All Good Things…

Hello Family, Friends, and Fans;

In 2009, I decided to write a story about a young girl who finds mittens in the snow and discovers that they are transformed people. It started as a young middle grade but eventually settled on a YA for 10+.

Just over ten years ago I signed a contract with Renaissance Press. They went on to publish the next 3 books in the series. Renaissance was a wonderful home for my series and I appreciate everything they’ve done.

The Bad News

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and the series rights have returned to me. It’s sad. I hate change and endings.

A Study in Aether

The Good News

The series is not dead yet. I have signed a contract with River City Siren Press for the entire series.

We’ll be republishing the books with updated covers and updated editing. I’m amazed at how fast this is going.

The Other News

That means it’ll take a little while to get all four of the originals republished, but hopefully I’ll have book 5 ready by then.


For those who have been here since I started this publishing journey, thank you!

For those who are new, welcome and also thank you!

Stay safe and be kind,

Éric

Motivation, Writing, and Creative Procrastination

Hello Friends, Family, and Fans;

Have you ever started a movie, and five minutes into it, you realize you’re really not in the mood? Now imagine if that movie was going to take you months to watch… That’s kind of how writing can be. I have more ideas than time and I should be done the fifth Elizabeth by now, but I’m stuck at chapter 4.

I don’t even have a good reason; I just can’t seem to motivate myself. I love the characters and I want to see what happens, but I’m having trouble writing without a deadline. Jen has spoiled me. When we write together, I feel the pressure of a deadline without the stress. It makes writing solo a lot harder.

A shiny new idea is always hard to resist.

In that vein, here is a short list of ideas I’ve had recently that I’m aching to work on:

The Pie Shop Murders

Short murder mysteries following Pieper the burnt-out web developer who takes over her recently deceased Grannie’s Pie shop. There will be murder, a grumpy slow-burn romance (at least 4 books), a ghost, and magical shenanigans.

Guardian of Chaos

Follow the adventures of Elizabeth Coderre at thirty+ as she comes to terms with being the Guardian of Chaos and what it means. With the power to travel the “back rooms” and a world that is still hostile to the magical community, she needs to not only discover her place in the universe but will need to save it too.

This would be a sequel series to the Baker City Mysteries

Public Service Zombies (PSZ)

Thomas, a father of 2, returns to work for the Federal Purse of Canada in January 2020. Being away from his kids is hard but the free coffee is nice. Until the government loses an election and suddenly there’s no free coffee. He’s missing the focus it gives him, but his coworkers are having a really hard time and they’re starting to freak out a little. When someone brings COVID into the office, the withdrawal mutates into a full on Zombie apocalypse. Then the zombies start showing supernatural abilities.

Paracosm

Agents Kitty Price and MacKenzie Fairfield of Elmsley are starting to think that their boss’s sudden retirement is fishy. Especially as the new head of Elmsley wants to bring it back to its glory days. They have to figure out how to bring back their boss and expose the corruption in Elmsley, all while trying to figure out why kids are disappearing into magical pocket worlds.

I’m hoping that Jen will write this with me since MacKenzie is her character and I think there’s place for a romance with the two leads.

This would be a direct sequel to Parasomnia.

“The University Book or Battle of the Bands”

A group of friends at Baker University move into a haunted house. The book would be split into “Episodes” like short stories that feature each of the main characters. Each story would have their own plot but would also be part of the overall story.

Jen and I have been talking about this book for way too long.

It will connect with characters from Baker City Mysteries and act as a sequel to both The Copper Tarnish and Faymous (Coming 2026)


There are more…. so many more.

This post has been brought to you by procrastination and executive dysfunction.

Stay safe and be kind,

Éric

Excellent Promo

Hello Friends, Family, and Fans;

Working with Renaissance Press, Jen made some awesome promo:

Baker City Mysteries & Coffee Shop Between The ‘Verses

@pressesrenaissancepress

Combine the “Sherlock Holmes” series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “Disappearing Nightly” by Laura Resnick, the “Nancy Drew” series by Carolyn Keene, and an amethyst necklace to get the “Baker City Mystery” series by @Éric Desmarais #CanLit #canadianauthor #indiepublishing

♬ Mistery (Acoustic) – Raf’s
@pressesrenaissancepress

Combine “The Lost Hero” by Rick Riordan, “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams, “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie, and coffee beans to get “Coffee Shop Between the ‘Verses” by @Éric Desmarais #CanLit #canadianauthor #indiepublishing

♬ Little Things – Adrián Berenguer

Click on the book below for more information and where you can buy it.

Stay safe and be kind,

Éric

My 2016 Resolutions – Mid Year Review

It’s that time of year again; the one where I check my resolutions and see how optimistic I was feeling when I made them.

calvin-and-hobbes-new-years-resolution-comic

1. Write 500 Words a day

½ Accomplished

I’ll give myself partial credit for this one. I haven’t been great at it but I’ve been writing something.

2. Complete Everdome before April

Failed

Ouch… I finished it before July… only 1 and a half months late. But I did finish.

3. Start and Finish a New Novel

Not Yet Accomplished

I’m not sure I’ll finish this year but I’ll certainly start something. As much as I love the disaster movie idea I’m leaning towards a First Person Adventure or a Time Travel love story; maybe a Middle school Novel about being a monster.

I have lots of plans!

4. Read 30 Books

On Track

Goodreads says I’m at 13 for the year. I should be at 14 by the end of this month with means I’m only a little behind. Should be easy? Who knows how much reading I’ll get done with Dragon? Although I do plan on reading to her at night before bed.

5. Write a Monthly or Bimonthly Serial Story

On Track

If you haven’t read Wargrave Island, my mystery serial story, go check it out. I’ve written 6 of 12 parts and people are dying fast.

6. Test, Produce, and Develop a total of 16 Coffee flavours

Success!

I have officially done 16 flavours and I have 2 others I’m playing with.

Check out all our flavours!

7. Develop a simple concept for a Youtube show.

Not Yet Accomplished

So… I have a concept. I have the software. I just haven’t had the time to refine it yet.

8. Playtest the various stages of FADDS and prepare it for submission in 2017

On Track

This is going REALLY well. We’ve tested the early levels and they work beautifully. The mid levels are coming along well and this fall I’ll run oneshots for the higher levels.

The next step is editing for me. I need to go through the book a few times and clean up the language and standardize the wording.

9. Update JenEric-Designs.ca and add a proper webstore.

On Track

I’ve done some major upgrades. Even added a Newsletter. I’m slowing adding more functionality.

There are big changes coming to JenEric Designs. If you want to find out what they are sign up for our Newsletter.

10. Prepare Memories of Faust for submission *New*

For those that don’t know. My first book A Study in Aether has been bought by Renaissance Press yay!

The sequel is a little darker and unfortunately more complex. It needs work and I’m planning on doing some heavy edits later in the summer.

 

So out of ten we have only 1 failure and most are still possible. It’s ambitious but I’m hoping I’ll make it. If I don’t, I’ll just blame Dragon (I’m kidding… probably).

 

How are you doing with your New Year’s Resolutions?

Éric