NEW HOME!

My blog has moved!!! Please find me at: https://www.nikkibroadwellauthor.com/blog

And thanks for reading!!!

a reprint of my newsletter...

For those who are not on my e-mail list, here's a copy of my latest newsletter!

Nikki's Newsletter

Dear wonderful Friends, and family, 

Believe it or not, I've completed Book #2 in the Gypsy series, 'Gypsy's Return'! The second book of this time-traveling/romance took only four months to write, a record for me. 91,700 words later, I have now sent it off for editing and then will begin the lengthy process of preparing it for publication. I expect it to be up on Amazon by the end of July or early August. For any of you who read Gypsy's Quest, this one continues Gertrude's story, leading us into a changed world. Look for the third in the series sometime early next year!

Meanwhile I have another book that's nearing completion. It's a very different story, inspired by the Sonoran desert where I now live. I don't want to  give it away, but I'll share here that the protagonist is a coyote who would like to be human. The pitfalls of this lead him down several hilarious, strange and dangerous paths. I'm hoping to have this one published in the fall, before the holiday season begins. 

If you've been reading my blog, Authorinprogress, you'll know that I've been struggling with marketing. This aspect of the business of writing  has been discouraging and exhausting for me. It's extremely hard (nearly impossible) to compete with the zillions of books in the marketplace and to find a way to target my readers. A friend mentioned the idea of press releases and ads in local newspapers and I plan to follow up with this when I bring out my new books. A few dollars spent for an advert in The Desert Leaf would at least get my name into the public eye. My books are in several bookstores here in Tucson, but if no one knows about them then the possibility of sales is nil! 

Despite these setbacks I continue to be fascinated with writing, unable to stop myself. The book that began my obsession, the fictionalized WW2 story of my father and mother's struggle to maintain a relationship amid war and myriad other obstacles, is on the back burner. With 400 pages written I have finally figured out a suitable ending. I have a beta reader here in Tucson, a woman whose opinions I respect, and every month we get together to go over the chapters. Once the other two are out, I'll have time to concentrate on this one. 

  

Thank you all for reading!

The Lure and the reeling in...

Still lolling about not doing any serious writing--that is, working on one of my novels in progress. Yesterday I worked for several hours linking this blog to my website, and vice-versa as well as putting more content onto my website blog--I now have three blogs.

My website, which cost me a lot to set up, seems to be taking a back seat to this blog and my other one about life here in Arizona. The blog page doesn't have an automatic button to post it to Facebook and Twitter but I don't think that's the problem since it doesn't take long to copy and paste. I personally do not like the black with white print nor do I like how it starts with a couple of sentences and then you have to click to continue reading...and...Blogger is easier for me to navigate than Wordpress although I think Wordpress has more sophisticated capabilities--if only I knew them!

As you probably have guessed, I'm rather lazy when it comes to technical things. I like to find out the basics and get on with it, not spend hours figuring it out beforehand--and my writing style is the same--a definite pantser!

So, my question is how do I tempt people to read my website blog? It differs from this one in that I'm writing vignettes related to Wolfmoon--snippets from character's perspectives that are not in the actual books...the latest is from a wolf's perspective...

I would LOVE feedback on the look of the blog as well as suggestions for content. Any enticement you bloggers know of that might help? www.wolfmoontrilogy.com/category/blog

Waiting...

Still awaiting the final proof. I’ve been in a horrible mood for days, moldering around the house, moody and irritable. My dog looks at his leash longingly but today I’ve decided that the house needs major cleaning—this must take precedence over our usual daily trip to the Columbia River.

I’ve found that many chores have been forgotten during  my concentration on getting the book done. For instance there is dust on every available surface, including baseboards, tables, and window ledges. The bedroom smells like dirty dog—a trip to the groomers is definitely in order.  Poodles need regular haircuts and Buddha is looking shaggy and smells like pond scum.

Underneath a pile of papers in my office I find unpaid bills, to-do lists and an earring I’ve been missing for several weeks. Muddy footprints lead the way from office to kitchen to bedroom. In the kitchen I stop to make a cup of espresso, noticing the sticky stuff on the counter—hummingbird water? While cleaning it up I see streaks of something on the fronts of the cupboards and grab another sponge. In the bedroom clothes are stacked high on a chair in the corner…as I begin to sort through them I’m amazed I’ve lived like this for so long! Normally I’m fairly organized—cluttter drives me around the bend.

I hear the washer sing its little song to tell me the load is finished. When I get to the laundry room I’m astonished by the stacks of clean towels, dishtowels, and bathmats. No wonder there’s nothing in the linen closet. I load the smelly comforter the dog has been sleeping on into the dryer hoping that it’s really clean. With our new low water use washer I’m never quite sure.  Unable to face the time it will take to put things where they belong I head back upstairs empty-handed.

I know I could spend an entire day on the kitchen alone but I’m determined to make a visible dent on the house today and so I head to the living room carrying the vacuum. Although poodles don't shed, the cat does and there are dust bunnies under every piece of furniture.

Walking by my office a few minutes later I’m pulled to sit down and check e-mail. And of course while I’m here I have to do a little bit of editing on Book 2. And of course write a blog…