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Monday 29 December 2014

2014 in review!

Well, another year has gone by... and it's time to see if I achieved what I set out to this year! In my 2014 resolutions blog post, I listed the following goals for the year:


  • Draft at least 3 books - achieved! :)
  • Fully edit and publish Walking Shadow (Darkworld #2) - Yes! And Demon Heart (Darkworld #3) was accepted by my publishers, to be released next year. ^_^
  • Get Darkworld 4 and 5 ready to send to publishers - achieved! :)
  • Decide on the publication path for Beneath the Waves - I ultimately decided to shelve it...for now. I did, however, make a full self-publishing plan for next year!
  • Read 250+ books - Yes!
  • Try not to stress too much... Hey, I can dream. ;)
  • Make a marketing action plan -  Well, I tried. The only thing I've seen any success with is my newsletter, so I'll definitely be focusing on that next year!
  • Find balance - I'm starting to think this is impossible. :P
  • Do something challenging - Well, I've certainly done some challenging things! I cuddled a python and went to YA Lit Con. ^_^
  • Apply for new opportunities, and don't let fear hold me back! - Yes! 
  • Get a tattoo - This didn't end up happening... yet! (I'm indecisive and have an insanely low pain threshold, if that's an excuse...)
  • Go travelling - YES! I've been to Mallorca, Florence, and ICELAND! :D
  • Go on a research trip - I did! (Went to London to research my current series!)

So I achieved almost all of my goals, and I'm pretty pleased with my progress! But the thing I'm proudest of is that I KEPT WRITING, even in the first half of this year when things were pretty rough in Writerland. Though I try not to talk about the negatives, the ups and downs of the business are inevitable, and can sometimes give you whiplash! But through the rejections and disappointments and false turns and negativity (sometimes from places I didn't expect, unfortunately), I kept writing. And even though some of my projects turned out to be false starts, I kept writing until I finally landed on that one idea I had to write... and the rest is history!

So, here's what I did!

January
  • Finished pre-edits on Walking Shadow and signed the contract with CQ!
  • Finished Fear's Touch: A Darkworld Novella.
  • Finished the first draft of Indestructible (YA post-apocalyptic fantasy).
February
  • Finished pre-edits on Demon Heart and signed the contract with CQ!
  • Worked on a YA urban fantasy project.
March
  • Finished first-round edits on Walking Shadow.
  • Worked on three projects at once because I couldn't make up my mind. :P
April
  • Succeeded at Camp NaNoWriMo for my post-apocalyptic sequel.
  • Signed the contract for Fear's Touch: A Darkworld Novella!
May
June
  • Worked on a new draft and revised my MG fantasy.
  • Got new covers for Darkness Watching and three other Darkworld books!
  • Struck with an epic idea for a Multiverse-spanning fantasy series...
July
  • Re-proofed Darkness Watching for the re-release.
  • Proofread Walking Shadow.
  • Planned "Shiny New Series". A lot.
  • Went to YA Lit Con! ^_^
August
September
  • Power-wrote the first draft of Adamant and self-edited, sent to betas, and started the second book! Made a self-publishing and writing plan.
  • Celebrated my 23rd birthday at the Harry Potter studio tour!
  • Edited and proofread Fear's Touch: A Darkworld Novella.
October
  • Finished drafting Nemesis and worked on Delinquent: An Alliance Novella. 
  • Worked on more revisions for Adamant.
  • Worked on Demon Heart edits.
  • Went to ICELAND! :D
November
December

Total books drafted: 7 + 2 novellas.
Total new words written: 623K words. O_O
Number of laptops broken due to intense 15-hour writing days: 2. Oops. *hangs head*

Projects (the ones in bold are/will be published!)

Fear's Touch: A Darkworld Novella - drafted (21K), edited, sent to publishers, and accepted for publication. Two rounds of edits and a proofread. Status: Published!

Walking Shadow (Darkworld #2) - did pre-edits and signed the contract for publication. Two more rounds of edits and a final proofread. Status: Published!


Demon Heart (Darkworld #3) - I did pre-edits and signed the contract for publication, and then did round-one edits with my editor. Status: with publishers.

Darkworld Book 4 and Book 5 were accepted for publication! Status: with publishers.

Indestructible (YA post-apocalyptic fantasy) - finished draft, edited/revised with CP/beta feedback (70K - 42K written this year) Status: submission-ready!


Untitled YA urban fantasy thing - drafted (68K). Status: temporarily shelved until I figure out how to fix it...

Indestructible 2 (Not real title) - drafted (70K). Status: awaiting major edits.

The Clockmaker's Key (MG fantasy) - pulled out the draft I wrote in Oct-Dec last year and revamped it, then re-edited with two rounds of feedback (54K - 8K added this year). Status: submission-ready!

Untitled YA contemporary fantasy thing - drafted (75K). Status: awaiting major edits.

Adamant (Alliance #1) - adult/crossover urban fantasy, drafted, edited/revised, three rounds of beta revisions, more edits (80K). Status: with proofreader.

Nemesis (Alliance #2) - sequel to Adamant, drafted, edited/revised (83K). Status: beta-ready.

Delinquent (Alliance Novella) - prequel novella to Adamant, drafted (19K). Status: editing.

Collision (Alliance #3) - third in the Alliance series, drafted (78K). Status: editing.

Alliance 4 (Title tbc) - 60K words written.

So, it's mostly been a drafting year! But I'm thrilled that the rest of my Darkworld series was accepted for publication, and I'm well on the way to pulling the Alliance series together. And for the rest? Watch this space! I'll have a new post with my plans for next year up in a few days!

Saturday 27 December 2014

#WIPMarathon Update #11

It's time for our last #WIPMarathon check-in of the year! I have absolutely no idea where 2014 has gone, but it's been an awesome year, writing-wise.

Things I'm glad I did in 2014:
  • The most important thing I've learned this year? KEEP WRITING. No matter what happens in publishing, the one thing you can control is the words on the page. I've suffered about every kind of setback possible in the past year (publishing = battle scars. Seriously.), but I've also signed five publishing contracts, published two new books, and written half a new series. I realised that there's nothing more satisfying than when the universe hits you in the face with a mallet and you still manage to knock out a few thousand words. (Especially if you're writing something violent. *hehehe*)
  • Listened to the shiny new ideas, and stopped stressing over what I thought I should be writing. When I shelved the project I was querying (I came painfully close a few times, but I began to realise that it just wasn't going to happen for my YA fantasy) and moved onto something new, it freed up the part of my brain that was stressing over my ideas not being "marketable" enough. Then a shiny new idea lightning storm struck!
  • Realised I'm too much of a control-freak to wait another four years for a "yes". So I decided to stop watching my inbox hoping something nice would fall into it, and make the leap into self-publishing! I've been researching the process for over two years but I was waiting for the right project (also, to be honest, I was terrified at the very idea of launching a book without a publisher). But when I found the one story I really wanted to tell, I knew that had to be the one.
  • Trying new things. I went to my first real-world book event, YA Lit Con in London (which was amazing!). I cuddled a two-metre-long python (because why not? :P). I went to Iceland and saw the Northern Lights (and dolphins!). And sometimes you have to do the crazy thing, like putting all your projects on hold to work on an idea that just won't leave you alone. :P

In 2015, I'd love to:

  • Publish three books and a novella. I've another blog post coming up with my resolutions for 2015, but this is the current plan! :)
  • Finish drafting the Alliance series! I'm fast-drafting the series back-to-back so I can avoid continuity errors (also: foreshadowing!), and then I'll go back and edit it later. I did the same with Darkworld and that's how I ended up being offered 5 contracts this year, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this works out!
  • Write in a genre I haven't tried before. Right now, I'm thinking this might be sci-fi, though I do have a vague idea for a YA paranormal set in Edinburgh. Hopefully, I'm going on a writing retreat there in April - so it may turn into a research trip! :)


Last report wordcount: I was at 62K of my draft.

Current report wordcount: I finished my draft at 77K! And then I started the next one, because I'm a compulsive writer and this series still has me under its spell. ^_^ I'm now at 52K words of Book 4. 

Adamant (yes, I finally got to reveal the title! *squeal*) is now with a freelance editor for final edits! :)

I also worked on editing Book 2 and finally stopped angsting over it long enough to send it to the first round of beta readers. :P

WIP issues this month: Not many, compared to last month! It helps that this draft's actually coming together in the right order, unlike the jigsaw of Book 3. :P

Four things I learned this month in writing:

  • Writing fast doesn't mean low quality. I kind of knew this already, but if there's one thing I've learned from fast-drafting, it's that my most polished writing is actually written the fastest, because those are the days when I'm the most inspired! For instance, the first half of Adamant went through some pretty heavy edits (it's now on Draft #8!) but the second half, which I wrote in only nine days (!) was much more streamlined. I've noticed the same with other books I've drafted. My children's book, for example, was like pulling teeth, and I ended up having to rewrite the thing from scratch because there were so many big-picture issues with it. o.O If I write slowly, I lose thread of the story, forget major details, and lose enthusiasm all around. So... fast-drafting is the way forward!
  • I actually prefer editing to drafting. Well, I change my mind about this every month, often depending on which stage I'm at. :P But even though I'm writing my 18th first draft, I'm still in a perpetual state of panic over whether I'll finish it, even though I know it's ridiculous. (I blame the pre-outlining years when I never finished any of my projects!) When editing, at least I have something to work with, even if it's complete crap. I always do at least 5 rounds of intense editing no matter how long I spend drafting, and it does sometimes make me want to tear my hair out... but I love it when it all comes together and looks like a real book, not a draft. :)
  • With that having been said, there's such a thing as too much editing. And letting go of a book is even harder when you're self-publishing and don't have a deadline. No book can ever be perfect, and if you find yourself tweaking sentences for no reason after the book's been through eight drafts, it's probably time to let go! (Sings, "Let it go...")
  • This is something I've learned this year in general, but through adding up my wordcount for each month, I found that the most productive months were the ones where I really loved what I was writing. (Shocking. :P) Writing is work, yes, but it should also be fun, and if it's turning into a chore, I take it as a red flag that something is wrong. Some of the drafts I wrote earlier this year did feel like a chore, which is why I haven't gone back to edit them. Ultimately, if you don't love what you write, then neither will the reader!
What distracted me this month when writing:  Um, I think something called Christmas might have happened the other day? ;) (I managed to sneak off to write when everyone was watching TV... it's the law of the universe that I'll get inspired as soon as I'm supposed to be doing something else!)

Also, Walking Shadow (Darkworld, #2) was published on the 1st December! This book's been through quite the journey, seeing as I had to write it from scratch twice before I was offered a contract. But I now have THREE books on the virtual shelves! And I'll soon have more...

Yes - I got to announce that I'm self-publishing the Alliance series next year!!! 

The Alliance series is the "Shiny New Series" I've been talking about non-stop for the past few months. It started as a "sanity project" to stop me losing my head while in the query trenches again, and given how that... didn't work out well, it's probably a good thing I let this project take over! I'm publishing the first book, Adamant, in March 2015!

*flails*

So I've been busy with non-writing but publishing-related things like cover designs (*squee*) and learning formatting (*headdesk*). This has been in a long time in the planning. Bring on 2015! :D

Goal for next month: Keep writing! I want to finish this draft, and start the next one (Book 5). Let the emotional trauma commence! ;)

Last 200 words: Well, I'm saving some teasers from Adamant until closer to release day, but here's the first teaser image I made!



Tuesday 23 December 2014

Emma's Top 2014 Reads: Part 3!

Welcome to Part 3 of Emma's Top 2014 Reads! Part 1 focused on fantasy and Part 2 on dystopian/sci-fi, and this week, I'm highlighting my top urban fantasy and paranormal reads of 2014.

The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa
Julie Kagawa delivers again, in The Iron Traitor, the latest in her Iron Fey series. I can't get enough of this story world!


Unhinged by A.G. Howard

Unhinged by A.G. Howard is just as twisty and awesome as Splintered! I love how this both twists and complements the original Alice story.


The Unbound by Victoria SchwabThe Archived by Victoria Schwab was one of my top reads last year, and happily, I loved the sequel even more!


The Name of the Star by Maureen JohnsonThe Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson is a gripping thriller set in London about a killer imitating Jack the Ripper and a girl who can see ghosts. Creepy stuff!

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews 
A new urban fantasy series I discovered this year was the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews, beginning with Magic Bites. I'm picky when it comes to this genre, but Kate is an awesome protagonist and the supporting cast are equally well-developed. I love the gritty alternative-Atlanta where magic and technology battle it out, and the authors' imaginations when it comes to mythical monsters and heart-stopping battle sequences seem to know no bounds. Love it!


Searching for Arthur by Donna Hosie 
I also read Searching for Arthur by Donna Hosie, and loved it - in fact, I read the whole trilogy. A must for anyone looking for a fresh approach to the King Authur legend!


Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman 
A surprise discovery that I loved was the Split Worlds series by Emma Newman. This is a very British urban fantasy series with tons of colourful characters and inventive fantastical worlds.



City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra ClareOne of my favourite YA urban fantasy series came to an end this year, and the final installment of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series certainly wasn't a disappointment!
Opposition (Lux, #5)


 Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout is the final book in the sci-fi romance Lux series, and I really enjoyed it!  I never thought I'd enjoy sci-fi alien romance before I found this series, but JLA's writing is addictive and the suspense, drama and hilarious one-liners make her books difficult to put down. And this is no exception! Packed with tension, action, and the usual JLA humour and romance, I thought this was a great end to the series.

Dust to Dust  (Experiment in Terror, #9)

Another fantastic finale was the final book in the Experiment in Terror series by Karina Halle! Dust to Dust wrapped up this NA paranormal/horror romance series wonderfully. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book!


Darkness Hidden (The Name of the Blade, #2)

I was really excited for the second book in Zoe Marriott's exciting Name of the Blade trilogy, and I loved Darkness Hidden even more than The Night Itself! I can't wait for the finale!


The Dying of the Light (Skulduggery Pleasant, #9)


The final book in the Skulduggery Pleasant series held me captive from beginning to end, and I was so sad when it was over. I've followed this series from the beginning, and Derek Landy's fast-paced writing style, witty dialogue and vivid characters kept me coming back for more. These books start off as MG but definitely stray into YA towards the end. Superb books - I can't recommend them enough!


AfterworldsI also loved Afterworlds by Scott Westerfield! Two stories are told side by side - a teen writer who's achieved her dream of a publishing deal, and the book itself, a paranormal thriller. I was totally glued to the pages throughout, and Darcy's struggles as a soon-to-be-published author were very relatable. Meanwhile, Lizzie's haunting tale had me spellbound.

Unmade (The Lynburn Legacy, #3)Sanctum (Guards of the Shadowlands, #1)


I read Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan, the last in the Lynburn Legacy series. It was both funny and heartbreaking, a fantastic series conclusion!



Oh, Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater. I love this series so much. The characterisation is superb, and the writing just pulls you effortlessly into the story. Once again, I was entranced!
Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle, #3)


Several people recommended Sanctum by Sarah Fine, and it more than lived up to my expectations. I loved the protagonist, Lela, who literally walks into hell - well, purgatory - to save her best friend. There's a fantastically atmospheric take on the afterlife, some gripping action, heart-wrenching backstory, multi-layered characters... I could gush about this one for hours!

Monday 22 December 2014

Emma's Top 2014 Reads: Part 2!

Welcome to Part 2 of Emma's Top 2014 Reads! Part 1 last week focused on fantasy, and this week, I'm highlighting my top dystopian/sci-fi reads of 2014.


Vicious by V.E. Schwab Vicious by Victoria Schwab is a bit difficult to classify, but I'd call it sci-fi/superhero fiction. It follows two college friends who attempt to give themselves superpowers, and end up bitter enemies. Dark, twisty and compelling, this is a fantastic and gripping read!



Delirium by Susan Kaye Quinn

Susan Kaye Quinn's gripping e-serial Debt Collector was honestly unlike anything I've read before! It's future-noir, in which people's worth as humans can literally be calculated based on their future potential, and the Debt Collectors' job is to take the life force from people. Gripping stuff!





Poison Princess by Kresley ColeI'm not sure this really counts as dystopia or urban fantasy, but Poison Princess by Kresley Cole is pretty hard to categorise, seeing as it's part-apocalyptic, part-fantasy, part-romance. But it's a pretty fantastic read! The Tarot-based mythology and the vision of the apocalypse kept me glued to the pages.
Unwind by Neal Shusterman






I suffered dystopian burnout after last year, but I loved Unwind by Neil Shusterman. A dark, compelling read with a terrifying concept!


One by LeighAnn KopansOne and Two by Leigh Ann Kopans have a really cool take on superpowers and are also great stories!

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson's Steelheart also deals with superhero/supervillain tropes in a really interesting way, set in a future-world where the superpowered "Epics" are in political power.




Cress by Marissa Meyer
Probably the best sci-fi book I've read this year was Cress by Marissa Meyer, the third in the fabulous Lunar Chronicles! I have nothing but good things to say about this series, and I'm ecstatic that there's going to be another book which focuses on Queen Levana!



Across the Universe by Beth Revis
I'm late to the party on this one, but I finally read the Across the Universe trilogy by Beth Revis! In fact, I read the whole trilogy in a weekend. This joins my top favourite sci-fi reads of all time!





The Ask and the Answer by Patrick NessI finally finished the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness! Wow. Now this is how you write dystopian. Sooo intense and thought-provoking! I also loved More Than This, Patrick Ness's newest book, which has a really unique dystopian-ish twist and kept me glued to the pages!


More Than This by Patrick Ness






The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa
Julie Kagawa's post-apocalyptic vampire trilogy finished on a fantastic note with The Forever Song! She's made my auto-buy list, for sure.



The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
A new series I discovered was The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken, which has a really cool take on mind-powers and a gripping storyline.




Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)

And I read Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. In fact, I read the entire series in two days. Oh. My. God. The writing, guys...it's just so poetic and raw and intense. And the character development. Stunning. It gave me a book hangover that lasted a whole week!










Saturday 20 December 2014

Emma's Top 2014 Reads: Part 1!

Apparently, 2014 has been the year of ALL THE BOOKS. Well, that's every year, really, but this year, I've so many books I absolutely loved that I just can't fit them all into one post. So I'm doing something similar to 2013, and splitting my top reads of 2014 into three parts! This is Part 1, and I'm recommending the best fantasy books I've read this year!


The Rithmatist by Brandon SandersonThe Way of Kings by Brandon SandersonBrandon Sanderson never fails to deliver, and I love fantasy books with complex and cool magic systems. The Rithmatist is his first YA fantasy, and has an awesome concept! I also loved The Way of Kings, which despite being 1000-odd pages long, is a gripping and action-packed read!
Pantomime by Laura Lam




I loved Pantomime by Laura Lam, a YA fantasy unlike anything I've read before! It has circuses, magic, and a Victorian-esque world, and one of the most unique and compelling protagonists you're likely to come across in YA. Highly recommended.


The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima


Cinda Williams Chima has been added to my list of favourite authors! I read her amazing Seven Realms series, starting with The Demon King, in only three days. It's that addictively brilliant.



The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

I was surprised to enjoy The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski as much as I did, but I loved it! It's not typical fantasy, but it's an engaging page-turner and the character development is excellent.

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard



The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page MorganTwo fabulous historical fantasies I discovered this year were The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan (gargoyles in 19th century Paris!) and Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard (zombies in 19th century Philadelphia!). Both are highly recommended!
The Falconer (The Falconer, #1)


I also loved The Falconer by Elizabeth May, a historical fantasy set in a steampunk-esque Edinburgh about a fae-killing aristocratic girl out for revenge. Soooo good!




Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
I loved the Incarnate trilogy by Jodi Meadows! Such a creative and unique storyline based around the idea of reincarnation, and the one non-reincarnated soul in a society where the same people have lived over and over for the past five thousand years.



The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson


I finally finished the rest of the Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy! It's a fantastically well-plotted series in a uniquely flavoured fantasy world.
Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

This year also brought the final chapter in the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo, Ruin and Rising! And I loved it, of course. The ending was fitting and bittersweet, and I'm sad it's over, but thrilled that there'll be more books set in this world.


Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen 

Another delightful new discovery this year was Stolen Songbird by  Danielle E. Jensen. I loved the worldbuilding and the unique take on trolls and legends, and I really want to read the rest of the series!



Gates of Thread and StoneI was really looking forward to Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee, and it more than lived up to the fantastic blurb (and gorgeous cover!). Mythology, gods, and magic that feels fresh and original!

The Emperor's Blades (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne)

I'm picky when it comes to adult epic fantasy, but I loved The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley! The gripping action and complex characters kept me hooked all the way through. I'll be picking up the sequel for sure!


City of a Thousand Dolls (Bhinian Empire, #1)





Another great find was City of A Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster. I loved how the story-world was different to most other YA high fantasy I've read, rich and detailed and full of mystery.
Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #3)





Heir of Fire is without a doubt one of my top reads of this year - it was well worth the wait! In this volume, the fantasy world's scope is explored further as we follow several new characters as well as those we know and love. Celaena herself goes through a heart-wrenching journey as she confronts the horrific things she experienced in her past, and the loss of her friend. This is much more intense than the previous books in the series, emotional, gripping, and with excellent character development. And oh, my God, that ending. I NEED the next book now!

Wednesday 17 December 2014

What's Up Wednesday





















It's time for What's Up Wednesday, a weekly meme run by Erin L Funk and Jaime Morrow. Here's what I've been up to this past week!


What I'm reading


I started Red Rising. The style's really unique, and the story's totally gripping! I've had quite a lot of freelance work so reading for fun has taken a back seat, for now! (Apart from rereading Harry Potter, obviously.)

What I'm writing

Still working on Book 4/planning/outlining/writing/editing/poking bits of the other books in the series because I've pretty much given up trying to keep my brain focused on one book. :P I passed the 20K mark of Book 4, though, so progress is happening!

My writing goal this week: Write more of Book 4. Try not to emotionally destroy self in the process. 

What works for me

I'm still getting that question about writing productivity. Apparently, "I'm a cyborg" isn't a real answer. :P So...
  1. I've written a lot of books. My first took ten years (!!!), my second took a year, my third took eight months. Now I'm on my 18th first draft, and while my method might not be perfect, I know enough about my own writing habits to be able to finish a draft in 2-3 months. My drafts aren't super-long, either (I used to write insanely short drafts of around 50K, whereas now they're more like 75-80K).
  2. The part that takes longest is actually the planning/worldbuilding. It can take anywhere from a month to several years. But I tend to do it in my spare time when working on other projects. I got the idea for the Alliance series back in June, and worked on the planning for 2 months before I started drafting.
  3. I fast-draft, then edit like hell. That book I drafted in 24 days? I've been editing it for 3 months, and it's now on Draft #8.I write/edit more than one book at once (in the same series). It actually takes me about 4-6 months to write, edit and polish each book, but they overlap. Now, I'm proofreading Book 1 in my series, I've just finished self-edits on Book 2, Book 3's first draft is now finished and I'm on to Book 4. As the series is pre-planned, it means I can move from one draft to the next without having to stop for long between books.
  4. I'm a single-minded, obsessive workaholic (in case you couldn't tell :P). 

What else is new

I announced my self-publishing plans! Next year is going to be EPIC, and I'm super-excited! And nervous. Because, y'know, I'm a neurotic anxiety-suffering author with a morbid tendency to expect the worst. ;) But this is something I've wanted to do for a long time, and I can't wait to share the Alliance series with the world! *bounces*

Monday 15 December 2014

Coming in 2015: The Alliance Series!

It's time to share the announcement I've been sitting on the last few months! I'm pretty sure many of you guys will have guessed already...

I’m going to be self-publishing an adult contemporary fantasy series! 


happy animated GIF


The Alliance Series is set in a 21st-century Britain with a twist… our world, Earth, is connected up to hundreds of others through Passages, guarded by the Inter-World Alliance. The story follows two protagonists, Ada, who lives under the Alliance's radar, illegally helping refugees from her war-torn homeworld hide out on low-magic Earth; and Kay, fearless Alliance guard determined to solve his supervisor's murder - and when their two worlds cross paths, trouble follows.

This is the book I’ve dreamed of writing for years, a sum of all the things I love: alternative universes (not parallel worlds, but an interdependent Multiverse system); magic that kicks back; complex characters and unlikely partnerships; a high level of sarcasm; monsters (of course) and some more unconventional things like centaurs, hover-boots and invisible walkie-talkies. It's a weird hybrid of fantasy and sci-fi, and it’s been an absolute blast to write! 
It’s also my first adult novel, though I would say it’s suitable for YA readers – the characters are aged 21+, but content-wise, it’s similar to my upper-YA Darkworld series. I’m self-publishing the first book, Adamant, in March 2015! It'll be up for pre-order on Amazon from late January, I hope. And you can add it on Goodreads now!

So… how did this come about? Well, I've actually been considering self-publishing as an option for over two years, but I knew my best option was to write a longer series, like Darkworld. I finished editing my quirky MG fantasy in June this year (which is set across multiple universes), and I was daydreaming/procrastinating one day when I thought:

"I want to write another multiple-universe story. Not middle-grade. Maybe YA? Or New Adult?"

"But it'd be really complex. Not a standalone. Not even a trilogy."

"I've wanted to write another longer series ever since I finished Darkworld..."

"There are quite a few sci-fi books with parallel worlds, but there aren't many multiple-universe fantasy series out there, especially ones with both modern-day technology and magic. I love that kind of thing. I want to read a book like that."

"Huh? The Alliance? Brain, where did that come from?"

"Wait. Holy crap. Oh. My. God."

*sudden idea lightning storm* 

*frantically grabs notebook* 

*scribbles 10 pages of ideas before remembering I'm supposed to be writing another book*

I'm a firm believer in the maxim "Write the book you want to read" - in fact, it's more like "Write the book you'd be first in line to buy if someone else wrote it"! I tried to be patient and wait until I finished my other project, but kept sneaking off to write bits of it until I could finally concentrate on this series.

Next thing I knew, the characters had hijacked my brain, throwing me head-first into this series and leaving all my other projects behind. It's fun, it's intense, and it's challenged me as an author more than any other book I've written. And there was never any doubt that I wanted to publish it. I wrote the first draft in only 24 days, which is a million times faster than I've ever written a draft before - I was convinced the story was writing itself!

So I finished the draft, revised, went through three rounds of beta feedback and revised again ( Thank you so much to Cole, Jessica, Erin and Laura for helping me with various drafts!
). Meanwhile, I'd already started a prequel novella and the second book, which I finished in 34 days - proving it wasn't a one-time-coincidence. The series really wanted to be written. Since then, I've finished the third book (in 37 days) and self-edited the second one several times. Now I'm onto Book 4... and still power-writing!

In the meantime, I dealt with business-related things like obtaining ISBNs and tax stuff (fun!). And then I needed to commission cover art and professional editing, and learn how to format for ebook and paperback. I wanted to do this right, and put out the best-quality book I could manage. Now Adamant is with the proofreader, and I'm delighted to have been able to work with the talented Amalia Chitulescu (who designed my Darkworld book covers) for the cover art! ^_^

There will be six books in the series, and I’m planning to release a new book every 3-6 months. So, Adamant will be published in March, with the second book, Nemesis, following in June and the third book, Collision, to follow later. I'm hoping to publish a novella, Delinquent, next year, too. The wonderful thing about self-publishing is that I get to call the shots! I knew I didn’t want to put this series through querying, and that I wanted full control over the whole crazy Multiverse. And I've had my eye on the indie path for a while. When you write less-than-conventional books like I do, not to mention writing fast, it was probably inevitable! I love working with publishers (of course!) but I wanted a project just for me – one I had full control over. And this was a story I was adamant that I wanted to publish. (Sorry. I just had to make that pun at least once. :P)

Expect blurbs, covers, and other awesomeness coming up soon, and don't forget to sign up to my newsletter to be the first to see the cover and blurb for Adamant!


*disappears into a puff of smoke*

Fall Into Fantasy: Week 17


Welcome to the Fall Into Fantasy Tour, where we are keeping your mind off any end-of-summer blues and welcoming the cooler weather by introducing you to some incredible fantasy reads to curl up with and giving you plenty of chances to win awesome prizes!

Week 17: Meratis Trilogy
Book One: Evensong
By Krista Walsh


Author Jeff Powell wakes up to find the impossible has happened. He is within his own novel—summoned into the fictional world of Feldall’s Keep by a spell he didn’t write. One the House enchantress hasn’t figured out how to reverse.

When the villain he’s been struggling to write reveals himself, unleashing waves of terror and chaos, Jeff must use more than his imagination to save the characters he created—and the woman he loves.

Trapped within a world of his own creation, he must step outside the bounds of his narrative to help his characters defeat an evil no one anticipated, even if he must sacrifice his greatest gift. In the end, he has to ask: are novels really fiction, or windows into other worlds?

Buy it from: Amazon, Kobo, Nook, iTunes
Or add it to Goodreads





ABOUT KRISTA WALSH
Known for witty, vivid characters, Krista Walsh never has more fun than getting them into trouble and taking her time getting them out. After publishing a few short stories and novellas in various anthologies, she has now released her own anthology, the serial collection Greylands. When not writing, or working at her day job, she can be found reading, gaming, or watching a film – anything to get lost in a good story. She currently lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

Find Krista online: Website  Facebook  Twitter



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