Just Keep Writing!

What I’ve been up to lately.  

You may know I’ve had a couple giveaways for The Unmoving Sky. While my GoodReads giveaway had near 1500 entries my blog less than ten, I wonder if blog giveaways are a thing of the past. As I’ve seen several Twitter RT giveaways over the last year. Quick and to the point. Live and learn, I suppose. 

I’m not self-published, and I’m not with the Big 5 publishers, I’m published through Leap Books, a small press that’s under “traditional” press in the SCBWI Big Book, etc. The Unmoving Sky is my little novella that could.

The book was too short and I was too late to join a debut group in 2016, the year I was published. I’d joined the International Thriller Writers, but when they found out my book was a novella, I lost a few of the marketing/awards benefits that come with membership. Apparently, I’d slipped through without anyone noticing my book was a novella. They were wonderfully kind, but unhelpful promoting my book.

 I was on my own, with a middle-grade (SFF) book coming out – (editing two books simultaneously was quite the endeavor.)  Alas, the rug was pulled out from under me, and the publisher culled 50 authors. I’ve never quite recovered, I’m still writing – of COURSE! It’s where I go to feel better, have a little happy. 

My short story Charger Nine was published in the October 2017 in the Anthology Alien Dimensions. I have a couple short stories out there, awaiting decisions, and I’m currently revising my Historical, YA with a touch of Fantasy, for THREE YEARS now (almost ready to query. Again.), and last November I finished another YA contemporary—it’s with readers.

While researching my latest NaNoWriMo draft, I pulled out old diaries of mine to get back into my YA head. It was a trip!  I advise everyone to keep a journal, you will learn so much more about yourself looking back. I laughed because I actually talked to my future self often:  “I have to write through these tears, so in years to come, I’ll remember.” A hoot! And much like time traveling. It was mind-altering, and I live for that! It’s also what I like to read.  J

 As far as my MG, my cancelled book, I may rewrite it and change the characters – when there’s a window of downtime. I enjoy writing short stories when I’m between projects or my work is with readers being critiqued. 

I’m still seeking an agent! I can’t wrap my head around organizing the business side when I’m a writing machine! Ha! Until my bottom hurts! I really need a standing desk at this point. But I LOVE talking to people, it actually comes pretty naturally, but the publishing stuff – help! 

For 2018 I’m shouting it out to the Universe, I want a GOOD agent. I have to say after querying for so long, with a couple shelved projects, I know who my top agents are – and can’t wait to meet them!