Starting the Year off Right!

Hey folks! How did January 2022 treat you? I’m a big believer in the idea that the way you start the year sets the tone for the next 12 months, so I always try to be hyper focused and get some early wins to make the year a good one.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t!

But I put it out there every January anyway – both in my personal life and my writing career… (but that working out resolution never sticks for me!) Because of that, this newsletter almost didn’t make it out to you this month … I’ve been heads down working on a lot of stuff!

But whew, I made it and I listened to this guy almost every day because he keep me in the zone:

He brings good music and a great personality – seriously, you should check him out.

So, what have I been doing? Well, let’s see…

I started writing the third novel of a series that will be coming out in FEBRUARY! YES – next month! And, oh my gosh, I am so excited about this story. It is a little different from what I have done in the past – it is a psychological horror and science fiction mash up with romance elements and I can’t wait for you to see it! Speaking of seeing it… check out this GORGEOUS cover!

You can check out the website and read the back cover copy, watch the book trailer, and YES, you can preorder too! I mean, ok, I have to show you the book trailer here, though. It is… just wait… you’ll see:

The academy is up and in full swing! We keep releasing classes that are excellent for both new and seasoned writers. I was actually inspired by a class that talks about horror poetry. It is part of the series we call The Conversation . If you ever thought about writing horror poetry of your own, this class offers a great insider’s glimpse. I created a subgenres of horror class that was so much fun to do. I got to read some of the foremost work in the genre and so will students – the course has reading selections from people like Lee Murray, R.J. Joseph, Terry Maggert, Nicole Givens Kurtz, Gwendolyn Kiste, John Edward Lawson, and many more! I’m telling you, we’re having a blast over at the Speculative Fiction Academy!

I have also been working on some cool marketing projects to promote that novel and the other things coming out this year. I will definitely let you know about it all soon, but if you are interested in seeing what’s coming up in one place, check this page out. I have some things coming out that I have to sit on my hands a little bit longer about and ooh, that’s driving me nuts! But soon… very soon! I’ll have some covers to share and links to provide… soon…

I have a few film festivals coming up that I am in nail-biting mode about. I am enjoying this ride very much. The first day of the year I came in second at Lit Scares out of the UK – talk about kicking off the year right! Since then I’ve been lucky enough to get into six film festivals – I am just so honored.

And this – this one is a biggie – I was asked to be the Guest Author at the In Your Write Mind Conference! Blew my mind! I am amazed, honored, proud, giddy, and so very EXCITED!

I did a little academic writing, wrote a short story, gave a little thought to the novel that will come after this one – it will be a stand alone horror, and am kicking around an idea for another screenplay. And I’m loving all of this. I also watched a few amazing movies and tv shows this month, What ever happened to Baby Jane, Videodrome, and Archive 81 among them. I also had Rocky and Scream marathons show up in there. Got any recommendations for me?

I hope you are enjoying the beginning of the year in a way that suits you. Let’s start this year off right… together!

Until next time,

L. Marie Wood