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My First Professional Copyedit
The copyedit is done, and Not by Sword is with my proofreading team now! As I mentioned before, I chose to work with Molly from Rookwood Editing. She was fantastic to work with, and I’m confident she was the best choice for the book. Her edits were thorough and precise (although nobody can catch everything),…
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Eerie Architecture
I think I’ve discovered a new favorite microgenre or trope or conceit, and I’m calling it Eerie Architecture. Eerie Architecture is when something is wrong with the house or building, usually in an impossible, magical, or alien way. This wrongness feels hostile, or at least ominous. It also transforms the house into something that evokes…
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I Sent It! 😅
Not by Sword” went off for its final round of professional editing this weekend! Selecting an editor was tricky (especially since prices seem to have gone up from a year ago). I looked at several different editors—on Reedsy and Google—and ended up requesting sample edits from 5 of them. I sent them the first chapter…
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Timothee Chalamet in the Dune: Part 3 Soundtrack
Maybe I’m crazy, but I just watched the Dune: Part 3 trailer, and that sounds an awful lot like Timothee Chalamet chanting in the background. (I’m not crazy! Polygon confirms it here.) You can hear him humming softly to Chani as they talk about having a baby, and then he leads a group of Fremen…
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Upcoming Milestones for ‘Not by Sword’: Beta Feedback and Release Plans
The fourth draft of Not by Sword is finally done! So what’s next? Now the book is with beta readers (If you’re reading this in January or early February, it’s not too late to join the beta read! Shoot me a message and we’ll talk!). I’ve asked them to finish their read and provide me…
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Writing Update – August 2025
The last six months have been a whirlwind! I left my job and started a new one, I’m almost done with my master’s, and I’ve been digesting and incorporating the feedback from my developmental editor into the fourth draft of Not by Sword. Working with editorial feedback has been a new and exciting experience for…
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First Impression of Amazon’s “House of David”
Writing Update My third draft of Not by Sword is complete and submitted to my editor! She sent me an encouraging message after reading the first few chapters, so I’m excited to receive the rest of her feedback and find some ways to make my first novel even better before I publish it! Still planning…
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Writing Update – February 2025
I’ve got an editor now! I did a lot of soul-searching and researching to determine what kind of editing I would need, and then talked to several editors on Reedsy to get an idea of pricing and how each phase of editing would work. At first, I was hesitant about shelling out money for a…
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Cover Reveal: ‘Not by Sword’
I’m super pumped to share this cover with the world! I’ve loved Jens Bengtsson‘s art for a few years, and when I saw on Instagram this summer that he was taking commissions, I knew I had to get his art on my book! I love his otherworldly landscapes and creature designs, so I hope to…
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Lament for a Nerfed Protagonist
Short post today. I’m working on the 3rd draft of Not by Sword, and I want to take a moment to honor the abuse I’m heaping upon my poor protagonist. Milo started out as an ace pilot, brilliant mechanic, stellar musician, clever hand-to-hand fighter, suave romancer of women and persuader of kings. Unfortunately, that made…
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A. E. Henry 