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Skyla Dawn Cameron

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

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January 18, 2023 By Skyla Dawn Cameron Leave a Comment

“When’s That Book Coming?” Winter 2023 Edition

Once again on the treadmill over here with my coffee and a 90s playlist. Let’s dive in.

What’s New

The big release was, of course, Charon’s Gold last October. I’m hoping that one finds its audience at some point this year. It was a very personal book–they all are, but like Yampellec, it cut pretty deep for me–and at the very least I hope it hits someone else the moment they need that story.

Witch Hunt also released in paperback–this is Elis O’Connor #2, at long last. Patrons at $5 can grab the final ebook, while everyone else can still get the rough draft in the archives.

In December, I posted the final vignette/short for the year at Patreon, which I do every other month. It was set at Christmas time post-Charon’s Gold, centered around Livi and her family trying to navigate former traditions while so much has changed in their lives. It’s called “Happily Ever After” and it’s available to all patrons.

Soul Spell also ended at Patreon, with the final update posting a few weeks ago. I’ll have the final draft of that on my radar soon (more below).

What’s Upcoming

Just under four weeks away now is my next standalone horror book, Watcher of the Woods.

I know, I know, Valentine’s Day is for romance books and I don’t go here, but it’s a long way until next October for horror fans like me, so here’s me throwing a bone for people who want something a little spookier.

Watcher is, though, about relationships. Romantic ones, yes, but also friendships, parent/child relationships, and how in all of them people aren’t always what we want them to be. And what some people will do to make someone else who they want.

It’s easiest to describe it as horror, but I also consider it a paranormal domestic thriller.

You can get the paperback or hardcover now (coming soon to my Etsy shop, hopefully by the first of Feb) or preorder the ebook for February 14.

Kindle – Kobo – iBooks – Nook – Paperback – Hardcover

After eighteen months staying home under rolling pandemic lockdowns with her girlfriend Joy, artist Thea Palmer has decided the strained relationship has run its course and she’s ready to end it—right after the stress of her birthday has passed.

Unfortunately, her surprise party comes with a special gift from Joy that puts the breakup on hold: a week-long cabin rental in the tiny northern Ontario community of Hope Falls, for just the two of them.

No phone.

No internet.

No contact with the outside world.

Joy says it’ll give them the perfect chance to reconnect and maybe restore Thea’s creativity after pandemic stress wearing down her desire to paint. But the cabin creaks at night under invisible steps, and the woods have trees that seem to shift in the corner of her eye. Thea swears she sees a strange white figure on the lake beckoning to her and an empty boat that drifts by in the early morning mist.

And Joy…Joy seems to be someone else entirely.

How To Catch Up: You don’t have to with this one! It is set in the world as Dweller on the Threshold and takes place a year later. There’s one crossover character, but I tried to treat it more as having hints and Easter eggs than necessary to read them both.

I’ve added it to my shelf now (still waiting on the hardcover) and it’s meant I have to shuffle some things around. Still three more paperbacks coming this year, so I’ll have to rearrange my setup, but right now the brag shelf is across the room from where I sit and work, and I like that.

There’s another shelf with my old serials in print form, small press work and anthologies, and pen name work, but this is everything in print from the past nine years.

Since I have stuff up for preorder like a year in advance at this point, I’m not going to go through all the upcoming stuff in detail in these quarterly posts but instead focus on whatever is closest to release.

Still, a reminder that there are more things coming, some of which are up for preorder.

Soul Spell (Elis #3) will be out in paperback at some point, probably in the summer. I haven’t done a revision pass on it yet so there’s no ETA, but the hope is to have it ready before the fourth book starts.

How To Catch Up: If you’re sticking with Elis’s series, you’ll want to read Blood Ties (#1) available everywhere books are sold, Witch Hunt (#2) available in paperback at Amazon or ebook at Patreon, and probably Season of the Bitch (prequel) though that’s not 100% necessary. This summer I’ll update the full Elis/Demons of Oblivion reading order list with some additional upcoming short stories and that closer to Hell Fire‘s start.

The biggie this year will be the launch of my new mystery series.

If you’re on Patreon, you know I’m fucking terrified this year. It’s a very big risk. But also, I’ve been in worse positions, and new books in new genres mean new Kobo promos I can get into. I have to hope all this work will pay off and Waverly will find her audience.

With all of my books, invariably someone says to me, “I could hear you narrating the whole thing”. Which is funny when you consider how vastly different the narrators are, but yes, there’s a lot of me in all of them. Outwardly I might sound like Livi, but I often find her the most distant from me, probably because she’s an adrenaline junkie; Zara, when in her most pain, is probably the closest to me at times, but also she’s more my id and not how I actually am. Ani in Soulless comes close at times, and certainly River is how I felt growing up when forced to deal with people.

Part of the pandemic and my fuck-you-forties, though, is stripping a lot of niceties away, and that’s what Waverly represents.

It’s part of why, I think, I had so much trouble initially with the book, trying different POVs and tenses, ultimately settling on first present. For the same reason I don’t think she’d translate well into a visual medium (as much as I see everything in my head full technicolour like a movie), I couldn’t write her in a most distanced POV. She lives in her head a lot of the time, and to understand her outward behaviour I think one needs to be in her brain. She’s my uglier inclinations–obsessive, anxious, manipulative, unfriendly and misanthropic, self-isolating–but she’s clever, darkly funny, and competent. After years of having little contact with others, and seeing how little others care for me and vulnerable people, I find it extra difficult to interact with people. At the end of the day, Waverly is my comfort place, where I can disappear and give no fucks.

Her first book is in copyedits right now, and you’ll get to meet her on May 30 in The Killing Beach, and continue her journey November 7 with A Wild Kind of Darkness.

The Killing Beach: Kindle – Kobo – iBooks – Nook

While I only have Kindle preorder numbers, I count six of you who have preordered the second book of a series you haven’t started yet, and that’s six people who will buy anything I write, I guess. If you’re one of them, THANK YOU. That means a lot to me.

At this point it’s looking more and more Waverly’s third book will slot into spring 2024, but we’ll see how the next few months shape up.

There are also a slew of Patreon things upcoming–stuff I have to finish writing, including West POV from Charon’s Gold and a bunch of vignettes. But that’s more…

What I’m Working On

In addition to those shorts mentioned above, the big thing right now, having finished my last WIP–the fourth Waverly Jones book–is writing Hell Fire, Elis O’Connor #4, to start serializing at Patreon this summer.

I’ve made word count, a bit at a time, at the Saturday Night Write-ins at my Discord server. Unfortunately, I’m diving into this book with exactly two scenes in my head, both of which are late in the book, so I’ve gotta figure out how to get there.

It comes together a little easier when I’m actually writing instead of thinking about writing–amazing how cyclical things can be, that’s how I used to write–but I’m burnt out and catching up because of holiday bills, so hoping I make more progress in February.

When I’ve got a super rough zero draft, I’ll go back and do a revision pass on Soul Spell, so I can ensure all the pieces are in place to set up things in Hell Fire, then do a pass on Hell Fire before scheduling it for serializing. Then I can turn my attention to…well, let’s see: horror books in progress, Waverly 5, Livi 7, etc.

Anyway, that’s all for me today–I’ve been on the treadmill a couple of hours now and my legs will feel like noodles, I’m sure, but I’ve gotta get some breakfast.

Oh, and Shawnie’s doing well–we’re transitioning back onto dry food and he doesn’t seem to have trouble with it. I’m very relieved, but back to saving up again in case he needs the rest of those teeth out later this year (please oh please oh please no).

Here he is taking my spot on the couch while I’m on the treadmill.

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January 13, 2023 By Skyla Dawn Cameron Leave a Comment

New Year, New…Something

Holidays are well over now and I’ve been back to work for a week so I guess it’s time to return to semi-regular blogging.

I’m typing this while walking on the treadmill; with some ‘Zon gift cards this year, I ordered a simple standing desk that goes over my small treadmill. There are some things I absolutely need steadiness for, like working in Photoshop, but this is great for answering emails, blogging, newsletter, or doomscrolling twitter with my coffee in the morning.

It’s not fancy, but it works. And of course I overdid it the first day, forgetting that I am woefully out of shape* and also forty.

I was saying to a friend the other day that I know the assumption that people used to live to only forty or fifty is based on skewed data from high infant mortality rates, but also it feels true. Because wow do things get harder in your thirties and then forty is like “I’m laid up in bed for a week because I turned my head too fast and threw my entire back out”. If I could go back in time, I’d tell my younger self…well, a lot of things, but also to stretch more and keep those joints limber. But I also wouldn’t have listened to myself because I didn’t think I’d live this long.

So right now, M W F I’m getting up and clearing off the treadmill as part of the morning routine (covered because cat hair and then double covered because cats pee on things) and hopping on it with my coffee, laptop, and music blaring (this week it’s a lot of Lizzo).

It’s bound to help me sleep, at least, which has been severely lacking. The past three weeks with Shawn have been like having a neonatal bottle baby again–he was getting me up every couple of hours to feed him, and often refused to eat food on its own but insisted on being handfed.

How it started. How it’s going. 🙄 pic.twitter.com/D1exLULtFQ

— Skyla is going down with this ship. 🎻 🎻 🎻 (@skyladawn) January 11, 2023

It’s hard to tell with him if he’s not feeling well or if he’s just being a baby, but last week at his recheck they sent him home with more anti-inflammatories because he wasn’t healing as well as he should’ve been. There’s been some talk of stomatitis, which would mean pulling the rest of the teeth (and it took me, like, a year to save up $2000 for December’s surgery–I’m bled dry and spending a small fortune on canned food for him right now means I am tapped the fuck out, although SHOUTOUT TO Nightdreamer again for funding my expensive child’s endless belly yesterday).

But yesterday he got the all clear–he’s doing much better, and doesn’t need another recheck. I’ll be reintroducing dry food next week.

He’s still getting his regular painkiller, though, at least at night, as it’s the only way he lets me sleep.

I’m hoping between keeping the furry child drugged and walking a couple of miles a day will get me better rested, because, again, I cannot function on three hours of sleep anymore. I have too much work to do that requires my brain, and I don’t want clients to suffer (or my bank account) because of this bullshit.

My first mile is done now, so I’ll close this off with happy Friday the Thirteenth. Which is also HAPPY TWO DAYS UNTIL THE LAST OF US.

*Partially my fault, but also partially not–I spent the better part of a year getting hit with intense pain unpredictably that knocked me off the treadmill a few times, and I’ve been trying to rebuild normal habits again like being able to eat raw veggies again and exercise without worry I’m going to vomit from pain. Fun times!

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December 27, 2022 By Skyla Dawn Cameron Leave a Comment

2022 Book Recap

I feel like a slacker compared to last year where I finished three books and wrote three others in six months? But that was kind of an outlier and I was in a very weird position with nothing new scheduled after I’d released Yampellec’s Idol and I was kind of in panic mode. That is no longer the case, as I’ve written ahead enough that I’m good into 2024.

But I did finish three books, which is the rough goal I’m going for now (one book to serialize at Patreon and two to schedule for publication). I also started a whack of others that I may or may not come back to.

Putting the long post under a cut, clicky here to keep reading!

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December 23, 2022 By Skyla Dawn Cameron Leave a Comment

Stoned Cat

Just to update on little Shawn–he had his second dental yesterday and he’s doing quite well today. It was very expensive–I’ve been saving for a year, leftover money from last year’s dental budget and then putting away money ever since (basically any smaller projects like formatting over the past year, you paid for Shawn’s surgery!), and now I’m totally cleaned out (dear god please buy my books*). It was actually two dollars MORE than what I’d spent a year saving.

Here he was flopping around last night:

This is my very high cat 😭 pic.twitter.com/aXJJrKbC71

— Skyla is going down with this ship. 🎻 🎻 🎻 (@skyladawn) December 22, 2022

His appetite was pretty good last night, though he was clearly still very stoned and confused.

For once I slept without chemical intervention, I’d only slept a few hours the night before and I’ve been awake and panicking for weeks with worry. I still woke up frequently to check on him, and he alternated between lying onto of his carrier beside the bed and curling up with me.

Then about half an hour after I fed him this morning, he tried to get me up like usual by meowing, and as you can hear, he’s purring like mad again (as usual).

He’s got his motor going this morning! pic.twitter.com/CapHhOi4gQ

— Skyla is going down with this ship. 🎻 🎻 🎻 (@skyladawn) December 23, 2022

It’s just about time for his pain meds, so we’ll do that in a few and I’ll get some coffee, and consider what to do for the day (probably clean).

But this is just to update that the little man is doing okay considering how much he just had taken out of him AND at least he’s still got his big iconic fangs, for now.

He’s totally worth the 10-15% of my gross annual income he costs me at the vet every year. 😭😭😭

I hope y’all have a lovely holiday and you’ll probably next hear from me here with a year-end recap (and if you’re on Patreon, you’re getting another Livi Christmas story tomorrow!).

*They’re on sale! 50% off everything at Payhip, coupon code SHAWNSTEETH at checkout! 😭

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December 12, 2022 By Skyla Dawn Cameron Leave a Comment

A Break, and Into the Night

I’ve been planning to post that I’m taking a blogging break until January other than a year-end recap and, hopefully, a good update about Shawn’s surgery, but I’ve been putting it off because I’m tired and I have a lot of things to do.

But I find myself particularly heartbroken just now hearing about the passing of Angelo Badalamenti.

It’s been a rough few years for Twin Peaks fans, but this one seems especially dark given Julee Cruise’s death in the summer as well. Music was as much a character in that show as anything else, and now it’s quiet.

I don’t get particularly attached to celebrities and everyone is always incredibly disappointing (my relief at finding Kyle MacLachlan was not a 45 supporter, and mostly posts Dad Jokes on Twitter, is still felt today), but Twin Peaks is so foundational for me that I’m still delighted to see the cast pop up on other things and always a little saddened at their passing.

But the music. The music.

As should be apparent with my Soundtrack Sundays, music is important to me. It’s crucial in the development of stories, and I also used to write a lot of songs when I was a moody teenager–I’m a self-taught (badly) guitar player and self-taught (even worse) on piano. I still fall back on my 90s playlists when house cleaning, or I go back to Tiffany when I’m particularly stressed.

But the Twin Peaks soundtrack was everything to me when I was a kid.

I had chronic insomnia (basically since infancy) and usually listened to music to try to calm my brain and fall asleep. For Christmas, my great-aunt would give her nieces and nephews money to buy the great-nieces and -nephews gifts, so when I was eight, “from” her I was given the Twin Peaks soundtrack in cassette. I still remember my excitement upon opening it the family Christmas party (and one of my older cousins laughing at me, which is also foundational in why it’s extremely hard for me to show excitement/enthusiasm for things now; it makes me feel vulnerable and I avoid it). I remember the little fold-out insert with the full cast, the feel of the plastic in my hands. How I played it over and over, often at night, when I needed to lull my brain into feeling safe so I could sleep. That was where I did my earliest storytelling, in my brain, creating a safe place to sleep and what I still do today. Julee Cruise and Angelo Badalementi were a huge part of giving my brain a safe place to retreat to (both with the Peaks soundtrack and Julee’s Floating Into the Night).

And that music still has that effect today. It instantly brings me to a place of calm–so much so that this is literally a playlist on my phone and it’s nothing but Twin Peaks music:

Because I’m a night person and mornings are rough, “Falling” is set to play instead of a typical alarm–I literally wake to Cruise and Badalamenti every single morning. And lately I’ve had this weight of anxiety in my chest that keeps expanding and pushing against my sternum; it’s Cruise’s ethereal voice and Badalamenti’s composition that dials it back again. (“Audrey’s Prayer” really helps with that, as does “The Nightingale“.)

I am so grateful for this music, and it’s not hyperbole to say it’s probably saved my life on more than one occasion–I know there are so many others in my position. I hope both were aware they impact they had.

It feels extremely strange to be losing these pieces of Twin Peaks just before my new series starts next year; Waverly Jones very obviously has Peaks‘ influence sewn right into her DNA (because I’m still angry about Audrey). Maybe this is how it is, losing the things that were foundational to us as we launch into the world what we hope will be just as important to someone else. Maybe one day some other creator will hear of my death and feel a little heartbroken as they’re about to put their own creation into the world with some of my DNA in it. It’s a bittersweet thought.

Thank you, sir, for bringing that feeling of calm and safety to my childhood–and adulthood.

If you haven’t, please check out this video of the creation behind “Laura Palmer’s Theme”.

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In Memory of Gus

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MEET SKYLA DAWN

Writer of urban fantasy, thrillers/mysteries, and horror. Fifth-generation crazy cat lady. Bitchy feminist. So tired all the goddamn time.

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

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