Long time no see, my dearest readers!
I am back with a writing update (finally). For the last few months or so, I’ve been plotting and developing a brand-spanking new novel. Yet again, I’m challenging myself. This time, I’m working in a whole new demographic - YA.
I will be completely honest - I never planned to venture into Young Adult land. Mostly because I wasn’t sure I could write relatable teen characters and stories, being so far removed from teen life myself. A lot has changed since I was in high school back in the ye old days of the early 2000s. Also, I don’t spend a ton of time around a lot of teenagers. My interactions are limited to my friends’ kids, though I do my best to play an active role in their lives as an unofficial aunt. We talk boys, books, and everything in between. Even then, I wasn’t sure I was equipped to write stories geared toward teens. And, in the spirit of full-on honesty, I was worried that writing YA would limit me. I wanted to be able to write novels that tackle dark or difficult topics. I mostly write mystery/thriller, which by nature tend to be on the darker end of the spectrum. While I knew there was such a thing as YA mystery/thriller, I wasn’t sure if it was the right space for me.
Then, in the spring, I went to a book signing for an author I had written about for the paper. Ginny Myers Sain is an alumna from my high school and grew up in my small town, though we never knew each other. More than that, she’s the daughter of my eighth-grade English teacher. Yes - that one. The teacher who saw talent in me at age 14 and encouraged me to keep writing, which basically set the trajectory for the rest of my life. Anywho, Ginny writes YA mystery/thriller. During our interview, we bonded over our shared genre, even if we were writing for different sections of the market. Then, at the signing, I reconnected with her mother, Mrs. Myers, who posed the question, “Why don’t you try writing YA?”
I still replay that entire interaction for many reasons. It was amazing to reconnect, and I chewed over that question for a long time.
I had already read Ginny’s book “One Last Breath,” so I decided to read her other two. I realized then that the stories I was already writing weren’t all that far removed from YA. And I could still tackle those darker topics. Also, I wasn’t as disconnected from teen life as I thought. Namely that while technology and many other things have changed, teens today are still going through a lot of the same experiences that I went through as a teen and even some that I went through as an adult. Considering that my friends’ kids were already reading my works and connecting with the stories and characters, it made me realize that I could probably do this.
Hence, “Everyone Talks” was born.
This novel.
I’ve definitely felt excited about projects in the past, but for some reason, I’m beyond excited to be working on this one. Maybe it’s because I’ve been talking to Ginny and Mrs. Myers about it, and they’ve both given amazing feedback. Maybe it’s because my friends’ daughters are excited about it (they’ve read part of the summary and the first couple of chapters).
Not sure.
But I do feel like this novel is different. Part of it is because I feel like it’s a community effort. I’ve never had this much support for a novel I’ve written from the very beginning. My best friends have helped me with plotting and offering advice on potential plot holes. They are also reading it as I write and give feedback. I’ve also been consulting another friend who works at the sheriff’s department for our county and is the school resource office for my old high school, who has provided invaluable help.
And I have the drive. This is a book I want to get traditionally published, which is an interesting mix of writing something that will appeal to the broader audience while also making it deeply personal in certain ways.
The first two chapters are currently up on Wattpad. I post new chapters every Friday at noon (CST) until I get enough finished that I can bump it up to two a week. Currently, I have about 7 chapters finished and am working to write at least two chapters a week. Trust me, the inspiration is there. It’s just when you work four different jobs, three of which are very writing/editing heavy, sometimes even though you want to write, the brain power just isn’t there.
I hope you guys check it out and enjoy it! Also, “Queen of the Wood” has been officially entered into Wattys 2024, so go give that a read and let me know what you think. Depending on how it does at Wattys, I’m contemplating potentially shifting that into YA, which would mean a second rewrite, but hey - I'm all about improvement. Some stories take more work than others to get that sweet spot.
Here is the synopsis for “Everyone Talks” and the new and improved “Queen of the Wood.”
No one does gossip like a small town.
Nellie Castle is more than ready to leave Shadow Creek, Oklahoma, and its ever-churning rumor mill far behind. She's just as eager to escape her overprotective father, who always knows whatever trouble she may or may not be getting into. But to get there, she has to get through her senior year and bolster her portfolio before joining the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri - her late mother's dream school.
The bane of her existence as a budding journalist is the ever-present gossip app CreekTalk. It's been around for years, and no one seems to know who's running it. Just that every time it shuts down, it always starts back up, stronger than ever. But this time, CreekTalk takes things a bit too far, starting a rumor that has the potential to ruin lives and end the career of a teacher/coach - something Nellie is all too familiar with. Things get even worse when one of the girls caught up in the rumor goes missing after the first party of the year.
As editor-in-chief of the “Shadow Creek Sentinel,” it's Nellie's job to cover both the rumor and disappearance of the school's It Girl, but something doesn't feel quite right. She finds herself diving headfirst into the town's secrets, aided by her best friends Emory and Charlie and school golden boy, Caleb.
Except this time, it's more than just gossip and some secrets are far more dangerous when brought to light.
All I see are shadows. Trees. The world swimming around me. All the while, I call out for Maeve. But she never comes. I can't find her. Why can't I find her?
***
Since homecoming night senior year, Aisling Turner has lived in a hell of her mother's creation. For five years, she's been trapped in Florida, wondering why she can't remember anything about the night her best friend disappeared. Cut off from the only family who ever loved her and all she's ever known.
It took five years, but she finally escaped and returned to the small town of Davies, Oklahoma.
Everything and nothing is the same.
But she's determined to make peace with her guilt. To say goodbye to Grams. To start over in the only place she's ever felt at home. If the town will let her, that is. Years later, most people still think she murdered her friend in the woods that night.
Even Aisling isn't so sure she's completely innocent.
Apparently, one of those "concerned citizens" believes Aisling knows more than she claims. They set off a chain reaction that puts Aisling on a path with Brett, her old high school crush, and his best friend, Deputy Leo, to discover what actually happened that night.
Aisling isn't completely sure she wants to know. But like the drive to come home, the desire to know the truth is too strong.
Even if it destroys her.
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