Heather Ames's Blog - Posts Tagged "updates"
A New Year, Two New Books, and an Emotional Rollercoaster
Maine Issues, the 4th book in the Swift/Roberts series, is currently at the end of its 3rd draft. It will need a 4th and final draft/read-through for rechecking continuity and a seek-and-destroy mission to catch those pesky typos that persist in all books, even the traditionally-published with their eagle-eyed copy editors.
Trick or Truth, Book 4 of the Ghost Shop series, is on a slower track but progressing. Jumping from one set of characters so different from those in the Swift/Roberts series has proved to be as difficult a feat as it was when I tried this once before. I abandoned one project for the other at that time, only to lose 100 pages when my desktop computer crashed without warning.
The goals for 2025 are to publish both books. Maine Issues has a projected release date within two months. Trick or Truth, which will have 100 pages under its belt this week, should be ready for publication by the Holidays.
Sometimes, life really does interfere, and the last few months have been a stressful emotional rollercoaster for this writer. Two very close, very ill friends became one with the passing this month of my longtime Texas writer friend, Vikk Simmons. She will be missed by all who knew her. My other friend has recently had another set-back, but we had a good visit when I flew down to Florida for a week at the beginning of January.
Life can throw curveballs that temporarily derail the plans and concentration level of even the most dedicated writers. Speaking as one who deals closely with the emotional lives of my characters as well as the plots that drive their books, taking the time to grieve and the time to acknowledge the impact those closest to us have on our lives when they are in crisis is as necessary as returning to our own everyday activities.
Trick or Truth, Book 4 of the Ghost Shop series, is on a slower track but progressing. Jumping from one set of characters so different from those in the Swift/Roberts series has proved to be as difficult a feat as it was when I tried this once before. I abandoned one project for the other at that time, only to lose 100 pages when my desktop computer crashed without warning.
The goals for 2025 are to publish both books. Maine Issues has a projected release date within two months. Trick or Truth, which will have 100 pages under its belt this week, should be ready for publication by the Holidays.
Sometimes, life really does interfere, and the last few months have been a stressful emotional rollercoaster for this writer. Two very close, very ill friends became one with the passing this month of my longtime Texas writer friend, Vikk Simmons. She will be missed by all who knew her. My other friend has recently had another set-back, but we had a good visit when I flew down to Florida for a week at the beginning of January.
Life can throw curveballs that temporarily derail the plans and concentration level of even the most dedicated writers. Speaking as one who deals closely with the emotional lives of my characters as well as the plots that drive their books, taking the time to grieve and the time to acknowledge the impact those closest to us have on our lives when they are in crisis is as necessary as returning to our own everyday activities.
