Why would I wait to publish a young adult (YA) fantasy until releasing seven books in completely different genres? Especially since that fantasy novel was the first full-length novel I ever wrote. Why wasn’t The Strandlock published earlier?
Afraid of Publication?
It wasn’t fear of the publication process. I’ve already released a middle-grade fairy tale, three middle-grade time travel novels, a women’s fiction, a short story collection, and a contemporary literary novel. That’s a total of seven books.
The steps to publication are familiar now. I know the routine: the editing, the search for a cover designer, the formatting, and the steps to get the book released. That wasn’t what delayed me.
My Fear
So why didn’t I release The Strandlock sooner? After all, the manuscript that became The Strandlock has been part of my life for more than three decades—a story I’ll share in a future blog.
J.R.R. Tolkien’s books introduced me to epic fantasy when I was in high school. I adored Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series. Their books transported me into fully realized worlds that felt entirely real and held me there for hours of thrilling engagement. They set a very high bar, and I was afraid I could not rise to their level. Not that I am suggesting my writing deserves to be compared to these speculative fiction masters.
Fear of readers rejecting my story stopped me from releasing it sooner. I worried people would find my fantasy world-building weak and the magic silly.
What Changed?
After releasing seven books and hearing from readers, I’ve received enough feedback to humbly say that my writing connects emotionally with readers and provides detailed descriptions to help them feel part of the story. As a writer, I’ve grown more confident.
My middle-grade books are shorter (typically 30,000-40,000 words) and have a single point of view. Letters From Shadow Oaks is 75,000 words, with three point-of-view characters. A Carousel For Shade Tree is 83,000 words and told from five characters’ perspectives. With each new book, I challenged myself to write deeper into the characters. All of this prepared me to release a YA fantasy novel with more than 92,000 words and complex characters.
Why Now?
Why publish a YA fantasy after all these other books? Because stories aren’t meant to stay hidden forever. After years of hesitation, I’m ready to share the world of Spira, introduce readers to Tima and Lord Dranger, and discover whether this story that lived in my imagination for so long can find a home in the imaginations of others.
In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing the cover, the history behind the novel, the creation of the world of Spira, and the long journey that will finally lead to publication of The Strandlock. I hope you’ll follow along.