Quarantine Update

Whew! What a crazy year, am I right? I know I'm not the only one who didn't expect it to turn out this way. Like with many others, 2020 has managed to mess with all my carefully laid plans.

First, the release of the third book in my trilogy, WARREN THE 13TH AND THE THIRTEEN-YEAR CURSE. The book's publication had already been delayed due to production issues, so I was so excited for it to finally come out on March 24th! I was also looking forward to going on another 3 week book tour with illustrator Will Staehle to promote it.

Here I am at the beginning of the year with all my book-babies, together at last! So guileless. So happy. I had no idea what was coming.

As you probably recall, March is when all the Covid-19 stuff began ramping up and Stay-at-Home orders were announced. Almost overnight all our planned events were cancelled. Bookstores and schools were shut down. 

Not only that, but my husband lost an entire year's worth of work as a touring sound engineer too! Talk about stress. 

Granted, it's been a struggle for everyone, especially those who have actually dealt with the virus and illness firsthand. Thankfully my loved ones and I have managed to stay healthy through all this, knock on wood.

But on a purely professional level I have to say it really sucks to release a new book at the start of an unprecedented quarantine. I tried my best to rally and I took part in a lot of virtual promo events and zoom panels and such. But...it just wasn't the same. More events were cancelled, including the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, where I was supposed to be a panelist. That one stung - it's always been one of my favorite events, and to take part was an honor I was really looking forward to.

Oh, yeah. And during this time we also learned that a major studio that had been developing a Warren TV series decided to not renew the option. Absolutely heartbreaking, especially after getting a glimpse of what was in the works.

Soooo....I fell into a bit of a funk for a while.  But the quarantine turned out to be a bit of a blessing in disguise. During the initial lockdown when I wasn't able to go to my day job, I found myself with a lot more time on my hands than usual. Which meant I got to write more. (And play World of Warcraft, but we won't talk about that.)

I even joined a few zoom writing sessions, which was so motivating, even though I was just quietly tapping away on my computer alongside other people quietly-tapping on theirs. Before I knew it, I was making great progress on my WIP, a Latinx middle grade fantasy novel that I've been struggling with for the past five years or so.

After writing and scrapping and re-writing several drafts over the years, I finally hit the draft I was aiming for. The synopsis snapped into place. The words flowed. It was glorious! And before I knew it, I was typing "The End"!

Of course, that didn't mean I was done. I did another fairly extensive revision and sent it out to a couple trusted readers. Then I revised some more and sent it out to more people, including some of my Spooky Middle Grade colleagues who were so kind to read and give me additional notes and suggestions. 

And now, after even more tinkering and revising, I think it's finally ready to query! 

Just to dip my toe into the water, I decided to take part in #PitMad earlier this week, just to see if I got any interest. I really set my expectations low. I know a lot of people who have participated without much success, so I wasn't getting my hopes up at all. If anything, it was just a way to practice my elevator pitch and put myself out there after being in writer-recluse mode for so long. 

Here's my pitch:

I was stunned when, by the end of the day, my pitch had received 200 retweets and 82 likes, 20 or so of which were interested agents! 

Holy cow! I can't tell you how much my heart is bursting over this. I just feel so incredibly grateful for all the kind and supportive tweets I've received, and for all the boosts. Now my Labor Day weekend will be spent looking into these agents and sending out my first round of queries - I can't think of a better way to spend it!

This book is the book my heart. That's why it was so hard to find the right way to write it. I wrote it for my 10 year old self who craved a story with Latina heroines, magical animals, sparkling snow, golden pyramids, mouth-watering food, and ride-or-die friendships. Now I have hope that it's a story other people will want to read as well.

Of course I know the road ahead is long. Just because an agent liked my tweet doesn't mean they'll like my book. Rejection is part of the game, and it will likely be years before my story ever hits shelves, if at all. But right now, I'm just hanging onto the glowy feelings. They come so rarely! I just hope my little book finds a home one day!

Warren the 13th and the Whispering Woods, and Other Scary Things!

My second book, WARREN THE 13TH AND THE WHISPERING WOODS comes out in FIVE days, which, in addition to giving me the exciting and nerve-wracking feelings that come with an impending release, also reminds me that I'm long overdue for a blog post.

I mean, waaaay overdue. I didn't even write a post in 2016. Sorry... I'm just a really bad blogger. 

But a lot has been going on in the past year... such as writing the aforementioned book. 

I assumed that writing a sequel would be easier than writing the first book... but it was actually a lot more challenging. I had to find a way to reintroduce the characters and background in a way that would catch new readers up to speed, but not bore readers of the first book.

Also, the initial draft clocked in at 70k words, and it needed a LOT of revising. Like, a lot a lot. Several plot lines were eliminated, characters were merged, and the entire finale was changed drastically. However, after the dust settled, I felt that the end result was a tighter, and hopefully better manuscript at half the length.

Despite the challenges, this one was a lot of fun to write. There's more adventure in Book 2, as well as a whole new setting for Warren to explore. I'm really happy with how it turned out and I'm excited for you all to read it when it comes out on March 21st! (EEEEK!)

After finishing WHISPERING WOODS, I went through a bit of a writing slump where I struggled to write anything at all for several months. I vaguely recall this happening after Book 1 too, but it's scary every time it happens: I'll find myself wondering if I'll ever get my inspiration back, or if this is it... The Last Thing I'll Ever Write. The Last of My Creative Juice. The Death of My Muse (and other dramatic fears).

I'm happy to say that I'm now writing again, and I've been chipping away at not one, but two new MG projects. Ok, they're not quite going as fast as I'd hoped, but every day I aim to write at least 500 words. (Which is harder than it sounds, especially since I have a full-time day job).

I've started keeping track of my progress using Victoria Schwab's awesome calendar and star reward system. There's nothing that brings you back to kindergarden-level pride like earning a star for a small achievement. Even if that small achievement is only 500 words. Baby steps, people. One word at a time.

Other highlights from last year were getting to take part on a San Diego Comic Con panel with some authors I really admire. I had to pinch myself to make sure I was really on the panel and not sitting in the audience dreaming about being on the panel, like I have for so many years.

Another cool thing was that Will Staehle and I got to go on our first book tour in October. We spent a week visiting schools in several states and got to meet a lot of awesome kids.

Speaking of book tours, we're about to head out again - this time for TWO weeks! I've got the pre-tour jitters. I'm not sure why, because it will be great, just like the first one. Honestly, I think I'm more scared about having to fly in so many airplanes than anything. I used to have a severe phobia of flying. Over the years, I've managed to overcome the worst of it... but there's still a part of me that threatens to have a panic attack every time I fly.

I feel bad even mentioning it, because I'm so lucky to even get to go on a book tour. But I always appreciate it when other authors talk about their anxiety, because it makes me feel less like a crazy person. So hopefully someone reading this can relate to my fear of flying, and feel the virtual fist bump of solidarity that I'm offering.

Anyway, I do intend to blog more once I get back from the tour, and I actually want to start creating some useful content that will help or inspire aspring writers. So if there's anything specific you'd like to see me write about, let me know!

In the meantime, here are my methods for coping with plane anxiety.

1. Listen to music

I always start listening to music as soon as I get on the plane. I used to do this surreptitiously even back in the day when you weren't supposed to have your phone on at all during taxiing and takeoff. (I wrestled with my need for calming music and my fear that having a phone turned on would interfere with the plane's controls and make it crash). Now I'm glad you're allowed to have your phone on at all times, as long as it's in airplane mode. I made a special playlist of my favorite music that calms me and gives me happy feels. Also, I figure if the plane goes down, at least I'll be listening to my favorite music in my last moments. (Too morbid??)

2. BREATHE.

In addition to calming music, I practice slow and steady breathing. Especially during takeoff when my heart is racing like a drum. I learned to breathe deeply and mindfully by taking yoga classes, and it really does work to calm the mind and body. I also do this during turbulence, and try my best to unclench my muscles, and sort of let my body "jiggle" with the bumps. Also, during turbulence, I close my eyes and pretend I'm riding a city bus. Suddenly the bumps don't feel so big.

3. Educate yourself

I don't just mean about the physics of flight. (Because I have done that, and I'm still convinced it's some kind of dark magic that allows a giant metal tube to climb into the air and stay there). I'm talking about the little things... like how the wings are supposed to shake like they're about to snap off, and that turbulence is a "comfort issue not a safety issue" (a mantra I once heard somewhere). Also, learn about all the little sounds you hear and what they all mean. THIS SITE explains them really well.

I hope that helps some of you. I'll be using all of these tips while on my tour. Wish me luck!