witter (ˈwɪtə)
vb – (often foll by: on) to chatter or babble pointlessly or at unnecessary length
n – pointless chat; chatterCOLLINS ENGLISH DICTIONARY – COMPLETE AND UNABRIDGED, 12TH EDITION 2014 © HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
Latest News
Last week we had my super fun, super hyper nephews in town, who played with my toddler, much to his joy. He’s been asking about “cousins” ever since they left, along with saying he’s going to visit them. Since, you know, crossing states is no big deal to a toddler 😉 While I had wonderful quality time hanging with the boys, I barely found time for work, let alone writing. Saturday was actually the first day I was able to sit down and hash out some word on my new not-so-secret WIP! Since I don’t have anything profound for y’all today, I thought I’d share a bit about what’s up in Silverwood book world 🙂
Silver Hollow
This month I’ve been busy figuring out a more solid launch strategy for Silver Hollow 2018. Prism Book Tours is hosting throughout the release week, so I’m preparing a slew of blog posts for that plus setting up the ARC copies (check it out here).
Right now I’m waiting on notes from my editor as well as working my way through beta edits. (thank you ladies!) Otherwise I’m trying to sit tight on this and see how release and post release shape up. It’s always nerve-wrecking and a little strange, the waiting between finishing your manuscript and release day. So I apologize ahead of time if I act extra manic lol.
Meanwhile check out the book trailer if you haven’t already!
New Urban Fantasy Series!
I’ve been sitting on some pretty amazing book covers the last year, thanks to the lovely Najla Qamber Designs. But let’s go farther back, like 2008-ish. Back when I was just writing Lord of the Rings fanfiction (nerd! lol) with my best friends and neighbors, I came up with this idea for what I didn’t know then, was a fun urban fantasy series. I’ve begun, rewritten and piddled with this concept every year since. In 2010 I pretended I wasn’t a writer and was head-first into my current university studies. After epicly failing to make better than sub-par grades after kicking my arse studying, I only took two classes the next year. I was on academic probation and so naturally, feeling disheartened, I escaped into the urban fantasy I had discarded before. And my heart soared. Writing every day made me come back alive. I was no longer miserable and realized I had some life choices to make again. Needless to say mine wasn’t popular with my family outside my supportive parents.
While I eventually chose to begin self-publishing Qeya and Silver Hollow (2012), I’ve had my urban fantasy on the back-burner. Every other year or so I pick it up and dust it off, see what I have and start again. A couple years ago I managed to finally create a cohesive first draft for what would be the first book. Then decided it was better written in first person, present tense. About that time I decided to rewrite Silver Hollow. Ironic how the story which prompted my publishing career and inspiration for Silver Hollow did the same thing a little under ten years later. Life is not without a constant sludge of ironies.
A year later I’m due to publish a newly written/branded and expanded Silver Hollow. Now I’ve come full circle I’m going to finally share my urban fantasy with y’all. If you’d like to learn more, check out this awesome gif and click on the link!
Add to my Goodreads
Back to Reality
So like I said, I found little time to write, but I stocked up lots of nephew love (because I’m the cool aunt don’cha know?). And at the end of the day, as much as my novels and work are synonymous with my passions, family is what really matters. Family is what lasts, whether they’re blood or not. The thing about kids is they remember a lot more and notice more than we give them credit for. They care if you’re there with them, not just present but engaged. Spending time with my nieces and nephews always reminds me of that, about how to be intentional with your time with the people you love.
Later this week I celebrate my fourth anniversary with my husband, which is just so weird. He and I married later than most of our friends and were already pretty established in our ways. By a miracle we clicked like peas and carrots. Things haven’t been easy the whole time. I won’t go into all the bad because I’d really rather focus on the good this year. The interesting thing about my relationship with my husband, besides the fact we’re equally chill people, is we somehow became each other’s best friend. We used to laugh at people who called their spouse “bestie” because you need other friends in your life, right? Well after all the wild and crazy and wonderful stuff we’ve been through the last four years, our love has tempered into a satisfyingly deep friendship. Who’d have known? Then again, I didn’t believe in “love at first sight” before I met him, but I was also proven wrong 😉
Here’s to feeling grateful, to choosing to see the positive opposed to the negative, to building foundations for the future instead of dwelling on the past. Before this sounds too much like a New Year’s resolution, I’ll simply end by also saying…thank you. Thanks for all your follows and likes and shares on social media this past year. It’s like y’all have been on this crazy mad writerly journey with me and I’m so very grateful for that.
See y’all at tomorrow’s Tuesday Teaser!
Jennifer Silverwood 