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Hello everyone, and welcome back to my newsletter! December is here, and with it, my favourite time of year: Christmas! It can be a busy season, but I love the still moments that can be found hidden amid all the bustle. As always, previous newsletters and other extras can be found here at my website's exclusive email archive. Stick around until the end for bonus kitty pictures! |
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Good news; I've made a lot of progress on book two since my last newsletter! Earlier in the fall, I read over my previous draft, going over the notes I got from my beta readers and adding notes of my own. Since then, I've been going through the notes I left for myself and making changes to the book accordingly.
I finished going through the notes, however, there were some issues I wasn't sure how to address and some scenes that I didn't finish rewriting. I kept a list of things I'd have to go back to, so most of November was spent working through that list.
So far, the revisions have centered around two main elements: the timeline and the world-building. Because book two has an additional point of view (spoiler! 😉), I've had to keep track of two separate timelines. There's been a lot of calculating distances and travel speeds, and a lot of tweaking the order and timing of events so that everything lines up right!
The second element (world-building) has required extensive brainstorming as I work through the more complicated elements of the story. Without giving too much away, book two delves deeper into the mysteries of Neerim Vale and the Vyrians, which has meant a lot of head scratching for me as I try to unravel the mysteries myself!
For those who are curious, here is a picture of my set-up during this stage of the process:
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This is a screenshot of my book in Scrivener where I do all my drafting and revising. The section on the left is my 'binder', which lets me easily navigate through the story by scene or chapter. In the middle section are my story notes, which I've been crossing off as I address them, and on the right is my actual story. The split screen is very handy for keeping track of multiple things at a time!
You can also see a manuscript wordcount in the floating pop-up at the bottom. The story is currently 30,000 words above my desired word count, so I'll have to do some serious paring down in my next revision! |
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Needless to say, this revision of book two has turned into a lengthy endeavour, but the end is in sight. I will probably need another week or two to finish going through my revision notes, and if at all possible, I would like to reread the entire story before giving it to beta readers. The problem with making so many changes is it's easy to end up with a lot of inconstancies! A read-through would allow me to make sure everything still makes sense and flows well.
My goal is to have the book ready to send to beta readers in January. I'm hoping to enlist some readers from among my subscribers, so keep an eye on your inbox if you're interested!
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Christmas is around the corner, which means Christmas shopping! Buying gifts can be a challenge when everything is so expensive, which is why I've decided to put When Shadows Fall on a special Christmas sale.
For the month of December only, When Shadows Fall is available for 14.99 CAD (11.50 USD)! This is the cheapest the paperbacks have ever been, so consider grabbing some copies as gifts for the readers in your life. 😊
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Last month, I was invited to give a presentation about the process of writing and publishing When Shadows Fall to the Grade 7s and 8s of a nearby school. I was quite intimidated by the idea, but decided it was a good growth opportunity. I spent far too much time preparing, with changes being made less than an hour before the actual event!
I was pretty nervous at first, but it ended up being a wonderful experience. There was lots for me to talk about, but the students were engaged and respectful, and I was surprised by how many great questions there were at the end! Overall, I really enjoyed sharing with the students! 😊
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In other news, I got permission to participate in the Scholastic Book Fair at my school last month! Our school librarians very kindly made space for me to put my books on display and sold them for me throughout the book fair.
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And guess what else? My book is in a real store now! Courtesy of Dare 2 Dream Designs (AKA my sister) who is much less of a procrastinator than I am and insisted on selling the book through her vendor shelf in Cornwall Handmade Goods.
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No new art for my Redbubble shop, but here are some Christmasy chibi sketches I'd like to turn into Redbubble designs when I have the time!
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Playing: Black Friday is always full of temptations, and I couldn't resist buying "Slay the Spire", a deck-building roguelike game that I've been interested in for some time. It's quite challenging, but I'm really enjoying it so far!
Reading: Right now, I'm reading River in the Galaxy on my Kindle, an indie fantasy with a setting similar to Treasure Planet. I love the world-building, and I'm enjoying the seafaring/spacefaring style adventure.
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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.
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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/or Goodreads. I appreciate every single review and rating I get!
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Thank You and Merry Christmas!
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As December begins and brings all kinds of festivities with it, I'd like to take a moment to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest of Holidays. May your homes be filled with love, joy, and laughter, and may your hearts be filled with the peace of God that makes this season so special. I'll see you in the New Year!
And of course, what better way to end the last newsletter of the year than with some kitty pictures? 😉
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This is the view I get whenever I decide to take a nap! |
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I got to make some new friends this month! This is Hank and Holly, two absolute cuties who gave me a very warm welcome when I came by for a visit. ❤
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#11 1305 23rd Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4S 3S4, Canada |
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