It’s difficult to believe this is finally happening, but it is.
I first came up with the idea for what would become Ghosts of the Steel Road somewhere around 9th grade, if my memory is correct. At the time, there was a lot I didn’t know about writing, and even more I didn’t know about life.
But now, while there is still a lot more to learn in both life and writing, I’m finally taking the leap and tying the knot on this book. Ghosts of the Steel Road is complete. It is bound. And while the story will keep going for quite a while, I get to finally place my mark in the world as an author.
Author. No longer aspiring. I am just an author.
Things were certainly a bit more complicated than I expected. A very, very long list of everything I learned in the process of self-editing and self-publishing this novel will come at some point in the next month. Even now, I know I could be doing better about the whole “have an online presence and market your book” part of the process.
But the work is done. I wrote the novel, I edited the novel, and I made the cover for the novel (mostly due to my indecisiveness making me nearly run out of time).
For those looking for an ebook, Ghosts of the Steel Road is already available for pre-order. Unfortunately, paperbacks were not eligible for pre-order through Kindle Direct, but that will be out on September 26th, the same day the ebook releases.
If you’re unaware of what Ghosts of the Steel Road is about, here’s the back cover copy:
There are two kinds of people in life: somebodies and nobodies. Know exactly which one you are.
Melandra Godfrey may not have had a good life, but it was at least a predictable life. Her father, the last private detective in Zarothe, may have had his long list of rules and the money never added up right, but at least both of those factors were consistent.
But when Melandra’s father goes out of town on what at first seems like a normal job, Melandra’s world becomes unpredictable. A string of murders stokes fears of cult activity. An on-and-off friend warns of strange dangers. A mysterious man arrives at her door with an even more mysterious letter.
The Steel Road, the ever-present crux of trade in Zarothe, holds the key to the mysteries around Melandra and throughout her whole life.
Getting the answers she wants may mean doing the very thing Melandra hates most: becoming somebody.
Exciting things will be coming over this next month with the release of Ghosts of the Steel Road. I’ll be chatting about the book with my long-time Tumblr mutual and friend Etta in October, after a month of posting about it quite often. Plus, I’m already working on the sequel, though the process is starting with more outlining than I think I ever did for this first book.
Thank you all for being on this journey with me, and I’m so excited to see what comes next!
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