Have I ever shown you my world-building notebooks? Some of them are pretty! (On the outside, where I haven’t scribbled.)
If they seem excessive, keep in mind I started building Aletharia years before I started writing Book 1. (And okay, maybe I’m a bit obsessive about these things, too. 😅)
With the first book, I didn’t think an appendix was necessary because Em was our only magic-wielder, and I figured it was self-explanatory that Em being a healer meant she wielded healing magic, not combat magic.
The second book, however, explores more of Em’s side of Aletharia, which means it includes more magic-wielders and magical creatures. I still wrote it with the goal of you not needing an appendix, but during my final rewrite, I decided to add one, just in case.
So, I went to work at trying to reduce my many disorganized notebooks into a few short appendices. If you’ve ever condensed a lot into a little, you know it’s easier said than done. 😅 In the end, I’d condensed them into four appendices, which I then added to the new book.
So, if you need the extra details (or if you’re like me and just enjoy them), you’ll be able to find them at the end of your book. 💙
P.S. – The blue parchment notebook was my original visual inspiration for Maria’s captain’s log—though hers is brown and…less pretty. 😂
And for anyone who might’ve missed it, ebook and print editions of Goddess of the Seawill be available any time now at this link:
I’m on my third final read-through of Goddess of the Sea (Lesbians, Pirates, & Dragons: Book 2), and I usually do about five of these, so…a few more days, maybe? 💙
I think this post has been in my drafts for well over a week by now, but I had to wait for this migraine to ease, just so I could proofread it.
At least it wasn’t just me being forgetful again, though, right? 😅
I plucked a line from one of Maria’s scenes for the last teaser. So, for this one, I took a few from one of Em’s.
Have I mentioned we don’t like Nydia?
Regarding updates, I don’t have any new information to share yet, and I always feel silly sharing updates when there’s nothing new. I’m a shy introvert. I’m not used to talking unless I have something to say, you know? 😅
But I know people come to the website to find updates. So, I’ll try my best to share some recent book things, and maybe I won’t bore you to death in the process. 💙
I’m still working as often and as quickly as I can, and I’m still hoping for very soon. Honestly, I feel like if life would cooperate with me for one week, or if there were twenty-eight hours in a day, instead of twenty-four, the book would be up already.
Seriously, I don’t know about the rest of the world, but I think I speak for all moms when I say we need four more hours. It’s…a lot sometimes.
I’m formatting print and ebook files at the moment, which sounds like one of the shorter steps of the process, except I’m incapable of leaving things alone.
As I read through each chapter, I tend to find things I want to change (again), and that, of course, wasn’t part of the plan.
If you’ve been with me a while, you know I’ve already rewritten this book a gazillion times (that might even be the real number; I wouldn’t know because I lost count ages ago).
Part of my problem is my own mind. I’ll never believe anything done by me could be good enough, but maybe (hopefully!), that’s just the anxiety and depression talking. 🤞
That being said, I also believe the moment I stop listening to the voice in my head that tells to do it one more time will be the moment when I needed to do it one more time.
Is that paranoia or a good rule of thumb? I have no idea.
Of course, the kind of rewriting I do now is nothing like the earlier rewrites. Early on, I’d just start a new document each time because I was changing so much, anyway. Now, when I rewrite something, it’s minor. Tinkering, really. I’m long past the point in this book where I change the storyline itself.
As an example, one of my recent rewrites was a chapter that involved Em’s panic attacks. I was concerned it was a bit triggering in Em’s point-of-view. So, I rewrote it in Maria’s point-of-view because taking a step back from it all can make it easier to digest.
It’s a minor adjustment, but it still takes time. It’s new words that have to be re-edited.
I’m nearly to the end now. I hope to get there within a week, but as time has shown, a migraine or a child’s sickness can throw it all off.
So, I’m just crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.
Believe me. I want to release this one and start writing The Dragon Child as much, if not way more, than anyone else. I just don’t want to sacrifice quality to do it.
I remember when I was writing the first draft of Pirates of Aletharia, I spent months on the map alone, and it made me so depressed—because I wasn’t making any “progress” on the book itself.
But creating the geography of Aletharia wasn’t just a matter of deciding on continent shapes or names. It was researching climates and geography to make sure I was putting my mountains, deserts, etc., in the right places. It was…a lot.
Things are always more time-consuming than I expect, and yet, I get frustrated with myself as if they aren’t. 😅
Well, anyway, maybe I haven’t bored you too much with some of the less glamorous writing details.
I hope you’re having a wonderful Pride Month and aren’t having to deal with any of the people who try to ruin it. 💙
I know all too well what it’s like to be made to feel ashamed of who you are. Please, let this month be a reminder to you that you’re amazing and worthy of love, just as you are. 💙
This week’s snippet fit the #lesficfri theme on Twitter, which was “wish.” 💙
I know this was a bit of a random one, but I hope you enjoyed it, anyway! 💙
I’m on a mission right now to hunt down all of the messages I missed when my physical and mental health were taking turns being awful. So, if the message can be found, I hopefully will find it and reply soon! 💙
I hope you have an awesome week, and for anyone already celebrating, happy holidays! 💙
Have you seen the cover for Goddess of the Sea yet? 💙
I shared it in the newsletter and on social media in August, but if you’re not following any of those, you might’ve missed it.
I’ve been taking care of sick kids lately and forgetting literally everything, but now that they’re feeling better (yay!), I’ll try to catch it all up.
So, if you missed it, you can see the (very blue-ish) cover below! 💙
Goddess of the Sea, sequel to Pirates of Aletharia, will be here this December. 💙
🏴☠️ lesbian pirates (obviously) 🏳️🌈 healing from trauma 🏴☠️ dragon-riding 🏳️🌈 ship cats getting much-deserved treats 🏴☠️ a certain navy admiral and her many secrets 🏳️🌈 sapphic sea goddess
Eeek, what do you think? 🫣
December! 💙
(And I’m absolutely panicking about it. 😅)
When my panic dies down a bit, I want to start sharing weekly(-ish) snippets, so stayed tuned for that.
I told myself that the possible downfall of Twitter had opened my eyes to the importance of sharing book stuff everywhere, rather than just one place, and yet, I continue to forget. 😅
I’m coming out of my latest migraine now and trying to find all the places I let fall behind this time. One of them is definitely the newsletter, but also, here. So, I’ll try to fix that this weekend! 💙
Recently, I shared Em’s (less-than-accurate) adorable beasties with you. This time, I thought I’d introduce you to the chosen leaders of the Drakon people. 💚🐉💚
At the moment, they have a couple of scenes in Book 2, but whether those scenes will survive edits or not is anyone’s guess. (I’m an overwriter. So, editing involves a lot of cutting for me.)
But if nothing else, it was fun! 💚
P.S. – Emilia’s mother is easy to spot because she’s the one with the angry eyebrows. 😅
Britney Jackson 
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