Great news today! I received the Rites of Passage syndicate award! This syndicate supports first time authors, and I couldn’t be more proud to be recognized this way. 

I’ve submitted my manuscript markups to my development editor, and I like to imagine her pouring over them this week. Once I’ve heard back from her, I’ll move on to reworking sections of my manuscript, adding and deleting scenes, and changing back to the original point of view. It’s going to be a lot of work, but well worth it in the end. :)

Cheers, Debbie

What I love most about Maria’s drawing technique is the balance she strikes between stylistic interpretation and realistic detail. Her innate sense of what’s too little and what’s too much resonates with me, it always has, which is why I’m so excited to be partnering with her in this way. Like me, she’s learning as she goes (or, as my partner Michael would say, she’s building the plane while flying it). Maria’s making great progress, and her illustrations look fantastic!

For those of you who missed Maria’s introduction in my last update, you can catch the video here.

Other news

I’ll be receiving my editor’s comments on May 3, which basically makes me this owl, right now, and for every second until then.

(Photo credit: Naldz Graphics)

(Very exciting. Blink blink. I might puke I’m so nervous.)

Also exciting, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid Kitchener a visit yesterday. The folks at Vidyard hosted him. They took him on a tour of the office and chatted about many things.

I had the pleasure of tuning in to watch the livestream of the chat, which was fantastic (full recording here: http://demos.vidyard.com/watch/7VRMFw6CbkSfmFfPTsaaRH).

To everyone who pitched in to make yesterday seem so dreamy from the stands: Congratulations on doing an incredible job of hosting our country’s leader. Thank you for making such a lasting and positive impression. I’m proud to be part of a community where members push themselves to be compassionate and thoughtful, take risks, and behave transparently. 

End of news.

You can probably surmise that the phrase ’Your book is in the mail’ is my dearest haunt. I can’t wait for the moment when I get to call you up (email or text, more likely) and say those words. So I thank you for your continued patience and understanding. Most of all, I want to thank you for reading! 

Donna

Now for some fun bits... ;)

Maria’s creative process has been fascinating to observe. I mentioned how, like me, she’s figuring things out as she goes. Maria’s had to stretch her limits to overcome challenges, and in doing so, has developed her own techniques (read: hacked solutions together and I love it). 

It’s my pleasure to be sharing with you some of her midstream work.

(^ ERMAGHERD!)

I hope you’re tantalized by these small flashes. Stay tuned for more detail in updates to come!

You know the phrase, ’Don’t judge a book by its cover’? Well, Where the Sun Sets doesn’t have a cover. Which begs the question, ’If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?’ (You’ll have to read Where the Sun Sets to discover the answer, or rather, Vole’s answer.)

There are lots of ways to go about getting a book cover. But my hope is that this one comes from someone that it means something to. Someone who loves the idea of seeing their artwork, or the artwork of someone they know, on the cover of a fiction novel about a poignant love in a time-stopped world.

So, I’m running a contest! 

If the idea of contributing to book fabrication fascinates you, or someone you know, I invite you to take a look: https://www.facebook.com/Wherethesunsets/

I promise, it’s a simple contest.

1) Enter your image
2) When the submission period closes (Sunday December 4), the internet will vote up a winner!

PRIZES

1) $150 Donation to Diyode, to go toward helping reduce waste while setting up a sustainable recycling business in Jacmel, Haiti*, made in your name.

2) $150 Gift for your support and participation. Delivered in cash, or credit for Words Worth Books (your choice).

3) Your art on the cover of Where the Sun Sets, sold through Inkshares.com! And (if enough pre-orders are made!) the possibility of having your art grace the cover of Where the Sun Sets, sold around the world (Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, independent book stores). 

Additional detail posted to Facebook, but if you would like more information or to chat about details, please don’t hesitate to ask. 

I invite you to share my contact information with anyone that you think might be interested in participating! With just under 2 months left, I’m almost at 50% of my Quill goal (250 pre-orders), and any bit of love helps :)

Thank you for reading, & thank you for your continued support.

Donna