H. R. Sinclair https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/ writer•painter•dreamer Wed, 28 Feb 2024 12:38:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/cropped-squirrelicon-teal-32x32.png H. R. Sinclair https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/ 32 32 Goodbye WordPress https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/2024/02/28/goodbye-wordpress/ Wed, 28 Feb 2024 12:35:36 +0000 https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/?p=16698 I’ve moved my site to a new platform. This post, on my old WordPress site, is to let you know–and that I will have a new RSS feed.  This weekend, I will move the domain name to my new platform. A new blog post will go up on March 6th at my new home on the web.  Please save this in your feeds as a reminder to click over on March 6th to iamhrsinclair.com and check out my new digs. I have a whole new layout, header, and avatar! The new blog feed will be https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/blog?format=rss It is possible the feeds will redirect — but I don’t know for sure. Comments are off. Have a great weekend.

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]]> I’ve moved my site to a new platform. This post, on my old WordPress site, is to let you know–and that I will have a new RSS feed. 

This weekend, I will move the domain name to my new platform. A new blog post will go up on March 6th at my new home on the web. 

Please save this in your feeds as a reminder to click over on March 6th to iamhrsinclair.com and check out my new digs. I have a whole new layout, header, and avatar!

The new blog feed will be

https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/blog?format=rss

It is possible the feeds will redirect — but I don’t know for sure.

Comments are off.

Have a great weekend.

The post Goodbye WordPress appeared first on H. R. Sinclair.

]]> Is this post in your blog feed? https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/2024/02/09/is-this-post-in-your-blog-feed/ https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/2024/02/09/is-this-post-in-your-blog-feed/#comments Fri, 09 Feb 2024 12:32:16 +0000 https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/?p=16674 My post on Wednesday is not show in my feed nor on Feedly or Bloglovin’. Is it just me? I realize if that didn’t show up, this might not either. But maybe it will push it through? Please let me know if you got the last post — 2024,The Year I Publish My First Novel — in your feed Wednesday. Or did you get it today, maybe.

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]]> My post on Wednesday is not show in my feed nor on Feedly or Bloglovin’. Is it just me? I realize if that didn’t show up, this might not either. But maybe it will push it through?

Please let me know if you got the last post — 2024,The Year I Publish My First Novel — in your feed Wednesday. Or did you get it today, maybe.

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]]> https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/2024/02/09/is-this-post-in-your-blog-feed/feed/ 11 2024,The Year I Publish My First Novel https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/2024/02/07/2024the-year-i-publish-my-first-novel/ https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/2024/02/07/2024the-year-i-publish-my-first-novel/#comments Wed, 07 Feb 2024 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/?p=16656 It’s coming! I plan to, no I will, publish my first novel this year, in September or October. Gulp. Now, for some details! The Title: Bloodstone The Blurb:  Katelyn Grey is a gardener in Southern California. She’s content with pruning shrubs and looking after her step-mom, the only family she has left. That is, until a lawyer shows up and tells her that her long-lost aunt died, leaving her the family home on the other side of the country. Though Katelyn hates to travel, a weird clause in her aunt’s will forces her to visit a quaint New England seaside town. Her world changes when she discovers she’s inherited a haunted brownstone, fickle magic, and a hidden key that someone else wants. And they’re willing to kill for it. Now, she must learn how to use magic, find the key, and figure out what it’s for before she ends up like her long-lost aunt. Dead. And I’m Taking Names: Help Me Promo😁 If you’re interested in reading an ARC, having me as a guest poster, or shouting out my book on your blog or social media, let me know. Just add your name right here. (It’s a Google form.) This is not a commitment, just an I’m interested. I’ll send you an email when I have the date set and a plan of action. In Other News, I’m Leaving WordPress  More on why later. But for now, know this: And finally: What turns you off when visiting an author’s website/blog? This comes from the IWSG and it’s a great question. For me, I hate when they haven’t updated their book list, and a book that published five years ago is listed as coming soon. Other turn offs are heaps of negativity. Once in a while, it’s okay, but not a constant supply of the blues. And I want them to mention their books! But there is a precious balance between not enough and too much. We shall see if I can find it this year! Questions? Comments? How does that blurb sound? Dull, need a bit more, grabby? Do I need more details? Questions about my big move? Let me know, I’ll answer them in my next post! ⇴ AI generated image made on Kittl for imhrsinclair.com

The post 2024,The Year I Publish My First Novel appeared first on H. R. Sinclair.

]]> It’s coming! I plan to, no I will, publish my first novel this year, in September or October. Gulp. Now, for some details!

publish my first novel

The Title: Bloodstone

The Blurb: 

Katelyn Grey is a gardener in Southern California. She’s content with pruning shrubs and looking after her step-mom, the only family she has left. That is, until a lawyer shows up and tells her that her long-lost aunt died, leaving her the family home on the other side of the country.

Though Katelyn hates to travel, a weird clause in her aunt’s will forces her to visit a quaint New England seaside town. Her world changes when she discovers she’s inherited a haunted brownstone, fickle magic, and a hidden key that someone else wants. And they’re willing to kill for it.

Now, she must learn how to use magic, find the key, and figure out what it’s for before she ends up like her long-lost aunt. Dead.

And I’m Taking Names: Help Me Promo😁

If you’re interested in reading an ARC, having me as a guest poster, or shouting out my book on your blog or social media, let me know. Just add your name right here. (It’s a Google form.)

This is not a commitment, just an I’m interested. I’ll send you an email when I have the date set and a plan of action.

In Other News, I’m Leaving WordPress 

More on why later. But for now, know this:

  • I’ll close down comments in a week or so while I begin the move.
  • I’ll do one last mini post here once I’ve moved, letting you know the new location (same domain), but it will have a new RSS feed.
  • A few days after that post goes up, I’ll shut this down. I think the old post feed will stay in your RSS feeds. I will be shouting the move out on “X” formerly known at Twitter and Instagram. And my newsletter.
  • It will be a slow process because I will have to verify and check everything as well as redesign the layout as this one won’t transfer over.
  • So, I may not post here next month. Or I might depending on how smoothly it goes and life (you know how it likes to get in the way of everything).

And finally: What turns you off when visiting an author’s website/blog?

This comes from the IWSG and it’s a great question. For me, I hate when they haven’t updated their book list, and a book that published five years ago is listed as coming soon. Other turn offs are heaps of negativity. Once in a while, it’s okay, but not a constant supply of the blues. And I want them to mention their books! But there is a precious balance between not enough and too much. We shall see if I can find it this year!

Thoughts?

Questions? Comments?

How does that blurb sound? Dull, need a bit more, grabby? Do I need more details?

Questions about my big move? Let me know, I’ll answer them in my next post!

⇴ AI generated image made on Kittl for imhrsinclair.com

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]]> https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/2024/02/07/2024the-year-i-publish-my-first-novel/feed/ 12 Interview with Author L. Diane Wolfe https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/2024/02/05/interview-with-author-l-diane-wolfe/ https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/2024/02/05/interview-with-author-l-diane-wolfe/#comments Mon, 05 Feb 2024 10:00:00 +0000 https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/?p=16622 Today, I’m interviewing author L. Diane Wolfe, who has a new book out tomorrow called In Darkness: The Alien. This book is the fourth book in her In Darkness Series. We’ve been blogging buddies for over ten years. Her blog has a wealth of information and she’s incredibly supportive of all writers. Let’s get to it! Q & A What’s your favorite line from your book? The main character, Liz, spouts off some good one-liners throughout the story. I’m going with her first thought in the book and the opening lines: You need a breath mint. That’s a foul alien stink. Do you have any advice for people creating a new creature or race for their book? New races are fun, but you need to know the backstory and they must fit in the world you create, physically and story-wise. Like any other character, they have to be fully fleshed out. What’s a key ingredient to making a book great? I believe it comes down to relatable characters and their interactions with others. Readers gravitate towards universal things such as feelings and experiences, and when they can latch on to characters and situations that they understand, that elevates a story. How many revisions do your books typically go through before publication? Dozens upon dozens? It used to be a lot more, but I think as I’ve improved over the years, the revisions are less. Stories definitely go through a lot before our editor sees them. Do you use any special writing software? I have Dragon NaturallySpeaking. I’ve discovered it works a little better for non-fiction than fiction, so the former is where I use it the most. What’s the funniest typo you’ve ever written? The only thing that comes to mind was in my third book. Review copies came in and there were no headers (book title/author) at the top of the pages. And since I format all of the books for Dancing Lemur Press, that was all on me. I had to laugh. At least it was the review copy and not the final version. What’s your favorite setting? In The Alien? The cave, as it forces the two main characters to interact and allows for a more natural relationship to develop. ✽Rapid Fire Questions✽ Rose or Wildflower? Wildflower Guacamole or salsa? Guacamole Clowns or Mimes? Mimes, even though they do that walking against the wind stuff. Board games or video games? Board games Time travel 20 years in the past or 20 years in the future? Twenty years in the past, especially if I get to stay. Better make that 50 years then. Get me as far away from the current nonsense as possible. Now for the Book! In Darkness: The Alien by L. Diane Wolfe Souls shrouded in darkness…Abducted from her research station, Liz’s life is flung into chaos. Sold into servanthood for her knowledge of planetary mining to a race called the Stren, she discovers her problems go far deeper. She is to marry her alien master, Krist, after enduring a procedure designed to eradicate her emotions. Desperate, Liz persuades the Stren to grant her the duration of a short voyage to change his perception of emotions. But how can she convince someone lacking feelings of their value? And is there a means of accessing the emotional side of Krist? Release date February 6, 2024 from Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C. — that’s tomorrow, you can preorder it today! Romance-Science Fiction / Science Fiction-Alien Contact / Romance-Paranormal eBook ISBN 9781939844972 →Pick it up at Links: Amazon | iTunes | Barnes & Noble | Kobo A professional speaker and author, L. Diane Wolfe conducts seminars, offers book formatting, and author consultation. She’s an editor at Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C. and contributes to the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. You can find L. Diane Wolfe at these places: Spunk On A Stick | Spunk On A Stick’s Tips | Insecure Writer’s Support Group | Facebook | Pinterest Thank you for stopping by and thank you to the author for the great answers! Should I tell her I was a mime in my youth and walked against the wind and rode invisible bicycles?

The post Interview with Author L. Diane Wolfe appeared first on H. R. Sinclair.

]]>
Interview with Author L. Diane Wolfe

Today, I’m interviewing author L. Diane Wolfe, who has a new book out tomorrow called In Darkness: The Alien. This book is the fourth book in her In Darkness Series.

We’ve been blogging buddies for over ten years. Her blog has a wealth of information and she’s incredibly supportive of all writers.

Let’s get to it!

Q & A

What’s your favorite line from your book?

The main character, Liz, spouts off some good one-liners throughout the story. I’m going with her first thought in the book and the opening lines: You need a breath mint. That’s a foul alien stink.

Do you have any advice for people creating a new creature or race for their book?

New races are fun, but you need to know the backstory and they must fit in the world you create, physically and story-wise. Like any other character, they have to be fully fleshed out.

What’s a key ingredient to making a book great?

I believe it comes down to relatable characters and their interactions with others. Readers gravitate towards universal things such as feelings and experiences, and when they can latch on to characters and situations that they understand, that elevates a story.

How many revisions do your books typically go through before publication?

Dozens upon dozens? It used to be a lot more, but I think as I’ve improved over the years, the revisions are less. Stories definitely go through a lot before our editor sees them.

Do you use any special writing software?

I have Dragon NaturallySpeaking. I’ve discovered it works a little better for non-fiction than fiction, so the former is where I use it the most.

What’s the funniest typo you’ve ever written?

The only thing that comes to mind was in my third book. Review copies came in and there were no headers (book title/author) at the top of the pages. And since I format all of the books for Dancing Lemur Press, that was all on me. I had to laugh. At least it was the review copy and not the final version.

What’s your favorite setting?

In The Alien? The cave, as it forces the two main characters to interact and allows for a more natural relationship to develop.

✽Rapid Fire Questions✽

Rose or Wildflower?

Wildflower

Guacamole or salsa?

Guacamole

Clowns or Mimes?

Mimes, even though they do that walking against the wind stuff.

Board games or video games?

Board games

Time travel 20 years in the past or 20 years in the future?

Twenty years in the past, especially if I get to stay. Better make that 50 years then. Get me as far away from the current nonsense as possible.

Now for the Book!

In Darkness: The Alien

In Darkness: The Alien
In Darkness: The Alien

by L. Diane Wolfe

Souls shrouded in darkness…Abducted from her research station, Liz’s life is flung into chaos. Sold into servanthood for her knowledge of planetary mining to a race called the Stren, she discovers her problems go far deeper. She is to marry her alien master, Krist, after enduring a procedure designed to eradicate her emotions.

Desperate, Liz persuades the Stren to grant her the duration of a short voyage to change his perception of emotions. But how can she convince someone lacking feelings of their value? And is there a means of accessing the emotional side of Krist?

Release date

February 6, 2024 from Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C. — that’s tomorrow, you can preorder it today!

Romance-Science Fiction / Science Fiction-Alien Contact / Romance-Paranormal

eBook ISBN 9781939844972

→Pick it up at

Links: Amazon | iTunes | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

A professional speaker and author, L. Diane Wolfe conducts seminars, offers book formatting, and author consultation. She’s an editor at Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C. and contributes to the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

You can find L. Diane Wolfe at these places: Spunk On A Stick | Spunk On A Stick’s Tips | Insecure Writer’s Support Group | Facebook | Pinterest

In Darkness Series
In Darkness Series

Thank you for stopping by and thank you to the author for the great answers! Should I tell her I was a mime in my youth and walked against the wind and rode invisible bicycles?

The post Interview with Author L. Diane Wolfe appeared first on H. R. Sinclair.

]]> https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/2024/02/05/interview-with-author-l-diane-wolfe/feed/ 5 2024 Trends in Fashion, Food, Publishing & More https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/2024/01/03/2024-trends-in-fashion-food-publishing-more/ https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/2024/01/03/2024-trends-in-fashion-food-publishing-more/#comments Wed, 03 Jan 2024 09:00:00 +0000 https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/?p=16600 It’s a new year. YAY! I’m excited. Are you excited? Let’s be excited together. It’s also time for my annual post of what to expect with 2024 trends. — Now, that is exciting! If this is your first time seeing one of these posts, I track down what’s suppose to be “trending” in the new year for fun. But first, how did last year’s trends hold up? I dunno. I didn’t track them. I didn’t notice any of the trendy new foods. But I saw 20s style clothing in the shops. I saw “overstimulation” websites, though. Not a fan. In blogging, I saw the episodic blogging become really popular. But First, My Goals for 2024 2024 is The Year of… ➺The Dragon The Chinese New Year starts on February 10th. It’s the year of the Wood Dragon. This year holds great potential. It’s a year that brings energy, renewal, inspiration, and innovation. It’s a year to make dreams come true. NICE! ➺2024 Color Trends Why, isn’t this just going to be a peach of a year? 😂 ➺2024 Fashion Trends ➺Food & Drink Trends in 2024 ➺Publishing Trends for 2024 ➺Website Design Trends for 2024 ➺Blogging Trends in 2024 Have you set goals yet? What trends up there did you like? What made you cringe? sources:

The post 2024 Trends in Fashion, Food, Publishing & More appeared first on H. R. Sinclair.

]]> It’s a new year. YAY! I’m excited. Are you excited? Let’s be excited together. It’s also time for my annual post of what to expect with 2024 trends. — Now, that is exciting!

2024 trends

If this is your first time seeing one of these posts, I track down what’s suppose to be “trending” in the new year for fun.

But first, how did last year’s trends hold up? I dunno. I didn’t track them. I didn’t notice any of the trendy new foods. But I saw 20s style clothing in the shops. I saw “overstimulation” websites, though. Not a fan. In blogging, I saw the episodic blogging become really popular.

But First, My Goals for 2024

  • Publish my witchy urban fantasy novel in the fall. There I said it. Fingers crossed, I can deliver!
  • Add the spine text to two of my cookbook. I just noticed that I completely forgot to add them. DOH!
  • Research new places to host my website. If you have any recommendations for hosts or platforms, let me know!

2024 is The Year of…

year of the dragon

➺The Dragon

The Chinese New Year starts on February 10th. It’s the year of the Wood Dragon. This year holds great potential. It’s a year that brings energy, renewal, inspiration, and innovation. It’s a year to make dreams come true. NICE!

➺2024 Color Trends

colors of the year color swatches
  • Pantone’s color of the year is Peach Fuzz (1)
    • “Peach Fuzz is a heartfelt peach hue bringing a feeling of kindness and tenderness, communicating a message of caring and sharing, community and collaboration. A warm and cozy shade highlighting our desire for togetherness with others or for enjoying a moment of stillness and the feeling of sanctuary this creates … Poetic and romantic, a clean peach tone with a vintage vibe … Peach Fuzz reflects the past yet has been refashioned with a contemporary ambiance. ” – Pantone
  • WGSN’s (trend forecasting company in London) color of the year is Apricot Crush (2)
    • “…restorative, refreshing and energetic hue, which is perfect as we grapple with a range of emotions and uneasiness about the future.”

Why, isn’t this just going to be a peach of a year? 😂

➺2024 Fashion Trends

  • the flirty white dress, light, airy, and free-form — I think this is the first time I’ve seen the white dress trending. Nice change up.
  • the serious black — I assume this means not light and airy but angular and edgy
  • blue hues — When is blue not trending?
  • relaxed tailoring
  • stripes, horizontal, vertical, thick, thin
  • holey — I don’t know a better word for it. This is clothing with slashes, shredding, or netting.
  • apron-ish, clothing that resembles aprons but made fancy — Yeah, I don’t get it either.
  • elongated silhouette — This could be cool.
  • metallic fabrics, inspired by the 2024 Olympics
  • preppy comeback, polos and popped collars
  • rose prints
  • feathery accents
  • no pants look — no, thank you

➺Food & Drink Trends in 2024

arepa
Venezuelan arepas
  • fancy faux fish and caviar toppings on everything
  • mezze-serving restaurants
  • ramen
  • plant-based foods made with plants 🤔
  • more complex spices and more heat
  • buckwheat
  • fried rice with a twist
  • little luxuries — a single macaron, a pot de crème, or crème brûlée
  • Venezuelan cuisine
  • “Sea-cuterie” is the new charcuterie
  • Beverages
    • fruit and veggie smoothes
    • Hugo Spritz, made with elderflower cordial or syrup and topped with Prosecco and soda water
    • Martinis Gone Wild, look for the Parmesan Martini, Popcorn Martini, and the Pickle Martini this year 🤢
    • sophisticated lower-alcohol, bitter-tinged, brightly colored cocktails and lo-no beers
    • coffee cocktails
  • Foodie Buzz Words: Szechuan/Thai fried chicken sandwiches, labneh, regenerative beef, okonomiyaki, Italian vermouth, aji amarillo

➺Publishing Trends for 2024

Rise of the AI 😂
  • Surge in ebooks
  • Surge in audiobooks
  • The Rise of the AI, from content generation and editing to personalised recommendations
  • Genre Trends
    • Fantasy, romance, history, and sci-fi will dominate
    • Political books remain popular
    • Comedy and action-adventure will see an uptick
    • mystery will remain popular in the US

➺Website Design Trends for 2024

  • 90s resurface with bright bold colors and overlapping imagery
  • pastels and lighter colors to off set dark mode
  • monochrome color scheme is all going to be trendy
  • footers, not just for the copyright notice anymore, time to make it just a pretty and fun as the header
  • custom cursors — okay, I love these, always have, but they distract me from what I’m supposed to be doing
  • navigation taking a bigger role in the overall design

➺Blogging Trends in 2024

  • Optimizing your post to be read by AI, which means a more converstional style post rather than one like this with a bunch of bullet points
  • long-tail keywords — like “Blogging Trends in 2024” over blogging, trends
  • light, bright, and tight, meaning breezy, uplifting content that doesn’t prattle on

Have you set goals yet? What trends up there did you like? What made you cringe?

sources:

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