Sarah Z. Creates

Time flies when you’re having fun … and working hard!

Progress:

“In the Shadow of Secrets” is live in the world! As my first novel, I learned so much through this process. My key takeaways (remember these, Sarah! :)):

• It always takes longer than you think it should, especially when you’re doing everything yourself.
• Setting expectations is KEY! I had vague expectations for “In the Shadow of Secrets,” but nothing concrete. I just wanted people to read it! By that measure, “In the Shadow of Secrets” is a smashing success. But, because I didn’t have a specific goal, I was – ha, am -CONSTANTLY checking my stats, and without a goal to measure against, it’s difficult to determine actual progress. So now I want to set some really specific goals: I want X number of people to read it, and have X number of those readers leave a review. And I’m going to reach those goals by doing X, Y and Z. (Don’t ask what any of that is; I haven’t figured it out yet!) All that to say, “In the Shadow of Secrets” got read – and liked – by actual people! Who I’m not related to! I’ll be riding that high for a while.

Goals:

In addition to my reader goals for “In the Shadow of Secrets,” my goal is to get “On the Edge of Truth” (Book 2 in The Reckoning series) in the world. September 30 is my official release date. I’m not concerned about meeting this goal because I’m really pleased with the shape it’s in right now. My goal with “On the Edge of Truth” is for it to be even better than “In the Shadow of Secrets.” I’ve read too many series where the second book feels like a let-down after the first book. I don’t want Selah to fall victim to that! And right now, I think I’m succeeding. Here’s to strong female characters that keep life interesting and readers turning pages!

If you’ve made this journey before, please share your thoughts and advice! I find insight from people who’ve been there, done that to be very motivating.

And if you’re a reader, looking for a high-stakes fantasy adventure with strong characters and fun banter, then check out “In the Shadow of Secrets” (and get ready for the stakes to get even higher in “On the Edge of Truth!”).