Hello dear readers,
The days up North have been getting noticeably darker, the waves bigger, and the temperatures lower. Have I hunkered down for hibernation in our cabin under heaps of fuzzy blankets? Not quite yet. Though the temptation has certainly been there, November and (so far) December have been busy months. So rather than napping all day, here’s what I’ve been up to instead:
Writing
As is tradition in the writing world, November brought in the madness of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) where crazy people like me decide to write 50,000 words in a month. A hefty goal? Yes. Doable? As my word count would say: definitely! With much dark coffee and Lumineers I made a good dent in the fantasy/adventure novel I’m drafting. It will likely be another 30,000 words before it’s done, but hey! 50,000 words is something!
Reading
So many good books, so little time, but here’s a sneak peek at the titles that have been rocking my world lately:
A Year in the Wilderness by Amy and Dave Freeman. If you don’t recognize the authors, maybe you’d recognize them as the couple that spent a year in the Boundary Waters to raise awareness for the conservation of Minnesota’s resources. They had a reading and book signing where I got this title, but you can find it here on Amazon too.
Why I Wake Early by Mary Oliver is a set of eloquent and thoughtful poems that I read on our road trip through Canada. Curled up with this book in the mountain mornings was the perfect way to get into the mindset of slowing down and noticing the world.
I Am Malala by Malala Yousfazai was one of the most powerful books I have read in a very long time. A memoir about standing up for education in a terror-torn country, if you haven’t taken the time to read this yet I highly recommend you do. We take so much for granted, including our education, but seeing the life-and-death fight people go through for these basic rights is a sobering reminder of just how far we have to go in much of the world.
Publishing!
If you’re skimming for the exciting announcement here’s where you should stop. While I was working on my most recent novel for NaNoWriMo, I was also putting the finishing touches on the novel that is set to hit the shelves this month.
That’s right.
My first novel, published through Amazon and the newly founded Northernwords Press, will be available on Amazon this weekend. More details are coming soon, but head over to my books page for a sneak peak of the cover!
Changes in these parts
As Northernwords becomes an independent press as well as a blog, you might notice some changes around the site, including links to my books, new writing-themed content, and even some design changes. But don’t panic! I won’t be going all commercial on you and will be keeping the site as easy to navigate as possible.
Lots of love,
Rae
Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations, and lots of love, Rae!!