interest, and this will go wonderfully. Either way, I'm another couple of steps closer to P-Day... also known as Publishing Day. And this mix of terrified excitement and nerves is exhilarating and... nerve wracking. But I can't wait for what comes next! Less than two months to go!

I'm a crier by nature. I'm mad--I cry. I'm sad--I cry. Insanely happy--yep, I cry. But my tears are usually of the more negative emotions. Because let's be honest, happiness happens daily, but being insanely happy, well, that takes something special. It takes something big. Something like writing "The End" for the first time ever after you've completed your first full-length novel. And, as timing would have it, today was that day for me. According to my Pacemaker counter, I started this book, my journey as an author, 108 days ago on November 30th, 2018. 108 days. That alone is mind boggling to me. I don't know if I have ever consistently stuck to something that I didn't have to do (school/work/sports) for that long. Much less stuck to something that required hours upon hours of pouring my soul into the words on the screen. Researching so that the aspects of the book that required real, knowledgeable, detail were all accurate--or as accurate as possible. Sharing a part of me that may come with absolutely zero reward, a lot of criticism, and opening myself up in a way I never have before. 108 days. That's how long it took me to write 79,756 words. So yea, I cried. I cried insanely happy tears. I shouted (okay, said loudly at the foot of the stairs in our home), "Holy shit! I wrote a book!" I shared a picture with the best friend that encouraged me to start writing to begin with, and then took a call from her in my still speechless, emotionless, stunned stage. That was before the crying. It hadn't actually sunk in yet. And then, I let it sink in. I told my family. And it hit me--I wrote a book. I'm not the type to be over-confident, or to boast about myself. I hate doing that, really. It's not me. So sharing this with such enthusiasm is not normal. But today, I'm proud of me. Really proud. That's a foreign concept to me, too. One that also brings tears. I don't know if I've ever felt this way about myself or what I've accomplished, either. So I'm going to cherish it for the moment. I'm going to relish in the rare, insanely happy tears. And then, tomorrow or maybe Tuesday, I'm going to get back to work. Figure out editing and alpha/beta readers. Put my nose back to the grindstone. Because I wrote a book. And I'm not going to give up on my dream of publishing now. I've still got a long way to go.

Terrifying. Intimidating. Overwhelming. Exhilarating. Nerve wrecking. Exciting. That is how I would answer if someone asked me what it's like to start writing your first book. I'd use those exact words to describe finding Alpha and Beta readers, preparing for and going through the editing process, finding a cover designer, a formatter, and everything else that comes with publishing a book, too. Because it is absolutely all of those things. And probably a handful of others, too, that I forgot to mention. I started on this journey with the encouragement of one of my best friends in the world. She published her first book last year, and she wanted to do a Christmas Anthology with a group of authors. And she asked me to be a part of it--and I was. I wrote my first short story for publication last December and fell so in love with those characters that I couldn't put them aside. So they are the focus of my first ever novel, too, which I plan to release this Spring (2019). Writing their story has been a mix of emotions, all on its very own. I've had days where words have flowed like lava out of my fingers. And other days where words have escaped me, my head was a jumbled mess, and I couldn't write if I wanted to. Those days are rough. And then the guilt of I should be writing sets in. At least for me, I'm a guilt-ridden person by nature. And then there were other days where I literally wrote words, felt good about my progress, and then reread what I'd written and was convinced that it is complete and utter shit. I've actually had a lot of those days. More than I'd care to admit I've had, actually. And some days I go back and forth between this is decent, and oh God, I should delete it all now and stop while I'm ahead. It's a constant battle, folks. I promise you, it is. But that's writing for you. That's putting your words out there. That's taking that leap and saying please read this, let me bare my soul to you. Then let you rate/review it and shred or praise it, depending on how you received what I wrote. And somehow, good or bad, it is all worth it. I'm nervous to put myself out there for sure. I'm afraid it will be hated. I'm hopeful it will be loved. And more than anything, I'm proud of myself for sticking to this crazy dream of mine, even with my insecurities and worries.