The Story Pauses, and Continues

Well. Covid happened. It’s obviously still happening but on a more personal note. It happened. Right at the start of it all I caught it. It was mild thankfully, but the long covid hit me and I was ill on and off for a few months. Much like my chronic illness (ME), I got sick and then never got well again. Three years on and I’m still not back to my health levels of pre-covid which, for someone who was already somewhere between housebound and bedbound, weren’t great to start with! It’s meant that for a good three years writing took a backseat. No, in fact it got kicked out of the car completely. I had to leave the wonderful worlds I created behind, and missed them terribly. But the good news is that while I’m still not able to dedicate as much time and energy to writing as I used to, there are things happening behind the scenes now. And I’m finally excited for my writing future again.

But first another bump in the road. After three years together my literary agent changed careers and I’m now back to being unagented. I do plan to change that in the future! Covid affected everything and I know publishing itself has been rather a mess too. I wish them the best on their new journey. As for me, I expect I will dive back into the query trenches with a project or two either by the end of the year or next year depending on how things go. I have two wonderful manuscripts to choose from, an MG fantasy that’s finished and a spooky upper YA contemporary fantasy that’s getting edited slowly!

As for the right now I have more exciting news. My YA scifi is getting a sorely needed new name. It’s previous name, The Blacktop Presents, has been with it since inception. Writing, editing, querying and revisions with my agent couldn’t shake the name. It was a working title that stuck because I couldn’t come up with anything I liked better. But I never loved it and was always thinking about what to change it to. Well. That day has finally arrived! Introducing to you:

A Stage over Ruthless Stars

I’m very happy with it and love that it’s got a cadence that can be copied for any future sequels titles that may or may not get written. With a new name I’m excited all over again about getting this book out to you all. It will happen. These two best friends will get to meet you all and you’ll watch them through sabotage and heartache to put on the greatest show at their space stations circus. The path the book takes to getting it to you is currently being decided.

Exciting times!