2014
was an intense writing year for me.
It
started with the completion of Relish
The second book in
the Vicious Feast series was challenging to write. It was like pulling teeth.
Why? Because I was walking with Dakota and the pain she was going through at
Luka’s betrayal in the previous book. I wanted to give the both of them the
ending they deserve. Make sure to pre-order it on Amazon now for .99c before
the release because the price will go up.
After Relish came ChasingHeartbeats
At the time, I was
extremely into Andrew Smith and male narrated novels. I wanted to write a
romance but coming from the male POV. At the same time, I wanted to write a
humorous novel. It’s sports-themed and does have slight magic realism. In retrospect,
as I write this post, I realize I was trying to do too much with this novel.
*laughs*
This year also
brought the release of Til Death and my first book signing
This is a bittersweet
moment for me. Til Death is an important lesson in my writing life which I will
carry into the next novels I will write in this series. This book is not my
proudest moment, but it is still a part of me. It did bring about my first book
signing. A total surreal moment. Interacting with the readers, seeing their
faces, signing their books was a beautiful memory I will always cherish.
Writing these two
books in a month (two weeks per book) was definitely a divine moment. To this
day, I don’t know how I even did it without my fingers falling off. This is
where I find my writing sweet spot.
If you’ve read all
my books… First, thank you! Second, you’ll know that romance is always woven
into the story. Warning! and Disclaimer: are my first attempts at full on
contemporary romance. It was both scary and exhilarating.
Warning! being
chosen as part of the third list was a defining moment in my writing career. I
finally made it to New York. My journey may have been a meandering path, but I
got there eventually. This solidifies the idea that if you work hard enough and
continue to believe your dreams will come true. To be a part of such a
wonderful community is an honor, and I look forward to a long relationship with
Swoon Reads and Macmillan.
Finally joining
Wattpad
I realized that there
are stories I want to write that might not find a home right away, but I still
want to share it with all of you. This is the reason why I joined Wattpad. I
wanted a place to showcase novels that enables me to update on a weekly basis.
This actually reinvigorated my writing and reinforced my sense of discipline.
Editing during the
Holidays
Just when I
thought I was running on fumes, I found the strength to edit over the holidays.
How? Because my editor is amazing. Her editorial letter was so beautifully
written that it inspired me to start working on editing Warning!
I can definitely
write here that I’m enjoying the edits. There will be new scenes. New chapters.
And brand new surprises coming in Didi’s and Caleb’s story. I can’t wait to
share the finished product with all of you.
That is my writing
year in a nutshell. There were disappointing lows and amazing highs, such is
life. Ending the year writing a new chapter for Warning! gives me hope for
another exciting writing year. I look forward to sharing all my new stories
with all of you, starting with the release of Relish on January 12, 2015.