A long-awaited Update
I have once again neglected this blog. I assure you, it was not because I have not been writing; it is actually the opposite. I have been extraordinarily busy. So, let’s explore what I have been up to and why this blog has been sitting in silence.
First, The Soul-Sung launched on April 18th. It had a fantastic launch and a reader response to which I am elated. After that, I had to pour much of my attention into the organization of a brand-new bookish market. The market I speak of is Pages and Tumbleweeds. The market was created after a combination of many ideas from my local writing group, mixed with a belief that I had. The Scribes had discussed for a while all of us doing a group signing. How cool it would be for all of us to have our own mini festival. I looked at the area and thought why stop there. So I took my idea to Mercedes Koefoed and the Plot twist. It was breakneck planning from there, and the idea never would have been possible without these amazing people. The market was a huge success.
Immediately after that, I had a multi-author signing at the local Barnes and Noble. It was a fantastic day that ended with many of us authors getting a much-needed drink after the event.
Meanwhile, this whole time I was working on The Severed Chord, I had finished the first draft before The Soul-Sung was released, as was my plan. But something happened that made me have to go into overdrive on its path to publication. The Pages and Tumbleweeds team and I had kick-started the second Pages and Tumbleweeds event for September 26th. I didn’t want to arrive at that event without a new work…I had two books in the process, and The Severed Chord was the closest to being ready. So I made a decision. I would accelerate the release by two months. That meant contacting the cover artist and finding an editor who could work at my breakneck speed. Fortunately, Sara Scholl was already excited to do the next cover, and I had a meeting set up to talk with an editor.
The Severed Chord is currently scheduled for release on September 8th. Sara and the Editor are hard at work on their respective areas of the work. This left me with some free time, and I don’t do free time well. So I started working on my side project while my mind quietly worked on the irritation I was having at the storyboard for the last and final book in the Vaeritas Saga. I was arguing with myself on the plot, and I am happy to state that as of yesterday, I have completed the storyboard for the last and final book in the Vaeritas Saga. I am now beginning the writing of the rough draft at the time of this blog. I have also decided that I will be painting the cover for Underworld LLC when it is finally ready for release.
Whew, now that we have gotten all that out of the way, let's dig into something for which I am at a loss for words. As some may know, last year was a crazy year for me as an Author. My first official award was my Indies Today 2nd runner-up for urban fantasy, which For Scales Alone won. On top of that, The Soul-Sung had taken home the finalist position in the Writers League of Texas Manuscript contest. I was elated. A hobby that I had engaged in for over two and a half decades had finally been released to the general public. That release had come back with real validation of my work. Since then, here is what has happened. The Soul-Sung received a 5-star must-read from Reedsy Discovery, then a 5-star from Literary Titan, followed by the book's first award, the Literary Titan Gold Book award. Trusting the momentum, I have entered into another contest, and I also received another badge. The Reader's Favorite 5-star book badge.
While the nods and awards are amazing news and fill me with much pride. I am incredibly thankful for everyone who has helped me on my writing journey. To the editors, bookstores, my artist, to the Scribes author group, and to my readers. Thank you! It is because of all of you that I continue to push myself to improve and create as many stories as I can.
As I promised Here is also a brief snippet of writing. This is a poem I wrote recently.
Resist Cognitive Surrender
The smile that drips with the apple's Curse
The promises that lead us to open wallet and purse
The Other offers assistance while ebbing resistance
There is no end to the Void of greed that fuels its persistence
A raging sea of Voices swell against the others rising surge
Quelled only by the spread of Lotus Leaves it offers in its purge
The Stranger, The other, the shade
The not us who has no ill wish but will see us fade
Gather friends and Stand once more
Physical? No this is a Control for your mind war
See the Smile, See the numbing goal
Melancholy waits to swallow us all whole
Spin the wheel, Turn the gears
Free Socrates gift, question all fears
Our mind is our greatest spear.
