I’m thrilled to announce I’ll be a contestant in this year’s BBNYA, as well SPFBO9, entering my debut novel Credible Threats.
Back in May, someone suggested the BBNYA to me, and, despite my nervousness, I took the plunge and entered. (The first time I’d ever entered my novel in a contest, and I was shaking in my boots.) The contest is now underway, and I’m eagerly awaiting the results, which I’ll post here when they become available. You can check out the official website here: https://www.bbnya.com/home
I also had the very nerve-wracking, but very exciting experience of entering my very first SPFBO. It was something I imagined, as I typed away in my little writing hole, and now, it’s become a reality. I was lucky, too: this year’s quota filled up in forty-three minutes, a decisive new record.
It’s been an absolute blast so far; there’s so much positivity and well-wishes; I’ve met so many fellow authors and have so many new books to choose from. On a purely practical level, even my own fairly limited involvement has already produced results; I’ve made a few sales; seen an increase in adds on Goodreads and Twitter followers, sent out a review copy, etc. So, if someone’s on the fence about participating, I’d definitely recommended it. (On a related note, I’ve also been interviewed by fellow SPFBO contestants Alexander Layne, author of The Bone Spear, and Raina Nightingale, author of Heart of Fire. Those interviews will be live soon, and when they are, I’ll post them.)
Credible Threats is in the batch for Before We Go Blog, which you can find here: https://beforewegoblog.com/
You can also follow SPFBO in general at it’s official page at Mark Lawrence’s website, here: http://mark—lawrence.blogspot.com/2023/05/spfbo-9-phase-1.html
I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed, fidgeting on the edge of my seat, and when I know more, so will all of you. In other news, I have seen the cover for Rising Shadows, Sam Adams book two, and it’s amazing. I worked with Luke Tarzian once again, and I think he’s outdone himself. You can expect an official cover reveal in the near future. I’ve also gotten the manuscript back from my editor and am working my way through revisions as we speak. Also, I’m not quite ready to put Credible Threats by the wayside, and to that end, you can expect a fun announcement in the coming weeks.
Again, I’m having a great time with all of this. I just want to extend a huge thank you to everyone associated with SPFBO and BBNYA for taking the time to support so many authors, and to everyone who’s helped me out on my wacky journey through these contests. There’s a lot more in store; stay tuned…