With the end of August fast approaching, I felt it a good idea to post a roundup of progress made and review what I am currently working on. While the school year and all the activities that come with it have begun again, I’ve kept on task for both books thus far and will continue to do so. Check out the updates for both books below!

AWAKENING, Book One

This week I’m focusing on getting some printed ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) ordered so that I can test out my interior formatting.  As some of you may know, I used to work for a self-publishing company, so formatting manuscripts and designing book covers for book printing is something I am very familiar with. However, the company I am using to print and distribute my books is completely new to me, so there’s going to be a learning curve as I get used to navigating a different platform.

When testing out the “waters” over the weekend, some major decisions were made, such as the official print sizes the books will be offered in. For paperback, the size will be 5.25 x 8” and for hardcover, the size will be 5.5 x 8.5”. A lot of factors went into determining those choices, such as which print options were available for distribution across multiple platforms, my novel’s page count, and the overall visual and physical appeal.

The printed ARCs will have a temporary cover on them since Jeff Brown, the talented artist who will be designing the cover, won’t begin working on the project until the beginning of November. These test copies will be for my own benefit, to check over my formatting and make sure everything within the manuscript looks shipshape. That way, when the covers are finalized, they can simply be uploaded to the project and the book will be ready for printing.

Many have asked about my launch date for publishing Book One and I’m so grateful for your interest! That date will depend completely on when the cover is finished and how soon I can get the files uploaded and new test copies printed for review. All I can say for now is Book One will be published sometime this winter with an official launch date to be determined.

ALIGNMENT, Book Two

Progress on draft one is going very well. This morning the manuscript is sitting at a little over 80% done. There are only six chapters left for me to write! I always find it exciting to write the end of a book, there’s so much suspense and build up to the climax. There are a lot of reveals and mysteries solved too, as well as some new ones introduced, which are some of my most favorite scenes to write. It takes a lot of effort for me to slow down my writing and not rush things!

When draft one is completed, I will put the manuscript aside for a while and let it rest before beginning the arduous task of draft two editing. The break helps the story seem fresh when I come back to it, and highlights things that need tweaking which I might not have seen before. The break also hits perfectly with the time I need to begin preparing for Book One’s publishing launch, so I want to make sure it has my undivided attention.

That’s all the updates I have for now. I hope y’all had a fantastic summer! I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for fall, cooler temps, and the publishing of my debut novel!