it’s official

I wrote close to 1500 words yesterday and then got a lovely email from Beth Phelan congratulating me on my new book. Beth developed the #DVpit initiative and that’s how I met my agent last spring. Since then, Jenn has sold two manuscripts and the second sale was announced in Publishers Weekly yesterday:

Kids need inclusive spec fic NOW, which makes it hard to wait two years for this book to come out. But I’m making good progress on The Ghosts in the Castle and will no doubt get The Gryphons at the Gate (City Kids Book #4) out next spring. To a lot of educators and librarians, only the Random House book will count as legitimate, but I’m going to continue to self-publish until the publishing industry operates at the pace of the 21st century…

I’ve managed to come down with a cold but stocked up on Sudafed yesterday and plan to hunker down and write for the rest of the week. A thousand words a day will get me to the end of this novel, and Charity Russell is already doing a great job with the illustrations…I’m mindful of my many blessings and hope you’re aware of yours, too. Enjoy the holiday!