My novel is coming along well. Here’s a little sneak peek just for Ozarks Maven readers.

I promised you, my dear readers, updates on my work from time to time. I’ve decided to share a little about my novel with you. I’ve never publicly discussed it before, but I think it’s time to let the world know this book is in the works.

I spend nearly every free moment writing. I have so many stories floating around in my head that I’m afraid I will lose them if I don’t get them on paper as soon as possible. One story in particular has been rattling around in my brain for years.

I started my novel several years ago and worked on it whenever I could find the time, which wasn’t often. I decided to get serious with it and make it my priority about a year ago. I had four chapters written at that time. I’m now almost finished, and over half of my book has already gone through my critique group. I should be ready to start my second draft and gather beta readers soon. I’ve accomplished this by treating my writing like a job. No one will ever read my book if I never finish it.

This book stays true to my roots. My main character, Sally, is a country girl at heart who happens to have spent many years in the city. She never forgot the glorious summers of her childhood spent on her grandparents’ farm, though. When her grandparents suddenly passed away while she was still just a teen, the family member who inherited the property closed it off from the rest of the family. He sold the livestock and everything else of value and then abandoned the place. It moldered away for decades.

While Sally made her home in a fairly large city and ran the rat race every day, she wasn’t happy. When she was told that her office was moving to The Big Apple, she decided it was time to do something different. She attended a tax sale planning to purchase a small fixer upper country home with a few acres. Once the sale began, she discovered her grandparents’ farm was up for auction. She sank all of her savings into the purchase of her family farm.

So begins my book, which follows Sally’s adventures as she toils to repair the farm house and build a new life for herself. From the moment she steps on the property, she meets obstacle after obstacle including someone who will do anything to make her leave the farm. She finds love, acceptance, a fair amount of trouble, and a whole lot things that defy explanation. She even accidentally solves an old missing persons case.

I hope to be able to tell you that my book is finished and on its way to publication by the end of the year. We’ll see what happens, but goals give me purpose. Setting a timeline forces me to work toward my goals and be honest with myself. I really want everyone to able to enjoy this story that has haunted me for so long.

Some of my smaller publications that are still available may be found in Legends: Passion Pages (link shown above), 50-Word Stories, The Crowder Quill 2016, The Crowder Quill 2017, Mamalode Magazine Better Together from 2015, and Writer’s Digest 14th Annual Show Us Your Shorts Collection. I’m proud of all of my work, and I hope you will enjoy some of my little stories.

Thank you for reading Ozarks Maven! If you’ve enjoyed my little seeds of wisdom and joy, please subscribe to Ozarks Maven, Like Ozarks Maven on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter @OzarksMaven.

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