Scarlett's 2020 Year End Thoughts

Image from pexels.com

If you're reading this, congratulations! You're one of the people who made it to the end of this absolutely insane year. The pandemic is not over yet, and a new year won't change it, but I feel like we owe it to ourselves to be proud that we made it through the bastard that was 2020. I thought I'd share some of my year-end thoughts, reflections, etc. Here goes!

Writing-wise, I am happy to say that in 2020, I pushed through the frustration and managed to complete two full-length novels. THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 2: BREAKING THE CHAINS was released by Painted Hearts Publishing in September, and I also completed the rough draft of THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 3, which I plan to submit to Painted Hearts early in 2021 for release a little later in the year. I also have a paranormal FF short story in the works! I'm hoping to release it in 2021, this one as an indie side project. 

I haven't dined at a restaurant since March, and that had been a bummer. I haven't been to a coffee shop or a bar either. Wining and dining on the weekends is one of the things I live for. But I've been diligent with my social distancing practices. There are a handful of places that have had good take-out, so I've picked up food from them on rotation. I can't wait until the day that I can safely be seated at a table, have a real menu placed in my hands, and get to eat right there in the restaurant! It's the little things we take for granted.

Like a lot of people, I've watched a shitload of movies and shows this year. Since I can't go out to concerts or conventions or restaurants or any of my other usual haunts, the living room has been my perch. At first I got sick of sitting around and doing nothing but watching TV in my free time, but lately, I've started to embrace it. I mean, why not? I'm not a couch potato by nature, but the time calls for it, so that's what I'm doing. I've watched some amazing movies, though, including Portrait of a Lady on Fire, which was probably my favorite movie I've watched this year. I've also been delving into my dark side by watching the Hannibal TV show that used to run on NBC but is now available on Netflix. Don't ask me why! I'm just really into it! 

In my time of social distancing, I've barley seen any family or friends in person since I've been trying super hard to stick with this social distancing thing. The handful of times I have chosen to take the risk have felt very special. Going into January, I'm keeping my ass at home though because yikes, those Covid numbers are scary! I want to do my part to help stop the spread even if it feels pointless. Video chats aren't a bad replacement. It's not the same as being with someone in person, but I'm grateful for the technology we have that can keep us connected in ways we wouldn't have been able to not long ago.

I'm extremely grateful to say that I have not lost anyone close to me to Covid, but as I type, my aunt is in the hospital, critically ill from the virus. None of us know how that will pan out. Right now, she is still alert and able to talk on the phone, but there are signs pointing in the wrong direction as far as her recovery goes. It's one of those terrible moments I have been dreading throughout this whole thing. All my family and I can do is wait because her fate is out of our control.

2020 has been a whirlwind year. I hope that everyone reading this is still hanging in there, and I offer deepest condolences to those who have experienced loss this year. It's been a shitty time for us. May 2021 be a better year for everyone. Cheers, and Happy New Year, my friends.

XOXO

Scarlett

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www.scarlettknight.org

Enjoy my work? Buy me a coffee! 

---> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ScarlettKnight

Giving Thanks 2020

 

photo from pexels.com

I've gotta be candid with you: it's taken some serious effort to find things to be thankful for this year. We're bombarded with constant political strife, economic hardship, the global pandemic, etc. 2020 has been...a lot. But despite being in one of the most challenging years ever, I still wanted to do a post about the things I am grateful for. 

1) My Readers, Old and New

I am beyond thrilled at the reception that THE NEON FISHNETS has been getting. With Book 2's release a couple of months ago, I have received such positive feedback from the most loving, awesome fans. The lesfic community continues to amaze me with its energy and vigor, and I look forward to continuing to release books in the genre that entertain my readers and make them smile. 

2) My Publisher: Painted Hearts Publishing

I wanted to give a shout-out to my publisher, Painted Hearts Publishing, because they continue to believe in my work, and they are constantly striving to be the best small press they can be. From my first release with them, THE ART HOUSE, back in 2016, up until now, it's been really exciting to grow with them and to work with them as a team.

3) Friends and Family

This one's a given, but especially now, I am grateful for my friends and family who have proven their unconditional love for me even in this most difficult year. Because we've had a lot of time to reflect, especially if we've been trying to maintain physical distance, we've all found out who our long-haul friends are, not just the ones who are there when it's convenient. I know I won't forget the strength and support I have seen from these dear loved ones.

 

I would like to think that one day, we'll look back on this year and see it as a challenging time that really showed us how strong we are. This pandemic won't last forever. We'll be able to go to restaurants and concerts again without worry, and we'll be able to go shopping and visit our loved ones without having to remember our masks. But for now, I want to encourage everyone to be as diligent as possible in staying safe. We've made it this far. We can do it a little while longer. And while we're doing it, let us not forget the things we're still grateful for.

XoXo

Scarlett

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www.scarlettknight.org

Enjoy my work? Buy me a coffee! 

---> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ScarlettKnight

BREAKING THE CHAINS Spotlight #3: Rockin' It Sober

Sex. Drugs. Rock and roll. Those all seem to go hand in hand--that is, until the drugs get to be more trouble than they're worth! It doesn't matter how much money and fame a person has; even the brightest star can fizzle out due to drug and alcohol addiction.

In THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 2: BREAKING THE CHAINS, Raina Emerson, who is the notorious bad girl/lead-guitarist for The Neon Fishnets, returns from rehab to try and rebuild her life as a rock star, only sober this time. It's a challenging goal, but one that will determine not only her future with the band but possibly the length of her life.

In last blog spotlight on BREAKING THE CHAINS, I wanted to give some love to a few of my favorite musicians who are in recovery. They realized they had a problem, but they were strong enough to admit it and get help. They battled against addiction and won, and they are still rockin' it sober to this day. Some of them have gone back to rehab after falling off the wagon, but they didn't give up. Sobriety is a process, and if at first you don't succeed...well, you know how it goes.

(By the way, if you aren't familiar with one or more of these musicians, I implore you to look them up and listen to their music. You won't be sorry you did!)

                                           Nita Strauss

                            

       photo from soundcloud.com

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Elton John

photo from msn.com

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Lana Del Rey

photo from washingtonpost.com

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Ringo Starr

photo from parade.com

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Steven Tyler

photo from cnn.com

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Eminem

 photo from interviewmagazine.com

                                                                                  *

Stevie Nicks

photo from www.grammy.com

                                                                                   *

                                                                      James Hetfield

                                                            photo from newsweek.com

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THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 2: BREAKING THE CHAINS is now available!





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If you missed the first two spotlights for BREAKING THE CHAINS, you can check them out

1) --> here <--

and

2) --> here <--.


And as always, thanks for stopping by!

- Scarlett

********************

www.scarlettknight.org

Enjoy my work? Buy me a coffee! 

---> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ScarlettKnight

BREAKING THE CHAINS Spotlight #2: The Flying V

Hello, and welcome to the second post in my series of spotlights on my new FF release, THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 2: BREAKING THE CHAINS! In these spotlights, I'm sharing some behind-the-scenes goodies and fun facts that were part of the real-life inspiration behind the fictional FF rock band romance.

If you missed the first spotlight, --> click here <--!

Today I wanted to focus on one of Raina's favorite types of guitars and one she plays in the books: The Flying V.

If you've never heard of this kind of guitar before, you might have actually seen it and not realized it! Here's a sign for the Hard Rock Cafe that takes a Flying V's shape:

The Flying V has been around since the 1950s. Rock superstars have used them in abundance in their musical careers. There's something about a Flying V guitar that just shouts "Rock-n-Roll!" To see some pics and footage of 26 different superstars using this iconic guitar, click the pic below! It'll take you to a really cool article I discovered on ultimateclassicrock.com.

The one and only Jimmy Hendrix playing a Flying V.

And finally, just for fun, here's an awesome metal rendition of the song "Let It Go." Most of you will recognize it from the uber-popular Disney movie Frozen. In this cover, the guitarist plays a Flying V, so you can see one in action. By the way, I've listened to this song about 1,000 times over the past couple of years, and it never gets old. Way better than the original if you ask me!

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THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 2: BREAKING THE CHAINS is now available!






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Thanks for stopping by!

- Scarlett

********************

www.scarlettknight.org

Enjoy my work? Buy me a coffee! 

---> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ScarlettKnight

BREAKING THE CHAINS Spotlight #1: Deep Ellum

Hello, and welcome to the first post in my series of spotlights on my new FF release, THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 2: BREAKING THE CHAINS! In these spotlights, I'm sharing some behind-the-scenes goodies and fun facts that were part of the real-life inspiration behind the fictional FF rock band romance.

Those of you who read Book 1, you know that it was set in Dallas, and this novel is as well. I wanted to show off more of DFW in Book 2, so I had a few of the band members visit one of my favorite real-life hang-out spots: Deep Ellum!

Although the Deep Ellum restaurant featured in the book is not real, this fun, artsy neighborhood in Dallas absolutely does exist! Here are a few pictures from one of my adventures over there last year.



First, I had to stop and have my friend take a picture of me next to this mural. One of the coolest aspects of Deep Ellum is their fabulous murals.

Groovy mural!

One of the things we did that night was to stop at this Quentin Tarantino-themed popup bar and have a drink. All the drinks were themed from his movies, and my friend and I ended up getting one of the strongest whiskey drinks I have ever had. We were both troopers, though, and finished them!

A Quentin Tarantino- themed popup bar 

We ended up at the popular concert venue Trees where I had tickets for us to see Mac Sabbath, a spoof on Black Sabbath. They were actually really damn good! And funny! I'd totally go see them again!

Mac Sabbath at the concert venue Trees

To explore more of Deep Ellum, ---> click here <---!



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THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 2: BREAKING THE CHAINS is now available!






********************

Thanks for stopping by!

- Scarlett

********************

www.scarlettknight.org

Enjoy my work? Buy me a coffee! 

---> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ScarlettKnight

Now Available! THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 2: BREAKING THE CHAINS

 It's live! Grab your copy of the second installment in my FF rock band romance, THE NEON FISHNETS trilogy! 

The Neon Fishnets’ lead guitarist, Raina Emerson, returns home from rehab a changed woman. Embarking on rock star life as a clean and sober musician isn’t easy, especially since Raina has been the band’s notorious party girl for the past decade, but she is totally up for the challenge. With a new album topping the charts, a tour coming up, and her band mates providing their love and support, everything is moving along perfectly.

That is, until a different kind of temptation enters her life in the form of a beautiful woman named Lara Thompson. Complicating things even further is the fact that Raina and Lara have a history, a shared dark past that Raina isn’t ready to confront.

--> Now available on Amazon !<-- (Kindle and Kindle Unlimited)  

I'm so excited about this release and even more excited to know what you think! Download it today! Happy reading! 

XoXo

Scarlett

*****

www.scarlettknight.org

Enjoy my work? Buy me a coffee! 

---> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ScarlettKnight

Guest Post on My Journey Through Rock and Roll

 If you have a few, please stop by Shelby Kent Stewart's website to read my guest post! I talk about my personal, transformative journey through rock and roll and how it inspired THE NEON FISHNETS trilogy. Check it out!

Thanks to Shelby for having me on her website, and thanks to you for reading!

XoXo

Scarlett

*****************

www.scarlettknight.org

Enjoy my work? Buy me a coffee! 

---> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ScarlettKnight

Cover Reveal! THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 2

I'm so happy to unveil the cover for THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 2: BREAKING THE CHAINS, coming soon from Painted Hearts Publishing!

Follow this blog to stay tuned for upcoming release dates and other sneak peeks on the new release!

And if you haven't started the FF rock band romance series yet, THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 1: PLAYING WITH FIRE is currently available on Kindle Unlimited!

Grab your copy today to get ready for the next installment!


XoXo

Scarlett


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www.scarlettknight.org

February 2020 Update

Hello, all! Valentine's Day has come and gone, and hopefully you've grabbed some of that 75% off chocolate and are enjoying the second half of Februrary.

I just wanted to do a quickie post to update you that I am hard at work on the second draft of THE NEON FISHNETS: BOOK 2! This one's told from Raina's POV, and it's been a wild ride spending time in that reckless rocker's mind. I'm crossing my fingers you'll enjoy this one as much as the first. My goal is to submit it to my publisher this spring.

image from pexels.com

In the meantime, if you haven't read THE NEON FISHNETS: BOOK 1, you can catch up to be ready for the sequel! Check out PLAYING WITH FIRE, the enemies-to-lovers rock romance that started the new FF trilogy, here:

Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to stay tuned for all the rockin' lesfic updates!

XoXo

Scarlett

www.scarlettknight.org

Interview at Your Kinky Friends

Hello! We're already halfway through January; can you believe it? How are those New Year's Resolutions going? Given up on them? Or maybe you're still going strong?

I hope it's been a good month so far.

I wanted to do a quick post to share an interview that I did with Nicholas Tanek over at his website yourkinkyfriends.com. In it we chat about writing, we discuss what I'd like to see more of and less of in erotica, we talk about some of my favorite movies, and more!

Click the pic below for a link to the full interview!

And as always, thanks for stopping by!


XoXo

Scarlett


www.scarlettknight.org