Now that The Perfect Sister is out of my hands (for now), it’s time dive into something new. I’ve hung blank white boards on my office wall and opened a new pack of index cards to start planning out my World War II novel. I have two strong characters—Dora and Kurt—and the beginnings of a story about what happens when their paths cross in 1940. I’ve planned a trip to England and Central Europe in the fall, so my goal is to have a rough enough first draft to know what additional details I need to research while I’m there.

Something Old

I’m also eyeing an old manuscript that’s been sitting on my shelf for a couple of years. The book never fully gelled but the story keeps calling to me, so I’m thinking it might be time to dust it off and figure out how to make it work. I have a few ideas. I’ll keep you posted.

Something Exciting

My third big project is the production of the audiobook for The Smallest Thing. While I won’t be doing the narration myself (although I considered it for a short while), I’m auditioning voice talent and assembling all the information the actor will need to bring Em and her village to life. I’ve been listening to the actor’s voice samples and I’ve sent them an excerpt of the book to read for the audition. I am a little silly with excitement about hearing Em for the first time. I’m looking forward to sharing it with you.

If you have a second, I’d love to learn more about your audiobook habits with a quick question. Please let me know in the comments where you usually get your audiobooks.

And finally…

I’ve been trying out some new marketing ideas to spread the word about my books. If you want to take advantage of my experimentation, you’ll find The Smallest Thing on sale, on Amazon only, for $2.99 this week.