Ariele's Vlog: Crossover Skillz

I have developed a ton of skills since I set out on the mission of becoming a full time author. I can now code (at a basic level), do graphic design (intermediate), build websites (intermediate), manage distribution (advanced), do book formatting (advanced), write in a wide varieties of styles & genres (expert), manage social media (advanced), edit (advanced), build marketing and business strategies (advanced), and a wide range of other things. The tough part is figuring out how to apply said skills in a way that actually enables me to make money.

It reminds me of something we used to say when I worked in theatre. A techie without an actor is a contractor, an electrician, or a handyman. An actor without techies is a guy trying to emote on stage, naked in the dark. Lol.

Rest Free, Roxie

We had her for six days. Roxie, an 11-year-old West Highland Terrier with aggressive bladder cancer, was handed to me by the NHSPCA on a sunny Thursday morning. She was sweet and gentle, and thrilled when I asked, “Do you want to go for a car ride?” When I opened the window, she stuck out her nose and let the wind ruffle her fur.

As she settled into our house, it was easy to see she’d been well loved by her previous owner. She was comfortable around everyone, didn’t mind being carried, and trailed us like a tiny, furry shadow. We were only fostering her, but it seemed like she was at home right away. She and Blueberry got along immediately, the cats were curious but unbothered by her presence, and Dandi treated her like a sister—jealous and needy and rather hilarious.

We learned quickly that Roxie didn’t need a leash. She never strayed more than fifteen feet from a human, even when the most interesting thing of all—a chicken—walked past. She wasn’t afraid of the goats either. She simply trotted up and introduced herself as if she’d met plenty of goats and found them blandly interesting.

But the cancer was stronger than she was. She couldn’t keep food or water in her stomach for more than a few minutes. Her whole body would shudder and shake every time she breathed in. She was stiff and struggled to move most of the time. All she wanted was to lie on someone’s lap or stare out at the darkness as the sun set.

In the few short days she was our family member, we learned that Roxie:

• Loved boat rides

• Loved to be chased

• Loved tennis balls

• Loved barking when she wanted something

• Loved duck jerky

• Loved napping on top of humans

• Loved napping in cozy pup beds

• Loved napping in human beds

Roxie was sweet, happy, and always up for an adventure. Even when she could barely sit up from the shaking, she wanted her nose out the window of the car, to chase Dandy around the garden, or to grab that tennis ball in her teeth.

The thing is, I knew before I even brought her home that Roxie was facing the end. The rescue made that clear.

She wasn’t going to live past three weeks.

She didn’t even make it one.

But I still loved her. As much as you can love a pet. As much as you can love a being who’s been entrusted to your care.

I have always believed that love is a choice. I know some think it’s mysterious and uncontrollable. But not me. I can choose to love. And I chose to love Roxie, even though I knew that love would bring a deep, aching pain along with it.

And I would make that choice a thousand times again.

Rest free, Roxie.

Better Than Dead: A Poem

Remember 2020? Heh. As if.

The first year of Covid was a weird time. I canceled all my events, rebuilt my business and marketing plan, and you guessed it, stayed home. I also quit drinking, built a new workout routine, and catapulted headfirst into my art, which turned into my primary coping mechanism to get through 2020 and 2021.

At the time, Josh and I lived in Baltimore in an 1100 square foot townhouse with three cats and a dog the size of a person. We were both working from home, and early on in the city, we were afraid to even go for walks in the very busy city parks, because everyone else was working from home too. Not to mention, in the early days, we didn’t have tests (at home or at the doctor’s office), we didn’t know how it spread, and we didn’t know how to protect ourselves, let alone how to protect others from us.

Everything was a mystery.

And so we stayed home.

The isolation was new to me. Though I’m an introvert and managed it well, I was not by any means immune to its effects. This poem reflects the new emotions I was grappling with—not just the aloneness from the separation from my community contrasted with the strangeness of having Josh around all the time, but the the sense of togetherness knowing everyone else was doing the same thing. All that, plus inability to rectify the feelings; the inability to know what to do with it all. It is an acknowledgement of this new type of aloneness that I’d never experienced before.

Better Than Dead

And so we stay home
We stay alone

We are separate, but in this together
Isolated, but never alone
Always alone and
never alone

alone alone alone

It’s strange to be alone
but also not alone
Either way, it’s
better than dead.

New Books, New House, Same Me

It’s been a weird year. A really weird year.

First, it started out winter. But like, a weird winter, where we hardly got any snow and it really wasn’t that cold.

Then we decided to try to sell our house, and we got an offer within a couple weeks.

Then we had to find someplace else to live. It took us a couple tries, but we got a contract.

Then we didn’t have anywhere to live for ten days so we stayed with my in-laws while the cats stayed with Josh’s godfather.

Then we moved into our new house, which came with goats and chickens and my favorite thing of all, a swamp!

Then I published three books (more on that later).

Then I got a real life, grown-up job.

Yup. I’m working a full time job now.

Like I said. It’s been a weird year.

So yes, my new position is as a corporate content writer. It has definitely changed things. I’m partially remote, so I still spend a good deal of time at home, but I’ve stopped taking freelance clients (other than the couple remaining projects I have to finish up) and am devoting all of my time and energies to one single client—or at least, that’s how I like to think about it.

“Why did you take a job, Ariele?”

Great question. Because I’ve been taking freelance contracts on the side ever since I started writing books full time, I always keep my resume up to date and regularly browse job listings.

Typically, I look for jobs labeled as part time, contract, or freelance, but I also sometimes browse full time listings, just to see what is available.

So when we moved back to New Hampshire, I decided to check and see what was available in the local area.

I found this job, and weirdly, I loved the job listing.

Most job listings are overwritten or underwritten, full of hyperbole, or just dumb. But this one was straightforward, reasonable, and written like it was exactly the type of job I would want to do if I was going to go full time.

So I applied.

I did four interviews.

They offered me the job.

And here I am. A full time, real life grown-up.

I love it so far, and I’m happy for the opportunity. Since I’ve been freelance for so long, my goal is simply to remain here for one year and see how I feel. I have given myself permission to leave at any point if I become dissatisfied.

“What about your books, Ariele?”

Another great question. My books aren’t going anywhere. I’ll continue to work on them in my free time, holidays, and weekends. That won’t ever go away.

What might change for you is fewer emails and marketing updates. I might forget to post on social media. I’ll definitely be publishing a bit more slowly.

Otherwise, I’m going to keep doing what I’ve always done: work on my books when I can, and do work for other people when I have to.

“What about those new books you mentioned?”

Yes! Very exciting.

You may remember my series Land of Szornyek. It’s been a while since I published the first book, Tentacles and Teeth (2019!) and slightly less time since I published book 7, Fog and Flame (2022!), but I finally got around to releasing a book I’ve been promising for ages: a monster manual.

So, allow me to present Minda’s Book of Monsters, a hardcover special edition filled with artwork by yours truly. In addition, you’ll find a journal written by Minda (one of the characters) just after the end of the world (in 2015 per this alternate universe).

There are drawings and sketches never before seen, maps, “polaroids” of Minda and her companions, and overall, I’m hugely excited about this project. I’d like to give a huge thank you and shoutout to Beth Martin, who did the book design for me, and came up with quite a few ideas to make it look and feel amazing.

The catch is: this book is only in print. It isn’t designed for digital. However, if you would like a digital copy, email me and we can figure out how to get you a PDF copy of the book.

I did mention that there are 3 new books though, not just the one.

Alongside Minda’s Book of Monsters, I also released two associated short stories. The first one is Minda’s journal, the same story that is included in Minda’s Book of Monsters, but without all the illustrations. If you just want the story, this is the book for you. It’s called “Minda’s Account of the End of the World.”* 

The second short story is called “Minda’s Daughter and the Man with an Empty Face,”* and this is the tale of how Askari’s parents met. It’s got a miniature romance in it, and lots more monsters!

*(These two short stories should be available on all platforms, but the print book has more limited distribution.)

I’m still planning a redesign of the original series, with new covers and new editing, but that’s still in progress, and might take me a bit longer than expected given the fact that I have a new job.

I’m also continuing forward with the Rove City series (the next book is half done!) and the Sablewood series (I have 3.5 more books drafted!) with book 2 in edits.

Like I said—my book business isn’t going anywhere. I’m just going to have to devote a little more time to my grown-up job for the foreseeable future.

Let me know if you have any questions! I’m very excited about this unexpected shift in my life, and I know it’s going to fill up my brain with tons of new ideas for new series and new books!

Stay tuned for updates, and don’t be afraid to reach out any time with questions or concerns.

Ariele's Vlog: Universal Fantasies

What’s a Universal Fantasy? Great question! In short, it’s an emotional experience a reader has while consuming a story. That’s a bit of an oversimplification, but I think it’s a really interesting concept. Writers have been talking about it for a while, but T Taylor used the term “universal fantasy” in her book 7 Figure Fiction. This ramble goes into what it is and why I think it’s useful.