Marilyn Vix

Well hello! 
          
          It's a whole new year. I've been swamped with trying to steer back into some kind of normal from the Holiday Season. I'm also trying to focus a lot on my mental health this year, ie "Don't over do it!". LOL I'm focusing on my health and well-being by taking things slower and letting myself focus on myself too. Which means, I'm pushing myself less these days. 
          
          But I do enjoy my little writing experiments that I dive into on Wattpad. I continued "Saving My Heart", exploring all the delicious complications that can happen after a couple seems almost together. Well, they got married, but I'm answering the question, was it rushed? 
          Saving My Heart Link:
          https://www.wattpad.com/story/223295701-saving-my-heart-contemporary-newadult
          
          I'm continuing my paranormal investigation research to get some more hands-on experience. One investigation will be at the Winchester Mystery House and the other is at the Washoe Club in Virginia City. Super excited to be doing the real thing, and then taking that experience and putting it into my stories. Yes, I've been investigating some other places too. I've been to Zak Bagan's Haunted Museum in Vegas several times. I have a whole story about the crazy experiences there. I'm sort of writing a true experience story with some characters I made up to help organize the plot structure. All the things that happened didn't occur on one tour, but over several starting in 2017 up through my last time there in December 2021. Actually, now that I think about it, I'm about due for another visit. 
          Anyway, here is that story. 
          My Adventures at Zak Bagans' Haunted Museum
          https://www.wattpad.com/story/185750300-my-adventures-at-zak-bagan%27s-haunted-museum
          
          So, I just wanted to give you all an update on how things are going. I truly hope you are having a great start to 2024, and I hope you're able to check out my updates as you see them appear. 
           
          Stay safe and warm this winter!
          Until next time,
          ~Marilyn

Hey everyone,
          I just wanted to let you know, I'll be getting back to my writing soon. Working at the NorCal Ren Faire wiped me out enough that I've had to rest up and get over a bronchial bug the last few weeks. I will be getting back to writing soon. I am looking forward to getting back into my ghost hunting story and continuing "Saving My Heart". Now that the Wattys are over, I can concentrate on just writing for myself, and of course, for your reading pleasure. 
          
          Look for more installments coming up in the next few weeks. 
          -Marilyn

Greetings everyone and happy October! I always just imagine Tim Curry from "Clue" on Sept. 30th and then him as Frankenfurter on Oct. 1. If you're not sure of those references, watch the Rocky Horror Picture Show. It's a favorite movie watch for October, and the movie I watch on Halloween while I pass out candy. I'll tell you a secret too. I used to play Magenta in a local floor show for that movie back in the day. But I'm digressing. 
          
          I wanted to let you all know, I've got up several new chapters for "Saving My Heart", including the newly posted chapter for today. I've been posting new chapters on Tuesdays. So, please keep a look out for them. And remember, if you're enjoying any of my stories on Wattpad, please comment and like. I appreciate every read and would love to hear what you think. It keeps me motivated to keep going knowing people are out there reading my stories. 
          
          Here's the new chapter link. I'm up to Chapter 39 now. Hazzah!
          
          https://www.wattpad.com/1387384884-saving-my-heart-contemporary-newadult-chapter-39
          
          Happy October! Enjoy a pumpkin spice latte for me,
          -Marilyn

Greetings everyone! I hope you're fall is going well. I just wanted to send out a reminder that I've been working on new chapters for "Saving My Heart" as an ongoing story now. I'm posting each new chapter on Tuesdays. Please feel free to leave comments and let me know how I'm doing. It really does help. Makes me feel less like I'm writing into the void. 
          
          You can start at the beginning or jump into the new chapters at Chapter 32. I've got over 60K in the story so far. I've been having a great time delving back into the emotional ups and downs of Peter and Julie's relationship. Not to mention, Jessica, the ex-fiance, might cause some problems too. So, join in, let me know how I'm doing, and I'll see you all next Tuesday with a new chapter. 
          
          Start of "Saving My Heart": https://www.wattpad.com/877212791-saving-my-heart-contemporary-newadult-chapter-1
          
          New chapters start at Chapter 32 here: https://www.wattpad.com/1373690122-saving-my-heart-contemporary-newadult-chapter-32
          
          Until next time, stay safe, read and write on,
          -Marilyn

Happy Labor Day Weekend!
           
          I hope you're out enjoying some good reads or having a fantastic getaway. I'm proud to say that I'm working on "Saving My Heart" again, and continuing the story. It's been great fun taking it to the next phase, and scenes seem to be flowing out. I'm posting a new chapter weekly. So, if you'd like to get into how Julie and Peter are continuing with more obstacles, please check out the new chapters here. 
          
          https://www.wattpad.com/1373690122-saving-my-heart-contemporary-newadult-chapter-32
          
          Plus, I've entered "Saving My Heart" into the Wattys. The contest tends to be a good motivator to keep me writing, kind of like NaNoWriMo. I'm having fun diving back in and exploring Peter and Julie's relationship again. Join me, and hopefully, (crossing fingers) I'll make the short list this year. You just never know. It's nice to dream about it. And any encouragement would be appreciated. It really keeps me going to hear from you all. 
          
          Have a fabulous September!
          Until next time,
          -Marilyn

Happy summer to you all! I've got some good news. I've reprised "Saving My Heart" and I'm continuing Peter and Julie's story after they get married. I just feel there is some unfinished business, and they got married so suddenly, it should cause all sorts of trouble. So, I invite you to following along with the ongoing story. I'd love to hear your feedback. 
          
          Plus, I've got more exciting news. I've entered it into the Wattys this year. So, feel free to let me know what you think. Plus, there is a fan favorite award this year. I'm hoping to get your vote if ongoing stories are a part of all of that. 
          
          It looks like an exciting fall to dive back into Peter and Julie's story. It's a personal one for me as well since it's got a lot of easter eggs from my real life in it. I really had my boyfriend die when I was 19, and his ex-girlfriend did show up at the funeral and ride with his family. Meanwhile, all his friends looked at me like, WTF?, because they knew I was his girlfriend when he died. I even had been with the family and ironed the clothes he was buried in. So, like yeah, WTF was she thinking? 
          
          I took a lot the angst from the experience and poured it into the story. There's a lot of my blood and tears in it. So, I'm proud of what it is becoming. Join me in the journey. I love sharing it with you, my readers.
          
          Until next time,
          -Marilyn

Greetings everyone, and Happy Valentine's Day! 
          I just wanted to send out a quick note that I've had some of my writer's block disappear, and I've started a new paranormal story. It's called: "Confessions of a Wannabe Ghost Hunter". I had an idea for a story like this for awhile ago, way back in 2018. I actually started it, and then my Dad died. So, it took the wind out of that story's sails. 
          
          It's taken awhile, but I'm back on track with a newer ghost hunting story. I have gone down that rabbit hole researching so I could write a story like this. Yes, I got into paranormal investigating to research a ghost hunting type of story. Also, I've always wanted to do it too. The story was an excuse to try. So, I've used and bought ghost hunting equipment, been to some haunted locations, the Queen Mary Ship in Long Beach, Virginia City in Nevada, just to name a few. So, I'm using my own experience to give the ghost hunting a realness edge. 
          
          So, here is the link. I'm working on part 5 now, and trying to get a new chapter up a week. Please follow and enjoy. Looking forward to hearing your feedback. 
          
          Confessions of a Wannabe Ghost Hunter:
          https://www.wattpad.com/1308772618-confessions-of-a-wannabe-ghost-hunter-chapter-1
           Plus, I am still working on my Zak Bagan's Haunted Museum Tour story, with fictional characters going on a tour, but my real experiences from the museum as content. So, here's that link too if you like paranormal reads: https://www.wattpad.com/724455697-my-adventures-at-zak-bagan%27s-haunted-museum
          
          Until next time, stay safe and keep writing/reading!
          -Marilyn

After almost 3 years, I’m finally releasing a new book with co-author, Lynda Belle. The series we have worked so hard on for several years is now coming out as an omnibus, with all three novellas presented for your reading pleasure.
          
          THANKFUL IN VEGAS Omnibus Edition will release on Nov. 4, 2022. 
          
          "Is dating a gambler in Vegas a good idea?
          Especially if you work for him?"
          More blurb available at links below.
          
          This is the omnibus edition of the “Thankful in Vegas” novella series.
          US Buy Links Below:
          
          Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Thankful-Vegas-Omnibus-Lynda-Belle-ebook/dp/B0BKP5B6HY
          Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thankful-in-vegas-omnibus-edition-marilyn-vix/1142562785
          
          If you are international, try checking out online bookstores available in your country. Search for: Thankful In Vegas Omnibus Marilyn Vix
          
          To add to the festivities, I will be having a Facebook Online Book Release Party on Sat. November 5, 2022 from 4:30pm PDT to 6:30pm PDT. There will be fabulous prizes including copies of the new release in print or ebook editions, my fabulous custom goat’s milk soap bars in autumn scents, and specially made drink charm necklace swag so I can share a drink with you. I am putting my crafting abilities to good use for this party. Be sure to take advantage of it. I’ve been wire wrapping jewelry for 30 years and now have branched out into soap-making due to COVID-19.
          
          FACEBOOK/ONLINE THANKFUL IN VEGAS OMNIBUS EDITION RELEASE PARTY
          Saturday, November 5, 2022
          4:30pm PDT to 6:30pm PDT (West Coast-USA)
          6:30PM CDT to 8:30PM CDT (Central Time-USA)
          Hosted by Platinum Promos/Vicki Rose
          Facebook Party Hosting Page
          Link for info about  the  Online Release Party: https://www.facebook.com/events/1225862831324606
          Would love to see you there! I love having online release events to meet and talk with readers. There's games, fun and chat. Come out and meet me online. 
          So, have a great weekend. Hopefully, I'll see you at my online release party. 
          -Marilyn

Hey,
          Just wanted to do an update since it's been awhile. I am proud to say, I've gotten over my writer's block, and finally finished a novella. It's the sequel to a series I've been writing, a romantic suspense series which takes place, you guessed it, in Las Vegas. I just can't get enough of that town. 
          
          And it's been released wide. So, you can find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other online retailers. I posted on my blog about it. It's called: "Taking On Vegas". It's the conclusion to my series between a Las Vegas maid gone showgirl that gets involved with a gambler. It was tons of fun to write. Like all my series, it's at a modest price of $0.99. I try to keep my prices low to feed reading addictions, but a little cash helps a girl to eat. 
          
          Info is here on my blog: 
          https://marilynvix.com/2022/02/09/new-release-taking-on-vegas-thankful-in-vegas-3-in-time-for-valentines-day-from-marilyn-vix/
          
          There's also info about going to ParaUnity 2021 in Las Vegas, and meeting awesome ghost hunters like the "Destination Fear" crew, "Ghost Hunters" and Zak Bagans. So, I was pretty Vegas obsessed at the beginning of the year. 
          
          As far as other writing ventures, I've been really getting into paranormal investigating. It all started with trying to write a romance between paranormal investigators, and I've sort of dove down the rabbit hole and found an awesome, supportive community. So, maybe they'll be a novel out of it yet. We'll have to see. 
          
          Meanwhile, please check out "Saving My Heart" if you haven't already read it on Wattpad. It's from my billionaire writing obsession days. I'm planning to leave it up on Wattpad. It was born here and will stay here, though self-publishing a print edition is really tempting. 
          
          https://www.wattpad.com/877212791-saving-my-heart-contemporary-newadult-chapter-1
          
          So, that's some updates from me. I hope you are staying well, keeping safe and COVID-19 safe, and I wish you the best for 2022. 
          
          Until next time, 
          Marilyn

So, I've bit the bullet and have entered "Saving My Heart" into the 2021 Watties this year. I've worked so hard on this story, and it was essentially born on Wattpad as I wrote the first draft after surviving a heart attack in my mid-forties. I mean, really, what a way to be ushered out of the classroom. Though, it was the pandemic that has really ushered me out of teaching and into full retirement. But, I digress. 
          
          It's just been a long journey on Wattpad, having tried out different story types, and developed others into novellas. Some turned into something else into later drafts, and some are still on Wattpad now, including "Saving My Heart". Wattpad has been my writing playground since the end of 2014. So, I guess, trying the Watties one more time isn't going to hurt any. Though, I'll be so surprised if I actually got shortlisted. I dare to dream, I guess. But I always do when I enter anything.
          
          Here's the link to "Saving My Heart", newly entered into the Watties:
          https://www.wattpad.com/877212791-saving-my-heart-contemporary-newadult-chapter-1
          
          So, giving it ago, and I'm happy to officially be in the Watties again. Hope you enjoy a read of it, and comment below to give your input. 
          And if you've entered, good luck to you as well. We writers need to stick together.
          Until next time, 
          Stay safe, wear a mask, and PLEASE, get vaccinated.
          -Marilyn