Meanwhile, back at the Ranch

Sir Baas-a-lot says hello.

Although the preps for TREASURE IN THE FLAME's self pub are in full swing, life has not stopped at the Dunne writing ranch. In the works is another YA manuscript-this time an urban fantasy set in contemporary PEI.

I loooooooove PEI. It's one of my favourite places in the world. Miles and miles of red sand beaches, lobster, rolling hills, lobster, friendly people...It's a wondeful place. (Did I mention lobster?)

I also love fantasy. When I read, I like to escape. I like to go somewhere that doesn't involve my day to day reality. But I also like real-lifeish fantasy. You know, stories that you know would never happen, but feel so real when your in them. White, mysterious unicorns instead of pink shiny unicorns farting rainbows. That sort of stuff.

So when I was thinking about what I should write for NaNoWriMo last year, I tossed the idea around of a contemporary fantasy on PEI soil.

Thirty days later, I had 50k words of what was then titled Red Sand Selkie. I've spent the last 8 months or so editing and perfecting it and voila! My newest completed manuscript SKIN is born.

Red sand, secrets...and selkies.

When Ocean O'Malley's family moves to the shores of PEI, she finds more than just beaches and a hot neighbour named Sam. Something is missing. Something she didn't even know existed. And only when she slips beneath the salty waves with Sam does she find out what that something is.

(*cue mysterious music*)

It's a fun story and it makes me want to go back to the Island and plunk myself down on a windswept red sand beach. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Stay tuned.

Brenda

Cover in progress.

The folks at Streetlight Graphics are working away at the cover for TREASURE IN THE FLAME! So exciting, but so stressful. I want it to look good. I want it to look like a novel should, not something just thrown together to slam on an epub site. And I want it to give a hint of the story, but not too much. Not an easy task! I will say that what I've seen so far is amazing. Can't wait to reveal the end result to you!

Things are happening!

Sometimes you just gotta make things happen. I've been waiting for something exciting for years, And I feel it in my gut that it's right around the corner. In the meantime, I've pushed through on a goal of mine, and (Yay!) the ball is rolling on my TREASURE IN THE FLAME manuscript! I'm soooooooooooooooo excited! (insert copious exclamation points!!!!)

I'll admit it was a hard decision to make, but I decided to self pub this manuscript, while still working toward traditional publication with two others. I need to DO SOMETHING. Move forward. Advance. Get GOING.

So what's happening right now?

1. I've sent the manuscript off for final proofreading. It should be back any day now (thanks Wendy!).

2. My cover artist is scheduled to start work on my cover THIS WEEK! (Thanks Tabatha and Streetlight Graphics!)

And after that, it's just format, upload and VOILA! Novel is ready for purchase!

Okay, I realise nothing is that easy, and it's not going to happen overnight. But it's happening. And why? Because of me. Because I wanted it to happen. How liberating is that? Sometimes in my life of giving, giving, giving-- whether it be through my work, my kids, my husband's career, or the needs of our farm-- it's hard to remember my own goals. My own dreams. They generally get swept under the rug, and that's okay, because that's the type of person I am. I LIKE to see other people succeed because I held them up.

But every once in a while, it's nice to work on something that's just me. And that's what my writing is. It's me. It's mine. And by the end of the summer, I'll have physical, palpable, hold-in-my-hand proof that my dreams can come true. I can't wait to show you.

Stay tuned! TREASURE IN THE FLAME coming soon!

Brenda