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The Vermin Series Book 2: What You Need to Know

| Ardin Patterson

If you have yet to read book one in the series, I will do my best not to spoil anything with this post, and of course if you’d like to read it, you can find it here:

Thank you to those of you who have been so patient, waiting for the release date announcement. I don’t have that date just yet because things were delayed due to unforeseen circumstances, but I can say that we’ve settled on a title for the second installment of the series and…the test readers all came back with excellent feedback!

Honestly, I’m so excited for this book to release. I’ve been prepping another giveaway, and I’m definitely stoked about it. I’m also planning to do more in-person author events after the release, given that my schedule permits them. I had so much fun doing the one in Waterloo, and getting to chat with booklovers from across the region.

I’ll be revealing the name of the second book once we get the finalized cover art, but I’m really excited.

I’ve got a bunch of other projects on the go here, that I can’t wait to share.

In preparation for book two, and as a treat to those who’ve read the first novel in the series, I’ll be releasing my first full EP on Spotify, which is a collection of songs from the series. The Songs From Vermin EP will release this month on my birthday! I can’t wait to share it. I recorded a lot of these songs between 2019 and 2020. My favourite out of the set is Bicycle Blues, and I think once you hear it, you’ll know why.

Until further updates, and announcements come along I hope that you’ll check out my reviews, and hopefully find a new favourite book to add to your TBR!

One Italian Summer – Review

About When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all…

by Ardin Patterson

NaNoWriMo 2022

For those participating, how is NaNoWriMo going so far? We’re now 17 days in, and I’m fairly satisfied with my progress so far. I like…

by Ardin Patterson

Read More about Vermin

Songs from Vermin

As promised, yesterday the EP Songs from Vermin released onto streaming platforms, along with the single Loneliness. I had so much fun recording all of…

by Ardin Patterson

My First Book Signing

I finally did my first book signing this past weekend, and it was so much fun. Releasing a novel during the pandemic was weird. I’m…

by Ardin Patterson

Writing Updates

I’ve been writing the third book in the Vermin series by hand, which has honestly been cathartic. I don’t know why I stopped drafting novels…

by Ardin Patterson

Vermin Series Updates

| Ardin Patterson

All right, it is time for some series updates.

This one isn’t going to be very long, but I thought it would be a good time to update you all on books two and three of The Vermin Series.

Book Two

A lot of you have been asking about the release date for book two, and at this time I still don’t know. I can say that I’m thrilled so many of you are eager to read it–I personally can’t wait to have my copy added to my shelf–but unfortunately there’s a publishing backlog, so once I get the okay from my publisher, I’ll let you know the timeline and when the ARCs will be available. What I can tell you, is that I will be hosting two different giveaways at the time of it’s release, so please keep an eye out for that. Announcements will be made here on the blog, TikTok, Twitter and on Instagram.

Book Three

As for book three it is going wonderfully! Hopefully the timeline between these books being printed will not be so long, but the pandemic has really thrown a lot of things off, and folks are still adjusting to the high demand for books. I know how hard these editors work, and my goodness…they are fantastic! I am so grateful.

Other News

Vermin’s gotten more reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and Indigo.ca. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read it, and for all of those who added it to your TBR.

Vermin also turned 1 years old this month! Can you believe it? In honour of that, I ate a celebratory crepe. A fun little TikTok was also posted:

@theverminseries

Roland’s backstory explained by his niece in honour of Vermin’s 1 year anniversary 💖…#themselves #summerreading #reading #bookworm #booktok #characterart #bookfanart #sketchbook #storytime #oc

♬ The Story of The Phantom – Krystina Alabado & Will Roland & Stephanie Styles

To see more videos like this be sure to follow @theverminseries on TikTok.

Writing Updates

| Ardin Patterson

I’ve been writing the third book in the Vermin series by hand, which has honestly been cathartic. I don’t know why I stopped drafting novels this way? I think it had to do with tracking my word count for NaNoWriMo honestly…

Back when I was working on the draft for the first book in the series, I had written everything by hand in a binder. After completing it, and transferring the draft onto my computer for editing, and the querying, I wrote the majority of book two’s draft on my computer, only writing the odd scene by hand here and there. The other writing projects I was working on around the time that I was editing book two were also written on my computer versus in a binder or notebook like I’d done previously. I’ve found that writing on my computer for my first drafts restricting. I constantly go back and edit scenes over and over, while I’m drafting when I should be writing, and allowing the story to unfold naturally. Writing the initial draft by hand allows for more freedom. If I make a mistake, I move on, especially since for the first time I’m drafting in pen.

I normally use pencil, but I have so many nice pens, and love the feel of pen on paper, so I went for it.

The other reason I decided to draft book three by hand is because for years I kept telling myself I needed a break from screens, and the pandemic didn’t really help the situation. I check my phone so often throughout the day that I just started leaving it in my room, and trying to only check it a couple times a day for emails from work. I found that outside of reading, I was spending way too much time on my phone just scrolling, and wasting time. Even with my computer, I’d get distracted while working on a scene and go off on a random Google search that would consume so much of my time. If you find yourself getting distracted by such things, I recommend going into your phone settings and using the wellness features that allow you to turn off any distracting apps for a period of time. You can set this as a daily thing, or simply choose one day a week. I have mine set do occur once a week, and I use that time to read and write. It was especially helpful while editing book two because it took away the temptation to play on my phone and watch tiktoks for three hours. Instead I was using those three hours to do the things I actually wanted to do.

I know most newer phones have this feature (my old one didn’t) and I’m honestly thankful for it. I’ve been making an effort to spend less and less time scrolling aimlessly. I recommend not checking your phone first thing in the morning either. If you’re like me and use it as an alarm clock (my alarm clock broke in university), then this can be difficult. What I do is, I simply turn off my alarm and walk away. I focus on getting ready or go eat my breakfast and then, I’ll come back and actually unlock my phone. Being bombarded with all kinds of notifications right when you wake up, can be super distracting. I know that in the past I’ve opened my phone to check an email from my agent, and then ended up going through all my socials, and an hour would pass. An hour that I could’ve spent getting ready for the day. After a while this can get a bit overwhelming, so instead I don’t bother checking my phone until an hour after I’ve woken up. I don’t know why, but I guess it just sets the tone for the rest of the day.

Since making this change I’ve found that book three is coming along nicely. The entire process has been lovely. I’m fully focused, and don’t need to constantly reread sentences because I was distracted by YouTube or a sale somewhere or what’s trending on Twitter. I’ve just been writing, and having fun. My mind isn’t wandering. I’m super excited about book three, but that is all I’m going to say as I don’t want to accidentally spoil the events of book two before anyone can get their hands on it. I still don’t know they release date for the second book in the series, but I will let you know as soon as I get word on that. I had a lot of fun writing it, but I just really needed a break from constantly being on the computer, after three years of it. I have nothing against technology or anything, but damn…social media is so distracting. It’s sad how many hours are wasted just scrolling and scrolling and scrolling. I’d rather read or draw or go lay in my hammock and stare at clouds for an hour.

Now outside of book three news, if you follow me on Instagram you may have noticed that I’m doing an in-person book signing! I’m absolutely thrilled about this. I was a little nervous to do one alone since I didn’t get an opportunity to do one when my book initially released because of the pandemic, but thankfully the fantastic author Lindsey-Anne Pontes, whose book I reviewed a while back here on the blog, asked if I’d join her for a signing. She’s done plenty, so I’m glad to have her there with me. Initially I was very nervous but as the date approaches, I’m feeling less nervous and more excited.

As a little kid I always imagined doing a book signing. I wanted to have my books all laid out nicely in a cute display on the table, and write nice messages to readers, and talk with them about my work. I’ve been to a handful of signings in my life, and the authors were always so great. I’m hoping I give off that same vibe to people who come and say hi. I’d love to recreate that feeling for someone else. Meeting and talking to someone about their book is so much fun!

I actually have a list of authors that I would love to meet someday, and now that signings are finally happening again I’ve got my fingers crossed that I’ll be able to.

I am planning on doing another signing when book two releases, and am looking forward to sharing my other writing project with everyone soon. I’m also just very excited to talk about my novel in person.

If you’d like to purchase a copy of Vermin, you can get it from Amazon or Indigo.

If you’ve already read the first book, don’t forget to leave a review and stay tuned for book two announcements!

Read More about Vermin

April Novel Update

Back in October of 2020 I wrote a post about what real life books the cast of Vermin might have on their bookshelves. It was…

by Ardin Patterson

Editing Update

| Ardin Patterson

I’m currently doing a read through of my manuscript trying to watch out for crutch words. While drafting my manuscript I kept a list of these words, words that I tend to overuse, and going through the list I’m actually pleased with how just keeping track of them has helped me reduce them a fair amount. Now that I know what the results are for each of these words, I’ve set a minimum and maximum usage amount, followed by alternative words so that I can focus on finding appropriate substitutes. I base the usage amount of the overall word count for my manuscript.

Of course, I’m sure my editor will find other words that I may not have picked up on myself, but many of these words are ones that they pointed out with my first book, so I’m hoping to reduce them before passing my manuscript along to her.

Crutch words aside, I’ve also created a checklist outside of my draft notes on any corrections, additions or areas that I think need fluffing or cutting down. I’ve also included a list of things to keep in mind while I’m reading.

I like to do these types of full edits before I pass my manuscripts along, because I find that the cleaner my draft is, the easier time we’ll have going over it.

For this edit, I’ve been making great use of my thesaurus, and am challenging myself to step away from my comfort zones a little bit. Anything that seems off or feels like it needs to be reworked or cut, I’ve been tackling immediately. My goal is to complete this edit by the end of the day, and so far I’ve been making great progress. With that said, it’s back to work for me. I’ll be treating myself to some ice cream once I complete everything on my list.

music

Quick Update

It’s officially December, which means that NaNoWriMo22 has come to an end. I still have a lot to do for this novel, however it’s been…

by Ardin Patterson
music

You and Me

Lyrics I know you and me Could be More than two I know you and me Could be I don’t want to say goodbye To…

by Ardin Patterson

“You’re all probably wondering why i called this meeting…”

| Ardin Patterson
@theverminseries

“You’re all probably wondering why I called this meeting” 🙄#booksbooksbooks #bookishthings #reading #theverminseries

♬ original sound – VI KEELAND

What have you been reading lately?

As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve been catching up on some reading am would love to challenge myself to see how many books I can complete in a week. I’m almost finished the two I’ve been reading, so I’ll probably start this challenge once I’m finished them. While reading, I’m also taking some notes on passages that really stick out to me, not exactly in an annotated kind of way, but more just keeping my notebook nearby and jotting down what about that line or passage made me say, “Wow this is fantastic!”

I’m considering this a part of my research, since I feel reading helps me write better, and pushes me to try out new techniques, genres or styles. Plus, it’s fun!

The one book I’m reading is at a very crucial point, and I’d like to avoid spoilers so…I’ll just let you know, that I’m both excited and worried for the characters! If they kill off my faves I will probably cry. Who am I kidding? I will definitely cry! I’ve had so many of my favourite characters die off between the books and shows I love, that I’m lining up an entire list of soft-cute-fluff shojo to read on the side.

Well, I best get back to my books!

Nicholas’ Playlist

| Ardin Patterson

“Hallet, Matya Frudach!“

Translation: “Hello my friend!”

In today’s post I’ll be sharing a handful of songs off of Nicholas’ playlist. Like Roland and Dianna’s playlists having songs that overlap, Nicholas’ songs at times overlap with Rose’s. His playlist has more of a cinematic feel to it compared to my other character’s. I’d say Roland’s at time has this element as well, but many of his songs are selected based off his experiences or states of emotion, whereas Nicholas’ tend to be based off different scenes, chapters or even ideas still floating around in my noggin.

I’ve always adored Amy Lee’s voice, and absolutely love this song for Nicholas’ journey.

If you haven’t had a chance to grab a copy of Vermin, you can get the ebook and paperback through Amazon, or grab the paperback from Indigo.

Now, if you’ve already finished the first book, don’t forget to leave a rating or review on Goodreads or Amazon or follow the official series tiktok @theverminseries for more book and character related content. I’d also love to know who your favourite character is!

So far from what I’ve heard, Nicholas and Roland are ranked at the top, and a lot of readers also seem to like the Crispin kids.

Dianna’s Playlist

| Ardin Patterson

Dianna’s playlist often intertwines with Roland’s so I had to go back to my previous post to make sure I didn’t accidentally repost the same songs. I think I’ve managed to avoid that…and so, here are a handful of songs off Dianna’s playlist!

Never Mine is a song written and performed by my friend Mary-Kate Edwards. It’s one of my favourites of hers and I absolutely adore listening to it, along with the rest of her album when I’m writing.

I’m so excited about the scenes I’ve written to these songs in book two! Especially in the cases where the songs overlap between Roland and Dianna.

I also can’t wait to introduce the handful of new characters to you all…hehe!

Roland’s Playlist

| Ardin Patterson

I haven’t shared music from my characters playlists in a couple of months, and thought January would be the perfect time to start. I’m constantly adding new songs to these, and occasionally listen to them while I write.

Most of the scenes that I write with music happen to be Roland’s, so his playlist is the longest out of everyone’s. The first song is by a band I used to listen to a lot when I was younger. I started teaching myself one of their songs on the guitar the other day after it popped into my head, and then I went and found the album.

I hope none of the songs provide any series spoilers (they shouldn’t), but I do hope you find one to add to your own playlists.

I’ve written a lot of scenes with Roland to this cover by Chase Holfelder. I highly recommend checking out his music on YouTube, he’s got a lovely voice and his arrangements are really nice.

Roland’s got one of the moodier playlists, but it’s also one that I like to listen to in my free time, or when I’m just hanging out. I’ve found a lot of really beautiful songs while writing this series. Try to Change is probably one of my favourites that I’ve come across while creating this series.

Writing Goals 2022

| Ardin Patterson

Every year I like to try and set writing goals, and track my progress. Unfortunately, last year I wasn’t able to meet all of my goals, however I did make excellent progress during NaNoWriMo, and I’m pleased with work I was able to do during the year despite having some set backs.

This year, I’m fully prepared to meet each of the writing goals I’ve set, and am excited to do so. Last year, I made an effort to write by hand, which is something I’ll be doing this year with new manuscripts. It’s calming, and allows me to really let an idea sink in as I work. I also really like the fact that I can read from my page as I type, and make edits and changes as I transfer what I’ve written onto my computer.

During the early part of this year, I’d like to complete my current projects. The one I’m hoping to complete fairly soon, so that I can have it prepped for my editor. The other, I’ve been putting on hold on an off, since I’ve had other projects to finish, but I’m excited about it, and would love to complete it. I’ve been building mood boards and playlists for it in the meantime. I find doing this keeps me excited about my projects.

One of my other writing goals, is to complete the script for a project I’ve been working on. I had issues with my computer, and wasn’t about to work on it as much as I wanted in 2021…but I’m hyped about this project, and I really want to see it come to life.

In order to complete each of these projects, I’ve decided to take time and track my progress, taking note of things such as chapters, scenes, word count etc. and scheduling in more time to write during the week.

For example, I may set aside a specific day of the week to work, or I’ll work my writing schedule into my other work schedules (which is what I’ve done previously). Finding a consistent time to write isn’t always easy, so instead I try to find the right time to write, depending on my current situation. That’s actually why I loved writing by hand before university, because I could carry notebooks and binders around with me wherever I was, and work from anywhere without worrying about charging my laptop and having memory sticks handy. All I needed was paper and a good pen.

I’ve mentioned this before on my blog, but I highly, highly, highly, recommend investing in a decent pen. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but it should write well, and personally it should spark joy in you. For example, my sparkly blue pen, it’s pretty, it lasted me a long time, and every time I use it, it makes me feel like whatever I’m writing is of great importance…even if its just a grocery list. I got a bunch of nice pens for Christmas, one from my friend, which is Sakura’s wand from Card Captor, and a whole pile of cute animal/food ones from my little sister. I also got three beautiful journals, which I can’t wait to use! I’ve already decided which manuscripts as going in each, and I’m just so, so, so excited to write.

My computer stopped working properly after NaNoWriMo, so I was writing deprived for nearly all of December! It was torture….or at least it felt that way. Writing by hand on random notepads and loose papers kept me from going stir crazy. Instead I took that time to read, and do novel scene studies and also study some of the scripts I’d previously recorded. Usually scene studies, at least what I do, is just looking over a text and picking out things that I enjoy. I do this with a range of different books in different genres, for different age groups, and I find it motivates me to learn new writing techniques, but also opens me up to the idea of trying out new genres, or playing around more with language.

I’m really hoping that this year, I’ll meet all of my project deadlines, and will be able to share more about what I’ve been working on. I’d also love to post more of my scene practices I’ve done, because I have fun writing them, and I think it’d be nice to share. I like reading snippets like that on other peoples blogs, and I haven’t shared one myself in a while.

I wish you all the best with your goals this year, and I hope you have a lovely year ahead of you,

–Ardin.