Tag: writers life

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: february 2025 wrap-up post February 2025 Wrap-Up Post
Monthly Review

February 2025 Wrap-Up Post

Kara JorgensenLeave a comment

Even though the US is a hot mess, I felt like February was far better than January. Maybe it’s seeing the push back, protests, and having judges rule in our favor that has heartened me. That or the spite inside of me has been kindled. That helps as well. Before we get going, let’s take a look at my goals for February:

  • Finish writing “AUE”
  • Edit “AUE”
  • Send it out to my newsletter peeps first (everyone else gets it a month later)
  • Reread The Reanimator Mysteries books 1-3
  • Start proofing the audiobook for The Reanimator’s Remains
  • Read 8 books
  • Blog weekly
  • Send out my monthly newsletter
  • Maintain my fragile sanity
  • Perpetually bug my congress people

Books

My goal was to read 8 books, and I read exactly 8. The links below are affiliate links, so I get a small kickback if you purchase the book through them.

  1. Two Friends in Marriage (#3) by Jackie Lau- 5 stars, a lovely queer MF romance featuring a demisexual FMC and a bisexual MMC. Watching these two go from friends to married to lovers was just so sweet and cute. There’s also a giant penguin plush in the story who helps to sort of bridge the gap through cute and loving gestures.
  2. A Study in Black Brew by Marie Howalt- 4 stars, a retelling of A Study in Scarlet (aka a Sherlock Holmes story) set in a world with multiple alien races, advanced tech, and of course, coffee/black brew. It comes out May 22nd.
  3. Husband Material (#2) by Alexis Hall- 4 stars, a mm story built upon the structure of Four Weddings and a Funeral. Lucien and Oliver are simultaneously at their worst and best in this book, and while I enjoyed this one, the ending kind of annoyed me.
  4. Textiles by Beverly Gordon- 4 stars, a coffee table-ish book about the history and cultural significance of textiles. This is less specific than Victoria Finlay’s Fabric, but it gives you a lot of rabbit holes to go down while doing future research. I believe it is out of print.
  5. The Single Life (#1) by Akiko Morishima- 4 stars, two women who were penpals as children and realized they were lesbians through their letters meet up as older women. This is not a romance, but it’s sort of a slice of life as two queer women figure out what they want from the future.
  6. The Single Life (#2) by Akiko Morishima- 4 stars, see volume 1’s review.
  7. The Single Life (#3) by Akiko Morishima- 4 stars, see volume 1’s review.
  8. Time Loops & Meet Cutes by Jackie Lau- 4 stars, I loved this book. It’s like 50 First Dates meets Ground Hog Day as a workaholic eats some dumplings and gets caught in a time loop where she befriends another time looper and desperately hopes the man she has fallen in love with her will eventually remember her or that they might have a future together. This book comes out May 6th, and I HIGHLY recommend grabbing it.

Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff

  • Approved the first 15 minutes of the audiobook for The Reanimator’s Remains (TRM #3)
  • Wrote the rest of “An Unexpected Evening” (TRM #3.5)
  • Edited/Proofread/Formatted “An Unexpected Evening” (TRM #3.5)
  • Sent out “An Unexpected Evening” (TRM 3.5) to my newsletter subscribers
    • I also posted the link for it in the freebie section of my website
  • Started working on the Court of Crows Stitch-a-long from FineFrogStitching
  • Agreed to take part in the Weeknight Writers Writing Roundtable on writing trans characters taking place on March 15th
    • You can grab a ticket here or wait for the replay
  • Stayed on task/schedule with grading for my classes
  • Celebrated my partner’s birthday
  • Bugged my senators and congress person repeatedly about… everything. If you can, please reach out to them and try to push them to do the right thing (and praise them when they do- carrot and stick, my friends)

Blogs

Writing

At first, I was very upset that my brain utterly derailed from stress in January after *gestures to the White House*, but I think taking this extra month to work on “An Unexpected Evening” was worth it. The story is significantly better, clearer, and longer. Sometimes, taking extra time is dawdling or dealing with executive function issues, but other times, it really is part of the marinating process. This time it felt like those extra few weeks of marinating helped me to really nail what I was trying to say with Oliver and Felipe. It also made it clearer what I want to do with book 4 (more on that in the near future). I’m super excited for you all to read “An Unexpected Evening,” and I hope you will leave a review on Goodreads or Storygraph if you read it.

Hopes 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

dead magic · Writing

Dead Magic Comes Out Today!

Kara Jorgensen2 Comments

Dead Magic Cover by Kara Jorgensen

It’s here! It’s finally here! I feel like I have been waiting forever for Dead Magic to finally be out, and now that it’s out in the world, I don’t know what to do with myself. It took about nine months to produce from start to finish, and it’s beyond rewarding to know it’s in my readers’ hands. It’s out for Kindle and in paperback.

Because release days are a special occasion, I’ve marked the rest of the series down, so if you haven’t read the Ingenious Mechanical Devices. Now is the time to catch up.

The Earl of Brass is FREE.

The Winter Garden is 99c

The Earl and the Artificer is 99c

and you can get Dead Magic here.

Around release dates, I get a lot of questions about how to help an author out. Here’s how:

  • Share this post on social media
  • Recommend my books
  • If you’ve read my books, leave an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads or where ever.
July 2016 in Review
dead magic · Monthly Review · Writing

July 2016 in Review

Kara JorgensenLeave a comment

In Review July

Last year, I decided that I would post my accomplishments for the month and what goals I hope to achieve in the following month.

In July, I found that while I got a lot done on Dead Magic, every other goal I had made in June suffered.

What I accomplished in July:

  1. Wrote 22,000 words of Dead Magic (total 82k)
  2. Wrote 3,500 words of “The Errant Earl”
  3. Wrote the “final” blurbs for DM and “EE”
  4. Read 2 books:
    1. Monstress by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (4.5 stars)
    2. How to Write a Sizzling Synopsis by Bryan Cohen (5 stars)
    3. I also have 3 other books partially read that I’ll finish next month
  5. Published the Italian translation of The Earl of Brass (not yet on Amazon)

What I hope to achieve in August:

  1. Finish writing Dead Magic
  2. Start editing Dead Magic
  3. Finish, edit, and publish “The Errant Earl”
  4. Write 6 blog posts
  5. Publish the Spanish translation of The Winter Garden
  6. Read 4 books

I can’t believe I’m nearly done with Dead Magic. I have less than 10k words left to write, and then, it’s onward to editing. It’s always amazing to me how quickly the words come once I’ve gotten past the middle of the book. Now, if only I could have monthly word counts this high from the start.

Later this week, I’ll share the final blurbs for Dead Magic and “The Errant Earl” along with the covers for both. I’m so excited to be fleshing out bits of the series and finally finishing up Dead Magic. I think DM is one of my favorites thus far. It’s dark and creepy, but beneath it all is an undercurrent of love that balances it out. “The Errant Earl” is a short story with some backstory about how Eilian and Patrick became the dynamic duo bromance they are now.

The downside to writing so much is that everything else suffers. I don’t read much, I don’t write blogs, and every other outside activity takes a backseat. Since I’ll be finishing both projects within the next two weeks (hopefully), I’ll be able to read again and actually enjoy life a little before I throw myself into editing.

I keep thinking about how being an indie author really is the best course of action I could have taken.I love being able to publish what I want, when I want in whatever genre I want. If I wasn’t indie, could I be writing side stories for my readers and working on semi-related novellas? I don’t know, but I know that where I am right now is a good place for me.

Monthly Review · Writing

June 2016 in Review

Kara JorgensenLeave a comment

In Review June

Last year, I decided that I would post my accomplishments for the month and what goals I hope to achieve in the following month.

Now that I’m completely free from school and waist-deep in Dead Magic, I have been writing my little fingers off and being shockingly productive. Part of me is pleased and part of me is wondering when it will all come crashing to a halt.

What I accomplished in June:

  1. Wrote 21,000 words of Dead Magic
  2. Wrote 6 blog posts and a guest blog on Mariella Hunt’s website
  3. Published a Spanish translation of The Earl of Brass entitled El Conde de Latón, which is available here.
  4. Published the audiobook for The Winter Garden, which is available here.
  5. Planned out the beats for a forthcoming Ingenious Mechanical Devices novella
  6. Read 4 books
    1. Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet by Charlie N. Holmberg (2 stars)
    2. Ninety-Nine Righteous Men by K.M. Claude (4.5 stars)
    3. Fiction Unboxed by Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant (4 stars)
    4. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson (5 stars)

What I hope to achieve in July:

  1. Write 20,ooo words of Dead Magic
  2. Write 10,000 words of the unnamed novella
  3. Write 6 blog posts
  4. Work more on my syllabus for freshman writing
  5. Work on the cover for Dead Magic with my designer
  6. Read 3 books
  7. Enjoy life in between everything mentioned above

I love watching my word count steadily increase from month to month. June was wonderful in terms of productivity. I feel like I got so much done and that the rest of Dead Magic should go smoothly now that I’ve hit the 2/3s mark.

There are quite a few balls in the air with my series. I have my Spanish translator working on The Winter Garden, my Italian and Portuguese translators working on The Earl of Brass, and my narrator is working on the audiobook for The Earl and the Artificer. Then I have Dead Magic to start wrapping up soon and the novella I’ve been plotting. I’m confident it will all get done, and that I can manage.

I’m seriously excited about my writing projects. Ideas are bubbling out of me, and now if only my productivity could keep up with my ideas. The one thing that was completely neglected in June was editing. I told myself I would edit chapters 1-8, but in the end, I decided to dump that idea. I’ve been spot editing as I go, fixing issues that arise or adding foreshadowing of future chapters, but at this point, editing without being finished or having a clear goal in mind seems pointless.

Right now, my tentative release date for Dead Magic is November 15th, BUT if the book is done before then, I will happily move the date forward. I’m really hoping the book will be out sooner than that.

Finally, I will be taking part in Camp NaNoWriMo and am sharing a cabin with some fantastic authors. What will you be doing this July?