The blog in which I babble about things I’ve published and things I’m planning to publish and things I’m currently writing:
After two years on JukePop and many more before that, I’m finally going to stop tweaking Black Pearl! (Well, unless somebody finds a typo or 800, but that hardly counts.) This week, I uploaded the complete ebook. Right now, it’s available in most of the Amazon markets. (Right here.) I had four mystery sales before I realized the ebook was live. That number may even go up when I actually tell people it’s live and send them a link. We’ll see! It’s fun to have any readers, really.
I’ve also released the print version of Black Pearl as two volumes. Volume 1 ends post-Flifary, just before the team is about to set off from Crystal Palace. It wasn’t an even split, but it made sense for the story, and nobody has to lug around a monster paperback. Also, I got to design two covers, so that’s fun.
Right now, I'm waiting for a pile of Volume 1 copies to arrive so I can sign and distribute them. I definitely need to get to the store to buy a special pen or five for this.
Thank you to everyone who’s been on the ride with me--all the typos and speculation and character love. When I started posting on JukePop, I didn’t think Black Pearl would be able to survive in serial form. Turns out it’s been going strong since I started posting. I’m still mystified most days. I’m so grateful for everyone who’s hung in there for over 150 chapters (or even one, really). The support has been amazingly motivating. And mystifying. And appreciated.
(That's you, being supportive on the right. You're so cute.)
Why self-publishing?
Before I self-published, I did send Black Pearl out to a few agents to say I did it. Querying was a valuable experience, mostly because I learned what those hoops look like. Black Pearl is a hard sell because of length, and I knew that going in. The idea of chopping the book and/or not having the opportunity to publish future books in the series made me decide I wanted to keep this world and these characters under my own control. I love the idea of being traditionally published, but hopefully that will happen with something else.
What’s next?
My immediate goal is to polish up the Dmitri/Hale short story and upload it as a free KDP select title if such a thing follows all the rules. Considering I mentioned the story at the end of Volume 2 and the ebook, I need to get on that! I’m hoping to pull in some random people who download free e-things, but I need to make sure the story is able to stand alone. Who doesn’t love grown men being pestered by sprites? Nobody cool. That’s for sure. If you know me or follow any of my social media accounts, steel yourself for being pestered to download this one soon.
Update: Find the short story here.
Book 2 in the series (The Memory Spell) is written, but I’m letting it sit for a while before digging into revisions. I’m hoping the revising/editing on The Memory Spell takes months and not years. I’d like to self-publish that one sooner than later. In case you haven’t kept up on JukePop, Memory Spell takes place just a few months (moons) after the end of Black Pearl. Rin is dealing with the fallout of those events, and the enemy who reared her head at the end of Black Pearl. The enemy’s got big plans, and Rin isn’t going to like them one bit.
Believe it or not, book 3 is already outlined. I’m the worst at spoiling my own stories, and who knows how things will change by the time I have a draft, so I’ll be vague. There’s going to be a time jump for this one. Things revolve around Rin’s family, but I’m hoping to use all new point of view characters. We’ll see if I can pull it off. One of the main characters is Rosaliy, who appears in both Black Pearl and Memory Spell. It’s going to be a while before I have a draft far enough along to share, but it may show up on JukePop eventually.
So, that’s basically what’s going on with me and writing. A lot of life has happened in the middle of all that. I'm looking forward to plugging my book a little, wrapping up some loose ends, and things calming down for a while.
(That's me after the last few months.)
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