Well, hello there, awesome readers!
First off, thanks again to everyone who came to my book signing for SUPERWOMAN: A Funny and Reflective Look at Single Motherhood. It was great to see your lovely faces and please know that your support means so much to me.
Teaming up with a local non-profit was truly a highlight of this Indigo Pointe Claire event. Thanks to your generosity, we collected not one, but TWO CAR-LOADS of school supplies for families in need.
Again, a HUGE thank you for your kindness. Sharing really is caring and giving back always feels good.
My heart is full!
In case you couldn’t make it, Indigo asked me to sign some copies, so if you’re looking for your next read, head over to:
Indigo Pointe-Claire
6321 Trans-Canada Hwy
Pointe-Claire, Quebec
H9R 5A5
Secondly, many of you have been asking what I’m working on next. It pains me to say that my response has been received with disappointment.
DISAPPOINTMENT.
“But when’s the next chapter of Family Secrets coming out?”
While I’m ecstatic to learn that so many of you are eagerly waiting for the next chapters of my psychological thriller, the truth is that the character gets in my head and then I can’t sleep at night.
True story. When I’m working on Family Secrets, every little creek wakes me up and then I start imagining that there’s a serial killer lurking in my house. It’s awesome.
As I lie there, staring into the darkness with my ears perked (while my dog, Jed, snores on his blankie on the floor next to me * insert eye roll *), visions of my own funeral swirl in my head.
Who will come?
Will it be catered?
Is catering for a funeral even a thing?
What outfit will they have me wear? (Sweatpants. Please put me in sweatpants. Preferably my grey ones with the pockets.)
And then it strikes me.
Guess what! Ya’ll are going to sleep in the graveyard with me because there’s no way you’re leaving me alone in the dark on my first night with a bunch of dead strangers.
Bring music.
Bring wine.
Bring a sleeping bag.
Meanwhile, please know that I WILL get back to writing Family Secrets. I promise. I do enjoy writing about a serial killer.
Oh. This is probably a good time to mention that while SUPERWOMAN is a memoir, Family Secrets is NOT a memoir.
(If you haven’t read it yet and enjoy psychological thrillers, Chapter 1 is on Amazon and if you have Kindle Unlimited it’s free. Otherwise, it’s only .99 cents. You can click here to download it now.)
So, I haven’t answered the question yet: What am I working on now? I’m rambling. Sorry about that.
The (working) title of my next book is The Secret Blog of a Teenage Vampire. (Just so we’re clear, also not a memoir.) I had originally started this story as a blog. But then I had to stop working on it because it was around that time that I got the book deal for SUPERWOMAN: A Funny and Reflective Look at Single Motherhood.
The Secret Blog of a Teenage Vampire is a different kind of vampire story. Told from a teenager’s perspective, it’s a coming-of-age story that explores themes of self-acceptance and wanting to fit in.
Here’s a synopsis:
When Edna’s mother discovers her collection of journals and forces her to destroy them, Edna does what any 16-year-old would do. She goes online and starts a personal blog.
The only problem is that Edna is not just “any teenager” – she’s a 113-year-old vampire!
The Secret Blog of a Teenage Vampire is the story of Edna and her mother, Millie, as the vampire duo strive to blend into society while searching for their Maker.
Who changed them into vampires?
Are there others like them?
Where are they hiding?
Working with vague memories from the night they were changed and a slow-dripping trail of clues, these are the questions that drive the mother/daughter duo as they struggle to understand who they are and where they belong.
Torn between an insatiable thirst for human blood, a strong sense of right and wrong, and a need to fit in, Edna reveals what it’s really like to live on the outskirts of humanity through her blog posts.
End of synopsis.
I’m aiming to finish the first draft of this story by December 31st.
2024.
That’s right. THIS year.
How far into the first draft am I? Far enough in to make this a realistic goal.
Some people say that the vampire trend is over. I don’t believe that, not for a second. People have been telling vampire stories since the 1700s. And Edna, my vampire – the one living in my head right now – is dying to tell her story. Okay, so maybe using the word “dying” is a little insensitive considering her circumstances.
Let me rephrase that:
Edna, my vampire… the one living in my head right now… she is set on telling her story and won’t rest until it’s told.
I’m good with that. At this point in my life, I’d rather be woken up at night by a vampire than by a serial killer.
And what about you? What do YOU think? Do you think vampire stories are over-told?
I can take vampires or leave them alone, usually leave them alone, but if the author’s reputation for other things is good I’ll read a vampire story. If all readers are like me, the book should sell.
Thanks for your kind words, Priscilla! Meanwhile, I’m having so much fun writing this story 🙂