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Year Two Blog Changes

2023 has been a whirlwind year for my writing and author career. I went from barely coming into my own as a poet to drafting a complete novel, publishing a collections of poetry, adding a new pen name to publish 18+ romance books, and publishing a children’s picture book. I now have three books published under my LLC, and I have big goals for 2024. If you subscribe to my newsletter, or follow me on social media, you’ve probably already seen them. In short, I have a goal to draft at least 8 books and publish 6 of them. I will also be in 3 anthologies this year, and I’ve been accepted as a signing author for three author events (and counting).

Since there is so much going on, I need a way to chronicle all I’m doing and learning. So while my blog has focused entirely on poetry thus far, on January 1, I am switching it up a bit to follow my writing journey. Year 2 is looking to be amazing, but I also know it will come with its own trials. Hopefully, writing about the things I’m doing and all that I’m learning will help keep me grounded and also possibly resonate with someone else. I hope you’ll stick around and follow me for all of the ridiculous that is becoming an author in my late 40s after decades of thinking I couldn’t write creatively. That doesn’t mean there might not be a poem or two thrown in whenever the muse gets her act together.

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The Meaning Behind Chasing Sunset

Photo of author and her mother dressed alike in blue Alaska shirts, black caps, and lanyards.

In the summer of 2015, mom and I embarked on a series of roadtrips, turned flights, turned cruises that would take us around the country and into others. The title of this blog, Chasing Sunset, came from our trip to the west coast of the United States where we tried multiple times to catch the sunset over the ocean and missed it in three different states. I said, “It feels like we’re just chasing sunsets,” and tears immediately sprung to my eyes, as I realized that is exactly what we are doing with mom. Mom’s dream (bucket list, if you will), is to see all 50 US states, and I’m doing everything in my power to make that happen. As of this posting, we have only seven states left, including Hawaii.

The ironic part of this whole series of trips, especially the roadtrips, is that we really didn’t have time for much of anything, and yet we saw and did so much. From Niagara to New Orleans, all of New England, the UK and Ireland, the entire west coast, and everywhere in between, we made our way and took lots of pictures. That’s where this page comes from–the sites, yes, but the moments and memories, and emotions that drive my poetry all mixed and mingled during this alone time (well, mostly alone) with my mom. I hadn’t had that in decades, and I didn’t know how much I needed it.

You may find an additional poem/post or two in here for special occasions, but I’m dedicating this blog page to the poems inspired by the photos we’ve taken on these trips. They are emotional and imaginative responses to the photos, not necessarily a log of the trips themselves. That will sooner or later be a memoir.

Poems from England, Scotland, and Ireland
Poems from 16 States in 16 Days
Poems from Our Alaska Adventure
Poems from Our New England Adventure
Poems from our West Coast Adventure

My New Favorite Poem

So, I am participating in an online 365 Day poetry challenge on Facebook. It has been so long since I’ve dedicated myself to my first writing love, and I’ve missed it. Of course, I’m behind on the challenge, which is to write a poem each day based on a prompt. Today, I’ve written the poems for Days 4 & 5 when I should be on Day 9, but I don’t care. Poetry is therapy for me, and sometimes it’s more important what comes out than when. As I finish up two Bobbie Isabel projects and start a new Leya Layne project, I’m glad to have a daily outlet. Anyway, all that to day that one of the poems I wrote today is now my new favorite.

The prompt was to write a poem using two lines of song lyrics for every two lines of my own to create a cohesive poem. Here is the outcome:

Roadmap to Writing

Words exist in the absence of thought,

Or is it the other way around?

“Does anybody have a map?

Anybody maybe happen to know how the hell to do this?”

I put pen to paper, but the inkwell smears across the page.

I put fingers to keys, but a crossword kaleidoscope escapes.

“I don’t know if you can tell

But this is me just pretending to know.”

An outline sounds great until it stifles my creativity.

The words come out stunted, no emotion in sight.

“Can we try to have an optimistic outlook, huh?

Can we buck up just enough to see the world won’t fall apart?”

I dream of world I can’t see

And hope my words hold them together.

“Maybe this year, we decide

We’re not giving up before we’ve tried.”

But what if no one reads them?

What if the blank page wins?

“This year we make a new start.”

Song: Does Anybody Have a Map from Dear Evan Hansen by Jennifer Laura Thompson and Rachel Bay Jones

Day 11 Poem

I’m a little behind with writing and posting my poems, which is not surprising. With four of my own books I’m revising and one I’ve been hired to edit, my schedule has been locked. I haven’t forgotten about the challenge, and I haven’t given up, but I admit to already being off-schedule. The prompt list is posted below in case you want to follow along or, even better, participate.

Having said all that, this is one I thought important to share. While it was inspired by the prompt, it was influenced by the things happening in this country.

Figure of Speech

Growing up,
Things were often said
Off-color, derogatory things
Things that made me go hmmm
Until hmmm became how
And how became how far will they go
Before the words become flags
Flags flown half staff
A testament to their lost integrity
When the lie they told themselves
The promise they meant nothing by it
That it was nothing more than a joke
A figure of speech that everyone used
But not everyone, just everyone like them
Everyone they deemed important
Important figures with impeccable speech
Because their words held keys
Keys to the actions they wanted to take
Because taking was a promise they’d been given
Growing up.

A monthly calendar for January listing various themes or words for each day, set against a black and white patterned background.

Day 5 Poem

Today’s poetry prompt was “Paternal.” Click subscribe if you’d like to follow along and see if I meet my goal of writing at least 250 new poems this year. If you’d prefer to play along and write poems with me, check out my last blog post for the full month’s set of prompts.

flowers on woman face
Photo by Vladislav Nahorny on Pexels.com

Paternal petals
Love me, love me not
Nothing against
Maternal mourning
Hate me, hate me not

New Poems? Four, Maybe More.

I decided that I would not put out a new collection of poetry this year. If I’m being honest, I’ve not written many new poems since my last collection released. I miss it. The emotional release is cathartic, and the small burst of creativity give me the dopamine hit that itches my brain just right. Yet, I’m busy writing other stories that I absolutely love. So, I’ve decided to go back to my roots and use prompts to try and write a poem a day. The goal would be 365 new poems by the end of the year, posted her, but as I’m already behind, I’ll realistically maybe hit 250. If you’d like to play along, I’ll post the January prompts I found down below, and we’ll see how far we get together.

Day 1: Home (Don’t ask how this poem relates to the prompt because I don’t know, but this is where my brain went, ok! LOL)

Transparent abduction of my sanity
Runs ragged laps through the space
Between wakefulness and sleep
Though not just any sort of rest
Because the rescue of mental relief
Is lost in insomnia’s clutches
When ten becomes midnight times two
Maybe four, sometimes five times a week
Too weak to decide on a meal or
Course of action like heart racing left hand turns
Who wins?
Not me.
Ever.
Again.

Day 2: Gains

Only promised gains
For women in menopause
Is written on scales

Day 3: Dire Straits

Mask? Broken.
Energy? Depleted.
Will? Questionable.
Joy? Fleeting.
Tears? Plentiful.
Weight? Lifted.
Hormones? Raging.
Straits? Dire.

Day 4: Renewal

New Year, New Me
Great sound byte
Not so great
Practically
Yet
Virtually
Every day renews
My abandoned sanity
New Me. Who’s this?

Here is the graphic I found on social media. Follow along and see if I can complete them all!

List of January poetry prompts for daily writing, featuring themes such as 'Home,' 'Gains,' 'Dire Straits,' and 'Renewal.'

Bucket List Travels

Daily writing prompt
Share a story about the furthest you’ve ever traveled from home.
View all responses

I am sure I’ve talked about this before, but since this prompt came up in the list, I’m going to talk about it again. Though I have been on a mission to see all 50 US states with my mother because that’s always been her bucket list item, I have only ever had one dream trip.

When I was probably around eight or maybe ten years old, I found a bag of bodice rippers under my grandmother’s night stand. Thus began my love of romance books. At fourteen, one of my aunts bought me a copy of The Duchess by Jude Devereaux. Other than the collection of picture books I had from my early childhood, this was the first book I owned. I had always been a library girlie. Needless to say, I went to the library immediately after devouring that book and proceeded to read my way through the romance section untethered.

Book cover of 'The Duchess' by Jude Devereaux featuring a red background and pearl embellishments.

Well, during this process, I became obsessed with historical romance set in the time of knights and castles. I dreamed of being a princess and running up and down stone stairs and getting lost in elaborate garden labyrinths. As such, my dream trip became a castle tour of Europe. Not the big named ones where royal families still lived today. No. I wanted to explore castle ruins and imagine what life was like when tapestries hung on the walls blocking hidden passageway. I wanted to dance with the ghosts of long-forgotten servants who had never been invited to the elaborate parties but enjoyed their own revelry outside the huge halls full of visitors. My imagination ran wild with thoughts of clandestine trysts and daring duels.

In 2019, I got the opportunity to make that trip happen. A friend had her own vacation and needed a pet sitter in Scotland for two weeks. I immediately jumped at the opportunity and bought my ticket. Mom decided to tag along, and we expanded the trip to include Ireland, a train ride through Wales, and two days in London before we made it to Scotland. In the meantime, I bought us tickets that allowed us entry into so many historical sites that there was no way we’d be able to see them all.

photo of paper with a map of Scotland marked with historical locations. Names of the locations are listed, and many of them are highlighted yellow.

Not only was this the furthest I’ve ever traveled, but it is a trip that will never be matched. So many of the poems posted here on my website are inspired by this trip. We visited each of the highlighted sites, I climbed nearly 35k stone stairs, and I took hundreds of photos. Here are just a few of my favorites:

Ruins of a stone structure with tall arched windows, set against a cloudy sky.
A historic castle on a hilltop surrounded by greenery and rocky terrain.
A wooden trebuchet on display in a grassy area near a castle ruin, with visitors walking in the background and a lake visible.
A woman in a red top and grey cardigan smiles while using a walker in a stone ruin.
A stone tower with a conical roof, surrounded by greenery and a pathway leading to an entrance.
View from a castle staircase overlooking a river and green landscape.
A close-up view of the remains of a historical stone structure, showcasing intricate architectural details and weathered stonework, with parts of the building missing and a cloudy sky above.
A close-up view of a stone castle wall with a curved stone pathway and a grassy area nearby.
View of the interior of a stone castle ruin, showcasing tall walls, windows, and a cobblestone floor.
A view of an ancient stone castle ruin with a railing and lush greenery in the background.
A scenic view of a castle ruin overlooking a body of water, surrounded by green fields and cliffs.
Interior view of a stone castle room featuring two arched windows, with light streaming in through the openings.
View of an ancient stone castle from inside, looking up towards the blue sky.
A partially ruined stone castle structure with weathered red stones, surrounded by green grass and a garden area, under a cloudy sky.
A beautifully manicured garden featuring neatly trimmed hedges, circular topiaries, and colorful flowerbeds, set against the backdrop of a historic stone wall.
Ruins of a stone castle with two tall towers and a grassy courtyard, under a cloudy sky.
A close-up view of the weathered remains of a stone castle, showcasing its crumbling walls and arched openings against a cloudy sky.
Sign for Winterfell, with a stone castle in the background, referencing Game of Thrones.
A historical stone castle ruin set in a grassy field, with several people playing in the foreground and trees in the background.
View of a historic stone castle and adjacent buildings along the waterfront, with a cloudy sky overhead.
Ruins of a historic castle with two towers against a clear blue sky.
A woman with short dark hair smiling in front of a large stone castle with turrets and a flag.

Reading, Writing, and Games on My Phone

Which activities make you lose track of time?

It should not be a surprise to anyone who’s followed me for longer than an hour, but I have ADHD. It did not show itself in any significant way until perimenopause started, but that’s a whole different story. The point of this post is that I am very likely to lose track of time with many different activities nowadays. These three are the worst culprits:

  • Reading:
    I have always been a reader. I was that kid who could have a book in my hand in a loud cafeteria and let it all just fall away within the pages. It’s gotten harder to ignore the noise distractions lately because I feel like I hear everything, but I will still lose all track of time in a good story, whether it’s one of my own or someone else’s. It doesn’t even matter the medium, though I rarely read physical books anymore. I much prefer ebook (specifically on my Kindle) or audiobooks. Audiobooks are what help me with long drives, such as when I’m traveling to different author events. The time passes so much more quickly when I’m lost in a good book.
  • Writing:
    Unless I’m struggling to get words out onto the page, I will lose track of time writing my stories. One of the things I love most about having two pen names is that I can write what I want whenever my brain wants. I’m not locked into one story or even one genre. If my fantasy story is not flowing, I can switch it up to contemporary romance. If prose isn’t working for me because my emotions are too high, I can write poetry. Usually, the switching of genres is enough to get the words flowing again and the time passing by. It’s unusual for me to just stare at the screen without any words appearing on the page, thankfully.
  • Games:
    I know that videogames are a controversial topic amongst adultier adults, almost as much as social media, but I’ve found them relaxing. At least, certain ones help me relax, and thus I can spend hours playing without realizing the time has passed. When I was working to finish my undergrad, my game of choice was Pop-It, which was nothing more than the popping of balloons to release prizes. It was mind-numbing, and I loved it. Now, my game of choice is Royal Match. Sometimes, I have to make sure I don’t reap some of the rewards because they’re time based, and I know I’ll be stuck playing for an hour at a time when I have other things to do…like sleep.
  • Honorable Mention, Doom Scrolling:
    Okay, maybe I don’t actually doom scroll. In fact, since the anxiety of Covid relaxed some, I’ve tried to limit my fixation on the terrible stuff happening in the world. I don’t ever want to be oblivious, but I do want to remain functional. So, my doom scrolling is more like mindlessly thumbing down all of my social media feeds under my various names and getting lost in cat videos or makeup transitions. I even love the wedding and prom-dress transitions. Sometimes, I’ll stay on the outside of my audiobook narrator friends’ lives and listen to them recording forthcoming audiobooks. I call it window shopping. Do not ask me how many nights I stayed up way too late because I got lost down a random rabbit hole while trying to relax enough to sleep.

The Art of the Pen Name

Daily writing prompt
What’s the story behind your nickname?
View all responses

I know the prompt asks about a nickname, but I haven’t used my family nickname in so long, I think there’s only maybe a handful of people who occasionally call me that. My pen name, on the other hand, that one has a fun story.

You might be saying to yourself, “Don’t you have two pen names?” I mean, yeah, I guess so, but one is so close to my real name that it might as well be me. My name is Bobbie, hence the B. in B. Isabel Writes LLC, and Isabel was my confirmation name way back when I was trying to fit into various molds society expected of me. Read my poetry book, When Can We Be Soft?: Poems of Female Resilience, for more about that.

Anyway, back to my actual pen name, Leya Layne. Because I write various genres, and some of them are much less work-appropriate…at least the kind of work I do, I knew I needed a new author name when I decided to put our Carol’s Christmas Awakening a couple years ago. I just had no idea where to go with it. I turned to my fiance, then “My guy” for anyone who knew me, and asked him for ideas.

Unbeknownst to him, he would become the idea. The day after we met, we were texting and sharing details about ourselves, including our last names. Well, I fumbled the typing of my name and had to quickly correct it with a second text. My last name starts with an L, and the word I initially typed also started with an L. He thought it was so funny that he started calling me LL or Ls. Thus, I decided that my romance pen name would have LL as the initials. Leya Layne is dedicated to him and that nickname, and her logo came from him being a a bassist.

Logo of Leya Layne, featuring a minimalist silhouette and the text 'Leya Layne Romance Author'.
The original Leya Layne logo.

Long Live The Row

Who do you spend the most time with?

Storytime…

Two years ago, I was in the process of revising my first full-length novel, which was The Maenad, and I was getting my start on TikTok. I’d found a few other indie authors and had done some writing sprints with them here and there. Then I came across a relatively new indie author who was going Live every Wednesday and inviting others to join her as a sort of body doubling. I started joining her Lives regularly that summer.

There were a couple other authors who would join us, but they mostly stayed in the comment section, chatting and sprinting. By August, they had started joining us on-screen. We all agree to participate in novel writing month that year. One night in September, we were talking about the authors who’ve inspired us, and we each had a connection to Nora Roberts. That conversation led to a discussion of her work ethic and how she puts in 8 hours a day toward writing her books. Well, we couldn’t exactly schedule 8 hours each day because we all had full-time jobs at the time, but we agreed to go Live every night for November to hit the 50k word goal for the month.

Britton, who had been leading the Lives, started using the caption #NoraRobertsingIt on each of our sprinting sessions. Soon after, we discussed registering for author signing events together just so we could meet each other in real life. We argued whether we should be in a back-to-back quad, across the aisle from each other, or in a row. Roberts Row was born that night. Since those random Wednesdays just two years ago, the four of us have individually published a total of 29 books and then collectively published 4 anthologies.

So, when this prompt asked who do I spend the most time with, the answer is definitely my Roberts Row besties. I mean, we even have our own logo and a page on each of our websites.

Illustration of four women representing 'Roberts Row' with names Ashley, Gracie, Bobbie/Leya, and Britton, surrounded by creative and writing elements.

The Moments that Matter

Daily writing prompt
Describe one of your favorite moments.
View all responses

Being an author is not easy. Being an indie author is even harder. We create worlds and characters and scenarios that we hope will find their way into the hands of others who will love them as much as we do. Most days, though, it feels like we’re screaming into the void trying to get our books noticed. So, on the rare occasions we hear from readers ‘in the wild,’ it makes the struggle worthwhile.

Between my poetry, fantasy, children’s books, and romance novels, I’ve been publishing since 2023. I currently have ten books out across two pen names. Still, I feel like I’m invisible most days. This year, however, two moments reminded me that I’m both seen and my work is being enjoyed.

In March, I attended a book festival for the second time. Halfway through the day, a woman rounds the corner and comes running up to my tent with a huge smile on her face. “You’re here!” she screamed. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be here.” Last year, she’d come through in the pouring rain and bought two of my romance novels. This year, she’d made a special trip to 1) tell me how much she loved my stories and 2) buy any new ones I might have released. Not gonna lie, tears were shed that day.

A few weeks ago, I received a notification of a new message on my author facebook page. Normally, I cringe when those notifications come through because they’re often bots or scammers. In fact, I’ve considered closing my messages completely, but I’m so glad I didn’t. In my inbox was a short note from someone who said, “I bought your book Love with a Vengeance at a book fair a few weeks ago and gave it to my wife. She’s loving it!” That was it. That was the message. Again, tears fell.

So, here I am, in the middle of drafting what will be my 11th release, my 6th romance story, and those two events, those two moments are what I keep in mind when I feel like putting it all away. They remind me I’m not invisible, and I’m not the only one who loves my stories and my characters. It’s the moments that keep you going that matter.

Skip the ‘Zon

As if the distributors indie authors have to go through aren’t already getting over on us, Amazon has chosen to decrease the royalties we receive on any book priced $9.99 or under on June 10. This leaves us with two choices, accept the decreased royalties, which are already minimal, or raise the prices readers have to pay. That’s a miserable position to be in when we’re already vying to get our books seen, let alone competing against traditional publishers and the prices they can charge.

So, the smartass in me decided to put all my books on sale on my website for a mere 1 penny above the Amazon price or even less. The sale will go through June 10, the random day Amazon chose for me to have to increase my prices. I always throw in some extra goodies with each of my website purchases, and the books come signed by me. The picture book also comes signed by the illustrator.

A promotional image featuring various book covers by authors Bobbie Isabel and Leyna Layne, showcasing a site-wide sale on their website. The image displays books in a grid layout with titles and author names visible.

If ever you were considering making a purchase, now is the time. I even have my book bundles on sale.