I can’t believe I’m writing this post. This past week has felt like a dream. But since I haven’t woken up yet, I’m going to assume that it’s reality and share the news with you that my novel Unraveled is being published by Gurt Dog Press. Yes, the story that I blogged here in 2015-16 is going to be a real book!
I wanted to do something special to announce this to all of you, and I commissioned a piece of art from @avgolden with the main characters from the book. (Please check out her account, I absolutely love everything she draws and it was such an honor to have her illustrate my characters.) Presenting Cat and Auri…
I haven’t stopped staring at this painting because I love Audrey’s art so much. She really got the characters how I pictured them…everything from Cat’s freckles to Auri’s pink shawl (which is pretty much the whole plot of the book). Those are my babies!
You can check out Gurt Dog’s announcement about Unraveled on their Instagram here. Gurt Dog Press is a publishing company that focuses on speculative fiction with LGBTQ+ characters that doesn’t rely on romance as the only story that queer characters can have. This is exactly what I strive to achieve in my writing, so I knew right away that they were a good fit for me. I’m just beyond delighted that they accepted Unraveled and that it’s going to be a real book. They’re located in Sweden and their first book just released in June to great reviews and exposure.
And now I’m one of their authors. (And you know my full name.)
It is so surreal that a book I started writing in 2015 is going to be out in the world. I’ve rewritten this post over and over and there’s so much to say. If you’re interested, I can tell you about the writing and submission process, because it was quite the journey. A week ago, at about 8:34 in the morning, I got the email from Gurt Dog saying that they would love to publish Unraveled, and I started crying. After I calmed down from the happy tears I immediately called my mom, who squealed with me for a while. I pretty much haven’t stopped squealing since. Picture an overexcited puppy sprinting furiously around the yard and you’ll have a good idea of what the inside of my head looks like lately.
And you know what? I couldn’t have done it without all of you. Every single one of you who read and commented on Unraveled, who took time out of your day to read my story and give me feedback, who wanted to know what happened next…you gave me the motivation I needed to put this story out into the world. You better look for your names in the acknowledgements when this book comes out, because I am grateful for every single one of you. Thank you for believing in me. I hope that you’ll enjoy Unraveled. It is terrifying and exhilarating to know that people will read this little chunk of my soul, and it really is a dream come true.
I will share more information as I receive it, like the cover reveal and release date. Until then, please go give both @avgolden and Gurt Dog Press some love.