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Oh
my
GOD, do I have some updates for you guys.
First off – typing
like
this
is just more fun.
Second – I may well have
lost
my
mind.
Because, see, not only have I decided to go ahead and release one book this year — that would be too easy — but I’ve decided to release FOUR.

So here’s what’s going on:

July 7 of this year, I released my first self-published book, THE WOODS. It is a dark YA fantasy, with a whole lot of whimsy and an extra serving of weird.

Currently – as in right now, MATTHEW TEMPLETON AND THE ENCHANTED JOURNAL is up for a publishing deal with Kindle Press. You can “nominate” this Middle Grade fantasy adventure by clicking here.

*Middle Grade is a pretty hard sell with Kindle Press, so if it doesn’t make, I will go ahead and self-publish – BUT I’d love you to “nominate!”

Speaking of Kindle Scout nominations, THANKS to everyone who did nominate the second in the The Fantastic Fable of Peter Able series, because it will be coming out this fall. Link to the Amazon page forthcoming! (THE TIMELESS TALE OF PETER ABLE)

AND finally – I’ve just ended a Kickstarter for my book, JUST CALL ME IS: AN INTRODUCTION TO MINDFULNESS (for kids). It was a smashing success, and so this book will be released December of this year.

When it rains, it pours. And I’m makin’ it rain. (Seriously, though, I’m fully aware that I’ve given myself this insane workload – I only hope you enjoy 🙂 )

And now – a nap.

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Once upon a time there was an author who tried and tried to get her book traditionally published, but the evil overlords of the Publishing Kingdom would not open the gates. They all knew each other inside and were quite content not to make any new friends – especially not with outsiders – foreigners! – like Natalie.

So one day, Natalie got fed up with knocking on the gates politely. She decided to go to a neighboring village, where the people were much more amiable –
and bought some dynamite.

She returned to the Kingdom and blew the F**er to the ground. It was no more – and Natalie marched in, surrounded on all sides by hundreds of villagers, all holding their indie books tight to their chests.

They created a new kingdom from the bones and rubble; they built a city from the antiquated fallen walls.

Oh, and they all lived happily ever after.

My newly-(self) published YA/Fantasy book, The Woods. Now available on Kindle:
https://amzn.com/B01I4E3OME

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As keeping with my new, accidental tradition – here is my latest, monthly blog post!

So where have I been since the last post in early November? What have I been doing? I had a birthday, a Thanksgiving, a Christmas, far too many sweets, gained a job, did some acting work, typed some poems, made some art, watched a whole lot of Netflix…

And here we are, on the second to last day of this month – and this year. I’ll be honest with you – I am feeling a little less than accomplished right now; blame it on the sweets and the Netflix, but I feel like lately I’ve been in something of a creative rut. And while I think New Years resolutions may as well be called Little Reasons to Feel Bad About Yourself, and won’t, nope, I won’t, can’t make me, not going to happen, you can go –

I won’t do them –

I do feel like the start of a New Year and the end of another is a good time to reflect and set positive intentions. Not unrealistic expectations to hold yourself to; but sort of vague goals – purposeful intentions about how you want to FEEL in the New Year. In life. And then letting Life fill in the how to get there.

And if you’re tempted to call that a New Years resolution, well, you can just go lick a pole, because I’m setting these intentions to begin today.

Which brings us to this somewhat rambling post. See, I’ve decided that I want to feel more creatively turned on this coming year, and the last two days of 2015, and a big part of that for me, is writing. Writing short stories, books, poems, journal entries, and yes, even blogs. An hour a day keeps the psychologists away.

I’m also starting to dip my toe a bit further into the acting pool. I think a big reason I’ve been feeling less than inspired to write is that I’ve been going through a shift in desires – I’ve been craving more socializing, more interactive creativity, and more fun. Acting and improv are a fun, social way to scratch that creative itch, without having to hole up for hours on end in isolation.

So sure, my vague Non-New Years Resolution-goal is to feel empowered and satisfied creatively – but moreover, not to beat myself up for those times when I just don’t feel like making something beautiful, something funny, something worth keeping – or something, anything, at all.

I tend to should all over myself. When I am not writing, I should be doing more of that. When I am not painting, of course that’s what I should be doing. But at the same time, I should be at the gym. And on an audition. And promoting my previous books. And also, probably being more social. And less social. And –

It’s exhausting. And I know I can’t be the only one who does this. So if you need to borrow a non-New Years Resolution-goal for yourself, take mine: Be kind and patient and more loving with yourself. Don’t bother starting in 2016; start now.

It should make life a whole lot easier.

But you don’t have to take my word for it.