At the behest of my fans...

Okay. I should say fan. Singular.

I realize it has been some time since I've updated. This is due partly to life having gotten a bit busy recently, and partly due to there being very little to report. Work on Of Shadow has slowed considerably. Continuity issues. Fears and uncertainties. Nothing out of the usual for me. First drafts aren't easy, and they aren't quick. Couple those things with one of the world's most adept procrastinators and you'll have quite a wait for a piece of literature.

Thankfully, you can be assured that it ends up pretty good. =)

With weekends being the only time I can sit down and focus, and these past several weekends being loaded with weddings and festivals and everything else keeping me away from the keyboard, I've gotten a bit lazy. Sorry to report, I still haven't applied my edits to Of Avatars. That goes without saying, no query letters have been crafted, no agents or agencies submitted to--basically, no progress other than that of the new book. Maybe this is good enough, maybe it isn't. For me, it signifies failure and inadequate motivation.

I'm torn between perfecting my first piece and finishing the second. For being this late in the game, that's kind of bad. Especially since I have to literally wait for Yamini to finish telling the story. I don't know everything that is going to happen, and neither does she. I know where she ends up...just not how she gets there exactly. That is the fun part about writing these stories. It is as much an adventure for me as it is for the characters. They never fail to surprise, never disappoint.

I, on the other hand...

*sighs* Back to work.

Full Novel on Scribd

I've decided to make the entire manuscript available to read online @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/16868862/Of-Avatars-and-Elementals. I have, however, disabled the download option, as everyone in my circle has already been notified and sent a copy of the PDF and I don't want copies of the file to spread TOO far to people I don't know. (Call me paranoid or protective, I don't mind.) Anyhow, I figured having the story accessible online would make it easier for friends and acquaintances to get others interested in the story, and if they deem it a worthy read they can come to me directly.

Naturally, it will not be left up forever. I've set a tentative expiration date of one month, though that may be extended (or shortened!) depending on the responses I receive from queried agents (really need to get the ball rolling on that). Something tells me they wouldn't be crazy about the idea of a novel they're aiming to represent being available for widespread download!

In the meantime, I am researching (for the third or fourth time) the industry, mechanics, protocol and etiquette for agents, editors and publishers. There's so much to learn and take in. And perfect. My query letter (and possibly synopsis, I've learned) will have to be just as polished and intriguing as the novel itself if I'm ever to gain anyone's attention. Or representation. At this point, I'd like to think I possess the skill level to do these things with a bit of practice. All that is left is hoping that the market is open to what I've written, and that an agent will believe in it as much as I do.

New Respect for Publicists!

Well, after an additional week of fine tuning, I've released Of Avatars and Elementals to quite a few of my contacts. I think that my spirits, patience and hope are not completely out of order, for while I sent notice to around one hundred people and have had correspondence with perhaps a dozen, I am not discouraged in the least. Quite the contrary, I'm overly excited about the few who have taken a sincere interest both in reading and in helping me to find more of an audience. I suppose one could say that the difficult part is now over. The story is in the hands of readers. I am in the process of agent research. Now all I really have to do is sit and wait patiently for feedback...and resume work on Yamini's story, Of Shadow and Dissonance.