Lately, I’ve posted a lot of tutorials and dust jackets and book reviews, but I feel like it’s been awhile sine I wrote a simple update of what’s going on in the Land of Erin. (And maybe you guys don’t want these types of posts. Maybe they are boring. Let me know in the comments so I can blog accordingly!)
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Anyway, let’s get to it! Links and Vlogs! I’ve been busy sharing my bookish thoughts on the other sites I contribute to:
» I’m on Friday the Thirteeners, today, vlogging about my crushes from YA lit. (Spoiler: there are many!)
» I’ve also posted over on Pub Crawl a lot recently. In case you’ve missed out, perhaps you’d like to check out this interview I did with Kiera Cass (who’s novel, THE SELECTION, comes out in just a few weeks! YAY!). I also discussed what happens after the editorial letter in terms of revising under contract, and shared my one step back, two steps forward approach to drafting.
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And how about some TAKEN updates? Here’s where things stand:
» I finished copy edits about a month ago. This means the next time I see my story it will no longer look like a manuscript, but novel-ish. Basically, I’m waiting on first page passes, which will be the novel all typeset on 8.5×11 pages where I can see the crop marks and page numbers and essentially how it will look when it becomes a real book. (I have no clue when these will arrive.)
» I have a final cover! It is glorious and I love it, but no I can not show you. Not yet at least. Word on the street is sometime in June, so stay tuned for that. ;)
» I also have jacket copy! As in: what you will actually see when you read the inner flaps or the back of the book! O_O (This process of seeing a book transition from MS to Physical Entity is insanely surreal. I still pinch myself on occasion.) In other news: I was supposed to see the final-final jacket design (cover, back, flaps and all) this week. But it’s Friday and that might not happen. Granted, the day is still young.
» I have finished my first draft of book 2, which is now in the hands of my trusted critique partner! Truthfully, it’s more like the fourth draft. I rewrote the ending three different times, and sort of slogged through the middle, but I got it done! This novel is very different than the first book, but I love it just the same. Man, book twos are interesting beasts, though. Tons of pressure (often self-inflicted and internalized, I think), doubts, fears, worries, stress! The hardest thing for me was going from the polished, nearly-ready-for-print version of TAKEN and into the absolutely hellish mess that is a first draft. Talk about a shock. I kept looking at my words with a screwed up face and wondering, “Why aren’t you good? Why must you be so difficult!?” It’s like I forgot that a first draft is always messy because I’d spent the last six months perfecting. (I sense a post on the struggles of Book Twos in the near future)
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Other than that, I’m just reading a ton. And redesigning this here site so that it can be more than just a blog. I need an official books section. And a more professional bio. I can’t wait to share it with you guys!
I haven’t had my coffee yet this morning, and I feel like this post is all over the place. I apologize. (You guys are probably going to tell me to never do these random “update” posts again. What a mess.)
Anyway, Happy Friday!! :)
