Hey everybody! I’m so excited to share that Chasing War’s presale campaign is officially live! I can’t believe I’m doing this again, but I’m so thrilled to get this new story out to you. Chasing War picks up right where Chasing Fae left off with Grace taking her new place in the Upper Realm. Spoilers from here on in. When Grace arrives at the House of the Evening, she is instantly thrust into the world of the nobility. As the heir to a throne she didn’t even realize was hers, she has to navigate magical education, dangerous politics, and a stepfamily she never asked for. With her tutor, Talon, and Aiden by her side, Grace steps out into the Upper Realm only to find a war exploding under her gaze led by the House of Darkness. She and Aiden must quickly strategize against the invaders while searching in earnest for the remaining six prophecy members. As the war rages on and more pieces of the puzzle fall into place, Grace must make a decision about who to trust and how to lead.
Click here to check out the presale campaign and preorder your signed copy of Chasing War today!
It’s the end of 2020, the end of the most tumultuous year of my life. From March to December, I have been sequestering in my house due to an underlying health condition. My world that felt so big suddenly shrank to the size of my parents’ houses. Suddenly, I was writing, studying, and just living with my family all the time. It has been quite a learning curve. My heart hurts to be away from my extended family, my friends, and the love of my life. It aches for all the loss we have seen this year.
But some really positive things came out of this year too for me. I published my debut novel, Chasing Fae in August 2020. I spent March to August working to make it as perfect as I could, and it’s been out for nearly five months now. I love being a published author. It is such a liberating experience. I love how creative I get to be while writing and working on the business side. I also had a really great semester; I finished with a 3.59 GPA. Puts me in great contention for grad school.
As I look ahead to 2021, I want to share my author goals with you.
Books Planned to Release in 2021
I have three books that I hope to release by the end of the year. I’m going to list these in order of potential release, but know that these are subject to whatever schedule I can work out.
First, I am happy to announce a new project that I have just started: a prequel novella to Chasing Fae. This novella will be a series of stories from the House of the Evening to weave in a little bit of background and foreshadowing into the Fae’s world before book 2 of the trilogy comes out. Readers will see Grace’s parents fateful meeting, Neil’s perspective on that final scene from Chasing Fae, and a look into Grace’s new stepmother, High Lady Elise, and what it took to get where she is now. It’s a short project, and I’m hoping it could be out sometime in the spring.
Second, my untitled nonfiction project that I was previously working on with New Degree Press will be my first full-length self-published book. I am working on a combination of additional research and drafting right now. I shifted the direction somewhat on my original premise, and I think it is going to make the book more engaging and interesting.
Finally, Chasing War! I have been working on this sequel for a little while now, and it has been amazing. I really cannot wait to bring readers further into the Upper Realm. However, as I’m seeing from my beta readers, it’s going to take some significant revision to make it the way I want. Expect this one to be out closer to the end of 2021.
New Website and Email Newsletter
I am launching cadyhammer.com this month! This will be my home landing page for people wanting to learn more about me and my books as well as subscribe to my email newsletter. I will continue to create posts for Fluff About Fantasy, but it will be on a bi-weekly/monthly basis rather than my primary focus. I’m excited to finally use my name domain.
I also want to consistently put out a solid monthly newsletter to keep fans engaged with personal stories, special looks at my works, and early access to pre-order announcements. Since I’m transitioning to being a fully indie author, you’ll see many more opportunities to preorder books and get special extras.
Marketing Boost
The hardest part of the publishing process for me is marketing. An author has to do this constantly while also continuing to write. (I’m also a full-time student!) For me, my primary focuses will be on expanding my social media presence with my Facebook page and Instagram. Twitter will take more of a backseat and serve as my way to connect with other writers, and Pinterest will get a monthly update as I move forward. I plan to learn how to use Amazon and Facebook ads effectively, and who knows: maybe I’ll have the opportunity to attend another writing conference once the pandemic is over.
That’s everything to look forward to from me in 2021. It’s quite a lot of goals, but I think I’ll be able to manage. Wish me luck!
Hello everyone! I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe during this chaotic time in the world. My family and I have been practicing social distancing for the last week now, and we have been doing the best we can to fill up the time. I have been working on lots of outreach this week for my preorders as well as starting the sequel to Chasing Fae, tentatively titled Chasing War. I have also been spending lots of time with my sister playing board games and working on some creative projects together. Online classes start on Monday, and it’s definitely going to be… interesting. I hope everything turns out alright.
Today, I want to talk a little bit of my experience in starting this sequel and some tips on how to start your second book as a continuation of the story in your first. I think it’s an interesting topic that I haven’t touched on yet in terms of working with a fantasy series.
Starting Chasing War
I have tried to start this sequel three times since I finished Chasing Fae. Which is pretty amusing to me because based on the outline I’ve created, this book of the trilogy is probably going to be my favorite to write. The first time was during NaNoWriMo where I got extremely ill and ended up having to cancel my attempt while I recovered. The second time, I ended up having intense midterm exams and papers that all coincided with each other. Finally, I’m having an opportunity to write during this period of isolation at home. But even now, I’m having a little trouble.
I think the simple explanation is that somehow I’ve forgotten what it’s like to write the first draft. Which brings me to my first major tip of writing your first sequel:
Don’t Forget That The First Draft Will Not Look Like Your FINISHED First Book.
The first draft is inherently flawed. And that’s okay! That’s more than okay! The first draft is about having something solid to build off of and modify and evolve into something incredible. Try to remember that your first book takes months and months and maybe even years to complete. The first draft will not represent the extent of what you can produce. Remember that. I’m trying to!
Your sequel should have its own arc.
While your sequel does build off the previous book, each book needs to have its own unique arc that gets wrapped up by the end of the story. Remember, your reader wants to see something new out of your characters and out of your universe. Your main character needs to take another transformative journey and evolve as a person. You will see the world in your novel change, sometimes in subtle ways and other times in dramatic times like the outbreak of war or a widespread disaster. Feel free to let your imagination run wild!
Bring New Characters To The Table
Time to create new voices! One of the best parts about writing a sequel, in my opinion, is to add new characters to the mix. There is always a new character or group of characters that comes in and shakes things up. Personally, I have a whole host of new voices that are going to change everything for Grace, and they are going to cause a LOT of trouble. Trust me.
Don’t be afraid to start something new. Happy writing, everybody!
Oh! And if you haven’t checked out my preorder campaign for my debut novel, Chasing Fae, please click here to learn more!
Yes, it is that time of year again where writers of all ages are buckling down and knocking out 50,000 words of a novel draft. It’s a fantastic month full of creativity, feverish writing, and passion for a new project. I love interacting with other writers and updating my status with my friends as the month goes on. There’s truly nothing better.
This year, I wasn’t sure if I had the availability to take on NaNoWriMo again this year (click here for an account of last year’s experience). I’ve been working on research and interviews for my Book Creator project, academics have ben a whirlwind, and I just started having some free time to myself for the first time all semester. But at the same time, I was itching to get back to the world of the Three Realms and start my second book of the Chasing Fae trilogy, Chasing War. Eventually, I decided to take November 1st as a trial run day, a test to see if I had enough inspiration to write this story from my outline. Friday was incredible; I wrote over 2000 words of fantasy, the most that I had written in the genre since I finished up my final edits of Chasing Fae in July. I couldn’t wait to write more. That’s how I knew I needed to do NaNoWriMo and make it another real time commitment in my life.
I want to encourage all young writers to undertake this challenge this month. Don’t be discouraged that NaNoWriMo has already started; there are plenty of days left to create something amazing.
Is NaNoWriMo Right For You?
Do you have a novel idea that you are burning to write?: If you’ve got an idea that is so perfect that you are just itching to get it down on paper, NaNoWriMo is the place to start.
Have you struggled with following through on an idea in your writing?: If you’re not great with being motivated enough to finish a novel, trust me, NaNoWriMo may be your savior. I wrote story after story throughout my middle and high school years, but the majority of my novels never got finished. I’d write six to eight chapters and then move on to the next new idea. Last year was the first time that I had completed an entire first draft since my first book written when I was 10 (still won’t see the light of day). This challenge really works as motivation. Use it!
Do you need to add another 50k to the project you’re already working on?: Guess what? NaNoWriMo is for you too! Some people choose not to start an entirely new draft in November; they pick one they’ve been meaning to work on and grind steadily along with that idea until it’s complete. There are no limits to what you can achieve.
Don’t let fear of what you can’t do stand in the way of what you could do. Even if you don’t reach your 50,000 word goal, you’ve still taken that first step towards getting your novel finished. Whether it’s 1000 words, 5000 words, or 50,000 words, there’s nothing more important than just starting.
