I heard Ashlee Gadd recently saying on a podcast that it took her a really, really long time to realize that her output during the summer simply can’t be the same as her output during the rest of the year, and found myself nodding along.
This is the first year that I sat down in January and really mapped out the year. It was partly out of necessity (hi, three books in two years and also I’m somehow supposed to lead a pilgrimage this October) and partly out of a strong desire for a bit more rhythm and routine in my life. Eating two leftover chicken nuggets for breakfast while throwing your kids into clothes that maybe-kinda match before sitting down and wondering What am I even supposed to be working on today? gets real old, real fast. So in January, I mapped out the entirety of 2023, giving each month specific tasks. I very intentionally left July-August very sparse, knowing my childcare consisted of an occasional 18-year-old and a lot of Paw Patrol. I also have two littles that sail, the oldest one having practice every single day for six weeks straight, and the boat club’s WiFi is notoriously sketchy.
When I was mindlessly scrolling the other day, I came across some ridiculous meme about how true #girlbosses capitalize on summer because it’s when other people take breaks and straight up cackled. If summer is the time of year you’re most productive, I applaud you, but that sounds like a whole lot of mom-shaming garbage to me.
Here’s what I’ve really been doing this summer: reading a lot of YA (I dubbed it the summer of Sarah Dessen, #IYKYK). Eating spicy pickles from Costco. Sitting on the picnic tables at the splash pad and yelling out reminders to my children to “BE PEACEMAKERS, PLEASE.” Drinking wine with my sisters. Writing the historical part of my upcoming historical fiction middle grade. Driving up north. Riding around in a pontoon. Sitting in the sand and letting the 2-year-old bury my feet. Going to friends’ houses so my kids can play with chickens, puppies, and other things their Mean Mother won’t let them have.
All of this being said, I know that summer’s coming to an end—we start school in two measly weeks. So here’s to 12 more days of margaritas on the front porch and bedtime being more of an abstract concept than a reality. In 12 days, I’ll become a little worker bee, with to-do lists and post-its and childcare galore. I swear! Pinky promise!
One thing I’m planning on diving into this September? Whipping up a marketing plan for my new adult novel. If you have bookish podcasts and blogs you love that you want to see Funeral Ladies1 featured on, send them my way!
Some tools I find invaluable when it comes to planning out my writing:
I’ve used Trello for mapping out workflows (drafting, editing, copyedits, etc.) for years. Also great for general life-list-making.
I resisted a shared calendar app with my husband for ages, but he finally bullied me into downloading Fantastical. Why exactly it took us 8 years to finally merge calendars in one app, I’m not sure (actually, I am sure—it’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me) but it’s been a total game changer.
A good old fashioned spiral notebook for jotting down notes, random phrases, and random thoughts while reading over drafts—I love a pretty one from Barnes and Noble, but you do you. A 99 cent one from the Target school supplies section will work just fine.
If you’re confused about the timeline of my upcoming books, I don’t blame you; I continually forget which year it is and which day things are releasing. Plus, publishing timelines are as reliable as the weather reports during Wisconsin’s springtime. But I’ve been a busy girl:
Up next: The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County comes out 3/12/24.
On deck: The book I write about in this newsletter (Bug Juice meets High School Musical) comes out in the summer of 2024 (ish).
Currently writing: My middle grade book on the French resistance (hence the recent Paris trip), which comes out in the summer of 2025 (ish).
This is just the little blue book that could, isn’t it? What Happened to Rachel Riley was named an ALA Notable Book for 2023, meaning that a whole bunch of librarians liked it, basically. As a girl who lives and dies by her local library, and has since I was an overall-wearing kindergartener seeking out the Joke of the Week at the Madison Public Library, this is truly, truly an honor.
And lastly, a book I’ve loved lately for…
Kids: Each of my three kids have gone through a season of being obsessed with Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle. Bridget is no exception. Man, it’s such a fun read aloud! It’s one of those picture books that makes you realize how obnoxious so many picture books actually are, because the reading aloud experience *can* be so much fun.
Middle graders: The Turn of the Tide by Rosanne Parry was a delightful, spontaneous read. It’s about two cousins—one in California, one in Japan—who join forces for a sailing competition after a deadly earthquake rocks Japan. Great subplots about friendship triangles and puberty, too. A perfect end-of-summer read!
Adults: After starting out as 318th on the library waiting list, I finally got my hands on Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond. A phenomenal read on the circumstances surrounding the USA’s vast poverty problem (disclaimer that I didn’t agree with every solution the author suggests…kind of annoying that I have to explicitly say that, but this is 2023 an I know how the internet works. 💀)
Thanks for reading along!
-Claire-
I just finished What Happened to Rachael Riley. Well done! I was thrilled it was in our library. I picked it up in hopes the my 7th grade son and sophomore son would read it. They unfortunately glanced at it and put it down, so I read it. I now need try to make it required reading for them! Looking forward to Funeral Ladies!
Congratulations on the Rachel Riley news; it's such a fun book and a well-deserved recognition!
I write book reviews for Literary Quicksand (literaryquicksand.com), if you might be interested in having Funeral Ladies featured there, I would be honored to share it with our readers!