It's been awhile since I've done a writing update post, and with NaNo on the horizon, I thought now would be a good time.
To begin, let's talk about Wolf Pit.
The edits are coming along steadily. My editor was really pleased with the changes I made and said that it has helped with the flow of the story as well as with character development. I should be getting the edits back by tomorrow, and then I'll go through another round of reviewing the book. Ideally, we'll edit it a couple more times, then I'll have a proofreader go through and catch any final errors. While she's doing that, I'll print a rough copy just so I can make sure it's going to come out okay. The deadline might be tight, but I think we'll make it for the December 14th publication date!
I have a launch party planned at M and M Bookstore on the day of release, so if you're in the Cedar Rapids area, come visit me and check out the store! I'm still looking for a location in Iowa City to host an evening launch.
If you haven't read The Purple Door District, and you're a Wattpad user, I'm currently posting the chapters to the book here. All chapters will be posted before Wolf Pit drops. Or, if you become a patron on patreon, you can read the arc for as low as $1.
The Purple Door District is also a quarterfinalist for the Epic Fantasy Fanatics Reader's Choice Awards. We're heading into the final round, and I'm both excited and nervous.
Anthologies
I mentioned over the summer/fall that I had pieces chosen for anthologies. Well, one came out yesterday, and the other is coming out at the end of this year. The first is Unknown Realms: A Fiction-Atlas Press Anthology.
The anthology includes many incredible authors who tell tales about visiting different realms. My story, "Fae Protection Services" finally found a place to call home.
Blurb: Cadenza Wilde is no stranger to rescuing children from cruel guardians, especially when magic is involved. A fae with magical earth powers, she uses her talents both in her world of Apsaras and in the human realm. When word reaches Cade that children are suddenly going missing, the Pied Piper is her first suspect. And he has his eyes on her charge, Elena. It's a race against time for Cade to save Elena before the Piper can whisk the child away into his dark realm forever.
You can purchase the kindle version here. Paperback will be coming out soon.
The second anthology I'm proud to announce is Twisted Ever After Anthology by The Otherworld. The anthology focuses on retelling fairy tales in a new and intricate way.
My story, "Red Moon," may be one that my patrons remember. It's a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood with a wolf shifter, a ghostly Huntsman, and a witchy grandmother. This book should be coming out around December in kindle form.
I've had a lot of success with short stories this year, and I'm hoping to start writing a mix of them again for contests in 2020. Ideally I'll focus mostly on urban fantasy, but I have to say that I enjoyed writing a horror story and retelling a fairy tale.
ICON44 is Cedar Rapids’ biggest fantasy/sci-fi convention. This year I’ll both be a speaker and a dealer. I’ll be sitting on several panels talking about topics like character development, Game of Thrones, Steven Universe, and more. Throughout the days, I’ll also sell my books and swag in the dealer room. Leading up to the event, I’m going to be signing at Barnes & Noble from 6-8pm with several other authors on Thursday, October 31st (yes, Halloween). ICON lasts from Friday, November 1st, to Sunday, November 3rd. On Friday, November 1st, I’ll also be doing a reading at Half Price Books in Cedar Rapids, so feel free to stop by and say hi! It’s going to be a crazy weekend.
NaNoWriMo
In about two days, NaNoWriMo 2019 kicks off. For those of you who don't know, during the month of November, writers try to write 50,000 words. I've done it about 10 times and won 9 times. This year I plan to work on The Purple Door District Book 3 (currently unnamed). I'm also finishing up Wolf Pit at the same time. Do I think I'll win? Maybe. All I know is I'm not going to sacrifice Wolf Pit's quality to meet a word count. At the very least, I'll get started on book 3 and hopefully figure out the middle of the story. As usual, I know the beginning and the end and that's it, hah.
Are you participating in NaNo? If so, feel free to add me as a buddy. My username is SilverRose Brighteye.
Happy writing!