I’ve been building my library with a host of titles from small indie publishers and authors for some time now. My shelves are on the verge of buckling. How lucky am I to have so many titles that it takes me some time to choose which one to read first? Alas, I must choose…

I added 2 titles by Aaron Polson to my shelves last week, Loathsome, Dark And Deep & The House Eaters. I think Loathsome will win out here, as I can’t resist a book with a title like that…

I’m almost finished reading Debris by Barry Napier and next, I want to read The Ash Angels, the 2nd chapbook from Ian Rogers’ Felix Renn series which I picked up at The Word on The Street.

That’s just the tip of the iceburg in terms of my “to be read” shelf and doesn’t include anything I’ve downloaded to my Sony Reader. But don’t think I’m going to be hogging all this literary goodness to myself…

Because the rumors are true. I’m starting up a new website where I’ll be reviewing, posting interviews and shedding some light on the deep, dark corners of horror fiction.

Yup! The mysterious BloodyBookish.com will be run be l’il ol’ me! I’ve been wanting to do this for some time. I secured the domain maybe 2 years ago, never got started with it, let it expire and then realized I still wanted to explore the genre.

My focus is to spread the word about Horror in general, with a special focus on spotlighting Canadian horror and female-written horror as well. Watch for news on when the site will launch (I’m aiming for Spring) and keep your eyes on your inbox. I hope to feature as many people in my writing posse as possible!

Exciting times are ahead (and I’m stoked to have an “excuse” to do more reading)!

Want to stay in the loop? You can follow Bloody Bookish on Twitter!

Obviously, with everything going on, I abruptly stopped working on it last week. In fact, most of the month, I struggled with hitting my word count until late at night because most of the day I was either cuddling Zoey (on her good days) or worrying about her (when she wasn't feeling well enough to cuddle).

I surprised myself by writing almost an entire first draft of a new short the other day. Maybe it's the comfort of getting back into routine but it was actually a bit of a relief, to tell you the truth. Something tangible to hold on to with so much turmoil going on around me. Either way, I'm not sure if I'll "win" NaNo this year. But I'm not going to abandon my book either, no matter how long it takes me to finish it.

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In other Writing Wednesday news, have you seen the trailer for Aaron Polson's Loathsome, Dark & Deep yet? That guy knows how to entice! Check it out and don't forget to pre-order the book while it's still only $8.99. And take part in A Very Loathsome Contest!

Not this time.

I'm taking next week off and I am SO ready for it. I have blogs I want to write, articles I should finish beforehand – but it all amounts to doing double the work this week, and I just can't get my head into it.

The good news is I have fallen back into a regular writing routine after struggling for a few months there. But I'm afraid I'll slip right back into my funk when I take the entire week off.

On the other hand, we have some fun activities planned and haven't I said before that sometimes you just need to decompress and be inspired by life in order to have something that's worth writing about?

So really, the guilt and pressure are all self-imposed. How about a little self-imposed pleasure? Dip my toes in the pool, soak up some sun, eat some ice cream and get away for a while, right? It'll all be waiting for me when I get back.

My Works-In-Progress

• Well, it took a few weeks longer than I thought but I finally finished my tweet-inspired tale! Maybe once it finds a home, I'll spill the beans on whose tweet inspired me
• I haven't even started planning my WeSeWriMo project yet, not really! I've tried but keep getting stuck. Maybe my week off will allow my thoughts to settle and the perfect idea will come to me. I hope…
• Instead of driving myself completely insane, I'm going to hold off on my RPP idea until later. I haven't even looked at it since NaNoWriMo – I imagine it will need a lot of reworking, which isn't a bad thing. Sometimes the editing goes smoother than diving into something new
• I've been meaning to finalize my swag giveaway but it keeps getting pushed to the backburner. I'll need to tackle it when I'm back.

So, how to you cope with being constantly on the go and finding it hard to take some time for yourself? Think I'll be able to cope?!

Fellow WIP Wednesday posse:

• Jamie Eyberg – Vacation
• Aaron Polson – WIP Wednesday: "The End" Never Felt So Good

If you’re a writer participating in WIP Wednesday, post a link to your blog in the comments! More info on the WIP Wednesday initiative can be found at Kate Karyus Quinn's blog.

Fellow members of The Creative Alliance:

• Patrick Pillars – From The Dark Side Anthology Video & Interview with Nicole Ireland
• Ro Van Saint – Z-Cast Ep. 2
• David Sobkowiak – Full bios for all From The Dark Side Authors
• Vange – From The Dark Side Antho Stuff
• Nicole Ireland – Interview with Patrick Pillars

Want to know where all the cool kids go? Check out TCA and join us! Writers, artists, musicians – unite!

So, even though I feel like this is the never-ending edit, things could be much worse. Wait till you read what task they are tackling

I plan to take it easy for the next few days, but that doesn't mean I won't still sneak in some brainstorming for other WIPs. Besides, what better way to do so than staring up at the clouds from under a shady tree?

In other writing news:

• One of my fave Brits and constant source of inspiration DJR has finished the first draft of his latest novel, Dog Eat Dog. Cannot wait to read it!
• I hear the first edition of the Red Penny Papers is going to be stellar, with pieces so far from Aaron & Cate. I better finish my submission and hope it gets accepted
• Barry Napier really is conquering the writing world with the acceptance of his poetry collection, A Mouth For Picket Fences. GO Barry!
• I'm completely jealous that my fellow hi-fiver Katey is going to the Mutter Museum to do a little research! Yes – medical oddities are fun!
• Miss Beanses has started posting snippets of stories that will appear in the From The Dark Side Anthology. Looking forward to reading more!

Funny how it's Summer and I seem busier now more than ever. I guess when you're freelancing, it's harder to differentiate between seasons. Or week. Or days. Or hours.

Fellow WIP Wednesday posse:

• Cate Gardner – WIP Wednesday: Tick Tock, Tick Tock

If you’re a writer participating in WIP Wednesday, post a link to your blog in the comments! More info on the WIP Wednesday initiative can be found at Kate Karyus Quinn's blog.

Fellow members of The Creative Alliance:

• Patrick Pillars – Still
• Nikki Ireland – Progress Report #2
  

Want to know where all the cool kids go? Check out TCA and join us! Writers, artists, musicians – unite!

So, the research coupled with a late-night brainstorming session has enabled this story to grow beyond its meager beginnings.

Not that I'm complaining. These little extras have given it an added dose of intrigue as I try to piece the two parts together. Good to know I can still get excited about writing. I don't imagine that I'll ever tire of it – but after a few stalled stories, I'm really enjoying writing this one and happy to be excited about it again.

My Current WIPS

I think I said it all above. Working on that story plus also polishing another. Plans still brewing for #WeSeWriMo.

Fellow writers, do you also work on multiple stories simultaneously?

Fellow WIP Wednesday posse:

• Jamie Eyberg -Doing No Wrong
• Aaron Polson – WIP Wednesday: It is Wednesday, Right?
• Barry Napier – The Person We All Become

If you’re a writer participating in WIP Wednesday, post a link to your blog in the comments! More info on the WIP Wednesday initiative can be found at Kate Karyus Quinn's blog.

Fellow members of The Creative Alliance:

• Drew Beatty – Winking Existence: Parts 1, 2 and 3
• Patrick Pillars – Solstice
• Morgan Elektra – Interview w/ Scott Sigler

Want to know where all the cool kids go? Check out TCA and join us! Writers, artists, musicians – unite!