If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don’t write, because our culture has no use for it. Anaïs Nin
Hurrah January
is nearly over! I normally hate January. I mean what’s to like – it’s cold, it’s dark
it’s miserable. I’m usually broke from the year before and carrying a bit of Christmas
weight making my muffin top look like a pound cake. However, this year January
has not been so bad. It has been rather pleasant- a bit long and a bit rainy –
but nevertheless at least there was no snow.
I have
ordered and now received 500 bookmarks split over two designs from Stress Free
Print (the designs are fab and not that I’m bragging but I designed them myself
(didn’t want to but really I had no choice- H was indisposed and I was
impatient as usual- both for Bittersweet) and I plan to target some reading
groups with these as I said in one of my last posts. I have to say as an author
looking for places to print (cheapish) bookmarks I really struggled. Then I came
across Stress free Printing but I was dubious because you have to pay before
you can see how your art work will look. Anyway with no other alternative I bit
the bullet and I can say that I am super pleased with the product. They told me
that they didn't think the quality of my image was great – I wasn’t sure so
they sent me a free printed proof. It looked fine to me (clearly my standards
are not as high) and after I approved this I received them (free delivery) in a
couple of days. A great service. I am impressed. I went for a thicker card at
350gsm but actually I think 300gsm would have been sufficient for promo
bookmarks.
I even had
a press release printed in The Ocelot magazine in January about Bittersweet. I will
put it up on The Bittersweet page of this blog and it should appear on my
website soon. In fact my whole website needs an overhaul. I must pester H. It doesn't show well on tablets and mobiles which is a must these days so I need to rectify
that. I also received an email from my publicist at Thames River Press telling
me to get tweeting. So Tweeting (in particular lines from Bittersweet) I must
do. If you are not following me already – please do so @marissadeluna
I am also
closer to completing Under the Coconut Tree although it is a long way from print! It will be going to a new
writing group I have joined (well a sub group of my exiting group – where we
critique full manuscripts- yes I know I am a geek)
And joy o
joy I will be starting to edit Poison inthe Water in Feb! It’s a meaty book (think 87,000 words at first draft)
spanning Celeste Renshaw’s life (protagonist) from the time she goes travelling
through her tumultuous relationships and out again the other side. I have
sectioned it into three parts, which I think works quite well. When I started
writing about it I wasn't sure that I actually liked where it was going but
actually – after an epiphany in the car on my way to London one Friday evening
I realised what a good book it could actually be! It has therefore transformed.
Much of the book is set in a therapists office where Celeste looks back on
where she started and how her life turned out. I think this book is really
going to touch hearts and lives and of course it is a thriller so there will
be a lot of suspense and of course a
twist you wont see coming – that’s if I get through the editing process. I am
being a bit less gung ho this year and planning to finish a first edit and a
deep clean edit by the end of April. That should give me enough time to do a couple
more edits in time to get it to my publishers in July! Oh how I hate editing.
Well hate is a strong word. It’s a love-hate thing. I love it sometimes. Its
nice to get stuck into a project- make it better- make it work- enjoy adding bits
here and there which will surprise the reader, leave chapter endings on cliff
hangers and add many twists to the tale. But geez it’s laborious and
painstakingly slow. So much so that half the time you want to chuck the
manuscript out of the window!
Anyway –
what else have I been up to? Well for one I have realised just how good Mslexia
is! It’s a website for women who write and I will shortly be subscribing to
their magazine. They just have fab tips and workshops on their site (even if
you don’t subscribe). It is definitely worth a look if you get the chance. I also note that tickets are on sale for TheOxford Literary Festival. There is a good session on Indian writers which I may
go to- given The Chupplejeep Msyteries. And The Chip Lit Festival is also on
(Chipping Norton) in April. There is a great line up and one particular event
where they will be comparing crime fiction to fact with a real life forensic! I
so want to go to this, but I think it clashes with something else I have
planned. Perhaps I will have to rely on the shed load of forensic, criminology
and forensic psychology books I have ordered! Anyway take a look at what they have
to offer.
And finally
that course on learning how to punctuate I must enrol….
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