Today’s the day that parents either approach with intense excitement or tremor-inducing dread. It’s the day our baby goes out into the big bad world.
In this case, the baby in question is Pretty Souls. Sure, she went to college (publishing) and got her degree. She even went out for job interviews (reviews) and took the first steps toward this parting of ways (early print release), but today’s the day that she’s out there in digital too. As a “parent”, I can only hope I did everything I could to get her ready for it.
The thing about this novel is it was one of my first. It went through the agent ring a couple times. A full re-write and more rounds of edits than I care to count. Pretty Souls has been a learning and growing experience for me in so many ways that I can really associate with the coming-of-age themes inherent in YA. This past year’s been a lot of me doing that as a writer. On the other hand, I don’t want to grow up. I love learning and I love discovery and I love being a bit of a kid at heart. So I hope while I’m sending my baby out into the world, I haven’t lost the ability to connect with the part of me that is still a teenage girl wondering if she’s going to have a date for the senior year homecoming dance (that’s a post all its own LOL) and watching her best friend fall in love with her ex (they went on to get married, so who am I to bitch, right?). There are little pieces of me in all my stories, and I hope that comes through to readers, because even in the world of the supernatural, those are the things that are real. And no matter how much we love our weres and vamps and demons, that touch of reality is what makes us fall in love with a book.
And that’s what I wish for Pretty Souls, all the prep-work is done. Time for her to get out, meet people, and hopefully make someone fall in love with her. Might even be you 
To celebrate the release, I’m offering a digital copy to one commenter here or at either of the places I (well, more like the other me) have posts up today. Specifically Wicked Lil Pixie’s and J.A. Campbell’s. I’m drawing the winner on Monday, so I hope you enter as many places as you can.
In case you need guidance for a comment…tell me one thing that you remember (or know) about you and high school (see examples above LOL).
Right lets see, nothing major but I listened to Queen whilst revising for my GCSE’s. Unfortunately I remembered more about the lyrics than the stuff I was meant to retain for the exams.
super excited for you! Pretty Souls is on my to by soon list
(Very soon)
Julie/Firewolf
Congratulations!
I love the wolves on the site, btw. I’m pretty much a wolf fanatic.
What I remember about my high school. The cruddy food, food fights before Animal House made it famous, the juke box playing (don’t go there, okay?), and how big I thought the school was on my first day.
LOL Music is such a huge part of my memories too. (though I was in band and choir, so we were pretty much always surrounded by music
)
And thanks for the wolf <3, Michelle
The winner, drawn by Random.org, is our very own Gareth! Sending you an email
Stupid blog is being weird about me posting as admin. Not sure what's wrong. *sigh*