Adelaide Acree

Hello, lovely readers!
          
          It’s been an interesting year as a writer. I’ve learned a lot over the past 12 months, and I know there’s still so much more to learn in the next 12. Here’s what I’ve discovered:
          
          I self-published the first three books in my Raven Seal series and made my novella Lily free on most major platforms. Giving away a free novella (via BookFunnel) was definitely a good move—I believe it helped generate sales for my paid books.
          
          I chose to publish everything through Draft2Digital initially, both to test the waters and to better understand the various platforms. As a debut self-published author, I priced my books at USD $2.99. I’m aware I lost some profit due to platform fees, and I plan to publish directly to individual retailers in the future.
          
          As of today, I’ve sold 170 books this year. A significant portion of those sales came in the last 30 days, after I launched my first Meta ad campaign. While I still need better conversions to break even, I’m getting a lot of clicks, which is exactly what I was hoping for. Beyond sales, the goal of the campaign was to build name recognition and start establishing myself as a romance author.
          
          Marketing can be time-consuming if you let it take over. I tried batching my marketing tasks in one day and scheduling content throughout the week, but it’s still a learning curve. For now, I’ve decided to dedicate the first hour or two of my mornings to marketing—when my brain is still waking up and soaking in the nutrients (read: caffeine) from my coffee before I dive into writing.
          
          I’m nearly finished drafting Book D and aiming for 70K words, so I’ll be posting the rest here soon. 
          
          A few newsletters ago, I mentioned that I needed to adjust my heat level and decided to go with “sensual.” That change means I now need to revise the storyline for Book E. I think I can use my first draft in some of the chapters, though, so not all is lost. I could release an alternative version for spicy fans. 
          
          Until next time…
          MNP xx

Hello, lovely readers!
          
          I'm thankful for everyone who has read my books! An Affair at Apsley House now has over 4,000 reads. The Wattpad analytics is not great, but that number amazes me as it continues to grow.
          
          I’ve published my first three books on all major platforms, so moving forward (starting on Monday, December 17, 2025), I’ll only be sharing teasers on Wattpad. If you’d like to support my work by purchasing a copy, simply click the link in my bio—it will take you to my website, where you can choose a book (or all of them!) to buy.
          
          I’ve also released Lily: A Novella, and since it’s free on all platforms, I’ve decided to keep the full story here for your reading pleasure. Your ratings and comments mean the world to me.
          
          Right now, I’m busy finalizing Book 4, A Diversion at Dyrham Park, which I hope to publish before the end of the year. I’m just over 60K words in, aiming for the standard Regency romance length of around 70K. You can read the second draft on Wattpad. Personally, I love books I can devour in one sitting or over a weekend, so that’s the experience I strive to create.
          
          I’m also working on more social media content in hopes of attracting new readers. I’m passionate about making writing my full-time career and establishing myself as a romance author.
          
          Until next time…
          MNP xx

Hello, lovely readers!
          
          I am in awe that my completed works have quite a few engaged readers:
          * 'An Affair at Apsley House' is in the top five of the 19th-century hashtag
          * I don't think 'A Ball at Basildon Park' has ever gone higher than #20 on the sailor hashtag
          * 'A Chemistry at Cross Keys' has great placement in renovation, tavern, and peerage hashtags 
          
          A great way to help authors get their book to reach more people is to comment, like, and subscribe. Some people might be shy, but pressing like goes a long way. I love any feedback, except trolling, of course. As authors, we must lean on each other for support
          
          Lily Hill's story (she's a side character in the third book, 'A Consort at Cross Keys') is complete! I've sent it off to my Beta Readers/editors to get feedback before I publish wide. This is only a novella, so I plan to give it away for free with a newsletter signup. Originally, it was supposed to be a holiday romance, but because it's less than 75% set during Christmastide, the main trope is now Second Chance Romance, which means I might have to change the name of 'A Christmastide Vow': https://www.wattpad.com/story/402259439-a-christmastide-vow-a-z-of-romance-regency-raven
          
          Anyone else watching DWTS this year? I'm totally team Andy, Dylan, and Robert! If it really is based on public scores, I think Robert is the most likely to win, though Alix and Whitney's social media is growing rapidly. It's Andy's birthday on the 28th, which is the same day as the Halloween episode, so make sure you give him some love and vote for him. 
          
          I've received four new foster kittens, all aged 3 weeks today! They came to me at one week, so it's been a bit tiring feeding them every three hours, but they are gaining lots of weight and starting to become more active. I keep them until 8 weeks before being sent for adoption opportunities. Fostering gives me a sense of purpose and fulfillment. What's your purpose?
          
          Until next time…MNP xx

Hello, lovely readers!
          
          A short note to thank everyone who helped 'An Affair at Apsley House' reach the number one spot in the 19th-century hashtag. It's amazing to see all the reads—feel free to comment, like, and subscribe if you haven't had a chance. I love any feedback, except trolling, of course.
          
          One of my beta readers asked me to write Lily Hill's story (she's a side character in the third book, 'A Consort at Cross Keys'), so I’m excited to share my first holiday romance, 'A Christmastide Vow': https://www.wattpad.com/story/402259439-a-christmastide-vow-a-z-of-romance-regency-raven
          
          I'm trying to serialize this one, but I also want to publish it quickly to get feedback. It’s not clear how long it will be yet—hopefully no longer than a novella, since I plan to use it as a freebie in the future. I aim to post a chapter a day, but I've been watching DWTS recaps (I’m rooting for Andy and Robert), so I've been procrastinating instead of writing chapter 3. I think I’ve got it out of my system now, so I believe I’ll get back on track… well, until DWTS Disney night!
          
          Until next time…MNP xx

Hello, lovely readers!
          
          The holiday season begins next month—blink, and it will be 2026!
          
          The writing conference I attended was both informative and overwhelming. I carefully mapped out which sessions to attend so I wouldn’t miss out, booked my pitch session for Book A, and did my best to engage with everyone around me.
          
          The sessions flew by. Some speakers were excellent, while others spent too much time on activities or hadn’t prepped enough to finish their material. One speaker only managed four slides before admitting they weren’t even a quarter of the way through! To add to the chaos, a fire alarm interrupted the Copyright and Contracts seminar—unfortunate, as we had just begun discussing topics close to my heart, like the use of building names (a theme in all my books). While I could have explored these seminars online, the in-person element brought a unique energy. Writing can be such a solitary pursuit, and conferences offer a much-needed personal connection.
          
          The pitch session went smoothly! I may create a YouTube video about the experience, but I seemed to be the only one who fully memorized their pitch. During a Thursday night practice session, some people even wrote theirs on the spot! The pitch coach advised reading from notes, which contradicted much of my research, but in the end it worked out—agents requested my manuscript. Hopefully, this will lead to representation and, eventually, a strong publishing deal. Until then (or until I hear back), I’ll keep my books available here.
          
          I do wish there had been more sessions specifically for Romance authors. In hindsight, I should have brought business cards—many people had bookmark-shaped ones—or at least asked to exchange contact information. Honestly, it hadn’t even crossed my mind. On the bright side, I discovered that a romance bookstore will be opening near me, so I may have another chance to connect with the community.
          
          Until next time…MNP xx

Hello, lovely readers!
          
          Seven more days until the PNW Writers Association conference, where I'll be pitching my first novel, "An Affair at Apsley House". I have received outstanding feedback and am confident I'll be able to gain a literary agent or publisher. But I always have my backup plan of self-publishing if it doesn't work out. 
          
          For a limited time, I've republished the full-length novels of my first two Raven Seal books, "An Affair at Apsley House" and "A Ball at Basildon Park," on Wattpad for your enjoyment. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and review so I can reach more readers, please! I also used Wattpad's new series feature. Pretty cool!
          
          I've memorized my pitch and now need to sound more natural and not like a robot, but here's a lovely critique I received from a beta reader: "...one of the best Regency romances I've read in quite a while, largely because of the strength of both main characters. I was excited from the first chapter. Adrian and Adeline's chemistry jumps off the page, and their verbal sparring feels natural while building believable attraction...this book will do very well on the market..." You won't be wrong if you imagine me pumping my fist and grinning from ear to ear. It just reaffirms I am on the right trajectory and this brand will take off spectacularly (my mantra anyway)!
          
          Until next time... MNP xx
          
          P.S. Due to Labor Day, I didn't get a chance to write chapter two of A-Z of Romance: Contemporary MACS series, "1A", and I'm not 100% anything will happen until after the conference, but we'll see. I find pantsing a lot harder, hence why chapter one is not done, but I'm going to keep trying.

Hello, lovely readers!
          
          I’ve just posted the rest of my third book in the A–Z of Romance: Regency Raven Seal Series, A Chemistry at Cross Keys—thank you in advance for reading, liking, and commenting!
          
          https://www.wattpad.com/story/350890993-a-chemistry-at-cross-keys-3-a-z-of-romance-regency
          
          I’ve sent the final draft to my review team, but am holding off on self-publishing to see what happens with the upcoming conference and competition next month.
          
          In the meantime, I’ll be finalizing Books D and E, which are both posted here in their first-draft forms. I’m a bit concerned about Book E—and five others in the series—that will have a much higher spice level compared to Book C and another five that will remain strictly sweet. I just can’t see myself writing all 26 books at the same heat level. Thankfully, there’s a seminar at the conference on this very topic, so I’ll definitely be asking questions there. If you have any tips or suggestions, please let me know!
          
          Also, I have the ambitious goal of completing Books F through H this year, since Book H is technically set at Christmastide. I already have outlines for each, and I’m hoping I’ll move a bit quicker on Books D and E, now that I’ve learned so much about improving my writing and editing skills during Books A through C.
          
          Finally, I’m also planning to dive into my A–Z of Romance: Contemporary MACS series! From what I’ve seen on Wattpad, books tend to get more reads when serialized, so you can expect a new chapter every Monday (PST) by end of day. I think I’m going to pants this one—plotting is in my blood (thanks to my day job as a project manager), but I truly can’t envision the full story yet, so we’ll see how it goes flying by the seat of my skirts.
          
          Until next time... MNP xx

Hello, lovely readers!
          
          It's been a minute since I last updated you, so I'll share what I've been up to.
          
          After receiving useful feedback on my first 3 books, I went back and completed a full edit on the first 2 (& in the process of completing the 3rd). I've been utilizing ProwritingAid, but didn't realize I should have been using some specific features. For those who are curious, below are my top five (besides grammar, of course):
          
          1. Echo - Shows you if you have non-glue words that are too close together
          2. Repeats - Shows you how many times you use the word. I have a bad habit of using names and 'like'
          3. Overused - Almost like repeats, but from what I understand, it is for the glue words. 'Was' usually pops up in my list
          4. Style - Shows me adverbs, repeated starts, etc
          5. Sentence Structure - Since I write romance, sometimes a sentence can be too long. I like to use em dashes, so it shows me if I should break it up for easier reading.
          
          Since I made edits to echos, adverbs, etc, my editing time increased significantly, and one chapter could take a couple of hours to refine! I have a whole new appreciation for that business. But it's also taught me how I've been writing and where I have been able to improve moving forward. 
          
          I've republished books 1 & 2, with both books' mysteries receiving a deeper storyline. I'm not sure if the ebook apps automatically update it with the new version, but I know with Google at least, my sister was able to delete the old version and upload the new version.
          
          Finally, I received a finalist place for a writing competition for my first book! I'm also attending a writer's conference next month, so I will be able to pitch my book and series to literary agents and acquiring editors. Because of this, I have decided to hold off on self-publishing book 3 to see what happens. Until then, I'll keep 'A Chemistry at Cross Keys' live for all to read. If you have any tips for speed pitch sessions, please let me know.
          
          Until next time... MNP xx

Hello, lovely readers!
          
          All chapters are now live for A Chemistry at Cross Keys! I had the book beta read recently, and the feedback was so insightful that I made a few changes—and now I have two questions for you. Fair warning: mild spoilers ahead!
          
          Question 1: How do you feel about male virgin tropes? (Think 40-Year-Old Virgin vibes.)
          Question 2: How do you feel about couples who don’t get married in the end? They’re committed, they love each other, but they live in separate homes and approach the relationship more like a modern partnership. I'm thinking that because of different stations, they don't get married.
          
          This beta reader gave such thoughtful, detailed feedback—especially on historical accuracy—that I’ve asked them to review books A and B as well. With the power of publishing ebooks, it's easy to republish with one click. While I’ve had some steady sales, things have slowed down a bit. Before investing in ads, I want to make sure the books are the best they can be. My earlier beta readers were great, but this person caught historical details I hadn’t even considered!
          
          Once I receive their notes and make any necessary revisions, I plan to dive into advertising—likely through Facebook and Google since I publish wide. I’ve also noticed a decent number of sales on Apple Books, so I’ll be exploring ad options there too.
          
          In the meantime, I’m currently writing Draft 2 of A Diversion at Dyrham Park—chapters 1 through 12 will be posted throughout the week, so keep an eye out and let me know what you think!
          
          Also, I’ve started planning the next series in my A-Z of Romance universe. This one’s contemporary and set entirely in a hotel. Since the setting is contained, I’m still figuring out how to incorporate antagonist arcs, as all the scenes will take place in rooms, gyms, restaurants, and other hotel spaces. I’ve published a book with an ideas page, so feel free to drop suggestions—I’d love to hear them!
          
          Until next time... MNP xx

Hello, lovely readers!
          
          A quick note for those who were waiting on new chapters for my third Raven Seal Series novel, 'A Chemistry at Cross Keys'. 
          
          I have published up to chapter 13. I'm doing a round of editing for rhythm and clarity before posting the rest of the chapters. I should have this done by the weekend.
          
          Thanks again for commenting, asking questions, rating, and reviewing, so I understand what works, what doesn't, and where I can improve.
          
          Until next time...MNP x