Agile August
Greetings, readers.
I didn't think that 2020 could get any more…well, 2020-ish, but Agile August sought to prove me wrong. I chose the word "Agile" because August forced me to readjust course multiple times, keeping me on my toes. What a month this has been.
To kick things off, I want to share the biggest news of the month: we got a dog! George and I welcomed little Eevee into our home on August 23rd. We believe she is a border collie/corgi mix. Whatever she is, she's just about the sweetest thing, and I am totally obsessed with her. She's starting her second week with us, and she's settled in fairly well to apartment living. Eevee was rescued by Sweet Pups New England from a Texas kill shelter and rehabilitated at my parents' farm in Maine. She makes for a wonderful writing partner, for sure.
Paw parenting has really helped take my mind off the other big thing on the horizon: TRENDING TOPIC #MURDER releases in 8 DAYS! I'd be a ball of stress right now, but little Eevee is keeping me preoccupied. Not that I'm not preparing. I've been ramping up promotional materials and prepping for the big day. I also have book blog appearances in the near-to-distant future in the works, and a Facebook Holiday Book party to celebrate Coco Cline's big entrance into the world. I am very excited to see how this release differs from the Court of Mystery series. This is uncharted territory for me, and I am loving learning new things.
Because of my unexpected shift to dog parenting, my writing output has been a little lackluster of late, but I haven't stopped thinking about my books and where to go with them. Maybe Coco Cline will get a dog? Let's check in on my August writing goals and see where I ended up for the month.
Writing Goals:
Write 30,000 words in any manuscript - Oh wow, I fell 15,000 words short of this goal. When I checked my word count in my latest Court of Mystery manuscript (the only MS I am actively working on at the moment), I couldn't believe how much ground I have covered in only 21,000 words written thus far. The story is moving along very nicely, and I am enjoying the direction I've decided to take the series in. Maybe one day, I'll share what my original plans were…if I remember them by then! The only thing I struggled with was finding time to write. What with preparing for little Eevee's arrival, prepping for a book release, and outlining Coco Cline Book 3, time in the Realm of Virtues was few and far between. However, when I found the time, the words flowed and the characters came to life for me. I am confident I will be able to have a polished manuscript to my editor by October 1st (eeek, that's actually only 4 weeks away…) Wish me luck!
Trending Topic #Murder release details - I've been having a lot of fun with release materials for TRENDING TOPIC #MURDER. I've been using Canva and Filmora to really ramp up my game in terms of design branding. I really, really enjoy this part of book marketing. I like to think of myself as a creative person, so designing color schemes, editing graphics, and coming up with new catch phrases (don't you just love "Murder is about to go viral"?) really helps stretch my creativity in different directions. With a week to go until release, I am ready for what comes next!
Read 2 books - There were slow pockets of August that allowed for reading time, and my recommendations are below!
Sarah's Bookshelf:
The Meter's Always Running by C.A. Rowland
"The Meter's Always Running" by C.A. Rowland is a delightful mix of Southern charm and ghostly intrigue. Main character Trisha Reede is one tough cookie, and she's a really engaging heroine. Trying to rebuild her life after her second divorce and her shaky relationship with her teenage daughter, Trisha supports herself by driving a taxi for the local Savannah, Georgia cab company. Trisha's interactions with the city of Savannah are some of my favorite parts of this book. She makes the historic district come alive, and I found myself wanting to be a passenger in her cab to experience this fun, trendy setting.
I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
After becoming obsessed with Unsolved Mysteries and Cold Case Files on Netflix, I decided to look into reading a true crime book. I asked the Twitterverse for recommendations and was rewarded with McNamara's work as an answer. I listened to this on audiobook and was enthralled from start to finish. Not only do you get into the mind of a killer, you are immersed in the lives of the victims and a woman who is obsessed with finding the truth. Brilliantly written, this book made me feel both victorious (knowing the Golden State Killer has been arrested AND convicted) and breathtakingly sad, as Michelle did not get to witness her one desperate wish come true. While Capote's In Cold Blood will always be my favorite true crime novel (the only book I ever read in school that I've read multiple times for fun), I'll Be Gone in the Dark is riveting and brilliant.
That's a wrap on my summer writing session! Now begins the "back-to-school" transition, which I hope brings everyone inspiration and productive mindsets.
Arms around,
S.B.