Falstaff Dread Book Deal!

So this is a really big deal for me, and I just realized I hadn't done any sort of formal announcement on my blog about it! But I am so, so, so pleased to announce that Falstaff Books, through their horror imprint Falstaff Dread, will be publishing my novel Capitol of Nightmares!

For those who don't know, CoN the very first novel I ever finished. It was written over the course of two NaNoWriMo's, two years apart, and once I had it done, I took it to a number of agent pitch events. I got a few request for the first ten pages, but no one ever took the plunge. So I set it to the side, and started focusing on self publishing my Jubal County Saga books. I had basically decided that I would put it out...one day.

But I was talking with John G. Hartness (head of Falstaff) at Multiverse and he basically said "I know you can write. Send us something." After a moment of inward shrieking, I mumbled something cool, witty, and insightful (probably). I don't really remember. I do know that "act like you've been there before" ran through my head, so I'm pretty sure I didn't make too big a fool of myself.

I had intended to send my Crimson Horror project. But as I hit the halfway(ish) point in that book I realized that it was not going to work as one book, or in the way I had written it. It was going to require some super major overhauling, which is still underway in fact. And the thing about offers like this...they won't last forever. You need to strike while the iron is hot. And I knew I had this one novel tucked away...

So what I haven't mentioned yet is my editor. Rachel Brune is the head of Falstaff Dread, and she's who is going to be whipping my book into shape. And guys...this makes me so fucking happy. Besides being one of my favorite people, she's also an incredible author and editor. I've read pretty much everything she's written, and most of what she's edited (her press Crone Girls is fantastic).

I emailed Rachel and explained what was going on. How the project we had talked about was going to take a lot longer than anticipated, but that I had a novel sitting on G, waiting on O. But it was my first novel, and while I thought it was good enough to see the light of day, I'm pretty biased in that regard. And that I would totally understand if it wasn't up to snuff, and she wanted to pass on it. No harm, no foul.

But she didn't pass on it. She told me that she "read it all the way through, barely stopping." I don't know that I could get higher praise, especially from someone I respect so much.

A couple of weeks later I was signing my contract at Chattacon (pictured below). So now my first baby is going to be born into the world, on the wings of Falstaff Dread, and I honestly couldn't imagine a better outcome for it (I mean, unless Stephen King decided to blurb it. That would make this better). So big thanks to Rachel Brune, John Hartness, and all the team at Falstaff Books!!