Valerian has arrived! Okay, so it's just the proof copy. Which means it's the last chance I have to go through and find anything else I might have missed. However, that doesn't mean I don't get the chance to truly enjoy having my own copy in my hands. And what better way to celebrate that fact than having an entire photo shoot of my three proof copies? I won't shove all of the pictures down your throat, but you are required to look at a handful. Maybe one day I'll throw the whole photo extravaganza up here. (Probably not until after Book Five is finished, though.) As I have mentioned before, the Official Release Date of Valerian is DECEMBER 9, 2016. This means it will be available on
It is finally upon us! The day I get to reveal the beautiful cover that my best friend was able to create for all of us to gawk at. It's also the day I get to update my entire website to accommodate this new addition. (Except for purchasing links, which will be added on Release Day.) Speaking of Release Day, Valerian will officially be available for purchase on December 9, 2016 in both paperback and Kindle format. I will have a whole slew of posts to assault you with on the auspicious occasion, trust me. (Though most of it will likely occur in the wee hours of the morning, since I do work a full shift that day.) So, without further ado, may I present to you Valerian: Isn't it gorgeous?
Okay, so this post may involve a little rambling. Of course, with such a name, can you expect anything less? To be honest, I feel like this is going to be a two-part post. Part One: Genre Hopping. Part Two: Genre Labeling. So let us begin... Part one: Genre Hopping Writers don't get to choose which stories jump into their heads at which time. While we may choose to defer ideas until others are finished, the initial thoughts hit us out of nowhere. They also don't seem to follow any kind of pattern. Which is probably why writers who stick to one genre fascinate me more than anyone else. I know what it is to be in my own head. I know the kinds of strange things that appear at random.
I won't lie if you won't: creating your world is probably the best and most fun part of writing fantasy. For me, the map was always the most rewarding thing I created. It's a visual and corporeal image of this world that I exist in most days of the week. Something to show other people: look, this is where I am. This is where my mind and my heart are right now. It's just as real as Middle Earth, Narnia, Pern, or anywhere else you can imagine. Unfortunately, world building isn't all about the map. There are people, animals, and creatures of various realities roaming this little (or not so little) planet, too. There are ecosystems and biology to consider. Elements, minerals, plants, and
It is that time of year again. The year I run around like a chicken with my head cut off, determined that NaNoWriMo is my number one focus. I skip out on dinners with the boyfriend. I put off going to spend time with him for hours. And any day off I get is spent in front of this computer while racking my brain for any words at all to fit in this scene. It is awful. It is exhilarating. I haven't lost a NaNo yet. For the past five years, I've committed every ounce of energy I have in November to the story I'm working on. All of them come out looking horrible in their own ways, but a rough draft is still better than no draft. I've also had to take months to complete the manuscripts that h
