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Crystal Crawford, Author of Clean Young Adult Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Mystery, & YA Romance...and some other things.
C. Crawford writing:
Curiously creating worlds.
Find out more about my books and series:
WAIT!
Do you love reading clean young adult fiction?
Me too! (And I love writing it!)
Did you know I have my own subscribers-only reading portal, where you can get immediate access to all my published, clean YA fiction in one place—plus clean YA stories from my friend and fellow indie author, M.J. Padgett, bonus content, & more?
I do! 🙌️🎉📚
Find out more here!
(Okay, carry on... 😉)
Catch the latest updates on my blog!
![***
[excerpt from Aubrey Lance, S.S., Season 1 - episode 4]
***
If you love young adult mystery, MAGIC (this is a fantasy-mystery!), puzzles, twists, sweet moments, tight-knit families, and strong friendships, you'll love my new serial, Aubrey Lance, S.S. (Supernatural Sleuth)!
Read Aubrey Lance, S.S. -- Season 1: The Vanishings, for FREE in the forum on my website! New episodes post daily Monday-Saturday until the story is completed. Link in bio!](https://scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.71878-15/503905022_1735661327034093_6335803563509816604_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=100&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0xJUFMuYmVzdF9pbWFnZV91cmxnZW4uQzMifQ%3D%3D&_nc_ohc=KuuyhpG-NDUQ7kNvwE_rv6C&_nc_oc=Adln4lYxnlCxE8NxQ0tPRNtPBGMw529iBMKsR4a0LZREcBk-VbQvZS1MBIju-WZOasI&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=L7OXsDMk_-dlg-ILUUeK-g&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQHko8RRrXqzdzRiNhOxzHonW2IdSvlyAD7tlzHJK6StfJUtYrBKttfadZgAXi-DScQ9q95yrlrQ&oh=00_AfyDcllgKJ-k8M2cnN5eOuDpmWlpCt8IvGNlCDekuB5mbA&oe=69B61259)
![***
[excerpt from Aubrey Lance, S.S., Season 1 - episode 9]
***
If you love young adult mystery, MAGIC (this is a fantasy-mystery!), puzzles, twists, sweet moments, tight-knit families, and strong friendships, you'll love my new serial, Aubrey Lance, S.S. (Supernatural Sleuth)!
Read Aubrey Lance, S.S. -- Season 1: The Vanishings, for FREE in the forum on my website! New episodes post daily Monday-Saturday until the story is completed. Link in bio!](https://scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.71878-15/503635045_1730762920859775_6011541511181531697_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=109&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0xJUFMuYmVzdF9pbWFnZV91cmxnZW4uQzMifQ%3D%3D&_nc_ohc=ooeJyA6H5Q4Q7kNvwGqyjOP&_nc_oc=Admp4FD9DMP-6tOMsglGkQst85mlYm5hyoWgMdb590iz6R2EqUYcoK-x1TalLAq8BLU&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=L7OXsDMk_-dlg-ILUUeK-g&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQEDPJ7Tn13txjXLg0rks7C1aOnwJAQijSnwhtMJdZNz0rbb_zRT93TlNtMVe-cdv3LZnhQgtb6q&oh=00_AfxaZGastwUxbCnzLomG5ePGl-89eH5yU9aUbDPmI62i5g&oe=69B6280E)
![I was right in the middle of one of the strangest dreams I’d ever had — Chloe was standing in the ice cream shop, smiling at Devin, who was holding two ice cream cones that were literally on fire while a screaming hawk flew circles around his feet — when the sound of the front door shutting woke me, and I heard my mom call up.
“Aubrey, are you here?”
I sat up, disoriented. The light coming in from the windows was dim, like it was dusk outside. How long had I slept?
I heard Mom drop her keys and purse on the counter, then her footsteps hurried up the stairs. “Aubrey?”
Only then did the tone of her voice hit me. Something wasn’t right.
I threw back the covers as she pushed open my bedroom door. “Mom, what’s wrong?”
As soon as she saw me, her hand flew to her chest and she heaved a breath of relief. “Oh, thank goodness. When you didn’t answer—” Her eyes were still wild and worried, though, and it sent my heart racing. She glanced around my room, and her face fell. “You’re here alone?”
“Yesss,” I said, confused. Why wouldn’t I be? My chest tightened. “What’s going on, Mom?”
The worry in her eyes deepened. “Did you just wake up? Have you heard from Chloe?”
Chloe? My heart rose into my throat. I grabbed my phone from my nightstand. The time was nearly 8PM. I had been asleep for a while—several hours. I tapped to open my messages, then shook my head. “Not since earlier, when she said she was going to the ice cream place.” I looked up at my Mom. “Why?”
She leveled a heartbroken gaze at me. “I got stuck at work late, but Mary called me as I was leaving.”
Mary was Chloe’s mom.
I braced for something bad—I could feel it coming.
***
[excerpt from Aubrey Lance, S.S., Season 1 - episode 4]
***
If you love *clean* young adult mystery, MAGIC (this is a fantasy-mystery!), puzzles, twists, sweet moments, tight-knit families, and strong friendships, you'll love my new serial, Aubrey Lance, S.S. (Supernatural Sleuth)!
Read Aubrey Lance, S.S. -- Season 1: The Vanishings, for FREE in the forum on my website! New episodes post daily Monday-Saturday until the story is completed.
Link in bio!
#yafantasy #yamystery #youngadultfiction #cleanyareads](https://scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.75761-15/485495326_18376573486189552_6027985622774116682_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=103&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0xJUFMuYmVzdF9pbWFnZV91cmxnZW4uQzMifQ%3D%3D&_nc_ohc=6J5J7tYeDBcQ7kNvwHHVzLm&_nc_oc=AdkHBIiLHIwq_blLmbEWuEclSXr9Wa9BEACl87f7wH9l4_Xskd0Hf7n3syt0NYNAFUg&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=L7OXsDMk_-dlg-ILUUeK-g&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQEvSkblVfry0adBvjjN3vm0vAI2Wu4uvOGxVg8_Q-3hEtukS4s_30O_MAlz4oM9dnHEa8_hF7mt&oh=00_AfwXOGrq1jd-W55V7XFOOFjSXzrTlzaYtdKztKTOjaBEvw&oe=69B63F2E)
![I get asked a lot how I balance writing time with motherhood. And let's be honest... sometimes it's hard!
But I do have some tried-and-true tips that make it easier, and this is one of them.
Are you ready for this? 👇 (I promise, it really is easy!)
Okay, here's the scoop:
If you've been having trouble finding time to write while taking care of your kids, you might be making it harder than it needs to be.
Here's a simple truth for the day: It's good for kids to play independently, without adult direction. Really! It's actually good for their brains. It teaches creative thinking, problem solving, and so many other valuable skills.
It's also a valuable skill for kids to learn how to respect someone else's time and goals.
I'm not saying you should neglect your kids! But providing access to quality free-play options, then setting your kids free with them while you carve out some writing time, is GOLDEN.
So, if you often find yourself struggling to carve out writing time, or wasting time and energy switching between writing and keeping your kids occupied...
What if instead, you:
👉 Picked out some educational toys for the kids, so they can engage in free play.
👉 Encouraged independent learning with fun activities.
👉 Set up a creative-play area (a corner, shelf, closet, or bin) and changed the items out every so often, so they feel excited about learning and playing.
And then?
You get some (guilt-free) uninterrupted writing time. 🙌🙌
This will actually help you carve out more time to write more consistently. 🥳
And the best part??
It's a great learning experience for the kids, too!
Pretty soon, you'll be on your way to finishing that novel...
And you'll think: 'Remember back when I thought this was hard?'😆😘
(Okay, writing a novel is still hard. But you get my point! Lol)
Want to know the types of things I use with my kids? Comment 'FREEPLAY' and I'll send you my top five list!
To those writer-parents struggling to find writing time, I hope this helps! <3
[Note: This tip does not apply to tiny babies. Godspeed to you if you're trying to create a writing routine with a newborn, b/c I've been there, and it's pretty much chaos!😅]](https://scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.71878-15/499794550_663451676580633_2419791532862017274_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=105&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0xJUFMuYmVzdF9pbWFnZV91cmxnZW4uQzMifQ%3D%3D&_nc_ohc=RsvtUk5wt-sQ7kNvwH6vUCR&_nc_oc=AdlrpFL4hVV9_PW0vRq4C_osYHnI4Ivq_zvTUmaGbzzik8cgSHDYIBHUjj3MaOMCFu4&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=L7OXsDMk_-dlg-ILUUeK-g&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQF8XTzcg8MQw3x87hwRdkU55h_i4TLLvPWwB8-iSqT8T8t4UcEbZ_rgfIA6_oClA1AxAKiFYv-p&oh=00_AfxMk1GHRTSt4UHBqqdELfUPcHBtVm4QEMr0CiMggG8zjQ&oe=69B62727)
You can also find me on:
CCrawfordWritinG: Home of Crystal Crawford, Author of Clean Young Adult Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and YA Romance...and some other things.
Find out more about who I am, what I write, and why I write on my About page!
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