A Novel Idea

It has been brought to my attention that I’ve yet to really introduce my upcoming debut novel: The Silent Bluebird. So I wanted to take a minute and explain how this idea came to fruition and also share the cover (which I’ve also yet to do on this blog). And I will do my darndest to not have any spoilers. So here’s the long and the short of it:

The idea for The Silent Bluebird came about seven years ago actually when I was in West Virginia with a few friends for a ski trip, ya know, back when we could actually freely travel without quarantine and such. And a few of us, including my then-friend-now-husband, were talking about his innate ability to infer what people were thinking or about to do. And after a few especially strong Angry Crushers* we began to accuse him of being able to secretly read out minds. He, of course, cannot–at least he claims he cannot, I am still not convinced–it led my mind down the rabbit hole of the possibility and what would happen in our world if people did secretly have this ability.

I start writing this book then, got about two-thirds of the way through, and just did not like it at all. I didn’t think I had the ability or experience–still not convinced–to tell the story I wanted to tell. So I shelved it back in 2015. Did that timing also coincide with wedding planning taking over my life? Quite possibly, but nonetheless, the idea simmered in the back of my mind.

Fast forward to 2019 when a wild hair drew out that idea and one luncheon with one of my best sci-fi friends opened up the world of this story to new levels. Some histories were revealed, others written, the characters that I had started with back in ’13 had grown, evolved and started to not just walk, but run and jump and fly in my mind. The next trick was actually getting them down on paper–or technically on disk since my handwriting has become virtually nonexistent in our technical age.

And a trick it was. I’m still not quite sure how it happened, but thanks to my amazing alpha readers, beta readers, friends, and family putting up with the random calls at 11 o’clock at night asking, “Hey, what if Sadie, like, really hated mustard?” (Not that that was the actual question, but for the sake of spoilers, I will leave it at mustard) I never would’ve have been able to finish this book.

Now we’re approaching the actual publication and I am on this constant razor’s edge of excitement and utter fear at putting it out there. I don’t know how many readers out there will actually get to this point in the story, but if you have made it here, thank you. You are the reason writers continue to write, without readers our stories would just echo out into the universe and have nowhere to land.

In a conversation with another author friend of mine a couple weeks ago about the worst part of being a writer we arrived at the umbrella that is, “putting your heart and soul on display for the world to see then having them trash and hate it.” Following closely under the same umbrella of, “dealing with people who think you asked for their opinion.”

As writers, and really as any creative in general, we have this compulsion to invent new worlds, to give life to new thoughts, to draw out the emotions of those around us. Some have the ability to create sheer joy and beauty while living in a world of darkness like Vincent Van Gogh or Robin Williams. Others can make you weep more tears than you thought your body could contain like Nicholas Sparks. Others just want to watch the world burn in turmoil like GRRM. But at the end of the day, most of us all are filled with thoughts and ideas that we want–nay need–to scream out into the void and can only *hope* that they find a home in you: our supporters, our receivers, our partners in this thing called life.

Thank you for giving my your attention and I can’t wait to have you all read–and fingers crossed enjoy–The Silent Bluebird.

If you don’t want to wait and want a sneak peek at the prologue (the pre-proofreading as it still currently with my editor), I’ve created a special VIP link to it just for subscribers.