The A-Z Blogging Challenge starts on Wednesday! I'll have to sneak in a few posts about Scattered Seasons during April, but for now I can report that I'm just waiting for the paper cover before I order the proof. You can pre-order the eBook on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and iTunes. I have most of the promo ads lined up and am also going to start a Thunderclap campaign to announce the release. More details will be coming out when that's launched.
In the meantime, I'm continuing to work on the first draft of Chaos Season, Book Three in the Season Avatars series. I'm also planning to prepare a mini story collection featuring the four Season Avatars before the events in Scattered Seasons. This would be a permafreebie to introduce the series to readers (in addition to Seasons' Beginnings, of course.) Two stories are already written, so I'm working on the other two. After I get one of these projects finished, I'll have more time to work on the next story in the Catalyst Chronicles series, which will feature a minor character from Twinned Universes and be a bridge between that book and Book Three, Catalyst in the Crucible. Short stories are harder for me in some ways than novels, but I would like to get more written so I can put them in a collection and prepare a print edition.
Do you remember the reading challenge issued back in February to stop reading books by a certain type of author for (straight white males) a year? I've been mulling it over and decided I would find that challenge frustrating, even if I shortened it to a month. (I could read twelve books in a month, which would be equivalent to reading one book a month for a year.) I read for entertainment and education, and I generally don't research an author before deciding to read a book. I also don't like being forced to read only a certain type of author, as that would give me reason to resent their work. I already read a lot of women authors, though I don't exclude men either. What I think is more sustainable in the long run is to be more open to reading authors whose background differs from mine in some significant way, such as racial, ethnic, nationality, or class. I could try to read at least one book a month from an author that fits that description while continuing my normal reading. I've already done one for March; now I have to pick one for April.
So, how are your projects going? Feel free to share in the comments.
I think that's a good reading plan. Aim for variety as opposed for exclusive.
ReplyDeleteLet us know when you launch the Thunderclap campaign.
Thanks, Alex!
ReplyDeleteThose are some ambitious goals. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteIf I only get two or three of my goals accomplished this year, Pat, I'll still be satisfied.
ReplyDeleteI don't like to limit my exposure to media. If I want to read a book and it happens to be written by a white man, I'm going to read it. You're right, expansion is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteIn the end, Jennifer, it should be more about the book than the author. That said, it's easier for some types of authors to get past the gatekeepers than others. Good thing indie publishing helps level the playing field!
ReplyDeleteRe: ...it should be more about the book than the author.
ReplyDeleteExactly! That said, we need to be able to find these books. Great books aren't always the runaway hits on some exaggerated list.