wittering noun
witยทโterยทโing หwitษrษฬn, -riล
plural-s
chiefly Scottish
: a piece of information (as a sign, token, or hint)
Etymology
Middle English (Scots) wittering, witering, from gerund of witteren, witeren to clarify, inform, teach, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse vitra to manifest, reveal, vitr wise, vita to knowโWittering.โ
โ โWittering.โ Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wittering.
Hello and welcome back to the blog (no one reads?), where I occasionally rant and talk about writing and life. Or more accurately, how I continue to make my way in the bookish world the hard way ๐
If you’ve followed me for a while, then you know I’ve been attempting to wrap up revisions and edits for Bound Beauty, the third in my Wylder Tales trilogy. Here are the loverly covers to help jog your memory:
Aren’t they beautiful? I have the best cover designer in the world in Najla Qamber, and I’m not just saying that because she’s also my friend ๐
The Wylder Tales trilogy has been my attempt to push my way back into the writing world after a mini-COVID-driven hiatus. During that time, I had zero brain space for the publishing circus, so I wrote fanfiction instead and did lots of yoga. Finally, the year my daughter was born, I decided it was time to dive back in. Craving Beauty was a moderate success for me, and best of all, it got so much love from around the web and beyond. I grew so excited every time I saw another small bookstore (aka the best bookstores) decided to add it to their catalogue. I even scored a Bookbub deal for the first time ever. Y’all, I was flying high and super humbled at once.
But then I published Scarred Beauty a year later with less fanfare. I didn’t push it as hard myself, but tried to bring the first book back under readers’ radars. That’s what they tell you to do, anyway, when you’re writing a series. And while I did receive a few lovely reviews, I struggled to gain any traction. Which brings us around to the final book in my trilogy: Bound Beauty.
I’ve been adding to and updating my original draft of Bound for over a year. Granted, I moved in the last year, and spent the intervening time growing accustomed to my new normal. And let me tell you, it’s been so hard to focus on this book. Some novels seem to write themselves, but Bound has been more akin to pulling teeth. Or finding a needle in a haystack, or any pick your metaphor.
I think part of the issue is the pressure of the “final book,” though I’ve actually come up with ideas to write a sequel trilogy after this if anyone is interested. And by including fresh scenes and being nervous about going in the right direction, I’ve become my own worst enemy. All writers will tell you the best thing you can do is keep writing. Don’t let yourself get bogged down by minutia. Easier said than practiced.
After more deliberation, I realize that my summer deadline just isn’t going to cut it. Not if I want to give y’all the story and product that you deserve. So I’ve pushed back my release date (again, lord…) to December 1st. Crossing my fingers and hoping that these extra months will allow me the space to get my headspace right and allow me to do the things I had hoped to do.
On another note, I’m seriously considering starting my own kickstart campaigns after this release. I am super doubtful I’d get full backing, but I’d love to create special editions for this series to start. And I’d really love to publish Angel Blue and Annwyn Park (Borderlands #4) in the coming year or two. It’s a tough world on in the publishing market. We’re more saturated than ever thanks to the advances of AI. It’s harder to be seen now than it was even five years ago. Where do we go from here? I have no clue. I always say I’m a walking advertisement on what not to do, but you can bet I’ll still be here trying to figure things out. Wish me luck!
coming December 1st (hopefully)
The fate of the realm rests on her choice: become the beast’s bride or become the monster?
A slow burn that reaches sizzling heights, Wylder Tales is an enemies-to-lovers romantic fairy tale with refreshing twists on the classic tale.
Jennifer Silverwood 