Dear readers, friends, and family,
February by design is a short month, and it felt like this one went by way too fast in most places, and too long in other places (like waiting to get my first paycheck).
January was a bust for teaching due to holidays and snow days, so February was the first time it felt like I had regular classes. On top of that, I am now substitute teaching a third class at the college (about six weeks only) while their professor is out. I really could use this extra money as I have been budgeting like a madwoman for stuff for The Name and the Key (releasing July 21, 2026!) on top of bills and seeing what can be saved for summer, if anything...and the news is depressing because of how much book publicity costs, and how I have no wiggle room for anything else.
What I'm Reading
I've been trying to go through TOKYOPOP manga and NetGalley comics but with school in session, it's been harder. My priority has been TOKYOPOP, so I've been knocking those out faster, at least.
In addition to reading for reviews, I read How to Write Romantasy by Jenna Moreci, which was super helpful. I talked to my publisher and editor at OHB and we decided The Name and the Key should be New Adult, so reading this book about writing romantasy really gives me good ideas with what to do in the third book, as I now can get a little spicier with older audiences.
I also read Make Me a Monster by Kalynn Bayron which is a Frankenstein-influenced YA horror novel set in a funeral home with a teen lead heroine who's pretty good at prepping corpses for viewings. The book was creepy and sometimes over-the-top but I enjoyed myself immensely.
I'm currently reading The Last Cuentista. It's a sci-fi story for younger readers (middle grade? YA?) about a large comet doomed to destroy Earth and the select few chosen to ensure the survival of humanity on the planet Sagan. The trip will take over a hundred years to get there, but everybody will be in a sort of cryo-sleep...until things go terribly wrong. That's as far as I've gotten--the major inciting incident.
What I'm Watching
I gave up on Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein. I can't seem to find my way getting back into it, as gorgeous as that movie is. I'm just too distracted by other things.
On YouTube I'm watching videos about romantasy, and I just finished one by Plant Based Bride called "Romantasy and the Politics of Desire," which I found to be interesting and helpful. I'm writing romantasy and have only read a couple, and I'm trying to learn how to make my romantasy more inclusive and less toxic than what I've seen out there. Especially with male leads. I like watching videos like these, as they teach me a lot!
What I'm Doing
Budgeting for promotion for The Name and the Key, and continuing to write book two in the trilogy, The Step and the Walk. I'm currently debating whether or not I should kill off some new characters. I don't want them to be killed for the sake of shock or "adding another death to the pile" in a trilogy that has a lot of deaths in it. The idea really struck me, but the whole thing can implode on itself. Also, if I go through with this idea, I'm going to have to go back to the beginning of the book and cut something that happens to a love interest so the whole book doesn't turn into some soapy melodrama.
I don't have a lot of time to finish the book or to fix things.
Also, with time I don't have, I started sewing my Qi Rong cosplay from Heaven Official's Blessing.
This Month on the Blog
I talk about death, romance, book tastes, do a 50-question self-interview series, and review the crap out of a TON of comics and manga. I also share stuff about my writing here and there. Here's the link to the February archives.
Publishing News
Not much to say in the way of Son of the Siren--we're still working on getting it available wide, and it's not everywhere yet--but I've submitted The Name and the Key to a few websites that recommend indie books (small press, independent press, self-published).
For The Name and the Key, I've jump-started obtaining editorial reviews for the book. I ordered ones from Reader's Favorite, Literary Titan, and American Writing Awards (where Son of the Siren was a finalist in the YA Fiction category!). These are far more affordable editorial review sites compared to places like Kirkus and Booklife. Kirkus and Booklife are more prestigious as far as independent book review sites go, but I'm not throwing down $450 for a mostly summarized plot filled with a snarky comment or two (which Kirkus is notorious for).
Anyway, some of the review sites I'm working with take as long as seven weeks to get back to me. I had one with a two-week turnaround that missed its own deadline, but they said they are backlogged, so who knows when I'm getting that one.
I hope I can pull blurbs from these reviews. And I hope they are positive. There's always the fear that the sophomore effort won't be as good or as exciting as the debut novel. So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Thank you
I appreciate all of you for subscribing to my emails and giving me your support. It means so much to me as a writer trying to make a big break in the business, and I love sharing what's going on in my life with you.
Thank you for reading, and see you in March!
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See you next month!
To find me on the web, check out my linktree! And be sure to read a copy of Son of the Siren, my debut YA fantasy. Preorder the eBook to The Name and the Key today!
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