Vicki-Ann Bush's Blog: A Little Bit Of Me

Separated by Time...Bonded by Fate

When a young man turns to dust right before his eyes, Noah Winston is hurtled into the center of a time-bending mystery. In his quest to uncover the truth, he’s driven deep into local legend and discovers a town that vanished over one hundred years ago. As he struggles to untangle the secrets of the past, he meets a family who he must save from the curse and finds himself falling in love.

Can he save them from a fate worse than death and find true love, or will time slip away and steal her from him forever?

UNTHREADED

A male witch is not all that I am, but I honor it with all that I have.
The Grumpy Dragon 2019

Hi everyone, I'm in need of ARC Readers and a Street Team for the 2nd edition Alex McKenna. If you have the time it would be greatly appreciated!
Added goodies will be included in the fun!

He's 17 and a powerful witch with a secret...

ARC SIGN-UP
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-ZtL...

STREET TEAM SIGN-UP
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1UEJh...

FEELING FIERCE


Whether you're writing a new novel, drafting a screenplay, or editing an existing piece of work, as writers we all have those days where the body and brain sync up raging a war on us that makes it difficult to get the job done.


Today would be that day for me. Gasping for air in the choppy sea of deadlines, premieres, reveals, and rewrites, my brain has decided it's time to retreat—and it's taking my body with it.


Unfortunately, when you're the recipient of an autoimmune disease there are times in your life when you can be a literal prisoner of your own body. Stress, a change in the weather, a change in diet, can all trigger an episode that may last a few days or many times a few weeks. For me, the worst is the effect it has on my ability to relay thoughts in my head to legitimate words on the page. I've been severely struggling with this all morning.


There is no quick fix or miracle pill, you persevere until you can't and then you give in for a while and resume. I should have had this blog done hours ago but here we are, late morning and I've pounded out three paragraphs. Bummer right? Nope!


Over the years I've learned to look at every accomplishment on these difficult days as victories. I'm getting it done. It may take longer, it may be frustrating at times but it's still complete. That's how I write, edit, and function on the hard days. One victory at a time, one moment leading into the next. No judgement.

Hello my fellow book enthusiasts! I hope your summer is starting out on a positive note and you're enjoying the warmer weather. I personally am holding my breath. Vegas hasn't been too bad yet, I think the highest our thermostat has climbed is 96°. However, I know those triple digit days are just around the corner and I swear my body stiffens every time I think about it.


It's going to be a fairly busy few months with book signings. I decided to primarily sign with Coffee House Tours and not schedule too many individual appearances. I enjoy the day of sharing time with my fellow authors and having the variety of genres available for readers. It's fun!


I'm also excited to share the news that the second edition of Alex McKenna & The Geranium Deaths, will be coming out this October! CJM Publishing has been professional and yet welcoming to me with these titles that are so close to my heart. I'm excited to see the little changes when I get edits, and I'm impatiently anticipating the new cover. I know with them it will be brilliant.

Switching gears, I just found out last night that our short film, Alex & Margaret's Beginning, is an official entry in the 8 & Halfilm Awards. This means that our project received a very high score from our jury and is eligible for award consideration.

I don't know how you handle change, but I can tell you that I go kicking and screaming.
So much has happened to all of us over the past three years, and I'm not sure how I feel about the series of weirdness that is 2023.

Although I can't make any announcements yet, my author life is going through transformation, and whether or not it lands one way or another, I do believe this change is positive. I know this because my usual tantrum over any upheaval in my routine has been just about non-existent with this upcoming adventure.
However, caution is the way of the Capricorn and I approach the coming months with one toe in the pond and the other foot firmly planted on the ground.

Keep watching my usual haunts for updates because they will be coming. The wheels are in motion and the breaks just gave out.

Back in the olden days when I walked uphill both ways to and from school in waist deep snow, the word branding wasn't even in my vocabulary. When I signed my first publishing contract, the word meant little to me. However, fast forward to the 21st century and if you don't have a brand, something established on social media that defines you, your presence is that of a pimple on an elephants ass. And if you're not defined you'd might as well close up shop. or at least that's how it feels.


Harsh, I know. However, this is our reality and as authors, entertainers, and I cringe when I type this—influencers, you must find the best way that can help you stand out in a sea of millions who are trying to do the same.


Today I'm picking one form of merchandising, because honestly we could talk about this for weeks. Retractable banners, posters, and all other signage that relays to the public the statement you'd like to say about yourself. When I first started to book signings it wasn't long before I realized that signs and posters are a good way to draw people to your table. Back then, most of the authors, including moi, had easels that displayed poster boards. A thick, somewhat sturdy foam board that had whatever design we wanted printed on the front.


I was new at this and in the beginning I made the error of putting my headshot smack in the center with my current books surrounding me. It looked great—if I were never going to age, change my hair or write another book. So, when the time came to bump up my investment and aesthetics, and purchase a retractable banner, I got help. A good friend put something together using my logo and the ambience from my new book release, Alex McKenna.


Note: I used Vista Print, they were great and offered several sizes and prices.


I knew I would be writing a series so I thought this would be okay, but as time passed I realized I'd once again backed myself into a corner. Not that the banner didn't look great, it's gorgeous and it does drawn in readers, but I wanted them to understand more about who I was, what type of writer I am. My logo at the bottom of the banner wasn't as easy to focus on as the Alex McKenna portion, but due to cost of these lovely beasts I decided I needed to wait.


Fast forward to this past Saturday. I arrived at my signing and began my routine of setting up the table and my banner. This time however, something went terribly wrong and the banner had retracted too far into the base. I couldn't remove it and had to set it aside. I'm not sure if it's salvageable, but if it isn't I will be designing a new one. One that will probably have my logo and that's it. It described who I am as a writer and sets the tone for my work. Two things that are extremely important to our current industry.


So what's the moral of this story you ask?

Figure out who you are.

Discover images that best relay what you're about and what you'd like to say.

Create promotion items that reflect the whole of who you are and not just one aspect of your current work.

Vista Print is your friend and often have promotions and discounts.

https://www.vickiannbush.com/post/bra...

With each years end I find myself reflecting on the events that have helped shape me throughout the months. The darkness and light that equally contribute to my life and help create the world that may be difficult at times but holds so much joy.

Although we may not know each other on a personal level, knowing you're out there gives me happiness and I'd like to say I appreciate you the best way I know how. So, to show my gratitude and thankfulness for a year filled with you, I'd like to offer a free eBook to anyone who'd like to read one. It doesn't matter which title of mine it is, or if it just released, just go to my Amazon page and pick one. Once you've made your choice, email me at vickiannbush@gmail.com, mention this newsletter and I'll send it to you. That's it. If you do decide to choose one, I hope you enjoy it and know that it wouldn't be possible without you.
https://www.amazon.com/Vicki-Ann-Bush...

I'm so excited! Please help me celebrate the release of Alex McKenna & A Winter's Night, book 3 in the series.

One night & everything to lose...

The third installment in the award-winning Alex McKenna Series, this LGBTQ teen paranormal adventure perfect for fans of Aidan Thomas’ CEMETERY BOYS and LOST IN THE NEVER WOODS.

For a minute, everything in Alex McKenna’s life was perfect. He only had one year left of high school, his girlfriend Margaret was the love of his life, and he couldn’t ask for a more supportive family.


His psychic powers were growing and he was learning more and more about his family’s abilities as Strega witches. Things were good.


Until the night it all fell to pieces.


As Margaret lies in the hospital after a serious car accident, her disembodied spirit searches for a way back to the living. Alex is desperate to save her and the victims of his next case: an ominous being haunting the hospital and stealing the souls of infants and the elderly, sending them straight to Hell.

https://amazon.com/Alex-McKenna-Winte...

As 2021 winds down, and limited book signings have resumed, I'm excited to share with you a few upcoming events. The biggest one, & one I'm so excited to be a part of, is coming up this weekend. A three day event October 8th - 10th, ClexaCon is the first and largest multi-fandom event for LGBTQ+ women, trans and non-binary fans and creators. I'll be featuring Alex McKenna, my series about a seventeen-year-old transgender boy with psychic abilities. So please, drop by and show your support, and look for me at ARTIST ALLEY!
TROPICANA
LAS VEGAS, NV
​3801 Las Vegas Blvd S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109

Friday:
10:00 am Doors open to VIPs
10:30 am - 4:00 pm Doors open for all other attendees

Saturday:
9:00 pm Doors open to VIPs
9:30 am - 4:00 pm Doors open for all other attendees

Sunday:
9:00 am Doors open to VIPs
9:30 am - 2:00 pm Doors open for all other attendees

Another very exciting event is my Meet & Greet at Barnes & Noble! It's been nearly two years since our local authors have been presenting their work at this notable book store chain, and I am so honored to be able to resume with their limited schedule. Please drop by and chat with me on Saturday, October 16th from 1 - 4 pm. I'll have a few ghoulish surprises!

On Saturday, October 30th, I'll be signing with a few friends as the Coffee House Tours takes us to Public Works Coffee in beautiful downtown Henderson. This is a spooky, creepy, all things that go bump in the night, well, morning...costume event. All of us will be dressed as our favorite scary, & not so scary, Halloween character. So drop by for some cool conversation, a hot cup of Joe, and a variety of genre's sure to please the appetite that book darkness leaves in your soul.

In November, I'm back at the quaint, and lovely little coffee shop, Skimo's. Me & Renee Jean will be featuring our latest releases, chatting about our new book adventures, and sharing a butter crumb cake and smooth cup of Joe. So please come out and say hello, we'd love to see you!
Skimo's...Friday, November 12th from 9:00 am - 12:00 p

Boy, the Coffee House Tours is really finishing up 2021 with a bang! Please join me & Stephen Murray for an urban adventure at Joe Maxx Coffee. I'm gearing up for the release of Alex McKenna & A Winter's Night, coming December 14th, and I have a special little treat for you!
Joe Maxx Coffee... Saturday, November 20th from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm.

My first memory of being connected with things other than the reality around me, was when I was five. We lived in an apartment community where everyone knew everyone. My best friend and I had made a pact, we'd wait for our parents to fall asleep and then we were going to run away. Apparently we were frustrated with the hierarchy and this seemed like a viable plan.

I remember laying awake in my bed, faking sleep each time one of my parents would check on us. My brother Joey and I shared a room and he was only two, so no worries about anyone ratting me out. I'm not sure what time it was but eventually the house was still. I threw off my covers, put on my slippers and robe, I guess the nighttime attire seemed appropriate for my new life, and I grabbed my fave stuffed animal. A plush dog that sadly, I can no longer remember his name.

The chain for the lock on the front door was especially high due to my prior late evening escapades. My parents would play bridge with friends who lived several apartments away and my grandma would babysit. A few time times when she'd fallen asleep, I decided I wanted to go visit them and join the festivities. Needless to say, my dad solved that issue...or so he thought.

Knowing the hurdle coming between me and my life adventure, I devised a plan to scoot one of the kitchen chairs into the living room as a stand to boost me up. We had wood floors so I needed to take my time, I didn't want any screeching of chrome to oak waking up the enemy. Did I mention I was five?

Standing on my tip toes, I reached for the chain and quietly slid that sucker to freedom. I slipped out the door and gingerly pulled it shut. I jumped down the few steps to the sidewalk and waited. The moon, nearly full, illuminated the dark skies just enough to add a ominous glow casting shadows that crept along the pavement, swaying with each wave of chilling wind. The scene had been set and I was center stage—by myself. I waited. Cold, anxious, and tired. Then a hum, carried on the breeze orchestrated by the trees. Alerting that little voice to go inside, my friend wasn't coming. She was probably tucked under her warm blanket in the safety of her own bed, under the roof of her parents watchful eye.

I gulped as the shadows seem to grow, stretching towards me. I turned around, leaped up the stairs, and pressed the lever to safety. Once I'd made it back to the warmth of my living room, I locked the door and returned the chair to the kitchen. Slipping back into bed, I pulled the covers to my neck and tried to ward off the anger. My friend had deserted me, left me to be murdered by the night, with no one the wiser. And that's when it happened. Her hand, lovely, soft, gentle. She caressed my hair, playing with it like mother's do, only this wasn't my mother. I shot up and widened my eyes, straining to see though the obscurities that blanketed my room. Once I was satisfied that nothing that shouldn't move...didn't, I laid back down. Again, the gentle hand of the unseen stranger played with my locks. I held my breath, waited for something horrible, but it never came. Whoever she was, I made resolve with myself that she only wanted to comfort me. I drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

Over the years, this has happened to me numerous times. I'm not sure who she is, if indeed this is the same acquaintance from my childhood, or several that have traveled with me at different stages of my life. It no longer feels important to me to know who she or they are, just that in times of emotional need, there's a gentle hand to soothe it away.