I have been THE WORST about actually writing a newsletter….so there’s a lot to catch up on.
First, huge thank you to everyone for supporting “I Think My Cat is a Dragon.” The support for this book has been incredible. Thank you to everyone who has showed up, bought the book, reviewed it, commented, liked or shared anything to do with it. It has also been SO fun to see and hear about how the kids in your life are responding to the book. THANK YOU. Excited to see where else this book goes.
After Storymakers my husband, son and I travelled to Oregon the week after for a writing retreat where I was able to FINALLY finish edits on Project MV and start drafting Project SiTW (which might actually be changing working titles now that I’m onto my second draft). Sidenote, be prepared for the Pacific Northwest to show up in my horror and thriller novels and short stories because it’s a vibe. One day I’ll live there.
And THRILLERFEST!!! WOW. What an incredible experience. I may have been dead for Pitchfest after taking a red-eye the night before, but it was WORTH IT. I met so many talented authors and was able to get six requests for Project MV and one for Project SiTW once I’ve done another pass through. After the adrenaline rush that was Pitchfest it was fun to celebrate all the debut authors and hear from so many of my writing heroes. I will definitely be attending again, and highly recommend attending (especially if you write in the mystery, crime, suspense, horror or thriller genres). Pictured below is the hat I got at Thrillerfest and the two good luck charms my son packed for me in my bag.
Since then, I’ve sent out all my requested materials for Project MV and continued to query it. For those curious what Project MV is I’ve included the blurb below.
Non-writing updates:
- Obsessed with K-Pop Demon Hunters (if you haven’t watched it WATCH IT, the soundtrack is incredible). If you’ve watched it, PLEASE tell me what your favorite song is. I’m having a hard time deciding between “Your Idol,” “Golden,” and “TAKEDOWN.”
- I just finished reading “The Knight and the Moth” by Rachel Gillig and I NEED the second one. The talking gargoyle is my favorite. Some day I hope to return to writing dark fantasies like these.
- Spending lots of time at the pool with my son and getting back into running. I forgot how much fun running was, and it’s also the perfect time to work out plot holes and character motivations.
That’s all my updates from June. Hoping to keep up with monthly updates, so make sure to subscribe if you want to hear what’s going on. And stay tuned as How to Survive Until You’re Published the Podcast pivots with the new season to focus more on mental health in writing and mental health in creatives. I should have more updates on that front next month, just know we have some awesome stuff planned.
Project MV pitch:
A failed art curator, Valerie has one last chance to escape Manhattan. But when her sister goes missing after looking into a string of unsolved murders tied to the occult, Valerie is forced to return to the abandoned subway tunnels in hopes of finding her sister before she becomes the cult’s next victim. As she searches for answers to her sister’s disappearance she finds an unlikely ally in Xander, a disgruntled monster hunter. The two must put aside their differences and work together in order to uncover the truth about what otherworldly being the cult is trying to summon into the city. As more bodies show up around Manhattan, and the likelihood of finding Selene alive shrivels, Valerie realizes confronting her past and her brother’s death may be their only chance to save her sister and Manhattan.
While the overarching premise of the story is monster hunters in modern Manhattan, MONSTRUM VENATORUM is truly about sibling relationships and how the two sisters process grief in the wake of familial loss.
Stay Spooky
~M. Irene