We're Back!

You know you’ve planned an effective vacation when you reach the last day away and realize you’re ready to go home. This success is compounded when your kids are ready. So I feel it’s accurately stated that we had a damn good vacation.

Mike and I spent one week in Cooperstown, NY for our son’s club baseball tournament, and then another week in the city. The boys and I were first-timers, so naturally we wanted to see and do as much as possible. We averaged over 20,000 steps per day. The only time spent in our hotel was to sleep.

I did zero writing. And it was kind of glorious.

Not what you’d hope to hear from an author whose second book you’re eagerly anticipating, eh? 😳

Allow me to allay any fears, because trust me, I had my own. It may not seem like a lot, but spending two weeks without any purposeful creative outflow had me questioning my ability to maintain my productivity upon return.

Fortunately, when a wet sponge has been wrung dry, the only action left to it is absorption. Two weeks of peace, adventure, exploration, and overstimulation filled me up. The time away fueled my creative process.

There are generally two types of writers. “Plotters” love their outlines, spend hours detailing the chronological arcs of their stories, and hammer out all the major conflicts and key points before they ever put a pen to paper—or fingers to a keyboard. “Pantsers,” on the other hand, write by the seat of their pants. They have an idea, or perhaps multiple, that sparks the birth of their story. The details, backstories, motives, and setting are generally discovered along the way—minimal planning involved.

My writing style lies somewhere between the two. I have a generalized sense of where this story is going and have identified the major conflicts. Much, however, is unearthed as I dig.

And since my return, I have been digging—chipping away at book two, discovering little gems of banter, fissures of tension, a combustible gas pocket or two… 🤫💥 

There’s a lot of emotion in this story. If book one tempted you into the shallows, book two has you wading into waist-deep currents only to realize there are sharks in the water.

So what’s the timeline?

Alas, I haven’t one. 😪 

My deadlines are self-imposed, and reader expectation is something I take very seriously. I am beyond humbled to know that people loved Cloaking Fate enough to crave her sequel. For now, let’s just say I’m working very diligently to finish this first draft and deliver it into the hands of my dear editor. I promise to update you as soon as I know more.

In the meantime, I am ecstatic about the feedback I’ve been receiving for book one. Marketing is rather the bane of my existence (I say this with complete sincerity), so I’m truly grateful for all the support.

For those who have read it, please take a moment to leave an Amazon review. 🙏🏼(Sincerest thank you to those who already have.) Feedback is the primary way for indie books to gain traction in this industry. If you have time, it would be so appreciated! Here’s the direct link to do so: Just scroll to the reviews and click “write a customer review.”

I’ll leave you with one more thing! It’s been a while since I left you with a book recommendation, and I have two:

Until next time, enjoy and be well.

N.