Inching toward pub day! Plus a writing prompt

Hi friends,

The last week has been a wonderful whirlwind. Almost two years since I signed my contract for my debut novel, Endpapers, a box of finished books arrived at my home! Plus Zibby Owens and LGBTQ Reads both included the book on their most anticipated lists of 2023, and Bookriot said “it sounds like queer heaven” in their recent quiz: Based on Your 2022 Reading, Which 2023 Queer Book Should You Preorder?

Pure joy!

I can hardly wait for February 7, when Endpapers goes on sale and I can share it with all of you! In the meantime, thank you to everyone who has preordered it, requested advance copies, and left reviews on Goodreads and elsewhere. It all makes a huge difference in the novel’s chance at success. If you’re interested in preordering but haven’t done so yet, you can find it at Buffalo Street Books or your favorite local indie, or anywhere books are sold. You can also ask your local library to order a copy.

Anyway . . . you might guess that I haven’t had much time for writing this week. And while I’m full of gratitude to have finally (finally!) made it to this moment and this adventure, I do miss the work of sitting quietly with my cats and a hot mug of coffee, just me and the page, not worried about most-anticipated lists or internet quizzes or publishing at all — just doing what I love.

So I offer you — and me — the following fun writing prompt this week, based on a silly game my friend and her husband sometimes play when they’re food shopping: Imagine your main character (either from a WIP or for a whole new story) is shopping in a grocery store. They walk away from their cart for a moment and when they return, someone has placed something in it, but no one is around and your MC can’t figure out who did it. I suggest you make it someone else from the story. Who are they? What’s their relationship to your main character? What did they leave in the cart and why? Was it a joke? A message of some kind? Is it funny, creepy, romantic, welcome, unwelcome? You get the idea.

I imagine that in addition to this being a fun scene to write, it might also spark some new ideas for your characters and their relationship. At least I hope so!

I look forward to hearing how it goes. Until next time!

Yours,

Jen