It's My Favorite Time Of The Year!

It's November, which means food and it's also the point in the year where everyone at work starts disappearing for holiday festivities. I cannot wait for Turkey Day. The PWHL also returns this month, so you all need to mentally prepare for me to talk about hockey in future posts until about June or July.

New to the blog, TL:DR. Click the link and you'll jump to a summary of the blog post. Not AI-generated. Just me calling out the important things in the post. 

I don't plan for this to be a long post, just trying to get back into the habit of posting. Still working on Grisly Politics. I've only been able to work on this book in the mornings on the weekends due to the course I'm taking and work, but once I finish my course in the next week or so, I'll be able to dedicate more time to it. I'm actually getting close to the first inciting incident of the book. If you know me, I like to have a couple or a few of those depending on the book. This is excluding the Last Pureblood books. Those will vary in the number of inciting incidents due to the overall arching story. Gosh that series is such a behemoth. Clearly, I just distracted myself and I will be talking about that next because obviously my brain has some thoughts it'd like to get out, but let's get back to the topic at hand.

Full disclosure, and I'm going to have to mention this a few times before I release the book, but the first inciting incident is intense. It's emotional, it's messy, and it's human. With what we know about Dax and Eliza, how could it not be? But you have been warned, and I'm only going to give 3 of those. Possibly 4 if I can't stand the level of emotion I provoke with this incident. But yeah that's what's going on with Grisly Politics.

As soon as I pass my certification exam, I'm going dive head first into Fate Unseen and start re-familiarizing myself with whatever I was trying to get accomplished with that story. And since I can't remember what all I've revealed about this book, I'm going to remain silent.When I start my read of it, I'm sure it's all going to come rushing back. I hope with reading the story, it'll amp my brain up to edit it because that's what I had to do to get back into Grisly Politics. Gotta find the joy before I can do anything, which is a little nice. My brain only wants to do things that makes it happy. Aww.

I've been meaning to mention this, but I kept forgetting. However, now that I'm having multiple conversations a day or having this shit shoved down my throat, I felt the need to make a public announcement.

DJ SMALL HATES GENERATIVE AI.

DJ SMALL DOES NOT UTILIZE ANY TYPE OF GENERATIVE AI.

DJ SMALL DOES NOT WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO USE GENERATIVE AI. 

DJ SMALL BELIEVES WHOLEHEARTEDLY THAT GENERATIVE AI HAS NO PLACE IN CREATIVE WORK.*

(*Unless the creative work is some sort commentary on AI then in that case it's all right, but within reason.) 

If there are any questions about the above statements, please, reach out. I hate Gen AI with a passion and the fact that it's permeating almost every facet of life is just gross.I have no problem with assistive AI, such as spelling or grammar checks or AI used to adjust the volume on a TV when theme song is at 20 for volume, and the show is at a 3. That I'm fine with. Shitty art and books generated with the shit because someone couldn't take the time to try, fail, and then learn from their mistakes is not art. It's a shortcut and it's unsustainable because evil begets more evil. Like, I know I'm not the only one who knows that. I'm hoping Mr. Cory Doctorow is right in his assessment that the AI bubble is going to pop soon, and based on the facts he's provided, it's quite likely. This is all I have to say about Gen AI.

Here's a pallet cleanser:

 

 

  

There. Are we in a better headspace? If no, give it another listen. If yes, let's move on.

I am participating in SWAG4GCLS with five other fantastic authors, who I shouldn't even be on the same team with. At least from a writing standpoint. This is a fun little event The Golden Crown Literary Society is doing to raise some funds for the organization, which is non-profit, as well as having an event for writers to take part in during November so they can achieve their writing goals now that NaNoWriMo is an extinguished dumpster fire. At least one was put out. I'm being glib about it because I don't know the whole story, but from what I've read, it sounded like a dumpster fire.And it's tragic because a lot of authors use this month to really focus on their goals and what not because having others hold you accountable or at least to check-in with is definitely helpful for that process. 

For SWAG4GCLS, I will be focused on completing edits for Grisly Politics, so if you want to raise money for a great organization while giving me encouragement to stick with my editing, go ahead and donate.

Since we're ending on a giving note, if you are not aware or live outside the US, there is currently a government shutdown due to Republicans wanting to snatch healthcare from US citizens, and the Democrats are not rolling over and letting that happen. Because of this many people are going to be without food to feed their families due to them not getting paid or not being able to receive their government assistance. Either way, this is no longer about politics, and its about helping people. If you are able to put your politics aside, and donate to either your local food banks/pantries orgs or even national organizations like Feeding America, I urge you to do so. If you are not financially available to do that, then please promote them. With the holidays arriving, some people and families are going to be stretched financially, and not because of commercialism but due to the shutdown, and, unfortunately, some are not going to recover. So, put your politics, opinions, and whatever aside and help those in need.

And because I am on a soapbox about this, through the month of November if you donate to a local food bank/pantry or a national organization, and you send me proof, I will give you one of my books for free, and you can decide if you want a signed paperback or an ebook. There are some limitations: one (1) book per person. There are no multiple entries. If you enter more than twice for whatever reason, the first entry will be chosen. No payments for shipping. And you have to be 18+.

There, I feel like that sounds reasonable. To enter just fill out this form, which is going to capture your name, email, year of birth to make sure you over 18, and a place for you upload your proof of donation. If opting for a signed paperback, you'll also be asked for the mailing address you would like your book sent to because how else am I going to get it to you? For peace of mind, all books will come in a USPS or a UPS box or packaging. I haven't decided which shipper I'm going with.

So, that's that on that. I know there are a lot of asks in this post, but this is a cause and a org near and dear to my heart, which is saying a lot because I have many of those.

This ended up longer than anticipated, but yay! Main takeaways from this post:

•  Grisly Politics is still being worked on, and I'm hoping for a late winter, early-Spring release.

• Donate to my team, The Uncrustables, for SWAG4GCLS to support GCLS and motivate us to achieve our writing goals.

• Lastly, donate to either a local food bank/pantry or a national one and fill out this form, and I'll send you either a ebook of your choosing or a signed paperback of your choosing. You can only pick 1. Not both and all entries are limited to 1 book as well.

All right, time to end this. Remember to review the books you read especially those by indie authors. And until next time folks!

 

 -DJ Small  

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

That title is as far as I got in my Spanish Duolingo education, who I learned just laid off contractors to implement AI technology to do the work they were doing. While it's supposedly being framed as "no big deal" in this article, it's still something that goes against my morals. If the layoffs and AI integration meant an increase in wages for full-time and part-time employees without lowering the quality of the their software then I'd approve, but if neither of those are the case (which I'm certain it is), then I'll shame. Either way, I've cut ties with Duolingo because I don't like the taste this leaves in my mouth.

That was not how I was supposed to open this post, but clearly I'm in my no-filter year--I did have a birthday in December--so I'm gonna go for it. On to business!

Welp, I've just completed the final read through for my first newsletter of the year, which is also a dive back into sending it out. This January newsletter will be a re-introduction of myself, my work, and expanding on some things I've been kicking around the last few months. I'm already coming up with ideas for February's newsletter. I've come to realize that there is no reason why I can't make it a truly engaging newsletter, so I'm going to present a new idea in February and hopefully people will respond to it. I've got some other ideas bouncing around in the wide empty space known as my brain, but I need to really dwell on them before deciding.

Anywho, January's newsletter will hit inboxes on 01/15, and will be active on the archive on 01/24. If you haven't signed up for my newsletter yet, you can sign up here.

As to what I've been working on, I started plotting another story. I had an idea, it dug it's talons deep into my brain, and now I have like a 6-page, single spaced outline in OneNote that's getting longer. It's a vampire story, and I'm hoping it won't span more than two books because I don't have the bandwidth for another series. I seriously need to learn how to write standalone books or something because jeepers.

I've also started the outline for the third book in the IFL series, which is weird because the second one hasn't even gotten off the ground quite yet. I mean, yeah, I've written six chapters of it, but I just got to the first major turning point in the story and there are like 6-7 more chapters to go before I can think about calling it done. Maybe there might be a few more chapters. We'll see what happens.

This brings me to the first IFL book, which hasn't even been released yet lol! With the long weekend, either ahead or behind me depending on when you're reading this, I'm dedicating all my time to it. I'll be committing the edits I made during my first pass through on top of adding some things to put it in alignment with the second IFL book. Once those are done, I'm off to find an editor. While I love my usual editor, I'm looking for someone who is well-versed in North American football stuff to catch things that might not be believable. A lot of web searching and liberties were taken with the football aspects of this book. A...lot! 

Oh! Before I forget, if you want to know more about the first book in the IFL series, I give a full synopsis and cover reveal in my January newsletter, so you should sign up for it.

All right, I think that is going to be it for this post. Remember newsletter is out on the 15th, or is already out depending on when you're reading this. Sign-up here to get it directly in your inbox, and if this you're reading this post after the 15th, the January newsletter will be live in the archive on January 24th. Full disclosure, any coupon codes or freebies mentioned in the newsletter will not be vaild if you're accessing them through the archive. So, I'd sign up if you want to get those goodies.

As always, do review and rate the books you read, especially those put out by independent authors and self-published ones.

Until next time....

-DJ Small

End Of Year Post

Goodness, 2023 is coming to a close, which makes some people reflect on goals and hopes that we had wished to accomplish this year along with looking ahead to 2024 and figuring out new goals, hopes, and dreams as well as wanting to bring missed goals or hopes from 2023 to fruition. With all this being said, I hope we all accomplish what we want in 2024 and then some.

With that out of the way, let me go into what I've accomplished writing and author-wise in 2023:

• Finished first-round of edits on the 1st book for my new short-novel/novella series.
• Started the 2nd book for that series.
• Moved my site from Wix to Webwave.
• Started editing Fate Unseen, the 2nd book for the Avery Lawson series.
• Outlined several new stories
• Went to The GCLS conference in June.

And I'm sure I did other things, but I can't recall them. I'm thinking about picking up journaling in 2024 to help me keep track of things and feelings, but we'll see. It might help me when I'm in my pit of despair. While the above list definitely isn't everything I've done in 2023, it does give me some perspective. A lot of what I did in 2023 has set me up to release a book or two in 2024. So, I'm super excited for that to happen.

Also happening in 2024 is my newsletter. Bringing that back because as I once said, the world of social media is such a shit show, so between blogging and putting out a newsletter, I'm hoping to establish a central location where people can get news and updates from me. Same goes with my website, but anything on it will be more of a high-level overview and nothing too in-depth.

My first newsletter will be pretty much a re-introduction of myself. Might do a giveaway, and this, that, and the other. Something new I want to implement is a coupon code in every newsletter. While most of my books are available for next to nothing, I'd like to implement coupon codes for my newsletter subscribers. Another reason for this is that with the exception of the Avery Lawson and Detective Miller series, all my future releases will be distributed through Smashwords or my Ko-Fi page, and not Amazon. I'm hoping by rolling out monthly coupons codes I'll be able to get some traffic to them. It'll be a surprise for how much the discounts will be.

Expect my first newsletter to be out at the end of January, and I'm hoping to stay with the same cadence for the rest of them.

First release of 2024 is going to be Outside The Game. I'm aiming for a Spring release. Fingers crossed. After that, I will more than likely release the second book of the Detective Miller series, which is titled Grisly Politics, late in 2024. It's an ambitious scheduled for me considering from 2020 to 2023 I didn't put anything out. Granted I should give myself a break since I've put out 4 books from 2016 to 2019. It's a roller coaster on how I feel about my level of releasing books.

That's where my thoughts are at the moment. Anywho, here are some useful links you should bookmark, favorite, or save on a notepad somewhere. My Ko-Fi page, sign-up for my newsletter, and My Smashwords page.

Hope everyone had a good holiday season, and y'all have a good new year, all right? Let's make 2024 our bench!

As always please review, rate, and recommend the books you read along, especially those books released by indie, self-pubbed, and niche authors. There are some good ones out there, and people aren't going to know about them until you let others know about it.

Until next time....

-DJ Small

Short September Update

Welp folx we are in that time of year where the next few months either blow by really fast or they go really slow, and you end up spiraling. No? Not you? Hmm. Maybe just me then. At least we're easing into my favorite season of the year. Anyway, on to why I'm here.

Edits for the first book of my novella series are going fantastically. Fingers crossed that I will have them completed by the end of next month. After that, they'll be heading to my editor. Hopefully it will be a quick turnaround time frame from them. Doesn't look like it'll be ready in time for publishing this year, but I feel as long as I'm on the right path to publishing at the beginning of next year then I'm not going to sweat it.

I've been enjoying editing this story and writing the next book for it, so I can't wait until I'm in a good place to finally talk about it.

September is when people start looking to the dreaded holiday season, and I think this year, I will be doing sales on my Ko-Fi page and Smashwords. Depending on where I am, I might even set up pre-orders for my novella. Mostly doing the sales to really get back into being in author mode when I'm not having an off day and not working my day job.

Other than that, I do have any further updates for the month. Just been editing and writing, which is all I can do. Once I'm done with my novella, I'll be hopping back into Fate Unseen, so expect me to start whining about it in a month or so.

Until next time...

-DJ Small

*Hacks Through The Door With An Axe* HERE'S JOHNNY!

It has been three months since my last blog post, which is fine by me, but I'm sure you all are patiently waiting for something from me. Possibly an update to one of my unfinished fanfics or maybe even a book. Luckily, I have been doing things, but y'all won't be seeing any of these things until 2022. However, with me doing things it means I'll have a backlog of already written things. They just need to be edited, which is a whole different animal on its own.

June Got Away From Me

I was supposed to put up a true update on what I'm doing at the end of June, but then I quit being a human. Shout out to my depression and feeling 100% like crap for that one. I'm trying to work through it with my therapist so I can get back to something that look like a functional person, but it currently remains to be elusive.

Onto what you actually came here for....author ramblings!

Fate Unseen....Fate Unseesn...FATE UNSEEN! It's like Bloody Mary. Say it three times and it'll pop out of nowhere, or so I wished. Still editing it. My editing has been reduced to fits of trying to get it done because I have lost all motivation for it, so I'm doing what I can. What does that mean for the book coming out this year? A miracle. That's it. If I manage to publish it before the end of this year it will definitely be a miracle and I'm gonna have me some peach Jim Beam and tea to celebrate.

My struggle with editing has nothing to do with the story itself because once I'm in it, I'm in it and I'm engaged. The story is still wonderful, but with me being off kilter mentally, it really messes with my ability to focus. So again, the story is not shit. Or I don't think it's shit.

I've been outlining my next book and working on Adventures of Swift when I haven't been editing. Both of these projects are fun and light so they're a form of escapism for me on top of the fanfiction that I've read a million times...anyways...

The new book's working title is called "The Plumber's Daughter." A cute small-town romance about a former investigative journalist by the name of Carolyn Knox who buys a house in a small country town in Virginia as an attempt to escape the evil clutches of Washington D.C. The house of course needs a little love, and when her side lawn gets a sudden toxic pond thanks to her septic tank; she calls the local plumber, Tyler Meade. However, the person who ends up knocking on Carolyn's door is his daughter, Tyshell a.ka. Ty.

This story is going to be nothing but cuteness with a low level of tension. I'm refuse to even call it angst because I'm trying to minimize the angst. If you want angst go read Pool of Lies or Reappearance of Summer.

As for Adventures of Swift, I finished episode five and I'm writing episode 6. I may do a surprise drop on Patreon and post episode 2 since I can't work on what I need to. I fleshed out episode five wonderfully though last week, and I'm in love with the lore I've created for it. This means I'm anxious to share it with the world Squee. I'm also enjoying the fact that I'm keeping to my 10k words or less for each episode.

Oh, I completely forgot! There is a sale happening on Smashwords, and all my books are 50% off until the end of the month, and each week one of them is going to be free. This week it is Avery Lawson: The Last Pureblood. You call can acquire that one while I beat myself over the head and try to finish editing Fate Unseen.

Last thing I have is, put a poll in my July newsletter asking my readers which of my books they would like to see on Kindle Unlimited beginning August. I really don't like the Kindle Unlimited program because it means Amazon gets exclusivity for 3 months, but I'm willing to compromise by enrolling one book at a time in the progam. If you've been anxious to read one of my books and are a part of the KU program, click here to vote. A new window will open, taking you to the July newsletter where you can cast your vote.

I'll count up all the votes on July 31st, so anything that comes in after 12:00AM (EST) on July 30th, will not be counted for. And the book that gets the most votes will be announced on 8/1.

Heyyy, I think this was a decent sized post. I'm going to wrestle my brain and get something done, don't know what, but something. Remember to review the books you've read especially those written by indie and self-published authors. Side note: If you're reviewing my books, please leave a review on Smashwords. No one reviews there, and yeah, sure, Amazon is king, but I prefer Smashwords over them.

Until next time....

-DJ Small

Whew....May just flew by didn't it?

I guess that's what happens when you're having fun editing. I just wanted to get in a minor update before the month is out. I hope we're all ready for Summer vacation and the heat! I am not, and I wish I was in the Arctic, but even that is getting a little balmy these days. Moving on....

Who is excited for Murderous Profession?!?!?! I know I am super excited for you guys to read it. My second round of edits will be done this weekend, and then I'll send it off to my editor. The story sort of achieves what I set out to do, which was write a romantic-comedy. But when you're dealing with murder, there is only so much room for humor, however, there are funny bits along with some angst, and a touch of romance. It has a happy for now ending. Will this be then end for Eliza? The answer is no. This is going to be an ongoing series, which will not have a set schedule. Unlike The Last Pureblood series, this one could end next year, it could end five years from now. It's just something to diversify my writing, I guess.

I know last blog post I talked about bringing back the newsletter, which I am going to do, probably in June. Maybe. I'm trying to figure out what direction to take with it. I have some smaller projects I want to get out, but I'm not sure how to deliver them, and I was thinking about using the newsletter, but meh. I've got a lot of thoughts about this newsletter, but it is coming back. I just need to get my shit together.

I vaguely mentioned it, but  I will be jumping into the next Avery Lawson book as soon as I'm done editing Murderous Profession. Am I still feeling ambitious and aiming for a December release? You bet your sweet ass I am. Will that work out in my favor? Experience says no, but pride says it fcking will. Fingers crossed.

I know there are questions, especially after how the first book ended, and to give some relief, I'll divulge a little. The first thing I feel comfortable revealing, is that Avery will have her first change. This is what the first book was leading up to, and I'd be an ass to put it off just for kicks. I'm an asshole, but not that big of a one.

Next thing I'm willing to share, is if Rhea and Avery will finally give into their desire for one another. The answer to that one is no. Sorry kids, but this is a major plot point, and it has explosions. Literal explosions. Also, if you're a fan of werewolf books, and have read a lot of them, I think you can read the writing on the wall about what will happen between Avery and Rhea once they do give into their passion.

Lastly, will we learn more about the war between the Order and the Mongrels? Abso-fcking-lutely. However this will be a challenge for me because a lot of history needs to told before I can just dive into it. Avery is also being a pain in the ass, so it complicates things. But yeah, you're going to learn more about the Mongrels, and we're going to also dive a little deeper into their world.

So there you have it. Murderous Profession edits are almost done, you learned a little more about the second Avery Lawson book, and I'm still insane for doing this, but I enjoy it. Comment or tweet me your thoughts. I enjoy talking to my readers.

Another thing, if anyone would like to beta read Murderous Profession comment on this post or contact me on Twitter.

One more thing before I leave, review, review, review. People can't discover my books, and other indie authors' books, if we don't get enough reviews. I think all you need is five and the algorithm does something weird to bump up a book's exposure. Either way please review, and not just mine, but other indie authors that you read. Takes a minute.

All right, I'm done. Enjoy your weekend, and happy Summer!

-DJ Small

Update Lite

*Rises from the foggy sea like the kraken* Argggh...so it's time for an update. I really need to get that damn newsletter back. Twice a month blog posts seems really pointless when I'm just editing and plotting books and  doing publisher type things.

Murderous Profession edits are going swimmingly, and the handwritten edits should be done next week then I move to updating the document and doing vague editing before sending it to my editor. Still on track for July I feel like, but who knows what could happen. Teaser chapters will be up on my website once I have the main copy updated. If you're interested in getting a paperback copy of Murderous Profession, you can go here to reserve your copy. FYI: physical copies are only being sold through my website for US based readers. International readers can still obtain physical copies through Amazon. I'm only doing this to test out a new book printer, and to see how this process works for me.

Speaking of Murderous Profession, I have decided to do accompanying mini stories in-between books. I plan to do these through my Ko-Fi page and my website. More to come on that when I get a better idea of things, and after Murderous Profession comes out.

Book 2 of The Last Pureblood series needs a damn working title. Hmm...we're going to call it the Inevitable Change until I can come up with a legitimate title for it. It's on pause due to Murderous Profession edits, but the rest of it has been outlined and ready for me type it out. I'm excited because so much happens and we get to get out of this beginning part. I've already started brainstorming the third book, and writing down some plot points. Hopefully there won't be a long gap like there currently is with books 1 and 2.

All right, so that was an update-ish, I'll bring the newsletter back. I'm thinking once a month with a blog post. That should be easy enough. What would you all like to see in the newsletter? Let me know in the comments.

-DJ Small

Aw, Snap! A Second Post For March

I must be doing things if there is a second blog post this month. Hello all, I hope we've had a great month so far. I'm enjoying this little break before I start editing Murderous Profession. Trying to do take care of some updates on the website and preparing it to take orders, so I took down the store while that is going on. It'll be back on April 1st, and it is live once again you'll be able to purchase signed copies of Reappearance of Summer and start reserving your signed copy of Murderous Profession.  By then the cover finalized. If you want to try you hand at winning a free, signed copy of Murderous Profession you can vote on which of the covers you like here and if your cover wins you'll be entered in a drawing with everyone else who voted for the same cover. Voting ends on the 31st and is open to those in the US.

In regards to book reservations, if you follow me on Twitter I said I was playing around with a new idea to have my books printed by a new company because I wanted better quality books. However, since this isn't like print on demand where you the reader can buy a book and Amazon prints it and ships it out to you, I have to buy stock.

I will only start with a low volume of books, and once that is gone that'll be it. Will physical copies be available on Amazon? No for US readers, but yes for international ones. This is because of shipping, and I'm still trying to find a way to ship internationally without going broke. I know I stated that once I'm out of books that will be it, but there is a caveat. There will be a book request form on the website and every few weeks I'll fulfill the requests received.

Why am I telling you this when I'm bringing up book reservations? Because if you are a US based reader, and would like a physical copy of Murderous Profession, you will need to fill out the reservation form to make sure you get one.

This new change will only be for new books. My current titles on Amazon will remain where they are. At some point I will update those books to the new printing company, but we'll see how that goes.

Another change I will be rolling out on the website is the ability to purchase digital copies of my books. They'll still be available on Amazon and Smashwords, but I want my website to essentially have everything someone visiting the site would be looking for.

Lastly, I'm setting up a page for my serials to be on, so I'm going to be quiet busy the next few days, but it's all for a good reason.

Okay, to recap changes are coming to the website. You should go vote on a cover for a chance to win a free copy of Murderous Profession, and lastly thank you for reading and the support. If you've read any of my books don't forget to review them. Or at least tell me what you thought on Twitter lol. Next time I should have some details on book 2 of the Last Pureblood seris.

Until next time...

-DJ Small

A Little More About My Upcoming Book

Last week, or the week before last, I posted an update saying I would be publishing my standalone book before the second Last Pureblood book. The story isn't one I have talked about with really anyone. I think I've spoken with one person about it, and that is about it.

Then I posted an excerpt of it on Twitter to give my followers a taste of it. In the excerpt one of my main characters is talking about my other one, and though it wasn't the best sample of the story, I'm sure it piqued everyone's curiosity. Especially since one of my main characters is a sex worker, so I'm going to go into it a little bit more here.

The story is set in present day New York City, but in a universe where sex work has been legal for the last two years. Readers are first introduced to Detective Eliza Miller and her partner Billy Chilowski, and we dive head first into the murder of a sex worker. As Eliza and Billy work the case they discover a link between the victim and an individual by the name of Dax Collins, who is my second main character.

As the case progresses, Eliza and Dax cross paths more than she would like because she finds him irritating. Dax is a well-dressed, overconfident, flirtatious pretty boy, and he hits on Eliza whenever they are in each others presence. Over the course of the story things happen, and you know because I'm making this a rom-com crime book, there will be--what I hope--hilarity, and a happy for now ending.

This is a big story for me, for several reasons. As I posted a few weeks ago this will be my first published book where one of my main characters is a transgender individual. I'll break with my usual tight-lipped stance and let you know who it is. Dax is a black transman, and I'm super excited about him because he is such an amazing character no matter how much of a little shit he can be.

In my writing "career" I have written one other story where one of my main characters was trans and that was a piece of fanfiction I wrote in 2017. Writing that story was an incredible experience for me because when it was finished, it turned out to be something I needed do. Despite it being a piece of fiction set in a land with magic and sword fighting, being able to write about my character's experiences as they faced numerous challenges, dangers, and hardships due to them being trans turned out to be a cathartic experience for me. Now, I'm hoping for more humor with Dax, but I do address his trans background and his history surrounding it.

The inspiration for this story actually hit me while I was listening to JD Robb's Naked In Death while I was at work. It's book series my sister introduced me to when we were younger. There is a character in it by the name of Charles who is a sex worker, and he flirts with Eve, the main character , who just ignores him and ends up falling for the tall, dark, and handsome gazillionaire. But I've flipped the script and made Dax the Roarke in my story as well as making him a sex worker. There is a lot to tackle, but I'm up for the challenge. The story so far has been fun to write, and I'm sure I'll be super geeked about it by the time I finish it.

A little mention before I go, and I'll bring it up again once I have the logistics in place, but you will be able to buy digital copies of my books off my website soon. I'll also sell signed copies through it as well. I'm trying to get everything in one spot (outside of Amazon), and slowly but surely I'm getting there.

All right until next time....

-DJ Small

And Suddenly It Was December

For a year that went by slower than molasses, November went by pretty damn quick

Happy holiday season for those celebrating some sort of seasonal holiday this month, and for those of you that don't celebrate holidays, happy December.

Nothing special this entry just wanted to say thank you to all those who have purchased Reappearance of Summer. I hope everyone has enjoyed it thus far, and if you've finished reading it and want to show a little love you can leave a review on Goodreads or Amazon. For the next few months my books will be available on Kindle Unlimited so if you're enrolled in the program definitely give my books a read without the commitment. With them being in the program I'm going to be able to make the books free on certain days so be on the look out.

I'd like to take this time to allude to a new project that should be showing up in a month or two. It's not the second Last Pureblood book. It's actually something I have been working on for the last few months, and surprisingly, it was easy to write while working on Reappearance of Summer. I'll release the details about it when I'm ready for the world to know more, but it's going to be something that will only be offered on my website and you won't be able to find it anywhere else. Yeah, it's that elusive. This brings me to my newsletter subscribers. Once I'm ready to release it into the world, I'll send those of you who are subscribed to my website newsletter a link for early access to this new project. That's it for now on that, but if you want the early access link subscribe to my newsletter, which gets sent out as infrequently as I update my blog 😒

I've got some changes coming at the beginning of the year, but mostly updating the website and stuff. I'm going to introduce a new logo because I think it's time for a new one.


Last Pureblood book two. There we go. That was my obligatory mention, and you know what they say, no news is good news. Does that work in the writing world? It's being worked on. The beginning is slow, so I'm going to have to do some rewrites, but yeah it's coming along and still on track for 2019.

That is December's blog post. Fingers crossed I make another one. If not, I hope everyone has a good holiday and happy new year. Thank you for making 2018 a great one for me just by reading my books and buying them. I hope to bring you more in 2019.

-DJ Small