I am happy to announce that this is my website. I now have a website. I have a website because I am trying to be a professional, and because I want to people to know what I am doing, that I am still doing it, and that my books are on the way.

That’s right. If you’ve heard about Wanderlust (perhaps you are here because you signed my mailing list?) and you thought it sounded like a good read, maybe you are wondering, “Is that girl actually working on it?” or “Am I ever going to be able to purchase a copy?”. The purpose of this website is to keep you updated. I’ll try to post, in this blog section, what kind of progress I am making on the book. I may also post book reviews, snatches of Writing or Art, and any other Cool Things I think might be of interest. I don’t plan on sending another email to the Mailing List until there is an official release date, so if you want to know what’s going on with Wanderlust, bookmark this page.

So, you may ask, what is going on with Wanderlust?

Here’s what’s going on: I am writing feverishly. I try to put in at least a few hours every day, even when I’m not feeling very inspired (Quotes to live by: “I only write when I’m inspired, and I make sure I’m inspired every morning at 9 a.m.” – Peter DeVries) but lately those hours have been turning into long hours sitting on the couch with my coffee before I’ve even showered, and also long hours after dinner, and sometimes moments when I sit bolt upright in bed while trying to sleep because I’ve Figured Something Out and need to find a pen and paper before I explode. Currently, I am immersed in this story, and I am making all kinds of progress.

But, you say, there were only three chapters to go… Aren’t you finished yet?

Well. Some unexpected things happened, and my ten-chapter book has turned into a twelve-chapter book. I’m learning a lot of things about the ending (and it’s getting way cooler, and darker, than it was before), but these things then need to be integrated with the beginning so the whole thing hangs together. It’s exciting, because for the first time I really see how everything *fits*, but it also means a lot of work. I’m working on the entire book at once right now, jumping from Chapter 1 to Chapters 8 and 11 to Chapter 4 to Chapter 6 all in one day. Every thing is subject to revision, and I know what I’m doing, but it’s a lot of work. I’m confident of finishing a draft of the book that will be better than I ever thought it would, but it’s going to take just a little more time. I’m not sure how much, or whether the end of this summer is still a reasonable goal, but sometimes it’s good to have unreasonable goals to spur ourselves along. I’ll keep you posted.

And if you’re wondering what’s going on with the illustrations, well, the plot’s undergoing some significant upheaval. Not so significant as to render any of the existing illustrations irrelevant (at least not yet), but enough that I think it wise to sort of let the dust settle before I start illustrating anything in the new chapters. I do have something of a words-first mentality, but I’m planning to really get into the illustratin’ as soon as I have a finished draft of the complete novel.

Thank you for the interest you’ve shown in my work by signing the mailing list, or navigating  to this page. For more info on me and my work, visit the other pages on this site (links at the top of the page), or shoot me an email at gracemakley@gmail.com.