Round Two Down!

I just finished the second edits, the color edits, on Tilt. Next up is taking all the changes and incorporating them into the manuscript. I’m hoping to get Tilt to my editor by the middle of December.

This book has been a lot easier to work with than Lift. The story knows where it’s headed, and believe me, BIG things go down in book two! Almost all of the Flying Ponies get introduced, and you get to know Dreadful more.

I hope to release Tilt in mid-winter (Valentine’s Day would be fun, wouldn’t it?). Check back on my social media as I will be updating where I am with the publishing process.

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What’s Happening Next

So as most of you know, Lift is now available as a Kindle pre-order, and the soft cover ARCs are in my hands. Three have been sent out to others. One will go to someone who will review it for our local paper, and one is staying right here with me. So what comes next?

The release party is being held April 21, from 4-6:30 pm, at the Book Nook & Java Shop, in Montague, Michigan. The book will be available from Amazon on that day as both an e-book and a trade paperback. I am also going to have the book available from other distributors; most notably from Ingram, from whom most libraries order their books.

The second book in The Flying Ponies trilogy, Tilt, is complete. I won’t look at it for 6-8 weeks or longer. When I do begin going through it, I will be looking at how it flows and what changes need to come about. When it’s as far as I can take it, it will be sent to my editor, Kat Szmit, and together we’ll mold it until it’s ready.

In the meantime, give or take a month or two, I will begin writing Spin, the final book in the trilogy. Once The Flying Ponies is finished, I’ll begin work on the next story, which I’ve already started notes for.

The writing life is busy, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

ARCs Are Here!!

Finding Inspiration at the Mall

I survived girls’ weekend! It was a great two days of watching romantic movies, shopping, and eating junk food. On Sunday, we ventured to the Traverse City Mall, which houses a beautiful carousel. I took the pictures you see here to use as inspiration for my Flying Ponies series.

I love seeing the carousel animals; they remind me of a lost time that America will never see again. I believe this carousel sports fiberglass animals rather than wood, but their beautiful colors and intricate designs also represent my own childhood memories of riding flying ponies around and around.

I think when you’re writing, it’s a good idea to find images related to the story that inspire you. I am a visual person; seeing actual carousels help me focus on writing about my fictional one. And, I enjoy learning about them, too. I hope to next year make it down to Sandusky, Ohio, to the Merry Go Round Museum, to visit their restored carousels.

What inspires you when you write? What images have you used for your stories?

Have a blessed night, and please enjoy the carousel pictures.

Big Things Happening

Yesterday two big things happened: I got to see some concept cover art for my first novel, Lift, and this website is now officially my own domain. It is beyond exciting to know that my career as an indie writer is actually moving forward.

The cover art is gorgeous. It hasn’t been decided if it’s what we’re going to use, but just seeing it is amazing. It means that the novel is much closer to a reality, more than just a document on my computer. I will be finishing up my fourth round of edits in the next week, and barring any unforeseen problems, will be sending it to my publisher. 

As for the website, I have added a Flying Ponies page for that series, with the prequel to Lift added as sub pages. Whirl is the story of a young woman who meets a man with an extraordinary carousel.

There is also a Treasury page where I will be posting short stories set in the land of Pentallia. The stories will feature characters from my Pentallian Archives series. 

I feel blessed by both things that happened, and blessed to live where I do. This was the view off my front deck this morning as I let our two Dachshunds out. I hope you have a look around my site, and a wonderful day.