2/21/24
Today it feels as if I'm behind on everything. One of the things I'm delinquent on is keeping all of you in the loop about my stories, so writing this post is a good start at catching up. There's a lot of information about what's going on to share, so here we go! The reception and reviews for Soul Bond have been excellent. Everyone seems to have enjoyed my Valentine's-themed short story! Mixing illegal magic with a good mystery and sweet romance appears to be what everyone wants to read this time of year. I don't currently have any plans for more short stories, but I will make sure not to ignore a plot bunny for one should it hop into my brain. Gifting a Dragon's Heart is my next story getting released. You can pre-order it at NSP, Amazon, or Smashwords right now! If you want, you can also add it to your Goodreads list, where positive ARC reviews are already coming in. Gifting officially comes out on March 19th, just over a month away. As usual, if you pre-order with NSP, you can get it four days early. For a sneak peak of the cover, head over to any of those sites. I should have the official graphic to share really soon! The Prince, book two in my Princes of Toval series, was accepted for publishing with NSP! I'm really happy, as this means it's just as good as the first book, The Chef. I expect the editing process for The Chef to begin really soon, but The Prince likely won't start that process until fall. I've made great progress writing the third book in the trilogy, The Spy. I have written over 30k words, which is more than halfway. I will definitely reach 50k total words, although I'm still aiming for closer to 60k. There was some major action right before the halfway point, which means this story needs to enter a lull as I set things up for the final punch. Making sure the slower build-up is as interesting as the fast-paced action is always a good challenge so I'm very hopeful the next few scenes turn out.
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1/21/24
I have been so busy with writing stuff and chores lately, which is phenomenal! I'm feeling really accomplished. I know this level of work ethic will fade away whenever whatever adrenaline or manic energy fueling it is used up, but I'm taking advantage while I can. The most exciting thing is Soul Bond is completely ready for release. Those who pre-ordered at NSP will get their copy in a few short days. I expect the purchasing information for other retailers to be available imminently, and I will share as soon as it's there. Soul Bond comes out on January 30th! As promised, I pulled out The Prince and gave it a final edit. I was able to shine up some rough spots and I am very, very happy with how it turned out. I went ahead and formatted for submission, and sent The Prince to NSP for their consideration. I do think they'll like it, but I will let you know what they say as soon as I hear. Editing The Prince was exhausting, though, so I did pause in the middle for a mental health break. Rather than work on something else, for some reason I found myself up in my third floor library, putting together a bookshelf that had been languishing in pieces for over two years. If only all my procrastination efforts led to getting old tasks accomplished. Lol Thanks to the bookshelf actually being able to hold things, I was able to take piles of books that had been sitting on the floor and put them away, which means my library is less of a mess than before. I still need at least one more bookshelf, but for now it's a step in the right direction. After The Prince and the bookshelf, I turned toward editing tasks. I received the copy edit for Gifting a Dragon's Heart. The copy editor called the story "sweet" and loved the world building, so I will happily call this story a win. After I finished that, I rewarded myself by working on my latest paint by numbers project. The next step for this book is getting the cover, so I'm very excited! I should also have a potential release date to share soon too. Lastly, I have been writing! The Spy has reached 26k words and I haven't even reached the halfway point. However, I am about to write a big battle scene, after which the plot does shift into the second half. I think there's a good chance this story will reach 60k, so closer to the length from the first book (The Chef). While all the books have very intriguing magic, I'm finding the magic in The Spy to be the funnest, which makes writing this story very interesting. I am hopeful I'll have this story completed in the next few weeks, and can therefore start focusing on some new material soon. 1/1/24
My memory is comprised of Swiss cheese. I swear. I've written three separate posts in the past month, and said "I'll edit and post it after I [insert random activity here]." The realization that I never got around to actually posting came about two days later. By the time I found five free minutes, the contents were obsolete. I ended up writing a new post, and the cycle continued. I swore to myself that this weekend I would absolutely get my post actually posted. (You'll notice today is Monday...so I failed...sigh.) Anyway, I hope everyone had a very happy holiday season and a happy New Year! Here's what I've been working on the past few weeks: The draft of the cover for Soul Bond is absolutely perfect. And pink. I can't wait to share it with you, as it's completely different to every other cover I've ever had. I'm so excited for my fantasy Valentines story to come out. It was so much fun to write, and we're reaching the final countdown to release! Soul Bond is currently scheduled to come out at the end of January. I expect to have pre-order information to share very soon. Gifting a Dragon's Heart has completed both rounds of edits and is off to the copy editor. This story is moving through the editing process at a lightning pace. I expect to have a scheduled release date sometime soon. Generally, NSP likes to schedule releases after copy edits are completed, so keep an eye out for that step in the process. I have gotten a ton of writing done in The Spy, the third book in my Princes of Toval trilogy. I'm at 24k words, which means I've written about 15k in the last three weeks. The Spy is on track for at least a 50k, if not a 60k, final word count. My characters spent a long time stuck in the woods, and I couldn't figure out how to get them moving on to the next bit of plot. Chapter 8 is therefore a good bit longer than I usually want, but I'm finally on to chapter 9 and a new setting. I have almost finished the build-up for the midway point in the book, after which the story switches gears. I'm excited to write the next half, so I'm really hoping to get to work on it soon. My plans for this new year haven't changed from what I've said before. Now that it's January, I get to pull out The Prince, book two in my Princes of Toval trilogy. The Prince will get a final edit, I'll format it for submission, and send it off for NSP's consideration. I'm also expecting the first round of edits for The Chef, book one, very soon. Once I finish writing The Spy, my plan is to see about getting some of my older, languishing stories completed. I have so many ideas for new books, but my to-do list is far too big. Fingers crossed I can finish some of them in the next year! 11/19/23
After all the edits I completed two weeks ago, I hit a wall. Major burnout. Of course, burnout is always coupled with writer's block. Yep, I said the dreaded two words. I completed two rounds of edits for Soul Bond, which is off to the copy editor; one huge round of edits for Gifting a Dragon's Heart, which is back with the editor for round two; and I completed my own edits of The Prince, which is now in hibernation until January. After all of that, all I wanted was a nap. What that means is I haven't written anything more in The Spy in two weeks. I am just starting to work on chapter two, so there's a whole lot of story left to go. I do have all the major plot points mapped out, but getting it all onto paper requires the time and energy I just don't have at the moment. Instead, just this weekend I've washed six loads of laundry (and if there's time, will possibly do a seventh), cleaned one of my bathrooms, vacuumed the entire second floor of my house (which required clearing the floors first), filled, run, emptied, and refilled the dishwasher, and the chores keep coming! It's a never-ending cycle of figuring out what I need to accomplish next. Last weekend I baked apple bread and pecan pie, because those freeze well, and this week I also need to bake pumpkin pie and blondies, all to bring to Turkey Day dinner. I also need to vacuum the first floor of my house sometime after work next week. None of that is conducive to fighting off burnout, so it doesn't look like I'll be able to write at all in this coming week. Maybe after Turkey Day is over and things finally settle down, I'll be able to get back on a more even keel. A lazy winter with no plans to travel or see anyone is exactly what I have coming, so fingers crossed I'll be able to get a ton of writing done then instead! 11/5/23
This weekend has been all about edits. So many edits! First I received edits for Soul Bond, which needed to be completed quickly because of the time crunch. Soul Bond is absolutely adorable, so working on the edits wasn't a chore, but they still took some time. I would say we are ahead of schedule in terms of a February release, but considering mine won't be the only story coming out then, being ahead is a good thing. I expect to have the second round of edits for this story soon. Next I received the first round of edits for Gifting a Dragon's Heart. That is the title my editor and I have decided on. It's shorter and more direct, and still has excellent connections to the book itself. You Can't Sell A Dragon's Heart is therefore no more, and I will be referring to this story moving forward as Gifting a Dragon's Heart. The edits for this story took a lot more time, mostly because this story is three times longer. Months have gone by since I last looked at this story, and I forgot how charming it is. The combination of sci-fi and fantasy, plus the very interesting main characters, and I've fallen in love with it again. I'm looking forward to the second round of edits, but those won't be ready for a while. I hope to have more information on release dates to share soon. Once I was done with both of those, I was finally able to return to my own edits for The Prince. I'm really, really happy with how this story turned out. It's got a sweet romance, some great action scenes, and a plot I enjoyed rereading. Despite taking longer than I would have liked, I was able to finish this round of edits. The Prince will now go into hibernation. At this point, I'm thinking late January would be the best time to pull it out again for a last edit and formatting for submission. The timing depends entirely on whether I'm editing other stories then, of course, but I'm already looking forward to getting this story submitted. I wanted to work on The Spy this weekend too, but the edits were too much. Fingers crossed I'll be able to get a lot of writing done this next week, but I have a feeling I'll be getting more edits again instead. Either way, I know it will be fun! 10/29/23
Sometimes it's the little things that really make me feel like I've done a ton. Filled and ran the dishwasher? Check! Gotten to the grocery store? Check! Sorted the dirty laundry and put a load in the wash? Check! Submitted a new story to NSP? Check! All of those combined make me feel like I've accomplished something, and that's the positive mindset I need to delve into writing and editing. When all those chores and tasks start looming over me, each one demanding I take care of them first, I start to feel buried and overwhelmed. Not that I don't procrastinate like the best of them. The only reason my dishwasher got run was because I literally ran out of cups and had no choice but to muster the extreme effort to deal with it. And yet, somehow I felt really, really good when the dishwasher made that beeping noise four hours later, telling me it was done. Yes, I also submitted a story to NSP! I told you I had completed writing my idea for NSP's internal Valentine's Day call, a fantasy/romance story called Soulbond, and I wanted to give Soulbond a bit to rest before the deadline. Well, my editor requested I submit Soulbond as soon as possible, to ensure she had enough time to review it too. Since my editor is the absolute best, I had to do as she asked. Soulbond received my final editing round much sooner than I prefer, but it is shined up and good to go. I think my editor will like it as much as I do, but I'll be sure to let everyone know as soon as I learn more! Of course, focusing on Soulbond exclusively to ensure it was done in time means the rest of my stories had to be set aside for the moment. I am a little over halfway through with my post-writing, first pass edit for The Prince. This is the quick edit I give a story when it's all still fresh in my mind, before I leave it to sit and marinate for a few months. I had hoped to already be done and The Prince in its waiting phase, but I've learned sometimes you just have to roll with whatever comes. Getting Soulbond submitted was more important than getting The Prince to its next step. I should have plenty of time to work on The Prince this weekend, but at this point I likely won't pull it out for that final edit and preparation for submission until late January at the earliest. Writing is where I've fallen short in my accomplishments this week. I haven't had time to write anything because I've been so focused on getting all those edits done. That said, there's a good chance I'll finish editing The Prince soon, so I might be able to get some work done in The Spy this weekend as well. 10/20/23
Toss in a little magic, a bunch of political intrigue, a pair of twins and their love interests, and apparently you get a great story! At least, per the reviews I'm getting for Twin Elements. I'm so happy everyone seems to have enjoyed it! If you haven't gotten your copy yet, I posted a bunch of links HERE, but it's available at most major retailers. I have completed writing my story Soulbond, which I plan to submit to NSP for their internal Valentine's Day call. The story ended up being short and sweet, almost fairy tale style, with a strong emphasis on the magic and the romance. I really think you guys will like it! It's due to NSP in just a few weeks, so this is a bit of a rushed timeline for me. Normally when I complete a story I give it a quick edit before setting it aside for a minimum of six to ten weeks. This allows any nuances of what I meant to say versus what is actually on the page to fade from my memory, and when I return to the story I can be much more objective. Soulbond can only sit for about two weeks before I have to start editing or else I won't make the deadline. Luckily Soulbond is a short story, so I should be able to get it finished in time. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes! I have completed writing the epilogue for The Prince in my Princes of Toval series. which means this story is also done! I really, really like how this book turned out. The magic is advanced, the characters are dynamic, and I think I've pulled the romance in nicely. Especially in the epilogue, which is all about the romance. This weekend I am going to give The Prince a once-over to complete a basic edit, before setting it aside. Unlike Soulbond, The Prince will receive the full two months rest I prefer. I plan to pull it out again for a more in-depth edit sometime in the end of December or early January, and submit it to NSP for their consideration once it's ready. Keep an eye out on this blog around then if you want to know more! In between all that other writing, I've somehow found five minutes here and there to start writing the third book, The Spy. I'm maybe 500 words in, so it's not much, but it's a start that I think is very promising. The Spy is set a few years after The Prince concludes, with a totally new set of magic rules and a fun new plot. I expect this will be the final book in the series, as it finally ties together the last loose ends from The Chef (book one). Also, Vivary Tales has been mentally harassing me, begging to know when I can return to working on it. I chose to focus on The Chef (and the sequels) instead, as both books were too intricate to write simultaneously. Plots are percolating so I can't stay away from Vivary Tales too long. As soon as The Spy is done, I will have to return to Vivary Tales. That said, I don't actually know how long The Spy will be. I have two major plot points that need to be explored in separate, but interlinked, arcs. I'm going to aim for 50k words, hope I actually get to 60k, but be willing to settle for 40k if that's what the story calls for. As soon as I'm really able to start digging into the writing, I'll be able to make a better estimate. 10/14/23
There's so much to talk about and I'm not sure I can fit it all into one post! Sorry if this one is a little long. I'll start with the most exciting news first! Twin Elements is available for pre-ordrer at most major retailers. You can reserve your copy today! Here are some links:
NSP accepted The Chef for publishing! I'm so excited! They seemed to really enjoy it, which is always a great sign. I expect we will start working on editing sometime next April-ish, and you'll have it in your hands around this time next year. I am so incredibly close to completing The Prince, the sequel to The Chef. The story itself is done; all that's left is writing the epilogue. I am hopeful I'll be able to write the rest this weekend or next, depending on whether I get distracted by anything else. Wish me luck! Speaking of distractions, I am 90% finished with a short story for NSP's internal Valentine's Day call. When they first put out the call, I had no idea if I was going to write something for it, and I certainly had zero idea of any sort of plot. Then, last weekend I had a moment of epiphany: What if magic was illegal and my main character was cursed and needed to find some magical help without also getting thrown in jail in the process! Somehow, this crazy idea has turned into a Valentines-themed story. My working title right now is Soulbond. If I can complete it this coming week, I should have just enough time to get it edited before the submission deadline. I'll keep you all posted. On another note. I have purposefully chosen to leave politics and anything real-world out of my blog and separate from my life as a writer. However, some of you know I lived in Israel for a year while I was getting my Master's. All I'll say is so-far all my friends in Israel are okay. They've been very lucky. Some are fighting, and the rest have found other ways to give support. I might not be able to do much, safe on my couch in the US, but for anyone from Israel who reads this, please know I support you, I'm praying for you, and I wish this somehow ends with the terrorists removed from power in Gaza so all people in the region can finally live in lasting peace. 9/28/23
I usually take some time off around the holidays to spend at home with my family. The holidays themselves are very hectic. Rosh Hashanah was multiple big dinners with family and friends, and synagogue. Then Yom Kippur was a 25 hour fast (sundown to sundown), much of which was spent in synagogue. And then about 30 people came over to my parents' for Break Fast, which is a large, buffet-style meal to help recover from fasting for so long. I went a touch crazy with baking. I made apple bread, pumpkin bread, zucchini bread, blondies, mixed berry pie, lemon bars, gluten free plum cake, and hermit cookies. It was a ton of fun, of course, and now that the holiday is over I'm spending the rest of the week hanging out with my parents. What all that means is I haven't had much time for writing. At all. The Prince reached 39k words and I've added 1k to Hadash Aviv, but that was last week. This week has been nothing. I guess you could say it's been relaxing, and when I return to the real world of work and responsibilities I should be refreshed enough to tackle the rest of these stories. The Prince will probably not reach 50k as I hoped. All that's left is the finishing touches, which is probably only 5k more. I'm hopeful I'll be able to add more during the editing process, but we'll see. Hadash Aviv is also a toss up as to whether it'll reach the 15k minimum. I would need to add 6k more, which is a lot for a story that was originally purposefully short and sweet. If I get to at least 10k, I'll ask whether NSP wants it for something else. I've seen the draft for the cover of Twin Elements, and it's glorious, but I can't share it with you yet. I'm hopeful the preorder will be up soon, so I can share that too! And that's everything I've been up to the last few days. Like I said in the title, I don't have much to share. Maybe next week things will pick up again! 9/17/23
Right now I'm celebrating the Jewish New Year, called Rosh Hashanah, which translates to "head of the year". It is a lunar new year, since the Jewish calendar is lunar. We celebrate by having large family dinners featuring apples and honey, and attending synagogue for special services where the shofar (carved rams horn) is blown. I baked apple bread and traditional honey cake and had a great time celebrating with my family. For anyone who celebrates, L'Shanah Tovah! May you have a sweet and happy New Year! Next we start preparing for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which comes ten days after Rosh Hashanah, and is the most important holiday in the Jewish tradition. I have a few days before that, though, so I'm trying to get some writing done! The Prince has reached 32k words, which is excellent! I have some really fun scenes left to write, and then an epilogue that will hopefully help set up book three. I do think I'll reach 50k, but it'll be close. However, I am hoping that when I go back and edit, I'll be able to increase the word count by expanding some scenes. I'm still only on the first draft, with two or three editing rounds to go before I will send it for submission, but I'm really liking how it's turning out so far! Speaking of editing to increase word count, there's a call for spring-themed stories and I immediately thought of my short story Hadash Aviv, meaning New Spring, that was never republished. Hadash Aviv is one of my few contemporary action/adventure stories. I've always really liked it and was very disappointed I couldn't figure out a way to republish it. Of course, the call is for stories a minimum of 15k words, and Hadash Aviv was originally written for a call for stories less than 10k. I have begun expanding this story, with a couple of new scenes and more description in the existing story. I basically need to double the length of the story. So far, I've added over 1k, so I only have 6k more to write before I can decide whether it's worth submitting. I'll keep everyone updated on my progress! I got to see the first draft of the cover for Twin Elements, which comes out in exactly a month on October 17th, and my jaw dropped. I can't wait to share it, because it is amazing! Aside from that, it's been a quiet week, but I hope to have more good news to share very soon. |
Coming Soon
Gifting a Dragon's Heart
March 19, 2024 Soul Bond
January 30, 2024 Twin Elements
October 17, 2023 Witch
April 15, 2023 AuthorMell Eight is an author writing with NSP. For more information about Mell and her writing, please visit her website: http://melleightfiction. Tags
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