Nicki Elson's Not-So-Deep Thoughts

I'm super excited for today's cover reveal because being the lucky ducky that I am, Jennifer Lane is my crit partner, so I've gotten a preview on this story. And folks - it's a GREAT one. My full review will be coming, but for now, here's a sneak peek: Twin Sacrifice by Jennifer Lane Genre : Psychological Thriller Release Date : February 28, 2018 My twin brother is determined to kill himself, but I won’t let him.  I just discovered the sacrifice he made for me when we were young. Now it’s time I return the favor. This time I’ll be the one with the secret. Psychologist Matthew Durante’s twin brother, Justin, has struggled with mental illness since their parents died in a house fire. After Justin is accused of setting off a bomb that killed an innocent woman, he lands in a maximum-security psychiatric hospital. In the face of Justin’s unrelenting suicide attempts, Matthew grows frantic to keep him alive. And as the pieces of their past ...

Happy new year, everyone! Time to repair all of our writing regrets from 2017, right? So this month's optional IWSG Day question is quite appropriate: What steps have you taken to put a schedule in place for your writing and publishing? I've come to accept that the writing everyday thing just won't work for me. Weekend warrior is more my style. In 2018, my goal is to write a chapter a weekend until the first draft of my current WIP is finished. Then I'll dig in on the 2nd and 3rd drafts and hope to start sending chapters to my crit partner in May (get ready, Jennifer Lane !). I don't plan to publish that novel until early 2019, but it's possible I'll get out a short story collection in the fall. This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as  Insecure Writer's Support Group , founded by the one and clonely  Alex J. Cavanaugh . Click below to join the group! Co-Hosts: Tyrean Martinson The Cynical Sailor Megan Morgan ...

To celebrate Chrys Fey's new book, Flaming Crimes, a whole bunch of us are answering one simple question: What is something ridiculous you would save if there was a fire? My answer: These are just framed images that were pilfered from the internet and a toy that can easily be bought again. I keep them by my work space because they make me happy. What I treasure most of all is not that they represent the great loves of my life; it's that they were given to me by 3 marvelous people who truly get me - my children and my sister. I don't think I'm the easiest person to "get" (just ask my husband), so to have 3 humans who not only understand me but also fully embrace every single quirk is the greatest thing in the whole wide world.  Series: Disaster Crimes #4 Page Count: 304  Digital Price: 4.99  Print Price: 16.99 Rating: Spicy (PG13)  BUY LINKS: Amazon / Barnes & Noble The Wild Rose Press BLURB:  Beth a...

Thank you, thank you to my marvelous crit partner, Jennifer Lane , who gave me the reminder that today's the final 2017 meeting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group . Since I'm scrambling, I'll go right into the optional IWSG day question: As you look back on 2017, with all its successes and failures, if you could backtrack, what would you do differently? Hmm, I'm torn on this one. On the one hand, I didn't get a heck of a lot written this year, so I wish I'd set myself some firmer, more clearly defined goals from the get-go. On the other hand, I enjoyed separating from my writer-self and seeing that I'm still a whole person without it. It was a good 2017, so in the end, I guess I wouldn't go back and change a thing.  One thing I've learned though... When I 'm in the throes of writing, I always feel guilty that I'm not getting as much done around the house as I should - the cleaning, the cooking, the blah blah blah. I used to b...

HI, everyone! I've been absent from blogland, so I look forward to getting around today to see what's up with y'all. Since I'm using NaNo to get back into the swing of writing, the first half of this month's optional IWSG question is perfect for me: Win or not, do you usually finish your NaNo project?  Wellllll, I do NaNo a bit differently. Rather than a word goal, I have a minimum-writing-time-per-day goal. That's worked better for me in the past, so I'm doing it again. And it's definitely gotten me full-on back into writing mode by the end of the month, which is what I'll count as a finish. Look at me talking all big on day one of NaNo. I think hopping around IWSG will be the perfect thing to get me inspired to rejoin you all in writing world. This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as  Insecure Writer's Support Group , founded by the one and clonely  Alex J. Cavanaugh . Click below to join the group! Co-H...

Hi, gang! I hope your Octobers are off to a good start. I sorta blew it on a pact I made with myself during IWSG earlier this year---to finish the first draft of my manuscript by the end of September. I'm not even close to finished, folks, not even close. Nor have I had much of an inkling to seriously dive in. The weird thing is...I'm totally okay with that. A year ago, I think I probably would've freaked out hearing myself say that. But the beauty of not making any real money at writing fiction is that I don't feel beholden to it. And right now, I'm truly appreciating the things I do when I'm not writing---more so than I did before I dove into writing, I think. Here's a picture of one of the things I'm appreciating more. It's a restored prairie across the street from where I live. It's the greatest place to walk and walk and walk whilst I catch up on listening to my favorite podcasts. Since I feel as if I should talk about something...

Congrats to Jessica Therrien on the release of CARRY ME HOME ! Every book is special to its author, but read Jessica's answer to this one-question interview to learn why this new release is especially meaningful to her. Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads CARRY ME HOME is a fictional novel inspired by the true story of a teenage girl’s involvement in several Mexican gangs in San Jose and Los Angeles. The members of her crew call her, Guera, Spanish for “white girl” and it doesn’t take long for her to get lost in their world of guns and drugs. The question: If you had to choose one song that best captures the essence of CARRY ME HOME, what song would you choose and why? Jessica's answer: CARRY ME HOME is my sister’s story. Although I turned it into a fictional novel, most of it is true. One song that sticks out to me is "My Immortal" by Evanescence. Not because it inspired me to write the novel, but because I remember my mom listening to it when w...