I’m almost there…I promise. I think. I am almost ‘done’ and ready to release book 3. The last of the Legends of Star Junction series.
My first book, Return to Star Junction, took me about 3 years from inspiration to published. Those three years were filled with so much learning. Like how do you even write a book anyhow? And, what constitutes a viable first draft? How do you find editors and then accept their expert suggestions? The time was also filled with a lot of pretty amazing life stuff. For the first part of it, I immersed myself in the landscape of the books, via the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I mean…how could I not be inspired there? Bonus, I met that man that is now my husband while there. (Life can truly be filled with gifts.)
After the amazing setting and following adventures (48 state road trip with the pups), came the mechanical learning. Crafting a story (longer than the short ones I wrote too many decades ago). Knowing what to keep or expand and what to let go of. Writing characters who come alive for the readers. And, just what are the steps to publishing? I was fortunate to meet some fantastic mentors along the way. And the current picture would be very different if I hadn’t met my co-founders of Scribe Hive. This helped, because we figured out the details together, which included a lot of expression – frustration, fear, stress, a bit of sarcasm and a whole bunch of laughter.
It’s weird. That one took me 3 years and I stayed pretty faithful to the belief that I would get there. Book 2, Keepers of the Star Path, cut that time down to about 18months. Now, book 3 is about the same. I knew what books 2 and 3 were about when I finished the first draft of book 1. Until I started writing them. The time was less but it felt longer. Perhaps because I wasn’t in the setting anymore.
All of this is to say: I’m so excited because I’m so close. Beta readers are reading it. The cover artist is coming up with another amazing cover. And you will all soon get to know what happens after Return to Star Junction. Do Val and the kids really stay in Star Junction? How about Cade? What happens next?
You just have to wait a wee bit longer. But I’ll be announcing the launch date soon. And have a cover reveal. Stay tuned… and if you haven’t read Return to Star Junction yet, um, why not?