The One with out-of-state Family!
Happy August, welcome to almost Autumn!
This week has been a bit busier outside the house with a mechanic trip to finally fix the AC, my aunt and her family up from Florida, and family gathering today. I did however get the preorder up and did a few thousand words in COOKIES & RAGE, the first of the Kaliling novels, which releases July of 2026. 😬
Read on for Monthly Goal Recap and Restart, Beta Reading, Preorder, AND a snippet from AN ANGEL FALLS!
This month's banner feature's Kalista standing on the streets of Paris which was featured in the last blog of July.
Author's Life:
The Santa Fe has AC again! It’s so nice, especially with it being 85-90F (29-33C) this week. This coming week is supposed to be a high of the low 80F (26-29C). Since my aunt, uncle, and cousin (Joy) are up from Florida, we had our annual Girls Day Out Wednesday. We (Aunt, Joy, Mom, and Nana) went out for lunch, then did some shopping at craft stores and the mall, before getting ice cream and heading back to Nana’s where I dropped of two passengers, grabbed cousin’s stuff, and we went back to my house (with a bit stop to drop off my mom).
Thursday was a relaxing, destress, and just chill day. Joy and I were playing on our laptops, doing writerly things and/or gaming, and Dale (my husband) got home quite early, surprising our dog, Bella. She was very happy to have him home early. Friday, I took Joy on my usual errand day, and had a jolly good time before we came home and made deviled eggs for the get together. Today, we have a big get together at Nana’s house, where we’ll have cousins, aunts, uncles, and good food in Nana’s backyard. 🥰
Monthly Goal: Recap and Restart
~ For July:
I had 3 goals, and I didn’t do great at 2 of them…
- Read 3 books (that weren’t mine).❌
Result: I read 1.5 😣 I was just busy writing, editing, marketing, and life stuff. - Stay on top of Betas. ❌
Result: This one was a flop thanks in part to Discord who did not let everyone see that I dropped chunk for until I personally added them to the thread. So we had to extend the beta reading a week. - Write 65k words. ☑️
Result: This one I aced even though I was behind on the 15th, I managed to write a lot more in the last half the month and ended up with 86,494 words!
~ For August, 3 new goals:
- Market the preorder in some way EVERY DAY.
I’m not the greatest at this, but I want this preorder to go better than the last, and I’m also going to make a sale on my website and itch.io for the first five eBooks of the series. So, stayed tuned for that! - Write 70k words.
Given how much I’ve been writing and the projects I’m working on this should be *relatively* easy, since I don’t have many/any plans besides a few medical procedures, but they shouldn’t interfere with it. - Finish COOKIES & RAGE!
I’m so close to the end, and I’m hoping that I can wrap it up with a nice bow this coming week, then read it to Matt next week. Before getting it ready to red pen edit.
Now, to the rest of the business stuff!
The work Life:
Writing:
This week I spent the majority of time on COOKIES & RAGE, which was at 85,717 it is now at 96,117. I also wrote a bit more into Kalista Book 8 (A DANGEROUS GAME), it went from 3,140 words to 8,575 words.
Total word count for the week: 15,835
Editing:
Since I inputted dad’s edits for DEADLY SIRENS last week. I sent the first of four chunks off to Maxine, and she’s going to get to it this week. I’m hoping she can get through at least 3 of 4 chunks before the Beta reading starts. 😬
Publishing:
Beta reading for AN ANGEL FALLS has now officially ended, and Beta reading for DEADLY SIRENS begins August 29th and goes until September 26th.
~
I only have 8 betas who signed up or are ready to read this one. 🥺 I’m a bit bummed, but I know things happen that are out of their control, so not everyone has time to read.
~
AGAIN THANK YOU TO ALL MY BETA READERS, those who have read in the past or are reading the next one. I would have so much more anxiety if you weren't here to help and let me know what's good, bad, or wrong with the books.
Pre order: An Angel Falls
Preorder for AN ANGEL FALLS has dropped, and you can find all the info, plus where to get it by clicking here! 🥳 Special shout out to Aunt Denise, who was again my first preorder. Thank you! It made my day!🥳
Art Feature:
Today’s art was a request/suggestion from one of the beta readers of AN ANGEL FALLS, and yes, this time I will include a snippet down below the picture. This dynamic action scene comes from Chapter 8, and features Kalista taking on a Fœmoræ (aka corrupted angel or demon). Don’t let the picture fool you, he is 10 feet (304cm) tall and she’s only 5’4” (162cm).
~ Snippet from Chapter 8 ~
Fur covered his arms, most of his chest, and legs, which were shaped like a Satyr, ending in hoofs. He had large muscles and his face… It was somewhere between a goat and a man as were his eyes that were bioluminescent green and had unnerving goat’s pupils.
“I am called the Harvester, for I harvest the souls of those who would sabotage us,” he said, and I tilted my head then looked at the skull just to the right of his horns. “This is my refuge, the place of my power, and here you are, intruding on it, as the Fate foretold.”
“You sure do like to talk,” I said, twirling the scythe. “How are you at fighting?”
“I wouldn’t fight the Judge. My job here is done,” he said, and snapped his fingers. Someone appeared behind me, but I whirled around and sliced them in half with the scythe. The body fell in two distinct pieces, and the vile scent of entrails filled the air.
“I hate distractions,” I grumbled then turned as a second person appeared. They died like the first, and I sighed. “Don’t you have anyone formidable to fight? Like maybe Lugh or Surtr?”
This was partially in jest, but I was hoping to meet them too. I’d only heard those names in Forseti’s thoughts. I didn’t know who they belonged to, but this talk of his was boring me. I was here for another reason. I just wasn’t sure what it was.
“How do you know those names?” he asked as another goon stepped out of the shadows. This time, I didn’t use the scythe. I wrapped my power around him and flung him at the Harvester. He wasn’t expecting it and had nowhere to dodge. It took him at the waist, and they went down. I rushed him as someone called me in the present.
The Harvester tossed the body off him and onto a spike at the opposite end of the hall. Seemed the minions were expendable. I put the scythe’s tip to his throat.
“Move and I’ll decapitate you,” I threatened. He stared up at me, fluorescent eyes dimming as he realized I was serious.
“What do you want?” he asked. I kept my eyes on his, and the scythe poised to kill.
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Thanks for reading!
~Jenn (aka Born Angel Author)
Mark Your Calendars:
The Kalista Chronicles: An Angel Falls, Book 6
~ May 1st Beta signups will open. They close June 8th.
~ Cover Reveal June 1st!
~ June 13th-July 18 Beta Reading
~ July 31st Preorders will begin for Kindle versions.⬅️
~ Along with Signed Copy preorder here on the website.⬅️
~ ARC Signups Open.⬅️
~ September 30th: ARCS release.
~ October 31st: BOOK DAY!!!
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