Let's Catch Up! // December Chat & Writing Updates

[@lynndjung]

congratulations on turning in bitter bones!!! and happy belated bday

[@LindsayPuckett]

omg literally crocheting is more disabling than the womb for me looool so glad you got a relaxing December and can't wait to see what 2025 brings you!

[@Lara_Ameen]

Congratulations on turning in BITTER BONES! That’s huge! 🎉 And you always read so many books! 😍 I love that our birthdays are so close together! You’re lucky B&N is open on your birthday! The sucky thing about my birthday being on Christmas is that most stores/places are closed! 😭 I love your coloring pages! I need to get back into coloring! I hope you’re feeling better now! I did get some fun Hanukkah and birthday presents, but there are a few I haven’t gotten yet, so I’ll have to update you in February. 🥰

[@LindsayPuckett]

Thanks so much, Lara!

[@brianacwritesbooks]

Happy New Year Lindsay 😊I'm so happy for you that Bitter Bones is turned in and that you had a lovely December. Also, Happy Belated Birthday girl! I recently read "An Academy for Liars" which was the most cinematically, thought provoking 5 star dark academia book I've ever read. I worked all December long on thumbnail sketches for my queer upper MG graphic novel and am currently polishing line edits from my agent. I'm getting ready to go on sub soon and have been rewatching ALL of your videos, but I just want to thank you for all that you've done in the writing community. You've helped me learn so much about the author journey and I owe you so much 🥰💕

[@LindsayPuckett]

awh thank you so much, Briana! You are too kind

[@alesswonderland]

Watching the ball drop in animal crossing is so cute. I finished the semester strong and I'm working hard on my thesis. My boyfriend came back between family visits to spend my birthday with me! We went to a cat cafe, the arcade, and out favorite ice cream place. I worked a lot, and lost my grandmom right before Christmas. I gave my family books and annotated the one I gave to my mom. So yeah, a busy and hard month with some good sprinkled in.

[@LindsayPuckett]

A cat cafe?! AMAZING It sounds like you had a great support system around you during your difficult time. Thinking of you and your family

[@asparagusisreading]

Agreed!! Jenn is so talented, all her books have given be cozy vibes, they're all queer and so fun! 5 stars every time!

[@LindsayPuckett]

right!? Love her work!

[@alkavarmaauthor]

Happy belated birthday and congratulations on Bitter Bones! That candle is such a thoughtful gift and it sounds like it smells wonderful 😍 my December was really productive. I hit 34,000 words on my current WIP and also began editing my debut novel.

[@LindsayPuckett]

thank you so much! Dang, you are DEEP in it!!!

[@lendralit1174]

Love your sweater! I had four cardinals in my backyard the other day, and they are gorgeous against the snow. 😍I have that same bookshop nook! I bought it in the fall and still haven't put it together yet, so this is good motivation. Very cute!

[@LindsayPuckett]

yay! You should definitely put it together! It's surprisingly easy. And thank you! it was my grandmother's sweater

[@romeoandthechickenfeather]

I love the embroidery on your jumper! Congrats on submitting Bitter Bones! I liked House in the Cerulean Sea, but for some reason sequels/series are just not speaking to me right now (which is a shame because my library seems to have nothing but!)

[@saritataurima]

Happy belated birthday!! And congrats on getting bitter bones in 👏 also that truby book sounds intriguing (you literally introduced me to his other book as well) and let me just add merry & bright to my tbr real quick 😅 This was our first year having a winter Christmas which was definitely different to what we're used to but it was still fine. I got to go book shopping (yay my fave!) and I managed to complete a proper outline for my WIP (literally on the last day of the year) so I was super stoked about that - onto actual drafting now sooo yeah 🙈😅 Can't wait to hear what you've got in the works for this year! 👀☺

[@LindsayPuckett]

thank you so much! omg yes go grab a copy of Merry and Bright!!! Winter Christmas! Like snow!? How exciting! Wahoo for a finished outline!!!

[@eminorthworld]

I remember the time when requirement for MG was 50-60 K. Interesting. Also smells like submitting a novel! Love it!

[@LindsayPuckett]

I knooooow the industry is always shifting. wild!

[@StephanieWhitson]

December was a fun month for me. We had our first Christmas in our new place. December is a busy month for us as my son turned 12 on December 2 and my birthday is New Year’s Day. I haven’t gotten back to writing yet, but hoping to get back to it soon. Congrats on the book!

[@LindsayPuckett]

omg my dad's birthday is december 2nd too! Happy belated birthday,to both you and your son!

[@StephanieWhitson]

@ awe thanks! ❤️

[@writewithjoy]

thank you for sharing! I always love hearing your updates. it’s like chatting with a friend :) this last month had been huge for me with my writing! I’ve been getting a lot more serious because I want to finish the first draft of my high fantasy by the end of March. I’m at 55k words currently, and I started the month of December probably around 35k, so I’ve made great progress. December was also the month that I bit the bullet and started my authortube channel 🫣 but it has served to inspire me a lot! as far as books go, I read Divine Rivals, Ruthless Vows, and Yellowface. I also started (but haven’t finished) The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. My first finished read of January was Assassin’s Apprentice :)

[@LindsayPuckett]

Omg! Yay! Creeping on your channel now LOL Congrats on writing 20k in a month-that's incredible 0.0 Ooh Divine Rivals was really fun

[@brandim1230]

My December was fun. I got to see family. I got a new cute cat mug. I got some candles for Christmas and 2 coloring books. 2 days after Christmas I got sick. I'm finally getting over it. Thank goodness because soon my youngest niece is coming to visit. 🧡

[@LindsayPuckett]

Aw that's so great! I hope you're feeling better now! Coloring books and cat mugs sound like perfect gifts

[@JoeyPaulOnline]

Oh I love that bookshelf nook thing. My birthday is near Christmas too in January so I usually get all my things around the same time. Glad you had a good one! Happy new year!

[@LindsayPuckett]

Isn't it cute?! hehe I love getting gifts in BULK XD Happy New Year to you, too!

[@Blueyedmetaphore]

So happy to have found your videos again and see that you are still writing and that your massive consistency has paid off. I love that you are also obsessed with Dnd!

[@LindsayPuckett]

oh wow thank you for being such a long-time viewer

[@emiilyrose]

i LOVED somewhere beyond the sea!! that whole world is so near and dear to me. also love that you named your dog after chauncey🥹

[@LindsayPuckett]

He's just the sweetest and funniest! And omg same. Those kids have my whole heart

[@HannaGoudeseune]

Congrats on submitting and on turning 31! 🎉 Sounds like a pretty good holiday season even with being sick! My husband and I also got sick over Christmas 😂 But he got me a kindle holder thingy and page turner, so I got to live my best couch worm life. 😍 Why use your muscles when you can be a worm? lol

[@LindsayPuckett]

omg i have one of those kindle holders with the remote too. LIFE CHANGING

[@annastride]

Oooh! You share a birthday with my husband. Team Christmas Eve babies! Happy birthday, Merry Christmas , Happy New Year and congrats on turning in Bitter Bones! 🎊 P.S. Not me hearing Somewhere Beyond the Sea while distracted by halva and coffee and thinking you were talking about some author from England 😂😅 I guess my brain translated it to “someone from across the ocean” lol. Also, you make it sound like putting together a book nook only took you one evening - is that so? Someone gifted me one and I really love it but when I looked at all the details I was like… nah… That’s like a week worth of work and I’m just not there right now.

[@LindsayPuckett]

LOL that's so funny! The book nook-I did it on a Saturday! It took about 3 hours total. It was super easy just takes some patients. Happy new year to you and your family!

[@Sue-pn7mq]

Your sweater is so cute ❤

[@LindsayPuckett]

thank you! It was my grandma's

[@jamierose4242]

Congrats on bitter bones! 🎉🎉 i managed to finish the first draft of my weird little stage play before the new year which felt so good cause it's the first time i've finished sth in 4 years yay! Excited to get revising this year which will be new for me since the book before i was 16 and lost interest immediately haha

[@LindsayPuckett]

omg amazing! Congrats on your stage play!!! What a huge accomplishment!!!

[@jamierose4242]

@@LindsayPuckett thank youuu :)

[@ancientsound]

Thanks so much for sharing about your cozy(and also hardworking) December vibes Lindsay!! My partner had surgery in late Dec so our holiday was extremely stay-at-home-I'm loving the chance to absorb other people's holiday vibes even into January! Congratulations on submitting Bitter Bones and I hope all your dreams come true in 2025 :D

[@LindsayPuckett]

Aw thank you! I'm so sorry about your partner's surgery but I'm glad you're enjoying the cozy December vibes!

[@Evergreen150]

Congrats on turning in Bitter Bones, and best wishes for 2025! My favourite Christmas present this time was a big cosy blanket :)

[@LindsayPuckett]

thank you so much! And you too. Omg a cozy blanket sounds amaaaaazing

[@MikaylaKennedy]

Lindsay! I read The Odds as my first book of the year and loved it! Already yelled at all my friends to read it.

[@LindsayPuckett]

omggggg

[@BayleyMae]

Congrats on turning in Bitter Bones!! It looks like you got so many fun new books! LOVE Critical Role; last month we got the Mighty Nein Clue board game and it is SO FUN. And happy belated birthday!

[@LindsayPuckett]

omg! I got the Mighty Nein Munchkins game! I didn't know they had a clue game o.o Clue is my shiittttt

[@BayleyMae]

@@LindsayPuckett Oooo that sounds fun too! And the Clue is SO fun! I definitely recommend it!

[@Wallisimo]

Omg way to KILL it with Bitter Bones!!!

[@Wallisimo]

Omg the candle has me emoooooo 😭

[@LindsayPuckett]

it's a very "wallis-y" gift! And thank you so much. What a relief to have it DONE

[@amy-suewisniewski6451]

I have that book nook set too! I haven't built it yet though cause I'm waiting to move and in scared the kids are too young and are gonna destroy it 😅

[@LindsayPuckett]

Amazing! Yes you definitely want to keep it away from little fingers haha

[@cassythetree]

Not me thinking, "Oh I should have watched the ball drop" as if I don't live in a completely different time zone. It was probably 7am by the time it happened. lol. Also, I always love your monthly updates. Happy New Year. My Dec was pretty boring. Just stayed at home and did some reading. I tried to read The Nightmare Before Kissmas, and it was cute! but I still haven't finished it. Started Delicious Monsters, and finished it today. Loved it. As for writing, I wrote 10k words for my Y.A paranormal.

[@LindsayPuckett]

dang 10k words in a month is incredible! Glad you had a chill December and read Delicious Monsters! Liselle is so talented

[@cassythetree]

@@LindsayPuckett she is!

[@dorkphoenixrising]

I'm travelling to NYC from the UK later in the month and wondered if there are any stockists you know of where I can pick your books up from? Seems a bit tricksy to get in the UK so figured I'd try NYC while I'm there! ❤

[@LindsayPuckett]

Not off the top of my head but I've seen them at both Barnes and Nobles and indies! You can always call any of the stores ahead to check, and if they don't have them, they can order them for pickup around the time you are in the states

[@sophielafleche3803]

Middlegrade supernatural or paranormal western. Do it! I am actually drafting a paranormal western (but adult) :-)

[@LindsayPuckett]

omg that sounds like a wild time!

[@Halliechris_writes]

Yeah, they're definitely wanting shorter MG. I've heard 35k and even saw a recent editor ask for 25k.

[@LindsayPuckett]

wild!

[@gemmamac91]

My birthday is December 22nd! Why do Capricorns get such a bad wrap I think I’m alright… 🫣😅 I had exams over winter but once they were done I had a great reading month. My favourite read of 2025 so far had been quicksilver it’s sooo good. Ps I was also sick over Christmas 👎🏻