It’s been about a month since my last blog post. Hi! Wishing you all the words or time to think about your words, books that make you feel and warmth. Here’s a (non-exhaustive) recap from the last 30 days…
This past month, I spent a lot of my time (really, a LOT of my time) exchanging emails with Meta about my restricted Facebook Ads account. (your guess is as good as mine). My Facebook Ads account is now disabled. Read more about it in my Substack post, Dear Meta, It’s Not Me, It’s You…
I shared voice memos (and more) about my writing process on my FREE Patreon. If you’d like to listen to them and get early access and random musings and a CHAT (with a pickle), make sure you join…
I spent a bit less than two weeks in France–spending time with my family and enjoying walks and moments around the area where I grew up.
Rosoy…PierrefondsA CatDid you see the snail says “I’m beautiful”
Pictures from the plane… and the airport in Iceland…
The Chemical Engineer and I celebrated our engagement anniversary on St. Patrick’s Day 🙂
For years, I’ve been thinking about splitting my Elodie Nowodazkij fiction in two. And it’s time. Read more about it in Two Heat Levels, One Author Brain (And A Little Bit of Hopefully Organized Chaos) here.
For book club, I read Heartless and couldn’t put it down… so I read Rebel Witch right after…. Love, love, love that duet! Have you read it?
Also Kristen called Heartless Hunter her fuck-it book… and I’m going to share more about my Fuck-It book aka Nice Guys… very soon.
Heartless HunterRebel Witch
My newsletters this month (in case you missed them :-)) – the latest one had a question about your favorite cover (and an exclusive access to the first 1.5 part of Nice Guys…)
Hi, it’s me, the author of this blog, it’s me… My last post? Let’s just say it’s been a while. So, I thought I’d share with you a bit of a recap of what I’ve been working on, sharing, updating.
Also Plato The Dog says hi…
NEW AUDIOBOOKS ON YOUTUBE….Also I now have 219 subscribers (are you one of them? Super subtle hint to ask you if you already subscribe…)
LA PEUR DANS LE SANG est dispo en livre audio sur Spotify, Apple, B&N, Kobo,Google Play et plus encore et est aussi maintenant sur YouTube
UN ETE PAS COMME LES AUTRES lu par Maya Belgnaoui est dispo gratuitement en livre audio sur Spotify, Apple, B&N, Kobo, Google Play, Amazon, Audible et plus encore et est aussi maintenant sur YouTube
RECORDING AN AUDIOBOOK IN FRENCH (follow along on YouTube)
And yep I’m recording LA PEUR DANS LES YEUX in French…
REVISING NICE GUYS DON’T KISS LIKE THAT AT CHRISTMAS…And updating my progress on Patreon (yep, I have a FREEPatreon)
You can read several chapters already… including this one on my FREE Patreon
Certain chapters take me longer than others, especially in the revision process… and this one feels like it needs to balance the emotions with the humor. It is a romcom. It is Adam and Eve. It is SO MUCH. (….)
Chapter 15. XXX-ADAM
She’s still wrapped around me, breath shaky against my neck, and I don’t say anything yet. Just let her feel it. Let myself feel it. Our damp skin, the messy sheets around us, the air that smells like her, like me, like us.
Eve had cancer… and is living a romcom. Fuck it, why not?
When I was revising, there was a moment that didn’t feel right. Why did Eve ghost Adam? After everything they’d shared—after the way he made her feel—why wouldn’t she show up in Pittsburgh? Why did she feel like this couldn’t work?
I needed to really understand this to give them their second chance.
A few days in this Raccoon Author’s self-publishing life. 🦝On September 8, I’m once again trying to figure out what the heck is happening with my Facebook Ads account (the saga continues…), while also revising, answering tax questions, working on BookSprout and replying to readers.Then on September 12, my brain goes from AuthorScale to listening to Lucy Score on the SPA Girls Podcast, to Gallup Strengths, writing through emotions, feeling seen by another author’s process… and, obviously, coming up with even more ideas for future podcast episodes.Because apparently I needed more ideas. Links mentioned in this episode:Skye MacKinnon talking about her AuthorScale / trial reel results on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3EIiGsEcIgSPA Girls Podcast — EP546: Interview with Lucy Score: Breaking Out / Advice For New Authors🦝 More behind-the-scenes Raccoon Author content on Patreon / Elodie’s Writing Nookhttps://www.patreon.com/c/elodieswritingnookThe Raccoon Authorhttps://elodienowodazkij.com/the-raccoon-author/You can also email me at elodie@elodienow.comHappy writing, and happy, happy reading. 🦝
Very excited about this pacing class by Ines Johnson…
I’ve backed this Kickstaster by Ines about pacing and more and I’m very much looking forward to it. While you can no longer back the project, Ines has a website with more information…I’ve taken her Writing Dirty class and I definitely think about it when I craft, um, certain scenes.
Celebrating Katy’s latest release which is a B&N Monthly Pick
I *am* planning to go to B&N next week to see this beauty in person… But I’m so so excited for Katy and her Lia and Beck and Isaiah to find their ways into your heart. EVERYTHING I PROMISED YOU…
In addition, I’ve been reading (the last one was House Of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen, which I could not put down), and watching XO, Kitty during my lunch break (because it makes me smile, not every episode, but still…) and making sure to stay informed (without spending hours scrolling, though, let’s be honest, I still scroll… but still).
There’s so much happening right now, impacting so many people. I’m about to call one of my representatives about how the NIH funding cuts could affect research on Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Past studies have shown that a significant portion of research funding for certain clinical trials comes from the NIH, and since Hodgkin’s is rare and not exactly the most profitable, these cuts could be devastating—especially for patients in smaller hospitals, not just the big ones. If you’d like to get informed about direct and indirect cuts, here are some articles:
And maybe you’re wondering why I’m bringing this up. Well, many reasons, but not to be dramatic, but I’m alive thanks to research. This is one of the topics I’ll bring up with my representatives when I talk to them.
Because writing is a creative process, and let me tell you, it’s much easier to write when I feel like I’ve done something. And, yes I’m going to keep wanting to bring joy and happiness and so much more through my books.
Thank you for reading <3
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In this episode, I open up and look back about navigating life with cancer back in 2017—receiving tough PET news, seeking second opinions, and finding support in unexpected places. I talk about how therapy really helped, how romance novels reminded me to escape into stories, and how creativity (not necessarily mine) brought moments of light during some of the hardest times. This episode explores the small yet powerful ways hope can appear, even when it feels out of reach.
A few days in this Raccoon Author’s self-publishing life. 🦝On September 8, I’m once again trying to figure out what the heck is happening with my Facebook Ads account (the saga continues…), while also revising, answering tax questions, working on BookSprout and replying to readers.Then on September 12, my brain goes from AuthorScale to listening to Lucy Score on the SPA Girls Podcast, to Gallup Strengths, writing through emotions, feeling seen by another author’s process… and, obviously, coming up with even more ideas for future podcast episodes.Because apparently I needed more ideas. Links mentioned in this episode:Skye MacKinnon talking about her AuthorScale / trial reel results on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3EIiGsEcIgSPA Girls Podcast — EP546: Interview with Lucy Score: Breaking Out / Advice For New Authors🦝 More behind-the-scenes Raccoon Author content on Patreon / Elodie’s Writing Nookhttps://www.patreon.com/c/elodieswritingnookThe Raccoon Authorhttps://elodienowodazkij.com/the-raccoon-author/You can also email me at elodie@elodienow.comHappy writing, and happy, happy reading. 🦝
Amazon announced on October 28th that it’s closing Kindle Vella. To quote their press release: “We’ve made the difficult decision to gradually wind down Kindle Vella in February 2025 as the program hasn’t caught on as we’d hoped…”
Right when they announced it, I was in the middle of doing this huge analysis on what had been working for me—digging into my Facebook ad data, my reads, my bonus… especially since they’d been slashing that bonus pool for the past few months.
This episode is about: a recap of my reads, monthly bonus and royalties writing romance serials on Kindle Vella, my theories and what’s next for my serials (pivoting, again).
A few days in this Raccoon Author’s self-publishing life. 🦝On September 8, I’m once again trying to figure out what the heck is happening with my Facebook Ads account (the saga continues…), while also revising, answering tax questions, working on BookSprout and replying to readers.Then on September 12, my brain goes from AuthorScale to listening to Lucy Score on the SPA Girls Podcast, to Gallup Strengths, writing through emotions, feeling seen by another author’s process… and, obviously, coming up with even more ideas for future podcast episodes.Because apparently I needed more ideas. Links mentioned in this episode:Skye MacKinnon talking about her AuthorScale / trial reel results on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3EIiGsEcIgSPA Girls Podcast — EP546: Interview with Lucy Score: Breaking Out / Advice For New Authors🦝 More behind-the-scenes Raccoon Author content on Patreon / Elodie’s Writing Nookhttps://www.patreon.com/c/elodieswritingnookThe Raccoon Authorhttps://elodienowodazkij.com/the-raccoon-author/You can also email me at elodie@elodienow.comHappy writing, and happy, happy reading. 🦝
Intro: First of all, how dare anxiety and writing not prepare me for this? I thought we had a deal—you’d give me fears, I’d be anxious about them. I’d learn, become a Google MD. Heck, I’d even develop OCD—starting young because why not? And boom, when something happens, I’d know how to handle it. Like. A. Pro.
And maybe sometimes, yes.
But when I got diagnosed, that plan went out the window. My brain didn’t like that plan. Or it skipped that lesson entirely for me. Because things didn’t go the way I thought.
I also share what happened in the past two weeks in my writing/self-publishing world, including my newsletters, Facebook Groups I joined and more.
In this episode: I talk about not having control, my first days after diagnosis, how writing can be cathartic…
And if spicy paranormal or fantasy romance is your thing, check out Elizabeth Briggs’ books to support a fellow author going through treatments for stage IV colon cancer: https://elizabethbriggs.com.
A few days in this Raccoon Author’s self-publishing life. 🦝On September 8, I’m once again trying to figure out what the heck is happening with my Facebook Ads account (the saga continues…), while also revising, answering tax questions, working on BookSprout and replying to readers.Then on September 12, my brain goes from AuthorScale to listening to Lucy Score on the SPA Girls Podcast, to Gallup Strengths, writing through emotions, feeling seen by another author’s process… and, obviously, coming up with even more ideas for future podcast episodes.Because apparently I needed more ideas. Links mentioned in this episode:Skye MacKinnon talking about her AuthorScale / trial reel results on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3EIiGsEcIgSPA Girls Podcast — EP546: Interview with Lucy Score: Breaking Out / Advice For New Authors🦝 More behind-the-scenes Raccoon Author content on Patreon / Elodie’s Writing Nookhttps://www.patreon.com/c/elodieswritingnookThe Raccoon Authorhttps://elodienowodazkij.com/the-raccoon-author/You can also email me at elodie@elodienow.comHappy writing, and happy, happy reading. 🦝
Intro: I think I finally found a writing/self-publishing goals tracking that works for me. In this one, I talk about my Gallup Strengths and how Becca Syme’s helped me come up with ways to get more organized, my Sarra Cannon’s HB90-inspired adapted board and more.
I also share what happened in the past two weeks in my writing/self-publishing world, including my newsletters, Facebook Groups I joined and more.
And if spicy paranormal or fantasy romance is your thing, check out Elizabeth Briggs’ books to support a fellow author going through treatments for stage IV colon cancer: https://elizabethbriggs.com.
A few days in this Raccoon Author’s self-publishing life. 🦝On September 8, I’m once again trying to figure out what the heck is happening with my Facebook Ads account (the saga continues…), while also revising, answering tax questions, working on BookSprout and replying to readers.Then on September 12, my brain goes from AuthorScale to listening to Lucy Score on the SPA Girls Podcast, to Gallup Strengths, writing through emotions, feeling seen by another author’s process… and, obviously, coming up with even more ideas for future podcast episodes.Because apparently I needed more ideas. Links mentioned in this episode:Skye MacKinnon talking about her AuthorScale / trial reel results on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3EIiGsEcIgSPA Girls Podcast — EP546: Interview with Lucy Score: Breaking Out / Advice For New Authors🦝 More behind-the-scenes Raccoon Author content on Patreon / Elodie’s Writing Nookhttps://www.patreon.com/c/elodieswritingnookThe Raccoon Authorhttps://elodienowodazkij.com/the-raccoon-author/You can also email me at elodie@elodienow.comHappy writing, and happy, happy reading. 🦝
Choose your favorite platform here…or read the article inspired by this podcast here.
Intro: This isn’t your typical how-to guide, because let’s be real—it’s more about the messy art of balancing (or not balancing) self-publishing, creativity, and cancer treatments. I’m publishing this episode on my fifth second birthday (my second birthday was the day I received my stem cells back during my autologous stem cell transplant). And I’ve been in remission for now five years after three years of treatment for refractory Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and while I won’t shy away from the tough stuff (we’ve all cried in the shower, right?), I’m hoping to fill this series with humor, hope, and maybe a bit of awkward laughter.
Join me on the first Monday of every month for Big, but Not Romance Big: Looking Back at Cancer Treatments, Creativity, and All the Weird Stuff In Between.
And if spicy paranormal or fantasy romance is your thing, check out Elizabeth Briggs’ books to support a fellow author going through treatments for stage IV colon cancer: https://elizabethbriggs.com.
A few days in this Raccoon Author’s self-publishing life. 🦝On September 8, I’m once again trying to figure out what the heck is happening with my Facebook Ads account (the saga continues…), while also revising, answering tax questions, working on BookSprout and replying to readers.Then on September 12, my brain goes from AuthorScale to listening to Lucy Score on the SPA Girls Podcast, to Gallup Strengths, writing through emotions, feeling seen by another author’s process… and, obviously, coming up with even more ideas for future podcast episodes.Because apparently I needed more ideas. Links mentioned in this episode:Skye MacKinnon talking about her AuthorScale / trial reel results on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3EIiGsEcIgSPA Girls Podcast — EP546: Interview with Lucy Score: Breaking Out / Advice For New Authors🦝 More behind-the-scenes Raccoon Author content on Patreon / Elodie’s Writing Nookhttps://www.patreon.com/c/elodieswritingnookThe Raccoon Authorhttps://elodienowodazkij.com/the-raccoon-author/You can also email me at elodie@elodienow.comHappy writing, and happy, happy reading. 🦝
A few days in this Raccoon Author’s self-publishing life. 🦝On September 8, I’m once again trying to figure out what the heck is happening with my Facebook Ads account (the saga continues…), while also revising, answering tax questions, working on BookSprout and replying to readers.Then on September 12, my brain goes from AuthorScale to listening to Lucy Score on the SPA Girls Podcast, to Gallup Strengths, writing through emotions, feeling seen by another author’s process… and, obviously, coming up with even more ideas for future podcast episodes.Because apparently I needed more ideas. Links mentioned in this episode:Skye MacKinnon talking about her AuthorScale / trial reel results on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3EIiGsEcIgSPA Girls Podcast — EP546: Interview with Lucy Score: Breaking Out / Advice For New Authors🦝 More behind-the-scenes Raccoon Author content on Patreon / Elodie’s Writing Nookhttps://www.patreon.com/c/elodieswritingnookThe Raccoon Authorhttps://elodienowodazkij.com/the-raccoon-author/You can also email me at elodie@elodienow.comHappy writing, and happy, happy reading. 🦝
On this blog, I’ll still talk about writing sometimes and will share a few insights I’ve learned along the way about my process and my characters and my books, but I’ll go deeper into self-publishing over on my A Self-Published Author’s Diary Substack.
Today, for example, I share an edited transcript (with visuals and more info) of my latest podcast episode.
A few days in this Raccoon Author’s self-publishing life. 🦝On September 8, I’m once again trying to figure out what the heck is happening with my Facebook Ads account (the saga continues…), while also revising, answering tax questions, working on BookSprout and replying to readers.Then on September 12, my brain goes from AuthorScale to listening to Lucy Score on the SPA Girls Podcast, to Gallup Strengths, writing through emotions, feeling seen by another author’s process… and, obviously, coming up with even more ideas for future podcast episodes.Because apparently I needed more ideas. Links mentioned in this episode:Skye MacKinnon talking about her AuthorScale / trial reel results on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3EIiGsEcIgSPA Girls Podcast — EP546: Interview with Lucy Score: Breaking Out / Advice For New Authors🦝 More behind-the-scenes Raccoon Author content on Patreon / Elodie’s Writing Nookhttps://www.patreon.com/c/elodieswritingnookThe Raccoon Authorhttps://elodienowodazkij.com/the-raccoon-author/You can also email me at elodie@elodienow.comHappy writing, and happy, happy reading. 🦝
Today is all about business plans and building blocks and defining success as an author.
Mentioned in the episode:
Zoe York's Romance Your Brand series: https://romanceyourbrand.com/books/
MRW November meeting: Building Blocks for Success w/ Zoe York
Wish I'd Known Then … For Writers podcast with Sara Rosett and Jami Albright: Tammi Labrecque on What to Email to Newsletter Subscribers
Self-Published Authors Defining Success: https://www.tiktok.com/@aselfpubbedauthorsdiary/video/7165127597616074027
As always:
Ask me a question (per email: authorelodienowodazkij AT gmail.com or by leaving me a voicemail: https://anchor.fm/elodie-nowodazkij/message)
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Visit my website: http://www.elodienowodazkij.com I'm on TikTok: @elodienowodazkij and the podcast too: @aselfpubbedauthorsdiary
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