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
After a prolonged radio silence, I’m back and here to share “what’s up with Blackbriar Cove?” Last we talked, I promised a release date in early 2021. I had things lined up with an editor and proofreader, blogging team, etc. It was all in the works. Until this week, when I woke up to an unpleasant reality check while managing the Silverwood business books.
Let’s backtrack a wee bit, first.
This year has been hard on everyone, and I am right there with you. After an emotional July, I’ve been turning my focus to my kid starting PreK and shifting gears with my day job. I’ve been all sorts of all over the place and do you wanna know what helped me get through? Silly as it sounds, playing Dragon Age 3. Before you judge, check out these screenshots!
Okay, so video games don’t solve our problems, but they certainly help our brains take a much-needed rest.
I’m one of those authors who can’t write when I’m already dealing with too much “real life.” So I was not very productive this past month, and I’m old enough to forgive myself for those writing breaks.
At the beginning of 2020, before the virus was taken very seriously, I realized I couldn’t publish Blackbriar Cove or Devil Red this year. Neither books were ready in their current incarnations, and I was determined to bring my readers the best. But as the year has progressed, and knowing what I’m facing in 2021, I finally accepted the truth I’d been avoiding. I can’t afford to publish Blackbriar Cove. If I’m honest, I don’t see how I can make it a reality in the foreseeable future.
FYI: I’ve already taken down my pre-order and the universal link. I’m going to leave the cover on my website for the time being. When I figure out where I might post an ARC version of the book, I’ll add that link there. So stay tuned!
Part of me feels like I’m letting my readers down. Logically, I know all of you have your own troubles you’re dealing with. Almost everyone I know has been majorly affected by COVID. We’re trying to figure out the #newnormal still, and there is no guarantee things won’t make another crazy turn with the seasons. But we can still try, right? So, keeping perspective, I’m also trying to stay positive.
So is there a future for Blackbriar Cove?
The good news? We have cover art, and the story is still here. Since I can’t pay for an editor, I’m considering different original works platforms like Wattpad, where I can (hopefully safely!) publish my sequel for free. I’m at the personal point where all I care about is getting “the story” to the ones who have been waiting all this time.
And what will that mean for future Silver Hollow sequels? Well, I have six total books in mind for the Borderlands Series. If things don’t pick up financially for us, I’ll just post those sequels online, come what may 🙂 I’ve done it with my fanfiction and I can do it with my original works almost as easily.
So what’s next?
I have no idea, lol. Okay, that’s not true, I have a few. I’ve been playing around with a crazy fun project with my writing buddy, Melissa Wright. With all my other projects on the back burner, I’m going to wholly focus on co-writing with her. Besides that, I might try my hand at fresh original manuscripts and publishing the good old fashioned way: traditional press (dun, dun, dun…)
At the end of the day, I can’t really say what’s going to happen in the future. I’ll finish my second draft of Blackbriar Cove. I’ll hug my little guy. I’ll read a lot of books. Above all, I’ll keep writing, no matter what. That’s my promise to my future self.
If you’re going through a difficult time, I want you to know you aren’t alone. I want you to remember that our current “now” doesn’t mean forever. We get through each day, one task at a time, one step at a time. Find what you love and keep doing it. Don’t give up completely. It’s okay to feel down and discouraged from time to time. The important thing is to get back up again.
#beinspired
Goals for this week
-
De-stress.
-
Spend time with my little guy.
-
Read wonderful books.
Jennifer Silverwood 