Let's take a breather and read
Discover more from Melissa Cummins
Let's take a breather and read
Happy Saturday! I’ve spoken with a couple of people who have been having a really rough time over the last few days (myself included), so I wanted to start this email out by saying that please remember to take time for yourself. I recently came across this short guide about emotions and how to help detach from them when they’re affecting you too strongly for you to process them.
If you’re overthinking, journal. Whether that’s writing, recording a voice note, or talking out loud.
If you’re anxious, meditate. If that doesn’t work try the 4-4-4-4 breathing method where you inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four, pause for four. There’s also really great apps that make it so you only need to wait for the ‘chime’ to tell you when to inhale and exhale.
If you’re tired, take a nap. Also, if you’re having negative thoughts late at night or suddenly getting very worried, go to sleep. It’s not time to plan out the solution to everything.
If you’re stressed, walk. Chocolate also works for this because it releases endorphins.
If you’re angry listen to music. Also make sure you’ve eaten today.
If you feel like your lazy, reduce the amount of time you scroll through social media.
Now I know, I know. You’re probably thinking, I want to hear about books! And you will, patience sweet grasshopper.
But I like putting in little things I’ve learned about resetting your mind after a hard day, or ways to improve your mindset because without learning those things, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Being in business is tough, as is being a creative, so without a healthy mindset you’re not going to make it last for years on end. If one of these tips helps even on person, then it’s worth it in my book.
Stuff Your EReader is coming on September 20th!
Back in March I joined my first Stuff Your EReader event. At that time, over 1000 authors made their books free for you to download for one day only. When the event happened again in June, it broke Amazon. I didn’t participate that time around, but I will be now and we have over 2000 free books! The event will run from September 20th - 22nd, so I’ll send another email on the 20th with all the information and link. Don’t forget to check your inbox that day so you don’t miss out!
Writing News
I’m working on getting the paperback together for My Brutal Beast. I’m also in the process of figuring out what I want The Vampire War Omnibus to look like. I am planning on releasing that on November 1st, which will be my last book published this year.
It’s wild to me because I used to wonder how many books I might write in a year once I became a full time author and this year I’ll have released four. Shifting away from deadlines and writing more loosely was a big change for me, and it’s clearly been the right move. In about two weeks it’ll be my second year as a published author, so I’ll have a roundup celebration newsletter then, but I’m honestly just really excited. I’m excited for My Brutal Beast’s release, as well as The Vampire War. I’m super thrilled about the next book I’ll be working on, and another one I’ll be rewriting which may be book 3.5 in the Chronicles of The Otherworld series, and so many other things! 2024 is going to be a big publishing year for me and I’m so thankful to have you along for the ride!
Here’s a taste of Chapter 1 from My Brutal Beast
Cassandra
My head pounds from exhaustion. I’ve been overworking myself, aiming for a promotion, believing the money would make a difference in my life and I’d finally feel like I made something of myself, something more than a convict’s daughter. So when Chelsea’s name flashes across my screen, I let it go to voicemail. She was a huge party girl in college, and wherever she is, there’s bound to be liquor. But then Heather and Amy both call. They take turns blowing up my phone until, with a sigh, I answer. One four-way call filled with endless pleading and a guilt trip over how I “never come out with them anymore,” am “wasting my life working for a promotion I’ll never get,” and am “acting like the worst friend ever,” and I agree to go out with them for dinner and drinks.
I don’t tell them how much their words hurt me. That friends I’ve had for three-and-a-half years can’t believe in me or understand how important this promotion is to me is shocking. But I ignore that hurt because maybe they are right. Maybe I haven’t been available enough or checked in as often as I should have. Maybe I have been, without realizing it, a bad friend.
When I get home, I take a deep breath and promise myself I’ll only be out for two or three hours. Long enough to eat, catch up, get a couple of drinks, and come back home. I slip into a short pink dress that does a good job hiding just how large my stomach really is. Then I put on a pair of dark brown wedges that almost match the color of my skin and bring me a couple inches above my actual short height.
When I arrive at Wesley’s and see Chelsea, Heather, and Amy, with their high-pitched squeals and easy laughs, I should be happy to see them, but I’m not. Something is wrong. I can feel it in my gut, like a sickness I don’t know how to cure. And no matter how much I try to tell myself that it’s me, not them, it won’t go away.
So I plaster on a fake smile. I eat and laugh with them as if nothing is wrong, because if I’m being honest, I’ve been faking it for so long that it feels more natural to me than the truth.
The bill comes, and for the first time tonight, I smile genuinely. I’m ready to go.
And then it happens.
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A quick guide to my books
Vampires + witches + fated mates + friends to lovers + boss/employee + morally gray couple + strong touch her/him and die vibes + found family
Vampires + witches + fated mates + curvy girl + kidnapped + hurt/comfort + morally gray couple + strong touch her/him and die vibes + found family + kinky + he falls first
Vampires + taboo + age gap + fated mates + first love + return from the dead + second chance + coming of age + morally gray couple + strong touch her/him and die vibes + found family + he falls first
Monster + Gargoyle + He’s a virgin + kinky + curvy girl + he falls first + fated mates + hurt/comfort + morally gray man + strong touch her and die vibes + instalove