“My coping skills include coffee drinking, inappropriate humor,
and looking stuff up on the internet.”
- Anonymous
(Although we're pretty sure we’ve all said it at some point.)
Strangers in a Strange Land
Last month as we wrote our newsletter, we were watching the news, waiting to see if COVID-19 would become something to really worry about. We were worried maybe we’d end up in our homes for a few weeks, but like everyone else, none of us realized we were looking at the beginning of the world shutting down.
If you’re like us, you may be going through the motions of “normal” life but struggling with your anxiety levels, or you may have given up on normal and are just trying to survive. Maybe your income has been slashed or eliminated or your children are home and in need of your care. Or maybe your life is almost exactly the same, except now you need to worry about your health every time you go to work or leave the house. There’s a lot to keep in mind now that wasn't there a few weeks ago.
So, we want to try to help you if we can. If your writing schedule has been affected by COVID-19 and you’re not going to meet your editing deadline, tell us. We’ll reschedule you without a fee. If you’ve been coping by writing more and you want to get a book into editing right away, tell us. We’re waiving rush booking fees. If you want to keep your editing date but your finances have taken a turn, we can discuss payment plans and other options.
Fiction Fixes
Now that we've talked about the new stressors we're all dealing with, how about some book recommendations to help you cope?
New releases:
Piper Lawson, Love Notes
Piper Rayne, A Royal Mistake
CD Reiss, Iron Crowne
Tao Wong, The First War
Also, CD Reiss has revamped and rereleased Star Crossed!
Older books:
Shauna Granger’s Ash and Ruin series is about a world devastated by a plague that primarily affects people over age 30. If you’re looking for something that’ll hit a bit close to home, check it out! Plus, she’s doing live readings of the series on Facebook, if you're looking for some social media engagement.
Speaking of being able to relate, our own Kelly Stone Gamble’s They Call Me Crazy is about a woman who kills her husband. With us all cooped up, we're sure more than a few couples can relate to the sentiment.
All joking aside, we also realize that during this time, victimes of domestic violence may be suffering more than most. If you or someone you know needs help with a DV situation, please don't suffer in silence. You can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline by phone at 1−800−799−7233, online at thehotline.org, or by texting LOVEIS to 22522.
We sincerely hope this newsletter finds you all safe and healthy. Please take care of yourselves and each other, and please keep sending us your books. The world needs your art now more than ever. Take care and be well!
See you in May!