A Writer’s Thanks
Time has flown by this year at an amazing rate; I can’t believe Thanksgiving in the US is only two weeks away. 2021 has been a bit of a whirlwind for me, but I’ll save the recap for a post closer to year’s end.
In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, I wanted to write this piece to highlight some of the people who have been helpful as I continue down my writing journey. Some are family and friends, those I’ve known for many years, while others are newer acquaintances who I’ve interacted with only through social media. I will attempt to include everyone, though I’m certain I’ll miss one or two along the way (Please don’t take offense if I’ve failed to mention you. It is purely an oversight.)
My Primary Idea Bouncer and Favorite Beta Reader
My husband, Josh, is the first person who hears of my story ideas, and often the one who helps me work through sections where I get stuck. He has read every finished draft I’ve produced (with the exception of Oracle – I’m sorry, I still haven’t done my self-edits yet, and I know it’s been five months…) He’s a great resource for finding plot holes, and manages to catch many of my typos. I include him as a beta reader because after all the discussion I put him through about characters, scenes, and ideas, he deserves to be one of the first readers.
He knew I was a writer before we met, but I’m still not entirely sure he knew what he was getting himself into. After fifteen years, he hasn’t run away, so I think he’s okay with my writer’s madness. It’s also why I say he’s my favorite. (Fun fact: the very rough first draft of The Moon’s Eye was part of the reason we met – and now it’s about to be published!)
The Other Betas and Great ARC Readers!
Up to this point in time, I haven’t had much interaction with advance review copy readers. During the publication of Hunted in 2020, it was my first real interaction with them. Some were wonderful (but there were a number who didn’t pan out, unfortunately. This post is not about them.)
All of them were incredibly helpful with feedback and reviews, and a few (bonus!) also caught some typos that were missed during the editing process. A big thank you to Patrick, Lindsey, Vanessa, and Sheena for their work with Hunted last year.
I’d also like to thank my mom for some initial feedback on The Caein Legacy (I was pleasantly surprised she was so excited to read those books – and liked them! I spent a few months last year plagued by, “Is the last book done yet?” questions, but that’s perfectly okay. I’d rather have people excited to read my books than the alternative.)
As The Relics of War nears the same point, I’ll be seeking out their help again (Sheena is already involved in the project as part of the editing team this time around). They have all agreed to read in advance again, which is fantastic! I will also be looking for more who are interested in reading and providing advance reviews soon, so please watch my site/blog/social media if you’re interested.
The Artists!
The cover artist for The Relics of War series was amazing to work with, and I am so incredibly happy that we connected. The artwork he created for the trilogy was perfect. A big thank you to the very talented Jamie Noble.
And with any fantasy series, there has to be a map, right? I first connected with Dewi Hargreaves almost a year ago (I think?). He draws very detailed maps – and can make color versions, though I kept mine black and white. He’s drawn maps for The Relics of War and The Caein Legacy/Mage War Chronicles. He’s another talented artist that I am grateful to have met.
And finally, a thank you to Galadriel Coffeen for providing a few character sketches. She’s done six for The Relics of War, and one for The Caein Legacy. All of them are pretty close to how I envisioned the characters myself. I’m hoping to one day expand the artwork on my website to include art from fans, but that day hasn’t quite arrived yet. (I can dream, right?) Anyway, I was grateful Galadriel was able to put a face to some of the characters prior to my launching the series.
The Amazing Twitter Writing Community
Alright, here’s where I know I’m going to forget someone important because there are SO MANY people who are incredibly supportive in this group. Rather than make a list, I’ll just say the vast majority of those I’ve met in the writing community have been wonderful.
Whether it’s providing advice, moral support (because we all have days when we need a boost!), simple interaction, helping with reviewers, or sharing one another’s work, stumbling upon the writing community was one of the better things that I’ve encountered in social media as a whole.
The Fans
And where would I be without those who read and share my work? I can’t claim to know everyone in this category, but I wanted to say thank you for giving my books/blog a chance, and sticking along for the ride. There will be more to come soon.
Here is a sneak peek at some of the things you should be seeing in the near future:
- The Moon’s Eye (01.11.2022! – Preorders are now live!)
- The Talisman of Delucha (summer/fall 2022)
- A Ballad of Alchemy and Steel (spring/summer 2022 – this will be a free novella available only to newsletter subscribers)
- War of the Nameless (late 2022/early 2023)
And to anyone else I failed to mention that has been a part of this journey – thank you!
On another note, I’m currently seeking ARC readers for The Moon’s Eye (set to release 01.11.2022). If you’re interested in joining the team, sign up here: ARC Signup.