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July Update

This is my second author life update at The Grimoire Cafe. I’ve got project updates, a check-in on last month’s goals (thanks for helping keep me accountable 😉) and plans for what I’m working on next. But first…

It’s sticky hot outside the Grimoire Cafe today, and as you step into the cool, inviting interior, you aren’t the only one trying to beat the heat with this week’s special: A Banana Bread Iced Latte (recipe at the end of the post!)

The lights are off to save energy and help keep everybody cool in the old, brick building, but with the sunshine streaming in through the tall windows, illuminating the old, antique carved bar, you barely miss the electricity. In fact, it might even be better this way.

An old, round fan with gold streamers fluttering from the front of it oscillates on the counter near the register and you can’t help but sign when the breeze hits just right as it passes. Every single person in front of you in line orders the special. Tini’s coffee skills have never steered you wrong before, so banana bread iced latte in hand, you make your way to a small round table and the bent wood and wicker chair alongside it, tucked into a shady corner, with a great view of the sidewalk outside. This way, you can do some life organization while you sip.

Project Updates

I have two writing projects in the hopper right now.

Moonseeker: I’m in the middle of some hefty revisions, with the goal of having Moonseeker finished and ready to start querying in the fall. How many times have I set this goal? More than I care to count. Will this time be different? I hope so, but no promises. This will be draft four (no, five?) I’m working on it until it’s ready, end of story (pun intended ha!)

Blood Pact (Bloodlines Saga 3, Serial): Progress on Blood Pact has paused while I focus on Moonseeker. I plan to return to Blood Pact in the fall—something to work on while I query—and still hope to begin releasing episodes in Q4 this year, or Q1 2026.

May-June Review

So how did I do on the goals I set in my previous update-style post on May 17? I had three goals:

  1. Finish posting all my evergreen content to Meta – DONE! I finished this, and my Insta looks pretty damned good, if I may say so myself. (Thank you to my sister, Melanie, for helping me create many of the cool looking posts that now live on my grid!)
  2. Finish and launch my newsletter welcome sequence – I didn’t complete this one. To be honest, I didn’t even touch it. Now that goal 1 is complete, I might be able to dive in on this, but for now I’m putting a pin in it (more on that below.)
  3. Sell 2 more books by June – *Checks all her sales stats* I DID IT! 🥳 By the skin of my teeth, I sold not 2, but THREE books between May 17 and June 1. WHEW! Thanks to any of you reading this who might have bought a copy. It means a lot. 🫶

July Intentions

Okay, so what’s next? I have some traveling ahead of me this month, so my author work time will be shortened by a bit. But if I want to finish Moonseeker and be ready to start querying by September 20th (the first day of Fall), I need to keep moving. Right now, Moonseeker is more important than my newsletter welcome sequence. There are some other small projects I’d love to tackle, as well, but hmm….*thinking*… Okay, I think I’ve got it.

Goal 1: Finish this round of revisions on Moonseeker

Once they’re finished, I can send it to my critique partner and take a breather for a spell, which will give me time to…

Goal 2: Design and order Little Library Stickers

I have a small stack of The Cloak’s Shadow paperbacks that I’d like to distribute to little libraries around my neighborhood. Before I do that, though, I want to affix a sticker to the inside over of each one that tells people who might find the book that I’m a local author, where they can find me online, and how to buy the rest of the series (from my new, very own online bookstore because fuck the oligarchy whenever possible.) So I gotta design them, stick them, and then distribute the damned books! They’ve been hanging out by my desk for literally months. I just gotta do it.

Goal 3: Sell FIVE books in the month of July

I know that’s probably a very sad little goal for so many awesome indie authors, but I basically exploded my marketing machine when I left Meta (it’s okay, depressed me had already broken it by not posting for weeks/months), so I’m getting back on the bandwagon slowly. And, honestly, selling five books would be amazing. Let’s do it!

That’s it! Those are the goals this month! When I complete goals 1 and 2, I can work on Blood Pact, which is like ordering a salad because I know I’ll feel amazing after I eat it—and then rewarding myself with a huge piece of chocolate cake. Zero shame. That cake didn’t make the salad any less nutritious.

As always, thank you for cheering me on! 🫶

Story life snapshot

📚 Currently Reading: The Happy Writer by Marissa Meyer – digging this so far. I’m taking my time with it, but I like it a lot.

📺 Currently Watching: Stick on AppleTV – it was billed as the Ted Lasso of golf… It’s less zany than Ted Lasso, but I like it so far.

🎧 Currently Listening: Podcasts! I’m on a podcast kick right now. My faves at the moment are Down To Astro, and Fated Mates.

Banana Bread Iced Latte

Alright, folks. Apparently these are one of the “it” coffees this summer. Tini doesn’t lie, so it must be good. 😉 This is the first time I’m sharing a recipe that I haven’t tried (at least a version of) yet. Let’s try it together, shall we??

Ingredients

1 banana

1 cup browns sugar

1 cup water

2 shots of espresso

Your preferred milk, to taste

1 cup of heavy whipping cream (optional)

Steps

In a sauce pan, combined the mashed banana, brown sugar, and water. Warm over medium heat, stirring regularly until dissolved and gently boiling. Remove from heat when the mixture begins to thicken.

To the bottom of your mug, add a dollup of the banana-sugar mixture. Pull your espresso shots directly into the mug. Stir to combine the shots + banana mixture until smooth.

In your favorite glass or tumbler, add ice, and milk/milk alternative. To this, add coffee mixture. Stir, if desired.

Optional: Add banana-sugar mixture to a glass bowl, followed by 1 cup of heavy whipping cream. Froth until thickened. Pour over the latte.

I adapted this recipe from ones referenced in this article in Food & Wine: What Is A Banana Bread Latte?

If you give this a try and feel compelled to post, tag me! I want to know what you think!

Bluesky: ellebeauregard.bsky.social

Meta: @elle.beauregard.author

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