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Skyla Dawn Cameron

My characters kill people so I don't have to.

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April 9, 2021 By Skyla Dawn Cameron Leave a Comment

New 99c Boxset Release

I’m so excited to be included in this fantasy bundle. Six novels for 99c, including Solomon’s Seal by me. Of the other contributions, I’ve read A Magical Inheritance and Desires, Known, and I’ve got Pirates & Privateers on my TBR. I’m excited to check out the others!

Secrets mixed with magic can be deadly.

Secrets have the power to protect or destroy. Forgotten lore, mysterious weapons, and magical libraries can be dangerous in the wrong hands. Covert missions, secret societies, and lost memories can provide salvation. Prepare for adventure and unlock the many secrets in MAGIC & MYSTERY!

This is a limited time boxset, so grab it now!

Kindle | Kobo | iBooks | Nook

If you’ve read and enjoyed Solomon’s Seal, or any of the books, please consider leaving a short review at the retailer of your choice!

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March 1, 2021 By Skyla Dawn Cameron 1 Comment

March, Break

We’re a year into the pandemic here.

I’ve been having an increasing number of health issues and I’ve had to finally really face that. Chronic pain for about eighteen months, but in my head it was like “Oh, it’s maybe two or three times a day?” (That’s how it was in the beginning.) I started charting it, however, and found that was more like nine to ten times a day–just sudden acute pain (that occurs chronically, hence me referring to it as “chronic pain”) I can’t predict and can’t treat other than waiting out it while it interrupts my day. So the question was whether this is problems with existing damage my body suffered several years ago when I first got sick, or if it’s new damage and I’m no longer in remission.

It’s not exactly a great time to go through all the bullshit of doctors and multiple appointments, so I spent some time researching and charting symptoms. I’m pretty sure it’s the former–existing damage being exasperated by various things. With sufficient changes, in just a few days I’ve cut the pain down about 40%-50% what it’s been recently. Long term, though?

Stress. It’s always stress.

It’s been converging on all fronts pretty much–personal and professional (counting writing as professional). I even hit a point last week where all I wanted to do was just close up shop here because I’m so goddamn tired. Tired of having to hustle constantly, tired of feeling like I’m just treading water, tired of daily having to combat theft (especially when I’m unwell). Tired, even, of having faith that anything will ever improve.

Rationally, I know that as much as a slog as it’s been, I am in a better position. As of writing this, I am one patron away from fifty–50!–which is staggering to me. That is a tremendous achievement and is directly responsible for me being able to continue writing when sales are so hit and miss. I realize there is a very slow but consistent increase in writing income overall as the years have passed, even though none of it comes close to covering even a fraction of the time spent on it. But even then, the work I do also consistently has become something I feel like I do for other people. My books are bigger, more complex, and take more time, and every step of the way I feel like I owe them to others rather than myself (because that’s been all I have time for).

Writing requires closing a door to everything else while you work, and that’s something I think every writer has to relearn how to do again and again. It’s been a long time since I’ve had that door closed; right now it feels like it’s constantly open, a sea of voices drowning out everything else.

So I’ve spent the last few days trying to regain that silence. Seems a weird thing, entering year two of isolation due to a pandemic–and I have been truly isolated, no physical contact, nothing but essential visits out–to be looking for even more isolation. But I’ve always done best when things are…quiet. That’s how I grew up, how I first created stories. Experimenting with silence over the past few days has been successful.

It definitely helps.

I’d been hoping to take a full week off of freelance work at some point this month–and still might, when I get enough projects sent off–but maybe giving myself some silence this month will help as well. Limited social activity–I’ve been on a Twitter break for a few days. Limited email–just talking to clients and delivering projects. I still have a DnD game once a week to catch up with people, but that’s about all the humanning I’ve got energy for.

I’ve also got a small, inexpensive treadmill–a year too late, considering the pandemic, but this was when I could afford it–to make up for some of the physical activity I’ve lacked in the past year. That lack of movement also contributes to these health issues, and I’m starting small with just a mile in the morning and a mile in the evening, but that’s making a difference to.

So that’s where I am, why I’m quiet–it’s not a depressive episode, I’m fine, I’m just under a lot of stress and trying to pare back the voices in my head to focus on the fictional ones again.

As always, reader support is greatly appreciated. Yampellec’s Idol is off for copyedits and that’s still set for June 1. The Silent Places is on sale for $2.99 at Kobo for International Women’s Day, as is Solomon’s Seal (for 99c). More is on the way! And I will be back to full form in a short while.

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February 13, 2021 By Skyla Dawn Cameron Leave a Comment

A Very Special Caturday

Guess who turns two years old today!

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On February 15 2019, while I’d been under the weather for some weeks, I headed out in the cold that evening to see a pair of two-day-old kittens.

Their mother, a barn cat, had been killed by a predator the day before. A third kitten had died of hypothermia when some kind people can to rescue them. They got them through that first day of being orphaned, but feeding every two hours was a lot for a high school student. It was a Friday night and I’d intended to get them through the weekend and then contact a local shelter on Monday in case they had a nursing mother.

I didn’t think they’d last the weekend, they were so tiny–very low birthweight with some characteristics to suggest they could’ve been a few days premature. And little Gus very nearly didn’t get through those first twenty-four hours–while I fought to get him to feed, I did not know that whole time he had a congenital heart defect that would not let him live past eight weeks.

But he turned a corner. And they both survived. And once we got in a rhythm with both feeding well, I knew trying to move them again to another foster situation, even with a mother cat, would put their progress at risk.

So I kept them.

They were always my boys. Something in my gut told me that before I even saw them–the moment I heard there were these kittens, I had to see them, had to help them. They were mine. Even entertaining adoption possibilities while they were young, I couldn’t bear the thought of giving them up. When we lost Gus, there was no question Shawn couldn’t go anywhere.

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We’re here, two years later. Shawn is accident prone and constantly in trouble. He’s simultaneously elegant and a total goof. I am never not in sight of him, as much as he tries to be an independent cat. He’s the little prince who rules over everything but still hides behind me when there’s a loud noise or a stranger at the door.

I am so grateful to have this little ball of chaos in my life.

He got several presents from me and from his auntie in Alabama, and has been enthralled with the toys all morning. Soon the cats will get some KMR as a treat, and he’s got new beds and climbers to rest on.

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Every day I sing him “Future Days”–sometimes just a few lines or the chorus, but other times the whole of the song. To get the kittens to settle after mealtimes, even when they were just two days old, I’d hold them against my chest and sing–every damn time–as the vibrations likely seemed like purring to them. He likes songs and usually won’t settle at night until he gets one. Now he even recognizes it as “his” song–last year when I was playing The Last of Us Part II, there’s a point where Ellie (at the theatre) sings the first line. When Shawn heard it, his head bopped up and he went straight to the TV to watch in fascination.

So I leave you with the Joel version of Shawnie’s song, and the hope that we have many more future days to come.

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Happy birthday to the demon child who is the light of my life.

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January 17, 2021 By Skyla Dawn Cameron 1 Comment

“When’s That Book Coming?” Winter 2021 Edition

Well, we made it! Or some of us did. I don’t know about you, but I’ve felt increasingly like a zombie movie where fewer and fewer people haven’t been bit, and I’m not sure if I’m going to be a casualty during the climax or make it in time for the cure. Friends have been sick with covid; friends have lost large numbers of family members to it. I’ve been locked down in isolation since last March and it looks like I’ll be here until the fall later this year.

I don’t think a huge amount is different from the end of the year recap but onward!

What’s New

The Silent Places!

I’m so grateful to everyone who bought a new book by me in a totally different genre, and also those who left a kind review. I’m still tremendously proud of it and so glad many of you enjoyed it.

I also continue to be the absolute worst person at evaluating triggers for people, so if you found the domestic violence warning at the start insufficient, I am very sorry. I do hope going on Imogen’s journey provided at least some catharsis and validation for the survivors who read it.

Also new…the Etsy shop is live!

…after Christmas, which certainly bungled some plans to sell signed books, but the pandemic delivery of paperbacks did not come on time.

Still, if you know someone with a birthday coming up–or someone you want to send a gift to just because–I’ve got a few gift packages ready. The gift boxes come with quality handmade goodies in addition to a signed book and packaged ready for giving.

The other thing launched in 2020 will go into the next section…

What’s Upcoming

…because it’s still in progress!

About half of Season of the Bitch is up at Patreon. I’ve still got to get this month’s last few chapters done and posted, then it’ll conclude next month. It’s funny that fifteen years ago I was doing eSerials regularly, often writing by the seat of my pants, and finishing chapters the night before posting them–and it was fine!

Now? JFC I am too old for that shit. I much prefer everything done in advance, but this is my fault for last minute thinking I was going to write a short story that turned into a novella.

You can catch up for $1/month (or sign up for a year in advance with a discount), getting this and other goodies as well as the big archive of other stories in thanks for your support of my writing.

A few months after it’s done and I’ve had a chance to run it through edits, I’ll post it in its entirety for all patrons, and there’ll be an annotated version looking at the differences between the zero draft and the final for those into that kind of thing.

And also, this little thing up for preorder…

So I’m keeping the initial worst-case scenario date of June 1.

Might it be ready sooner? Maybe. If it is, the paperback will release early. But honestly, this book…I’ve been banging not just my head but throwing my entire body against it for months. I had problems I didn’t know how to fix, going in circles, desperately trying to talk it out but Shawn hasn’t been too helpful. Mentally I’ve been, uh, a little taxed these last several months, so not in the best place to figure it out. I finally feel like I’m on the right track but this next revision pass is very, very slow…then it’ll need another pass from me to smooth it out, then the copyeditor gets it, then I do another pass, then I have to proofread…

June 1 seems the best amount of time for me to get this right, and honestly I think anyone put off by that date has likely already abandoned the series, so I can’t worry about it. And even if it’s all polished and ready sooner, that gives me a buffer of time to get more work done on other books before I have to deal with people stealing this one–the violation of piracy always leaves me a wreck for several weeks.

This new one is also set to be at least as long as Emperor’s Tomb (possibly a little longer when all is said and done), so it’s a beast to work with but will give readers a good chunk of distraction to fall into while the pandemic rages on this summer.

Betrayal and sacrifice follow Livi Talbot on her darkest adventure yet.

Still reeling from the ultimate betrayal that has set her entire world off-kilter, the hits keep coming when Livi’s estranged mother—who abandoned the Talbot family twenty years ago—shows up without warning. She’s looking for a pre-Incan stone idol in the ruins of an abandoned Spanish mission that has escaped looters for centuries, and she wants Livi to find it.

Livi wants to be anywhere but home, and a trip with her family to Peru is just what she needs to clear her head—even if it involves reconnecting with her mom. But a heartbroken adventurer is a distracted one, making Livi the perfect target for supernatural guardians in the jungle…and more danger from those closest to her that she might not see until it’s too late.

Preorder: Kindle | Kobo | iBooks | Nook

Although there is no date yet (maybe starting this summer?) 2021 will also bring Elis O’Connor back to Patreon in Witch Hunt.

As previously said, Elis’s series is pretty much dead in the water otherwise. I thought I might’ve been able to alternate it with Livi’s books, but I can’t really spend all the time writing unprofitable things, so I’m going to let some other projects simmer this year and see what else might fit in that space.

(Doesn’t mean I won’t ever continue Elis’s series, but after Witch Hunt it’s on the backburner and will probably be used for Patreon serials when I feel inclined to pick it back up again. Working on a failed series is a little like being kicked over and over again, though, and not exactly conductive to the fun and excitement one needs when writing–especially when I’m already prone to depression, and when I need to use my limited time for things I’ll get paid for.)

What I’m Working On

Um…stuff and things!

Revisions are eating a lot of my brain right now along with freelance work. I’m looking at taking a week off of freelancing every quarter this year just to have a rest and focus on writing so I don’t get too burned out. I’m also waiting to see what other zero drafts are going to bubble to the surface and be ready to be written this year.

I’m doing my annual re-read of one of my favourite series right now prior to the next book’s release, and considering Livi Talbot. I wrote Solomon’s Seal first in 2012, so these books have occupied my brain for nearly a decade. Because I don’t keep notes, everything is jammed in my brain, and I think it’s probably time to build like an actual series bible.

When I’m done this revisions pass on Yampellec, I think I’ll just take a week off from everything and reread the entire Livi series–or at least the main books–and build a proper bible. We’re not quite halfway through the series and this’ll save me going back to flip through things every time I forget something, as well as check all the very early threads I laid out and have been weaving in. (There is also an incredibly stupid factual error in Shiva’s Bow I missed in research that I’ve been meaning to correct, so I might as well do that too.)

Other than that…we’ll see what I get done this year!

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December 29, 2020 By Skyla Dawn Cameron Leave a Comment

Gifts and Sales

I’d intended the recap post to be the last of the year, but checking in here with a couple of time-sensitive things (and one ongoing).

First up, a Boxing Week sale over at Payhip!

Save 25% on all my ebooks–including boxsets and new ones–with the coupon code BOXINGDAY at checkout. Common ebook formats available–mobi, epub, and pdf–so it should work with any ereader or app.

Good until January 4 2021! Head here.

If you’re on Kobo, you can also get the Livi Talbot Vol I boxset for just $4.99 until January 4 2021 (contains the first three novels and novella). Grab that here.

Next, if you’re a writer type, I’ve got a premade cover sale going.

I’m booked up into mid-February at this point for graphics, but this is a great and affordable way to get something really quick (I can typically turn around a customized cover in a couple of business days, once I have the title info). If you’ve got a story needing a cover, I might have the perfect thing for you. All genres available.

Save 20% off everything (including trilogy and duology sets) with the coupon code BEGENTLE2021 until January 4 2021. Head here.

Finally, not time sensitive:

Image may contain: text that says 'THE SILEN SILENT PLACI PLACES A NOVEL SKYLA DAWN CAMERON S'

My print books finally arrived and I’ve got some for sale up at Etsy. You’ll find single copies of The Silent Places available or gift boxes with several handmade goodies in addition to the book–a knitted mug cozy, a beaded and sterling silver bracelet, and a keychain–packaged in a gift box ready for giving. Both the single books and the gift boxes come with a free digital download code so you can enjoy an ebook copy wherever you go in addition to your paperback.

You’ll find the shop here. I’d been working on everything prior to Christmas but the books didn’t arrive in time–they’d still make a lovely gift for someone special whether a birthday, an anniversary, or a just-because present.

(If you’re local, hit me up with an email to save on shipping–I can take payments via e-Transfer and arrange contactless pickup in town.)

My depression’s been bad for the past week and I’m trying to get a few things done–like the next Elis chapters for Patreon–while battling brain demons. We’re now under lockdown in Ontario, although I still see a lot of people out and about. I’m excited to eventually get vaccinated later in the year and then continuing to not have contact with other people.

Shawn’s been under the weather–he seems prone to bad hairballs and at a risk of blockage, because of course he is–and is finally feeling better after several rough days. The one thing I’m looking forward to is proper vet visits again eventually.

Happy Almost New Year!

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In Memory of Gus

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MEET SKYLA DAWN

Urban fantasy writer. Fifth-generation crazy cat lady. Bitchy feminist. Cranky designer.

My characters kill people so I don’t have to.

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