In the Light of the Moon
As I write this, my second novel, In the Light of the Moon, is about to be released into the world.
This time last year, I was only just getting back into reading my favorite genres, and now I have two novels (and some change) written.
Sylvie and Orion came to me in stages, but now that I reflect, it all happened so fast. After releasing Twin Blades last November, I was looking for a NaNoWriMo project to keep my writer mind working while also taking a break from TB. My husband and I were out of town for a Halloween wedding, and I had a series of small ideas in those days that sparked a few scenes, then a few chapters.
At the same time, I was slowly adding to TB, but by the end of January, I had 40k+ words of ILM written but was panicking. I frantically sent the chapters to my friends and husband, needing confirmation that it was trash or validation that I should keep going. Luckily for me, the resounding response was the latter.
Looking back, I’m not sure what was so difficult about Sylvie and Orion for me. They are very different than Meline and Elián, and perhaps I had just been in their world for so long, it felt so strange to be in someone else’s head.
Regardless, I am so happy and proud to be sharing ILM with the world. I feel a bit more experienced, a bit more seasoned, and on surer footing than back in November.
Not to bring the mood down, but there is also a bittersweetness I feel as I settle into this pivot from my first book. Twin Blades was written fairly quickly, but Meline had been in my head for more than fifteen years. I have this deep fear that this book will be overshadowed or forgotten, and it’s hard to shake. And as I prepare to reenter her world and give she and El a proper reunion, I am petrified that I’m just going to be throwing this book out into the void where no one will find it.
It may be a bit of aquarian god-complex, but I know that I’m a good writer. I know that I have good stories within these novels and many more to tell. And I know that I have a lot to learn. It’s hard accepting that some of these stories and/or characters won’t be equally loved by others. Or even read at all. And I think that’s been the most difficult thing about this indie author journey.
With that, particularly in this go-around with ILM, I have interacted with so many kind readers and writers that keep me going. That help me stay motivated and excited. To have someone create a moodboard for my book and multiple ARC readers DM-ing me their reactions to the book has been nothing short of magical. To have someone create a whole thread of their reactions put me on cloud nine.
I’m starting to ramble, but if you’ve read this far, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your interest in my writing. This journey is weird and so much fun, and I’m working on keeping up momentum and my own spirits. I’ve got so many more characters to craft and worlds to create, so I hope you’ll continue to follow me while I keep on writing!
