Tag: monthly goals

new blog post: november 2025 wrap-up post November 2025 Wrap-Up Post
Monthly Review

November 2025 Wrap-Up Post

Kara JorgensenLeave a comment

November has been one of those weirdly pleasant months where I start to question whether I haven’t been paying attention or if it was actually good. In the US, it feels like the tide is starting to turn, which has bolstered my spirits, and the holidays are approaching rapidly (for better or worse). Here were my goals for November:

  • Write 25,000 words
  • Reread and edit act 2
  • Read 8 books
  • Blog weekly
  • Send out my newsletter
  • Cover reveal (hopefully)
  • Keep up with grading
  • Finish Christmas shopping

Books

My goal was to read 8 books, and I read exactly 8.

  1. Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher- 4 stars, a quirky tale of goblins in the midst of an endless war against humans and elves who get transported into the middle of enemy territory only to run into a veterinarian elf and a mass murdering human.
  2. Network Effect (#5) by Martha Wells- 4 stars, since this is the middle of the Murder Bot Diaries series, I won’t give too much away, but I absolutely love Murderbot. They are the autistic robot I love the most, and in this volume, he is forced to fight for the people he loves, grapple with his own feelings, but have no fear because ART is back!
  3. Snake Eater by T. Kingfisher- 5 stars, a tale of desert folklore where a woman runs away from her old life only to quickly become a member of a small town inhabited by oddballs, demi gods, and desert spirits who are willing to kill for what they want.
  4. The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish- 4 stars, The Holiday but gay. A Jewish woman from a small town swaps houses with a man from New Orleans who found out his boyfriend had a secret family. They find out their lives could be so much richer if they can get out of their bubble and yearn for more. Absolutely loved it.
  5. Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher- 5 stars, a princess turned convent-dweller turned woman on a mission gathers a group of unlikely heroes, including a demonic chicken and a bone dog, to save her sister and her kingdom. I really love T. Kingfisher’s books, and this one was my favorite I read this month of hers.
  6. Lovers at the Museum by Isabel Allende- 3 stars, someone recommended this to me, and while it had an air of magical realism x Piranesi, I found it a little heavy handed for my taste.
  7. The Long Game (#4) by Ann Leckie- 4 stars, a very weird short story about an alien slug (?) who is trying to extend his life and better the lives of his people while dealing with the large and complex world of humans.
  8. Just Out of Jupiter’s Reach (#5) by Nnedi Okorafor- 4 stars, a short story about seven people who leave earth for 10 years in order to get millions of dollars and bond with a genetically engineered spaceship. Intriguing and weird but with surprising depth for such a small package.

Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff

  • Wrote a lot
  • Edited all of Act 1 again
  • Edited all of Act 2 part 1 again
  • Stayed on top of grading
  • Ran a sale/book bundle
  • My partner came out to my mom and extended family
  • Finished my Christmas shopping
  • Started working on my 2026 goals
  • Voted in my state’s gubernatorial election (dems won, yay!)
  • Had to pay for my meds out of pocket (boo)

Blog

Writing

This month went oddly smoothly with my writing. I feel like I hit my stride with my energy levels until the very end of the month when I mildly crashed a bit around Thanksgiving. I am trying to listen to my body and back off when necessary. I decided to do some editing instead, and I am pleased to report that the beginning of the book is in surprisingly good shape (yay). I’m really hoping that this trend of smooth writing continues into December, so I can wrap this book up without too much chaos. Wish me luck in that regard, but at least the semester is ending soon.

Hopes for December

  • Finish writing the book
  • Edit Act 2 part 2
  • Read 8 books
  • Send out newsletter
  • Wrap presents
  • Blog weekly
  • Post grades/finish grading
  • Set up Q1 and 2026 goals
new blog post: october 2025 wrap-up post October 2025 Wrap-Up Post
Monthly Review

October 2025 Wrap-Up Post

Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

October has been productive yet anti-climactic. It’s been one of those months where things weren’t bad, but they weren’t particularly good either. I’ve been trying to enjoy the small things more, like the leaves changing and spending time with my partner and pets. And, of course, writing. Let’s look at my goals for October again:

  • Write 20,000 words
  • Keep up with grades
  • Maintain my mental health
  • Make a dent in Christmas shopping
  • Read 8 books
  • Blog weekly
  • Send out my monthly newsletter
  • Cover reveal??

Books

My goal was to read 8 books, and I read 11 in October.

  1. Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake- 4 stars, a sapphic second chance romance between childhood sweethearts set against a Hallmark style holiday matchmaking event. Of all of Blake’s books, I think this is my favorite so far, mostly due to the complexity of the characters.
  2. Magically Generated by Jackie Lau- 4 stars, a cynical woman and a sunshine man are neighbors in the same building, and she soon learns that not only is he jolly but that he is making ice sculptures all over the city in an unbelievable way.
  3. Queer as Folklore by Sacha Coward- 5 stars, a nonfiction book where the origins of folktales are examined for their queer roots. I loved how this book covered a wide spectrum of creatures and groups, including but not limited to vampires, werewolves, mermaids, pirates, and more much.
  4. A Mouthful of Dust (#6) by Nghi Vo- 5 stars, Cleric Chih reaches a town known for its pork noodles only to find a story about a past famine is far more disturbing than they bargained for. This pairs very well with Eaters of the Dead by Kevin Wetmore.
  5. Cinder House by Freya Marske- 5 stars, a Cinderella retelling where the titular character is a ghost compelled to clean who decides to have one last hurrah as a human and accidentally finds herself in a poly relationship.
  6. What Stalks the Deep (#3) by T. Kingfisher- 5 stars, this book reminded me so much of Jordan L. Hawk’s Widdershins books. Our sworn soldier is summoned to America to help an old friend only to face down monsters in a creepy mine.
  7. Smell by Nagabe- 4 stars, Nagabe’s work is almost always erotic, just as a heads-up. This one is two dogs with a smell kink. Yes, it’s weird. Yes, I still enjoyed it.
  8. The Moon on a Rainy Night (#7) by Kuzushiro- 4 stars, this is a sapphic YA series featuring a hard of hearing character. The girls finally get to put on their chorus performance and work at a maid cafe at school. It’s a very cute episode where we get to see them shine and support each other.
  9. Lore Olympus (#9) by Rachel Smythe- 4 stars, Persephone’s trial is over, and she and Hades are trying to start their life together, only Demeter is once again making things difficult.
  10. The Ancient Magus’s Bride (#21) by Kore Yamazaki, 4 stars, we are beginning a new arc here involving dragons. I really liked this volume as it brought back some older characters. I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.
  11. My Twisted Eating Disorder by Nagata Kabi- 4 stars, Kabi’s work is autobiographical and deals with her many mental health struggles as someone with an addictive personality. I would not recommend this volume if anyone has an eating disorder as it may be triggering, but it was interesting to see inside someone’s mind as they struggle with it.

Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff

  • Mostly worked on The Reanimator’s Fate
  • Caught up on my bookkeeping
  • Worked with my cover designer on the TRF cover
  • Worked on managing my stress better
  • Spent a lot of time with my partner (see bullet point above, lol)
  • My oldest dog had a seizure (he’s okay, but it was scary)
  • Voted in the NJ gubernatorial election
  • Pulled off a successful event at work with my students
  • Graded a shit ton of papers
  • Dealt with repairmen

Blogs

Writing

I don’t want to jinx it, but writing went well in October. I managed to untangle an issue I was having and make a chunk of The Reanimator’s Fate much more focused and less clunky than I had originally planned. I don’t want to give too much away, but I really like the arc in this book, especially the emotional one. Poor Felipe is going through it, as is Oliver. It’s going to be a rough one for the boys, but they will come out of it far stronger by the end. And Gwen also plays an important role in this story as well (since I know so many of you love Gwen like I do).

Hopes for November

  • Write 25,000 words
  • Reread and edit act 2
  • Read 8 books
  • Blog weekly
  • Send out my newsletter
  • Cover reveal (hopefully)
  • Keep up with grading
  • Finish Christmas shopping
new blog post: september 2025 wrap-up post September 2025 Wrap-Up Post
Monthly Review

September 2025 Wrap-Up Post

Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

I don’t know about anyone else, but September was the month of chaos for me. Between random family stuff, a bunch of medical appointments, and other things beyond my control, I felt like I was pulled in ten different directions this month. At the same time, I do feel like I did decently but not on my goals for September. Let’s take a look at what they were.

  • Write 20,000 words of TRF
  • Work more on F&F rewrite
  • Set up my goals for Q4
  • Cover reveal
  • Set up preorder for TRF
  • Stay on top of grading
  • Read 8 books
  • Blog weekly
  • Send out newsletter

Books

My goal was to read 8 books, and I read exactly 8.

  1. A Letter from the Lonesome Shore (#2) by Sylvie Cathrall- 4 stars, the final book in a duology set beneath the sea and told through letters and other found objects. It’s a really cool idea, and I absolutely love the main characters. At the same time, some of the characters come off as juvenile or weirder than they’re meant to.
  2. The Dragon’s Promise (#3) by Elizabeth Lim- 4 stars, the second half of Six Crimson Cranes follows the main characters are they reclaim their positions and figure out how to untangled their world from promises made with dragons. I loved the glimpses of history we get from this book and how they tie to the prequel book.
  3. Eaters of the Dead by Kevin J. Wetmore Jr.- 5 stars, a fantastic nonfiction book about how cannibalistic monsters tie back to death rites, famine, and other sociological causes. It was incredibly interesting and very useful if you are someone who is into why monsters appear and how they fit into our history.
  4. Her Radiant Curse (#0) by Elizabeth Lim- 4 stars, this feels more like a third book than a prequel. It needs to be read after The Dragon’s Promise to avoid spoilers for that series. I think I actually liked this better than the other two books in the series. Lim does a fantastic job weaving in folklore into fantasy.
  5. Conquering Writer’s Block by K. M. Weiland- 4 stars, useful for people who need a little reminder as to what is important how to untangle ourselves from brain chaos and doubt. For someone who has been writing for a long time, it’s nothing you don’t already know, but I do think hearing these things and refreshing our memories with a less than a hundred page book can make it worth it and useful when floundering.
  6. The Summer War by Naomi Novik- 5 stars, a book about sibling relationships, ineffectual parents, and how people need to stick together to create a better future. I especially loved how one of the main themes/messages is that leaving anyone behind means leaving everyone behind.
  7. A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher- 4 stars, a creepy rather than scary horror book about a house haunted by familial expectation. Really creepy and deliciously soft yet ghoulish (as many of T. Kingfisher’s books are). It probably won’t do it for diehard horror fans, but for chickens like me, it was great.
  8. To Clutch a Razor (#2) by Veronica Roth- 4 stars, a novella about dealing with familial trauma, revenge, and how to make things right. I absolutely LOVE this series and how it combines folklore and modern settings.

Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff

  • Set up the preorder for The Reanimator’s Fate
  • Made my goals for Q4
  • Set up my kanban board for Q4
  • The Reanimator’s Remains won in 3 categories of the Indie Ink Awards
  • Created a retroactive outline for The Reanimator’s Fate as I work on it
  • Did celebratory sushi for morale
  • Got my flu and covid shots
  • Got my car inspected and got my partner’s ID done
  • Paid Q2 author taxes
  • Went to my specialist appoint (just a refill, I’m fine)
  • Took my partner for blood work and doctor appointments
  • Dealt with family health stuff (partner’s, not mine but you know how it is)
  • Stayed on top of my grade… yay *laugh-sob*

Blogs

Writing

Writing this month was equal parts productive and chaotic. I had weeks where things went really well, but toward the end of the month, things went rapidly downhill due to external family chaos and a week full of appointments between me and my partner. I think I would have done better if we didn’t have so much crammed so close together, and as an autistic person, it’s really hard for me to do anything before an appointment and I often need to decompress after an appointment. It just takes the life out of me, as does unpredictable things that have to be done to help someone else. The Reanimator’s Fate has been going well, even with a week of no writing, and I’m really excited having it come out in late January. It will definitely be done by then, *knock on wood*.

Hopes for October

  • Write 20,000 words
  • Keep up with grades
  • Maintain my mental health
  • Make a dent in Christmas shopping
  • Read 8 books
  • Blog weekly
  • Send out my monthly newsletter
  • Cover reveal??

new blog post: august 2025 wrap-up post August 2025 Wrap-Up Post
Uncategorized

August 2025 Wrap-Up Post

Kara JorgensenLeave a comment

August has simultaneously been the longest month and still flown by very quickly. This is probably because the semester started again for me this past week, which always makes the month feel a bit chaotic. Before we get into it, let’s get into what my goals were for August:

  • Write 20,000 words of TRF
  • Get my book cover stuff in order for TRF
  • Attempt to work on the F&F rewrite
  • Make my syllabi for my classes
  • Set up my Blackboards for my classes
  • Read 8 books
  • Blog weekly
  • Send out newsletter

Books

My goal was to read 8 books, and I read 9 this month.

  1. The Memory of the Ogisi (#3) by Moses Ose Utomi- 4 stars, this was the conclusion of the Forever Desert series. It was incredibly interesting to see the cycle fully completed and how it relates to the earlier books. Highly recommend if you want a series of novellas that talks about how history is written by the victor and how that affects the future.
  2. The Shortest History of the Dinosaurs by Riley Black- 4 stars, an incredibly thorough yet short(ish) book on the history of the dinosaurs. I love a good overview, and Riley Black does a fantastic job of covering a lot in a way that feels like storytelling rather than info dumping. It makes nonfiction far more palatable.
  3. All Systems Red (#1) by Martha Wells- 4 stars, I’m going to lump the whole series into this one review because I don’t want to give away spoilers, and I think most of the reviews will be similar. I often find robot autistics to be off-putting, but Murderbot being autistic and asexual just hits for me. The poor thing just wants to be left alone to watch their dramas and chill, yet humans continually need savings and feelings keep coming whether they want them or not.
  4. Artificial Condition (#2) by Martha Wells- 4 stars, see book one.
  5. Rapport (#2.5) by Martha Wells- 4 stars, see book one.
  6. Rogue Protocol (#3) by Martha Wells- 4 stars, see book one.
  7. Exit Strategy (#4) by Martha Wells- 4 stars, see book one.
  8. Home (#4.5) by Martha Wells- 4 stars, see book one.
  9. Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher- 4 stars, a twist on the princess in a tower story involving a Muslim knight who keeps apologizing and a human-turned-faerie who just wants to protect humanity from the princess in the tower. T. Kingfisher is fabulous at turning fairytales on their head and humanizing characters you may have never thought about before.

Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff

  • Decided to push my release date of TRF to January 2026
  • Managed to keep my mental health out of the trash
  • Played a lot of Tiny Bookshop
  • Survived my first week back at work
  • Made/juggled a bunch of appointments for my partner
  • Set up my Blackboard accounts for my classes
  • Fixed my syllabi for my classes

Blogs

Writing

This month writing went really, really well. I always struggle during the first act of books, but now that I am squarely in the second act, things are getting going. I really like this draft so far, and I think you all will too. One thing that I was grappling with is not being able to finish The Reanimator’s Fate by the end of the year. December is a particularly hard month for sales, and due to that and because I want to give myself some cushion, I am going to release book 4 in January. Part of me was quite upset that I wouldn’t have a book release this year, but that is a goal I set myself, not anything required of me. And because this book is coming out so early, there’s a good chance that I will release another (probably Flowers and Flourishing’s rewrite) during 2026. I appreciate all of you and your patience as I’m working on this book.

Hopes for September

  • Write 20,000 words of TRF
  • Work more on F&F rewrite
  • Set up my goals for Q4
  • Cover reveal
  • Set up preorder for TRF
  • Stay on top of grading
  • Read 8 books
  • Blog weekly
  • Send out newsletter

new blog post: july 2025 wrap up post July 2025 Wrap-Up Post
Monthly Review

July 2025 Wrap-Up Post

Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

July was one of those months where I feel like I didn’t get a lot done, but it’s because I was mostly focused on one thing, well two things: not losing my marbles with *gestures to the US* and writing The Reanimator’s Fate. As a refresher, here were my goals for July:

  • Write at least 20,000 words of TRF
  • Set up the preorder for TRF
  • Work a little on the rewrite of F&F
  • Manage my stress better as a USian living in this hellscape
  • Keep up with my bullet journal better
  • Catch up with my cross-stitch
  • Enjoy my birthday
  • Read 8 books
  • Blog weekly
  • send out my monthly newsletter

Books

My goal was to read 8 books, and I read 9 during July.

  1. The Ancient Magus’s Bride (#20) by Kore Yamazaki- 4 stars, in this volume we are heading into a new arc at the college where the families are coming together and the kids are going to be stuck in another power play. I’m interested to see where this new arc goes.
  2. Six Crimson Cranes (#1) by Elizabeth Lim- 4 stars, a princess realizes her stepmother is actually an evil snake, witch person who turns her six brothers into cranes and makes it so the princess cannot speak about her past without killing her brothers. While in exile, they struggle to break the curse and defeat their stepmother with the help of the princess’s betrothed (who doesn’t recognize her) and a dragon.
  3. Ark by Veronica Roth- 5 stars, the world is ending and the only people left behind are those working on a seed bank that they will take from earth to their new outer space home. It’s a story about loss, futures, and what is truly important. It is very short, but I LOVED it immensely.
  4. Void by Veronica Roth- 4 stars, a murder mystery on a space cruise that has some interesting wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff going on. I won’t say more to avoid spoilers, but it was also quite good.
  5. Therapy Game Restart (#5) by Meguru Hinohara- 5 stars, in this volume, the one MC is doing a photoshoot for the drag queens at his job at a beautiful location, which turns steamy with his boyfriend after they haven’t been able to have any time together. It is a very sweet and steamy volume, and I absolutely love seeing these two navigate a new world together. There are also more hints about a trans side character that is quite interesting.
  6. Copper Script by KJ Charles- 5 stars, an amputee graphologist falls in with a honest, straight-laced police detective who must solve a mystery together while navigating anti-queer historical sentiment, mobsters, and a crooked cop in high places. I really enjoyed this story and how much of London at this time period we get, especially the diversity of it.
  7. Masked City (#2) by Genevieve Cogman- 3 stars, a world-hopping librarian and her dragon librarian trainee sidekick get more than they bargained for when stealing a book turns into a kidnapping. Kai, the dragon, gets taken to a chaos world of fae where our librarian must find him before the magic breaks all of them and sets them on a crash course with fae who would happily sacrifice them like pawns.
  8. Compulsy (#0.5) by Martha Wells- 4 stars, a little prequel to Murder Bot. I bought the box set for the first half of the series and dipped my toe in by reading this short. I’m eager to read the others and get more of our sardonic but good hearted murder bot.
  9. Fence: Challengers (#7) by C. S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad- 4 stars, the boys are now at a fencing competition where they need to face rivals, be strategic, and perhaps figure out where they stand with each other. This is sort of a bridge/filler volume, so it is a little slower than others but not bad.

Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff

  • Was on the Trope-ology Podcast and talked about hurt-comfort
  • Had a lovely and relaxing birthday
  • Ventured to the DMV in person (bleck) and renewed my license
  • Actively tried to pace myself to avoid burnout
  • Managed to catch up with my bullet journaling
  • Finally hit my stride with TRF (this was my main focus this month)
  • Blogged weekly
  • Sent out my monthly newsletter

Blog

Writing

I figured now was a good time to give a bit of a writing update about book 4 since it’s been a while. Usually by now I would have a cover reveal and a preorder for the next Reanimator Mysteries book up by now, and frankly, that has been weighing on me. Earlier this year, I had a few setbacks writing it. Initially, I was absolutely fried. With the US election going the way it did and then just being tired from writing, it took longer than usual to get a plot together. As soon as I thought I had an idea, I jumped into writing it only to belatedly realize it wasn’t working. I ended up having to completely restart the draft of TRF from scratch. It was the best option, but it also set me back by like 2-3 months, so more than likely, book 4 won’t be out until the end of November or beginning of December. I don’t want to set a preorder for it until I’m a bit farther along and better gauge when it will be finished since pushing preorder dates out can be dicey.

What I can tell you is that I am really happy with how this draft is turning out (especially compared to the previous one), and that hopefully by the end of August, I will have a preorder and possibly a cover. We’ll see about that one as I don’t ever want to rush my designer who has been very understanding about me having to push things back. In July, I was able to write a significant amount, all of which works well and has been edited, so the draft is rather clean this far. This book starts with a bit of a groutesque bang that I hope all my book lovers will appreciate 😉 More than anything, I want this to be the ending Oliver, Felipe, Gwen, and my readers deserve, so I hope you will hang in there while I make it as good as possible for you all.

Hopes for August

  • Write 20,000 words of TRF
  • Get my book cover stuff in order for TRF
  • Attempt to work on the F&F rewrite
  • Make my syllabi for my classes
  • Set up my Blackboards for my classes
  • Read 8 books
  • Blog weekly
  • Send out newsletter

new blog post: june 2025 wrap-up post June 2025 Wrap-Up Post
Monthly Review

June 2025 Wrap-Up Post

Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

Part of me would love to say that this month went really well because I got quite a bit of writing done, but the other part of me looks at the dumpster fire and chaos around me and feels otherwise. Either way, I am happy that I feel like I have finally found my stride with The Reanimator’s Fate. Let’s look at our goals for June before we get started.

  • Write at least 20,000 words of The Reanimator’s Fate (TRM #4)
  • Try to write every single day at least a little to be consistent
  • Get the audiobook for The Reanimator’s Remains (TRM #3) out everywhere
  • Maintain my mental health and balancing my writing and hobbies to avoid burnout
  • Catch up on my stitch-a-long
  • Exercise consistently
  • Read 8 books
  • Blog weekly
  • Send out my monthly newsletter
  • Enjoy my 20th anniversary with my partner

Books

My goal was to read 8 books, and I read exactly 8.

  1. The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting (#1) by KJ Charles- 5 stars, two fortune hunting but charming young people come to London hoping to find stability and find more than they bargained for when the young man sets his sights on the well-off niece of a cranky brewer only to fall for the brewer instead.
  2. Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date (#3) by Ashley Herring Blake- 4 stars, Iris has sworn off love after too many failed relationships while Stevie is trying to get back into the dating world after leaving a long-term relationship. When anxiety wrecks a one night stand with Iris, Stevie thinks she’ll never see her again until they end up in the same queer community theater production.
  3. The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter (#3) by Yatsuki Wakatsu- 4 stars, an accountant ends up accidentally ending up in a new world along with the woman fated to save it only to find out he’s allergic to magic and the only one who can keep him safe is a very serious, slightly overprotective knight. The world’s books are a mess, and they may be the key to saving the kingdom.
  4. The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter (#4) by Yatsuki Wakatsu- 4 stars, see above.
  5. The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter (#5) by Yatsuki Wakatsu- 5 stars, see above.
  6. I Hear the Sunspot: Four Seasons (#3) by Yuki Fumino- 4 stars, a hard-of-hearing man joins a new company only to realize he’s stepped in it in regards to one of his coworkers. Meanwhile, his boyfriend is struggling with his own issues at work and how to deal with being a queer person.
  7. The Duke at Hazard (#2) by KJ Charles- 4 stars, a duke ends up duped out of his signet ring and goes on a mission, while incognito, to find it only to run into a ruined noble who might be the key to helping him find it.
  8. Mr. Collins in Love by Lee Welch- 4 stars, a very sympathetic retelling of Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Collins’s point of view where he is neurodivergent and struggling to maintain the life he desperately wants to keep. His life changes for the better when he runs into his childhood best friend only to realize it runs up against his patroness’s desire for him to find a wife.

Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff

  • Wrote the initial blurb for The Reanimator’s Fate
  • Published The Reanimator’s Remains (TRM #3) on Amazon, Audible, Apple Books, Spotify, Chirp, Nook, Kobo, LibroFM, library systems, and every other major audiobook platform
  • Enjoyed my 20th anniversary with my partner
  • Got my partner’s blood work done (this gets a spot here because it was an ordeal)
  • Made my goals for Q3
  • Edited someone else’s book
  • Took a weight-lifting hiatus due to the heat
  • Played Coral Island extensively to maintain my sanity
  • Incessantly bothered my senators and congress person
  • Fell even further behind on my stitch-a-long project (oops)

Blogs

Writing

While I didn’t hit my goal for the month, I did write quite a bit and feel like I’ve finally hit my stride. The beginnings of books are where I struggle most. It feels like there are so many paths open that it is overwhelming to me. By the time I hit the end of act 1, I find my footing, and my daily word counts get progressively larger. Part of the problem is that the #3.5 short story took longer to write than I expected, and then, I had to restart the beginning of TRF because I didn’t like it. This version is significantly better, and I will not yeet this draft into the void. Oliver and Felipe are dealing with a case of death by book while also grappling with librarians being weird, buildings with a mind of their own, and of course, their own neuroses getting the better of them. Next month, I will have more to show you and talk about, so stay tuned.

Hopes for July

  • Write at least 20,000 words of TRF
  • Set up the preorder for TRF
  • Work a little on the rewrite of F&F
  • Manage my stress better as a USian living in this hellscape
  • Keep up with my bullet journal better
  • Catch up with my cross-stitch
  • Enjoy my birthday
  • Read 8 books
  • Blog weekly
  • send out my monthly newsletter
new blog post: may 2025 wrap-up post May 2025 Wrap-Up Post
Monthly Review

May 2025 Wrap-Up Post

Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

I feel like every other month I say, “Damn, that month went fast,” but truly, May went very fast. The first half was taken up by finishing my grading while the second half was taken up by letting my brain quiet before refocusing on my writing project. Since it feels like forever, let’s get reacquainted with our goals for May.

  • Write 20,000 words of TRF
  • Write the working blurb for TRF
  • Maintain my mental health
  • Keep working out consistently
  • Continue proofing the audiobook of TRR
  • Finish grading portfolios
  • Send out my May newsletter
  • Read 8 books
  • Blog weekly

Books

My goal this month was to read 8 books, and I read exactly 8. All links below are affiliate links, so I get a small kickback if you buy from them.

  1. Death in the Spires by KJ Charles- 5 stars, a mystery that flips back and forth 10 years from when Jem was a student at Oxford when his friend was murdered to the present as he tries to solve the crime and gain control of his life again. It is very queer, rich in texture, and just a fantastic read.
  2. Tasting History by Max Miller- 4 stars, an interesting cookbook based on the Youtube channel about historical recipes. The recipes themselves are great, but I really love the tidbits about the history behind the recipes. I highly recommend his Youtube channel as well.
  3. From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper- 4 stars, opposites collide when two witches have to figure out who hexed someone at a festival. It’s an MF romance in a series with queer couples as well. Rowan and Issa have a complicated past, but seeing them come together is worth a read.
  4. Lore Olympus (#8) by Rachel Smythe- 5 stars, we’re nearing the end of the series, and this volume was chef kiss. I love seeing Persephone and Hades grow toward each other.
  5. Saga (#12) by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples- 4 stars, Hazel is maturing and growing into a teenager, so this volume speaks a lot about PTSD, mental health, and finding where you belong. I love every volume of this series and also hate that the end isn’t that many volumes away.
  6. The Magus of the Library (#8) by Mitsu Izumi- 4 stars, the young magi have their first encounter with spirits and the villains who want to bring the library to its knees. As always, Theo is just such a cinnamon roll, and this was an action-packed volume.
  7. The Other World’s Books Depend on a Bean Counter (#1) by Yatsuki Wakatsu- 5 stars, I picked this manga up on a whim and LOVED it. If you like Oliver from my books, you will love the MC. He is an accountant who gets sucked into another world by accident and takes on the accounting in this new world only to become an enemy to someone in high places and catch the eye of a magical knight who saves him from himself.
  8. The Other World’s Books Depend on a Bean Counter (#2) by Yatsuki Wakatsu- 5 stars, see review above

Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff

  • Proofed the entirety of the audiobook for The Reanimator’s Remains (TRM #3)
  • Sent corrections and paid my narrator Jack R. R. Evans (they’re awesome)
  • Published the audiobook for The Reanimator’s Remains (it is currently trickling out to distributors, libraries and Amazon/Audible will take a few more weeks)
  • Wrote the blurb for The Reanimator’s Fate (TRM #4), so keep an eye out for that soon
  • Accidentally sent my monthly newsletter out super late in the day
  • Finished grading all of the papers and portfolios for my classes
  • Sent out a few job applications to non-academic jobs
  • Worked out fairly consistently
  • Fell very behind on my stitch-a-long project because my mental health dipped a bit
  • Rested mid month to avoid burnout/a mental health spiral
  • Voted in the NJ democratic primaries by mail (send in your ballots if you have them, early voting starts 6/3)

Blogs

Writing

I think I have finally found my footing with this draft. Halle-friggin-luah. Last month I mentioned that I had to scrap the draft I had because I just didn’t like the direction it was going or the tone. It wasn’t working, and sometimes, it is better to start over than torture yourself by trying to force something that just isn’t going to end well. Scrapping it was the right choice, but it put me behind. That, of course, gave me anxiety, which made it harder to write and led me to falling more behind. You can see how this can cause a downward spiral. I took a small break, got my brain shit together, and restarted my book. Now, it’s flowing much better. I have a clearer direction of where I need to go, what the characters are doing, etc. It’s especially hard when you know it’s the last book in a series and you want to make it extra spectacular for your readers. The most important thing is that I am back on track and cruising along at a slow but steady clip (as the beginning always is). When I get further along, I will post the preorder and all the relevant information for this book, so stay tuned.

Hopes for June

  • Write at least 20,000 words of The Reanimator’s Fate (TRM #4)
  • Try to write every single day at least a little to be consistent
  • Get the audiobook for The Reanimator’s Remains (TRM #3) out everywhere
  • Maintain my mental health and balancing my writing and hobbies to avoid burnout
  • Catch up on my stitch-a-long
  • Exercise consistently
  • Read 8 books
  • Blog weekly
  • Send out my monthly newsletter
  • Enjoy my 20th anniversary with my partner

new blog post: march 2025 wrap-up post March 2025 Wrap-Up Post
Monthly Review

March 2025 Wrap-Up Post

Kara JorgensenLeave a comment

March has been the longest month, and while that isn’t a bad thing, it feels a bit surreal that so much has happened in thirty-one days. Before we get into the post, I’d like to point out that Kinship and Kindness is part of Trans SFF bundle on itchio where you can get 38 books by trans authors for $40. I also have The Reanimator’s Heart on sale for $0.99 and The Reanimator’s Soul for $2.99 at all major retailers and regions. There is also a TRH/TRS bundle on itchio that is slightly cheaper than at other retailers.

Before continue, let’s take a look at my goals for March:

  • Reread all of the Reanimator Mysteries books in preparation for book 4
  • Start outlining book 4
  • Write at least 10k words of book 4
  • Proof as much of the audiobook for The Reanimator’s Remains as I can
  • Deal with several doctor’s appointments this month (boo)
  • Have the Weeknight Writers event go well (March 15th)
  • Continue to bug my senators and house member
  • Read 8 books
  • Blog weekly
  • Send out my monthly newsletter
  • Maintain my sanity
  • Work diligently on my cross stitch project

Books

My goal was to read 8 books, and I read 10 books. The links below are affiliate links, so if you buy a book through them, I get a small commission.

  1. Make Room for Love by Darcy Liao- 4 stars, a trans woman fleeing an emotionally and financially abusive relationship with a cis man runs into a cis butch lesbian who offers to take her in. Together, they bond over unionizing and coming out of their shells. I have mixed feelings about the trans rep, but otherwise, I enjoyed the romance aspect.
  2. 10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall- 5 stars, a manager fakes amnesia to keep his boss from firing his employees only to be taken care of by his boss. He sees a new side of him and slowly begins peeling back the layers with the help of his gremlin of a cat.
  3. EAT by Nagabe- 4 stars, it’s a bit f-ed up as most of Nagabe’s stand alone works are. It’s about a wolf who wants to be prey or be eaten.
  4. When the Earth was Green by Riley Black- 5 stars, a nonfiction work about the long history of plants on earth from before the dinosaurs to the recent past. It is written in a narrative style that is accessible while being incredibly interesting and rich with information.
  5. The Invisible Man & His Soon-to-be Wife (#5) by Iwatobineko- 4 stars, a super cute series about a blind woman who falls in love with an invisible man. In this volume, she goes to meet his parents while he meets her brother.
  6. The Knight and the Butcherbird by Alix E. Harrow- 5 stars, brutal and all at once wonderful, this novella packs a bunch in a dystopian land where cancer creates monsters and the line between human and monster is slimmer than one thinks.
  7. The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar- 5 stars, a lyrical tale about two sisters who tend to trees growing near a magical river. It’s about magic wrapped in magic and how song unites people through history. I highly recommend the audiobook version.
  8. Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite- 4 stars, a detective suddenly wakes up in a new body and is forced to solve a murder on a space cruise ship where everyone aboard reincarnates into their own bodies. It is a really cool premise with a lot of potential for interesting future books.
  9. Flesh and Bone by Arden Powell- 4 stars, two cowboys are hunted by a werewolf while one is haunted by his past, and the only way to overcome the first is to face the latter.
  10. What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher- 4 stars, a very creepy version of the “Fall of the House of Usher,” featuring uncanny hares, a dilapidated house, a nonbinary soldier, and fungus. There’s a lot crammed into the novella, and I am looking forward to the second book in the series.

Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff

  • Reread all of the Reanimator Mysteries books and side stories in preparation for writing book 4
  • Brainstormed and started toodling with book 4
  • Started proofing the audiobook for The Reanimator’s Remains (TRM #3)
  • Participated in a panel on trans characters for Weeknight Writers, which was a lot of fun
  • Was part of a Trans SFF bundle on Itch.io (see top of page for details)
  • Put The Reanimator’s Heart and The Reanimator’s Soul on sale (see top of page for details)
  • Set up a Bookbub ad for the end of March
  • Bugged my senators profusely about various political issues
  • Blogged weekly and send out my monthly newsletter
  • Kept up with my grading (*tired* yay)
  • Dealt with my and my partner’s medical appointments (we’re fine btw)
  • Finished putting together my day job’s literary magazine with my class
  • Changed the batteries in every alarm/detector in my house (this has nothing to do with writing but it was labor intensive and hanging over my head forever, so someone has to hear about it)
  • Had to get major repairs on my car… again
  • Released “An Unexpected Evening” (TRM #3.5) to my non-newsletter readers (here)
  • Started the Court of Crows stitch-a-long by FineFrogStitching

Blogs

Writing

There isn’t too much I can talk about with writing right now. I’m currently working on the beginning of the fourth Reanimator Mysteries book, but I don’t want to go too much into it at this point because things are very subject to change. The opening of a book is where things are the messiest and most subject to change when I’m writing. I have false starts quite often during this part of the process, so I’m keeping my lips zipped about the contents of the story until I hit the end of act 1 when things finally lock in for the most part. What I will say is that this book will involve Oliver stepping up, trips to the library, Gwen’s magnum opus, and Felipe confronting his past and future. I will have more for you all next month, including hopefully a mood board and a working blurb.

Hopes for April

  • Write 20,000 words for book 4
  • Continue to proof the audiobook for TRR as it comes in
  • Stay on grading as there is a lot this month
  • Finish Act 1 and 2 outlines for book 4
  • Continue to bug my senators and house rep
  • Participate in the Narratess Sale (4/5-4/7)
  • Maintain my sanity as best as I can
  • Send out my newsletter
  • Read 8 books
  • Blog weekly
new blog post: december 2024 wrap-up post December 2024 Wrap-Up Post
Monthly Review

December 2024 Wrap-Up Post

Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

December is a weird liminal space month, especially as a professor. It begins with finals chaos and ends with the strange nothing week between Christmas and New Year. I purposely tried to take it easy this month, despite the goals listed below, and it was just what I needed to reinvigorate my creativity and brain. Here are the goals I made in November:

  • Finish grading finals ASAP
  • Finish Christmas shopping
  • Wrap everything without hurting my back
  • Write all of “An Unexpected Evening”
  • Start brainstorming my next writing project
  • Read 8 books
  • Blog weekly
  • Send out my newsletter
  • Play more video games to unwind/refill the well
  • Get my yearly goals for 2025 and my Q1 goals in order

Books

My goal was to read 8 books, and I read 12 books. The links to the books below are affiliate links, so I get a small kickback if you grab one.

  1. Crabs by Peter J. F. Davie- 4 stars, a nonfiction book about crab species. It’s very interesting and has a ton of pictures. If you like sea creatures, I highly recommend it.
  2. One Night in Boukos by A. J. Demas- 4 stars, this is a mystery, romance mash-up with a soldier and a secretary losing their wayward boss in Boukos. This story cracked me up, and I love the people the characters match up with and that we get to see them in later books.
  3. A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher- 4 stars, if you watched Shrek 2, did you love Big Mongo and Gingy? If so, grab this book. We get a girl trying to save a kingdom one giant gingerbread man at a time.
  4. Black Water Sister by Zen Cho- 4 stars, a story of generational trauma, breaking the cycle, the ghosts of the past (literal and figurative), and figuring out how to not repeat those mistakes.
  5. Something Human by A. J. Demas- 5 stars, this is probably my favorite A. J. Demas book. We get two soldiers on opposite sides of the war who save each other’s lives, fall for each other, and realize that they must work together to save their people. It was just so tender and lovely.
  6. Honey and Pepper by A. J. Demas- 4 stars, a lawyer(?) and a man who works in a snack stall team up to take down a mob boss and save their city from his power trip and evil ways.
  7. Flawless Girls by Anna-Marie McLemore- 4 stars, two girls go to a finishing school, one runs off and the other comes home not herself only to disappear. The story is rich in texture and explores the way we crush girls beneath expectations.
  8. Illuminations by T. Kingfisher- 4 stars, a girl and her friend accidentally unleash a creature akin to the evil creature from Super Mario Sunshine that wants to destroy magical images and steal the magic for itself.
  9. Minor Mage by T. Kingfisher- 4 stars, a young boy is sent off alone to bring rain to the town despite not being more than a child and only knowing a few spells. It’s an incredibly clever story that makes you hate all the adults.
  10. The Moon on a Rainy Night (#6) by Kuzushiro- 4 stars, another fantastic addition to the series, and I love that we get to see the other MC start to realize she may have feelings too.
  11. Venom and Vow by Anna-Marie McLemore- 4 stars, two warring kingdoms realize they have been set up to fight each other when all along they are under the same spell.
  12. The Raven and the Reindeer by T. Kingfisher- 4 stars, a queer retelling the Ice Queen that has some adorable otters and some gore.

Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff

  • Finished my grading and survived to tell the tale
  • Wrote several letters of recommendations for my students
  • Continued weight-lifting and upgraded to 7lb weights (woo! progress!)
  • Outlined “An Unexpected Evening”
  • Wrote part of “An Unexpected Evening” (which I later rewrote… oops)
  • Finished all of my Christmas shopping
  • Wrapped all the presents
  • Set up my bullet journal for 2025
  • Finished playing the game I had started (Botany Manor– highly recommend, it was a lot of fun)
  • The Reanimator’s Remains made it into the Indie Ink Awards (more on that soon)
  • Set up my goals for Q1 of 2025
  • Appeared on the Right Here, Write Queer podcast talking about queer, historical romance

Blogs

Writing

Truthfully, I didn’t write much this month because I needed to rest my brain a bit. It was worth it. Instead, I devoted myself to planning the story, getting my stuff together in regards to my writing plan for the year, and figuring out where I want to go with book 4 of The Reanimator Mysteries series. I planned out most of “An Unexpected Evening” this month, and now, that I’m writing it, I think you all will enjoy it. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy a masquerade party that goes wrong? Unlike other parties that I’ve written, there is no murder *gasp* for once. I was struggling very hard with what to write next after “An Unexpected Evening,” and I’m displeased to announce that actually sitting down and writing out what you have to do worked to sort it out in like… five minutes. It’s very annoying how your brain will do donuts for days, but when you put it on paper, it takes minutes to sort out.

Hopes for January

  • Finish writing “AUE”
  • Edit and format “AUE”
  • Pay Q4 2024 taxes (bleck)
  • Set up my syllabi and Blackboards for my courses
  • Send out my newsletter (with “An Unexpected Evening”)
  • Start planning out TRM #4
  • Blog weekly
  • Read 8 books
new blog post: july 2024 wrap-up post July 2024 Wrap-Up Post
Monthly Review

July 2024 Wrap-Up Post

Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

July was my birthday month, and luckily, it was a good one for getting writing done. Despite the heat and humidity, I enjoyed July and tried to take time to keep myself from flaming out. A reminder of our goals:

  • Write 25,000 words
  • Outline next chunk of book
  • Do a cover reveal and make graphics for them
  • Maintain my mental health better (oops)
  • Blog weekly
  • Read 8 books
  • Send out my July newsletter

Books

My goal was to read 8 books, and I read 10 books.

  1. The Christmas Chevalier (#1) by Meg Mardell- 4 stars, a historical romance with a trans masc MC who is a bit of a bohemian who falls for his ex-governess best friend and offers her the chance at a new life on her own terms. Oh, and there’s a masquerade ball.
  2. The Moon on a Rainy Night (#3) by Kuzushiro- 4 stars, a sapphic YA featuring a hard-of-hearing MC and the hearing girl who is in love with her. I love the dynamic between these two as friends and the potential for more.
  3. The Moon on a Rainy Night (#4) by Kuzushiro- 4 stars, see above
  4. The Moon on a Rainy Night (#5) by Kuzushiro- 4 stars, see above
  5. I Hear the Sunspot Four Seasons (#2) by Yuki Fumino- 4 stars, we’re starting a new arch where we find out more about the one mc’s backstory and meet some new people who may cause trouble.
  6. A Highland Hogmanay (#2) by Meg Mardell- 4 stars, an heiress runs away from London to a Scottish castle to avoid pushy, fortune hunting family and not only falls in love with the land but the woman who cares for it.
  7. Fiction Blurbs The Best Page Forward Way by Phoebe Ravencraft- 4 stars, useful for doing blurbs, but I think the original blurb book by Bryan Cohen is better, mostly because I wish it came with finished examples at the end.
  8. A Chaperoned Christmas (#3) by Meg Mardell- 4 stars, a thrupple story featuring a London lady, her ex flame, and the woman who had a crush on her years ago.
  9. A Restless Truth (#2) by Freya Marske- 4 stars, a sapphic historical fantasy on a ship where an old woman with a very valuable magical artifact is murdered, and her young traveling companion and an ex-actress must find it and survive the trip.
  10. Ennead (#3) by Mojito- 3 stars, not sure I’m going to keep reading this one if the next volume doesn’t hook me. There was some dubious consent in this one, and the writing is a bit… sparse/loose to me.

Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff

  • Finished outlining the rest of TRR
  • Paid Crowglass Design for the cover of TRR
  • Did a cover reveal for TRR
  • Made so many graphics and videos for TRR’s cover reveal
  • Celebrated my birthday with my partner and had a great day
  • Edited previous chunks of TRR
  • Maintained my sanity as best I could
  • Blogged weekly
  • Sent out my newsletter
  • Signed up for the Naratess Sale in August

Blogs

Writing

So I didn’t quite hit my writing goal for July, which is fine because I wrote a lot. In June, I mentioned that I was flirting with burnout (and I still am), but days when I felt like I was overloaded or tired, I took a day off. I ended up getting a few migraines that took me out whether I wanted to write or not, which sucked immensely. The good thing is that I think the rest of the book will be fairly smooth sailing since I know where I’m going and what I’m doing to get there. I’m a plantser/gardener, so I generally have an idea of where I’m going, but it isn’t set in stone. Now, I have the vast majority of the plot solidified, so there’s less time spent waffling and staring moodily into the void.

Hopes for August

  • Write 25,000 words
  • Start edits
  • Prepare for my classes
  • Make the online parts of my classes (bleck)
  • Continue to try to maintain my tenuous grip on my mental health
  • Blog weekly
  • Send out my newsletter
  • Read 8 books