"Time is a river, a violent current of events, glimpsed once and already carried past us, and another follows and is gone." – Marcus Aurelius
Time is an fascinating experience. Like death, we are not immune to experiencing the passage of time. Depending on how we view a particular moment, time passing could feel fleeting and gone within an instant. For others, it's interiminable and lags with tortutious intent.
I'm currently at a period where I am experiencing both sensations. It really comes down to perspective.
For instance, I look back at the first time "Awoke" was released and the excitement and trepidation of starting Sugarcane Publishing just seven years ago in 2017. So many mistakes and missteps along the way - the worst by far was to include the ARC interior of the book for the final product. At the time, I kicked myself internally for make such follies. But now I've greatly come to appreciate the mistakes as it has largely prepped me for this particular moment now.
Another example would be the period between 2017 and now (December 2023). Many moons ago, if you asked me about my book, I would have told you that many things, new additions to my life has removed me from my writing. But I always said I would come back. Again, this period has been fleeting as I look at my daughter who was just a desire back in 2017, who currently is demanding mommy's attention to play. But my ups and down in my career leaves me with the fading taste of painful lessons. I am thankful for both as it has only made my writing better and dare I say, richer.
And now, we come to present day where it has been nothing but a bevy of activity! In the last few months, we have revised and revitalized Awoke into a new adult paranormal phemeneon. We have planned and gear up a marketing campaign and outreach I would have dreamed of back in 2017. With as much love and care we could muster, we sent out special edition influencer book boxes. It was a true creative journey to create an atmosphere of connection to the world of "The Unseen War" series for our influencers from a trove of themed teas to exclusive character art. My favorite addition in the book - a special sealed message of the reader who finishes the book that gives you insight of what to expect in the second installment in the series.
The response? Absolutely heartwarming! I cannot tell you how full my heart has been for the last few weeks seeing unboxing videos, watching geninue smiles, joy, and excitement. It was like watching the essence of my story come alive on my Tiktok profile.
See some more reaction videos here on Tiktok under #Awoke2024.
Speaking of stories, "Rise," the anticipated sequel to "Awoke," is developing quite nicely. Without giving too much away, we're going to be exploring dual perspective narratives, delving into Katya's and Gregor's viewpoints. My hope is that this approach will enrich the story, offering deeper insights into Katya's struggle with her growing supernatural powers and how it affects others. Expect an intense journey that gets a bit spicer as Katya confronts the escalating supernatural war.
Not to mention, from now until Release Day (Feb 1!), it's going to be a swell of activity from:
Hence why I feel that the past few months of work has been absolutely fleeting and rewarding. And the next several months seem like it will never come.
But that's the funny thing about time - it's as steady as anything in the known universe. It geninuely takes our perspective to flip and to gain understand of our feelings towards Chronos in the moment. For me, time has only enhanced who I am as a writer and a person. And I cannot wait to see what else time will reveal to me in the future.
Thank you for staying with me in this moment and as we continue to head towards February 1!
Until next time, Book Voyagers.
Keep sharing, believing, and most importantly, voyaging through the realms of stories.
Oh, and before I forget!
For all our dedicated readers, we've made those special boxes available on our Etsy store, bringing a piece of 'Awoke's' magic directly to you. As we inch closer to the book's release on February 1, 2024, the anticipation is palpable. We can't wait for you to fall in love with the characters and their journey. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue this incredible literary adventure together!
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