Novel: Lust and Submission
Lust and Submission, released November 2022, is out and about! I am trying to market this, but I do feel super shy and awkward. I know I need to push a lot harder. I am focusing on Tiktok and Instagram (as well as my usual Facebook and website work :-)
Book Two of Lust and Submission (title not yet revealed) is complete. Blueberry Lane Books gave some fantastic feedback that assisted in an edit, but unfortunately they are not in a position to publish this piece at this time, due to low sales on the first. Who knows? One day into the future, I'd love to see this book published!
Short Stories, Novella and Novel News:
December update: Deleted out all the "NEWS" stories that have shifted across onto the "Published" page :-)
November 2023: I participated in Nanowrimo 2023 and completed another novel. Do NOT love it. May not take it further, but it is fabulous to know I CAN write a novel in one month! Working title: Shotgun Wedding (first draft ~100k words) featured enemies to lovers, forced marriage, one bed and is based in my Hell Colony world :-)
HIGHLIGHT of 2023: July 2023: NOVEL NEWS - Feb 2023 I gave my first ever pitch as part of a ticket for an event. This was the first time I have ever sat down in front of a publisher to try and sell my work. I had abysmal internet/connection issues but I am really proud that I went through with it (I was SO flippin' nervous) and I am pleased with all the work I did preparing for it.
They asked for a full manuscript. July 2023, contract is SIGNED! This is happening - I am getting a SECOND book published!
HIGHLIGHT of 2023: July 2023: NOVEL NEWS - I had a beautiful near miss by a specialist sci fi/fantasy publisher I admire. I submitted an adult modern fantasy novel to the slush pile in September 2022, and the publisher requested a full manuscript read in April 2023. My fingers and toes were crossed. It was not quite the right fit for them and they declined July 2023, BUT this is one of the most exciting things that has ever happened to me! I will refresh the piece and get it back out there :-)
What's in the pipeline?
My goal for 2023 was: to have many things published in many places. After a very slow start, it seems to be kicking off in the second half of this year!
What's in the pipeline?
Novels:
- Three completed novels in the editing/submission stage. One had a delieriously beautiful near miss with a fabulous publisher. I will dust myself off and get it back out there.
- I completed a fresh new novel-length piece for NaNoWriMo 2022, a 100k novel that is refreshingly different - its... comedy spec-fic! Well. Hopefully it's funny. It cracks ME up. This piece has undergone a solid round of editing and further edits through two beta readers. I need to gloss it up a bit, then work on a marketing plan for it!
- Completed ANOTHER novel for NaNoWriMo 2023 :-) Enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, one bed, based in my Hell Colony world. It has wiggled about in my mind for over a year and BLASTED out in Nanowrimo 2023 (over 91 k of new words) into an almost completed manuscript (short the final few scenes, which are mapped out). I feel like it may not go anywhere (it skated into a romance piece, which is not my jam - I do not love it). May edit it in 2024!
Short stories/Novellas:
- One longer short story/novella completed (20k words) and in the editing/beta reader submission stage. This is a piece of adventure fantasy.
- My goal this year is to have 20-25 pieces (shorts, novels and reprints) out chasing oportunities at all times. Which means: no more sooking over rejections.
- How is this going? Not so well. I have been putting 20-25 hours into editing old work, resubmitted, celebrating published pieces and working on completed novels. I need to create MORE new stuff I feel a "Creative Retreat" coming on when I ditch all my editing and completed work and focus on new stuff!
- I need to continue to improve my writing and step outside my contemporary urban fantasy comfort zone and dabble in other genres, including: lit fic, fantasy, horror and fantasy/adventure. I also plan to work on adding diversity to my POV characters. Short stories are a fantastic place to explore characters, genres, worlds and practice new things! Will it work? Lets see what gets published!!!
There's also a lot of writing... ideas, fragments, half-completed pieces with their wheels off and grass growing over them and crickets chirping. Every now and then I stab my toe tripping over an old piece and kick the muse into gear :-)