I can’t fathom that I am six months away from publication of the first book in my middle grade duology. If you think that feels far away, you should know I started writing book 1 in 2017. After many, many, drafts and revisions, the book is about to go into line edits. I don’t have a firm date for publication yet, but we are closer to a cover and the final draft.
I shake my head with wonder that it took 6 years from the genesis of the idea to seeing the book in print. In my first draft, the main character, Dax Masters, was a bit of a brat, kind of snotty to his friends, and a scientific genius. In other words, not likeable at all. Dax evolved as my writing skill improved. He is now a 12-year-old whose view of the world is coloured by science and who knows how important his family and friends are to his success.
I’ve deliberately kept the lid on the plot because I knew the story was going to change with each draft (of which there are 7 so far). But now that all the structure and plot is sorted out, I can give you a short synopsis.
Dax Masters isn’t like most 12-year-olds. While he likes to hang with his friends and play video games, Dax is also fascinated with science. His goal is to win the sixth grade science fair and get invited to the Innovative Science Convention, the holy grail for young scientists. Dax not only has to convince his father his science project is worthy, he has top convince the world’s leading scientists that they have missed a critical change in the earth.
Book one, titled Shift, focusses on geology. Book two, titled Flow, concerns changes in the ocean, and marks the beginning of Dax becoming a bit of an eco-warrior. I didn’t plan that, but a new character emerged and she is 100% a voice for the environment. Tentative publication is February 2024.
For the Young Adult market, I’m about to head into revisions for draft #10 of a book tentatively titled Raising Kane. I began writing this contemporary YA fiction in the summer of 2020. The idea came to me when I was camping with my family and found myself thinking 16-year-old me could never have dreamed she’d have the kind of life I have. That’s when the story starting building about a teenager whose path in life seemed pre-determined until a catastrophic event forces her in a different direction. The main character is the sole survivor of a horrific scene in the commune where she was raised. She needs to figure out how to live in the outside world, come to terms with the lies she’s been told, and find her way back to her true self.
As soon as I have details—about the sale of the YA, the cover for Shift—I’ll be sure to share them with you through substack before I announce any updates on social media.
WHAT I’M READING
Sometimes, I need to fall into a great middle novel. This will 100% do the trick. I adored Alston’s first book, Amari and the Night Brothers. It was a powerful debut and I still think about it two years later.
If you’ve read any of my books, I’d really appreciate a rating and/or review. These are golden for indie authors like me and can help new readers decide if they’d like to take the leap.