Release Alert!
DESTINED TO BE NORMAL AUDIOBOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE
Hey all! I have a very special update for you!
My third novel, Destined to Be Normal, is now available as an audiobook!
It’s read by Nick Monteleone, who did an absolutely fantastic job capturing Orson’s voice. His narration has a lot of life in it, and I loved his interpretation of the dialogue and Orson’s inner monologue. It’s been wonderful working with him to bring this format to you all.
And now, for some more personal words from me regarding this project…
My relationship with writing has been complicated at best in recent times. Before 2020, I'd been trucking along, steadily increasing my speed and rate of production. But then, the was the pandemic. My concentration really took a hit during the lockdowns, as I'm sure it did for a lot of people. I started out strong, writing and reading and crafting so much, but as time wore on and the endlessness of the situation sunk in, doing any sort of "productive" thing beyond my job was way too much. In addition, I had a book released in 2020 (or was it 2021??) where the sales just tanked.
I think one of those things happening would've slowed me down for a bit, but both at once was a huge hit. I couldn't do anything. I used to love writing. Basically any moment I wasn't at work or with friends, I'd be writing. But those days were suddenly gone.
Over time, I gradually got back into writing. At first, I wrote just for my own amusement, things outside my genre or things I'd never publish professionally. That helped quite a bit. But when I felt I "should" go back to working on my novels I'd abandoned during the lockdowns, it was very hard to do so. I thought carving some time out for writing would help me get back into the swing of things, but all it really did was make me feel like writing was a job.
And writing is a job. I have published novels, after all! But the thing was, it never felt like a job before. It felt more like a hobby I got paid to do. Now, suddenly, I couldn't bear to do what once came so naturally.
I wondered if maybe my time as a published author was coming to an end. If I wasn't finding joy from it anymore, maybe it was time to pack it in and just collect the pocket change from my backlist. But I wanted to at least finish the things I'd started working on, then make my decision.
I decided to stop waiting for the draft of Destined to Be Normal to reach perfection and sent it to my editor Charlie to help me prepare it for publication. I'd already made revisions years ago, there wasn't much left to do. I hoped it would give me motivation to work on the other finished (much rougher) manuscript I had.
Unfortunately, the rush of publishing my Destined to Be Normal wasn't enough to motivate me. I worked on my revisions for the next novel, but it was a constant uphill battle, and I had to force myself to sit down and work on it.
I decided to produce an audiobook for Destined despite my overall malaise. I liked the process of making an audiobook for my first novel, I Knew Him, and I thought this one would make for a good audiobook too.
Then, as I was reviewing the audiobook, something clicked.
I don't know what it was, but as I was listening to my words read back to me, I began to feel that spark again. I started remembering all these old ideas I'd had at the time of writing Destined, for other books and this one as well, and I felt excited about them all over again. Those feelings even extended to the document I wanted to revise, and I've been working on it ever since. I even wanted to work on it while I was doing my regular job, which I haven't felt in a long time.
To hear my words read by someone else, to hear their interpretation, really motivated me in a way I never epected. It was like I was reading the story for the first time entirely. I didn't feel the need to pick out my mistakes or things I should've changed. I could just sit and enjoy it.
Maybe all I needed was a fresh perspective on the whole thing. Maybe I just needed more time. Whatever it is, I'm glad to be mostly back in the swing of things. I hope this lasts. And if it doesn't, I think I'll be okay with it. I can wait for again if I need to. It'll all be fine.
I’m currently in Riverview, where Destined to Be Normal takes place. How apropos! Enjoy this photo I took the other day on the road. Just imagine it’s Orson, Liam, Tyler, Chrystal, and Mona all watching that sunset.
Until next time, stay safe!