Things don't always work out the way we plan...

And that’s okay.

So, I blew through my publishing deadline for WPWA #5. Not happy about it, but things happen.

But the good thing is, I’m able to flesh some scenes out more than they were in the first draft. I also want to do some line editing.

So, I revised my plans, and here’s the new plan…
~August 6th-9th – Finish fleshing out scenes.
~August 10th-16th – Line Edits.
~August 17th-23rd – Run through ProWritingAid for SPELLING AND GRAMMAR CORRECTIONS ONLY.
~August 24th-30th – Design a cover, and get a copy to my Beta Girls.

I’m aiming for uploading to KDP on August 31st, and hopefully It’ll go live on September 1st.

I also want to get some words in my other WIP, but we’ll see. 

Still trying to get back on the horse...

And ride it until the horse's legs give out.

So, here we are, nearly 6 months into 2026, and the last 4 years haven't really gone the way I wanted them to, in regards to writing.

I'm not giving up though. If my mommy taught me anything, it was You can do anything you put your mind to and she was preaching 'Never Give Up.' long before it was one of John Cena's catchphrases.

That being said, Here’s what I have planned for the rest of 2026…

~PUBLISH WPWA BOOK #5
I’d say I’m somewhere about 65% done editing with this book. I actually wrote 'The End' right before Roman won against CM Punk on Night 2 of Wrestlemania this year, and began editing May 1st.
Once the chapter edits are finished, I will still need to do one last run-through, then run it through a proofreading service (for GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION EDITS ONLY) and design a cover.
So, I’m thinking I am going to publish around the middle of June.

~FINISH 'MALIBU'
This book was the one I started in 2022. In October 2022, I had a scene just bothering me. I mean, this scene was just SCREAMING at me... and I've always heard if something is SCREAMING at you, don't ignore it! So, with no plot notes or anything, I just started writing.
Over the course of 2023, 2024 and 2025, I fleshed this out a bit more and I am now sitting at about 13K+ words into this now-book. I've given up trying to formally plan this, so I'm hoping I don’t end up with some ugly plot holes. I pantsed one of my books and ended up with a GLARING plot hole I needed to fix after I published it.
I’m going to be finishing this in June, during PRIDE month. Again, when I finish it, Edits will be done the following month, aiming for pushing 'Publish' about 7-10 days after edits are completed.
So, I’m thinking I am going to publish around the end of July. I will say this scene/book deviates from my normal style of writing. However, I am NOT going to get another pen name for it. I plan to publish it as Daisy Loveless with HEAVY warnings that it’s not like my normal writing.

~PLOT 1 OR 2 MORE BOOKS
I have at least 15 more ideas that are nothing more than a few sentences… just enough to get the gist of the plot… plus a few more bouncing in the noggin. I’m halfway through planning one book (which is going to be the 2nd book in my Country music series) and I have a 6th book floating in the head, which will be another departure from my normal writing style. I plan to publish WPWA #6 as Daisy Loveless with HEAVY warnings that it’s not like my normal writing.
I'm not entirely sure if the 2nd Country music book will ever be completely plotted, much less written. I have a bit of Plotter’s Block with that one, but I also have two or three new ideas to play around with, counting the WPWA #6 idea.

~WRITE 120,000 WORDS
I only have ‘records’ back to 2020, where I wrote 80,000 words. 2021, I wrote over 115k words. My challenge for 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 was 120k words, but that never happened.
So, that’s my challenge for 2026… 120,000 words.
It SHOULD average out to 10,000 words a month, but with April, July and November taking 15,000 words each, it knocks the other months down to roughly 8350 words.
Totally doable, as long as I don’t slack off.

I also want to update this blog more, but I don’t want to make it into a full-blown goal, because I may slip up on this one.

I’m signing off for now. How you all have a great remainder of 2026! I’ll be in the writing cave, if you need me.

Time to get back on the horse...

And ride it until the horse's legs give out.

So, here we are, nearly 3 months into 2025, and the last 3 years haven't really gone the way I wanted them to, in regards to writing.

I'm not giving up though. If my mommy taught me anything, it was You can do anything you put your mind to and she was preaching 'Never Give Up.' long before it was one of John Cena's catchphrases
I’ve decided to put my mind to meeting my 2025 goals. 

That being said, Here’s what I have planned for the rest of 2025…

~FINISH WPWA BOOK #5
I’d say I’m somewhere between 70% and 75% done with this book. According to my notes, I have 4 more pages of plot notes to cover. I'm picking this up again this month, because WWE is in the thick of Wrestlemania season, and ever since Triple H took over, I’ve felt the love for the business coming alive again; it’s exciting again. It’s unpredictable (to a point) again. (TOTALLY did not see Cena's heel turn at the end on WWE Elimination Chamber, but here we are!)<--ADULT LANGUAGE IN THIS VIDEO -- DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
If I really apply myself, I can probably get this done by the end of April, if I REALLY push. I'd ideally like to be writing 'The End' right before Night 2 of Wrestlemania starts, but my muses don't always like to cooperate with me. So, I'm realistically aiming for April 30th.
When I finish it, Edits will be done the following month, aiming for pushing 'Publish' about 7-10 days after edits are completed.
So, I’m thinking I am going to publish around the end of May.

~FINISH 'MALIBU'
This book was the one I started in 2022. In October 2022, I had a scene just bothering me. I mean, this scene was just SCREAMING at me... and I've always heard if something is SCREAMING at you, don't ignore it! So, with no plot notes or anything, I just started writing.
Over the course of 2023 and 2024, I fleshed this out a bit more and I am now sitting at about 12,500+ words into this now-book. I've given up trying to formally plan this, so I'm hoping I don’t end up with some ugly plot holes. I pantsed one of my books and ended up with a GLARING plot hole I needed to fix after I published it.
I’m going to be finishing this in June, during PRIDE month. Again, when I finish it, Edits will be done the following month, aiming for pushing 'Publish' about 7-10 days after edits are completed.
So, I’m thinking I am going to publish around the end of July. I will say this scene/book deviates from my normal style of writing. However, I am NOT going to get another pen name for it. I plan to publish it as Daisy Loveless with HEAVY warnings that it’s not like my normal writing.

~PLOT 1 OR 2 MORE BOOKS
I have at least 15 more ideas that are nothing more than a few sentences… just enough to get the gist of the plot… plus a few more bouncing in the noggin. I’m halfway through planning one book (which is going to be the 2nd book in my Country music series) and I have a 6th book floating in the head, which will be another departure from my normal writing style. I plan to publish WPWA #6 as Daisy Loveless with HEAVY warnings that it’s not like my normal writing.
I'm not entirely sure if the 2nd Country music book will ever be completely plotted, much less written. I've been drawing AWAY from the muse, so I think that might end up being a permanently shelved book.

2025 is going to be the year I come back roaring.

As Bon Jovi says…

Oh, We’re halfway there…

So, we’re in July, and I should be sitting at roughly 60,000 words written this year.
Not counting this post, I’m at 27,447 words. I’m behind by 33,000ish words.

And a LOT of it is my fault. Mama Melissa has GTA V/Online and I play on her system, which cuts into what I could be using as writing time. And I admit that… but I’d be lying if the game isn’t a blast to play.

That being said, Here’s what I have planned for the rest of 2024…

~FINISH WPWA BOOK #5
I’d say I’m somewhere between 65% and 70% done with this book. According to my notes, I have 6 more pages of plot notes to cover. I'm picking this up again this month, because WWE is starting to shift into SummerSlam season, and ever since Triple H took over, I’ve felt the love for the business coming alive again; it’s exciting again. It’s unpredictable (to a point) again. If I really apply myself, I can probably get this done by the middle of August. When I finish it, Edits will be done the following month, aiming for pushing 'Publish' about 7-10 days after edits are completed.
So, I’m thinking I am going to publish around the end of September.

~FINISH 'MALIBU'
This book was the one I started in 2022. In October 2022, I had a scene just bothering me. I mean, this scene was just SCREAMING at me... and I've always heard if something is SCREAMING at you, don't ignore it! So, with no plot notes or anything, I just started writing.
Over the course of 2023 and 2024, I fleshed this out a bit more and I am now sitting at about 11,700+ words into this now-book. I've given up trying to formally plan this, so I'm hoping I don’t end up with some ugly plot holes. I pantsed one of my books and ended up with a GLARING plot hole I needed to fix after I published it.
I’m going to be finishing this in September, while I edit WPWA #5 (because editing takes WAY less time that writing). Again, when I finish it, Edits will be done the following month, aiming for pushing 'Publish' about 7-10 days after edits are completed.
So, I’m thinking I am going to publish around the end of October. I will say this scene/book deviates from my normal style of writing. However, I am NOT going to get another pen name for it. I plan to publish it as Daisy Loveless with HEAVY warnings that it’s not like my normal writing.

~PLOT 1 OR 2 MORE BOOKS
I have at least 15 more ideas that are nothing more than a few sentences… just enough to get the gist of the plot… plus a few more bouncing in the noggin. I’m halfway through planning one book (which is going to be the 2nd book in my Country music series) and I have a 6th book floating in the head, which will be another departure from my normal writing style. I plan to publish WPWA #6 as Daisy Loveless with HEAVY warnings that it’s not like my normal writing.

My Mommy taught me from a young child, You can do anything you put your mind to.
I’ve decided to put my mind to meeting my 2024 goals. 

Well, That didn't go as planned...

And that's okay.

So, I had a few goals for 2023…
~FINISH WPWA BOOK #5
~START ANOTHER BOOK
~PLOT 1 OR 2 MORE BOOKS

~WRITE 120,000 WORDS

Sadly, I met only 1 of those goals; I started another book.
Just when I thought the medical issues with my adoptive grandfather were calming down, he had a stroke in March and passed 7 weeks later. Everything dealing with the stroke and events leading up to his death really zapped a lot of my creative energy. I barely wrote over 48,000 words in 2023, which I think has been my worse year to date.
So, I’m calling 2023 my own ‘annus horribilis’ and taking it as a wash.

That being said, my goals for 2024 are
~FINISH WPWA BOOK #5
I’d say I’m somewhere between 50% and 60% done with this book. According to my notes, I have 7 more pages of plot notes to cover. I'll be picking this up again towards the end of January, to coincide with Wrestlemania season. If I really apply myself, I can probably get this done by the middle of April. When I finish it, Edits will be done the following month, aiming for pushing 'Publish' about 7-10 days after edits are completed.
So, I’m thinking I am going to publish around the end of May.

~FINISH 'MALIBU'
This book was the one I started in 2022. In October 2022, I had a scene just bothering me. I mean, this scene was just SCREAMING at me... and I've always heard if something is SCREAMING at you, don't ignore it! So, with no plot notes or anything, I just started writing.
Over the course of 2023, I fleshed this out a bit more and I am now sitting at about 8800 words into this now-book. I've given up trying to formally plan this, so I'm hoping I don’t end up with some ugly plot holes. I pantsed one of my books and ended up with a GLARING plot hole I needed to fix after I published it.
I will say this scene/book deviates from my normal style of writing. However, I am NOT going to get another pen name for it. I plan to publish it as Daisy Loveless with HEAVY warnings that it’s not like my normal writing.

~PLOT 1 OR 2 MORE BOOKS
I have at least 15 more ideas that are nothing more than a few sentences… just enough to get the gist of the plot… plus a few more bouncing in the noggin. I’m halfway through planning one book (which is going to be the 2nd book in my Country music series) and I want to get at least one more book planned this year.

~WRITE 120,000 WORDS
I only have ‘records’ back to 2020, where I wrote 80,000 words. 2021, I wrote over 115k words. My challenge for 2022 and 2023 was 120k words, but that never happened.
So, that’s my challenge for 2024 is once again… 120,000 words.
It SHOULD average out to 10,000 words a month, but with April, July and November taking 15,000 words each, it knocks the other months down to roughly 8350 words.
Totally doable, as long as I don’t slack off.

I also want to update this blog more, but I don’t want to make it into a full-blown goal, because I may slip up on this one.

I’m signing off for now. How you all have a great 2024!

Onwards to 2023!

So, I had a few goals for 2022…
~FINISH WPWA BOOK #4
~FINISH WPWA BOOK #5
~START ANOTHER BOOK
~PLOT 1 OR 2 MORE BOOKS
~KINDLE UNLIMITED
~WRITE 120,000 WORDS

Sadly, I met only 2 of those goals; I finished WPWA #4, which was named ‘Saving Declan,’ and I was able to get all my books into Kindle Unlimited.
The medical issues with my adoptive grandfather carried into a good portion of 2022 (including a few week-long stints in the hospital and a 2 month hospital stay at the end of March), and it really zapped a lot of my creative energy. I barely wrote over 50,000 words in 2022, which I think has been my worse year to date.
So, I’m calling 2022 my own ‘annus horribilis’ and taking it as a wash.

That being said, my goals for 2023 are

~FINISH WPWA BOOK #5
I’d say I’m somewhere between 50% and 60% done with this book. According to my notes, I have 7 more pages of plot notes to cover. If I really apply myself, I can probably get this done by the middle of February. When I finish it, Edits will be done the following month, aiming for pushing 'Publish' about 7-10 days after edits are completed.
So, I’m thinking I am going to publish around the end of March.

~START ANOTHER BOOK
This could go two ways. In October, I had a scene just bothering me. I mean, this scene was just SCREAMING at me... and I've always heard if something is SCREAMING at you, don't ignore it! So, with no plot notes or anything, I just started writing.
I am about 2600 words into this scene. I still want to formally plan this, so I don’t end up with some ugly plot holes. I pantsed one of my books and ended up with a GLARING plot hole I needed to fix after I published it.
I will say this scene/book deviates from my normal style of writing. However, I am NOT going to get another pen name for it. I plan to publish it as Daisy Loveless with HEAVY warnings that it’s not like my normal writing.
I also have a set of plot notes completed that have never been printed out, so I have them to fall back on, in case I get stuck in either a plotting file or one of my WIPs.

~PLOT 1 OR 2 MORE BOOKS
I have at least 15 more ideas that are nothing more than a few sentences… just enough to get the gist of the plot… plus a few more bouncing in the noggin. I’m halfway through planning one book (which is going to be the 2nd book in my Country music series) and I want to get at least one more book planned this year.

~WRITE 120,000 WORDS
I only have ‘records’ back to 2020, where I wrote 80,000 words. 2021, I wrote over 115k words. My challenge for 2022 was 120k words, but that never happened.
So, that’s my challenge for 2023… 120,000 words.
It SHOULD average out to 10,000 words a month, but with April, July and November taking 15,000 words each, it knocks the other months down to roughly 8350 words.
Totally doable, as long as I don’t slack off.

I also want to update this blog more, but I don’t want to make it into a full-blown goal, because I may slip up on this one.

I’m signing off for now. How you all have a great 2023!

2022 Plans...

 So, we're 17 days into 2022... What do I have planned for this year?

~FINISH WPWA BOOK #4

So, 'Malcolm' got changed to 'Declan,' which kinda fits more with the muse I was using for the HS flashback days. I'm REALLY close to finishing this one, but I ended up getting 'Writer's Burnout' from this book. I WANTED it done in November, but I blew the whole NaNoWriMo thing and wrote maybe 5000 words that month.

I also tried to finish it in December, but then I got sidelined the last week of the month with some medical issues with my adoptive grandfather (including 2 week-long stints in the hospital), and then I ended up with a BAD acid reflux flareup, all right for Christmas. I had to lay in bed all day, just so I didn't try to bring a lung up through my throat or vomit onto my keyboard. That was rough and I don't wish acid reflux on anyone.

I'm HOPING I can finish Declan and Skyler in February or March. Whatever month I finish it, Edits will be done the following month, aiming for pushing 'Publish' about 7-10 days after edits are completed.

~FINISH WPWA BOOK #5

As I said in November's update, Well, I'm happy to say I may have found another WPWA book.

Last year (2020), I started a Drew McIntyre fanfic, as a Thank you to my 'Beta Girls' for helping me when I get stuck and the like. It got shelved in May 2020 (after Camp NaNo) and never picked up again. It took me a few days to get an idea, but it's doable!! I think if I eliminate the 'Scottish accent' of Drew and make the character American born, the plot can still work!!

I'm working on those changes now. It's minor things, like turning Scottish dialect/dialogue into an American dialect and changing characters/names of events. There's not too many plot edits I actually need to do, so I'm HOPING once I get through the changes, I can actively start writing again.

I don't see this one being finished before April; I really don't. Like with WPWA Book #4, Whatever month I finish it, Edits will be done the following month, aiming for pushing 'Publish' about 7-10 days after edits are completed.

~START ANOTHER BOOK

I have another book all plotted that I plan to start as soon as WPWA Book #5 is finished. It's a 'Friends to Lovers' book and I'm really excited to start that one! A lot of flashbacks in that one, so that's going to be fun as well.

~PLOT 1 OR 2 MORE BOOKS

So, this video popped up on my YouTube recs page... It's of the 'Reunion' my HS band (Montrose Marching Unit) did in 2010. Not entirely sure why, but now I want to write a 'Marching Band/Second Chance' book with a drumline player and a Color Guard/Flag girl.
That's going to be fun to even plot, because I was NOT in Band or Color Guard. I was a Choir girl, so I'm not entirely sure how that's going to pan out. I have a feeling I'm going to be interviewing/messaging my HS friends who were in Color Guard for help!

I also have an idea of a sort of 'Arranged Marriage' book floating in the ol' noggin... Not really 'Forced,' because the MFC could say no at any time, but more of a 'arranged for the MFC's own good and the two MCs fall for one another.'

I'd be shocked if either one of these are published in 2022. If they are, it's going to be pushing December for a publishing date.

~KINDLE UNLIMITED

Right now, I only have Treat You Better in Kindle Unlimited. I did a test run the last 3 months of 2021, and forgot to remove it. So, instead of having to remember to take it out, I'm going to be moving ALL books to KU on MARCH 29, 2022. It will be easier for you to read my books that way.

So, those are my 2022 plans. And now? I'm going to go edit WPWA Book #5 some more!

The Best Thing about being a Writer...

This popped up on my Author Goodreads page...


I guess the best thing about being a Writer is...

Freedom.

I'm my own 'boss.' I don't have to answer to anyone else.

Having a bad day? Nope, not writing.

Plot not working for me? Okay, let's shelve it for a while; come back when the eyes (and mind) is fresh and I can think more clearly.

Writing about the things I like, and not what others think I need to write about? Sure can!

Deadlines? Only self-imposed, and I have the ability to move them as needed.

Sure, telling the stories are fun, and I love seeing the characters come alive with each keystroke...

But for me? The best part is the freedom to be able to write around MY schedule, whatever that may be!

November 2021 Update

So, with exactly 6 weeks left in 2021, (HOW is this even possible???) Let me give you a quick update.


Yes, I've answered this before, but I'm working on different things now.

So, What book are we talking about?

My Boyfriend's Best Friend was based on the love triangle between Matt Hardy, Amy Dumas, and Adam Copeland, all wrestlers for WWE at one point in their lives. While the plotline was based on that event, I just altered details and events to fit more into my vision and the WPWA universe.

As for currently, I'm writing another WPWA book, this time with Malcolm and Skyler. I've been working on this since September and I just hit 32K words over the weekend. I can easily see this hitting the 40-45K word mark.

I really want to finish this in November, so that I can work on other projects in December and give myself an easy month.

But, I actually have some good news... In last month's update, I wrote:
Sadly, I THINK this is the end of the WPWA universe, unless I am inspired by a storyline from the wrestling companies I watch and/or stay up to date with.

Well, I'm happy to say I may have found another WPWA book.

Last year, I started a Drew McIntyre fanfic, as a Thank you to my 'Beta Girls' for helping me when I get stuck and the like. It got shelved in May 2020 (after Camp NaNo) and never picked up again.

In October, I was setting up the writing binder to the page of notes I'm on, and I passed by my notes for the Drew fic I started last year...which got me wondering; Should I keep it as a fanfic for JUST my 'Beta Girls,' or change the names and publish it if/when it's done. It would give me a 5th WPWA book...

And I let it stew for a few days, just trying to think, How could I work it? It took me a few days to get an idea, but it's doable!! I think if I eliminate the 'Scottish accent' of Drew and make the character American born, the plot can still work!!

And so, the 5th WPWA is born!

So, How's the rest of 2021 looking, Daisy?

Like this...

NOVEMBER - Finish the Malcolm/Skyler book. I have 4 more printed pages of notes and 2 weeks to do this... which won't be too bad to do.

DECEMBER - Work a little on the 5th WPWA book and maybe plot another book or two.

Speaking of Malcolm & Skyler, I'm off to visit with them!

Daisy

October Update

So, I've been wanting to do this post for a few weeks, and I keep getting sucked into my book.

So, here's an 'Ask The Author' from Goodreads...

Currently, I'm writing another WPWA book, this time with Malcolm and Skyler. I've been working on this since September and I just hit 20K words over the weekend.

This book is pretty much writing itself. I wracked up nearly 6K of those words last week alone (which is HUGE for me, because I type slow)

Sadly, I THINK this is the end of the WPWA universe, unless I am inspired by a storyline from the wrestling companies I watch and/or stay up to date with.

Which is fine... I have *17* other ideas to write. Although, some may be tossed, because they were fanfic ideas, and I'm not sure I can convert them to not be fanfic, unless they also become WPWA books. I MAY be able to combine 2 ideas into one, if I play my cards right.

Even so, that leaves about 10 workable plots to use...

And that doesn't count the few that have flown into my head the past few days.

Even though the WPWA book is pretty much writing itself, I don't expect to publish it before 2022. It's still untitled, and I can't publish it without a title.

Kind of disappoints me, but C'est la vie.

But I do plan to keep writing.

Signing off to go do that,

Daisy

I'm still standing...

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah...

Daisy here. So, I've been busy since the last time we 'talked.'

I've published two books, Treat You Better and My Boyfriend's Best Friend.

I've plotted two more. One's being written right now, one I'm eyeing to start for NaNoWriMo, but I do not OFFICIALLY participate in NaNoWriMo.

I tried that one year and I was just so overly stressed that... it wasn't fun.

NaNoWriMo is supposed to be fun and enjoyable. But I was so stressed about trying to make the 1667 daily word count goal (and failing every day) that I SWORE I'd never try to do it again.

And I never have.

I still write in November, but I don't aim for the NaNoWriMo word goal.

So, what's going on for the rest of 2021?

I'm not 100% sure. I'd LOVE to get one more book published... and if the one I'm currently writing keeps working the way it is, That's totally doable.

But I do plan to keep writing.

Signing off to go do that,
Daisy

Change of Plans...

 No, I am not quitting.

When I set out on my journey, I had plans of keeping all my books free. I write for fun and I wasn't concerned with the income.

I knew Amazon and Barnes & Noble/Nook Press were going to be my biggest Marketplaces, So I started self-publishing through them.

What I really liked about Nook Press (Barnes & Noble's Self-publishing platform) was the ability to make my books permanently free, or 'perma-free.' However, KDP does NOT give that option. If I want my books to be free on Amazon, I need to email them, provide the URLs to my books on the B&N site, and HOPE Amazon would price-match.

And... for the MOST part, they did. I only had to email Amazon once and the price was set to $0.00. For the LONGEST time, Amazon wouldn't touch the price either.

And then... I decided to publish 'Savior.' This was the ONLY book I actually wanted to sell, with all proceeds going to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Joe Anoa'i (WWE's Roman Reigns) was the muse for 'Markus' and I wanted to support him.

After that is when my pricing issues began.

It seemed like I had to contact Amazon much more often to 'reset' one (or more) of my books to $0.00. It got to the point where I was contacting them every other week.

While yes, they WOULD reset the price of the book, it became a pain to having to constantly contact them. And every reply they sent me would say the same thing... 'We retain discretion over determining our retail prices.'

Due to this, It seems I CANNOT have my books be 'perma-free' on Amazon. 

Right now, 4 of my 7 books sit at $0.99, even though I have asked them to keep all but 1 book at $0.00.

Therefore, as of MAY 1, 2021, all books on Amazon will be $0.99.

Also, as of MAY 31, 2021, all books will become Amazon-exclusive. My sales on Barnes & Noble do not justify leaving them on their platform. I'm not 100% sure if I will be putting them into Kindle Unlimited, but my books will ONLY be available on Amazon after that date.

Review - ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid Review

DISCLAIMER: Usually, I don’t do reviews on here, but this is a product I use quite a bit and love.

Being an Indie author with a nearly $0 editing budget, that leaves the editing part of the writing process up to me. Good thing I was an English buff. I have a decent to excellent sense of the English language and I know my way around a word processor. Over the past 30 years, I’ve used a LOT of word processors, ranging from ClarisWorks/AppleWorks in the early 1990s to Microsoft Works in the late 1990s to OpenOffice in the 2000s. I’ve even used Google Docs as my word processor when I was using a Chromebook.

But the one thing those word processors did NOT have built in was an actual grammar checker. As I said above, it’s a good thing I was an English buff in school. Anything to do with grammar, I excelled at. But, there are even some rules I’m not sure of… whether that be because I’m rusty at the rules (I’ve been out of school for 20+ years at this point) or my school’s curriculum decided my knowing Romeo’s soliloquy by heart was more important that grammar rules.

In the writing world, this is where an editor would step in and correct my grammar faux pas, and tightening up my writing. But, editors are pricey... Being an Indie author with a nearly $0 editing budget, that leaves the editing part of the writing process up to me.

Enter ProWritingAid.

What I like most about ProWritingAid is the plethora of options it has for usage. The company offers a standalone desktop app, which integrates with the Microsoft Office suite of apps, Google Docs, Scrivener, OpenOffice, and Final Draft. They also offer browser extensions (compatible with Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari browsers), so if you’re more of a Cloud-based author, you can still use their product.

Another feature I LOVE is the reports. ProWritingAid offers 20 original reports to help me see my errors and to also see my strengths.


My favorite report is the ‘Real Time’ report.


This shows me where my errors are, and I can fix them right on the go. That helps me so much because I’m usually editing right before I send the file to my ‘Beta Girls.’ I like my work to be as polished as possible.

Another report I’m fond of is the Readability Report. It tells me how easy my writing is. As a Romance author, I know my readers are looking for an escape from real life; a vacation from life, so to speak. So, I want to keep my writing easy to read and understand. The Readability Report helps me ensure that my readers won’t be left scratching their heads.


I’ve used other web-based grammar checkers in the past, and they worked fine. But between privacy issues and missing errors other checkers have picked up, I constantly go back to ProWritingAid for its ease of use and reliability. In fact, I ran this review through ProWritingAid before posting it.

But don’t take my word for it. Go check out some of their YouTube videos. Read some of their articles… there’s over 1000 articles to choose from. Take a free two-week trial of their software integrations.

Simply go to this link to register: https://prowritingaid.com/en/Account/Register2

Writing plans...

Hi guys, Daisy here... How are we all holding up with the lockdowns/quarantines?

Me personally? I self-quarantine most of the month anyway, so this is not really affecting me all that much. More time for writing! So there is a plus side to it.

It's also given me time to come up with my writing plans for the next 4 months.

So, These are my 'tentative' plans up until July...

April's Camp Nano - WWE Drew Fic (Will NOT be published except for friends). I'm over 9000 words in this file, so I'm making progress.
May - Edits of Treat You Better and My Brother's Enemy, plus Plotting for July's Camp Nano
JuNoWriMo - Finish whatever HASN'T been finished by then
July's Camp Nano - Another WPWA book, this time with Malcolm and Skyler

I'm still planning to publish Treat You Better and My Brother's Enemy this year. I'm going to be publishing a short story this week.

I'll be back when the story is published; in the meantime, stay home, stay safe, stay healthy.

Writing is not a race, nor a competition...

After losing 3K+ words on January's project, I took the remainder of January off and in February, I returned to the book I started in November. I was renewed in it, having given it a few months to 'simmer and stew,' so I could look at it with fresh eyes.

And then my muses had other plans.

They are fine with two of the names, Aubree and Logan. But, they wanted to free up Jarrett to use him in another book.

which isn't too much work. Just a lot of 'Find and Replace' commands in LibreOffice. But it's thinking of a new name that had me stumped. I wanted to keep 'true' to the muses, but something that won't get me into some serious hot water.

Considering who the Original Jarrett was based on, I toyed with the idea of just using a spelling variation of his on-screen name. But there is already another wrestler with a similarly spelled name, even with the variation I had planned.

And I surely don't need a Billionaire Owner and CEO coming after me for trying to steal his intellectual property. Nope, not on my to-do list.

Between one of my 'Beta Girls' and a fellow author in a group I'm in, I figured out how to keep that Billionaire Owner and CEO off my case AND honor one of my sisters on my Daddy's side.

Why I didn't think of this earlier is beyond me! My pen name is honoring my deceased BFF, so why didn't I think of honoring my deceased family?

I'm very grateful for their help. If it wasn't for those ladies, I'd still be stuck. We should be willing to help others when the opportunity arises.

In my 40 years on this earth, I have seen too many times when people have tried to hurt one another, just to get ahead. I understand, everyone wants to be 'Top Dog' in their chosen career, but not by being vindictive. Why? Why do this? It just reflects badly on the vindictive one, no one else.

Before I became an author, I dabbled in freelance graphic design (self-taught) on a journaling site and product review blogging. Both 'careers' had very selfish and conceited people in them. While doing the freelance graphic design, I asked a fellow designer (or 'maker,' as they were called on the site) how she did a certain technique. She never answered me. I don't know if she didn't want the competition or she didn't like me, but she could have at least said, 'I'd rather not answer.'

As a product reviewer, I met someone that had experience in PR work for 5+ years helping me, saying she knew 'what companies were looking for in reviews/influencer marketing.' Turns out she really didn't and my pitch acceptance rate dropped significantly after she had me rewrite my pitch letter. Again, I'm not sure if she did this intentionally or if I was just in the wrong niche.

But, the writing community is full of helpful people, willing to advise and guide you correctly.

This is why I say Writing is not a race, nor a competition... We're all heading in the same direction. There are so many different genres of books. Why not help fellow authors?

You may just make a friend in the end.

This is the story of a girl...

Who just did something REALLY stupid!

I run Linux Mint 19.1, and I had a kernel update today. Every time I have a kernel update, I usually back up my blogging folder and my book writing folder, just as a precautionary measure.

Well, as I'm prepping my backup, I'm talking with my 'Mama Melissa' about some things going on in the house and I deleted the WRONG copies of the files. And when I say 'deleted,' I don't mean just move to the trash. I mean 'Delete forever' deleted.

Everything I had written/done in the last 3 weeks... GONE.

I started getting upset and nervous... I wanted my files back!!

Ran a few programs... nope. Those files were GONE gone.

And then... I sat back, sighed HEAVILY and regrouped myself. This wasn't a big deal, truthfully speaking.

Technically, I lost about 3000+ words in my stepbrother story...which, honestly? Is fine. I wasn't really liking the way it was going, if I'm being completely real with myself. It was moving WAY too fast and away from the visions I had in my head. Kinda mad I lost an AWESOME 'oral' scene... probably one of the BEST I've ever written, but I'll live. I can probably re-write it, even BETTER (if that's possible), somewhere else.

I also lost an edited story that should have gone to my girls last weekend, but that's easily re-editable. Again, I'll live.

BUT the upswing? I still have the entirety of my 'NaNoWriMo' file and I'm pretty sure I have the entirety of the fanfic I was working on in December. So I can STILL pick up with Aubree, Jarrett and Logan again in February. ALL IS NOT LOST!!

So, What have I learned from all this?
a. Watch what you're doing when backing up.
b. Back up often
c. Back up to an online storage site, like Google Drive or OneDrive.

My 2020 Plan

Hi all, Daisy here.

So... The last time we talked, I mentioned I had a manuscript I wanted to publish in December, but I was thinking of doing major edits to the manuscript, because I'm leary of using song titles in the text.

I also needed to do the cover for this as well.

Sadly, neither of these happened in December, mainly because of the holidays and being busy with them. I plan to get everything done this week and publish it by the end of January.

Well, what about the rest of 2020, Daisy?

First and foremost, I'm planning to do the two Camp Nanowrimo sessions, In both April and July. These are when the bulk of my writing gets accomplished.

As far as what I'll be writing, I haven't even figured that out. I have plenty of ideas... I have a rockstar baby plot brewing, plus a Frat Boys/College romance series planned.

However, I want to finish the book I started in November 2019. I plan to pick this one up in February and it will more than likely carry me through March. It will be wrestling-based and probably be familiar to longtime wrestling fans.

Yay for writing, but what about what you're going to publish?

Oh! Well, I have two manuscripts completed, Treat You Better and My Brother's Enemy. They just need editing.

Treat You Better is a Wrestling/Country Star romance (trust me, it's not as confusing as it sounds), while My Brother's Enemy is set in the same universe as Savior. As of right now... I have 3 books set in the WPWA universe. I have to recheck my notes to see if there are any more that will be set in the WPWA universe.

I plan to publish those two books, along with 'stripperstory' and the book started in November 2019.

So, I'm looking to DEFINITELY publish 4 books in 2020. Any more than that will just be a bonus for me.

So, that's my 2020 plan. I thank you for coming along for the ride.

And she lives!

Yes, I still live!

2019 has been a whirlwind for me. It seems like the older I get, the faster years fly. It's like I went to sleep on Valentine's Day and here it is, going into December!

I have one more book to actually publish this year... and I'm thinking of publishing the file called 'stripperstory.'

I am thinking of doing major edits to the manuscript, because I'm leary of using song titles in the text.

I also have to do the cover for this as well.

Everything shouldn't take long to do, honestly.

So, what about 2020, Daisy?

I have plenty of ideas... I have a rockstar baby plot brewing, plus a Frat Boys/College romance series planned. Those will probably take me through most of 2020.

I also want to finish the book I'm working on now.

That sounds great and all, but what about what you're going to publish?

Oh! Well, I have two manuscripts completed, Treat You Better and My Brother's Enemy.

Treat You Better is a Wrestling/Country Star romance (trust me, it's not as confusing as it sounds), while My Brother's Enemy is set in the same universe as Savior. As of right now... I have 3 books set in the WPWA universe. (I thought it was 4, but looking over my notes it's actually only 3 books)

I plan to publish those two books, along with the book I'm working on now.

So, I'm looking to DEFINITELY publish 3 books in 2020. Any more than that will just be a bonus for me.

Once I get these plans nailed down, I'll tell you more.

Bye for now!

Ask the Author - 03.18.19

Ask the Author

Over on Goodreads, they have a 'segment' called "Ask The Author." Since I only have 2 followers over there, my personal GR account and my friend/boss, I screenshotted the question and decided to bring it here.

If another Goodreads question catches my eye, I'll bring it here!


What book are we talking about?

If we mean my most recent release, The Six Month Arrangement, that came pretty much from left field. I was reminiscing about an ex-fiance and wondered how much different my life would be if we had married. And while an ex coming back into your life and saying, 'Hey, we're still engaged.' really has no clout, saying you're still married to your ex and you're not willing to sign the divorce papers without one final try does.

As far as 'Erick' and his actions, He was 'inspired' by an ex of mine. (Yes, I draw a LOT from my personal life) While he never used me as a wedding planner for another girl and himself, some of the things Tawny said Erick told her were actually said by this ex.

Well, what about your WIPs?

Currently, I have 3 WIPs going...
~Pinky Promise
This was my Camp NaNoWriMo project for July 2018. This was inspired by planning my 20th high school reunion. I had gotten a BLIP of a scene of two best friends writing a 'contract' up. The rest just kind of flowed to make the blip be possible AND make sense. I'd say I'm 80-85% done with this one.

~My NaNoWriMo '18 project (Currently untitled)
This started out as my first actual NaNoWriMo attempt in November 2018. To be honest, this was not my original NaNoWriMo plot; this plot was stuffed into my ideas list and kept being shelved for other plots. I actually had another plot all ready to go. I was so pumped to write that plot (and still plan to at some point)…
And then, Fate stepped in and said, “Nope!”
Everything changed on the night of October 22, 2018… The night Joe Anoa’i AKA Roman Reigns announced his leukemia had returned.
It was like a calling inside me; a light switch flipped. This plot was just SCREAMING at me... and I've always heard if something is SCREAMING at you, don't ignore it!
So, with 8 days away from NaNoWriMo, everything was changed. New research had to be done. New names thought of. It was like I was starting fresh.
And I wouldn’t have done a single thing differently.
Even though Roman has now returned to action, I still plan on finishing this one up soon.

~The Stripper Story (Currently untitled)
Oh, boy.
Okay, so about 10 days ago (as of this writing), I had a dream about Roman Reigns as a stripper/male exotic dancer and 'climbing him like a telephone pole.' I was getting into a rut with Pinky Promise and my NaNoWriMo'18 project, so I decided to take what I remembered from the dream and expand it.
It's actually titled 'stripperstory' on my hard drive.
This is probably going to be a short story, no more than 10,000 words, and an HFN ending.

Inspiration comes in many forms; you just need to be able to see them.

Upcoming books

When 2019 began, I promised myself I would publish 3 books this year... Not that I would write, but that I would publish.

So far, I actually have 4 books planned for this year...
~The Six Month Arrangement
This book took 3 long years to write, mainly because the muses kept leaving me hanging for months on end. I pushed myself in December 2018 and finished it with 3 days to spare before 2019.
This is now sitting in my beta readers' hands, and if ALL goes well, I'll be publishing it March 1, 2019.

~Pinky Promise
This was my Camp NaNoWrimo project for July 2018. I'd say I'm 80-85% done with this one. I'm planning to finish this up in March and have it to my beta readers by May. I'm aiming for a July 1, 2019 release, but that MAY be pushed back a bit.

~My NaNoWrimo '18 project (Currently untitled)
This started out as my first actual NaNoWriMo attempt in November 2018. I knew going into this, I was not going to hit the 50,000 word mark. But I was fine with that.
As of the date of this post, I'm actually also still writing this one, sitting at around 70% of this one being done. I wouldn't plan on seeing this one until LATE 2019, as I really don't know when this one will be finished. I may just hit the 50,000 mark with this one, or pretty close to it, as I still have 3 more 'plot points' I want to hit.
I'd also like to point out that while all of my books will be PERMA-FREE, This one will NOT BE FREE. Due to the muse of this book, I plan to actually SELL this book (probably at $1.99) and donate ALL proceeds to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

~My Camp NaNoWrimo April '19 project (Currently untitled)
I have a little over 500 words written in an OLD fanfic I began maybe 5 years ago, if not longer. I have plans of dusting it off, changing the characters to original characters (because, you know, copyright laws and such) and expand it to at least a novella length.
Again, I wouldn't plan on seeing this one until LATE 2019 if not EARLY 2020, as I really don't know when this one will be finished. Some 'plot points' are going to be super-sticky as far as 'age issues' go, so this DEFINITELY won't be finished in April.

IF I can squeeze another book or two in, great. But these are the ones I plan to finish in 2019.