Day off turned into a half day (we went to the skate park, then the boys got haircuts, and donuts, and now we're home!). Got some editing done with @ekearlewrites.bsky.social and next I'll be doing more edits with @coffeequillsauthor.itch.io ! Having a great day. Oh and my house is clean now, too!

Have a day off today. It's school holidays, so the house is a mess, and I want to spend some time with the kids, too. I promised I'd take them to the skate park in town for the first time, so even though it's raining, we're going (it's undercover anyway!).

Streamed twice today, got my 50 pages proofed, next up I get to do chores. Yippee. But there's a mess in the kitchen and the laundry needs doing! Productive day so far and feeling good for it.

These are the books I am reading, whether that be hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook, I am loving each one. What are you reading at the moment? Any recommendations for me to add to my (extensive) TBR? I hope I can finish these all by January!

Today I'm working on The Dark Retribution by C Smith! It's in its final round of editing (proofreading) and it's come so far. It's beautiful to see and I love working with this author in such a collaborative way!

Went to a party yesterday and had a lot of fun. It's the first time since we had our smallest that we were able to just let him play, knowing he would not get into anything he shouldn't. It was so nice to hang out with friends and their families, to meet some new people, and just have a great time.

Ok, I have organized all my WIPs and shorts into one Scrivener project (except the full-length novels, which have their own project files). Given that it's nearly 2am, I should probably go to bed, right? Right. *shuffles off*

Not me procrastinating on working on my own stuff by sitting on socials. What I *should* be doing is the deep clean event run by @ekearlewrites.bsky.social and taking inventory of what projects I have going.

Having difficulty finding a beta reader? Just not getting back the feedback you actually *need*? Tired of the (still wonderful, but somewhat unhelpful) "I loved it!"? Let my team help you get what you need to take your book to the next level.

I went to a client book launch last night for the first time in over a decade. I really believe in J.S. Harman and his book, Dark Sands. It's a wonderful sci-fi novel that's entirely approachable for all readers, and I just love it! Thank you for a lovely night, and thank you for the shout out!

Today I'll be finalising a proofread, then working on The Veil Between by @emilypaul_writes which is in the paper-run stage of proofing. I also have to go find and then buy gumboots for the middle kiddo, because he has a massive Scout camp this weekend. Did I mention it's also school holidays?

I'm seeing so many posts from my authors showing their new works, and their older ones, and they make me so so happy. Well done, everyone, client or not!

Did you know that I sometimes stream edits (only with permission!) on Twitch.tv/elementeds ? Come and cowork/body double, enjoy a book, get some writing done, and network (and make friends!) with other people in chat!

It's the weekend, but that doesn't mean I can stop (not with a bunch of projects on my desk!). Today, I am working on The Demon to Your Right, a fantasy proofread. Got to get this off to the author asap!

Will you be needing an editor at year's end or beyond? Let me know! Specialising in fantasy and science-fiction manuscripts, I work for authors globally on everything from slice-of-life stories to super spicy! 😇 Contact me pretty much anywhere using @elementeds! elementeds.com

I am back home and have returned to work! I've come back to five manuscripts on my desk. Eep! Time to enter the editing hole!

The Gorge Walk at Point Lookout on Stradbroke Island is absolutely stunning.

GUESS WHO'S ON VACATION?! (I know—Kat, taking a actual time off work? What is this?!) I leave next week for an island off the northeast coast of Australia for a writing retreat and some R&R. Bring on the sleep, the fish, the beach sand between my toes, and, hopefully, the warmth!

I have the best mum! Such a beautiful dip pen!

The proofs for Cubs & Campfires: Winter Rangers are nearly sorted, and will be off to Dylan Drakes later today! Definitely read Cubs & Campfires first (and totally fall for the characters!). This story will be free to Dylan's newsletter subs, so sign up today if you want to get your hands on it!

On Impact, Reliance Sinclair series Book 2, written by the ever-wonderful Heather Texle, has been released (I'm late, I know!). Bing read book 1 and 2 now!

Can I just say how proud I am of Heather Texle and her book, On Impulse? It's come in at second place for the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition! *This imagery for this post is totally nabbed from Heather's own socials.

“Because you are sand, Camillus. Holding to nothing, worthy of nothing, loyal to nothing,” Haith murmured with acidic sincerity. “And like sand, no matter what you may become, you are fated to fall in the end.” As the Blooded fall, the Dusk Eater will rise.

Ace and I went to Critical Role's one shot here in Melbourne at Rod Laver arena yesterday. We stood out in the wind and rain for 2-3 hours. We got a HEAP of merch and met up with friends, it was the BEST NIGHT! Also, some stranger gave me some Traveller slips. Hello, Bees! (IYKYN)

*groans something marginally coherent that sounds almost like "Good morning"...*

Needed a break today, so I took a half day. And then I read for funsies. 🤣

Today I'm working on Harmony and Havoc by Amy Draper. I'm live streaming at the moment, and while I have permission to share the manuscript onscreen, I might not be able to due to the spicy content! Still, come and hang out on Twitch with me at elementeds!

There's something out there... In the sands... Dark Sands, by JS Harman! Sci fi, fast, horror elements, great characters. You'll never see things the same way after reading Dark Sands. Stay tuned for the blurb release in a week or so! Coming Thursday September 25th, 2025

*nudges Word.* "Er... What are you doing?" . . . "Seriously though." . . . *kicks Word a little harder* . . . +sometime later+ . . . *glares at pile of melted plastic*

NRDS is coming to Kickstarter!! Season 2, hardcovers, Art!!! Hit notify me on launch: www.kickstarter.com/projects/jpr... #queerbooksky #booksky

What starts out as a quest for a friend’s cure turns into so much more. An Oath to the Winter Winds is a supplemental standalone novel that takes place after Key of Arcandus from the Carving Legacies series. The blurb for An Oath to the Winter Winds can be found on Lauren's website!

My mum has figured out how to share reels with me on Instagram. Send help.

Tonight I'm working on this beauty, Growing Seeds from Stones, by the effervescent Coffee Quills! #amediting

While AI might use the em dash, that doesn't mean that every book that contains an em dash is written with the use of AI, particularly in American English (and in some other Englishes!). Here's some examples of when authors might use em dashes—I hope it helps! ;) (A thread!)

Well, that project is off to the author. *pulls over the next project*

Today is the digital input of Phoenix Rising! One round of line editing, is two passes. We read words differently on the screen as opposed to on paper, so I do one in each medium so as to catch all those pesky typos, find those inconsistencies, and tweak the words to be as effective as can be.

As soon as I finish doing the morning thing (breakfasts, school drop off, finishing my coffee, etc.) then I have an uninterrupted day of editing. I'm so looking forward to it! Tied up the remainder of two edits yesterday, looking at a third today! What's on your agenda?

Heather Texle is offering On Impulse for free! Snap it up while you can, it's a fabulous story of a fugitive, banned technology, and a sassy ship's avatar called Felix who will light up your day! Check it out!

Blasted Research is what happens when someone living in a protected city is forced to go out in the wastelands on a fetch quest, and xe finds a whole new world to understand (and survive). I'm talking about you, Dr. Jules. #PrideBookFair 🌈📚 #QueerAdultSFF #Nonbinary books2read.com/blasted-rese...

Editing break! Muffins for school tomorrow have been made! Choc chip.

Putting in the final line changes on Dark Sands, by @j.s.harman.author right now! So excited for this book. Check out Harman's profile, I think the cover is coming soon, and I can't wait to see it!

Thought I'd play with the almost-traditional book ads! I think this is a great way to showcase ourselves while giving a hat-tip to what we do. 😄

Had to take the boys to get their hair cut (it was very long, in their eyes, and it's a curriculum day, so why not), and this is the closest I got to the bookstore. I'm proud of me!

Hi everyone! I'm a fiction editor with over 13 years' experience. I specialise in fantasy and science fiction, and *adore* spicy stories, too! I offer developmental editing, line editing, and proofreading, and I have a beta reading team, if you need them. Currently reading 7 books, because chaos.

I did not make this. I will eat it. Gingerbread is soooooo good!

I'm a mug kind of person, but it needs to hold a lot. Because coffee. Do you have a favourite mug? This is one of mine!

It's a new day, and it's also a public holiday. No rest for the self-employed, though, so it's going to be a day filled with emails, project management, and of course, more emails. (Oh and editing, somewhere in there 😅 ) But for now, being that it's not 7am yet, it's coffee time.

I'm reading too many books right now. So throw more at me. My TBR is already screaming, may as well make it worthwhile. I love portal fantasy, dragons, shapeshifters, pirates, chosen ones, enemies to lovers, shadow daddies, reverse harems... You know what, if it's fantasy or sci fi, let me know!

Did you know I stream live on Twitch at elementeds? Currently streaming paper line edits of Beth Ball's Phoenix Rising. Come join me for some coworking! All streamed edits are done live with explicit permissions granted.

It's Sunday and I'm about to start the second run of line edits on Phoenix Rising by Beth Ball. When it comes to editing, I do two passes per round, one onscreen, and one on paper. We read these mediums differently, so to catch as much as possible (nothing is typo free), I do it both ways.