Greetings darklings!!
I am so excited! My novel The Cult of the Spider People is all set for release to the big wide Amazon jungle! This is more than I ever dreamed of. I was on the bus when I received the acceptance email from the publisher in May. I was on the bus tonight when I saw my book covers six months later. Today’s post is about my reflection on my path to publication.
A lot has changed since then. I have changed since then. My book has changed so much since then. Everything has changed. For the first time in my life, everything that I wished for came true and fell into place. I am so happy I followed my intuition and decided to submit to Unveiling Nightmares, a publishing company that I never heard of before. I took the risk which clearly paid off as we can see here.
I have often asked myself what made me create such a terrifying story. I have reflected on it many times. The only thing I can assume is that it has much to do with my narcissistic ex-boyfriend, a vampire and Satanist. He really broke my heart and I never planned on the witch coven I was a part of to betray and ban me from the coven. I was so hurt and I like to think it is what led me to write The Cult of the Spider People. I am convinced he is the villain Roth, leader and master of the race of the Arachnas in my novel. I am sure I am not the first author to pen a novel based on total heartbreak or passion. Wuthering Heights comes to mind. Great book. Jane Eyre does too.
Wuthering Heights is still considered a classic to this day. My novel has themes of body horror and monsters but it has themes of love, hope and good overcoming evil, sort of. Looking back, I can’t believe that I penned a love story considering the heartbreak I endured. If I hadn’t endured all that, I may not have written this book. I don’t have too many regrets.
Heartbreak aside, I have now arrived at this stage: waiting for my book to be released on Amazon and worldwide in bookstores. I can hardly believe it. It is a dream come true and it has been a dream of mine for a long time. I have to now look to the future because I have to help with promotion and marketing. I want my book to win awards too. That would totally rock.
I printed a copy of my beautiful and sinister book cover art and I laminated it. It looks beautiful. I even printed out the pdf ARC copy of my book and bound it. I just want it to be special which of course it is. Seeing the book on Amazon is going to blow my mind. I have to wait for approval.
My editor who I won’t name here endured a major disaster: a hurricane and flooding in North Carolina. I felt very upset for him and his family and all the people who live there and are still suffering and just trying to survive. The water is now toxic from the flooding and the hurricane. His boots even melted from the toxic compounds in the water. I feel a mix of joy that my book is published and guilt for knowing what he is enduring. The publisher took the reins, so to speak. That means that she has a lot of work to do. He even worried about my book being out by the release date. I really don’t want him to worry.
It is unfortunate that some sadness was involved in the creation of my book. The editor is safe and well and so is his family. That is a huge relief. Knowing he is safe helps me to focus more now on the marketing and promotion which is the next step.
I couldn’t have written this novel without the awesome and amazing support of my friends and people who are in the publishing industry: their wisdom and patience and always being there for me as I navigated my way around getting my book published. They are the ones who really should get all the credit for my novel. My acknowledgements page credits them all. I credit Stephanie Ellis, the editor of Bone Chillers, Fred Rayworth, the Horror Writers Association, and many other people.
Now having a novel published changes the whole game. This opens a door for me which I was accustomed to being slammed in my face. I worked hard for it and earned it. I have much to do. One thing I know for certain is that I am ready for it. I am ready for change. For the longest time, I felt like I was not shedding an old snake skin but I felt trapped in it. I can throw that husk away, take a deep breath and now feel like I no longer have to secretly envy other published authors now that I am one of them. It must be why I keep crying. This truly is a game changer for me. But I say bring it on!
Dawn Wilson interviewed me for my book. I’m excited to see that when it goes live. Nora Peavy did receive her gift of the beautiful bewitching Witch House and is totally happy with it. I hope it is the first of many interviews, reviews and new opportunities to come my way.
Tomorrow I am sewing my Arwen dress. I can’t wait to get started on that. I plan to leave the house very early to start sewing at my Mom’s. Sewing will maybe prevent me from checking to see if my novel is uploaded to Amazon every 5 seconds of the day. I need something to focus on and that is perfect. I must be distracted or I will drive everyone around me and myself to distraction.
I had to improve the quality of my writing and the way I write. I took the time to improve my writing and yet it worked out. I am glad I did. I can’t afford to self-publish which means one thing: improve my writing. That is why I am so grateful for all the wonderful assistance I received. That includes my cat!
Here is the book blurb:
‘Seventeen- year old Piper and her boyfriend Cory are held captive by horrifying spider cryptids in the savage dimension, Arachnall. The Spider King tries to seduce her into ruling with him as his queen and makes Cory a soulless slave. Piper must make an impossible choice: help the beleaguered Spider Queen dethrone the Spider King and escape or turn into one of the bloodthirsty monsters.’
The Cult of the Spider People is listed as 2.99 for the Kindle and 6.99 for the paperback version. I think that’s reasonable. Oh I can’t wait to see my book on Amazon. This has all been such a dream come true. I am so happy. Clearly being neurodivergent didn’t prevent me from publishing a novel. Nothing will.
This is only the beginning!
Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(
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