Dear Reader,
It’s been a minute since I’ve posted a “WIP It Up” update. In fact, you probably don’t even remember what “WIP It Up” was all about. In short, it was like a diary sharing my experiences in writing new books that also kept you informed of what I was working on.
The truth is, I didn’t “stop” blogging, it just kind of migrated over to Instagram. But I’m a long-form content kind of person, and Instagram doesn’t scratch that itch for me, if you know what I’m saying. So I’m going back to writing my monthly WIP It Up articles, but I’m revamping and calling it something different. I’m liking the ring of “Dear Reader Series.” How’s that? Do you like that? I’m going with it I think.
Fair warning, however, I’m not sure if monthly is going to be the new cadence or if I’m going to shoot for more or less often. 🤷♀️ I’ve decided, who cares. Just like my journal at home, I’m going with whatever feels right, and right now, saying "I’m doing this whenever the mood strikes" feels good to me. (Psst! Probably doing this once a month. Let’s go with that for now. *Nods head confidently*)
So, let’s start today by catching you up on all the excitement happening.
First off, I want you to meet Felicity. She’s my Book Dragon. I really wanted to call her Felicia, but she insisted her name was Felicity. And you know how dragons are—bossy and always thinking they know everything…like cats. They’re like giant, scaly cats.
I found Felicity over the summer while camping in Big Bear, CA at a metaphysical crystal shop. I was instantly drawn to her (dragons are my favorite mystical animal). And now, she sits with me while I write. I like to think of her as my alter ego, or perhaps my creative muse in physical form. So, if I talk to you about Felicity in the future, you now know it’s the Book Dragon talking.
Now, on to the big stuff!
Dissent
If you can believe it, Dissent is getting ready to publish in just 2 weeks!! The excitement is very real, along with the absolute fear of people tearing it to shreds. I know not everyone is going to like it—every book has its haters—but that doesn’t mean I want to be torn to smithereens by someone I’ve never even met. *Sigh* That’s the hard part about writing—exposing yourself to a world that can be more than a little cruel.
Dissent releases on August 15, but it’s already up for preorders at all major retailers in ebook, paperback, and hardback. You can preorder your copy today by clicking this link and selecting your preferred vendor: https://buy.bookfunnel.com/1mq8uqttjn
I can’t even begin to express how grateful I am to everyone who has supported me along the way. Writing has been my dream, one I never thought I would accomplish, and one I never thought I would even attempt. And yet, here I am. I am so thankful to everyone who has been following my journey since the beginning. Their support has been a vital part of my drive to keep going and bring this story out into the world.
If that was you, thank you for reading and being a part of my journey!
Resist
Up next is Resist, book 2 of The Dissenter Saga. Resist is looking amazing, and she is ready for the world to meet her! Her cover features a ring on the front, which will hold important meaning in the story, as well as the shadow of Bellfire Tower in the back.
One of the things the cover artist and I wanted to do with the series was feature an important element from the story on the cover. In Dissent, Mara discovers that the forest and sees real vegetation for the first time. That’s why we use green as the primary color, and the shadows of leaves and foliage.
Resist’s cover is showcasing water, another element that Mara thought was all but gone from the world. Using blues and rich teals gives the impression of the ocean—a location Mara will discover and experience for the very first time in Resist.
What do you think, dear reader? Do you like the cover?
Revile
Let’s take a second and chat about Revile. If you remember, Revile was originally written to be a free, downloadable novella for my website. This story doesn’t follow Mara, but instead, goes back two years before the events of Dissent to introduce Liddy Le—a strong FMC, who’s snarky, stubborn, and a little too stabby. After beginning her tale, my fingers just couldn’t stop, and what started off as a novella turned into a full-length novel.
Now, Revile is significantly shorter than the rest of The Dissenter Saga. For perspective, Dissent is approximately 120k words and Resist 150k. Revile is about 55k—much smaller! But just because she’s short doesn’t mean she doesn’t pack a punch! She’s actually one of the favorites in the series for a few of my beta readers, and I think that’s because Liddy is funny, and her romantic interest is to die for!
I’m working on finishing up my cover art, but Revile is set to release on October 17! We’ll chat more about that soon 😊
Rise
The last up in The Dissenter Saga series is Rise, and she is looking AMAZING! Beta readers LOVED this book and gushed about it being the best one in the series. Can I just say that I cried?
It’s true, Felicity can vouch for me. I cried!
Rise was a heartache to write. I wrote and rewrote the book three times before I threw it all out and rethought the entire thing. As much as I had the ending planned out from the beginning, I did not like how it ended. It felt boring, and I just couldn’t call the book done. So, I had to go back to the drawing board and start over.
And…I’m so glad I did!
I am absolutely proud of Rise. I feel like it sucks you in, chews you up, and then spits you out. It’s captivating, romantic, and heart-pounding. And it reveals MAJOR SECRETS that change the way you view the entire series!! In fact, I think once you know the ending, you’ll be tempted to go back and re-read the series over again to see how the whole thing fits into place with the new knowledge you gain.
Rise won’t release until January 2025 due to the holidays, but it’s going to be worth the wait—I promise!
Angels & Demons
Alright, dear reader, let’s jump into my final topic: my new WIP!
I don’t have a book title or series name yet, so for now, I’m just calling it Angels & Demons (A&D). But that alone should give you a major hint into my next project.
That’s right, dear reader, I’m going paranormal romance! Woohoo!!
I’m actually really excited about this project. I want you to imagine if The Davinci Code, White Hot Kiss, and Storm & Fury had a baby. I’m talking Catholic conspiracies, Armageddon, angels, demons, and magic. I'm thinking a forbidden, slow burn romance, maybe some enemies-to-lovers vibes, and 100% touch her and die MMC.
If you can believe it, I’ve already started writing. I’d love to see a completed first draft by Christmas, but with The Dissenter Saga being published over the next 3 months, I might not hit that goal. We’ll see though. I have faith in myself 😅
Alright, my friend. That’s all I got for today. I’ll be back with another update soon!
With all my love,
Josephine
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