An End of Year Update

I am very close now to completing a new manuscript. It is the second book I’ve started writing since finishing Wildbound, but the first I will finish, which makes the upcoming milestone all the more exciting for me. (The story of the previous project is for another day—and a nice glass of wine.)

Back at the conception stage, when I was carving out the story’s heart, I asked myself: What is the book I need to write right now? One of the things that made Forest and Wild so special was that writing them offered me catharsis, processing, and healing. I knew that if I were to spend months working on a new novel, the surest way to immerse myself in its pages would be to craft a story that offers the same.

So I did, and it worked. I’m all in on this book, and for a while now, I’ve wanted to tell you more about these characters I love. Yet I’ve wrestled with how much to say, because ultimately, I don’t know if you’ll be able to read their story. Books are published contract to contract, and much as I wish I were in the lucky position of being able to sell a book on author name or a twenty-page proposal, the next steps for me are the same as they were pre-publication: send out a complete novel and desperately hope a publisher bites.

I won’t lie—it’s been difficult to be off-contract once more. To return to spending months on a new book without receiving a dime for my efforts, and without knowing if everyone we submit it to will reject it. Being totally honest? That looming possibility terrifies me. But either I can write a book which may or may not sell, or I can let fear stop me from writing a book altogether. And because the former gives me a chance rather than none, because even on my worst days, I can’t imagine doing anything else, I’ll choose writing every time.

I’m nearing the end of this book. It’s too soon to know what will come of it, but I can say that writing it has been food for my soul. Catharsis. Healing. I’m incredibly excited to cross that finish line. ✨

Thanks to everyone who continues to stick around, even though I didn’t have a new book for you this year. Here’s hoping for a good 2024 for all—and that I’ll have good news to share by the end of it!