Writing Challenge

March 2025 Book Marketing Challenge

| C.E. Flores

Creating content that resonates with the target audience is a crucial step in any book journey. This month, the focus is on building engagement by sharing behind-the-scenes looks at the writing process, posting excerpts, and using creative tools like Canva to make quote cards and graphics.

Honestly, as an introvert, putting myself out there on social media feels daunting. But I also recognize that book marketing isn’t just about selling. It’s about connection. If I want my words to reach the right people, I must step beyond my comfort zone and engage meaningfully with my audience.

So, here’s to pushing past hesitation and embracing new ways to share my work. Whether it’s a simple teaser post, a quote graphic, or a live discussion (gulp!), every effort brings me closer to my readers. Let’s do this!

Month 3: Develop Engaging Content

  • Focus: Build content that resonates with your audience.
  • Actions:
    • Share behind-the-scenes looks at your writing process.
    • Post short excerpts, quotes, or teasers from your book.
    • Create graphics with tools like Canva (e.g., quote cards, covers).
    • Use polls, Q&As, or live videos to engage your audience.

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Book Hawking: A Beginner’s Guide to Marketing Your Self-Published Book is your roadmap to turning your hidden gem into a must-read!

January 2025 WIP Challenge Update

| C.E. Flores

January always feels like a fresh start—a time to set goals, make plans, and dive into creative projects. I can’t say I finished anything last month, but I did manage to carve out time for writing and even some editing, which feels like a victory in itself.

One of my main focuses has been La Yacata Insurrection. It’s a project that continues to evolve, and while I haven’t completed it, I’ve made meaningful progress. The obligations that I have to the community have become all-encompassing, and although that makes for a good story, it leaves precious little time to get anything written. I mean here it is mid-February and I’m just getting to the January update!

In addition to that, I did a first edit on Lupita’s Tamalada in English. I’m very excited about this book and want it to be just right before sending it to the translator for revision and the illustrator for pictures. 

While January wasn’t about finishing, it was about moving forward. And that, in itself, is something to celebrate. Here’s to more words, more edits, and steady progress in the months ahead!

How did your writing go?

2025 WIP Challenge

| C.E. Flores

Well, here we are in 2025, and I still have a buttload of WIPs to crank out. Here’s my wish list of finished drafts by the end of the year:

La Yacata Insurrection (ongoing). This will have regular updates as our community projects develop. I don’t expect this to be finished this year, but I will be working on it.

Lupita’s tamalada in English and Spanish. The first drafts of these books are finished. They still need some polishing, and then I need to send the drafts to my illustrator, who could take up to a year to create the illustrations. SOOOOO, I don’t expect this book to be published this year either. 

I’d also like to work on the Apothecary series, but whether I focus on the wellness garden, wellness drinks, or women’s remedies remains to be seen. 

I’d like to do the employment book for the La Yacata series and/or the first book of the Woman’s Survival Guide series. I think I could finish one, but not both this year. 

I also have a book in the Women in the Bible series centered on Jacob’s family, but there’s quite a bit of work that needs to be done with that one. 

My goals seem rather vague this year, and I expect I’ll need to refine them as I go along, but here’s where I’m going to start.

What are your writing goals for the year?

WIP 2024 – December Results

| C.E. Flores

December was kinda a blur. I know I did some writing, but I can’t pinpoint exactly which WIP I worked on. Maybe herb book 6, definitely La Yacata Insurrection, and even some fine-tuning of the next book in the Lupita series. I know I didn’t finish anything this month. 

So, let’s look back at 2024’s progress (or lack thereof), shall we?

My January 2024 goal was to finish six books, one from each series. What I managed to get published was one new book and one compilation, which is a bit disappointing. Not that I’m not thrilled with these books, but I had hoped for a little more productivity this year. As that didn’t happen, I’ll need to rethink my writing goals for 2025. 

Exploring Traditional Herbal Remedies in Mexico Volume 5: Botanical Treasures from Acuya to Zarzaparrilla

Exploring Traditional Herbal Remedies in Mexico Special Edition, Volumes 1-5

How did your writing go in 2024?

WIP 2024-November Results

| C.E. Flores

I’ll just have to admit to myself that I will NOT have another book finished this year. That doesn’t mean I won’t be writing in December. It just means I don’t expect to FINISH anything, which is a bit disappointing. 

In November, my work schedule became saturated, although I still managed to complete more chapters on La Yacata Insurrection. As a side note, in case you aren’t aware, the first book in the series, La Yacata Revolution: How NOT to Buy a Piece of Heaven in Mexico, is FREE today. If you are curious about how I got embroiled in some complicated community advancement projects, well, that’s the book to start with.

As for December, I expect some downtime over the holidays, but that may be a fool’s dream since just when I think things are calming down, disaster strikes. Well, it is what it is. I also hope to reassess my writing goals for 2025 this month. I believe I set my sights too high this year. Stay tuned for those. 

How is your writing going?

WIP 2024 – October Results

| C.E. Flores

EEEK! Where did October go? I have nothing new written! Well, I did add some chapters to the draft of book 2 in La Yacata Revolution (and help our community get electricity), but I don’t expect to publish that book anytime soon. There are still so many projects to complete.

And I actually don’t expect to be overly productive in November or December (NaNoWriMo or not). But having said that, maybe I’ll surprise myself and finish the year out with a bang! (probably not).

On the writing front, I’ve been playing with the idea of making a compilation of the Woman’s Survival Guide series but haven’t started that either. I feel like I need just one more book in the series (a book geared towards preparations BEFORE the move to Mexico) before I can make a nice series. We’ll see what I can accomplish this month. 

How is your writing going?

WIP 2024 – August Results

| C.E. Flores

I didn’t think I’d make my self-imposed deadline for the Special Edition of Exploring Traditional Herbal Remedies in Mexico: Volumes 1-5, but I did. YEAH! To celebrate, for the month of September, you can get the deluxe hardback book at a special price of $99. 

What ancient secrets do the plants of Mexico hold?

Unlock the mysteries with Exploring Traditional Herbal Remedies in Mexico Special Edition. This captivating five-volume collection offers an immersive journey into the world of 140 medicinal plants 🌱, each study meticulously researched and accompanied by beautiful full-color photographs 📸. Discover the deep-rooted cultural traditions that have harnessed the healing power of these plants for generations 🌵. Whether you’re a curious herbalist, a nature lover 🌿, or a cultural enthusiast 🌎, this series will inspire and enlighten you, revealing the profound connection between the land, its people, and the plants that sustain them 🌼. Embark on a journey where history, healing, and nature converge in the vibrant tapestry of Mexico.

Order now!!!

I can’t wait for my copy to arrive! 

So, looking ahead to September, I plan on revising the paperback and epub versions of Volumes 1-5 in this series and publishing hardback versions as well. After that, I hope to work on that gardening book I’ve been meaning to pull together. Herbs! Herbs! Herbs! 

What are you writing this month?

WIP 2024 – July Results

| C.E. Flores

I haven’t much to write home about just yet. I’m in the middle of reformatting Volumes 1-5 of the Exploring Traditional Herbal Remedies in Mexico series. I hadn’t intended on doing this as part of the writing challenge I set for myself this year, but needs must. I’m hoping to have that monumental task complete by the end of the month because I’m itching for a new plant study. 

Book 5 of the series did pretty well during its book launch. It even made it to #1 during the free book offer. Yeah!

In July, I was also busy living the next chapter in book 2 of the La Yacata Revolution series. I met someone who read the first book here in my little town in Mexico. Considering the book is in English, I never expected anyone locally to read it, but well, this person did AND passed it around, so there are several people in town who are aware of my status as an author. Just wait until he gets a load of book 2, where he is featured in a chapter!

Electricity is slowly coming my way (our house is solar-powered now), and with it, the hope for a more stable internet service. That would be such a boon! But progress is never fast here and I must be patient a bit longer. I talk about living off-grid in several books, but the most complete is A to Z Reasons Why La Yacata is the Place to Be in Any Disaster.

We also had our first baby mule born on our homestead. Rosie is mighty cute! But will certainly provide more distractions with her Animal Antics South of the Border! 

So how is your writing going this month?

WIP 2024 – June Results

| C.E. Flores

I’m super excited to share that Exploring Traditional Herbal Remedies in Mexico Volume 5: Botanical Treasures from Acuya to Zarzaparrilla, is finally finished and available on Amazon. To make this moment even sweeter, it’s FREE for the next few days!

Ready to uncover more of Mexico’s amazing botanical wonders? This volume dives into 28 unique plants, each with its own fascinating story and awesome medicinal benefits.

From the lesser-known Acuya to the versatile Zarzaparrilla, you’ll discover how these plants have been used for centuries and how they can boost your health and well-being today.

Whether you’re an herbalist or just curious about natural remedies, this book is packed with valuable insights and practical knowledge. Each plant is described in detail, with info on traditional uses, active compounds, and health benefits.

Don’t miss out on this chance to explore these botanical treasures and deepen your journey into herbal medicine. Volume 5 is a must-have and now’s the perfect time to grab it.

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Enjoy, and happy reading!