Hi Friend!
Happy holidays! We just about made it through 2021!! I’m still not quite sure where the year went.
The most exciting thing on my plate right now is ice skating. Last month, I officially realized a life goal. I’ve wanted to ice skate since childhood but could never afford lessons. Fast forward to my early 30s and I’m ready to step outside my comfort zone. I officially registered for adult figure skating lessons that start in January, once a week at an ice rink here in Atlanta. I’m beyond excited.
If you're interested in following along on my skating journey, you can head to my Instagram where I post little snippets in my stories here and there, along with a highlights section on my profile.
Skating is not without its challenges. I’m currently recovering from both a tailbone fracture and a hairline hand fracture, which forced me to put a pause on my weekly Wattpad chapter updates while I take a physical and mental break. I've seen some argue that 30-something is too late to start a journey like this. I beg to differ! You're never too old to have fun. And at my age, if I don’t go for this now, I might never get another opportunity. Sooo…I’m all in!
My hand fracture recovery is going VERY well. I can type again...finally!!! I plan to use the next couple of weeks to get some new material written on the 4th Dragonwall book so that I can have stuff to begin posting again.
Here are a few updates:
💫Publications: I have no publications currently planned. I’m still riding the wave of a successful Verath the Red publication launch. But I did set a 2022 goal of one publication and it will very likely be Koldis the Green in late 2022.
💫Writing: I’m halfway through writing Koldis the Green. I’ve got 80,000 words and counting! I love where the story is going. I post weekly updates on Wattpad (which is currently paused until the end of January).
I’m also preparing to query STORM OF SHADOWS. I really want to land a literary agent for this book, if possible. If not, I’ll work on indie publishing it. But I’m feeling hopeful. Want to know more about SoS?? I’ve got a quick synopsis here:
A light wielding heroine, dangerous city streets akin to Victorian London, and a mouthy sidekick in the form of a shape-shifting mechanimal, Throne of Glass-meets-Nevernight in this New Adult fantasy with a Steampunk backbone. Storm of Shadows follows a morally questionable assassin’s apprentice, Tabitha Grey. Despite her brutal training at the hands of the Spectrum, Tabitha isn’t like other Spects. There’s a chink in her armor. She harbors a deep desire for revenge and a deeper desire to learn the name of the father who abandoned her. In exchange for betraying the Spectrum, she’s offered the promise of a name she’s always sought. But a regime of assassins and its High Mask is not so easily defeated. The streets of Chroma are at the forefront of a political struggle during an industrial revolution. The fight to stifle prism technology in favor of clockwork and steam threatens the developmental advances Candela craves. It takes a monster to kill a monster. Tabitha must determine how far she’s willing to go to get what she wants, even if it means becoming exactly like the monsters she’s trying to eliminate.
💫Blogs: Want to know what my top reads of 2021 are? I’ve posted a blog that covers favorite reads and releases of 2021. This is a great place to look if you want some new reading material suggestions. You can find it HERE. I've also done a few new book reviews.
Well, it’s time to say goodbye to 2021. I always spend the last few days of the year reflecting. I like to think about my accomplishments, successes, and what I might have done differently or can do differently for the next year. My biggest two accomplishments this year were publishing Verath the Red and finishing edits on Storm of Shadows (though it might need one final edit before queries). There were plenty of smaller achievements I’m proud of too, mostly related to lifestyle and habits. This last week, I set up my bullet journal for 2022. Now I’m ready to outline next year’s goals. Goals are important to me. I love pushing for something and the satisfaction of checking things off my list.
I hope 2022 brings you new possibilities and adventures.
All my best,
Melissa
💫Favorite Nov/Dec Reads:
Mercy Thompson/Alpha and Omega