I had a vision for 2022, at least, for my writing. I'd finished a book at the end of 2020, finished a second in September of 2021, and had written 50k words for a third in November 2021. I'd also gotten a book deal and spent late December/early January editing the book included in that deal. To say I was exhausted was an understatement.

So, I planned to work on edits on my second manuscript later in the spring and focus on writing short stories. I thought I'd use #CampNaNoWriMo to finish my third book in April or July and then leisurely edit it throughout the rest of the year as I had time between editing my first book for publication and querying my second.

That was the plan. What actually happened was a continuation of the craziness of last year. I finished my pre-edits for my publisher in January, edited the second book in February and sent it to a developmental editor because it just didn't feel quite there. Then I spent March finishing the third book.

I'd love to say in April, I'll relax, but my thesis is due in early May, so I'm going to have to pick a book and edit it. I'm leaning toward my second book. For one thing, my first book's main character and my thesis advisor share the same name (though spelled slightly differently). It was unintentional, but it's still a weird coincidence. I thought about submitting the latest book so I can really make the most of my program, but I'm still debating between it and book 2. On the one hand, it would be good for me to have a reason to focus on editing book 2, but on the other, I just did a marathon editing session on book 3. It may be in better shape as a result.

At some point, I'm also going to have the first round of edits back from my publisher, which will take up a chunk of my time. Maybe after the book releases in the fall, I'll finally get a moment to breathe. I may just skip NaNo this year.

On the plus side, my MFA program confirmed we're able to travel to Buenos Aires this summer, which is exciting! I'm looking forward to finishing the program and not doing formal education ever again. A class here or there? Yes! A conference or two? Absolutely! But no more degrees. I deal with enough alphabet soup in my day job, I don't need to add to it with letters behind my name.

If you've recently joined my email list, I apologize for the radio silence, but hopefully I will be sending out a new newsletter soon!

It has been a busy couple of months for me. I finished my pre-edits for my debut novel in January and am waiting on the first developmental edits from my editor. Then at the end of January into February, I finally started  doing my first full revision of my second manuscript: When Cardinals Appear (formerly known as The Winter Visitor). I sent those along to a developmental editor I hired through Critique Match and now I'm working on finishing my third manuscript: Snow, Sand and Sense! I'm hoping to finish the first draft by the end of March. And then, I'll spend April editing one or all of the three projects!

All of this is occurring while I'm doing some serious writing and editing in my day job as well. We are working on drafting a new proposed rule in my agency and I've been busy drafting new language and figuring out where it should go in existing regulations. I'm so excited to be working on this because it was the whole point of obtaining my first master's degree! I've been with my agency for 3.5 years now and this is the first chance I've ever had at drafting regulations. While it's a completely different kind of writing, I am tapping into my creative side a little through wordsmithing and considering logical outgrowth to help us prepare for the public comment period.

In addition to the above, I'm working toward my second master's as I'm set to graduate in July. I'm still seeking authors who found an agent and/or editor through a Twitter pitch event and will have a published book by 4/15/2022. I'm going to start seeking out authors on my own via Twitter, specifically through quote retweets on the #PitMad ending announcement. But if you'd like to volunteer, please reach out to me either in a comment here or at info@keschenckwrites.com.

Speaking of that #PitMad announcement, that was a huge shock to the writing community. I saw such an outpouring of love for the people who created and ran it for the last decade. I will forever be grateful to #PitMad for helping me find my publisher. For those who are seeking other Twitter pitch events, please note that on April 7th, #moodpitch is happening, which allows for mood board images with pitches. I'm planning to participate. I'm also hoping to start seriously querying When Cardinals Appear later this spring, so even if I don't get any love during a pitch event, I'm going to work to get this book out there!

Hopefully I'll have news on my debut novel to share in the coming weeks as it's tentatively set to be released in September. Stay tuned!

1. Have you participated in a Twitter pitch event/party (e.g. #PitMad #IWSGPit #DVPit #KissPit etc.)?
2. Did you receive a "heart" on your pitch that led to an agent and/or publishing deal?
3. Will your book be published by April 15, 2022?
4. Would you be willing to participate in an interview (can be done over email)?

If you answered yes to the following questions, please get in touch with me. I'm working on my Capstone project for my MFA degree, which I will complete this summer, and I want to focus on Twitter pitch events. My plan is to purchase and read books from authors who found success at these events and then analyze what made the book successful, how to write a tweet that grabs attention, and what catches an agent's/editor's eye.

Here are ways to get in touch with me:
Twitter: faery_whisper
Email: info@keschenckwrites.com
Comment below or fill out the contact form on this site.

Please share with anyone you know who has found an agent or book deal through a Twitter pitch event! I'd love to get a diverse group of authors for this project. Thank you!

It's a new year. I took a bit of a break over the holidays to focus on other things (and to start a new job). But I'm back now and ready to start 2022 with a bang!

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the knowledge that my book, A Home for Christmas, is due to be released this year. The actual date is still TBD, but it looks like the publisher is planning for September. I sent a bunch of paperwork back to them on Sunday and have almost completed my pre-edits to my manuscript based on their specifications. Once I send the edited manuscript in, I should receive an editing schedule which will help determine the release date.

In addition to publishing my debut novel, I have a lot of writing plans for this year. I plan to spend January and February editing The Winter Visitor (subject to change depending on the editing schedule for Home). I'm hoping to finish the first draft of Snow, Sand, and Sense during one of the Camp NaNoWriMo's, either in April or July. But I also want to hone my skills at writing short stories and submitting those to literary magazines/journals.

Of course, while all of this is going on, I'll also be finishing my MFA degree. I'm due to graduate this summer in Buenos Aires, but COVID may change that. I'm looking forward to graduating and moving on from formal education. I still plan to attend writing conferences and other classes to continue improving my skills, but I don't think I'll ever pursue another degree. This is my second masters and, frankly, I'm exhausted. The first masters did it's job by helping me move up in my day job, and this masters has already benefitted me by giving me the deadlines I needed to finish Home and The Winter Visitor. I'm hoping things like NaNoWriMo will continue to provide me with the tight deadlines I seem to thrive under. 

Beyond my writing goals, my other plans for this year are quite simple. I have a few financial goals in mind, as well as home improvements and health outcomes I'd like to achieve. My SIL wrote a really awesome and helpful post about how to perform a personal audit for the previous year as well as how to make SMART goals for the new year. While I don't think I've ever done a personal audit or planned out my year in such detail, I do admire her methods and think it's a great way to track your progress. 

It's interesting to me how the pandemic has shaped so much of my life in the last two years. I don't know that I would be as far along in my writing journey if I hadn't had the additional time at home to write. We were supposed to return to the physical office this month in my day job, but between the ongoing pandemic, with new variants popping up, and the negotiations with the union, that was pushed back indefinitely. My new boss is also open to the idea of designating my position as remote whenever we do return to the physical office. Before COVID, I didn't think I'd enjoy full time telework, but now I can't imagine my life without it.

Here's hoping that COVID does have an end date, or at the very least, that it becomes the new seasonal flu. And here's to a new year. May we take 100% of the chances presented to us as they may lead to wonderful new opportunities! 

For most people, the darkest day of the year is the winter solstice; when the daylight hours are shortest. But for me, that day is today. 19 years ago, I lost my mother to colon cancer.

This year is particularly difficult because I was only 19 years old when she passed. As of about 1:15 this morning, I had officially lived longer without my mother than I had lived with her. Today has been plaguing me for the last few months, and now that it's here, I'm not sure what I feel beyond crushing grief.

My mother was my biggest fan and writing proponent. I'm sure, by now, if you've been a follower of this blog or site for some time, you've already read the story of the promise my mother procured from me at a young age to write her a "kissing" book. It is a comfort today to know that I am going to fulfill that promise next year, even if she didn't live to see her request come to fruition.

But it's also a reminder of how many things my mother has missed in the last 19 years. Some things I'm glad she wasn't a direct witness to (my first marriage comes to mind), while others are painful reminders of what I've lost. She never met her granddaughter. She didn't see me (finally) graduate college. She never met my husband and she missed the beautiful wedding we had. Beyond my life, she didn't see my sister finish her master's degree or marry, or celebrate my brother finishing his PhD.

Worst of all, for me, is when she left my life. I was on that cusp of adulthood, leaving behind my teenage years and taking those first tentative steps into being my own person. Cheryl Strayed said it best in Wild: 

"I didn't get to grow up and pull away from her and bitch about her with my friends and confront her about the things I'd wished she'd done differently and then get older and understand that she had done the best she could and realize that what she had done was pretty damn good and take her fully back into my arms again. Her death had obliterated that. It had obliterated me. It had cut me short at the very height of my youthful arrogance. It had forced me to instantly grow up and forgive her every motherly fault at the same time that it kept me forever a child, my life both ended and begun in that premature place where we'd left off. She was my mother, but I was motherless. I was trapped by her, but utterly alone. She would always be the empty bowl that no one could fill. I'd have to fill it myself again and again and again."

My mother left my life right as it was really beginning, and at a time when we weren't on the best of terms. As Cheryl says in that quote, I had to forgive her in a moment, but I never quite forgave myself for not making the most of the time we had left together before she was gone. And so, I spent my early 20's running at life with arms wide open, or perhaps, running away from the pain I couldn't bear to face. I had countless jobs, moved states, got pregnant then married, then divorced. I came home at 24, bruised, broken, and with a baby to raise. It was that baby, my daughter, who finally forced me to stop running to or from something and to instead stand in place and face my grief. She needed me, and I finally started to understand my own mother by mothering her. I finally grew up, though it certainly wasn't instantaneous.

I think part of why I ran at life like I did was because I just wanted to make her proud. To borrow a quote from another celebrity, Eddie Izzard said in an interview about his book Believe: A Memoir of Love, Death and Jazz Chickens "Well, I'm trying to do all these things because if I do enough, maybe she'll come back." He said something similar in the documentary he made, though it's been so long since I watched it, I can't recall the exact quote. But the idea is the same. If we do enough, maybe it will bring them back, or at the very least, make them proud of us. I completely understand where he's coming from, and every accomplishment, I find myself looking to the skies and quietly asking "was this enough?"

Nineteen years later, I'm still not convinced I've done enough. But maybe, when my book comes out next year and I have completely fulfilled my promise, I will be. I guess only time will tell.

I had planned to complete my #NaNoWriMo novel by the end of the year, but it's not looking likely. After I finished the 50k words for November, I didn't touch my manuscript again until yesterday, and even then, I wrote just under a thousand words. 

Some of this has to do with my day job, which is changing...again. I actually just started a new job about five months ago, but I was recently offered a promotion that was just too good to pass up. So, I'm going back-ish to my last job, but in a different division. That's caused a lot of upheaval in my work life, which has limited the bandwidth I have for writing. But I'm hoping, now that the dust has settled, I can at least write a little each day for the remainder of the month. 

Admittedly, it was a pretty lofty goal. I already finished one book this year, and I have edits to do on my first manuscript while I wait to be assigned an editor with my publisher. But I still hope to finish this latest manuscript soon as I really want to spend next year just editing. The only new work I hope to produce is short stories. I need a break from novel writing.

I'm also focusing more on ramping up my marketing strategies for whenever my book releases. I sent my first email out to my list this week and I'm planning to send a survey out soon to get some feedback on cover ideas. If you'd like to follow my journey or vote on the cover I'll propose, please click on the "contact" link and fill in the form! 

I won National Novel Writing Month by the skin of my teeth. Just 20 words over the required 50k! It's my second year participating and winning, but I have to say, this year was a lot harder than last. For one thing, my current day job (which I'm actually leaving soon) is a lot more grueling than the one last year. Normally November is a busy month in my old position because we have a deadline of the end of February to finish up some substantial work, but last year, we didn't have as much to do as many of the projects were cancelled due to Covid. But in my current position, it's nonstop craziness. 

But I did it, and I'm proud to have gotten such a great start on my next novel. I'm hoping to keep the momentum going through December and finish the first draft by the end of the year. If I do, I will have completed two novels this year, all while editing my first (and the one that's going to be published!). 

I'm not sure if I'll participate in #NaNoWriMo next year. My plan so far for the year is to edit, extensively. I have the two novels I wrote this year to polish up before I can query them, and I'll be editing A Home for Christmas for publication (hopefully by next Christmas). I also wanted to focus more on short stories instead of another novel next year so I can submit to literary magazines and build up my writing career there as well.

As if all of that won't keep me busy enough, I'm also graduating from my MFA in July. So, Home will be edited for my thesis (probably a very different version than what will be published. MFA's really don't seem to get genre fiction at all). But as I work on that thesis, I'm also finishing up the last of my workshop submissions in the spring. I think I have six more submissions to go, so I'm going to be very busy at least through the first half of the year.

We'll see how I feel when November rolls around again. Maybe I'll have a novel idea that I'm itching to get down on paper. Maybe I'll take a break and just enjoy the beginning of the holiday season. Or maybe it will be time to finally start the fantasy trilogy that has been in my head for years. I'm still not sure I'm ready for all that world building, but it might be time to face those fears!

Congrats to everyone who participated in #NaNoWriMo, whether you "won" or not, you're a winner for even attempting the feat!

I am excited, honored, and humbled to announce that I have found a home for my book, A Home for Christmas, with Champagne Book Group! I signed the contract this weekend and have received the go ahead to share the news.

This is a dream come true for many reasons. I've wanted to be an author since I was a child, and I've always had a love of writing. But I lost sight of that goal many years ago when I lost my mother. I had promised her when I was little that I would write her one "kissing book" (what I called romance novels back then) and dedicate it to her when I was published. She passed away in 2002, and I put my dream and that promise on the back burner while I pursued a career in an entirely different area.

In 2019, I began to revisit that dream. I was doing well, both financially and professionally, and felt it was time to refocus on my writing. I started writing Home just before Christmas, got about 2 or 3 chapters in, and then set it aside. A few months later, I found inspiration in a Hallmark television show, of all places. For my fellow #hearties, Elizabeth's writing journey in When Calls the Heart was the inspiration I needed to truly pursue my writing. I applied to multiple MFA programs in the summer of 2020 and enrolled in one of them for the fall. Having deadlines for submitting work coupled with my first #NaNoWriMo was the kick in the pants I needed to finish the book. I spent 2021 revising and editing, as well as dipping a toe in the querying pool through Twitter pitch fests.

It was on my second #PitMad that my book was discovered by Cassie Knight at Champagne. She hearted one of my pitches and I sent my query package. About a month later, on the same day I received a rejection from an agent, she requested a full. I was in the throes of doing another major edit, so it took me about two weeks to send the full back to her. But I did, on my birthday, and my one wish was for a book deal. About a week later, my wish was granted and I received an email with an offer!

This offer comes at a very poignant time for me as I'm quickly approaching a milestone I've been dreading. My mother passed away when I was only 19 years old. This December 13th is the 19th anniversary of her passing, which means that I will have lived longer without her than I was able to with her. But at least now, I can say that I've finally kept my promise. While the book is not quite the steamy "bodice ripper" she enjoyed, it is a romance and there is a kiss, so as far as I'm concerned it counts!

I really want to thank so many people. My mom, first and foremost, for believing in my writing before I even hit double digits in age. My father and siblings, for supporting my goals and my chaotic path to getting here. My husband and my daughter, for putting up with me locking myself away to write, and my constant commentary on the process (both positive and negative). Thanks to my bffs Tabitha and Kate, who have supported me on this journey for decades. Huge thanks to my ride or die friends from my first master's degree at American University: Michaela and Liz, who are convinced I'm going to be famous. To my writing community at Pitch to Published, especially Craig who has also published with Champagne and was kind enough to share his experience with me, thank you. Thanks to the writing community on Twitter as well for retweeting and commenting on my pitches and just being generally awesome!

I'd also like to thank the amazing staff and faculty at Queens University of Charlotte, who accepted me into their MFA program and have helped to shape my writing. Really huge thanks to all of my English teachers over the years, from Mrs. Bryan who first saw my potential for writing in the second grade, to Mr. Santee, who made my papers bleed in the 10th grade, to Ms. Young who has supported my siblings and I throughout our path to adulthood. And finally, to all of my coworkers at CMS, thank you for believing in me.

I can't wait to get started on this process and make this book the best it can be. I'll keep everyone posted on the release date and maybe even do a cover reveal. I'm so excited!

I'm afraid my blog has fallen by the wayside as I spend much of my freetime trying to win #NaNoWriMo, but as the month is coming to an end, I hope to have more time to spend here.

Tonight, I want to talk about the power of birthday wishes. I know many people don't believe in wishing or miracles or good luck. I consider myself a fairly practical person, but I'm also the girl who makes a wish at 11:11, or when the clasp of my necklace kisses the charm. I'm also the type of person who works for something, but believes a little magic never hurts.

Four years ago, I spent my birthday working on the Presidential Management Fellowship application (better known as the PMF). I've wanted to work for the federal government for years and I thought this was my best shot. If I didn't make it in then, I would plan to just stay with the state government as I was almost to my ten year anniversary. I spent three hours working on the tests and application. By the end of it, I was exhausted. But I made a wish as I sent it in that I would be selected as a PMF finalist.

Almost two months later, I got the news: I'd been selected! Not only that, but I was offered the first position I applied to. At the time, I joked that my birthday wish came true. I didn't put a lot of stock in wishes, even if I wished for things all the time. After all, I'd worked hard for my first master's degree and I put a lot of thought and effort into that PMF application. 

This year for my birthday, I spent most of the day writing and editing a project that has become both dear to my heart and the bane of my existence (I think most writers feel that way at one point or another). I wanted to finish it on my birthday and I was successful. I sent it off, just like the PMF application, with a hopeful heart and a wish. That wish came true tonight.

I know this post is a little cryptic and very light on the details, but I hope to share all when I'm able. The point of I'm trying to make here is: after this experience, I will never doubt the power of birthday wishes again, especially when they're mixed with a lot of hard work and a sprinkle of good fortune.

The second manuscript I wrote centered around the myth of cardinals. Specifically, the saying goes "when cardinals appear, angels are near." The whole idea of the story is basically that the main character keeps seeing cardinals before important events in her life, and eventually realizes the visits are her mother, trying to guide her to the correct path.

I love this concept, and I'd really love to write future books about myths and legends. I'm not opposed to some famous myths, such as from the Greeks or other cultures, but the one thing I liked about the way the cardinal story came about was that the myth was woven into the story. It wasn't the main focus or a retelling, which I think would happen with a lot of the more famous myths and legends. I'm looking for more local folklore that I can weave into a broader story. For instance, in the town where I spent my first year of college, there are two trees that have grown within each other, called the "love tree." The legend says if you kiss someone under the tree, they will remain a part of your life forever. I could see incorporating that into a larger romance novel.

The problem I've found is that most of the legends I know about, particularly locally, are more appropriate for horror. Not far from my hometown, there's the legend of Moll Dyer, an accused witch who was chased out of the town and was found the next day frozen to death on a rock. The rock is said to be haunted or cursed. I mean, I might be able to turn that around into a romance or have a twist similar to the one in the Netflix Fear Street series (no spoilers, I promise) to give a slightly happier ending. My husband suggested I could have something like the ending to Wicked (this one has been out for a while, so if you haven't seen it, stop reading) where Elphaba doesn't actually "melt" at the end, everyone just thinks she does.

There is also the option to just create a myth in my story for the fictional town I create, and I have ideas for that as well, but what I loved about the cardinal story was that it was a fairly well known myth. I've seen various merchandise (pillows, blankets, art, ornaments, etc.) featuring cardinals with the quote above. I've love to find more myths like this one that I could incorporate into a story.