Perfectly Perplexing Zombie Now Available!

I can’t believe Christmas is only two days away. I swear, time really does fly. It doesn’t appear that we’ll have a white Christmas where I live. Rain—yes. Snow—no. I’m not truly upset about that. While I think snow is pretty, it is horrible to drive in and if we did have inclement weather that day that would mean those employed to clear the roads would be pulled away from their families and loved ones. So, rain it is!

As the title and picture on this post indicate, the fourth book in the Perfect Pixie series is out. Perfectly Perplexing Zombie follows Wendall Galen’s and Hellfire Rayburn’s story. I enjoyed writing Wendall’s character the most—especially the bits involving Trinket (you’ll meet the little scuttlebutt in the story). This book also starts moving the general, overall storyline in the series further along. Book five, which I am currently writing, will conclude this series. I do have plans brewing in my head to write other stories that take place in this universe. I’m also still toying with the idea of writing a book of short stories pertaining to side characters throughout.

As an FYI, unfortunately, Perfectly Perfect Pixie’s audiobook date release has been pushed back to February 6th. From what I understand there were some narrator issues, but everything should be fine. I’ve gotten some great feedback regarding the Perfectly Imperfect Pixie audio recording. The same voice actors will be used for Perfectly Perfect Pixie.

The third Maverick Insurance Mystery book is currently going through editing and will hopefully be released sometime in February. That is the current goal. I believe there will be four books total in this series. I will start on the fourth one as soon as I finish the fifth pixie book.

On the veterinary front, we are still busy, although I do believe it’s slowed down some from last year. This time of year often brings a lot of euthanasias and that is sometimes difficult to get through.

Anyone who has a job working with the public is well aware that it can be a mixed bag. I have clients that I adore and look forward to seeing. They are the shining lights in my day. And then there are others that act like social vampires that suck the joy right out of your soul. I’d really like to get back to the days where being an asshat was considered an embarrassment instead of a right to be celebrated. Maybe we’ll get back to that point someday, but so far I haven’t seen a lot of evidence leading that direction. In fact, I’d say it’s the opposite.

Hmm . . . sorry, that wasn’t very upbeat or in the holiday spirit so I’ll finish on a high note. I am looking forward to Christmas this year as I think I got some surprise gifts my family will like. Shh, don’t tell, but Fennik is getting a peanut butter stuffed hoof and Newton is getting a couple fo new toys he can beat the shit out off before batting them under some piece of furniture where they disappear until God knows when.

I’ll end there and wish everyone happy holidays and a very happy and safe New Year. I’ll throw in a wish for everyone to try and hold on to their sanity. I doubt most Americans are looking forward to 2024. As much as I’m dreading the upcoming election year, I keep reminding myself that I am blessed to be able to vote and have a say in my future. I will keep that in mind as I lay awake at night worrying. Choice is a precious gift. One that should never be squandered or taken for granted.

Stay well, safe, and as content as possible.

MJ May

Festive House

Good morning all! I thought I’d post a photo of my house all decked out for Christmas. I changed up the lights this year. I’ve used all green lights in the past but decided to change to mostly blue this year. I typically wait until Thanksgiving or the weekend after to decorate, but we had great weather last week. It was about 65 degrees on my day off. I just couldn’t pass up that kind of opportunity. Normally I’m freezing when I put up the lights. This year, I was sweating. It was weird.

I don’t usually decorate inside the house and don’t plan to this year either. When I was younger, I loved Christmas and couldn’t wait to decorate inside and out. As I’ve gotten older, Christmas has lost a lot of its shine (for me at least). However, I still really like the outside lights. It starts getting cold, gloomy, and dark this time of year and the lights help brighten the atmosphere.

Speaking of Christmas . . . Perfectly Perfect Pixie is coming out on audio December 26th. Yeah! Podium has purchased the rights to all the pixie books so hopefully all of them will have an audio option. It is currently available for pre-order.

I just finished writing the third Maverick Insurance Mystery story. It will get sent off to start the editing process next week and will hopefully be available Jan/Feb of 2024. I plan to start writing the fifth (and most likely, final) pixie book this week. We’ll get introduced to a new pixie custom made for Lucroy’s right hand vamp, Leon. The fourth pixie book, “Perfectly Perplexing Zombie” will be up for pre-order soon. I’m waiting on it to come back from proofreading, but otherwise, it’s all set. I think it should be available mid to late December.

For those living in the U.S.A. this week is Thanksgiving. I host Thanksgiving. My home isn’t very large, but I don’t have a very big family. We’ll have the typical carbolicious Midwestern holiday meal. I’ll eat way too much and need someone to roll me around, but I’m looking forward to it. The fact I only have to work 2 days in the clinic this week is an added bonus 🙂 The owner of the practice closes the clinic not only on Thanksgiving, but the day and weekend after. It makes for a nice break that everyone can plan for.

That’s all for now. My body and brain are still trying to adjust to going off Daylight Savings Time (I’m still confused why we do this). I figure my biorhythms will work themselves out just about the time we’re ready to go back on Daylight Savings in March.

Until next time, stay well and as sane as possible. Keep those who give you peace close, including the four legged furry ones.

MJ May

Peaceful Set Up

What? Two posts in one night??? What is going on? 🙂

I wanted to post a picture of my set up when I was on vacation in Ocean Springs. Lathered in sunscreen and protected by my shade umbrella, I spent quite a few hours lounging on the beach, listening to the water and basically doing a whole lot of nothing.

It was wonderful . . . until I got stung by a jelly fish. Still a great trip!

MJ May

Perfectly Charmed Pixie: Ugh . . . Sorry, I’m running a little late on this one.

I’m such a bad blogger. Perfectly Charmed Pixie was released a week ago, on October 6th. In my defense, I’ve been very busy. That’s still not much of an excuse. I hope you enjoy this story. I sort of fell in love with Parsnip, Vander, and Byx.

On a really positive note, Podium Audio picked up all the Perfect Pixie books! That includes the fourth book, “Perfectly Perplexing Zombie” which will be out toward the end of this year. It is currently in proofreading and the cover was delivered today. All told, I believe there will be 5 pixie books. I haven’t started the fifth one yet, but I’ve got the main characters planned out and I am mentally working through the plot. Currently, I’m writing the 3rd Maverick Insurance Mystery book. I’m not sure of a title yet, but I’m toying with, “The Road to Hell”. The fourth book would then be called, “Is Paved With Good Intentions”. That’s not solid yet, but it’s the way I’m leaning. The third Maverick Insurance Mystery book goes through first editing toward the end of November. I suspicion it will be ready for release in Feb/March of 2024 but time will tell.

Right now, I expect the 5th (and most likely final) pixie book to be out in late spring 2024. I’ve toyed with writing a book of short stories featuring the side characters in the books. No promises, but I think it would be fun.

Even though that will most likely be the final “pixie book”, I enjoy the world they live in and suspect I’ll write more books within this universe. I’ve got a few ideas bouncing around my head that aren’t letting me sleep at night. As with everything, time will tell.

On a personal note, I took my first true vacation in seven years last month. Go me! It was lovely. I went to Ocean Springs, MS. It’s a lovely town and the beach was beautiful. The weather was great (I love the heat) and the people there were kind. The drive was long, but even that was a nice change of pace from the routine.

Veterinary work is still very busy. Some days, I think it might be letting up, and then I’m proven wrong. I was watching a podcast on the state of veterinary medicine this past week and they’re predicting a shortage of 20,000 veterinarians to meet the expected demand in 2030. That is not an encouraging number 😦 The veterinary technician numbers are even worse. Sigh . . . We’ll keep plugging along and trying our best, just like all the other professions out there that are short staffed.

That’s all for tonight. Again, so sorry for not posting Perfectly Charmed Pixie when it was released. My brain gets busy and unfortunately, my mind is more like a sieve than a steel trap these days.

As always, be well and kind. The world is a horribly scary place right now and tensions are high – both at home and abroad. My thoughts and well wishes go out to all. Some days it’s difficult trying to stay positive. For me, reading is even more important to my mental health than ever. I need that escape, however brief, to give my brain a moment to pause and push back the anxiety. I hope that my stories help you do the same.

MJ May

FenFen is 5!

I want to give a shout out to my dog, Fennik (FenFen). He turned 5 years old on Aug 31st. The ladies at work indulged me once again by helping celebrate his big day. We had cupcakes (white cake), Fen wore his traditional birthday hat, and we sang happy birthday to him. While Fen is deaf and can’t hear the singing, he knows he’s the center of attention and that makes him one happy boy.

I often say Fen is a funny guy and that is no more true than when he’s running around the clinic in his birthday hat. He is incredibly good natured and the perfect, couch potato dog for me. I am very fortunate to have him in my life. Animals, and pets in particular, are a blessing.

For those of you that don’t know, the third pixie book, “Perfectly Charmed Pixie” is now available for pre-order and will be released Oct. 6th (my sister’s birthday 🙂 The fourth pixie book (still unnamed) is currently going through editing. I think all told, there will be five pixie books and possibly a book of short stories regarding side characters. I’ve fallen in love with a lot of the side characters and can think of many ways to expand upon their lives that would not necessarily make for a full length novel.

While I can’t believe Fen is five, it’s nearly as difficult to believe September has rolled around already and it is Labor Day weekend. For those living in the United States, have a safe and happy holiday. For everyone in the world, be well and have a great day.

MJ May

Perfectly Perfect Pixie Available for Pre-Order

I’m happy to post Perfectly Perfect Pixie: Peaches’s Story, is now available for pre-order. It will be delivered on Aug 7th. Once again, I think Cheriefox did a fantastic job with the book cover. Peaches looks so handsome. Just as I’d love to have a home and hearth pixie, I’d equally love a garden/nature pixie also. We’d all have such beautiful, welcoming homes if that were the case.

I enjoyed writing Peaches’s story. I kind of fell in love with his tenacity in Perfectly Imperfect Pixie. He was always Phil’s biggest defender and supported his friend. I thought it fitting that Peaches have his HEA and what better choice than a 600 year-old vampire? Lucroy needs the type of sunshine that won’t turn him into ash, and Peaches is just the right pixie for the job.

The third book in the Perfect Pixie series is done and currently going through editing. Cheriefox is working on the cover and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with. I hope to have Perfectly Charmed Pixie: Parsnip’s Story, out this fall.

On the veterinarian front . . . we are still busy. One of our doctors was away this past week for CE conference with a bit of vacation thrown into the mix. That left just two of us again. I believe this past week reminded us why a third doctor is needed and appreciated.

The new addition is working out well. It is so nice to have more space and not be on top of each other all the time. The only draw back is now I feel like I spend a fair amount of my time circling the building looking for a specific individual. Sometimes it feels like a comedy routine when two of us are looking for each other and just keep going around and around. I’ve learned to just stop and wait for the other person to find me.

Fennik has adjusted to the new office much better than I thought he would. The first week was rough, but after that, he’s back to sleeping and snoring through most of the day. The staff still come in to give him belly rubs and that’s his day. Since he’s deaf, he can’t hear the hustle and bustle of the clinic and manages to sleep/snore through nearly everything. He’s got such a rough life . . .

I can’t believe it’s the middle of July already. My flower garden is so beautiful this year. I love coneflowers and they are blooming like mad. It’s a purple explosion outside my window. I little wren made a nest in a birdhouse my mom made. If you don’t know anything about wrens, let me tell you, for something so small, they have a lot to say and they say it loudly. I can hear their babies chirping away in the bird house, hidden from view by all the little sticks and debris stuffed inside. My hawks didn’t return to nest this year, but the wrens are pretty cute and have been fun to watch and listen to.

I sincerely hope you like Perfectly Perfect Pixie. Phil’s a hard act to follow and I did my best. Phil, Sedrick, and the kids show up here and there throughout. Just as Peaches was integral to Phil’s story, so he is with Peaches.

Take care, stay well and cool (if possible). Take time to read something enjoyable—something that takes you away from your worries and transports you into a sweet fantasy, if only for a short time. It’s good for the brain and the soul.

MJ May

Perfectly Imperfect Pixie Audio Book Available for Pre Order!

Happy Summer one and all! This will be a quick post (I’ll post something a bit longer in a couple of weeks when the second pixie book is available for pre-order). The first pixie book, “Perfectly Imperfect Pixie” is now available for pre-order on Audible. It is only available on this site. From my understanding, having an Audible subscription is beneficial.

As anyone who’s read my posts before knows, the audiobook world is brand-spanking new to me. This is an exciting endeavor and I hope it is well received. If so, there could be more audiobooks.

“Perfectly Perfect Pixie: Peaches Story” will hopefully be available for pre-order on Kindle in 2-3 weeks. It is currently being proofread. The cover for the book is finished and cheriefox did an amazing job. Peaches looks so handsome. I sincerely hope you love Peaches’s story as much as Phil’s.

The third pixie book, “Perfectly Charmed Pixie: Parsnip’s Story” is currently in the editing phase and the cover is also being worked on. I hope to have it out in the fall. I fourth pixie book is in the works as well. Currently, I plan to start writing the third installment in the Maverick Insurance Mystery series soon.

Thank you all for your support. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, I hope you’re having a great summer. For those in the Southern Hemisphere . . . sucks to be you right now. Come January, I’ll be extremely jealous as I’m freezing my ass off in the U.S.

Take care and stay well,

MJ May

Goes Unpunished: Maverick Insurance Mysteries Book II

Good afternoon! I’m happy to relay that the follow up book to “No Good Deed” is available for pre-order and can be downloaded June 2nd. “Goes Unpunished” continues Nate and Perry’s story with a new murder mystery Detective Nathaniel Harmon and his partner, Detective Natalie Jones need to solve. This murder hits a little close to home and drags Perry’s best friend, Gayle Ripley into the fray.

Nate and Perry’s relationship continues to grow even while Nate’s job constantly pulls him away from the man he’s growing to love. Nate’s continued suspicion regarding Perry’s place of employment constantly plays a discordant background tune.

In other book news . . . I am hopeful the follow up to “Perfectly Imperfect Pixie” will available by the end of July. “Perfectly Perfect Pixie” Peaches story, has gone through its primary editing. Proofreading is still necessary and the cover is being worked on and due back this week (fingers crossed). On Peaches’s heels, is a third pixie book that will be entitled, “Perfectly Charmed Pixie” Parsnip’s story. This book was just sent out for its first round of editing. I expect it to be available this fall.

The audio version of Perfectly Imperfect Pixie is still in the works and is due out in August. I know who the narrators (audio actors) will be, but haven’t heard it yet. As many of you know from past posts, this is my first foray into the world of audiobooks. This is a world I’m a complete novice in. I’m a reader, not a listener, but I understand many like the audiobook world and I’m happy to have a chance to share Phil and Sedrick’s lives with those individuals as well.

On the veterinary front, we have finally opened and moved into the new addition!!! Happy claps all around! It is so nice and much brighter than the older aspect. The new part has LED lighting and lighter paint and flooring. I suspicion LED lighting is in the older part of the building’s future. We are having an open house mid-June. I’m in charge of the vaccination and preventative portion of the open house. I suspicion I’ll be relegated to an older, dimmer section of the building but I can make it work. Fen Fen will be with me, most likely sleeping/snoring in a corner of the room.

Speaking of Fen, I just got a call that he’s ready to be picked up from the groomer. This day couldn’t come fast enough. He was such a stinky boy. Nothing horrid, just dirty dog smell. The last few nights I’ve left the window in his room cracked so it doesn’t stink as bad when I open the door. I only have four legged kiddos, but I imagine it might be similar to living with a teenage boy in the house. Pew! (No offense to the teenage boys in the world. I’m sure some of you have excellent hygiene).

With that, I’ll sign off. I’m thrilled it’s summer, but dismayed that so far, this year is shaping up to be similar to last year—hot and frighteningly dry. I really don’t mind the heat. But I’m scared by the lack of rain. This is becoming a trend I’m very uncomfortable with.

Until next time, please stay well, cool, and as sane as possible. Every time I think the world can’t get nuttier, it goes and proves I’m horribly naive.

MJ May

p.s. I’m thrilled to have another bathroom in the clinic! Is it sad that that’s my favorite part? Maybe.

No Good Deed

Happy almost end of February! I say that because I’m not a fan of winter. Although, I really can’t complain because this past February has been temperate. The weather is just so unpredictable. Regardless, I’m still ready to move along the calendar year and get closer to spring and summer.

As you can see by the post, a new book gets released. Yeah! “No Good Deed” should be available tomorrow, February 27th on kindle (e-book) and paperback. This one is a contemporary, m/m mystery romance. The follow up book, “Goes Unpunished” will hopefully be out in late spring/early summer. I’m hopeful there will be more in this series, but would like to see readers’ responses. If it is well received, then I will definitely do more. I’ve grown very fond of Perry and Nate, as well as Perry’s cats—Apollo and Starbuck (so say we all). The dedication in “No Good Deed” is very close to my heart and something that was difficult to share.

For those interested in the pixie series, the follow up to “Perfectly Imperfect Pixie” is written, but hasn’t gone through any editing yet. It is set to go for line editing in early April. It normally takes 2-3 months for all the editing to get done and for me to get a book ready for release. Given that, I’m hopeful Peaches story, “Perfectly Perfect Peaches” will be available by late summer, early fall at the latest. I just got started writing a third pixie book this morning. I’m not sure what it will be called yet, but I’m eager to get into Parsley’s story. I’m not sure when the audiobook version of “Perfectly Imperfect Pixie” will be out. My latest update is that they’ve cast the readers. I’m curious to hear what it sounds like.

On the veterinary front, our clinic addition still isn’t done . . . long sigh . . . It is so close it’s almost painful. We are still waiting on the flooring to get done. From what I understand, they are scheduled to do this sometime in March, but I have no idea when in March. When we are really busy and in desperate need of more exam rooms, I stare through the window at the new addition and think longingly about the two extra rooms that are there, just waiting.

I went to a veterinary conference last week. It’s the first time I’ve been in large groups of people since COVID (that’s become a thing now, I’ve noticed. Saying pre, or before, COVID and after). I have to say, I personally haven’t missed those kinds of things. I kind of liked staying home and having zoom conferences. Alas, that doesn’t seem like something that will stick.

Newton and Fennik are still doing well. Newton is increasingly bullying Fen. I’m sure it has something to do with the dynamic of losing his brother, Copernicus, last year. I’m no closer to reading Newton’s mind and understanding his actions than I am any cat. To me, though, that’s the beauty of them.

Until the next post, I hope you are all doing well and managing to enjoy life. That’s often a difficult combination to achieve, but always worth the effort.

MJ May

Perfectly Imperfect Pixie Coming to Audio!

What’s a gnome doing here? My very talented mom made this for me. If you look closely, the sign it is holding says, “Perfectly Imperfect Gnome”. I thought that was fitting given the title of this post.

I’ve been asked if Perfectly Imperfect Pixie will come out in an audiobook. I’m happy to report that it will! This is my first foray into audiobooks (I’m a reader, not a listener). The process is just getting started. From what I understand, it will take a few months to complete and get out there. The audiobook version will be available on audible and I will make a post when that happens.

I’ve had several readers ask if I plan to write a sequel to Perfectly Imperfect Pixie. The answer is, yes! Kind of . . . it’s not a sequel per se. “Perfectly Perfect Peaches” will be set in the same world and will follow the story of Peaches’s and Lucroy’s relationship told from their POV’s. Phil, Sedrick, and the children will show up throughout, but they aren’t the main focus. I’m about 2/3 of the way done with the book but it won’t go to the editor until early April. At this point, I’m hoping for a mid-summer to late-summer release date.

In the meantime, the first book in the a contemporary m/m romance mystery series, Maverick Insurance Mysteries, is due out in February. The title is, “No Good Deed”. As always, I will post when it is available as well.

As for my full time job . . . we are still waiting on the clinic addition to be finished . . . ugh. We are all ready to spread out a little more. In particular, I’m thrilled we are getting another bathroom in the clinic. I know that sounds silly, but come on, we are a growing group of ladies and we all know bathroom space can be at a premium.

A lot of the edition is complete, but as with everything right now, it’s a lot of hurry up and wait. And wait . . . and wait . . . and . . . well, you get the idea. The owner of the clinic just told me that the flooring can’t be installed until March. Worker shortages are really starting to wear. It’s all over the place. As I think I posted before, I often find myself humming, “Where’d All the Good People Go?” by Jack Johnson. Unfortunately, they have to put the new flooring down before they can finish the new bathroom . . . sigh . . .

Fen Fen and Newton are doing well. Depending on how this week goes, they both might have anesthetic procedures. We tend to fit our own pets in as time allows. I still haven’t figured out if veterinarians’ pets are fortunate or not. At least Fen gets to go into work with me. I often envy him, as he’s laying on his bed beneath my desk, serenading us with his heavy snores.

That’s all for now. I hope you are all well. Mental and physical wellness continues to be a struggle, but I wish each and every one of you the best of luck with that endeavor.

Thank you all for reading Perfectly Imperfect Pixie. I’ve been amazed by the response it’s gotten and genuinely humbled. I always hope my stories are entertaining and help take away from the monotony of the day. If I could, I’d live in my imagination 24-7.

MJ May