Exciting Times!

Matanzas Moon is due to be released next week!  Funny how the span of time can seem an eternity flying by at the speed of light! The concept was born years ago, but with little personal reserves to commit to the project, it languished in neglect.  A spark reignited my passion during one of the many Ghost Tours in which my family and I indulge.  In March 2015, on the Ripley's Ghost Train, we visited the Dow Museum of Historic Homes.  During that tour, goose bumps erupted on my skin as I heard two ghost stories I knew would incorporate into my concept well.  Later that night, I stayed up late investigating Alice Flagler and Missy Dean the Voodoo Queen.  I realized how well their stories meshed.  Suddenly, the floodgates opened and I was riding the tidal wave of inspiration!  My husband and son were invaluable during the creative process.  They gave me space to create, listened as I fumbled with dialogue, and gave insightful input with plot twists.  Within a few weeks, the manuscript was complete.  

Now for the *fun* part... Queries, proofreading and editing!  Yay!  Realizing it wasn't the best time of year to peddle a debut novel from an uncredentialed writer, I began the search for independent publishing solutions. Thank goodness for Aidana at Willowraven Illustration and Design Plus/Wicker Apple!  She was delightful to work with and a wealth of knowledge.  Now I have embarked on a new journey as a small independent press, Ms. Tiki Unlimited, Inc.  

With the release approaching, I am filled with excitement... and anxiety.  I have fallen in love with my characters.  They have become my friends.  My family.  Have I been fair to them, and my potential readers, by representing them on the page as vividly as they exist in my head?  As an inexperienced author, I am plagued by doubts about my "voice".  Being the eternal nerd I am, I worry that my syntax is awkward and my vocabulary is too lofty.  (Can you tell I have worked myself into a blubbering puddle of warm goo?)  With a few short days until release, it is time for me to let go.  I need to let the bubble float out into the world and see how it fairs.  It's gutwrenching.  Nerve-racking, and bittersweet.  I have given the story wings; now it must fly.

Meet Bridget Quinn and Nick Maddox.  Join their ghostly adventures in St. Augustine, FL! www.elizabethraven.com