I’ve been a bad Substacker for the past two months, but I’m working on getting better!
On the other hand, if you saw my last post, where I was lamenting how silent and snail-like the publishing process can be even after you get a book deal, you can now begin laughing at me.
Things have really ramped up the past couple of months! And now the final countdown has begun…we are coming up on T minus SIX MONTHS from pub date!
Here’s what’s been happening with my book baby:
Cover Design: The fabulous art department at my publisher, Crooked Lane Books, has been hard at work behind the scenes experimenting with cover designs for THE BETTER MOTHER. I love it, they are so spooky and just unsettling. Stay tuned for a cover reveal, hopefully very soon!
Copyedits: Copyediting was completed last month - and surprisingly. I found it to be a very pleasant process! I learned a lot, and I feel strongly that the final touches we put on my book have truly made it the best it can be. It’s also so fun to see the little comments my original editor, Holly Ingraham, made in the margins, as well as the copyeditor. Every ‘i’ has been dotted and every ‘t’ crossed!
Pass Pages: Yes, I cried a little when Crooked Lane sent me the first pass pages for my novel. “Pass Pages” are made once copyediting is complete and they begin formatting and laying out how the actual book will look, including the chosen font, starts of new chapters, copyright pages, etc. The author then goes through it with a fine-toothed comb looking for any last errors. Here’s a photo of the title page of my book, including my publisher’s logo, which got the tears flowing:
ISN’T SHE BEAUTIFUL?????
Publicity Brainstorming: I’m so so so excited to be working with the amazing team at BookSparks for publicity and marketing of THE BETTER MOTHER. We had our kick-off call this week, and let me just say - WOW. My brain started to go hazy just listening to all the amazing things they have cooking, starting in just a few weeks with my cover reveal. We’re talking podcasts, influencers, media pitches, guest posting/blogs, social media graphics, and more. I’m overwhelmed in the very best of ways.
What’s next? Well, I admit, I’m having a little trouble writing the Acknowledgements page for my final proof. It’s the last step for me, but every time I sit down to work on it, I start bawling. It’s basically a love letter to all my friends, family, agents, agent siblings and fellow author friends, my publisher, and…everyone. I get teary thinking of all the dreams I’ve had my whole life and how absolutely bonkers and amazing it is to realize I’m achieving one. And then I start thinking about my mom, dad, sister, grandmother, and all the people I wish could have made it to see Feb. 10, 2026 with me, but alas didn’t. But I know they’re watching from heaven.
What else is next? BOOK NUMBER TWO, BABY! I have finished drafting it, FINALLY! I’ve spent the last week reading back over my first draft and taking notes, and now I’m ready to dive into writing Draft Two. I’m so, so excited. The working title is TEA & BLOOD and it’s a salacious Hollywood thriller about a celebrity entertainment reporter who faces huge backlash and cancellation after she reveals an intensely personal secret of one of Tinseltown’s most beloved actors. Threats and harassment ensue and she fears for her life…and then the star ends up dead, and everyone blames her. But she didn’t kill him…so who did? It’s an action-packed murder mystery set against the toxic backdrop of celebrity culture.
I’ll be back soon, hopefully with details about my cover reveal! Thanks for following along and for everyone’s support and encouragement.
What I’m Reading:
One of my favorite Substacks is Leigh’s Stein’s “Attention Economy.” After reading about her upcoming book “If You’re Seeing This, It’s Meant For You,” I applied for an ARC on NetGalley and received it, so I’m deep into that. It’s all about hype houses and viral content creators and is great brain food for TEA & BLOOD as well as wildly entertaining.
I’m also beta reading my wonderful agent sibling Brianna Heath’s Book #2!
What I’m Watching:
I recently finished the show “Friends & Neighbors” on Apple TV with Jon Hamm. Sooooooo good. If you haven’t watched it, please do. It’s a dramedy about wealth, and divorce, and relationships and….stealing. I loved it and I hope we get a second season soon.
I also finished “The Residence” on Netflix. A very entertaining series that’s a locked-room murder mystery inside the White House. Think “Knives Out” but with an eccentric female detective, played beautifully by Uzo Aduba.
Now my husband and I have just started watching Untamed on Netflix, starring Eric Bana. It’s also a murder mystery set deep inside one of the U.S.’s national parks.
What are you reading or watching? Share in the comments - let’s discuss!