A Look Back on 2019...

Fair warning: This might be a little long.

Happy New Year…almost! 2019 has been a life-changing year in so many ways. It certainly wasn’t easy, but I’m proud of the things I’ve accomplished. Let’s start at the beginning.

December 2018

We’re starting a little early because it was this December that I decided to start working on The Devil’s Maverick again. It had been an on and off project for nearly five years and it was Leyna Paige who motivated me to work on it for publication.

February 2019

After three months of toiling over my completed first draft, I was ready to query. Leyna and I submitted around the same time, so we got to be each other’s waiting buddies, which was nice. I spent most of the beginning of the year in Wyoming, during the snowy season. I’ve learned that beautiful, cold weather combined with a warm workspace is my favorite way to write!

April 2019

My first rejection. It was crushing, of course, but not the worst thing that could have happened. It was later in that month that I would receive a rejection email from my first-choice publisher. Now, that was devastating. I almost gave up on writing altogether…

May 2019

I found a job working at my local library. Being around the books and the quiet environment reminded me of why I loved stories so much. I completed my second novel, Project Manhattan.

June 2019

I signed with Totally Bound! I cried the day I received my contract. It was surreal to think that someone had actually liked my story, but it drove me forward. I began planning other stories, determined now to make a career of writing. After a bit of research, Totally Bound became my first-choice and I decided I couldn’t have done this through anyone else.

October 2019

Project Manhattan was edited and sent off to beta readers. This was when I began working on a story I’d always dreamed of writing, one that I was always too scared to do. I completed my third novel, Project Hawthorne, in one month and wrote every single day.

November 2019

I hosted my first official event, both as a librarian and as an author. Three to four people came to my weekly NaNoWriMo meetings and reached their goals. I mostly read for this month, but it was amazing to see other people do something like this.

December 2019

After a month-long break from writing, I had a severe case of writer’s block. I had plenty of stories, but nothing seemed to work out. By the time I’d picked something I really wanted to work on, holidays and such got in the way and I battled some issues of my own. I decided to take another month off, focusing on marketing and reading once again.

What’s next for 2020?

That is to be discussed next week, my dudes. I have big plans for the new year and will post my writing resolutions next Sunday.

I would like to take a moment to thank everyone behind the scenes. This has been a challenging year, but so far, it’s been my favorite. So, here’s to a bright new year with more adventures! Cheers!

Happy Holidays!

Hello, everyone! No gimmick today, just well wishes for you all.

The holidays have never been a big deal for me, but this year is different. Let's just say that I will be having a great week with my family!

I just want to wish you all the best of holidays and I can’t wait to write to you all next week!

Open Call for ARC Reviewers!

The time has come, lovelies! I’ve been talking about The Devil’s Maverick for some time now, and I have finally received my first copies. I’m so excited!

As you already know, preorders start in two days, so I’m ready to get these ARCs out.

I’m looking for fair, honest reviews and people who love to read. If you run a blog or are interested in reviewing The Devil’s Maverick, please contact me through Twitter or Facebook (links below) and I will follow up with an email!

I am also providing you with this picture. My pup, Prince, was super excited about his mama’s book, too!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoriFayreBooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LoriFayre


Preorders for The Devil's Maverick will begin December 17. General release will be January 28, 2020.

https://www.totallybound.com/book/the-devils-maverick

Dungeons and Dragons Character Sheets (Download)

I love D&D! It’s a great way to spend time with friends, have fun, and get the imagination going. I enjoy a game with my friends at any opportunity I can find!

With an upcoming game, I thought it would be really cool to play one of my characters (in this case, Elijah Maverick) and really explore who they are as a person. Then, I thought that there might be someone else out there who plays and likes my characters. I shouldn’t be the one having all the fun!

So, I sat down with my husband (who is the DM in our games) and he put together these character sheets for Elijah Maverick and Alva Eastman! Now you can play as my characters! I kept them as spoiler-free as possible, but there’s nothing that gives away too much.

Now, I really wanted to have a downloadable PDF version, but that proved to be trickier than I thought. So, here are some images that you can print off! After you download these, feel free to tweak them to your specifications. And, if you do end up playing, please let me know how it goes! I would love to hear the D&D antics you guys get up to J

The Devil's Maverick will be available for preorder December 17 at this link:

https://www.totallybound.com/book/the-devils-maverick

My 2019 NaNoWriMo

Shoot me now; I didn’t participate in NaNoWriMo this year…technically!

I love NaNoWriMo. I think that it’s a wonderful challenge that all authors should experience at some point. It might be frustrating and irritating and a looming monster that breathes down your neck every time you open your laptop. Or it could be a refreshing reminder and the perfect motivation you need to write that novel.

Either way, I vouch for NaNoWriMo 100%! However, I did not write a single word this month. Okay, I wrote a little, but not towards a challenge goal! After completing my third manuscript in October, I thought it was time for a break and some quality reading time. Still, I knew I would have to do something, so I decided to help other.

I work at my local library and thought it would be really cool if we did a writing event for November. So, I threw together some ads and a signup sheet and started planning my lessons. The plan was to have attendees set goals and come to weekly meetings that would serve as motivators and teach a little something.

We had six people sign up, but the classes averaged around three people. Which was great for me because I am a terrible speaker! It was nice to have one-on-one, casual discussions about writing. Even Leyna Paige showed up to share a lesson of her own. I plan to do this every year, and I know next year will be even better, but this year was amazing!

I loved getting to know these people, learning how they write and what they were writing about. I’ve written a book in a month before, but it’s interesting to see others go through that same process in their own way. Watching them discover how best to write their ideas and enjoying it in the process is the greatest thing ever.

Yesterday was the You Survived! Party, where we all had discussions and handed out prizes. It was fantastic to see how far everyone had come and I can’t wait to help them on the road to publication.

I’ll be doing this again next year. I know I’ll do better next time. Helping fellow writers fulfill their dreams, if only a little, is such an inspiration and I cannot wait to do it all over again.