Newsletter: April-May 2026

Posted on by sereichert

Hey y’all.

Did you know there are 5 weeks in April? So I had a little dilemma. Do I put out my hated newsletter this week or next? I decided to get it over with. That way I can bore and/or torture you in different ways for the next two weeks of this Spring-y month.

How are you? How are things? Been practicing your Nuclear War drills under the desk? Watching him unravel at press conferences and drone endlessly about golden drapes? What a fuckin’ circus, huh? I will say, there is a glimmer of hope, after the recent events in Hungary, and as small eruptions of resistance to the madness continue to grow. Any light in the dark will do, when the dark has lasted for this long.

Random Shit:

In, non-writing related news, I’ve been trying to recover from falling on my ass while simultaneously trying to train for my 10K in May. The decent news is that I didn’t break it (its already cracked…badum-bum-ching!) the sad news is it increased my mile time by three minutes. But whatever. I’m not young. I’m lucky to be able to move at all. Let’s see…it was kind of a weird heath month even before the fall. Colonoscopy, check. Pancreatic cyst MRI, check. Yearly physical, check…my hope is by doing all the preventative stuff, I won’t need to do so much later down the road.

What else? Hmm…We’re having our bathroom remodeled. Sort of. Actually it’s been torn up for about two weeks with no progress in sight. So, we’re all sharing one bathroom. And it feels cozy, and slightly annoying. But also, a lesson in how lucky we are to have a bathroom and running water, yes? Yes. In the realm of deconstruction, we’re also tearing out our grass this year in favor of something more useful. Drought resistant, pollinator friendly, vegetable garden, and the hope to conserve what little water is left in Colorado in as much as we can.

So…all in all…it’s just been fucking chaos. But, I feel like this is the way we progress and survive, by tearing down and building back up again.

Reading:

In reading news, I’m finishing up “How We Learn to Be Brave” by Mariann Edgar Budde. I’m really getting into “Night Vision: Seeing Ourselves Through Dark Moods” by Mariana Alessandri. The philosophical reasonings she has, as well as a nod to the fact that the white-male dominated field of philosophy, for years, has been missing out on 80% of human perspective, are a breath of fresh air honestly. I am resonating with the dissonance of having a world that sets the norm as “happy and bright” alienating and missing the importance of these darker, more morose periods we all encounter.

For a bit of something light, I’m reading my good friend Megan Crawford’s book “Dozen Dates“. It’s pretty good and a nice escape. Though I will say, it doesn’t make me want to ever date again. Single folks, seriously, how do you even begin, and once you do, how do you still want to continue. Maybe I’m too old for ‘young people’ romance. All that aside, it’s a great book and I’ll be reviewing it as I’m done.

Writing and Editing:

I’m done with my final round of edits for “Heir to Time”, and thank the great mystery of the universe for that. Now all that remains is the cover design, proofreading and it will be out. Due to the unforeseen and difficult Fall, I’m planning to have a larger book signing (or a couple) for the entire series sometime this summer. I’m in talks with some local bookstores and our local tea house here in Fort Collins. It was a fun series to write, but I’d be lying if I said I wish it would have lasted longer.

Onward and upward.

I’m chugging away at 5 Prince Publishing’s first shared-town anthology due out in the 2026 holiday season. My little derelict of a Hallmark failure is currently sitting around 48,000 words so I’m on track to finish it on time with a few weeks of editing to spare. I thought I’d have a hard time even hitting 50,000, but per usual, I have overwritten this little novella. I can’t help it, shennanegans, banter, and spicy scenes in wood shops just manifested and now this “sweet” romance is wavering over the line to “spicy”. Because of the parameters of the project, I will have to cut some of the more ‘intimate’ scenes. But, because I don’t want a good sex scene to got to waste, I’ll be offering those annexed chapters on my Substack. Follow me for more details on that. AND if you want to check out my idea board for Eight Nights, you can find it here: 8 Nights in Everpine

After this project is complete, I’ll be taking a little time to get my next series prepped and ready for publication. In a complete 180 of historical fiction (why can’t I find a subgenre and just stick to it? Same reason I have multiple degrees and certifications in different fields, because I don’t think life should be about doing the same thing over and over again) this will be a mythology based urban fantasy, set in the Ornkey Islands north of Scotland and south of Scandinavia. If you like demons and fairies, valkyries and björns, witches and merfolk… you’re gonna love this one. I already do.

I’m keeping up with my submissions. Currently I’m at 19. Which has resulted in 17 rejections or no responses, but here we are.

I’m also keeping up with Writing Heights’ Poetry Month Challenge, with a poem a day. Some of them are pretty good. Some of them are defiantly bad. But at the end of the 30 days at least I will have some new material and maybe even a better understanding of my soul.

Events

I had such a lovely time participating in the Fort Collins BookFest last weekend. I had a great panel on Romance with two other amazing authors (check them out here: Jenny Elder Moke and Chelsea Pennington) And the fun continues this next weekend with readings by local authors, poets, and pros in the field. Please take the time to support this wonderful event so that it can continue on for years to come. You can find the full schedule here: FoCo Book Fest.

Finally, if you’re in the area on Friday, April 24th) from 5-7pm, I’ll be at DC Oakes Brewhouse in Fort Collins, hosting a write in with some folks from WHWA. You don’t have to be a member to stop on by and work on your writing, poetry, or anything that needs a little focused time.

Well, that’s about all I have. I’m still helping out the Wyoming Writers Inc, as a board member to put together a killer conference in Casper Wyoming in June. There are so many classes and pitches, and workshops happening in this weekend, I’m telling you it’s worth going. You will get your money’s worth and Casper is a fun little place to visit. Some great hiking trails, and a warm and welcoming community. Check it out here: Wyoming Writers Inc. Conference.

Crying out loud. That was a lot. Life’s a lot. I hope you’re taking time for yourself and your mental health. I will if you will.

Take care of yourselves. Take care of each other.

Move, Pitch, Get Out the Way

Posted on by sereichert

Yeah, I did just title this blog that…No, I’m not sorry. Yes, I hope that song plays in your head all day. Yes, it may seem “Ludacris”. Yes, I did just make a dad joke out of it. No, you can’t get a refund, this shit is free.

This is actually a post from a couple of years ago, but oddly enough, I’m headed up tonight to the Wyoming Writers Conference again. And again, I’ll be pitching. So I’ve tweaked a few things but the advice remains solid. I hope it can help you.

Now, on to the blog

This week, tonight actually, I’ll be pitching a novel to a publishing company at the Wyoming Writers Conference in Casper, Wyoming. I know that this should be something I do at least every year but with the past couple of years spent in catching up and starting new jobs, and my creativity taking a giant dump of late, I haven’t had the drive, material, or need to throw myself into the ring.

But, by strange happenstance, the novel that I started at last year’s WWConference in Laramie, turned out to be one of my favorite books. Its a strange blossoming feeling of re-reading it and having it punch me in the gut and make me laugh-cry. I could independently publish it. But…the past years have taught me, that there’s no shame in rejection or in throwing your heart in the ring, especially when you really believe in something you’ve created. So I slammed the breaks down and took a breath. A pause. A consideration. That if the story was “Well written, with a voice we really like” that maybe I should give it another tour around the pasture before sending it out, on my own.

So here I am again, years later, still sweaty palmed, reading and re-reading, and choking on my elevator pitch and changing it a dozen times to get the most depth of the story in the fewest words. And it’s exhausting. The sudden surge of trepidation inspired me go through some of my notes from previous classes and books on pitching. And here’s what I have to offer:

  1. Agents and publishers are human beings. They’ve probably slept horribly, are sore and uncomfortable from sitting, have heard a lot of story ideas, and are probably thinking about the cash bar. Just like you. So don’t treat them like a god up on Olympus by cowering or waving tribute in their faces. Be kind, be polite, and use some of your allotted time to treat them with dignity and respect. They’re there because they love reading and want to find a good story.
  2. Tell them why you love your story. Yes, yes, the general plot, genre, main character and conflict…but what is it about your book that fills your heart. Why do you find a reason to read and re-read it? What were some of the best compliments you receive from your beta readers. Human beings respond to enthusiasm and genuine admiration. Otherwise, we’d never watch baseball. Moving on.
  3. Be organized. Have a synopsis ready, bring a query letter and your business card. It’s been a long day for them and you; stories might start running together and they may need a gentle reminder what the 4:55 pm pitch was.
  4. Be open to suggestions and critique. Whoof, this one is hard, right? After all, we just gushed about what we love in our book. While you love it (or hate it depending on how many goddamn times you’ve had to read it and rewrite it) it is also a good time, before you sit down at that table, to think of your fledgling story like a kid going off to college. Its stepping out into the world to be made better, smarter, stronger. It has a lot to learn, so let it be open to becoming something more and living up to its potential. It isn’t a reflection on you as a parent, it’s a starting point for even more amazing results to come.
  5. Follow up. I’ve sat in the pitch sessions where every agent gave me their card and asked for ten pages. I thought I was a goddamn genius and that they’d be engaged in a bidding war over my book within weeks. Um…hate to ruin the ending there but THAT didn’t happen. Sometimes agents are required by the conferences they attend to receive a certain number of pitches. Sometimes an agent is mildly interested and looking for something to pad up their own resume. Sometimes they’re just bust-ass tired and like a parent giving in and handing their kid a remote cause they just can’t listen anymore, they pass along their card with a defeated…”stay in touch”. That being said, if it happens, act as though it’s the bidding war situation, not the tired parent. Send them what they asked for, in the format they asked for it in, and be respectful with your letter. ALWAYS INCLUDING: your name, that you met at ‘such and such conference’ and that they requested your pages. If you can, PLEASE include some other more personal detail. “It was fun talking to you about your dog, Jasper” (write that kind of thing down on their business card) but don’t make it too personal “I hope your rash has cleared up.” (that’s creepy)

After it’s all said and done a pitch session is like any other interaction introverts dread. You have to talk, somewhat excitedly, about something you love and worked hard on, and thereby risk rejection and public shaming. But please remember that the person sitting across from you is also probably an introvert (or works with a lot of them) and just wants you to tell them a good story.

Good luck out there, and if you’ll be in Casper this weekend for the conference I’d love to sit down and chat about pitches, your book, all the wonderful things we’re working on. Happy writing.

Old Stomping Grounds and New Crossroads

Posted on by sereichert

How does the song by Dylan go?

You can go back, but you can’t go back all the way.

Last weekend I was able to attend a writers conference in my home state of Wyoming. I graduated from the University of Wyoming many moons ago. Long enough for them to completely move my Anthropology Department home into a brand-spanking new building and rearrange so many other departments that my morning run through campus was surreal.

Things change.

The world keeps spinning around us, and the evidence of it is magnified when we’ve been away.

The conference goers came from all corners of the state, Colorado, and even Florida. It was a small group but friendly and supportive. I enjoyed meeting everyone and getting a chance to speak about publishing options to a crowd of over thirty (I managed not to vomit, so let’s all take a moment in recognition of that).

I couldn’t help but notice, however, that during some of the talks about trying to bring more diversity into the state and the writing group, dissent from a few gentlemen at my table.

Eye rolls and curses, crossed arms and head shakes.

Psh…Diversity. Libtard Bullshit.

Some things don’t change.

And the evidence of it is magnified when we’ve grown into more decent humans, while our past stays stagnant.

Sometimes you move on while the world you once knew stands still. The world that raised you and built you; the world you want to be proud of coming from, remains encapsulated in a time and space that relies on fear and old beliefs to such a degree that you almost want to slink away and change your own story.

My sister and I have discussed this. She said she could never move back, that the minds were too small. And I agree. There are some pretty petty, tiny minds there.

But this weekend I also saw a lot of open and gracious minds. I met “typical” rancher types who wrote magnificently about the importance of land stewardship and the quintessential diversity and equality of hearts. I met people who shared poetry and thought even though it was hard for them, who took outsiders into their arms and world and accepted them. I saw the stirrings of change.

So I can’t agree with her.

The potential for something better is like a river being stopped up by a long-left beaver dam. If we refuse to take out the dam and just leave the stagnant pools lie, then we leave entire worlds and cultures isolated enough to breed their own hate and misconception. The more people start moving the wood, start letting the fresh water in, start encouraging the current, the faster and cleaner that river will flow. The more good and open hearts we put into a place, the more good and open it will become.

I’ve come to many cross roads in my life, I’ve had challenges both self created and imposed upon me, and it’s taken years of experience to know that growth comes with great discomfort. And choosing a road doesn’t always mean you’ll stay on it. And quite often we’re lost in the boonies…but it doesn’t mean we should stay stagnant, or allow others to stay stagnant when their potential is for something much greater.

Challenge yourself this week writer. Step forward into paths that scare you, take chances with your writing and your ideas. Join that critique group, invite an outsider in, always work on the side of fairness, equality, and love. IF we all choose that road, this life will be a much more beautiful place to travel in for all of us.

 

Wyoming Writers Conference

Posted on by sereichert

 

Hey friends. This week is a little hectic with projects, both nearing completion and those just getting started, so today’s blog will be short.

I just wanted to let you know about an awesome conference coming up in Laramie in June (the 7th-9th) hosted by Wyoming Writers, Inc.

Though I’m based in Fort Collins, Wyoming is my home state and I’m excited to be returning there next month to meet new friends and writers as well as attend some stellar classes.

Some of you have heard me talk about Jovan Mays and Angie Hodapp (Nelson Literary Agency), two of my favorite presenters. They will both be there and giving inspirational and technical advice for all levels of writers.

In addition to a seasoned and talented lineup of presenters, I have snuck in as a presenter on Saturday and will be giving a little intro on which publishing path is right for you. (Ahem…the official title is: “Out In The World: Publishing Your Novel in Today’s Market” Fancy, huh?)

Registration is still open and they have several options to choose from, depending on your budget and time. Local authors’ books will also be available for purchase (if you’re in the market for some steamy paranormal romance…along with I’m sure much higher-quality books).Here’s the link if you’d like to check out what they’ll be offering, from classes to the Keynote speaker (the talented Brad Watson).

Wyoming Writers Conference 2019

If you do attend, I’d love to meet and talk writing until our little introvert hearts can’t take anymore. Feel free to look me up while you’re there.

Do yourself and a local writing chapter a favor and join us at this fun and dynamic offering.

Until next week, happy writing!