NaNoWriMo 2013 - Final update

Phew. It’s been one hell of a month, you guys. NaNoWriMo nearly drove me insane last year, and I thought it was going to do the same this year, but I made it. As of yesterday afternoon, I officially ‘won’ NaNoWriMo! When I finished writing for the day, I’d hit 52,755 words. I still have another 10,000 or so words to go, but I’m getting there.

I knew I’d have to be done early since I’ll be out of town the last two days of November. I didn’t think I was going to make it, so I was thrilled and relieved yesterday when I hit 50,000 words.

Curious what I’ve been working on? The book is called After the Storm, and it’s a standalone companion to Waiting for the Storm. It’s told from Ella’s perspective, and it picks up a couple weeks after where Waiting for the Storm left off. Telling Ella's story has been really fun but also really emotional. If you read Waiting for the Storm, you’ll know what a snotty little bitch Ella was. Her whole family dealt with her mother’s death in different ways, and Ella’s way was to basically self-destruct and take her pain out on everyone around her, but especially her sister. Now she has a lot to make up for, and she carries a lot of guilt, self-doubt, and heartache. Her story is about redemption, finding herself, and finding love in its many forms.

It’s already up on GoodReads; you can add it here. I’ll be having a cover reveal soon, and will get the synopsis up on GoodReads once the book is complete. I’m hoping to publish in March or April, but I don’t want to rush it. Once I’m finished writing it (hopefully next month), I plan to work on another Christmas novella to give myself some distance from the story, then start revisions, then go through the process of having beta readers and my editor read it. I want it to be the best it can be before I send it out in the world. I’m really excited for you guys to read it!

That being said…I’m going to do something I don’t think I’ve ever done while I’m in the middle of a project: I’m going to share a teaser. Remember that this is rough and will likely change between now and the final version.

“Did you take it for granted?” The question comes from out of nowhere, slipping past my lips. That seems to be happening a lot lately; like the filter between my brain and mouth is on the fritz. He looks at me strangely, so I clarify. “When you were little, did you realize how lucky you were? To have those days with your dad?”

His expression softens and he tilts his head back and forth. “Maybe. Probably. Does any kid really realize how lucky they are to spend time with their parents? You think they’re invincible and that they’ll live forever. It never occurs to you to make as many memories as possible and then store them away because someday there won’t be any new ones.”

“Exactly.” A flood of Mom-related memories sweeps through my mind like a video on fast forward. I was sixteen when she died, so I’m lucky to have a lot of good memories, but it’s the memories I don’t have that haunt me. The ones I should have started making the second I found out she was sick. The multitude of questions I should have asked her when the doctor told us she was terminal. 

And yes, the 'he' in that is Ella’s love interest. He’s pretty amazing, if I do say so myself. ;-)

Stay tuned for more about Ella’s story in the weeks and months to come! If you want to stay up to date, be sure to subscribe to the blog via BlogLovin’ or email so you know when I post signups for cover reveals, ARCs, blog tours, etc.

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Want to get ready for After the Storm? Even though it's a standalone, it's also a companion, so it might help you to read Waiting for the Storm first.

Charlotte O’Dell knows this summer is going to suck. Her beloved mother just died, her sister hates her, and her dad has completely checked out. Fulfilling her mother’s final wish, the family heads to Angel Island for the summer to stay in a beach house her mother once loved.

After a year of being shut away taking care of her mother, Charlotte is numb and practically afraid of her own shadow; she hopes going to the island will give her the time and space she needs to begin healing, and an opportunity to bring her family back together. When she meets her mysterious neighbor, Ezra, it doesn’t take long for Charlotte to confess the issues she’s developed. Ezra begins giving Charlotte assignments to get over her fears, and although she accepts his tasks, all she really wants is to be with him. When she’s with Ezra, she’s able to forget the hollow ache in her heart and the fact that her family is falling apart. But Ezra has secrets…

Can Charlotte pull what’s left of her family together, mend her broken heart, and allow herself to fall for Ezra? Or is it all just a storm waiting to happen?

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Did you participate in NaNoWriMo this year? How did you?

 

 

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