It’s 2019!

I have to say it has been a rollercoaster through 2018, but I survived it. One of the great things to come out of 2018 was the friends I made through this site, and through joining and participating in the Writing Bloc’s group and their short story collection titled Escape! An Anthology, with 19 other talented writers  (now available on Amazon for $5.99!) 

We’re the Whiteheads is still funding: I have 50 more days! I would appreciate it so much for my story to be followed and/or pre-ordered. Thank you for your continuing support. Let’s make this new year a wonderful one. Link: https://www.inkshares.com/books/we-re-the-whiteheads/

Durena Burns

January 2019

Good morning everyone. Just a quick update on a couple of things:

eNewsletter: I have finally managed to get an email attached to my web domain (susankhamilton.com), and now that I have a much larger mailing list, I’m going to be using a list service to help manage it more effectively. So that means updates will start coming from susan@susankhamilton.com -- please be sure you add that address to your spam filter so you don’t miss any news!

I’m working on my January update now, and will be sending that later this morning!

Arisia 2019: I will be attending the Arisia Convention at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston. I’ll be volunteering at and selling Shadow King from the Broad Universe table in the vendor room -- I’ll let you know exact days and times I’ll be there as soon as have them. If you’ll be at Arisia please stop by and say hello!

Best,

Susan

Oh My Darlings, Happy New Year!

Sent version three of MINE back to the Inkshares Dev Editor today.

That Dev Letter document was a powerful learning vehicle for me. I’ve read it many, many times, and the guidance it provided should translate into an improved story for your enjoyment. (Not to mention my other secret weapon...)

Also, took time to work up another cover comp for the project entry. Can’t go back to the original title. Although nothing is for certain, the current title, MINE, is working well for me.

Check it out: https://www.inkshares.com/books/murder-happens

A lot of excitement around the recent contest winners here on Inkshares. Looks like a lot of original work and promising premises from talented authors. Looking forward to seeing those projects in print.

Also, picked up ESCAPE! Writers Bloc Anthology, available here: https://www.amazon.com/ESCAPE-Writing-Bloc-Anthology-Cooperative-ebook/dp/B07KPZRP39/ and savored a couple delicious stories already.

So, things are progressing. Thank you for your support, and your patience.

Dean Fearce

Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were wonderful and that your 2019 is off to a good start.

It’s hard for me to write without starting with this-- my Grandma died on the morning of the 19th. My grandma, Kathleen, was a third caretaker for me as a child. I lived with her during highschool. She taught me how to sew, how to crossstitch, and how to drive. Her extensive book collection and daily reading habit influenced my own love of books and I’m sure are part of what led me toward being a writer. I’ve been feeling like I can’t do much writing until I write about her, but I’m not really ready to do so extensively. So I’ve put it on the backburner-- I’m letting it simmer til the right words are ready to come out, and I’m working on other things. 

One of the three protagonists in Rock of Ages is inspired by my Grandma, and I’m sure when I start working on that storyline again, it will be tough. I’m working on Cassidy, the modern 20-something, right now, and I just got to the part where she’s visiting her grandma in a care home. It’s intense, but I hope my experience visiting my grandma in the days before she died, and my love for her, will show. I read the most recent version of the prologue out loud to her and it was some of the most aware and awake she was during our visit. I’m so glad she got to hear it, and so sad she won’t get to read the whole thing. 

On a happier note, I’ve created a year-long reading challenge for writers. Take a look and let me know if you plan to try it!

And on a much happier note, though Rock of Ages is still deep in the editing process, as of today I am officially a published author! It’s publication day for the Writing Bloc Anthology, ESCAPE! We started out as a little support group and soon decided we would be much more than that. We put out a call for submissions, engaged in an extensive peer editing process, and utilized our varied talents to take on design, marketing, and distribution! We made a real book with 20 great stories in it! 

My story, "Aspirant," is about an aspiring nun at a Zen monastery (based on Deer Park in Escondido). She’s there trying to escape a past of sexual trauma but at a young adult retreat develops a crush on an attendee. She has to decide whether to remain at the monastery or pursue her promising new love interest.

The whole anthology is only $2.99 today but will go up to $5.99 tomorrow! Please consider ordering it and supporting independent authors and publishing! I’m so excited to hear what you think about my story!

I’m wishing you all a very happy New Year. I hope it is everything you want it to be.

Hey everyone!