Be Better, Please!

This has been bugging me for a while, but I didn't know whether or not I should verbalize it. I figured that maybe just getting it out of my system might be a good thing. Maybe I'm not alone in my thoughts and someone could relate.

I've been writing since I was a child. I am always so happy when I get things published and out in the world, and to birth a new book baby into existence. It makes me happy to see my works out there in the world. Although, I do get a bit down about the so-called "lit community" or "writing community". It really does feel like a clique sometimes, one that I will never fit into. There are some people who I really like and have supported me back.

However, on the whole I feel really unsupported and unseen. It makes me sad because I see my friends getting put on indie books you should read lists, see people promoting my friends books, and see my friends getting opportunities. I am happy for them. Yet, I never see myself on any of the indie books you should read lists and I rarely see my friends promoting my work yet promoting the works of others. I probably won't say anything, but I definitely notice. It makes me feel small and unwanted as I did in junior high school when I did everything the popular girls told me to do because I thought they were my friends, but they were just mocking me and made a fool of me.

I think, as a collective, people need to do a better job of including everyone on their lists. I know there are many indie authors and inevitably some people will fall through the cracks sometimes, but I also feel someone as prolific as I am should be on some lists. It's really discouraging to be excluded all the time. It's just like when I was picked last in gym class or the games in elementary school, and it hurts every bit as much. Please try to do better. This is all I request!

I really feel like being included on these lists would help me sell more of my books. I also feel like if you're friends with someone you should try to help them, and not simply watch them struggle which is what it feels like some of my so called "friends" are doing to me. I probably shouldn't take it so personal, but it's hard for me not to. I've been getting published since 2011 and I feel like no one knows me or my work. It's frustrating!

New Book Dropped!

My new collection faerie witch queen is out! It came out yesterday.

It's a poetry collection centered around self-empowerment and women empowerment, in general. It is a collection based off of Maleficent (my favorite Disney villain - although she's more an anti-hero in the live-action films [which I also love]). So if you love Sleeping Beauty, but could never relate to being a princess this collection is for you because I was a little girl that felt that way, too.

I thought by being someone different that people could love me, but all I could ever be was me. I am no longer ashamed of that, and neither should you be. The world is a vast, beautiful place full of diversity. It would be boring if we were all the same.

mantle lake

My latest book was published in February of this year. I just realized I hadn't said anything about it here yet, whoops! So without further ado, here's the link where you can purchase mantle lake. I originally had the title as mantle lake, to echo a poem in my book but my publisher changed it. It irritated me a little bit, but I didn't say anything about it from the get go so I just have to suck it up and deal with it.

My collection mantle lake is a hybrid collection of photography and poetry about one of my favorite places to visit when I was living in Maine. It is also about the season of my soul and my favorite season: autumn.

I will try to be better about updating this blog. No promises, though. Life is constant and very often hectic for me between work, life, and writing.

New Year, New Book!

Hello, friends! I'm sorry it's been so long. I'm really bad at updating this blog, but I do try. I really do. Life is just hectic with writing and work. With any luck I wil be publishing a new book soon called mantle lake,. It is a hybrid collection of photography and poetry about my favorite place to visit when I was living in Maine.

If you've made resolutions for this coming year, I hope that it goes well for you! I don't do new years resolutions. I just try to improve myself as much as I am able when I'm able. I find that new years resolutions put a lot of pressure on me for no good reason, so for my own sake I just don't do them any longer. It's better for me because it doesn't make my anxiety loud.

Hopefully, I will have more book news for you soon. In the meantime I will keep updating Facebook about individual poems, short stories, personal essays, etc.

Make My Christmas - Buy A Book!

You can make my Christmas brighter by buying one of my books!

Here are my available fiction titles:
https://www.amazon.com/Mates-Linda-M-Crate/dp/B09TDS26F3/
https://www.amazon.com/Managing-Magic-Linda-M-Crate/dp/B0B6XRZNH9/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN995HH4
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CX14H4FL

Here are my books of poetry: https://www.amazon.com/Sweetest-Blood-Linda-M-Crate/dp/9389690358/
https://www.amazon.com/samurai-Linda-M-Crate-ebook/dp/B08L3TW7FZ/
https://www.amazon.com/Splintered-Terror-Linda-M-Crate/dp/1983604186/
https://www.amazon.com/Unleashing-Archers-Linda-M-Crate-ebook/dp/B09F9V1QX5/
https://www.amazon.com/Follow-Black-Raven-Linda-Crate/dp/B09B1DNXPM/
https://www.amazon.com/hecates-child-Linda-M-Crate/dp/B09LGW5ZD1/
https://www.amazon.com/you-will-not-control-me/dp/8182537010/
https://www.amazon.com/MYTHOLOGY-MY-BONES-Linda-Crate/dp/9390202523/
https://www.drivethrufiction.com/m/product/301398
https://www.claresongbirdspub.com/shop/
https://dulcetshop.myshopify.com/products/fat-pretty-linda-m-crate
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMZBG8F8

Photography book:
https://www.amazon.com/Songs-Creek-Linda-M-Crate/dp/B0BXMTJST7/

Haiku collection: www.amazon.com/these-ancient-veins-Linda-Crate/dp/B0D1JJG6QN/

Fight Book Bans

This post isn't about my personal writing journey or my books, as per usual. This post is about fighting book bans. I saw this site on Tiktok last night when I was browsing. It was stitched from a post that said if they're going to try to get rid of Sesame Street then they were going to go after libraries next. This site gives you a lot of different options of ways you can take action: Fight Book Bans!.

As an author, writer, literature lover, and reader I will always support libraries! I will always support the right that people have to find books that they want to read. Just remember the people who ban books and burn books have never been on the right side of history! Stand up for the right cause: knowledge!

I've worked at libraries before. Libraries are an invaluable resource, and we deserve to have them no matter what! People can and should be able to read whatever they want whenever they want. You may not want to read something, that's fine. You don't have to. You don't have to let your children read it, either. But you shouldn't have the right to tell a whole group of people what they can or cannot read.

A Long Needed Update

Sorry, I'm terribly quite terrible at keeping a blog and keeping it up to date. But I do try.

Haha! Anyway, my book fairy tale love will hopefully be out soon. I've gotten the names and emails of some people who are willing to be arc readers, and my editor reached out to tell me that there will be fundraising to get this project up and running. I am excited! I have wanted to share this book for quite some time.

It is a collection sapphic poetry about me imagining what it would be like to have a wife. Of having that fairy tale love that I've always dreamed of since I was a kid. While most of my poetry is autobiographical, I decided to just go with it. I wanted there to be an example of healthy, happy queer love out in the universe when there's still this trend to "kill your queer characters" off in media.

The book is sappy, romantic, and dreamy. Flows like water or honey, maybe even both. I'm really excited about when it might be published. I'm not too sure on when it will be released, but my publisher and I talked about it and there will be three different versions at different price points: a color version with artwork, a black and white version with artwork, and a version that is just the poetry itself. I'm not sure what the price points will be yet but I will keep you up to date as more information becomes available! I'm just really excited for this.