All of my insecurity and panic has finally paid off!

News the first: Remember when I told you that I couldn't think of a title for my unnamed mannerpunk fantasy? Remember the weeping and gnashing of teeth? I am weeping and gnashing no more! Woot! Thanks to some brainstorming with Gwyneth (who had infinite patience with me and my blathering emails), the novel can now be called by a proper name! Brace yourself, Dear Reader:

Miss Floret and the Luministe: A Cautionary Tale

It has a nice ominous ring, doesn't it? The blood red font helps with that. Squeeeeee!

News the second: Pending a final round of input from a few beta readers and the subsequent edits, Miss Floret and the Luministe is done! Again with the woot! I'll be sending off my first round of query letters to agents just after New Year! As much as I have enjoyed the process of writing a novel, I admit I'm glad this particular project is finished. I love my characters, but I need a break from them. I have ideas percolating for another book, and new characters are ready to take center stage and shove the old characters to the dark corners of my imagination.

Eeeeexcellent. 

News the third: In addition to gorging myself on turkey the last week or so, I've also gorged myself on books. I'm hesitant to read other authors while I'm writing because I pick up their verbal tics and mannerisms. When I write prose, I want my voice to truly be my voice, not sprinkled with a touch of Hemingway or Jude Deveraux (not that I read such tawdry fare - Hemingway, I mean).

Now that I'm not writing, I'm reading like a maniac (in other words, my usual pace). I'll spend another post, on another day, talking about what I've read, because opinions - I have them.

And hey, it's nice to see you again, Dear Reader!