My kids’ last day of school is Friday. They’re counting down with excitement. I’m counting down with mild panic. As a work-from-home parent, writer, and professional snack distributor, I’m not entirely sure how we’re going to survive the next 2 months. Summer is coming. 😅 #ParentSky #AuthorSky

Author confession: During edits, I realized I’d accidentally erased a major character from several crucial chapters. Not a detective. Not a villain. The dog. Zeus completely vanished from the manuscript. Several chapters went by before I noticed. Oops. Time to write him back in. 🐕😂 #AuthorSky

Just got a marketing email congratulating me on a book I never wrote. Wrong name. Wrong book. Wrong genre. Apparently I’m now the author of a poetry collection I’ve never heard of. If you’re going to sell marketing services, at least do your research. #AuthorSky

Writer tip: Edit with your ears. One of my favorite writing tools isn’t a writing tool at all—it’s Speechify Pro. I’m a slow reader, and hearing the words while following along helps me catch awkward phrasing, repetition, and pacing issues my eyes might otherwise miss. #AuthorSky

Proud mom moment. My daughter is one of the smallest girls on her soccer team, yet she finished the season with the most goals scored—5 total. Just because you’re small doesn’t mean you can’t do great things. Heart, determination, and hard work matter far more than size. ⚽❤️ #ParentSky

Reader pet peeve: Giant text blocks, missing indents & wrong novel format stops me from reading. Sometimes it’s a stylistic choice. Sometimes formatting gets stripped during upload. Either way, it pulls me out of the story. Authors: Preview before pub. Fix after if needed. #AuthorSky #BookSky

My son turns 5 today & already has overcome some health scares. He was born premature & spent 2 weeks in the NICU. At 15 months, he developed streptococcus pneumoniae, became septic & underwent life-saving emergency surgery. He’s healthy today & we couldn’t be prouder. Happy Birthday!💙 #ParentSky

I feel so dumb 😂 When The Serpent’s Bridge hit #1 during free promo, I didn’t even know where to find the public Amazon category pages to screenshot it. Another crime thriller author sent me this from a reader group. By then it had dropped to #3, but it really did hit #1. #AuthorSky

Publishing paths look different for every author. There’s often a traditional publishing vs. indie/small press mindset. But indie doesn’t = lower quality. Many indie/small press authors prefer more creative control over their books, branding, audience. Different path. Same passion. #AuthorSky

Lately it feels like every part of my life needs something from me at the exact same time. Writing. Marketing. Work. Deadlines. Revisions. Family. Life. I’m getting it done, but some days it honestly feels overwhelming. #AuthorSky #LifeSky

Writing a book is strange because the first draft is mostly instinct. Revision is where you finally meet the book you were actually trying to write. #AuthorSky #BookSky

Good News About Hitting #1 in Amazon’s Free Store: Lots of folks download your book. Bad News: The bigger the reach, the stranger the behavior. My free promo started May 22 & already a 1-star popped. No written review yet. Maybe a legit reader? Maybe someone wanted to low-rank me?🫠 #AuthorSky

Spent the day in Yosemite yesterday and honestly needed it after finishing my manuscript and dealing with computer issues. Sometimes you get so caught up in work and life that you forget how good it feels to slow down, breathe fresh air, and just be in nature for a while. 🌲 #AuthorSky #NatureSky

I’m not only good at killing bad guys in my books—I kill laptops too.😭 Dropped my MacBook today. Screen stayed black. Thought I lost Book 5 I just finished drafting & had mini heart attack. Thank God for the iCloud. Ended up upgrading to a MacBook Pro since I do so much video editing. #AuthorSky

So it’s official. The Serpent’s Bridge is currently: #1 FREE in the entire Amazon Kindle Store #1 in Serial Killers #1 in Vigilante Justice With millions of books on Amazon, seeing my thriller hit the top spot is surreal. Thanks to every reader who gave this series a chance.🖤 #AuthorSky #BookSky

Honestly kind of blown away right now. The Serpent’s Bridge just hit: #1 in Crime Thrillers #2 in Serial Killers #2 in Vigilante Justice …and cracked the Top 200 in the entire free Kindle Store. Been a very hard week, so seeing this means more than people probably realize.🖤 #AuthorSky #BookSky

I just finished drafting Book 5 in the Serpent Series. There were days where I felt burned out, stuck, or convinced I’d never get through this draft, so finally reaching the end feels pretty surreal. Now comes revisions, but finally typing “The End” again feels incredibly rewarding. #AuthorSky

Publishing is brutally competitive. Millions of books. Trad pub. Small press. Indie. Viral breakout authors. Massive bestsellers with huge marketing budgets. It’s easy to let competition turn toxic, but I’ve found supporting other authors gives you far more longevity in this industry. #AuthorSky

I think one of the reasons crime thrillers work is because most people secretly wonder what they’d do if they could get away with it. #AuthorSky #BookSky

Have you ever read a massively popular book everyone seemed obsessed with & genuinely couldn’t stand it or get the hype? As authors we have to remember that not every book will please every reader & we shouldn’t chase trends to find the people who connect with our work. #AuthorSky #BookSky

There’s still a connotation around the term “indie author,” like trad books are somehow more legitimate while indie authors are viewed as hobbyists. I had an agent & spent years on sub before landing my own small press deal. A Big 5 contract isn’t what makes a writer legitimate. #AuthorSky

Negative reviews ≠ failure. Just found a year-old 2-star Goodreads review for The Serpent’s Bridge I missed. The reviewer said my writing was terrible & nothing made sense but kept reading. If a reader hated your book but still couldn’t stop reading, you did something right. #AuthorSky #BookSky

Indie authors learn quick: followers ≠ book sales. People follow cause they enjoy the community. Followers aren’t obligated to buy our books, read or even review them. That’s why every real reader matters. Even one person choosing your book is still one reader you didn’t have before. #AuthorSky

Readers don’t realize how much they can change an indie author’s entire week with one small thing. One review. One recommendation. One repost. One “I stayed up late reading this.” While marketing is vital, real reader enthusiasm is still the most powerful kind of promotion. #AuthorSky #BookSky

If you’re writing a series, you really have to love the characters & the story cause it honestly never stops. I’m 81K words in Book 5 while proofing audiobook edits for Book 2 & planning promos for Books 1, 2, & 3. It’s endless. You’ve gotta genuinely love the series to keep going. #AuthorSky

Just now I was wearing this shirt hubby gave me. A mall worker asked if I was an author. Had a great bookish convo. He showed me ALL the books he’s read/reviewed. He found my book on Amazon, bought it, asked me to sign later.🥲 Finding readers organically like this beats any algorithm.🖤 #AuthorSky

In a world filled with AI-generated art, nothing can replace human creativity and years of practice. My daughter has been drawing since she was 5 and has taken after school art classes for years. She turned 11 yesterday and this is one of her latest pieces. Proud of her.❤️ #AuthorSky #ArtSky

Yesterday, I had someone impersonate HarperCollins and claim they were part of the acquisitions team. I ended up having to forward the email to their fraud department. Honestly, the lengths some people will go to in order to hook vulnerable writers is incredibly cruel. #AuthorSky

Saw an author upset over “only” getting 60K KENP reads a day. Across my 4 books, I’ve had 258K KENP reads combined. It reminded me how dangerous comparison can be in publishing & can mess with your head if you let it. All we can do is focus on our own progress, not someone else’s. #AuthorSky

Motherhood didn’t kill my creativity. It forced me to fight harder for it. Publishing is exhausting sometimes. Writing the book, editing, marketing, trying to get reviews, trying to keep momentum while raising children. It never really stops. #HappyMothersDay to the moms doing both. 💝 #AuthorSky

Kindness really does matter in the indie author community. I’ve actually discovered & purchased books from authors who simply took a moment to support my thriller series with encouraging words. You never know who might organically discover your work through simple kindness. #AuthorSky #BookSky

Honestly, I think thoughtful 3-star reviews that balance the pros & cons often help authors grow more than some 5-star reviews. Not every book will work for every reader, & that’s okay. Balanced feedback can be far more valuable than forced hype. #AuthorSky #BookSky

Yesterday marked 30 days sober for me. Did 50 meetings in that time, choosing to be present instead of escape. Don't need a drink to be creative. Been writing more clear-headed. Finally going to bed and waking up feeling good again. One day at a time really does add up. #AuthorSky #HealthSky

Imposter syndrome as an author is brutal because you can hit milestones, publish books, grow an audience, and still feel like you’re behind everyone else or not good enough. A lot more writers struggle with that than people admit. #AuthorSky

This month I bought 4 indie books & 1 traditionally published one. Honestly, I’ve been more impressed than disappointed. Visibility in publishing has so much to do with marketing budgets, reach, & hype. I can’t tell you how many mega trending books haven’t lived up to it. #AuthorSky #BookSky

Publishing can take a real toll on your mental health. The anxiety, the ups & downs, and the stress of issues with publishing platforms. It’s not just writing, it’s everything that comes with it. Give yourself space. Some of this just takes time to work through. #AuthorSky #HealthSky

The gap between effort & results in publishing is real & it can mess with your head. You can do everything right & still not see it. Some have marketing support & reach, many indie & small press authors don’t. Don't walk away too soon. It takes time & the payoff rarely shows up early. #AuthorSky

If you’re going to support an #IndieAuthor, the best thing you can do is actually finish the book before reviewing. Please NO long AI-written thesis. A few short sentences you wrote yourself will likely stay up. Amazon is removing AI-reviews, even if they’re from verified purchases. #BookSky

Writing a book is an accomplishment. Building an author career takes endurance. One is putting words on the page. The other is pushing past setbacks, self-doubt, and wondering if anyone will read it. If you’re still writing through it all, you’re doing the part most people never see.💙 #AuthorSky

I’m not getting into details, but the past 2 weeks dealing with Amazon issues nearly pushed me to quit. It’s not even writing the book. It’s everything after that tests you. Some platforms make this journey harder than it should be. Quitting would be easier. That’s exactly why I won’t. #AuthorSky

What if there was a Black Mirror episode about authors where AI decides what’s allowed to exist & what gets erased. Social policing marks strangers as “connections” & punishes them. Friendships become data points. Every digital footprint is watched. Oh wait. This isn’t an episode. #AuthorSky

In publishing, some setbacks don’t just sting, they hit deep. They can mess with your head, your confidence, everything. I’m going through one right now. It’s harder than I expected. If you’re in it too, don’t let it take you out. #AuthorSky #HealthSky

Waiting for perfection can keep a book unfinished forever. Sometimes the real progress is letting the book be imperfect, finishing the story, and trusting revision later. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s getting the story told. #AuthorSky #BookSky

Some books don’t find their readers right away. Timing, visibility, and word of mouth all matter—and sometimes the right readers show up months or even years later. A slow start doesn’t mean the story failed. #AuthorSky #BookSky

Most “overnight success” in publishing isn’t overnight at all. It’s years of writing, rewriting, rejection, quiet releases, and showing up long before anyone notices. The success people see is usually just the part that finally became visible. #AuthorSky

People think writers wait for inspiration, but most books get written on tired days, bad days, and days you’d rather quit. On the days you don’t feel creative. On the days the words fight you. On the days showing up feels harder than writing itself. Books get finished by discipline. #AuthorSky

Sobriety isn’t just about quitting something. It’s about learning to stay. To sit in the present instead of constantly trying to escape it. To face yourself clearly. To build a life you don’t need to run from. Maybe that’s why writing feels different now because honesty does. #AuthorSky #SoberSky

Today I’m 19 days sober. I wrote Detective Nazario’s relapse in The Serpent’s Bridge years before I had to face my own. Back then, I was writing a flawed character. Now, I understand her in a way I wish I didn’t. Flaws make characters human. Admitting our own makes us stronger. #AuthorSky

Don’t judge a book by its review count. I met a fellow indie crime author who exchanged books with me. He only had 1 review. Started reading & it’s damn good! Review count doesn’t = quality. Sometimes great books just haven’t been discovered yet. Give indie books a chance. #AuthorSky #BookSky

A small ask from an author: if you’re an avid reader and you pick up a book from a small press or an indie author, please consider leaving a review if you enjoyed it. Even one or two sentences makes a difference. You have no idea how much that means. #AuthorSky #BookSky