As you could probably infer from the subject line, my newsletter will be moving from Mailchimp to another platform. Mailchimp has recently updated its terms of service for how many campaigns (emails) are allowed, how many followers, etc. I’m not so popular to have reached those monuments yet, but to avoid an issue in the future, I will be moving my newsletter to this blog!
For those of you already subscribe to the blog, there are no changes for you – however, if you would like to get email notifications when I post, then you will need to still subscribe to this blog. To do so, just scroll ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM! There you will see a prompt that says “Follow Shanna’s Blog”. Enter your email address, hit the button and DONE! You will receive updates when I post!
My goal is always to post once a week – once a month (depending on updates and how busy life gets), but I can’t make any promises going forward because…
Life Updates
Oh yes! my husband and I are expecting our first child soon! We are so excited (and admittedly nervous) to begin this next stage of our lives. I am hoping to keep writing after she is here, but it will (obviously) be at a much slower pace. So, please don’t fret if I don’t post regularly over the next couple of months.
I plan to be offline for that time of recover. I will be back, though, once I’m recovered and feeling like I got my “sea legs” so to speak with parenting — or when I at least feel functional! This includes my blog, social media platforms, and other modes you can follow me on. But fear not, I shall be back. And if you would like to say “hi” in person, I still plan to attend Romance Rendezvous Book Blast in August!
Until then, thank you for all of your support and readership! I am thankful for each and every one of you!
I can’t believe it is the end of 2022. It doesn’t feel like it, though, does it? I feel like I just managed to get into the fall season and then BOOM – 2023!
There is so much that has happened this year. Where to even start?!
I had a new publication, of a new tarot spread book! You can check it out on Amazon here.
I’m really proud of this book. Not only does it contain tarot spreads I made to focus on personal growth and self-care, but also journaling prompts, meditations, and more. They were techniques I used personally and hope others find it as helpful and enlightening as well!
I didn’t get a romance novel out this year, but I do have a few in the works. All contemporary, for now. I have a couple fantasy romance ideas brewing, but I need more marinating time.
This year was also a busy year for author events. I attended SO MANY! There was Indie Author Expo (I did two of those), Romance Rendezvous Book Blast, and attended more as a reader (North Iowa Book Bash and Writers on the River). These events are always so much fun and I can’t wait to do more in 2023.
If you’d like to attend events, but don’t know where to start – I do have a list of ones I will be at on my home page! Be sure to check them out. Facebook is another great place to start to find local events and meet new authors!
I did a LOT of reading this year (101 books for a total of 25,433 pages). I always have such a blast doing reading challenges with friends, keeping up with my romance book club, and reading new authors (especially indie authors).
My goal for 2023 is to read another 100 books (though my big reach goal is 120 books). However, I’m going to give myself a bit of grace considering there are a lot of changes coming in 2023. If you’d like some book recommendations, be sure to check out earlier blog posts for book reviews as well as my Goodreads profile for the books I read this year!
I hope you all had an amazing 2022 with lots of great stories and reads! Feel free to share with me about any books you recommend, those must reads that I need to add to my TBR pile. I hope to have more updates on upcoming publications soon, be sure to keep an eye out!
I’m so excited to be back into the swing of writing. This month, I’m focusing on drafting an all new novel — Book One of “The Zagreus Club”. My goal: Write 50,000 words of the novel (and hopefully finish the first draft) by the end of November.
“The Zagreus Club” will be a multi-book romantic series. I plan to have each book focus on a different member of the Zagreus Club, a motorcycle club with a bad rap, but a kind heart. I would love to tell you more, but I am totally pantsing it this month — flying by the seat of my pants. Other than names and basic descriptions of the main characters, I’m allowing the story to develop in my brain as I go! So far, it has suited me well — but we will see if that continues.
I hope to share updates on my social media platforms as I go through the month (though I may go deep into writing hole and forget to update, sorry in advance!). Be sure to follow me over there if you would like more information and sneak peeks!
For those of you also participating in NaNoWriMo, I wish you luck! May your writing be inspired and your story flow freely! Happy Writing!
I am late to post, and I do apologize, but my last event of the year was RRBB 2022! This is my local event and I look forward to it so much — as I get to see all my amazing author friends like Sophie Stern and Ava Cuvay! I also get to spend time with my bestie, who is the best table assistant in the world!
I was actually right next to Sophie, and only a little ways away from Ava, so you know chaos ensued. But in my defense…Ava started it! She brought a nerf gun to the event, and so…I took it as a challenge. My husband got a very serious text as he was heading in that he needed to make a stop. “I need a nerf gun,” I said. He didn’t even ask questions, he just asked how big it needed to be. That’s true love right there!
We had so much fun! But I should apologize to all the other authors…I’m so sorry if you got caught in the crossfire! Hopefully no one got hit too hard! We were dogging around and sneaking up on each other, it was a blast. Though as promised, the nerf guns will stay home next year.
I was also able to meet some amazing readers as well! I met some individuals who read and loved “A Second Chance” (I cried a little, won’t lie) and met so many other amazing people. As always, the event goes by too fast and I was sad to see it come to an end.
I tried out some new things at my table, as well as new swag and items to sell. My husband has gotten really into resin craft, so I had things he had made available for purchase as well.
The event, as always, is wonderful. If you are ever in Cedar Falls during the date, you should definitely check it out. I promise you will find many new authors to read and have a good time!
Here are some more pictures from the event! Enjoy!
GIVEAWAY
As mentioned on my other social media platforms, to celebrate the end of my writing season, I am giving away a GIANT BOX OF SWAG! This is swag that is either mine or swag from the many events that I attended. I made sure to run around and get information and fun swag from each other to contribute to the giveaway.
This box will be filled with so many amazing items. From fun keychains, chapstick, buttons/pins, samples of stories, free ebook codes, pens, totes, and more. Below is a quick slideshow of some of the things you can expect!
All in all, I managed to get it to squeeze into a big box (seen below). I decided to give this box away to one of you–my amazing followers of my blog! I decided the winner has until Friday, September 23, 2022 to claim the box, or I will offer it to another follower. So, I pulled out my trusty d100 and rolled…
And the winner is… Cheri Garduno! If you want to shoot me an email to let me know where to send your package, I will get it sent off right away!
I hope to do more in the future, depending on how many events I attend, so be sure to keep an eye out for future giveaways! Until then, happy reading!
I don’t know about all of you, but I had an AMAZING weekend! I spent the weekend with my bestie at Writers on the River. This is an annual event that takes place in Peoria, Illinois and it such fun for authors and readers of romance. This is the second year I have attended, and it is always a blast.
But the fun doesn’t start with the event—oh no. My bestie and I make a whole weekend of it! We start out by shopping at a few different local book stores. We hit a few different ones: Tails of a Bookworm (Pekin, Il.), the Book Rack (Peoria, Il.), and the Book Nook (Peoria, Il.). Tails of the Bookworm is by far my favorite. Not only does it have an amazing selection of books and bookish items…not only does it have amazingly friendly staff…but it also serves as a cat adoption! They have cats looking to be adopted either in their little homes or running about the store. It is such chaos and fun. This year there were three kittens (two waiting for adoption, one waiting to be picked up later that day). If you live in the area and are taken with one of the kittens, give them a call!
We also make sure to hit a very special place for lunch on Friday…LA GONDOLA! Seriously, if you’re ever in Peoria, try the Torpedo (get a half size, trust me). It’s delicious and their bread is so sweet. My bestie and I always stop for lunch, as not only is it delicious, but it’s close by all of the stores we visit.
Between the shopping, the good food (sans dinner where we ordered salad and got no dressing), the first day was fantastic! Here are some pictures of the fun items I purchased at the stores!
Then Saturday was the event. I don’t have too many pictures, as there really isn’t time to take too many (there are so many authors I want to chat with!). Even still, the event was fun. I bought so many new books – y’all my TBR pile has gotten OUT OF CONTROL! There were games and raffle baskets GALORE. I donated 5, and it was just the tip of what they had available to do raffles on. By the end of the event, my bestie and I each won a prize and we had time to relax before the afterparty.
And by relax…of course I mean organize my swag and take a nap.
The afterparty is a wonderful addition to the event. They provide a glorious buffet of tacos and mashed potato bar. It’s an odd combination to hear, but I promise it is delicious. Then they have dancing, photo booths, and we brought games and tarot cards this year.
The weekend was amazing, though now it’s the work week and I’m exhausted. But even still, I wouldn’t trade it for anything! Genuinely, if you are ever interested in attending an event, I can’t recommend Writers on the River enough. I’ve attended quite a few events and it is by far one of the best I’ve attended – right up there with North Iowa Book Bash and Romance Rendezvous Book Blast.
With Writers on the River over, there is only one event left on my roster for 2022 – Romance Rendezvous Book Blast! It will be August 20, 2022 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. This is important for two reasons…
One, it will be my last author event for the year! So, if you haven’t yet stopped by to say hi and purchase books, be sure to do so! I promise, RRBB is so fun and has amazing authors in attendance.
Two, that means my swag collection will be finished. Each event you attend, you always leave with so many swag items: stickers, bookmarks, keychains, magnets, cups, pens, and so much more. Usually, I have a bunch of swag by the end of the year accumulated in a big bag with nothing to do with. This year, I decided to do a special giveaway for the followers of my blog! If you are following my blog (meaning you get email notifications when I post), you will be entered to win a box of swag at the end of August!
You can see from the pictures below, it has A LOT of fun items in it. Just be sure to follow my blog (storiesbyshannap.com) and you will be entered to win!
Until then, I wish you all happy reading and hope to see you at RRBB in August!
Stories by Shanna Pikora 