A Month and a Half

How I’m Feeling

It’s been a month and a half (about) since I released Twin Blades out to the world. If you’re reading this, thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings!

Having a novel (my first, and one that was an entirely grassroots operation, at that!) is a weirdly vulnerable place to be in. I suspected that I would feel this way somewhat, but it’s a lot different to truly be sitting in this position. I’ve been delighted to hear kind feedback about my story and my characters—it makes the fear that my book will get lost in the void a bit lighter.

But I think that’s the main thing I’ve been worrying about. Not so much people not liking Twin Blades, but more that they won’t read it at all. I’m not one for social media (at least, using it for marketing purposes), so trying to intentionally create posts and time them right and keep engagement up has been exhausting, to tell you the truth.

However! It has been so fun to interact with other readers and writers online, to slowly see copies being sold/read, and just to have this major life goal under my belt. I am anxious by nature, so this has been an amazing and trying experience. But I wouldn’t change it for anything! And I am so, so grateful for all my friends who helped make this possible and all the readers I’ve gained so far. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

What I’m Working On

So, what’s next? Currently, I am… 25,091 words into Twin Blades 2. I have a working title that I’m not going to share just yet, but writing this sequel feels like coming home. I love these characters so much and am so excited to take you through the next part of their journey. My hope is to release Twin Blades 2 sometime Fall 2024. That deadline feels right to me, so all I need to do is write fast enough to stay on track. Ha.

In the meantime, I have a standalone monster romance book that I am 44,702 words into. It started as a NaNoWriMo project, and I already love this couple so much. My intention is for it to be a bit lower stakes than Twin Blades, as well as shorter. My hope is to release In the Light of the Moon around March 2024. If you’re interested in more info about this book, I’ll begin posting about it on my socials and here in the new year. So stay tuned! And if you’re already subscribed to my newsletter, I’m sending out a snippet right after I finish this blog post.

If you’ve read this far, thank you so much for your support and interest in my work. It means more than you know!

—Noelle