March News from MG Author Fleur Bradley
Happy March!
I hope you had a good February, with some time for you… Here at Casa Fleur, things are at max chaos level: I sold my house, am in the process of buying a new one, I’m editing a YA novel, dealing with health issues, and working on my technical writing job…
It’s all a little too much. Do you ever feel like you have too many things going on at the same time? Unfortunately, most of us often don’t control what lands on our plate. But I've learned one really important lesson many years ago:
You can do everything, just not at the same time.
At a recent meeting, the topic of multi-tasking came up and was touted by a manager as an amazing quality. I don’t think it is.
I used to think multi-tasking was a good thing too: it meant you were able to do it all, right? But I’ve found that you can’t do everything at once. You just end up doing a mediocre job at all of it. Plus, it’s really overwhelming to think of ALL THE STUFF at once. Sometimes, when my to-do list gets enormous, I freeze with anxiety.
In Daybreak on Raven Island, one of the three kid characters is Noah, who is afraid of everything. This character element came from real life, from a family member who suffers from extreme anxiety. I’ve seen how crippling that can be. Noah writes down all the things he’s afraid of in a journal, just to cope.
And being overwhelmed works much the same way: there is such a flood of stuff, you get paralyzed by it all.
Whenever I start to get a monkey brain or try to multi-task, I tell myself:
Stop.
One thing at a time.
It really works. If you’re like Noah or like me, I hope you remind yourself that one thing at a time is enough. You're not an octopus.
Good News
While I've been busy writing and packing my books, there was some good news for Daybreak on Raven Island: it is nominated for the Agatha Award for Best Juvenile/YA...!
For those of you not familiar, the Agatha Awards are given out by Malice Domestic, a conference for authors and fans of cozy mysteries. It's named after my favorite mystery author, Agatha Christie.
Of course, we can all have cake now to celebrate. If you needed an excuse, there you have it.
Fun Stuff
I love connecting with readers, and this recent event at a school in Arvada, Colorado was so much fun. I like to make my presentations interactive, so we plot a novel together. It’s fun to hear what ideas kids come up with, and at this event, I loved seeing so many engaged parents who want their kids to read.
Hurrah for reading! And an extra hurrah for mysteries.
In the Studio
My studio is currently wherever I open my laptop, but that has never stopped me before. I wrote most of the second and third Double Vision books at a food court table… A story for another time.
Right now, I’m editing my (top-secret!) YA mystery, a classic whodunit with a fun cast of characters. I’m having a blast going full Miss Marple, and even a little Scooby Gang. This manuscript has many more drafts to go, but remember?
One thing at a time.
You’re welcome to remind me of my own sage advice next time we meet. Sometimes I forget to take it.
Events
Given my current impending homelessness, I have no in-person events planned until April’s Colorado Teen Lit Conference on April 15th, and Pikes Peak Writers Conference at the end of April, where I’ll be part of the amazing faculty.
In the meantime, you can find me on all the social media channels, and at Home Depot looking for boxes. As much as I enjoy a good food court writing session, I sure look forward to having an office again.
HELP!!
Did you read (and hopefully like) Daybreak on Raven Island...? It would be a huge help to me if you left a review over at the Amazon site. It helps readers discover the book, and the algorythms do things I don't understand.
Will you help me get to 50 reviews...? I'll be forever grateful.
Here is the link. Just a line to say that you liked the book does the trick.
Floof
Floof is not looking forward to the move, though she does appreciate the copious number of boxes and baskets at her disposal…
Winner!
I’ve had a whole lot of new subscribers (welcome!), and this time Sabrina McLaren has won a signed copy of Daybreak on Raven Island and Midnight at the Barclay Hotel.
It’s in the mail!