Hello everyone! Sorry, it's been a while since I posted. Life got a little hairy there for a bit. My son was diagnosed with ASD and I've had a lot of writing-related deadlines to meet. There's always something, right?
Now, this is short notice, but I simply HAD to post about it. It's too exciting not to!
Since Covid put a damper on my plan to have an in-person book launch in my home community, the Portage la Prairie Library and Prairie Fusion (art gallery) have been incredibly kind, offering to host a virtual book launch party for me. I'm so pumped!
I did already have a small launch when The Big Ol' Bike first came out at the end of 2020, so this is a bonus - an extra celebration. The icing on the cake, if you will. PLUS, this event coincides perfectly with some exciting news I will be announcing. But, because you're special, I'll give you the special advanced preview here... The Big Ol' Bike is now available on Audible as an audiobook. *happy dances* I found the most amazing narrator, with a rich and inviting voice to narrate this book - Tricia Allen. She does such a wonderful job. It's the perfect thing to curl up and listen to with your kids, or take with you on a trip in the car.
Here's the link to the audio book: https://www.amazon.com/The-Big-Ol-Bike/dp/B08ZGZC57W/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1616731229&sr=8-1
So, here's the deal. The launch is happening tonight (March 25th, 2021) at 7:00pm Central.
It is free, online, and accessible to anybody who would like to join in on the fun. I'll be chatting about The Big Ol' Bike, writing and illustrating, answering questions, and reading an excerpt from the book. It will be live streamed on Prairie Fusion's Facebook page, or you can register to watch it here: https://t.co/cQ1Gx1j6WP
In other news, I will be participating in Camp NaNoWriMo this April. It's a month-long event that pushes authors to write 50,000 words in 30 days. There are 2 camps during the year, and one main event in November. If you like to write, you should check it out! I have several writing projects on the go, including a sci-fi novella, a couple of picture books in various stages of completion, and a YA epic fantasy novel. However, for this April's camp NaNoWriMo, I plan on working towards finishing the first draft of a new novel project. I've started it, have a solid outline, and recently received wonderful literary agent feedback on this book concept (more on that below). It is called Race to Novus and will be an adult sci-fi western. I'll be talking more about this book as time goes on, so stay tuned for all the fun details. :)
Now, I mentioned receiving positive feedback for Race to Novus. I was blessed to have attended a writing workshop called Futurescapes in early March. One needs to apply and be accepted into this workshop, and it was a wonderful experience. Three solid days spent in small groups with other authors and skilled/established faculty mentors (literary agents, editors, and published authors). I had to prepare the first 10 pages (3000 words) of my novel, a query letter, and a synopsis for review and critique. The feedback I received was invaluable, and my small group was a joy to be a part of. The literary agent in my main group was Kimberley Cameron (wow!) and she said she enjoyed my excerpt, and would definitely request to see more. I was flabbergasted! What a wonderful thing to hear, and such an encouragement for me as a writer. So, needless to say, I'm extra motivated to finish this book so I can send it to her.
To go along with that, I also found out I was nominated by one of my faculty members for the Futurescapes Award. One person out of every group in the workshop is nominated as finalists, and one winner is announced. I didn't win, but being a finalist is a HUGE deal. I'm honoured.
So, those are the latest news updates for my crazy writing journey. Thank you all for following along. Stay tuned for my next post, where I'll share a book review and book from my recommended reading list, among other fun things. Thanks for reading & hope to see you at my book launch party tonight!
Take care for now.
Rachael Clarke