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Simple Ways to Avoid Distractions While Writing
Writing can be a blessing or a curse. It’s a true adventure when the creative juices are flowing, allowing the words to spill out onto the page. You can spend hours plugging away on that important paper, article, presentation, or novel.
However, it can turn into a chore when you have writer’s block or you can’t focus on the task at hand. You need to set yourself up for a successful experience as you get your thoughts in order and try to capture them on the page.
Here are some tips on simple ways to avoid distractions while writing:
Designate a Space for Writing
If you are going to buckle down and get to work, you need to set aside a space for the sole purpose of writing. The kitchen table or the living room aren’t going to cut it.
There are too many opportunities to veer off the writing path when people are wandering through, the television is on, or someone is preparing dinner. Create an area of solitude that is a writing haven. Transform a spare room into a den or office.
If you don’t have the luxury of an extra bedroom, put a desk in your bedroom. Keep your writing area stocked with all of your supplies so you’re ready to go the next time you’re working on a project.
Tell Everyone You’re Not Available
You need to set boundaries with friends and family when you need to write. If other members of your family live with you, make it clear you are not to be disturbed while you are working.
- Hang a whiteboard on the door where people can leave you important notes.
- Turn off the sound on your phone. You can always catch up with texts and emails later.
- Turn off notifications on your laptop or computer while you are working so nothing will pop up to pull your attention away.
- Consider putting a message on your voicemail that you are writing and will get back to people as soon as possible.
- You may need to hire a babysitter if another adult isn’t available to keep your children occupied when you are working.
Remember, everything else can wait. Whether it is that exciting Thursday Night Football game that you want to watch, the interesting investment scheme that you want to review, or the next episode of Griselda, all of those distractions can wait until your writing session is complete. Stick to your guns.
Set a Timer
Block off a time when you plan on doing nothing but writing. Set a timer in a visible area. Don’t allow yourself to cut yourself short. If you finish a draft, go back and review it.
When one project is wrapped up, start outlining another one. Give yourself the luxury of an extension on your allotted time if you are on a roll. Let the words keep coming.
However, don’t forget to stop for a drink or snack, and to come out to see the rest of the world if you’ve been writing for a long time. You don’t want to burn out.
Try Going Old-School with Your Writing
Switching up how you write could allow you to lose yourself in your work. Try using a notebook or a writing journal and pen. It can give you satisfaction to see your words on something you can actually hold.
Pick up a typewriter at a flea market or antique shop. If you can’t live without a laptop, choose one that is only used for writing. Leave off all the extra apps so you aren’t sidetracked.
Find Your Inspiration
Get fired up about your writing. Post pictures and quotes in your writing space that help you to connect with your passions in life. Run with it when an idea grabs you.
You may find yourself going off on a tangent. See where it will take you when opportunity knocks. It could mean the beginning of an amazing piece.
Don’t Worry About Being Perfect
Far too many people get hung up on perfection when writing. If you mull over every correct spelling or spend all your time browsing in a thesaurus, very little will end up on the page.
Your main goal should be to hammer out your thoughts. The editing process will come later. Let the words flow like a river. Don’t worry about making it neat or putting your best work out there. Once you have material to work with on your computer or paper, you can go back and add your finishing touches.
Be Mindful of Deadlines
If you have a due date for an assignment or a draft for the editor, mark it on your calendar. Block out plenty of time to meet your deadline.
Don’t procrastinate. You’ll either run out of time or put too much pressure on yourself. Feeling anxious about writing is a good recipe for writer’s block. Make yourself sit down and write for a set amount of time each day until you get the job done.
Summary
Writing is an incredible journey, with both challenges and triumphs along the way. By embracing these simple strategies, you’ll transform distractions into dedication and unlock the full potential of your words. So, find your writing haven, set those boundaries, and let your creativity soar!
Giveaways for March
March 2024: Writing edition
AI Writing and Its Impact on Fiction Books
If there’s one thing that history has taught us, it’s that technology is only as good as how people use it. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), the shiny new tool that has gained popularity since 2022, is no exception to this rule. One of the fields most directly impacted by generative AI is the world of fiction writing.
Does the advent of a tool that can pen a novel in seconds mean the end of human writers? Generative AI’s advancements have sparked writers’ strikes, copyright lawsuits, and demands to decelerate AI development. Do we need to fear this technology?
In short: Is AI good or bad for the future of fiction writing, and what should fiction writers as well as publishers, editors, and literary agents do about it? Read more>>>
So… You Want to Write a Book
It amazes me how when people hear that I am the author of nine books (as of this writing), they immediately say, “I’ve always wanted to write a book,” or “I have a few book ideas I should start writing.” They make it seem like it’s so easy. But in reality, writing takes a lot of time and energy. It takes a lot of discipline and it is an ongoing learning process. It can also be very isolating, and most of all you have to have a thick skin to be in this business. It is by no means roses and butterflies.
Let me break it down by a few of the points mentioned in the previous paragraph. Read more>>>
5 Authors Talk About Their Writing Process
If you are new to the writing world, you might have heard the term “Writing Process” tossed around. The writing process is a personal choice for every writer. It can vary from book to book or genre to genre. It depends on the writer. Developing your writing process takes time and will come naturally the more you write. Or maybe you already have it.
I interviewed several authors in different genres about their writing process. Here’s what they had to say.
The interviews below have been slightly edited for a more comprehensive read. Read more>>>
Giveaways
2024 March Giveaways
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2024 February Giveaways
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Slightly Delayed and Somewhat Haphazard
All new novels were released this week.
Fantasy
For as long as Win can remember, she has seen things that no one else can see, horrific hallucinations that feel nearly real. After a decades-long parade of visions, Win rarely questions her condition. When the hallucinations arrive, she simply braces herself and waits for them to pass. Every other aspect of Win’s life is perfectly ordinary and vaguely disappointing: a mind-numbing job, mounting debt, and a lackluster social life.
It all changes for Win in a moment, when a tragic vision brings her face to face with a stranger who claims Win is more than an ordinary woman, mired in the ordinary world. Her visions, more than terrifying fantasies, reveal truths that only she can see, truths that others would do anything to control. Win’s arcane ability endangers her as much as it empowers her, and she finds herself hunted by a mysterious force. Her only option is to leave the life she knows and seek out who she is.
With more questions than answers, Win enters a world where fairy tales and folklore hide in the lives of everyday people. She must learn to live in the space between otherworldly dangers and mundane reality. Win must decide which monsters can be trusted, how she will pay her bills, and what she must learn about herself to combat an unseen enemy, an enemy whose ambition threatens the very fabric of reality.
Irreverent and comically dark, Out of the Way Things offers a fantastic world, filled with mythic beings concealed in the shadows of the ordinary. Kendall McNutt brings readers into a hyperrealistic fantasy that asks us to consider the possibility that all stories are true and that nothing is impossible. Read more>>
Mystery
Erin Baily never expected her Good Samaritan act would lead to a whirlwind of secrets and otherworldly adventures. When she saved the elderly Alice from muggers years earlier, little did she know that she’d inherit Alice’s estate in picturesque Franklin, Tennessee. But when Erin steps into her new home, she’s in for a shock—both the charming house and a mysterious cat hold secrets that will change her life forever.
A near-death experience leaves Erin with an uncanny ability to converse with the enigmatic cat and opens the door to an unexpected ghostly roommate—Alice herself. Together, they embark on a supernatural mission to unearth the truth behind Alice’s murder.
With her trusty best friend, Susie, now by her side in Franklin, Erin starts digging into a web of suspects, each with their own motives and dark secrets. Sparks fly when she crosses paths with the dashing and determined homicide detective, Ryan, who’s assigned to Alice’s case. Romance begins to simmer even as danger looms.
As Erin and Susie unravel the threads of deception, they inch closer to a shocking revelation that will send shivers down your spine. But when danger rears its head, Erin finds herself in a life-or-death showdown with the cunning killer. Can she outsmart a murderer and save herself, all while helping Alice find the peace she deserves?
“Foul Play in Franklin” is a delightful mix of supernatural suspense, heartwarming friendship, humor and a touch of romance.
Join Erin Baily on a thrilling journey as she navigates the living, the dead, and the mysteries that bind them together. Will Erin unveil the truth, or will she become the next victim? Prepare for a spine-tingling, heart-pounding adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Read more>>
Adult Contemporary
Miranda Monroe’s world just imploded. Not only did she just get dumped by her long-time boyfriend, but she got dumped in the most humiliatingly painful way imaginable. Very suddenly single, homeless, and heartbroken, she runs to the only person she knows will always be there for her.
Sam Church. Her best friend (and the man she’d once secretly been madly in love with).
Which is how she finds herself, emotionally spent and financially crippled, somehow agreeing to his outrageous offer: that she move into his guest bedroom. Temporarily, of course. Just until she gets back on her feet.
There’s only one problem. In the midst of mending her shattered heart, in the process of trying to find herself again (just who is Miranda Monroe?), her thoughts keep getting distracted, wandering in the most confusing and forbidden of ways…just down the hall from her.
Which is ludicrous. The most commitment-phobic person she’s ever met, Sam is off-limits to Miranda for all kinds of reasons. But mostly, because he’s her best friend—and she loves him too much to lose him. So why, suddenly, can’t she seem to stop fantasizing about him? Why can’t she stop hoping for something more?
Slightly Delayed and Somewhat Haphazard is a best-friends-to-lovers romantic comedy underscored with notes of healing fiction and the echoing sentiments of an adult coming-of-age novel. Read more>>
Pity Pact (Pity Series, #3) by Whitney Dineen
Publication date: January 24th 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
I always wondered who was crazy enough to apply to those reality dating shows…
Turns out, I’m that person. Paige Holland here—lifetime resident of Elk Lake, Wisconsin, and dedicated seventh-grade math teacher.
Unfortunately, if I don’t fall for one of the two guys who live right in Elk Lake I might have to move. This limits my choices to a substitute teacher I can’t stand or Tim, a guy I went through school with. It’s not that I can’t see being with Tim—he’s totes my type—but he’s so wounded from his divorce, he’s made it clear he’s only on the show to make his ex-wife jealous.
With one disaster after another being broadcast around the world, I’m seriously questioning why I thought a reality show was a good way to find love… Read more>>
What does a s’more, a tent, and a campfire have in common? For Ryan Prescott, it’s a typical weekend camping trip. But for Tess Browning… it’s a recipe for the truth.
Tess Browning earned the nickname Little Vixen for a reason. And she has no incentive to play by the rules anymore. Because why bother? All it ever did was trap her in a loveless marriage. Tossing faithfulness out the window, the only thing she is committed to now is her new code: keeping it fun, flirty, and deliciously sultry.
That is, until Ryan Prescott walks in and charms his way into her heart with a leather tool belt strapped around his waist. He’s sexy, smart, and as emotionally damaged as they come. And Ryan seemingly wants nothing more than to have Tess pick up the pieces of his broken heart.
But there’s one thing he doesn’t know about her.
When the details of Ryan’s past heartache come to light, Tess digs her hot pink heels into the ground and will stop at nothing to hide her past indiscretions from the man who stole her heart. Because if there’s one thing Ryan won’t tolerate—it’s dishonesty.
Will Tess manage to keep the truth hidden? Or, will the secrets of a lifetime shatter her one true chance at love?
Best-selling and award-winning author Julie Navickas brings back fan favorite, Tess Browning for her own shot at love. Readers of the Trading Heartbeats trilogy will recognize the flawed heroine but may not recognize the woman she’s become. After all, no one is above redemption. Fans of Lynn Painter’s Mr. Wrong Number and Katie Cotugno’s Birds of California will find a swoon-worthy and engaging romance in TRUSTING LOVE. Read more>>
For this week’s giveaways, click here.
Need Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas?
Two authors share their most romantic Valentine’s day story and the best part is that it is all true.
This amazingly sweet story is from author Zoe Forward. Zoe is a regular on this website but more on that later. Enjoy this story, it’ll warm your heart.
The best gift I received wasn’t mine. I helped someone else deliver a gift. In college, my best friend, a guy, was over the moon about a girl who didn’t see him as a person who could be important to her life. In an over-the-top moment, he delivered a piece of uber-expensive cake from a local restaurant on a ceramic plate and expensive fork. There was agonizing over the fork at the store. Said cake was delivered in front of an empty dorm room (at least we think she wasn’t there) with a note.
He got no response. He didn’t get the girl. She delivered the empty plate and fork back somehow in the darkness of night.
What did I get? Well, he’s my husband of fifteen years. I got the guy. We still have the fork and we still laugh about it.
Best gift ever! Read more >>
My husband and I both adore MoMo’s Italian Kitchen in Dallas. They used to have a location near our apartment when we were still dating. We’d meet there, choose a couple of dishes to share, and have a lovely, very laid-back, and quiet evening together.
The restaurant’s story goes that the original restauranteur opened the first location on the strength of the book of recipes his Italian mother gave to him. He refused to Americanize the menu at all. In Italy, you order food in courses, and so that was just the way Dallas, TX would have to order our food. And he made the pasta fresh every day.
Aside from the dinner menu being amazing, their tiramisu is rather heavenly.
So, with this being our favorite restaurant, our story goes that on a random(ish) Monday night in September, enter my boyfriend (at the time). He had texted me at lunch, asking me to dinner. Our favorite place, Mondays was half-price wine night was the excuse. I had been in the office all day, in meetings, wearing something like a suit. And he’s often told me how I didn’t need to dress up or wear makeup. I didn’t need to impress him, or whatever.
I just remember deliberately changing out of the skirt and pantyhose and all. Not that it was a big deal, it’s just that I was always a little more conservatively dressed than most. I’ve had employers tell me, specifically, that I shouldn’t feel obligated to dress up quite so much. One was like: suits make people nervous around here. Read more >>
New Releases
Audiobook
The Human Trials by Audrey Gale
Genre: Medical Thriller / Historical Mystery
Date Published: Sept. 21, 2023
Publisher: Books Fluent
Narrator: Scott Graff
Run Time: 9 hours, 8 minutes
Dr. Randall Archer is a misfit….
….in the brutal blue-collar home where he grew up.
….as a 16-year-old escaping to college, then medical school, on a full scholarship to Harvard.
….in the highest echelons of Boston society, where the woman he marries and the blueblood research partner with whom he shares his laboratory belong.
Even Archer’s brilliance as a pathologist catapults him into direct and dangerous conflict with the medical establishment he fought so hard to join.
As the Great Depression presses down around him, Archer teeters at the edge of a precipice. He must choose between his hard-won career and the sacred oaths he took as a doctor and scientist—before all his choices are lost forever. Read more >>
Romantic Suspense
A man dedicated to unmasking monsters.
The woman who gives faces to the lost.
Neither can see the evil hiding in plain sight.
FBI Special Agent Noah Danes’ investigation into The Beltway Romeo brings him to Philadelphia and leads to a chance encounter with an old friend. Forensic facial reconstructionist Sadie Potter hasn’t seen Noah since the sentencing of her mother’s murderer four years earlier. Seeing one another in a new light, they both dare to hope for more.
But before they can explore their newfound feelings, Sadie’s attacked by The Beltway Romeo.
Fueled with rage and fear, Noah swears to protect her at all costs. But his fellow profilers turn their focus on Noah, threatening to reveal his deepest secrets to the world. Scarred, depressed, and afraid of losing herself along with her art, Sadie lashes out at the people she loves most…until Romeo makes it clear he hasn’t forgotten the victim who got away.
“Fade into the Night” will grab readers at the first page and not let up until the conclusion! ~InD’tale Magazine
This is a completely unputdownable hold-onto-your-hat book that will take readers on a wild and crazy ride! ~InD’tale Magazine
**Releases Jan 23 – PreOrder Now for Only $1.49!** Read more >>
Paranormal Thriller
Trade your entire life for fame, fortune, and eternal beauty. The only thing have to lose is your soul… Magic is real. And real damn scary.
A man down on his luck trips and stumbles into a world of bloodthirsty monsters hidden among the precipices of New York City. A chance encounter with illustrious vampire Alexander LaMont ensnares the clumsy yet hopeful James Donovan in shadow and treachery, thrusting James into his new identity, The Vampire Jack Townson. Will Jack survive the vampiric politics of Manhattan, or will final death come to claim him at the next sunrise?
Welcome to New York. We bite.
Jack Townson’s contemporary fantasy series, The Vampire Jack Townson, is a perilous tale about the dangers of love, deception, and vampiric grit where the action of Jay Kristoff meets the decadence of Anne Rice. Read more >>
Giveaways
2024 – January Giveaways
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Featuring I.S.A Bella + Releases + Giveaways
Hi folks,
As the year comes to a close, I thank you for your support. There’s a lot more to come in 2024 so stick around! If you are an author and would like to appear on our main book marketing site, please reach out.
Our next newsletter will be in January 2024.
Featuring I.S.A Bella
I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York until our family moved around to four different states. Currently reside in Ohio with my husband Steven of fourteen years. No children or fur babies. I have three siblings: a sister who will go to the earth and moon for you, an older brother who passed away unexpectedly in 2019, and a younger brother who loves with his whole heart. I am also a proud auntie to a teenage niece and nephew.
My dream was to become an author, but real life got in the way. I started writing in my journal at an early age. Over time, the words in the pages formed into poetry. Reading and writing are my way of “escaping reality.” Real life sucks sometimes and getting lost in a good book helps make it less sucky.
When my brother died, I went to a very dark place. Grieving the loss of a sibling who was only two years apart and with whom I shared a close bond was a unique kind of heartache. It was as if a part of me was missing, and I couldn’t find it.
My brother’s memory became the driving force behind the Broken Pieces series. Each word I wrote was a way to keep his memory alive and honor our bond.
As a writer, writing stories based on real-life experiences is easier. The Broken Pieces series is a reflection of my own journey through grief and loss.
I am looking forward to the challenge of creating new characters and worlds that are not based on my own experiences. It’s a chance to grow as a writer and expand my horizons. Read more>>
Fantasy
A thief. A vamp. A walk on the wild side.
Cressa Langtry is the best cat burglar on the west coast. But she owes a large debt to the wrong kind of people. Her only way clear is to steal something for the city’s notorious and ancient vampire – Devon Trelane.
Devon can’t forgive the one man who cost him a seat on the Council. But fate is on his side. For the price of a debt owed, he can have his very own thief. A woman with the skills to take down his greatest enemy.
It should be easy. A simple business arrangement—until it’s compromised by shared dreams. Dreams that turn dangerously prescient.
OF BLOOD & DREAMS is a slow-burn paranormal series filled with mystery, suspense, and a bit of lusty romance.
This series has a continuing storyline with light cliffhanger endings. Read more>>
The next time a friend dared her to steal something, Kelsie would say no. Should the friend also be a succubus, not only would she say no, she would run for the nearest border faster than a bat fleeing the dark depths of hell.
Under normal circumstances, she didn’t even mind serving community service. It added spice to an otherwise boring day and gave her something productive to do.
Hoping to contain her prankster ways, the judge teams her up with a grouchy wolf of a cop with an attitude problem. According to her virus, Kelsie needs to get the good officer out of his pants. According to her common sense, the last thing she needs or wants is a goody-goody hampering her style and getting in her way.
When they’re assigned to help rescue six kidnapped kittens, Kelsie knows one thing for certain: to create a Christmas miracle, she’ll do a lot more than bend the law—she’ll break it over her knee and unleash hell on Earth while she’s at it.
Whiskers on Kittens can be read as a standalone. Read more>>
Adult Contemporary Romance
Tragedy tore us apart.
Scarlett
My entire world changed in an instant.
The biggest betrayal led my brother to his death, shattering my soul in the process.
He was my lifeline, the light to my darkness, and my best friend.
I don’t think I can survive without him until Maverick walks back into my life.
Maverick abandoned me when I needed him the most. He chose my sister over me.
Can I trust him to keep my heart beating, or will he destroy it for the last time?
Tragedy brought us back together.
Maverick
My best friend is gone.
The same day I lost Scarlett.
My Tinkerbelle. My best friend’s little sister.
The girl I ever loved became the girl I could never have.
Our age difference kept us in the friend zone, but she’s all grown up now.
I’ve waited long enough to make her mine.
She needs me now more than ever.
I just need to convince my Tinkerbelle I will never fail her again. Read more>>
HOW DO YOU RENT A ROOM FROM A GHOST WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING IT?
This year was supposed to be different because Oaklynn had a plan.
Stop partying.
Stay away from guys.
Focus on classes.
Graduate!
All she needed to do was find a place to stay near campus, and she’d be set. But when she finds the perfect room to rent, it brings the mysterious Damien into her life.
Her friend tries to warn her that he’s dangerous. He has secrets and darkness in his eyes. But the only danger Oaklynn can tell that he poses is to her attention. He’s all she can think about. Except, he’s hiding something, and when the truth comes out that her new roommate was murdered…a decade ago…nothing will ever be the same again.
So yeah, this year will definitely be different. Read more>>
Dark Fantasy Romance
My name is Luther Van Leer, and I’m a prisoner in the vampire queen’s castle. She’ll let me out if I’m willing to meet her demands, but I will refuse until she puts a stake through my heart. I’ll not let her turn me into a monster. At least, that was my plan. With a turning kiss, I was turned into a monster, banished, beaten, and betrayed. Now, my master expects that I will fall in love with her and play nice. If my cold-dark heart ever finds her, revenge will be mine!
Step into the dark and feudal world of the four kingdoms. The prophecy hangs over the land, turning kings and queens against each other. When Amelia turns Luther, she unknowingly drags him into her world. Instead of gaining a lover, she gains another enemy. Will Luther forgive her ultimate betrayal and help her survive, or will he abandon her? It would be his right.
From the darkness of the salt mines, the horrors of the bird cages, the temptations of the Forbidden Lake, and dragon tattoos, Luther and Amelia will be in a race against time to save their kingdom. Read more>>
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