What have I been up to?
Well, that is a very good question and holy crap the list is endless.
For starters, I started the New Year with a handful of Ball Pythons....Yup, you read right. I'm the proud owner of four noodles.
Why snakes? Why not?
Honestly. I was never a fan of snakes. They terrified me and freaked me the hell out. But, ever since my separation from my ex-husband, oddly enough, I've been obsessed with watching snake videos. And yes, I'm that impulsive person who thinks, hmmm, I want a snake!
So, I talked with my boyfriend, he said sure why not and I went from getting one snake, to four. Whoops LOL
At first, I so totally nervous, I wouldn't even get them out of the bags they were shipped in. (Yes, my snakes came to me via FedEx overnight shipping) But now, I can't believe it. They are such amazing creatures with such distinct personalities.
What are there names? Well of course I'll tell you! First up we have my girl Bellatrix at the top. You heard right, we're going Harry Potter themed lol you can thank my boyfriend Richard for that. Next we have Dobby, the beautiful Banana Pied middle left. Then there is Snape, the Mystic Potion noddle chilling on his branch. Finally, best for last, my man Voldemort, a blue-eyed all white snake.
Learning about how to properly take care of my new babies and get their enclosures properly set up was a bit of a headache. There is a lot to learn and a lot to maintain with these little Royal Balls, but I'm having a blast doing it. I'm not gonna lie, I definitely see more snakes in my future. There are so many stunning Morphs out there, it's hard not to expand the collection lol
Now, enough about snakes.
If your wondering what I'm up to in my writing, I've got some exciting news, but a bit of backstory first. I've gotta say, I am learning all I can about what NOT to do for future book releases. Getting Shadow of Twilight ready to publish has been a bitch and a half. I've learned not to trust sites promising to edit your book that you can find in a simple google search. NO, just NO. Stop, hold the breaks and never trust those sites. I was scammed not once, but twice.
Thank God for Fraud departments.
I did manage to find an amazing story editor through recommendations and Twitter. She was a sweet woman who took the time to read my book and give me substantial feedback regarding story line and character development that helped me significantly.
As for the editing part. And I don't mean the fun story editing. No. I'm talking about the grueling, boring, and painstaking structure editing. (Vomit) I wanted nothing more than to drink a dozen bottles of wine, plaster my brains on the wall, and scream at the top of my lungs until I permanently damaged my vocal chords. Yes. It was that painful. And slow. And just yuck. I hate it! I was so stressed and anxious editing my own book cause I am terrified I will miss something! There is nothing worse than publishing a book to have a reader finding some stupid spelling mistake. But, I know for a fact, I did the best I could.
Now, I did have a tad bit of help. Before I started editing on my own I called out to my friends and family on Facebook, asking if anyone had time to read through my manuscript and see if they could catch any mistakes. It's also nice to know if it's readable and someone actually enjoys it. Surprisingly, I got quite a few people that stepped forward, volunteering their time to read my book. Some found a few mistakes, which I so appreciated, but mostly, I got told how much they loved it.
In my mind, if my book moves just ONE reader, then I'm happy. So when my Grandma called me, in tears, telling me how much she loved it and demanded to read the second, I almost joined her in the waterworks party. My Grandma read my 400+ page Fantasy Romance, werewolf book full of violence, sex, and foul language and she LOVED it.
Not gonna lie, I was on cloud nine after that call. Don't get me wrong, I am in no way bragging, but there is definitely nothing better in this world than to have someone you know and love, fall in love with your writing. It just makes it all worth it. All the sleepless night where character arcs filled my brain, the meals I burned cause I was so distracted writing out a fight scene, and the music I blared on constant repeat to get in the mood for love scenes. LOL
But, after all of that, Shadow of Twilight is at the printers!
I am so excited. I cannot wait for those books to be delivered to my doorstep and open the box to find my words in print. I cannot wait to share with all of you this crazy journey that is Amelia Smoke's life.
P.S. If you do find any mistakes.....I DO NOT WANT TO KNOW
Just saying LOL