Four years ago, in 2020, I first posted about my four-book YA fantasy series. My last update was in 2021, and a lot has happened since then. I finished revisions of book one, KJ, in November of 2022, at a whopping 178,000 words, and have since been sharing it with beta readers and collecting feedback … Continue reading Meet the Project: N (KJ book 2)
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A Letter to Fellow Creatives
Dear fellow creative, Last weekend kicked my butt--physically, emotionally, and spiritually. With my school year schedule keeping me busy during the week, I've relied on the weekends--namely, Saturdays--to get in the focused writing time I need to keep moving forward in my WIP. Two weekends ago, I attended the online ACFW VA Royal Writers Conference. … Continue reading A Letter to Fellow Creatives
Book Review: The Soul Mark by J. J. Fischer
I can't wait to tell you about J. J. Fischer's newest book, just released in May! If you’re a fan of Pirates of the Caribbean, Laura Frantz, or C. S. Lewis (or all three), The Soul Mark is right up your alley with its Colonial-era swashbuckling, sweet (and clean) romance, and rich, Christian allegory. I … Continue reading Book Review: The Soul Mark by J. J. Fischer
Reading Highlights of 2021
My total book count for the year is 58--including comfort (or book review) re-reads, skim-reads, and unpublished works. Here's the creme de la creme of my 2021 reading. (You can also find some of the new fiction titles on my virtual bookshelves.) Fiction Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. Reread. Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale. … Continue reading Reading Highlights of 2021
Come Play, Mama [Original Poetry]
I am a perfectionist. Which means a lot of things. Some good, some bad. If you're a perfectionist too, you know. If you're not, be thankful--while perfectionism isn't all bad, it nurtures a lot of life-long frustrations. I was dialoguing with a friend about my WIP not long ago, and as I put my struggles … Continue reading Come Play, Mama [Original Poetry]
Writers Are Like Moms
Being a writer is like being a mom with kids who never sleep. No matter the time of day, there are always idea-children running around the house chasing each other or sitting in the hallway for you to trip over. They track mud everywhere. They color on the walls. They yell and laugh and cry … Continue reading Writers Are Like Moms
Project Update
It's been over a year since I wrote my "Meet the Project" post introducing you (vaguely) to my WIP, code name KJ. No, I don't have publication on the horizon yet, but a lot has happened in the past year, and I thought you might like to check in and see where things are. In … Continue reading Project Update
5 Advantages of Co-Writing a Novel
The Friendship We started emailing in 2011. It was her aunt, my Jedi Master and writing mentor, who suggested that we connect. Elizabeth and I were the same age, both loved writing, and, as we found very quickly, shared a lot of interests. (It took only two emails for us to start fangirling over Christopher … Continue reading 5 Advantages of Co-Writing a Novel
How to Pray for a Writer
Recently I was talking about my writing (KJ specifically) with two people close to me, and after our conversation one of them looked at me and said, "What can we do to help?" It took me a few days to come up with a three-part answer: respect my writing time (physical) affirm my calling (emotional) … Continue reading How to Pray for a Writer
Meet the Project
Welcome to my Work In Progress, code name KJ. 😎 What is KJ? I would love to share EVERYTHING with you, but I'm limited in what I can divulge. Two reasons: I want to leave some suspense for when you actually read the book. If I say too much now, I’ll spoil all the good … Continue reading Meet the Project
Melissa J. Troutman 