State of the Union

I thought I would give a quick update on everything that’s going on. First off, welcome to the new-look website. I upgraded to a wordpress.org account that allows more flexibility and options. I added my Near-Miss History articles as well and hope to add more soon.

I’ve also added the first chapter of my book for you to read. Please check it out and comment on it. I’d love to hear what you think.

The novel is currently being professionally edited by Lorin Oberweger at Free Expressions. I first met Lorin while attending the Writing the Breakout Novel Workshop taught by Donald Maass in Orlando last year. I’m excited to see what suggestions she has for making my work better. My thinking is that professional editing will help me put my best foot forward and add credibility when an agent or editor finally reads the finished product.

After the changes are made, I’ll be ready to shop for representation and a publisher.

I entered my unedited (pre-edited?) manuscript into Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Contest. I’m happy to announce that I made it though the first round! Out of 10,000 entries, my novel was selected to be part of the top 400 entries in the General Fiction category. In mid-March, I’ll find out if I advance to round two.

If you haven’t already “liked” my author page on Facebook, please do so. I launched it last week and am already over 300 likes. Please help spread the word. You can also download and read the first chapter from there and comment.

Finally, I’ve started the sequel! For those select few who beta-read Washington’s Providence, you won’t be disappointed. I’ve got a great critique group who have already made some excellent suggestions. I wish I would have had them for the first book.

Thanks for reading. Keep in touch!

Chris