Makeup and Alternate Plans

Three months, people. Three months since I’ve posted a blog. Can someone please explain how in the hell I’ve been able to maintain my sanity without an outlet for the past ninety days? Because I sure don’t know how it’s possible.

But regardless, here I am today, ready to share all the news and stuff from the past few months. You ready for this? I mean, here goes.

I’m about to release a new book!

And that’s pretty much the gist of everything I’ve done since January.

In all seriousness, though, that’s moderately accurate.

Since Matt and I got back from D&D’s place in Florida back at the beginning of the year, my go-to activity has definitely been working on this new book. But, as the title of this blog post indicates, there has been something else going on recently. Makeup. And they tie-in together I promise.

A couple years ago, my sister started watching a handful of beauty gurus on YouTube. As she learned about tips and tricks for getting a flawless face, that is exactly what she got. I mean, my sister is gorgeous anyway, but she started using techniques and tools that amped up the flawless factor. Accentuated her best features.

I was impressed with her skill because makeup was always something that attracted me but I just never got it. Not really. So I focused on fun hair colors, clothes, shoes, to share my personality using this shell of my body.

In the last few years (ahem, decades), I’ve gotten away from makeup. Decided not to try anymore because it never came out looking how I thought it would in my head. And it was obvious I wasn’t really trying.

As my skin aged it didn’t seem to like the products I used to use. So I added the bare minimum of items to my “beauty routine” just to make me feel a tiny bit less haggard looking.

But as my sister learned, I developed a growing curiosity to give it all a try again. See if there were things I could do to this middle-aged face to perk her back up. Because, lord knows, perking up my ass and boobs again was a lost cause.

She shared a few of the videos that spoke to her, a few of the online tutors, if you will, who shared their experiences in a breezy way along with tutorials for application.

And I was pretty much hooked right away. Some of the gurus I discovered after those initial few have huge personalities, some more demure, some are even men (who, no lie, do better makeup than me, and are gorgeous, and, yeah). As I watched for a couple weeks I had an epiphany one day and shared it with my sister.

But I need to back up a little bit so this a-ha moment makes more sense.

Right now, I’m working on a whole new book series. The California’ Dreamin Series. The first book, Carol+ Chad 4-eva!, came out last September. Unlike my Shaw McLeary Mystery Series, I have a solid plan and path for this new series direction. At least for the first 5 books.

Carol + Chad introduces the reader to the various characters in California – some raised there, some Carol grew up with in Massachusetts who (like her) moved there in their younger days. Carol tells her story by writing in her diary. She documents multiple decades of times in her life over minimal pages.

But she also gave me a wealth of character development in those entries because even though she hints at her friends lives, only they can tell their own stories.

Book 2, Alternate Plans, will release in a couple days. It is the story of Deb Martin, before she meets Carol. A few years before she and Carol become roommates Deb had an entire life that I hadn’t yet told. It was time to share her story.

So, it only seemed right to do the same type of thing with all the other characters. And that’s where my makeup a-ha came into play.

Cherry, one of Carol’s childhood friends, is my slated story for Book 3. She’s a firecracker of a personality, a classic beauty, fashionista, and - A-HA! – a makeup artist.

When we last read about Cherry she was married and possibly still waitressing. But I didn’t get too specific with her in later diary entries so there was a whole lot of backstory filling in that needed done for this next manuscript.

It was as if I wrote her knowing there was a such thing as makeup gurus on YouTube and that she was going to become one right before my very eyes (eh, fingers?)! So Wendy and I spent some time talking out details of the phenomenon of YouTube and when people like that first started sharing tips. As we talked I saw my character’s entire path. The story only she could tell about the life of a YouTube sensation.

A-HA!

So makeup became my world for the last few months. And, not gonna lie, this might be the most fun research I’ve ever done for a book. I’ve learned an entire lexicon of terms, products, techniques, tools, you name it.

I’m still never going to be good enough at this to become a YouTuber (and I wouldn’t want to be anyway, behind the scenes is where I do my best work) but I have learned so much I feel like I can now write a truly realistic character story for Cherry. Plus, I found ways to enhance the bits I want to better on my own face and body. Win-win!

But her book isn’t even started yet so maybe I should back up again and talk about Book 2, Alternate Plans.

When Deb Martin moved away from her childhood home six months ago she swore to herself two things. First, she would always be there to help her family in times of need. Second, she would make it on her own. Without their money. Without using her given name to get ahead. But life has a funny way of backing up on a person and when Deb finds herself in a financial jam she knows her dad will help. If only he would call her back. While she waits, Deb meets a town full of people who love to help each other. Including one available, attractive guy, Adam. Despite her finding Adam moderately annoying, Deb has no choice but to accept his help. Could her unfortunate circumstance make her realize that on her own doesn’t have to mean alone?

I’m really excited about this book. My editors and beta readers helped this one go from meh to yeah! I can’t begin to thank them enough because I was about ready to give up on this one entirely. It makes me happy now to tell Deb’s story.

Ready for the cover reveal:

So cool. I love how it matches the tone of the book but doesn’t reveal too much otherwise. It’s available for pre-order now and drops this coming Friday, the 21^st.

I can’t wait to get this one out there because, not only is it a story I’m very proud of but, that means I can get to writing the next one. Finally put all this makeup research to good use. Well, better use than just applying a face full of product every morning then walk into my office to go to work. Alone.

Because there is no rest for the self-publisher. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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In addition to this drivel I also write books, both fiction and non-fiction.
Learn more on my author page.