And the page-a-day is back!
Hello!
Happy New Year! I hope you’re off to a great start.
This month we’ve got a book sighting, the return of a goodie, some nonfiction book recs, a short story (!), and much more!
All Things Girl, Incorrupted
Spotted in the Wild!
Girl, Incorrupted showed up on the New Books shelf at my local library! How cool is this?!
It’s got the mylar cover and the library stickers and the stamp on the edges, and it’s even already got some library grime on it! How cool is that!
And I’m pretty sure—from the look of the top and bottom of the interior when it’s closed—that someone has definitely read every page of this copy!
*commences wild screaming*
I hope they wrote a review!
Have you seen it at your library? Or anywhere? Like on your lap? I’d love a peek at any sightings you see! Take a picture and share it in the comments or tag me on social or email me or whatever suits you! I will love you forever!
The Page-a-Day is Back Up!
The Amazon Kindle Unlimited Experiment is done, so you know what that means! The 100-page preview of Girl, Incorrupted is back up!
Have you started reading yet? You can start reading now, and take in the first one-hundred pages, gratis, right here. And if you know someone who might like the story, you can share the first hundred pages with them, starting with the first page, right here:
Thank you for reading and sharing! Enjoy!
Have you left Girl, Inc. a review?
It would really help me out if you did. More on that here. And here. And here. (What can I say? It’s important. 😅)
I’ve tried to make it as easy as possible:
What Else I’ve Been Up To
Social Media Fun!
I’m doing a thing, a sort of book engagement thing, on Facebook and Instagram. Every month during 2024, I’ll post a question about the book, about who your favorite characters are and what your favorite moments are and things like that. It would be really cool to see you there and to read your responses, on whichever platform suits you best. I’d love to know what’s resonating with you, and I’d love to keep this train going. Maybe pick up some more passengers. Maybe take it across country and party in every state. Or something. 🤓
So, I hope you check it out and tell me what you love! Here are the first posts:
A Short Story!
I submitted a short story to an anthology and they passed—so their pass is your gain!
The call was for a middlegrade (8-12yo) horror story based on a public domain work. I picked The Midas Touch and paired it with… well, you’ll see.
Anyway, it’s just a submission and therefore hasn’t been professionally edited, copyedited, proofread, etcetera, etcetera, so… Enjoy. (But please don’t share; it’s just for subscribers.)
Answers to Your Questions
Yah! Another question!
Q: Do you put yourself into any of your characters?
WARNING! MINOR SPOILER AHEAD!
IF YOU HAVEN’T READ GIRL, INC. YET, LOOK AWAY!1
A: Yes. But probably not in the way you’re thinking. You’ll find me mostly in the side characters, opining away unnoticed, and you’ll find me in the nastier aspects of the main characters.
Yup, the nastier aspects. One of my favorite things about storytelling is the character arc, how a character has some flaw that is holding them back that they overcome (or succumb to) through the course of the story. The flaws that I tend to gravitate towards are flaws that, in some sense, I see in myself and haven’t fully figured out how to overcome yet, in real life. It’s not a one-to-one match, because in the story the flaws are exhaggerated and demonstrated in a way that suits the concept’s needs, and the character choices and situations are heightened and whatnot, but by the time I’m done writing the beta draft, I’ve usually tamed my own version of the flaw… regardless of the character’s outcome. 😈
Got a Question?
Leave it in the comments or hit reply and ask me!
All Things Current Project
Ha! After giving you a behind-the-scenes glimpse at my current project, December proceeded to pack my schedule, and I didn’t get much done. But I’m back at it now! Making progress with the bad guys and the story arc and getting a feel for maybe finishing this thing in the next few months. Wouldn’t that be cool? I’ve got a plan (more below) that says I could have a beta-worthy draft in 12 weeks if I can stay focused and properly prioritized. Wish me luck!
Also, have I mentioned that the current project is not a horror story? It’s not. In fact, I don’t think any of the next few ideas in the pipeline are horror stories. They’re all about a weird fantastical element in an otherwise real-world setting (‘cause that’s my jam), but the tones all vary and none quite reach horror.2
Does that delight or disappoint you? I’m curious.
What I’ve Been Reading
Let’s see. I’m still on a Lee Child kick. I read Bad Luck and Trouble to get ready for the second season of Reacher and then I read The Midnight Line.
I’ve also been reading lots of nonfiction. Some current-project book-research books that I’m keeping quiet about for now, and not just because that’s just what I do, but because they’re kind of weird. Like… taboo. And each book on the trail I’m following just becomes more so, so… yah. Mum’s the word on those. (😈 Are you intrigued?)
What else? Some business-y books, because, you know, goals and stuff. And some self-help, because who am I but a work in progress?
A couple of the nonfiction books I feel like sharing, so… I read Martha Beck’s The Joy Diet. Apparently she’s Oprah’s life coach, so you may already know about it. It was first published back when I wasn’t reading much that wasn’t assigned to me by a law professor, so I missed it when it first came out. If you missed it too and you’re feeling a little… listless? … you might check it out. And do what it says. I’m doing what it says, and I’m liking it. And feeling it. Good stuff.
I’m also reacquainting myself with parts of The 12-Week Year for Writers. (There’s a general version too, if you’re interested, called The 12-Week Year.) The basic premise is to approach your projects with a 12-week timeline instead of a 12-month timeline. So instead of saying you’re going to finish your project in a year, you say you’re going to finish it in 3 months. This creates a sense of urgency. Whenever I approach a project this way (and I’ve done it a few times now), I usually get way more done than I thought I could, and faster, too. If you’re casting about for a productivity hack, especially for a bigger project, this process is worth a look.
Links to books are affiliate links.3
ICYMI
Winnie Pug Update
Winnie had company over the holidays. This is Mara. She’s a border collie poodle. Not sure what the portmanteau is for that. Bordoodle? Colliedoodle? Colliepoo?
I mostly forgot that I had wanted to take a picture of the two of them, until the last day or so, and this was the best I got. Sorry you can’t see Mara very well.
Anyway, Winnie thought Mara was fabulous. So big and so pretty!
Their Grandma SO got them each a huge gift bag filled with toys for Christmas, so they had fun stealing each other’s favorites and taunting one another with them. Like siblings.
Since you’ve made it this far…
Comment “I left a review!” so I know you’re with me!
Good To Knows
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Thank you for reading! Talk to you again soon!
And if you haven’t, what are you waiting for?! You can start the first 100 pages right here!
Though I realize that many folk active in the horror community would say that Girl, Inc is nowhere near as horror as horror can get… and I’d have to agree with them.
Links to bookshop.org and/or amazon.com are affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase thorugh a link, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support my work and allows me to continue writing for you. Thank you for your support!
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