Thursday, August 10, 2023

Upcoming News

 


This summer has been extremely busy.  My daughter graduated from high school in June. We found out a few days later that the program she wanted at cosmetology school would be starting the new session on June 20th...so she had about a two-week summer vacation and then back at school. LOL.  She got her driver's license, has a boyfriend, and is making plans for her future.  

All this really got me to thinking about what I want to do. She's growing up and making plans for her life. Both of my folks are in Heaven.  I've been trying to get my writing career going again so I finally started making some progress there.  I revamped my website and updated the domain so if you are looking for it on Google, it is under www.carlyjordynnbooks.com    

Today I received the draft cover art for the Forest of the Mist series.  I am liking it so far.  I still have to complete new editing and add in the bonus materials before I can put it out on the market again.  When I do, I plan to have it available in ebook, paperback, and limited hardcover editions.  They will be available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, the website, and at any book signings I appear at.

The Retired Slayer series is coming along nicely.  The new cover art features a lovely cover model who epitomizes the Sasha character to perfection.  I have half of the new editing completed and some of the new bonus materials. I'm excited to get it on the market again. It will also be available in the same formats and for sale at the same locations as the Forest of the Mist series.

In addition to the above, I am working on three young adult fiction books and a narrative non-fiction. 

Make sure to follow on social media for all the newest details and updates. There will be some contests when we are closer to re-publication of the two series.

www.carlyjordynnbooks.com    

www.facebook.com/carlyjordynn777    

www.instagram.com/carlyjordynn

https://carlyjordynn.blogspot.com    

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Carly Jordynn is an author of young adult fiction from Kentucky.  When not writing, she works in the import/export industry. Carly loves to travel and can be found at conferences throughout the year. Her hobbies include travel, reading, writing, shopping, dinner with friends, and spur of the moment adventures. She is the mom to an adult daughter and two toddler cats, Harley and Evie.



Friday, January 6, 2023

Is there a proper way to grieve?

 Hi Everyone,

I have had a really hard six - seven months.  My mom entered the hospital back in July and was in the ICU for 6 weeks. She then moved to a regular room and then to a rehab hospital. I really had my doubts that she would come home, but she did. She busted out of the rehab hospital in less than a week. She was 86 years old. She came home and was doing her laundry the next day.  She did really well for a few months until the end of October. That is when the same symptoms that hospitalized her in the summer, reared their ugly heads again. Trip to the ER landed her in ICU again. This time she didn't come back home which brings me to the topic of this post...is there a proper way to grieve?

I have seen grief expressed in many ways as I come from a large family and a close-knit community. Some will wail and cry while literally trying to throw themselves on the casket. Some react with anger at the person for actually having the nerve to die. Yet again, I have seen some react with humor by telling funny stories about the dearly departed. Finally, there are those who almost tip-toe around the funeral parlor and only speak in whispers. Basically, everyone has their own way of handling grief and the grieving process. What works for one person may not work for another. I wish people would respect an individual's right to grieve the way they need to. 

I am not comfortable showing my grief to others. When I cry, it is silently. The tears roll down my cheeks, but there isn't any noise or sobs escaping me. That's just the way I am. Both of my parents were believers in Jesus, as am I. I know they are in Heaven rejoicing with family and friends. That knowledge gives me the peace and serenity to go on with my life and live out my dreams. I am one of those who uses humor to help me mask what I am really feeing.  While my heart broke into a million pieces when my parents died; on the outside I was telling stories and comforting those around me.

Another thing I have learned as I have traveled this road is that grief can manifest in different ways depending on who the person is who has passed. With my parents, I was at peace with both for the reasons stated above. I knew they were together again and healed from their ailments. With Steve, my dear friend, I felt lost. We had plans for the future after our kids graduated from high school. We never made it to those plans as he died suddenly from a head injury. It literally took me months to wrap my head around the fact that he wasn't going to be there for the future. Finally, there was David, a wonderful guy I had known since middle school.  We reconnected toward the end of his life. This one almost hit me the hardest as I wasn't sure where David was spiritually. I kept wondering if I had prayed enough or said enough. With my folks and Steve, I did not have this worry as I already knew the answers to those questions. So, three very different deaths with three different grief processes.

So, is there a proper way to grieve? After my experiences, I believe it is up to the individual and how they process best. So crack the joke, tell the funny story, shed the tears, wail like a cat whose tail has been stepped on, and get angry. Whatever works for you is proper.

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Carly Jordynn is the author of the Forest of the Mist Series, the Retired Slayer series, and the middle school book, Levy Jupiter Kincaid: Racecar Driver.