Rose Maefair's Blog

​This past year was eventful. It had its challenges and moments of exhilarating highs and devastating blows. Yet, I achieved some goals, one of which was to revise and publish Desert Ice. There were many reasons it ended up challenging, one of which was my writing space.

I had a spot on the couch and a tv tray to hold my computer. But it wasn’t the most inspiring spot and definitely lacked comfort sometimes. So, I combined a few outstanding goals I wanted to accomplish by the end of the year. I even added a few new ones.

In the end, I cleared out the “junk room,” cleaned and organized it, and then set up a little office for myself. I have a small but sturdy desk for my laptop, and I even splurged a little and bought a monitor.
What a difference having a dedicated writing space makes. I sit here now, knowing this is where I get to write and that it was a gift to me. Sometimes I look into the room, and it feels as if the stage has been set, ready for me to step out onto it and perform. It’s a welcome and exciting feeling.

I have new goals in the New Year, including another book. So bring on 2023. I’m ready to write.
I hope all of you have a happy, healthy, and successful New Year.
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RM

Thanksgiving is when we reflect on the things we are grateful for: our families, friends, jobs, the roof over our heads, food on the table, etc. I’m grateful for all those things. I’m also sitting in gratitude for the journey I took in rewriting and self-publishing Desert Ice.

My late father was a part of that journey. He was so proud of me for being an author and for republishing Desert Ice. I would call and talk to him about every step along the way of the process. Our last conversation was about the book and how close I was to getting it re-released. 

Then he died unexpectedly. Suddenly the book wasn’t just about my writing journey anymore but became part of my grieving process. I know he would not have wanted me to stop or delay, so I pushed through completing tasks even as I wrote his eulogy. 

However,  I won’t lie.  Once Desert Ice was published, I found it difficult to write. My heart just hurt.
My father was a good man, probably the best person I’ve ever known. He was also a natural storyteller, and if I have the ability to tell a tale, it’s largely because of what he taught me.

I’m blessed he was in my life, and I had the opportunity to learn from him. There is so much about my father for which I’m deeply grateful, yet the breadth of that gratitude correlates with the depth of my grief. The loss is as keen as the love. 

As I gather with loved ones for this first Thanksgiving without him, I will mourn even as I count my blessings. I will also honor him and continue to write. He would not want me to stop. Desert Ice is just the first destination, but not the last.

Thank you all for being part of my writing journey. I wish you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. 
Rose

Now that Desert Ice has been re-released, I can only watch to see if people are reading and, more importantly, if they are reviewing and/or rating it. Feedback can be a catch twenty-two. It's a great feeling to know that someone likes what you wrote. I often feel a giddy sense of excitement that makes me want to write more. But, on the other hand, it can be crushing when someone doesn't like your work. It's easy to obsess and wonder over what you did "wrong."

Then there are the advantages. You can learn a lot from what your readers have to say. I'd be a fool not to listen to constructive criticism. It's how one grows and gets better, and I'm not so narcissistic as to believe I have nothing to learn. It's also important to marketing and sales. 

Yes, that's the business side of ratings and reviews. They help spread the word about the book, which in theory, promotes sales. Sales, like praise, are also motivation to keep writing. 

So I watch them with a combination of excitation and dread. I smile if they are good while resisting the urge to drown my sorrows in ice cream if they are bad. 

Thank you if you have taken the time to rate and/or review the book. It means a lot. If you have read  Desert Ice and liked it, I hope you will take a moment to leave some form of "thumbs up."

In the meantime, I'll keep writing. 

RM

Today’s the day! Desert Ice is available for purchase on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. Why choose Halloween as the release date? Fall is my favorite time of the year; to me, it always culminates on Halloween. 

Like the Celts of old, I see it as heralding the close to the end of one year and the start of a new one. It’s an auspicious time. I often take time amidst the candy and fun to quietly reflect on the year and all that’s happened. 

For me, it’s been a lot, including a devastating loss. However, it's also been filled with creative joy and the love and support of friends and family, who always encouraged me. 
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I hope you all have a great day and a fun-filled night and go into the winter warm and loved. 
Happy Halloween!

RM

The relaunch of Desert Ice is on Halloween 2022, just four days away. I am excited and nervous. It’s been an adventure starting from the revision process. I added new material and updated a few scenes. I hired an editor to smooth everything out which led next to the cover art followed by the interior formatting. I am even hiring someone to help with my Amazon campaign. 

It’s been fun and a project. It’s also been a learning process and oddly enough I want to do it all over again. Yet, before I get there, I want to see Desert Ice get a successful launch. 

So, join me in the adventure. If you’ve never read it, check it out. If you have read the previous version, see what’s new.  In either case, thank you. 

RM

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It’s finally here! The revised version of Desert Ice is available for pre-order on Amazon! The official publication date is Halloween! If you’ve been looking for the book or waiting for the revision, give yourself a sweet treat.

Spread the word. In the meantime, I’m working to get my Goodreads profile updated.
RM

October is my favorite month of the year. I love it not just because of Halloween or that I celebrate my birthday then but because of the vibe in the air. To me, October is the perfect fall month. The days are warm but not hot, and the nights are sweater perfect. 

It’s the time of the year when I want to curl up on the couch and watch old horror movies ranging from The Uninvited (1942) to Legend of Hell House after making a pot of chili and baking an apple crisp. 

October evenings are perfect for campfires and friends. Real magic happens when sitting around sharing stories and laughter as a fire crackles, shooting dancing embers into the air. 

I’m also happy to say that October looks to be the month I may be publishing my revised version of Desert Ice. The stars are lining up. I finalized the cover art, and the edits are complete. Now I’m waiting for the interior formatting. 

Yes, I might be able to pull off the neatest trick and have the best treat. If the formatting is on time, it’s conceivable I could have a Halloween release date! I’ll announce for sure once I get the formatted manuscript back. 

So break out your sweaters, make room on the couch, and get ready because Desert Ice may be coming to a kindle near you.

​RM

I finalized the cover art this week and received the copy-edited version of the manuscript. Yes, things are beginning to happen. The revised version of Desert Ice will be a reality sooner rather than later.

I’ve worked through the edits recommended by the editor, and now I needed to do a final read. Once that’s complete, the next step will be sending the manuscript off for interior formatting. I’d love to be able to do that myself, but that’s a little more than I’m capable of handling at the moment. 

After that, it should just be a matter of publishing it! The reality is I could conceivably have the book ready to publish by the end of October, just in time for Halloween.  I’ll know more about my official launch date once I contract for the formatting. This means I need to start thinking about marketing.

I’m not sure where to begin, but I wasn’t sure where to begin with self-publishing either. So, I guess I’ll figure it out. This will be the next part of my adventure. My plan is to use Kindle Direct Publishing at first and then see what resources I can leverage there. 

I’ve also made a list of a few websites to reach out to about promotion. Of course, I hope that writing regular updates on the project has helped generate some interest. 
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In any case, whether I’m ready for marketing or not, this is happening. The pieces are starting to fall into place. 

RM

I suffered a profound personal loss this week. It was unexpected and has shaken me hard. I’ve lost someone who was one of the “pillars” in my life. They were someone who shaped me as a person. Unknowingly I think they helped me on my path to becoming a writer. We shared a love of puns and played word games with each other, and we were always testing our vocabulary looking to find just the “right word” when we talked. 
 
If I have any eloquence at all in expression, it’s in large part because of them.
 
One thing that has comforted me is how proud they were of me for publishing Desert Ice in the first place. They never read the book or even knew what it was about. They were just proud I’d done it. They were also proud I was republishing it on my own. Our last conversation was about all the decisions I had left to make.

This has doubly committed me to see this through. Ironically, I got the second draft of the cover art the day I found out they died. I told the artists I needed a few days before making any decisions. 
I’m also due to get back the manuscript the day after my loved one’s funeral. I know what they’d want me to do. Don’t pause. They’d want me to just keep moving forward. So that’s precisely what I’m going to do. 
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 People say there is no right or wrong way to grieve. Republishing Desert Ice has now become part of my process. 

​RM

Writing is a struggle when I try and force a story rather than just letting them tell the story. I’ve been in a battle on my current project because I’m getting too hung up on what I think or believe needs to happen instead of just letting it happen.

I guess that’s because I’m a pantser and not a plotter. Don’t get me wrong, I know where my story begins and ends. I know key points along the way, but how I get there is usually a mystery. So I let the characters and the story unfold organically.

Sometimes that brings its own frustrations. I’ll find I’ve written myself into a “box” that I have to figure out how to get out of, but those are fun challenges. However, what I have been doing recently is repeatedly writing, rewriting, and writing the same chapter, which isn’t as enjoyable.

The reality is, I’m not letting the story tell itself. I’ve gotten hung up on these preconceived notions of what I think has to happen, and my writing process just doesn’t work that way.

So I need to do the daunting task of backtracking to that point in the story where I can relaunch and throw out “the plan” and just start telling the story. So I guess what I’m saying is I surrender.
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One final unrelated note, I’m still on a holding pattern for Desert Ice. Waiting for edited manuscript and cover art concept.

RM