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Hello everyone, and welcome back to my newsletter! As always, previous newsletters and other fun extras can be found here at my website's exclusive email archive. Stick around until the end for a kitty picture or two! |
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Saskatchewan Book Award Shortlists!
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I have some very exciting news to share! Some of you might recall that I previously entered When Shadows Fall into three categories of the Saskatchewan Book Awards, and I recently discovered that it shortlisted in two of those categories: the City of Regina Book Award and the Fiction Award!
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There will be a gala and award ceremony on May 3rd to announce the winners, so I'll hold off on sending my May Newsletter until I know the outcome!
It is very thrilling to be shortlisted, especially as it seems that fantasy is not commonly represented in these awards, and it is possible that my book may be one of the first self-published books to be shortlisted. I don't know if I stand any chance of winning, but I am honoured to make it this far nonetheless!
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March has been a busy month. I spent the first few weeks hard at work on the second draft of book 3, writing over 46,000 words. That puts me at about 65,000 words in total, so I believe I am nearing the halfway mark.
Unfortunately, my progress slowed down after I got sick, and then I was further sidetracked by the need to work on some side projects. I discovered I did not properly enter BBNYA (Book Blogger's Novel of the Year Award) and had to spend some time preparing files for that.
I also spent quite a bit of time working on a secret assignment, which I will reveal next month! It required me to reformat my manuscript file, and I took the opportunity to update my regular file as well, fixing a couple errors and tweaking the settings to reflect the changes made to Atticus (the program I use for formatting).
Unfortunately, making formatting changes in Atticus can be a lengthy endeavour, as small changes can cause strange formatting goofs, such as chapters ending with a page containing a single word. And, because of the bizarre glitch that resulted in a misprint when I first published the book, I am riddled with mistrust when it comes to new files. To ensure no paragraphs were accidently replaced, I took the time to compare the new files to the original paragraph by paragraph!
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I am very excited to start the month with a week off work for the Easter break! I spent the Easter weekend with my family, but now I am using the rest of the break to make as much progress as possible on the second draft of book 3.
I'm hoping to be done the draft by the end of the month, if possible. I'll also be preparing for the SBA 2024 Gala and Award Ceremony, which will include ordering more author copies and trying to get my book on consignment at Penny University so that it can be sold at the Gala.
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April is a special month for self-published authors as the writing/reading community promotes indie books and celebrates the authors who have worked so hard to write them. In honour of Indie April, When Shadows Fall will be on sale for the entire month, so if you've been waiting to buy a copy, now is the time!
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I'll also be joining an indie book sale on April 13th-15th, at which time I'll drop my eBook price even lower. I'll be sending an email with all the info, so keep an eye out for that!
If you'd like to participate in the Indie April festivities, consider saving a picture of the following bingo sheet and seeing how many boxes you can check off. Feel free to share your results online using #IndieApril!
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No new designs for my Redbubble shop, but I did do some unexpected figure drawing. I've been wanting to improve my skills in this area, so I took advantage of a drawing mood to grab some body pose references and take a stab at it. And I've gotta say, I'm pleased with the results!
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Reading: After watching part one and two of Dune, I developed an intense desire to give the books a read, so on an impulse I ordered the first three with birthday money and launched right into them. I just finished book one, and I'm quite impressed with it!
In honour of Indie April, I'm taking a pause from the series to read An Ocean of Others by Joshua Scott Edwards, one of the many indie books from my TBR. I'm only three pages into it, but it's off to a great start!
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When Shadows Fall is a YA fantasy novel about an anxious teenager who must go on a perilous quest to save her sister. It is available on Amazon in eBook and print and in the Kindle Unlimited library.
The book has been shortlisted in three Indie Ink Award categories (Best Setting, Best Friendship, and Writing the Future We Need: Mental Health Representation) and in two Saskatchewan Book Awards categories (Fiction Award and Regina Book Award).
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Afflicted with debilitating panic attacks and constant anxiety, Ara Holstenner is the last person who would ever oppose the tyrant lord who subjugates her people. But when her sister is taken by shadow creatures, Ara must defy The Lord's edicts and brave the forbidden night world to save her.
Can Ara overcome the fears that have defined her since childhood, or will she doom her sister—and herself—to a lifetime of torment?
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If you've already read When Shadows Fall, don't forget to leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads. These reviews and ratings make a huge difference, so I appreciate every single one I get!
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Thank you as always for for sticking through yet another newsletter! If you've made it this far, you've earned yourself some kitty pictures! 😊
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She watches my hand with such intensity while I'm working... |
Just look how sweet she is! |
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#11 1305 23rd Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4S 3S4, Canada |
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