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Fourth Quarter and So Far Behind #IWSG

Posted on October 2, 2024October 2, 2024 by Loni Townsend

Happy Insecure Writer’s Support Group Day! I’ve admittedly suffered more writing insecurities this past month than previous months. My book 1 rewriting has trickled to a stop, and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get the rest of chapter 6 written before Friday to submit it to my group. I keep getting torn between my book 2 edits, rewriting book 1, and figuring out a way to streamline the plot of book 1 in a way my brain will accept.

Focus is something I’ve been lacking lately, and I feel like I’m dropping all the balls. I even forgot about my post this morning.

Before I forget anything else, I want to give a shout-out to Melissa Maygrove. She’s releasing the fourth book of her Forging America historical romance series, Battered Pride, on the 6th!

Passion knows no prejudice.

Eva McCabe may have been raised in the genteel tea rooms of North Carolina, but she isn’t one to surrender. Even after finding her husband’s scalped and mutilated body in the field of their Oregon Territory land grant, she refuses to leave. But tenacity won’t be enough. If she can’t meet the grant’s conditions of cultivation, she’ll forfeit her independence and all 640 acres.

Hatchoq is a man of mixed blood and clashing heritage. His father’s people tolerate him, and his mother’s people want him dead. When he kills a rogue member of his clan to save a white, he’s doomed to wander brutal lands alone.

Hatchoq camps on Eva’s land and secretly lends the struggling widow some aid. Once his presence is discovered, Eva is torn between bitterness and need. Reluctantly, they work side by side, farming her land and navigating a burning attraction neither one wants. Love grows as stubborn walls of hurt and anger crumble, but can it survive? If Hatchoq stays, he must deny his Mojave identity or risk both their lives.

If you love historical romance, you’ll love this book. Check it out!

EDITED: I forgot the Question of the Month!
Ghost stories fit right in during this month. What’s your favorite classic ghostly tale? Tell us about it and why it sends chills up your spine.
Well, my favorite ghost story isn’t actually a scary one! I grew up watching the movie Heart and Souls with my parents, and it remains one of my favorite movies involving ghosts. Of course there is always the movie I watched on my first date with my husband: The Grudge. Yeah, not quite so sweet.

Have you ever had so much to do, you forgot to do other stuff? How do you tackle multiple big projects? Have you pre-ordered Melissa’s new book yet?

About Insecure Writer’s Support Group

You can find the sign up for the IWSG here. We owe Alex J Cavanaugh a huge thank you for thinking this blog hop up.

18 thoughts on “Fourth Quarter and So Far Behind #IWSG”

  1. Melissa Maygrove says:
    October 2, 2024 at 7:19 AM

    Thanks for the shoutout!
    I hope you get inspired and find some direction with your writing soon.

    Reply
  2. Madeline Mora-Summonte says:
    October 2, 2024 at 7:19 AM

    I’ve noticed that as I’ve gotten older, I struggle to focus in general, regardless of how little or how much I’ve got going on. Sigh. Hang in there, Loni!

    Reply
    1. Janet Alcorn says:
      October 4, 2024 at 7:54 AM

      Same. I find it harder to focus with each passing year.

      Reply
  3. Kim Elliott says:
    October 2, 2024 at 8:23 AM

    Focus is difficult! If I focus on writing, my list of things to do in other areas grows out of control. Good luck on your edits and rewrites!

    Reply
  4. Natalie Aguirre says:
    October 2, 2024 at 8:45 AM

    Congrats to Melissa. I write lists when I get too busy and start forgetting things or are uninspired. If you’re thinking of making changes to book 1, I’d hold off on editing book 2 because your changes could impact its plot.

    Reply
  5. CD Gallant-King says:
    October 2, 2024 at 9:18 AM

    Oh god I’m always juggling projects. I have one book on which I’m deep into revisions, and I’ve got 3-4 more I hope back and forth between. Balancing all those plots in my head does not leave time for remembering other regular life stuff!

    Reply
  6. Alex J. Cavanaugh says:
    October 2, 2024 at 9:25 AM

    Big congratulations to Melissa!
    I liked The Ring better than The Grudge but I did see it first.

    Reply
  7. M.J. Fifield says:
    October 2, 2024 at 9:35 AM

    Congrats to Melissa!!

    I often have a hard time maintaining focus. My brain jumps from “Oh I gotta do this” to “Oh, right, I gotta do that” and then I end up accomplishing not a whole lot.

    Heart and Souls is a great movie! I have not seen the Grudge (I tend to avoid scary movies because I am a wimp), but I love that it was your first date movie.

    Best of luck figuring out your rewrites. If it helps, I am in a very similar boat.

    Reply
  8. L. Diane Wolfe says:
    October 2, 2024 at 10:28 AM

    I don’t think I’ve ever seen Heart & Souls.

    Congrats to Melissa!

    Reply
  9. Olga Godim says:
    October 2, 2024 at 11:30 AM

    Congratulations to Melissa. I love the Battered Pride cover. Very atmospheric.

    Reply
  10. Liz A. says:
    October 2, 2024 at 12:00 PM

    I’m sorry. I know how it goes when there’s so much going on. It’s easy to let some of the balls you’re juggling drop. And sometimes that’s okay. Take care.

    Reply
  11. H. R. Sinclair says:
    October 2, 2024 at 12:04 PM

    Oo, I’ve dropped a lot of balls recently. And I’m finding it really hard to balance all the things I want to get done. But it’s October, which is always a fun month…well, for everything!

    Reply
  12. Aldrea Alien says:
    October 2, 2024 at 10:32 PM

    I’ve definitely left other stuff by the wayside whilst rewriting the Spellster and the Hound series, but I still find myself losing drive now and then.

    My partner attributes The Grudge as a building step in our relationship… mainly because I kept getting nightmares and refused to sleep alone for days afterwards. A bit like I was with The Ring, but I’d only my dog for comfort then. I’ve gotten better with horror since then, but I still can’t stand those two.

    Reply
  13. Anna says:
    October 3, 2024 at 10:57 AM

    I’m putting both on my October movie watching list. Thanks. 🙂

    Anna from elements of emaginette

    Reply
  14. Janet Alcorn says:
    October 4, 2024 at 7:56 AM

    I routinely get so busy I forget to do other things. I live and die by to-do lists, one for work and one for home. Right now I’m using Google Tasks, but I’m always on the lookout for a better task manager.

    Reply
  15. C. Lee McKenzie says:
    October 4, 2024 at 4:32 PM

    Congratulations to Melissa! it’s always exciting when. friend publishes a new book.

    I’ve never heard of The Grudge. Should I read it?

    Reply
  16. joylene says:
    October 5, 2024 at 5:34 PM

    The cover is very impressive. Congratulations, Melissa!

    Reply
  17. Sherry Ellis says:
    October 11, 2024 at 11:54 AM

    Congratulations to Melissa! I love the cover!

    Reply

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Welcome to my blog. I post here on Wednesdays most of the time, but you can find me on social media any day of the week. My topics include my stories and writing, life at the Town's End, creating and tinkering with graphics, things I learn and think might be helpful to others, and the occasional amateur photo. Thanks for stopping by! I hope to see you around.

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