In Which Mariella Talks About Redesigning Blogs And Possibly Taking Down The Wishing Well For Editing.

I've redesigned my blog layout again because it was a little too crowded before. Too many widgets. Too much info on the front page. Now, I'm going to create different pages for each important part of my life. I've found that web design is fun and relaxing--but it does take a lot of time. Not only do I have to spend time designing the graphics and then redesigning them again, but I have to change the rest of the blog to match the picture. Once it's done, though, it's definitely worth the work and the time I put into it. 
I just wish it was that easy to get back all the followers that I left behind on the old blogs that I 'abandoned,' so to speak. Nobody really seems to pay attention to this blog, and no matter how much I push it on people--no matter how much I talk about it on facebook and make it clear that it's really important to me--well, I guess nobody can see it. Anyway, now that my moment of self-pity is over...I would like to ask that if you're a friend, or a former follower, or a person interested in my blog...and you happen to stumble in here...maybe you can follow it? Please? Then I wouldn't feel so lonely... :D
That subject aside, I think I'm going to take down all but 10k of The Wishing Well while I edit it. I got a lot of valuable critique during the time it was up, but from now on I'll be consulting about it mostly with a close team of friends and readers. That is, if I don't take down the book altogether. Nobody seems to be reading it now that it's got its review, and it's just floating around in inkpop cyberspace and taking up picklists that could now be going to someone who really needs it, given the changes in how the system works. I'm not totally sure yet, but I'll pray about it, and if I decide on yes, most of the book--if not all--will be down by August. So if you've wanted to read it for a while, now is the best time to start; I'm letting you know, just in case. ♥
I'm up way too late because of web design. So I think I'll go do my devotionals and try to get some sleep. Lately, sleep is something that seems to be avoiding me. It's just so hard to turn off my imagination and get a good night's rest. (Or rather, in my case, a good morning's rest.) It comes with being a writer, I suppose.
Also, I've been trying to promote The Escapism Project like crazy. This blog is like, really important to me. So on second thought, if you have to choose between my blog and Escapism to follow, choose Escapism. I just think it's going to go really far and I'm putting a lot of my hopes and efforts into this project. Now would be a good time to thank my contributors for the millionth time for all the help and for being in this with me. You guys are awesome.
With that, I am off. HUGS!

So if I write 500 words per day for the next 141 days, until November 11...

I can finish BEAUTIFUL DANCING at 70,500 words.
Knowing me, it's gonna be a longer book than that, but I hope not.

And THE WATER NYMPH POTION is going up on July 23.
If I write 500 words every day for the next 30 days, that'll give me the 15,000 words needed to complete the book. But if I write faster then I can edit it as well, at least the first 10k that will be up.

I'm reading THE WISHING WELL and getting ideas on how to make it more powerful based on the HarperCollins review.

There's my progress in one short, sweet blog post. :D

Leave it to Mariella to start plotting a new story when she should be editing an old one.

I'm pretty sure I can do both, though.
And this time, I'm going for a love story. No magic. No supernatural stuff. Let's try something relatable:

The cover I made for BEAUTIFUL DANCING.
Pitch coming soon!

See? It even says in the cover that it's a love story.

So, in honor of this unusual event (SARCASM!) I'm creating a works-in-progress section on the sidebar.

Editing one story, finishing another story, beginning another.

I honestly can't picture myself doing anything else with my life but writing!