Today, I’m watching my younger offspring graduate from veterinary school! I am incredibly proud of them. This is a dream they’ve had since they were in preschool, and to see them having held onto that dream for over two decades, and now be making it a reality, is amazing!
A few weeks ago, I posted that I would be moving to a new apartment. That was happening in the middle of my husband and me both having and recovering from norovirus, me recovering from minor surgery, and me trying to release and promote Hooch and Howls.
Dang, March was a long month!
We are now mostly settled in our new apartment. I’m still waiting for hubby to purchase the kitchen island/cart/counter/whatever he promised, which he says might happen tomorrow. I also need to buy a new chair or two for the living room, which will happen… um, eventually.
But meanwhile, we’re here. A much quieter, larger, brighter apartment, with pretty much everything that’s here so far in its place. We have our own washer and dryer, which is incredible luxury after almost seven years of sharing two washing machines with 6 other units, and sharing a dryer with two of those other units. I recovered from norovirus only to have a reaction to a new antidepressant I was on (which I’ve since been weaned off), followed by catching a bad cold which, at least, was only a cold.
But on the plus side, in addition to getting through the move, I released Hooch and Howls on schedule, and it’s gotten a 4-star review! I’m feeling much better physically now, and hoping that I’ve gotten all of my illnesses for 2024 out of the way already so I can have a peaceful, healthy remainder of the year. We had a snowstorm on Wednesday and Thursday, but the snow from that has melted.
I hope y’all are doing well. Here’s a picture of part of the living room of the new place:
I really stink at blog post titles.
Tempeh for Two has been out for almost two weeks now, and I’m so excited to see people buying not only this book but the previous books in the Real Werewolves Don’t Eat Meat series! Also, Tempeh has gotten a couple of really good reviews, which I need to remember to add to this website.
I’m doing a random stuff post because I’m dealing with some personal life things that are taking my time, focus, and mental bandwidth. Without going into a lot of detail, if you’re someone who does energy, or prayer, or anything along those lines, I’d appreciate some going toward my 77-year-old father, and some going toward me and my kid and son-in-law who are trying to help my father.
Since finishing writing Ebb and Flow (which may turn out to be the first book of a new series, a spin-off from Real Werewolves Don’t Eat Meat) and releasing Tempeh, I’ve taken a short break from doing Karenna stuff to work on some young adult fiction. From 2010-2017, I had several young adult novels published under the pen name of Jo Ramsey. From 2005-2010, I wrote 40 YA novels, some of which were among those published, and which form one long series broken into three “branches,” and a separate but connected shorter series. I’m currently going through all 40 of those books to see whether I can–and want to–rewrite, update, and edit them to eventually self-publish. It’s work, but it’s been fun work, and it’s helped keep me together through dealing with the aforementioned personal life stuff.
Hopefully next week I’ll have an update about my March release. I’m not entirely sure if the book I was planning to release in March, A Fighting Chance (follow up to Chance Met) will be ready, but I have another book that will definitely be ready for March if A Fighting Chance isn’t. So stay tuned!
At this time of year, a lot of people post about how wonderful the holidays are. They fill Facebook and other social media with pictures of decorations, dinners, family and friends. And for some people, the holidays really are wonderful.
For others, they aren’t. This can be a very difficult time of year for some people, for various reasons. There might be estrangement from family members. Loss of loved ones. Not coping well with the increased amount of darkness for those of us in the northern hemisphere. For all kinds of reasons, this can be a tough time of year.
For me, this year, it’s very tough. I’m not going to go into why, because it isn’t something I want to talk about publicly at this point. I am managing, to some extent. I have some support from people in my life, including my therapist. After the first of the year when things reopen on regular schedules, I’ll be getting additional help to cope with what’s going on. But it’s difficult and painful, and it’s making this season not…something I want to celebrate this year.
I am thankful to my kids and spouse, and to the friends who know the situation who’ve been checking in with me. I am not the person who is most heavily impacted by what’s going on, but I am impacted, and it helps to have that validated.
I’m also thankful to the people who have no idea what’s going on and don’t even know me, who are bringing me bits of joy. Someone bought a copy of one of my nonfiction channeling books (written as River Lightbearer). Someone else bought a copy of one of my children’s fiction books (written as Kim Ramsey-Winkler). Someone emailed me in response to my announcement of the Tempeh for Two release date telling me how much she loves the Real Werewolves Don’t Eat Meat series and that she can’t wait for this next book.
At this time of year, to those of you for whom it truly is a wonderful time of year, I’m sincerely happy for you, and I hope you cherish what you have. For those who are struggling, be kind to yourselves. Don’t force the “holiday cheer” if it isn’t there for you. Honor how you feel and what you need. And for everyone: Remember that you don’t know what someone else is dealing with. Be compassionate, and don’t underestimate the power of what seems like a tiny gesture.
Yule (Winter Solstice) is imminent here in the northern hemisphere. Darkness will begin to ebb; light will become more prevalent. And hopefully things will become easier.
For the month of December, I and a number of other awesome authors are participating in Ellen Mint’s Advent Calendar Giveaway!
ADVENT CALENDAR GIVEAWAY
December 1st-25th
Goodies Given Away Every Day Totaling $550
It’s Christmas every day with this romantic Advent Calendar giveaway. Twenty-Five authors have teamed up to bring you over $550 worth of prizes. Every day another door opens and another giveaway chance for you to win!
Each day, return to the site to click on the calendar and open the door to another fantastic prize. Be swept away this holiday season by gripping romance, pampering treats, cozy gifts, and an amazing offer hidden inside the calendar.
The giveaway is sponsored by these wonderful authors:
Ellen Mint • Melissa McClone • Kara Kendrick • Jordyn Kross • Totally Entwined Group • Heather DiAngelis • Tracy Sumner • Seelie Kay • Kristian Parker • Tracy Krimmer • Cass Scotka • Kat Turner • S J Coles • Sara Ohlin • Karenna Colcroft • H.M. Shander • Katherine Grant • Charissa Gracyk • C. J. Burright • Serena James Chase • Robin Jeffrey • Megan Slayer • Ella J. Smyth • Rosanna Leo • V.J. Allison
Just go to https://ellenmint.blog/advent-calendar each day to see which author is giving away what awesome prize! My day is this Friday, December 15, in honor of my dad’s birthday.
I haven’t been feeling well this week and was struggling to think of something to post here. So I decided to share a cat picture. I volunteer at a local cat cafe, which was fictionalized in my novel Fill the Empty Spaces. (The humans who work at the cafe in the book bear no resemblance at all to the real-life humans, but the cats in the story are real cats who lived at the cafe at the time I was writing the book. Some of whom are still there.)
This is one of the newer cats at the cafe, and I absolutely love her. Despite her appearance, she is so lovable and cuddly, and she purrs so loudly you can hear her across the cafe!
Her appearance is also how I feel when I’m sick and trying to edit a book (I spent the week doing final edits on Tempeh for Two).
Enjoy Shaylee!
I grew up in Maine and lived there until 2009. During some of that time, I lived within 20 miles of the city of Lewiston. A city which is now internationally known for the worst, most painful of reasons. My heart and thoughts are with those affected by last week’s tragedy.
Do you want to see how Tobias Rogan became a werewolf and rose to become Alpha of Boston North Pack? Tobias’s origin story, Fresh Meat, is now available in PDF format for free!
Fresh Meat was originally published in 2012 by Featherweight Press, a children’s/young adult imprint of MLR Press. MLR was the original publisher of the Real Werewolves Don’t Eat Meat series, so when I decided to write Tobias’s story as a young adult novel, I approached Featherweight to publish it. Because at the time I was still trying to keep Karenna Colcroft *completely* separate from my young adult persona Jo Ramsey, the publisher and I agreed on the explanation that “Jo Ramsey” was a fan of “Karenna Colcroft” who’d gotten Karenna’s permission to write Tobias’s story. I’m outing myself now: Jo Ramsey and Karenna Colcroft are both me.
When I started rereleasing the Real Werewolves Don’t Eat Meat novels, I debated what to do with Fresh Meat. I wanted the story to be available, but currently I have no plans to self-publish my young adult stuff, since that’s a harder sell than romance. (I may reconsider that over time, but right now, I am focusing solely on romance.) But recently, as I realized I’d had the same giveaway short story for over a year, I decided to make Fresh Meat the new giveaway.
Until May 2024, the e-version of Fresh Meat, revised and re-edited, is available exclusively to those who sign up to receive it. Due to technology disagreeing with me, Fresh Meat is available only in PDF format. (The file is hosted through this website, and the website won’t allow me to upload EPUB format.) Fresh Meat does include content that is potentially triggering for some readers, so I have an alternative story available for those who want to sign up for my mailing list but don’t want to read Fresh Meat; instructions on how to get the alternate story are in the email you’ll receive when you sign up.
To get your copy of Fresh Meat (or the alternative short story “Christmas Eve Snow”), just fill out the brief form at https://karennacolcroft.com/get-your-free-story/. This will add you to my monthly newsletter list; you can unsubscribe at any time.
Tired of constant fighting at home, fifteen-year-old Tobias Rogan dreams of getting out. Of never having to care for his younger sisters again. Of living a life far from New Hampshire. And when Tobias meets Larry Denning, he believes he’s found his chance.
But in one afternoon, Tobias’s life is turned upside-down . Larry attacks him. Tobias awakens to find that he’s been changed into a werewolf. The local pack Alpha takes him in, and Tobias begins to adjust to his new life as the pack searches for Larry to punish him for breaking shifter law in changing a minor.
Then Larry changes another boy and dumps him at the Alpha’s home as a warning to Tobias. Tobias is no longer willing to wait for the pack to find Larry. He sets a plan in motion—a plan for revenge.
This book was previously published in 2012. This version has been revised and re-edited from the original. It includes an inappropriate relationship between a 15-year-old boy and a man who claims to be 22; on-page emotional abuse and an incident of physical abuse; an on-page though vaguely described incident of SA; and a werewolf killing another werewolf. Some readers may find this content triggering.
A few weeks ago, I started a new job. Within the first week, I realized it was more than I would be able to handle owing to the amount of physical involvement. I had told the employment agency I was hired through that I can’t do a lot of standing and walking, and yet they put me in a preschool classroom. If you know anything at all about preschool-aged kids, you know that sitting is not a thing adults get to do often when preschoolers are around! So after a week and a half of trying, I gave my notice and said I would stay until they found someone else, but that I wanted to be finished within two weeks.
It’s been a week and a half, and as of yesterday, they haven’t replaced me yet. I’ve been asked to work another full week. I agreed but told them very emphatically (and barely suppressing a couple of swear words) that I will do ONE AND ONLY ONE more week, and after that I don’t care if they’ve replaced me or not, my health is more important.
I love the kids I’m working with, and I get along well with ALL of the adults I’m working with. (Which is VERY rare for me; I struggle with social skills and social cues, and usually when I’ve had jobs in the past, I’ve been the odd one out and people either barely tolerated me or full-on bullied me. Yes, including jobs in public schools.) But I have physical and mental health conditions that mean this job simply isn’t a viable thing for me, and I’ve had to acknowledge that. Meanwhile, over the past week, at least four kids have come down sick, including one who was at school with an active fever. So I’m feeling kind of blah and seriously overtired and not really in the mood for writing the blog post I’d planned.
On Thursday, I’ll be releasing Fill the Empty Spaces! It will be available for Kindle, including Kindle Unlimited, and in paperback. This is one of the books that I’m planning to bring “wide” (in other words, available through a variety of sources) in spring 2024, but for the next six months or so, it will be Amazon exclusive. The Kindle preorder is live now. I’ll share more about the book and the psychopomp involved in it in my next post. Right now, I think I need a nap…
Over the coming weeks, I might be blogging less often. I have a lot of things happening in my personal life that are going to be taking time and attention, and since I have a finite amount of time and attention, I have to pull it from somewhere. Blogging is one of the things that might get less while I put more into the other stuff that’s happening. In related news, because of the other things happening as well as having paid attention to comments and thoughts from readers, I am likely to drop my newsletter back to once a month rather than the current twice-monthly mailing; I will still have two newsletters this month as I’ve agreed to host another author in the second August newsletter, but beginning in September I will probably do one newsletter per month plus a “bonus” issue for preorders.
In the next few months, I have to find a “day job,” which is a process I’ve been in for several months already with no results. All the people who say “No one wants to work anymore!” don’t seem to count those of us who *do* want to work but are physically and/or mentally unable to do certain jobs. (For example, I literally pass out if I’m on my feet for more than 30 minutes at a stretch, and sometimes 30 minutes is more than I can handle, which means any jobs that require me to stand without breaks–i.e. most retail and food service jobs–are out of the question for me.) But I’m continuing to job hunt and narrow things down to the junction of my skills/education and the jobs I’m physically and mentally capable of doing.
I’m also very likely to be moving to a new home within the next few months. There are a few factors behind this that I’d rather not go into right now, but let’s just say that while I do want to move to a quieter location (I live about 15 miles from Boston, Massachusetts, so a very urban area), *needing* to move and the timeline for moving are not entirely my choice or within my control. There are going to be a number of smaller changes involved in this big one, and in addition to the time and attention it will take, it’s going to take a lot of my mental/emotional bandwidth to handle everything. If you’ve ever moved, particularly from one state (U.S.) to another, you know that it isn’t always a simple process.
Through all of this, I am continuing to write and revise/re-edit and plan releases. I’m currently working on a novel with the working title of A Fighting Chance, which is the sequel to Chance Met (released in March of this year), and hope to have the first draft of that finished within the next couple of weeks; the book is tentatively planned for release in March 2024. I’m also at work on another round of edits for Fill the Empty Spaces, my new novel that is planned for release on October 12 of this year. I’m looking ahead to what I’ll be writing (or rewriting, or at least revising and re-editing) going forward into 2024, and I’ll make announcements about upcoming books as I firm up those plans.
I plan to still *try* to blog weekly, but life–and my mental and physical health–are my top priority. So if a week goes by without a blog post, that’s why.
And for something positive to end this post on, here’s a pair of cats.
