So, I probably have a FEW blog readers left. (Hi, Liz! *waves*) And you folks might just wonder what I've been doing with myself lately.
Well, I have survived another school year and yet more health issues (most of which were brought on by the school year). That sums up most of it right there.
I haven't touched the first draft of The Chocolate Smuggler's Notebook in a while, to be honest. But I have been tinkering with The (Dis)Appearance of Nerissa MacKay, my novella, set in the same world as the Half-Vampire books, in which the protagonist -- a girl who is desperate to be seen and noticed -- accidentally turns herself (temporarily) invisible. Nerissa's a bit neurotic, so she's very fun to write. :)
I had given out proof copies to my friend/former colleague's high school creative writing group last autumn, and I got all but one returned -- eventually. (That one missing proof copy really bothers me.)
I am now nearly through with the first post-proof revision. I've added a fun "excerpt" from Nerissa's commonplace book (which she makes in imitation of the one her great-great-great grandmother Liza MacKay had). So far, it includes recipes (all the food ones are my original creations) for bathtub potpourri, facial scrubs, soup, sandwich spread, and two kinds of non-caffeinated herbal teas. I'm thinking of adding homework tips as well, as Nerissa is little miss super-student and has skipped two grades.
But the cover is what's troubling me the most; I'm just not happy with it.
Max and I took dozens of shots last summer, and I took more later besides, but I can't get any of them to look right with lettering. I made some 5x7s of several of the cover shots and gave them to my dad (who had a career in commercial art) to do some mock ups, but he's had so much going on this spring that he hasn't gotten to them yet.
I may just try some different kinds of shots this weekend, now that school's out.
It's be nice to have this book ready to release by the start of the school year.
I'm still keeping an eye out for what goes on here. It's summer, we need to go out shooting (photos) again.
ReplyDeleteHey Lisa...Waving back at you! Good to hear you are working on Nerissa. I love the clothes you pin for her on Pinterest. All is well here! Hope that you're feeling better now that school is out for summer.
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