Have you ever seen an ugly baby? I was never one of those clucky women who melted at the sight of a baby. But, I don’t think I have ever seen an actual ugly baby.
As I have been comparing the publishing and writing process to being pregnant and giving birth, the next logical analogy is that the book is now my baby. Of course, it is. It is my beautiful and imperfect baby. But no one ever says to a new mother – Your baby is ugly! I don’t think there is such a thing as an ugly baby, but not all books are pretty. I fear that people will say – I read your book – what a pretty baby – when they are thinking, I don’t think much of that baby at all. They are being polite because they know me.
The best thing my friend Sue said to me was – Thank you for writing a good book, so now I don’t have to lie when I say I like it.
Other people have said nice things, too. Like, I finished Cassandra last night. It slowly sucked me in & when I was about 1/2 through I just had to finish !! A great read. I could smell the dust, feel the wind & smell the rain.
And… just finished reading Cassandra…loved, loved it… Are you going to write a sequel…please please..best reading for a while..enjoyed the story ..the characters everything…I can’t wait for your next book.
(Yes I am related to one of the people quoted above)
What has been unexpected about the nice things people have said about Cassandra is how it invigorates me to write more, but also the responsibility I feel to make sure my next book (Taking Baby for a Walk, hopefully! fingers crossed), which I am currently editing, is as good as it can be.
I also have four pretty baby reviews on Goodreads. One day, I will get an ugly baby review. I will have to suck it up. For now, I would just love some more reviews (ugly or pretty). If you have read Cassandra you can add a review to Amazon or Goodreads. I will be happy even if you think Cassandra is less than pretty.
Finalist Best Fantasy Novel 2017 Aurealis Awards
Is the future set like concrete or a piece of clay we can mould and change?
On a remote farm in Queensland, Cassie Shultz feels useless. Her perfect brother Alex has an uncanny ability to predict the weather, and the fortunes of the entire family hinge on his forecasts. However, her gift for prophecy remains frustratingly obscure. Attempts to help her family usually fail.
After meeting with her new genius neighbour Athena, Cassie thinks she has unlocked the secret of her powers. But as her visions grow more vivid, she learns that the cost of honing her gift may be her sanity.
With her family breaking apart, the future hurtles towards Cassie faster than she can comprehend it.
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