Autumn Tales and Gardens in Umber
2012 is done and over, and frankly, this author is happy to see that dreadful year go. It wasn't completely terrible though. Many good things did happen and here are a few:
During 2012, I met a lot of online book bloggers and fans, and I have to say that all of you really made my year special. I can't single one of you out without missing someone else. You know you are, we talk on Twitter and Facebook almost everyday, and my world would be a little less brighter without you in my life.
The highlight of the year was when NYT Bestselling author Ilona Andrews read Miserere and bestowed such a lovely review on her blog. I was awed when she said that "Miserere reads like Ladyhawke had a baby in purgatory and Meljean Brook delivered it."
Just recently, a second surprise hit when Felicia Day posted her gracious review for Miserere on Goodreads that just blew me away.
Two major shout-outs for that book in one year really helped my morale as I struggled through writing Garden in Umber.
Even with the blessing of those two dynamic ladies, the best part was all the lovely emails and Facebook posts that people sent me to tell me how much they enjoyed Miserere. Just that you took a moment out of your busy schedule to send me an email to say that you enjoyed the story made my whole day, sometimes my whole month.
I got to attend my first major con in Chicago at WorldCon. I met a lot of the authors that I've come to know on Twitter and had great fun at the panels. It was a joy to meet these people and find out they are all as kind and fun in real life as they are online. I look forward to seeing them all again in the future.
The end of the year saw my first agent leave publishing, but as that door closed, I acquired a second shot at querying another agent who I greatly admire. Fortunately, Garden in Umber was complete and will be represented by Marlene Stringer as it goes on submission this year.
The blog post I had the most fun writing was when Alex Bledsoe tagged me for The Next Big Thing. I had initially turned down an offer to participate in that meme, but in the end, I had a blast with The Next Big Thing--Garden in Umber.
My absolute favorite tagline for Garden in Umber came from my friend Leah Raeder when she called Garden in Umber "a delightful mind-fuck with werewolves, gay love, and male relationships in the Middle Ages." She also called me lovely and corrupt in the same sentence. I <3 Leah Raeder, because she makes me laugh out loud on my darkest days.
At the very end of the year, I was seized with some strange madness to run a Gender-Bending experiment, and the results of that will be posted on Monday, January 7, 2013.
And now that experiment is done, I am moving forward. I've almost finished the first few chapters to the sequel to Garden in Umber, which will be Diago's story. In Midnight's Silence has 5,000 words and is growing daily. Miserere's sequel, Dolorosa, is burning in the background as I begin the first chapters of it too.
I want to make an effort to post more consistently on the old blog here, but if I disappear, know that I'm writing stories for that is where my true love lies. I'll keep you up-to-date and post some snippets from time to time and never fear, I will try and drop by at least once a week to tell you what I think.
More often than not, you'll find me walking through gardens dressed in umber and spinning autumn tales. Stay with me. There is more to come ...
A [belated] but most sincere Happy New Year to you all.
Share Article Email Article | tagged Dolorosa, Garden in Umber, In Midnight's Silence, Miserere in Ramblings | Teresa Frohock Saturday, January 5, 2013 at 6:29PM
Reader Comments (5)
Eh, don't worry so much on the word counts--my first drafts always start out on the sparse side. I wind up going back in and fleshing them out.