I am thrilled to announce that my short story, WHITE STUFF has found a publication home with The Caribbean Writer magazine. I can't wait to see it in print April 2022!
I will be sure to add a link to it here on my blog but in the meantime, check out their website at https://www.thecaribbeanwriter.org/

I found this great quote that I've added to my email signature, I love it so much. Very inspiring but I wouldn't expect anything less from Harriet Tubman!

Every great dream begins with a dreamer.
Always remember, you have within you the strength, 
the patience, and the passion to reach for the
stars to change the world.

~Harriet Tubman

Next week is Thanksgiving so this week is a great time for an update.  This month I wrote a quirky short story, outlined a new book, and continued my query journey.  As the year winds down, I feel just as busy because the query process still requires work and organization.  Work - keeping up with the list of literary agents I'd like to query and looking for new agents who might be a good fit.  Organization - tracking responses and contest deadlines.  The good news is that new projects (whether a short story or new novel outline), help to keep me sane! :)

Below are the updates...
1 full request
2 partial requests
8 outstanding (standard query)
2 publishers (seasonal open inboxes)
1 mentorship 
12 declines
5 no response

Querying is not for wimps.  It's tough to stay motivated when the rejections start rolling in, one by one like little atomic bombs dropping out of the sky onto a beloved manuscript.  It really is a lesson in believing in yourself, being strategic and using the rejection as fuel to find just the right agent, at just the right time.  Perseverance is king!  
Below are my current query stats:
1 partial 
7 outstanding 
7 rejections
3 no response

Wow, what a year so far! Coronavirus hit in early March and along with it came months of quarantine. The good news is that my third book, Operation GT is in its 2nd draft! It is now off to my critique partners (as of the end of June), so the rest of the summer will be spent editing based on their comments.  I am truly thankful for my CPs - Jennifer, Julia, Jeanne, and Ethan.  Their advice and support is invaluable. I hope to begin the query process by the end of August and hopefully find an agent by the end of 2020. 

Stay tuned for my details about Operation GT - a middle grade contemporary set in Guyana!

NaNoWriMo is almost at the half way mark and I'm up to 18,592 words!  I'm proud of myself because I've never been one to write every single day.  I'm actually really enjoying this process and my wip is flowing.  Not sure I will hit 50k at the end of the month but I'm definitely writing more in a concentrated time than I ever have before.  Woohoo!!

NaNoWriMo has begun and its day 3. I'm 5,500 words in and so far its tons of fun because I'm doing it with a few writing buddies.  The new novel is about a 9 year old girl who finds out her family is leaving her home country so she starts a campaign to stop the move.  Its gonna be fun!

November is not only turkey month but National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) www.nanowrimo.org/.  I've been noodling on a new story idea now that I've finished book 2 and have started querying.  The big question is can I churn out 50,000 words in the month of November and still keep my sanity?!  I think I'm going to give it a try.  I'm not partnering with any writer friends so that will alleviate some pressure (I hope!)    Stay tuned for more on my next project.  Hint:  Its MG and set in my home country... Guyana.  Here goes nothing!!

​I have finally finished the next book in the series I've been focusing on since 2016.  I’m calling it Time Bender or Bent in Time.  I’m not sure which title I prefer, and I might even come up with something completely different, but it feels AMAZING to finish this phase.  This story continues from the first one but the main character, Ben shares the spotlight more with his friend Isabella.  The story has some fun twists and turns and ends up focusing more on Isabella in the end, but Ben doesn’t see any of it coming.  I really enjoy writing about these two characters and their love – hate relationship.  There’s always tension between the two, which I think makes the story work and I love the fact that my Beta reader relates to both characters equally.  Also, there’s definitely an underlying feeling that they will become more than friends, (of course they would fight it!) but you always get the sense that there’s more to their friendship than just the surface squabbling.  I can’t wait until this book is in print and everyone can enjoy peeling back another layer on these characters!