Blurb for Mary of Shadows

The publication date for Mary of Shadows, the first sequel to Mary of the Aether, is August 13, 2013. Now you know! Mark your calendars. I know that's still quite a few months away, but I would like to share with you the book's blurb. It is subject to change, I suppose, but for now, this is the description that will appear on the back of the book. Here it is:

“You will lose friends and family, you will lose everyone you’ve ever cared about.” 

In this harrowing sequel to Mary of the Aether, Mary Lanham finds herself under relentless assault by her enemies, the Lookers. Her powers will be tested to the breaking point, as the Lookers wage a campaign of terror in the tiny town of Chesset, Arkansas. Mary may have found a new ally in the mysterious old woman, Vera, but who is Vera and what does she really want? On top of everything, the worst person in the world is moving to town to spend the summer at Kristen’s house. 

There you go. That's it. In the meantime, I finished the first draft of the second sequel, Mary of Starlight, and did a cursory rewrite. It is almost ready to be submitted to the publisher. Brace your ever-loving selves.

Mary of Starlight is Complete

The first draft of book three, Mary of Starlight, is complete. I typed the word "end" at exactly 11:40pm tonight. Now my wife, who doubles as my first draft reader, gets to experience the glorious lack of rewriting and polish, as she slogs through all 94,515 words. Joy!

It's always a good feeling to finish a book, even knowing that there is a whole lot of work yet to be done in the rewrite. I think I will take a little break after this and work on some other projects before I dive into the final volume in the series.

Only an Epilogue

Ladies and gentlemen, I've almost completed the first draft of Mary of Starlight. In fact, the only thing I've got left to write is the epilogue. 91,000 words, give or take, with a couple more thousand words to go. It paves the way for the final volume in the series. Yes, that's right, one more book to go and the story of Mary Lanham will be complete. I must say, however, that I am rather intimidated at the prospect of writing book four. It will be the biggest and broadest part of the whole saga, and the trickiest one to pull off without losing sight of the characters. But I think I can do it.

Anyway, that is where things stand. I can't wait for people to be able to read the sequels. This summer, it begins.

Oh, I Wish You Could Read It

Holy crap! Sometimes you enjoy writing a chapter or a scene so much that you just come away from it giddy. Sometimes you craft a scene so intense, you just wish you could immediately post it online for everyone to read. Now, honestly, maybe the scene I just wrote is not really that good. Maybe when I come back to do the initial rewrite, I will groan with disappointment, but I tell's ya, right now I'm positively quaking with glee. It was epic, heart-wrenching and intense (emotionally and otherwise). No, it wasn't the death of a major character. Although, even if it was, I would tell you it wasn't. Maybe it was just stuff getting blowed up real good. I daren't say one way or the other.

Unfortunately, it will be at least a year until Mary of Starlight sees print, but when it does, just you remember this one thing--I really, really enjoyed writing chapter 17. Now, the good news is there are a few scenes like that in Mary of Shadows, and it comes out in a mere six months, so there you go.

Seventeen Chapters of Starlight

Well, I am on chapter seventeen of Mary of Starlight. About 2/3 of the way done with the novel. Epic situations are about to transpire that I daren't reveal to you at this time. I have such ambitious plans for this series of books. I am beginning to think I might actually be able to pull them off. We shall see.

You know what I like in a novel? I like it when the situation is so harrowing for so long that by the end the reader just feels worn out on behalf of the main character. That's what I like, and that is what I shall give you, folks. Enjoy.

In the meantime, a short synopsis of Mary of the Aether appeared on a website called More Than a Review. If you haven't read the book yet, this is a great non-spoilerish synopsis. It gives you an idea of where the novel is headed without giving away any major plot twists. Here it is.

Another Review Deserves Another Sentence

A new review of Mary of the Aether appeared on a website called More Than A Review. It's really more of a non-spoilerish synopsis than a review, but it is appreciated either way. If you haven't bought the book yet because you're not quite sure what it's about, here is your chance to find out a little bit more about it without spoiling any of the major twists.

Anyway, a new review of Mary of the Aether is a reason to celebrate by offering you one more random sentence from the sequel, Mary of Shadows. Indeed, I'll give you more than a sentence. I'll give you a whole quote. Here it is:

“The worst person in the world,” Kristen shouted, shaking a fist at the sky. “That’s the problem. The worst person in the whole stupid world!”

There you go. There it is. Relish it!

Best Time of the Day to Write

So what time of the day do you do most of your writing? What time of the day do you do your best writing? As for me, having another job which occupies most of my time, I am limited in terms of when I can write. However, consistently over the years, I have found that I write best late at night. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because my body is shutting down from lack of sleep, leaving my mind, and particularly my subconscious, freer to assert itself. Daylight, daytime activities and commotion around the house tend to distract me. When all is dark and quiet, and that late night stillness blankets the neighborhood, then I find myself more focused on creating other worlds, other places, other people, of delving into that strange head space where stories are born.

Of course, I have the constant distraction of the internet right in front of me, day or night, so that is a constant battle. It is so easy, such a little thing, to window out of Word and go browse Reddit or some other random site and read about useless trivia for a while. Wanting to write helps overcome that distraction. I mean, really, if you want to write, if you need to write, if the ideas in your brain are always threatening to spill out onto the floor unless you write them down, then you will find a way to overcome the distractions.

And you must, fellow writer. You must!