Friday, October 16, 2020

WHAT'S UP WITH ME: AN OCTOBER 2020 UPDATE!

 

Cassidy and the "Child of Darkness"

Have you ever had one of those days where the hits just kept coming, one after another, until you felt like a certified punching bag? Today was one of those days for me. It's 10:30 at night, and I'm exhausted. My brain hurts (thank you, homework). My eyes hurt (thank you, life). My feet hurt (thank you, cheap shoes). And worst of all, there's no wine in the fridge. An egregious crime indeed. Often, I enjoy curling up in bed with a glass of wine while I watch a cooking show or read a good book to unwind, but today I am, alas, in possession of nothing more than water (boo). Tonight, instead, I am attempting to finish a mountain of homework, all while getting an article ready for Friday (today), prepping a lesson plan for my writing class tomorrow, and fine-tuning the details of my current manuscript (of which there are actually TWO). Whilst the details of my chaotic life are really uninteresting to the vast majority, it does at least bring up an interesting question: what's new on the creative home front for Summer Lane? 

To answer this question, I'll lay out the rough outline of 2020 and 2021 for you here on Writing Belle. I know a lot of my readers are wanting the next Cassidy Hart novel sooner rather than later, so let's talk about it! 

The Cassidy Hart finale novel?? When is it releasing? 

I'm getting a lot of feedback from people saying that they want me to release the novel in January of 2021, and although I would LOVE to, the book is just NOT ready yet. It's a time-consuming monstrosity of a novel, and I need more time to work out the kinks. For that reason, I am projecting a June 2021 release for the next and final Resurrection Series installment. It will be worth the wait, as the book will be about twice the length of a normal Cassidy Hart novel. It's better to take a little more time and get the story right. I know how I want to end it, but the journey to that finale is fraught with much fictional peril! I must proceed with the utmost caution. *wink* 

What about Expedition 99?

I am gunning for a Spring 2021 release. I don't want to put an exact date on it yet, because it's still a WIP, but most likely it will be in the window between January and March. I'm developing the cover and promotional artwork for it now, and it's going to be such a fun, new adventure novel. It's also pretty complex in terms of story and technical details, so I'm doing a lot of research. It's been fun to write something different and fresh amidst all of the Cassidy Hart stories. 99 is slightly more adult, slightly more intense. Nothing too crazy, don't worry! But still - this one will be different. Although never let it be said that Cassidy Hart hasn't been through the wringer with her trials and tribulations. She will always be my first and favorite hero! 

2021 Author Program 

I previously have hosted an annual program where I featured new content creators - from authors to artists and editors - every week on Writing Belle. It was actually something I did for several years, and it was such a blast! I had to pause it for a while because of how crammed my schedule was, but I am hoping to launch an entirely fresh, new program in 2021 to focus on some rising new talent in the publishing world! Typically these author programs are incredibly popular, and spots fill up fast. I do it for free, and I've had the privilege of meeting so many amazing writers and creative talent through the program. 

What happens after Cassidy's finale novel releases?

Interestingly enough, I'm one of those authors that loves to hide Easter eggs and tidbits in all of my novels. I always like to tell people that no matter how distant my different series are from each other, they all interconnect in some small way. You may be surprised as to how, and you'll see what surprises I have in store very soon! 

Can I buy paperback collectible sets this year for Christmas? 

Every year, I ship out quite a few autographed books for customers wishing to gift them to family members and friends. This has always been so much fun, but with the shipping situation in America being what it is (slow and inefficient), I'm not certain that I can say I will be offering sets on sale this year, as there is no way I can guarantee shipping times. It took me 1-2 months just to RECEIVE my own publisher-ordained copies and then another 4-8 weeks to get them to the locations they were supposed to go. I'm still experiencing shipping delays into and out of California, so I will most likely be offering digital deals and shipping options through Amazon instead (I will make sure I have some kind of holiday deal). 

What about ARCs for Expedition 99? Will you still have reviewers? 

Yes! I have answered this question on social media, but I'll cover it here. I will be assembling a team of beta readers and ARC readers for this novel prior to its release, and there will be plenty of notice beforehand so that people can sign up. I always appreciate the support of my fan base, and having the opportunity to share the pre-release copies with them is always so much fun. 

Any questions you want to ask me that I didn't cover here? Shoot me an email at: summerlane101@gmail.com or find me online! Twitter: @SummerEllenLane and Instagram: @writingbelle 




 

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Get fictional - it's fun! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you again soon!