Writing news!

Hello everyone out there in virtual Vocal-land! I hope that you are all finding your writing muse and the passion to keep going with your dreams! I have been seeing all of you shining out there on the Top Stories page and I am very grateful and pleased to have found so many of you, reading your work is always a delight and I appreciate all of your spirited originality and dedication.

Just a few mentions, as I don’t want to overfill this too much(as there are too many to list on here all at once lol), are the talented and versatile writers such as the evocative poet and vividly inspired fiction writer and amazing friend Oneg, the always creative Em Starr, the always brilliant Madoka Mori, the lovely queen of darkness and supportive friend 💓 Dharrsheena Raja Segarran, an amazing romance writer & lovely friend Josephine Mason, the lyrically gifted poet & great friend HandsomelouiiThePoet (Lonzo ward), the great interviewer and very supportive friend Mariann, the truly talented Heather Hubler, the infamous Cathy and my Vocal brother and lovely poet Mike.

So, knowing that Vocal is a platform focused on a community-based collection of artists and writers, it makes me feel so connected to this world by sharing my news to you all. Since I started with Vocal a few years ago, I have met so many amazing artists and truly supportive friends. I have seen many talented writers make tremendous progress and growth with their craft.

So, first of all, I have two great things to share! I have two new publishing contracts with new and old content you may or may not be familiar with.

To start off with, as I am already an established author for the publisher Resurgence Novels, I am currently working on an anthology collaboration, called, “Chasing Fate.” This collection will be available through the Resurgence Novels app (the date is not set yet on the release, though I am anticipating it’ll be by the new year). The anthology will include many of our established authors with Resurgence Novels as well as new authors. Here is their website and their app for more information.

This is what y’all can expect from this killer anthology:

• Forbidden love can include enemies-to-lovers, age-gap relationships, teacher-student dynamics, criminal-authority relationships, or relationships between people of different social classes.

• Destined bonds may involve soulmates, fated mates, and love at first sight.

Of course, these lovey-dovey subjects are what make me swoon with joy!

In particular, my short story in the anthology will feature side characters (that’ll be a surprise who it will be!) from my debut, published novel I am Bexley. If you’re unfamiliar with my story, here is an overview and description of the plot (a screenshot from the Resurgence Novels app):

I am also currently working on the sequel for I am Bexley… a work in progress! The sequel will focus more on the social and political aspects of the zombie class system and how Bloodletters (an ultra-mutated zombie) are the misunderstood dregs of society. Check out I am Bexley on Resurgence Novels today to catch up on the latest news from Bexley and her ragtag collection of zombie and human friends and family!

The last bit of writing news I would like to share is that my murder mystery novel The Half Paper Moon (which started as a short story here on Vocal) recently came through with a publishing contract with the company Golden Storyline Books.

This novel will be available after December 1st of 2023, in paperback and e-book. Amazon will carry The Half Paper Moon for both e-book and paperback, with many other local retailers and book stores for the paperback edition. I will share more information and details once the release!

I recommend all of you to submit to these publications as they are publishers that I work with personally, and they are very knowledgeable and supportive to new and established authors. I started my journey to be traditionally published about two years ago, and with that I had received many, many rejections. This is always a hard thing to overcome but it’s a learning process as well. Take notice of what others have to offer and any critiques, feedback and suggestions. This will help you grow and improve. Also, read, read and READ! Reading helps you hone your skills and build up on what you know.

I wish you all the best success in your writing journey and all artistic endeavors!! I love you all here on Vocal, and I’ll never forget my roots here as a writer, and I will continue to place my work here as well!

Also, if you’re interested in art history and religious art, here is my Patheos author page with my latest pieces and some others from when I first started on Patheos.

Love,

Melissa 🥰