Here's the scoop:
I'm releasing my first novel on June 30th 2018 called The Unmarked Girl. It is the first book of The YaraStar Trilogy, a fantasy series that explores the journey of YaraStar. Yara is an unmarked girl with unknown origins who lives on a planet where one's birthline markings determine those who are of light from those who are of darkness. Yara's search for meaning, purpose and a place to belong is the search within us all in a world filled with grey areas. I worked on this novel for two years. It took longer than I expected mostly because I was not yet ready to be its vessel. There is a quote by Austin Netzley that resonated with me. He said that your level of success will rarely exceed your level of personal development. I definitely was not yet at the place I needed to be if I wanted to share Yara's story with the world. I consistently felt self-conscious at the thought of anyone ever reading my work. I also wasn't completely familiar with the book publishing world (Should I try to publish traditionally? Should I self-publish? What does ISBN mean and why is everyone debating if you need one to publish on Kindle?!). I have never been one to dive into anything that I haven't extensively researched and...conquered. :) So, I made two decisions:
Success for me in this journey isn't about the book sales (don't get me wrong - those would definitely be GREAT). It isn't even about whether anyone likes the book or not (even if I do hope it resonates with many of you). For me, the success of this has been in finding fearless authenticity within myself. Writing Yara's story has been the most painstaking, the most life-changing, and the most beautiful period of time that I have ever spent on any work in my lifetime. I have finally gotten to live days where every single part of it is fueled by my passion. I don't know where this journey may lead on the outside but I know where it has led me to on the inside. In finding Yara, I found all of me... and for that, I am grateful beyond words. I'd love to keep you posted on The Unmarked Girl's release. If you'd like that, make sure to subscribe for updates. You can also contact me with any queries or comments that you may have. Thank you for stopping by!
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Jeanelle FrontinThe one thing I'm not is one thing. Archives
October 2020
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