Status Updates From Alpha/Beta Read

Editing for a client~

Done! WOW, that was a lot of editing! I cut out 22.7K words, bringing my total down to 104.3K, and went from 302 pages on a Google doc to 271.

Still not sure how I feel about this story, but it was so sweet reading the ending while listening to Young and Beautiful by Lana del Rey.

Made pathetically little progress today. Really hating this story.

I'll still finish editing, but I think this is going to be a "destined for the dumpster draft."

"Time came and went in waves, accompanied by nothing but my heartbeat and the noises of the forest. I might have blacked out once or twice. I didn’t know. Nothing had meaning."


100% sitting here listening to Barbie music while ruining my FMC's life. #lifeofanauthor

I stopped, then slowly swiveled back. Even the breeze had died down, like it was holding its breath to hear my answer. The words sliced through the air and my shields, burying themselves in my heart with the most divine pain, the desire to hope—and the knowledge that it was false.

He’s over you, I told myself, staring at haunted blue eyes in the mirror. You need to get over him.

I cut out my goal of 17K words, and I still have 100 pages left, plus a section of the beginning that I need to slice and dice. My new goal is to get it lower than 105K words!


Ah, I just love it when his mother thinks they're together, but they're just working together for convenience. *happy squeals because one of the best scenes is coming up*

With that thought, I willed myself to fall asleep, but my dreams were filled with brown eyes, golden hair, and callused fingers that touched my cheek like a wish.

The TENSION. And that almost-kiss?!?! Girl, just say yes already! He is SO in love with you!

I'm so immersed in this story that I sometimes forget that I wrote it. *palms face* I'm having a great time.

"His voice was my anchor, and I clung to it, forcing myself to swim to the surface of the memories. I’d spent enough nights drowning in them, wandering in the jet-black abyss, searching for a way out of this painful maze called life."


Being outside had let me dream of the future, but like all castles in the air, it disappeared when a cloud crossed it.
My life was one long, low series of status clouds.

Editing for a client

This was so much fun, but I missed the deadline and currently have other priorities. However I will 100% recommend this grumpy space cowboy, he's amazing.

“Professionality doesn’t mean being an ice sculpture.”

“I never said I was.” I enunciated every word with careful precision, wanting my safe shields.

“You act like it. I’ve barely seen you smile during an entire week. You’re practically perfect 24/7/365.”

Tears suddenly stung my eyes like an electric shock as the truth shoved to the forefront of my mind. I was tired. I was so fritzing tired...

"Do you regret going on this expedition?"

I swiveled, staring at the dawn. The light was less painful than watching his eyes as I admitted the truth. “At times, yes. But have you ever had something you would travel to the ends of the earth, climb the highest mountain, and dive to the bottom of the sea to achieve?”

Reading an early copy of DEVOURING FORTUNE by Oleander Craw… awesome worldbuilding

@Finch is helping me edit, and she is the best critique partner a girl could ask for. All her suggestions are seriously so helpful, and she found several small inconsistencies just within the first few chapters.

6K words cut out, and 190 pages to go!

Am I anywhere near finished with editing? No. Did I complete the first draft of my query letter? Yes.

"The title brought a blaze of cold over my body, but I redonned my mantle as easily as any blazer. Responsibility was safe. Responsibility was real. Responsibility was made for me."

"Someone needed to run a DNA analysis on Tarquin because he was absolutely related to filamentous algae—otherwise known as pond scum."

Working on edits for my sci-fi NA novel! I did an absolutely horrible job of arranging my schedule to edit two projects at once; my brain is going to be FRIED.