The Great Merger and Summer Authors Updates
Hi guys it's Rosie! Thanks for joining me as I kick off a new quarterly newsletter.
I welcome you all to the great merger!
Yes. I have to be a little dramatic at times.
For those of you who are new here, hello and welcome. I’m Rosie.
And for those of you who have been around for the past nearly two years, I am more grateful than words will allow. Thank you.
Many of you have joined my newsletter from a short story and chapter excerpt promotions. I had two pen names going in the indie world, but I am not able to keep up with the pace anymore. I am slowing down and stepping back from self-publishing and will spend the next year querying for an agent. Thus, quarterly updates because that is likely boring for you, and as someone who survived 80 rejections earlier this year, well… it’s the pits of despair for me. I don’t take it personal, it’s mostly lucky of writing the right thing at the right time and I was way behind a dying trend for trad. Very positive rejections put wind in my sails at the end.
A quick note on writer’s block/burn out: I genuinely believe that these are symptoms and not diagnosis. If you are having problems with creativity or writing, there’s something else in your life that needs your attention, it isn’t always obvious. Which is a pain in the ass. But I implore you, find the source don’t treat the symptoms.
I am the author behind:
Dearest Georgiana My debut novel was originally a Regency-inspired RomCom that was top in its categories for its running and in the top 70 of all Vella serial stories. Now expanded to a full novel. Available on Amazon in Ebook, Print, and KU.
Chasing Dorothy (Free on Amazon)TheAmazon top 30-minute romance short
Finding Persephone A novella-length modern Hades & Persephone retelling debut novella, was a Kindle Vella top favorite and is slowly climbing back up the mythology charts. Available on Amazon in Ebook, Print, and KU
So It Goes was my first serial and was an instant favorite, and is honestly probably my most inquired-about story.
Many of you joined for chapter excerpts from Aberrant & The Psych and The Guard.
I have discontinued my serials and hopefully the story you’re looking for will be in the updates below.
So that’s what I’ve written, here’s a little about me.
Most of you have gone through my welcome sequence before, and if you haven’t allow me to introduce myself.
HAI. I’m Rosie.
I am a recluse, not that I dislike people, I love people most of them are awesome. I simply enjoy solitude. Which is not very fitting to a mother of three young children and a husband that very much likes to socialize.
I lived in Slovakia for a year as an exchange student, and I speak Spanish as well. Not as fluent in those as I used to be, but a lot better at those two than I am at French these days.
I simp and fangirl over fictional boys and use my video game and anime crushes as my muses for most of my stories. Levi Ackerman is waifu.
When I’m not reading or writing, I am usually putzing about in my garden, photographing flowers, or doing something as close to trees as possible. My favorite thing to do is walk in the rain, and I swear thunderstorms give me superpowers.
I am an avid gamer. My most replayed are the Dark Souls trilogy, and Bioshock. But lately I’ve been playing through Stardew Valley.
And if you play Stardew Valley, YES. I am basically Sebastian. I am even studying web design.
Thank you for still being here through the “I love me” fest.
Now let’s talk about this summer’s Plans.
The Good Samaritan
Cowboy Bebop meets Tangled.
At least that is the pitch I am going for right now. It is a Romantic soft sci-fi with space western vibes (because I wanted gun slingers on a Badlands style moon). The main theme of the story is living versus surviving, discusses the purpose of art, and who would I be without a ragtag crew and found family? I am in love with this story, it’s been a while since I’ve burned like this for writing. And come on who doesn’t want to write a Spike Spiegel inspired character?
Goal: Query by August 7th
2nd Goal: Try to not to be such a chaotic mess after sending the first batch of queries this time (it would be smart to send them from the proper email address too)
So it Goes
A closed-door small town RomCom (and kind of rockstar romance?)
Please don’t throw things at me. I have been slowly working on the novel expansion of this serial, WHICH includes adding Levi’s point of view. Your favorite Vegan pop-star finally got his own personal story arc.
but wait there’s more: if I can get someone to pick it up, I hope to expand it into a three standalone series all centered around Tippetown.
you know the drill: if it doesn’t get picked up I will likely self-publish this one. If that happens no promises on the other novels, they will likely be rewritten to be their own town that I can query.
Goal: Query by November if Samaritan gets passed by agents who do both
BUT THERE’S A THIRD SECRET PROJECT.
THE PUBLISHING DERBY
A few friends and I were fortunate enough to get slots in Inkfort Press’ 2023 Publishing Derby.
-It is an annual competition where you are assigned random covers based on a lottery and a ranked list you submitted. You must write the story anonymously and publish at least a 10k word story in two months. Oh, AND USE NO MONEY TO MARKET OR PUBLISH. The story that has the most sales wins it’s category.
Here were the covers to choose from
^Any guesses on which I chose? Comment and let me know, I am unable to give anything but ambiguous answers. I’ve taken the anonymity very seriously.
That’s a wrap on writing updates. If you didn’t see the story you want more of included in this quarter’s goals it is likely going to be in the Fall newsletter.
If you want to be a beta reader for either of the two stories I am allowed to share send me an email rosalinewoodrow@gmail.com and let me know what title you’re interested in. I have a few perms beta-readers that get priority but there’s a few slots left.
Reading corner:
If you follow me on Instagram then you know I have been obsessed with The Red Rising trilogy the past few months. I would say Red Rising is my favorite of the the three, just barely nudging out Golden Son for number one. Morning Star I enjoyed but didn’t quite have my heart like the first two. I will be starting the follow on series later this year.
If the question is "but do you simp for Cassius Au Bellona?” the answer is OBVIOUSLY. Which a gold is so off brand for me, but Cassius’ in my opinion fits my “broody hero” niche. In my opinion he could easily be the protagonist of the series.
Have you read Red Rising yet?
My favorite part about reading these books has been connecting with people over them. A few writing friends and I are doing a “built like a gold summer” to keep each other checking in and motivated to work out. Some are running, some are lifting. If you join us tag me on IG. Let’s read and get ripped together ^.^
How am I doing?
I was recently interviewed for a column in Dixon’s Independent Voice read it here on page 8
Debut novel? Decent reviews? Back in my writing groove? Life is pretty damn good. I’ve allowed myself to step back from most social media use, it was weird at first. When I begun my journey it started with a STRONG social media campaign on multiple platforms. I have a white-knight complex and wanted to help everyone I could while trying to run a homestead and market my own work. It was too much. I slowly pulled back and now only have a presence on Instagram and Goodreads (if that even counts)
Leaving serial fiction behind was even weirder.
Serial fiction turned my writing episodic. It took me six months to get back in the grove of novel writing and I am most happy here. I was decent at serial fiction. It was hard to walk away from something I was performing well in, but I am done marketing while writing. It is too much stress for me. Though I it was a struggle to adapt to not sharing my writing as it came out, I eventually found my footing again. But not until I had several Howlesque meltdowns. It wasn’t pretty. But I have some amazing friends who helped me through it. If you want to be a writer, you need a small but fierce tribe. I am nothing without mine.
My garden has my full attention this year
The battle with the squash bugs has begun. Neem oil did weaken their numbers and continues to be my strongest ally. But I know their reinforcements in the form of tomato worms are on their way. I must make as much progress dwindling their numbers before we are at full war when the Japanese beetles arrive.
That’s all the updates I have for this quarter. Unless there’s a big announcement there won’t be much from me until the autumn equinox.