It’s been over a month since I published my debut novel, so I thought it was a good time to reflect on my experiences (so far) as an indie author. If some of you are thinking about writing your first book, I hope you will find some inspiration, along with realistic sample data, for your own journey.

I’ll start with the amazing bits.

People – dozens of them, at least – have read my book. They. Have. Read. My. Book. The words I wrote down. It still blows my mind a little, every time I think of that. Better yet, people* enjoyed it! The messages I’ve received have been so reassuring: for the right reader**, A Party to Murder offers exactly the kind of experience I set out to create. I love hearing readers’ impressions and thoughts about the plot and the characters, and seeing my creations through their eyes.

Lately, I have been trying really hard to stay away from reviews posted online. Reviews are for other readers, not authors, and I don’t want to get hung up on ratings and rankings. [More on that in a minute.] But, like most writers, I struggle with the push-pull of wanting to know readers’ reactions, while at the same time, not wanting to be unduly distracted by others’ opinions. ‘Not every book is for every reader’ is a mantra I have to repeat to myself more and more, as reviews and ratings continue to pile up. I try to look at all of them, regardless of the number of stars, as evidence of my book’s journey out in the world.

From the outset, I had pretty modest ambitions for A Party to Murder – a debut novel from an unknown author – and I am glad for that. I was able to meet my sales goals and feel a modicum of accomplishment from that. It helped to offset some of the inevitable disappointment that has cropped up. Sales tapering off, reviews trickling in very slowly, lots of radio silence, hazards and challenges of marketing and promotion in an over-saturated market, uncertainty about the outlook of my future books. Being a self-pubbed author is not for the faint of heart (any more than trying to be traditionally published is; it’s only different). One of the hardest parts of the process has been to stay the course in terms of purpose for writing, against the noise of external influences, voices, opinions.

By necessity, I have to keep a toe in bookish and writerly spaces, and they are a constant source of self-doubt. What I mean by that is: readers want all kinds of different things from the books they read, and writers want all kinds of different things from the books they write. It is quite easy to be swayed by their views. Ultimately, though, letting yourself be guided by other people’s values and priorities is a recipe for disappointment and disillusionment. I’ve had to re-learn – over and over – the importance of charting one’s own course, even when one must do so against the current. It’s vital … but not easy. Oh, no.

You know what’s easy? Getting down in the dumps and languishing there. Having done a fair bit of that already, I’m resolved to stay out of it moving forward.

I have a lot of things to look forward to! My second book, Murder Takes a Holiday is coming out in just over a month, and I am very excited about it. I just finished working with my editor on the final revisions, and she told me she thought it was even better than A Party to Murder. As I’m going through the proof-reading now, I must say that I agree with her 🙂 And next up will be my first standalone fantasy mystery – a fun little genre-bending cozy romp, if I do say so myself. Currently titled The Mysterious Affair at Gaunt Hall, it’s tentatively scheduled for a June release … which means I have a LOT of work to do in the coming months. And that’s not accounting for the other 3 books in various stages of completion or the couple new books I’m hoping to write this year. Sounds a bit mad? It probably is. Wish me luck, lol!

At this point, you may be asking, “Adina, why are you doing all this?” And, honestly? The answer is: because I can. My books are like little trophies I make for myself – for the joy of making them and the joy of seeing them, looking all pretty and polished, on my shelf. And, yes, also for the joy of knowing that even a handful of people might read them and have a blast. Anything else is gravy.

That feels like a good note to end on 🙂

But let me open up the floor: if you have questions about self-publishing (or writing your first book), don’t be shy. Leave a comment or send me a message, and let’s talk!

* The ones I know about anyway, at least.
** Some who loves Golden Era murder mysteries as much as I do.

I am so ready for the year of the Snake to be over; these last few weeks have been a ride, and not in a fun way. More like a stomach-turning rollercoaster. I am very much looking forward to the long weekend, y’all. I may also just need a vacation – not to go anywhere, but to hide in bed and unplug my brain. Do you think ye olde IT advice would work in this application … turn it off and on and hope that fixes all the bugs? LOL.

Like pretty much everyone else on the planet, this week I’ve been obsessing over Bad Bunny’s Superbowl half-time show. I was not familiar with the man’s game, but damn! My Spanish is extremely rusty these days, but I love Latin music (though my musical references are pretty old, lol!) and it was hella fun to see such a beautiful, heartfelt celebration of Puerto Rico culture. It’s so strange to me when people complain about not understanding lyrics because that has literally never made a difference to my enjoyment of music. My iTunes library (I told you I’m old) includes songs in Spanish, Italian, French, Arabic, and a bunch of other languages — needless to say, I am fluent in exactly zero of them. Music is one of those things that transcends language, imo.

I read an interesting book this week – Butter by Asako Yuzuki. It’s described as a “cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story.” I don’t think that really captures the book’s true vibe. It’s not a thriller or a mystery. It’s a slow-paced psychological character study (of several female characters, including the killer, the journalist, and the journalist’s best friend) and exploration of female friendship, misogyny and society’s surveillance of women’s choices and bodies, fat shaming and diet culture, foodie culture, female sexuality, and so much more. The prose is accessible and not dense, but the story takes its time to unfold, so be prepared to linger with it. I really enjoyed looking at these themes from a non-North American perspective. Lots of food for thought – not pun intended.

Be forewarned, though: reading this book will make you very hungry. There are many, many descriptions of food, and they all sound incredibly tasty. [Also, heads up: there are many discussions of characters’ physical appearance and body weight, along with references to dieting, so if that’s triggering for you, proceed with caution.]

Last week, a super nice follower sent me a link to a Poshmark listing for a Liz Claiborne raincoat in the same rainbow madras print as my fave dress (except it’s the pink/orange/yellow colorway), and I immediately jumped to take a look. I am obsessed with that particular collection that Isaac Mizrahi did for LC (late 2000s, I think) and have been slowly collecting various pieces over the years. Well, I made an offer and it was accepted … so now I have one more item to add to the collection. The coat arrived this week and it’s amazing. Amazing quality, amazing condition (NWT), and so fun!!

Do you guys have any Valentine Day’s plans? My husband and I don’t usually go out of our way to celebrate – mostly because we’re not big “special occasion” people, and also because our dating anniversary is a few days later, and we’re more likely to do something to mark that. If we remember it, that is. After 18 years, that’s not always guaranteed. The good thing is that we’re both equally forgetful and lazy, so there are never any hurt feelings 🙂

Have a great weekend!  

Living in northern Alberta is not for the faint of heart when it comes to the roughly six months out of the year that constitute “winter” here. Even someone like me – a dedicated hibernator homebody – cannot entirely escape the toll of the climate. It’s very, very cold and very, very dry. This time of year, there are moments when I feel like my life is simply a constant battle to keep moisture from leaving my body. Being in my mid-40s probably doesn’t help (thanks, perimenopause!).

I’ve been slowly building up my arsenal of tools to combat some of the most common problems I encounter during the winter with my skin and hair, but I am always looking for more and better options. So, how about this: I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours?

La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume B5

This has been a game-changer for me. I actually use it year-round as my morning moisturizer, but I find it especially useful in the colder months. I’ve seen a bunch of dermatologists on social media say that it’s a fantastic barrier cream (take that for what it’s worth) and I can personally attest that it’s great for sensitive or irritated skin. My husband’s skin gets very flaky and red during the winter, and this cream got his issues under control immediately. It’s quite thick but absorbs quickly and without a greasy/heavy feel. A small amount goes a long way, which also makes it quite affordable. A 100ml tube is under $30CAD and lasts me 2-3 months.

One trick I learned from my daughter (who also uses this cream and loves it): once the tube is down to the last ¼ or so, cut the top half off and use it as a makeshift “lid”. This lets you access the last bits of cream that might otherwise be difficult to get out through the squeeze top, and reduce (a surprising amount of) wastage.

Lip Medex

Apart from chapped lips, which are a pretty common occurrence in cold climates, I also have the pleasure of getting cracked skin at the corners of my mouth during the winter. I can’t tell you how incredibly uncomfortable that is! I’ve tried so many different creams over the years to combat this, but nothing has worked as well as Lip Medex. My SIL gave me some to try one time when I was complaining to her about my lip problems, and it worked within less than 48 hours – where, normally, it would take days and days to heal the cracks. Now, any time I feel my lips or the corners of my mouth get even remotely dry, I immediately apply some of this stuff, and it stops the cracking before it’s even started.

O’Keefe’s Healthy Feet

My feet are prone to dry, cracking skin in general, but especially in the wintertime, and this cream is hands-down the best and quickest fix. If I was a less lazy person, I would use it consistently to keep my feet baby soft all the time, but alas … On the bright side, no matter how badly I let things slide, this cream gets things under control again within 2-3 days of daily application. And the Working Hands cream is also excellent.

Olaplex No. 7 Bonding Oil

My hair is quite porous and dry, and the problem is exacerbated during the winter. I use this leave-in oil year-round on my ends, to combat dryness and breakage/splitting, and it works like a charm. I only get trims once every 4-5 months, and my hairstylist always comments on how healthy my hair is. I don’t use a lot of products on my hair, but I’m quite religious about this one. My typical routine is to scrunch a small amount through freshly washed, wet hair from about chin-level down to the ends, concentrating more on the bottom half of my hair. Less is more – and considering that this is a pricier product, that’s a good thing. I also use the oil on dry hair (again, just the bottom half) if I find that it’s getting staticky or tangled between washes. I love that it doesn’t weigh down my hair or make it feel greasy (or, alternately, “crunchy” like some of the cream-based products I’ve tried for wavy/curly hair).

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Miracle Balm

This was my old stand-by for cracked skin and lips – and, in particular, for the irritation caused by frequent nose-blowing whenever I had a cold. Do you know what I’m taking about? When you’ve been sniffling for days and your nose is red and angry with you? It’s perfect for that. It’s also good for dry elbows. I find it too heavy and greasy for general use (I wouldn’t cover my whole face with it) but it’s great for spot treatment.

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure that it’s significantly more effective than something like Vaseline … but I love the weirdly medicinal smell and since a small tube lasts me for years, it’s something I keep around.

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

My daughter has eczema-prone skin, especially in the colder months, and this is the best (non-medicated) cream we’ve found for her. She uses it as a body moisturizer. You can buy industrial-sized tubs of it at Costco for relatively cheaply. CeraVe products in general have a great rep with dermatologists. We also (both) use the CeraVe SA Cleanser and find it gentle but effective (and also inexpensive).

Ok, your turn: tell me all your winter survival essentials!