Welcome to my second What's Up Wednesday of 2014! It's a weekly meme run by Erin L Funk and Jaime Morrow and is a great way for readers and writers to catch up on what we've been up to.
What I'm reading
I read some great CQ titles in the past week - check out my Monday Mini-Reviews post! :)
I've also been reading Poison Princess by Kresley Cole. I went into this not realising it's close, genre-wise, to my current WIP -not only that, but it's AMAZING. So I'm torn between feeling awed and inadequate! :P
I'm currently halfway through Susan Kaye Quinn's fabulous e-serial future noir, Debt Collector, since I picked up Season 1 a while ago. It's original and gripping!My copy of The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa arrived the other day, too, so I've been rereading The Lost Prince in preparation. I've been waiting almost a year for this one! :)
What I'm writing
I finished the latest edit of Walking Shadow (Darkworld #2) and sent it to my publishers. Nothing major needed changing- just some continuity errors from the last revision I did (they always manage to sneak past!) and another revision of the climactic battle scene... now, it's onto the next stage! Meanwhile, shiny secret mini-project is going well, and I've set myself the same deadline for that as for my WIP (mid-February). Speaking of which, I'm onto the final third of the WIP and things are heating up! (btw, the book involves fiery monsters... #badjoke).
What else I've been up to
Editing (other people's work, not mine!). Getting distracted by le interwebs. Checking emails. Freaking out. Sending out review copies of my book. More freaking out. Oh, and PitMad. Querying. Yet more freaking out. (Need to work on my New Year's Resolution to freak out less, methinks!)
Also, SHERLOCK. Need I say more?
What inspires me right now
The awesomeness of the online writing/book blogging community. I've received so much support for my book sale (shameless plug moment) and I've also given away a bunch of review copies to lovely bloggers. This is why I write! :)
And today, I signed the contract for Walking Shadow! Yes - it's happening, people! :D
So much congratulations! I need to get caught up on Sherlock, and have enlisted my husband to watch with me. I watched the first season on my own and then never got back to it. I loved it, and hello Benedict Cumberbatch, so I am glad to reacquaint myself and then get caught up.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I love the series, though I only caught up fairly recently. :)
DeleteI started Poison Princess by Kresley Cole but gave up after the first chapter, or was it a prologue? Can't remember, I just remember it felt too heavy, too obscure and I wasn't sure what was happening. Maybe I should give it another try? Push through the first few chapter? I heard that the second book is even better ...
ReplyDeleteOh, I know very well about freaking out! lol
Congrats on signing a contract for Walking Shadows! *high five*
It's a bit confusing at first, but once the post-apocalyptic stuff starts happening, I was completely sucked in! I didn't expect to like it as much as I did, but now I'm getting the second book as soon as can!
DeleteThank you! *high fives back*
Congrats on finishing your second book. You aren't just an author, you are an author of BOOKS with an s on the end. I hope you have a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteThank you! :)
DeleteCongratulations on the contract! That is so exciting :D
ReplyDeleteSherlock was pretty good, wasn't it? ;)
Thank you! :) Yes, it definitely was! :P
DeleteOoh, Sherlock comes back this week! Yay. Did you get any bites from #PitMad? I scanned through the tweets for a bit. Twitter-length pitches are tough. I think it almost makes querying easier. More room to get your point across.
ReplyDeleteSadly no, but it's so hard to make a story sound original and exciting in a 140-character pitch! (I did have a LOT of interest from followers, but not from agents! :P) I prefer querying traditionally, so I'm cool with it. :)
DeleteA big yes on this: "I'm torn between feeling awed and inadequate." I've read a couple books lately that have made me feel that way too. I love to read a book that sweeps me away with amazing story telling, but at the same time, it reminds me of how much I have to learn as a writer. Nice work on finishing your latest edit, and I'm glad things are going well with your other writing projects!
ReplyDeleteSo true! I love to read other books, but sometimes it can get a bit overwhelming when your own writing isn't going so well. Thank you! :)
DeleteI really do need to get back to Julie Kagawa's books. I'm woefully behind, and I think at this point it might mean a complete re-read. Talk about time-consuming! From the sounds of it, you're making awesome headway in your writing. That's pretty awesome and also inspiring me to get my butt in gear and actually write something. Have a great week, Emma!
ReplyDeleteI'm actually considering rereading the Iron Fey series from the beginning, because it's been so long!
DeleteThank you! :) Good luck with your writing!
oooh, Poison Princess sounds awesome. And if your WIP is anything like it I definitely want to check it out as well. Congrats on getting edits done and have fun with your shiny new story!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on finishing your edits, and yay for review copies. I'm sure that's a nerve-racking step in the process, but so exciting too! Best of luck, Emma!
ReplyDeleteThank you! :)
DeleteSHERLOCK! Yes, but now it's OVER again. I hate that so much. Ugh. Why must we wait another year?
ReplyDeleteYou're reading so many amazing books. I haven't gotten to read all of Julie Kagawa's books yet, but they sound amazing.
I know, it's over so fast! Hopefully the wait won't be as long as last time... :)
DeleteI can't wait for Sherlock! Sunday! It's a good night for TV on PBS. Downton Abbey and then Sherlock. Happy! Congrats on finishing your second book!!! Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteSounds great! Thank you! :)
DeleteSounds like things are going well for you, Emma--book into the publisher, signing a contract... I hope you continue to have a wonderful week! :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the edits and signing the contract.
ReplyDelete