Quarterly(-ish) Update
Before I begin, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that comparing yourself to others isn’t always a good thing.
That said, I cannot wrap my head around how other people are able to send out daily updates like this. I recognize that not everyone does, and that the ones that do might not have other means of employment or are simply better at managing their time than others. When I made my website, I had done some research and heard (read) about the importance of a Blog and frequent updates. My dearest reader, I am gently caressing your hands while perched before you on one knee when I tell you: I simply was not made for that life. Which, for some of you, may come as a relief. No incessant emails to let you know there’s a new post on my site. For others, I understand the appeal and intrigue in wanting to know more about what’s going on and where I’m at - and for you, I implore you to consider reaching out to me on social media. By all means, have at it! Or use the Contact form on my site, here, and let me know what you want to know!
All of this foreplay to say: I am sorry this update did not come at the roughly-scheduled time. It most likely will happen again.
Now, onto the actual updates.
Body of Hate, my debut novel, has been out for seven months, now. I think. I’m not about to do math this late. I’ve done a modest amount in terms of sales, especially when taking into account how horrible I’ve been with marketing. Marketing is one of the things I’m still struggling with, but I have ideas and am working on more consistent strategies. If you’ve read it and want to share the joy with others, word of mouth goes a long way! Tell your friends, your enemies, your teachers - ask your libraries! The crew of Night Stalkers, Inc. thanks you for your willingness to spread the gospel. Particularly Callum.
The sequel, I’m delighted to share, is underway. You can see the vision board for it here. The first draft is about a third of the way complete and I’ve even imposed a deadline for myself to have that draft completed: June 30th! I may have mentioned I’m something of a procrastinator, but I have found that pretending I have a deadline I need to meet in order to appease some figure of authority has helped; some of my finest work was on essays written the night before they were due.
I have the title in mind, but I haven’t committed to whether it’s something I want to share just yet. I’m afraid I’m going to have to leave you hanging there, for now.
What I can tell you about the sequel is that it’s absolutely magical. Declan, leader of the PSYCHOs, makes a return. The gang goes to the Faerie Realm. A few very exciting characters are introduced. The Apocalypse is underway. And, at least in this first draft, there are some scenes with more romantic tension. My favorite one to write was a truth or dare sequence that I hope survives to the final version. If it doesn’t, I may post it here for enjoyment, as a little anecdote.
If you’re interested, I will be on the hunt for Alpha/Beta Readers likely towards the end of fall/beginning of winter 2026. (With any luck, and assuming I keep up the pace, of course.) I will be posting on my site under my blog when the time comes, as well as likely talking about it anywhere I can on social media. So, stay tuned!
I have also made some progress on the first draft for another piece unrelated to the Night Stalkers series: Girl Meets Demon. You see, with the state of the world I was craving something more feelgood. Something cutesy. Something fun. Enter what I originally, affectionately called, Spooky RomCom. This is intended to be a standalone novel that may have some nods to the world of Night Stalkers, but will otherwise be completely independent.
So far in the draft for Girl Meets Demon, I’ve decided a few things:
It will be told in first person;
It will alternate POVs, between the MMC and FMC; and
I’m going to have fun with it.
This is my stress-relief project, so I do not have a set goal on its completion just yet. But, lord knows, I’ve been in dire need of whimsy lately so, who knows! Maybe the first draft for Girl Meets Demon will be done before the Body of Hate sequel.
And that’s about all I can think of to share for now. I hope you’ll forgive the delay and, more importantly, that you’re well. I hope you’re somewhere safe and taken care of. I hope you’re loved and warm and fed and happy.
Fondest regards,
