Ah, summer. The time to enjoy the sunny weather and relax…right? Only sometimes, it seems. My summers are often busier than the rest of the year for many reasons, but the biggest is probably the ginormous garden we do every year. We typically have over fifty tomato plants, peppers, lettuce, peas, beans, zucchini, squash, carrots…taters. Yeah, taters. I love growing a garden; always have since I was young. I suppose it runs in the family genes, and let’s face it, snapping beans with grandma is a fond memory even if it was the most tedious thing ever at the time. There is a lot to be learned from being responsible for a bunch of plants, and if nothing else, a garden can teach you the value of hard work. Not to mention the reward of collecting the fruit of your labors. Nothing beats eating a fresh tomato that you grew yourself.

So, as I dive into garden season, I’ve slowed down on writing, which I suspected would happen. That is not to say I haven’t been vigilantly working on several projects, just that my daily word count has dropped. And I’m OK with that. I’ve accomplished a lot the last few months, more than I ever dreamed, in truth. Taking time to do the things we enjoy is important, and in my opinion, essential to living a happy, balanced life.

That being said, I will likely be complaining about how much work it is to not only tend the garden, but also can all the rewards that result from it. But it’s worth it in the the end. I love having a pantry full of fresh food.

September will hold a welcomed vacation for me and my little family. We have plans to spend a week in San Diego (Fingers crossed). This particular trip was put on hold last year, so we are hopeful that we will be able to go. As of now, we plan to go to Lego Land, Sea World, and the Zoo, plus spend some time at the beach. If you’ve been to San Diego, hit me up with ideas on what to see and do!

Now, let’s get down to the writing update!

My series is coming together well as I have now started on Book 6 (Path to Irrilam). I’m about eight chapters in and really enjoying where the characters are going with the story (they’re in charge of this shindig, not me). Book 4 (The Seer of Verascene) will begin editing July 19th, and will likely have a September release. I’ve also got my romance novel, A Wife for Prince Sylas, with beta readers after another round of editing. The goal is to start the querying process with this title by end of month, but we will see how things go.

Book 3 (Origins of Virgam) is available for PreOrder!!! I really enjoyed working the edits on this one. I’ve grown so much as a writer since I began this journey, and fixing all my silly mistakes makes me both wince and laugh. It was a jolly good time, and not without moments of head shaking. Anywho, Origins will be out July 7th. It dives into the backstory of my main antagonist, the Great Sorcerer and (obviously) the origins of magic. The book page will be ready soon, so keep a watch for that!

The hubster has been working hard on my character portraits! We will have book 2 characters ready soon, which is super exciting! If you haven’t had a chance to check them out yet, you can find Book 1 characters here.

I hope everyone is prepped to have an amazing summer! Tell me, what are your goals and plans are for summer fun?