Centernia: Building a Castle

On Friday afternoon I dropped my kids off at my parents’ house, loaded up the car, and traveled I-90 with Octostar Creations for Genericon 2019.  We came back late last night in a blustery and rainy wind storm and I am still in awe of this weekend. I’ve been to Genericon in 2015, and 2017, it’s one of my favorite college cons.  This time was a very different experience. Very. Very. Different. It was my first returning con with Mark of the Castle.  The response was insane, to put it mildly.  I was approached by dozens of fans with stories I never expected to hear, from a mom who secretly purchased the book for her daughter and photographed her reaction to someone who had used the morality of Centernia as a topic for a college assignment.  I was approached by artists, aspiring audiobook narrators, and clusters of friend groups who had been passing around a copy of Centernia for years.  There were people who had bought it at other cons, including...

Two new releases of my artwork to hit store shelves within the past several weeks!  I have a collection of four unicorns available through Pacific Trading Co and the Dragon Valley Puzzle from Ravensburger. https://www.fairyglen.com/rosekhan.html

A huge weight was lifted from my shoulders at the completion of Mark of the Castle . So what's next? The Agent Search  My illustration work is represented by an amazing agent who has brought unreal opportunities.  Unfortunately, he doesn't handle the literary side.  I've decided it's time to seek out literary agents to bring Centernia to the next level.  I know it's a long shot and I will continue to build the universe regardless if the series ever sees big-time publication.  Much of my time this past month was centered on sending out query letters. Illustration A few months ago I listened to a Pete Mohrbacher video on the value of getting up early, (  You Tube- One Fantastic Week  ).  Mohrbacher is a fantasy illustrator who champions the idea of creating your own IP and taking control of your projects. I took Mohrbacher's advice and started getting up before my kids a little over a month ago.  5-10 hours of work time were hi...

What a crazy whirlwind it's been!  There are so many exclamation marks in this post!!!! 1. The Book Centernia: Mark of the Castle is complete!!!  Scheduled release is this late October/early November!!!!!!!!!  Mark is 530 pages of magic, mayhem and drama edited by the amazing Keith R.A.DeCandido  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_DeCandido http://decandido.net/ 2. Appearance Schedule Wizarding Weekend Ithaca, October 26, 27 & 28th will be my big fall show.  I'll be giving a panel talk on worldbuilding and selling in the Artist Atrium.  WE WILL ALSO HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF SIGNED COPIES OF MARK OF THE CASTLE.  Come early to snag your copy!!!! http://wizardingweekend.com/ The same weekend as Wizarding, my artist friend Cat Razim will have copies at Flower City Minicon.  An even smaller number of signed copies will be available, though I will not be there. http://www.fc3roc.com/ 3. Fantasy Art Projects This is the sour...

Hello!  A lot of behind-the-scenes action going on. First and foremost, on October 2nd we welcomed our little 9lb pumpkin Enzo.  He's our little zen baby, and he brings this peaceful aura wherever he goes....though of course, that simply may be the contrast of newborn baby vs. our tornado of a toddler. Before Enzo was born, I was able to get the Centernia sequel into the hands of the beta readers.  I've received some of the feedback already, and overall I'm really pleased with what people have to say. There are minor adjustments to be made, but overall it sounds like the story had its intended impact and readers were happy. While waiting for feedback, I've taken on other overdue projects.  Most notably, I wrapped up a new redesign for my art portfolio site, www.RoseCatherine.com Now that the book is approaching release, I can switch my focus from writing back to art, including Centernia art. Kaity Cosette 2014 vs 2017

Misa fanart from Ling Tang https://www.facebook.com/illusionsartwork/ The second book in the Centernia series is finally in the hands of beta readers!  The book was sent out to fourteen readers earlier afternoon.  They have until October 31st to provide their feedback. I went blog silent for a few months because I knew I had to put all focus the book. If I didn't finish it before my son's arrival, I was looking at another year delay, and I refused to accept that! After I receive all the feedback, I'll tweak parts of the story then send the book to my editor.  There's a strong possibility that we will be having a pre-order, if not launch, for the holiday season. My hours have been scarce between working part time and chasing my daughter. Almost every single toddler nap for the past year has been dedicated writing time. As of this moment, I'm still awaiting my son and my tumor treatment, but with a lot less stress!!! Hah hah....it's just giving birth f...

My Tumor This is a very odd post that seems more like the stuff of fiction than fact.  I have a tumor growing out of my 8th cranial nerve, pressing on my brainstem.  Also, because that isn't exciting enough, I'm pregnant with my second child. The Path to Diagnosis I think it's important to share this story.  A vestibular schwannoma is a tumor that is apparently growing in popularity, despite Google classifying it as "very rare".  Symptoms can be confused for other things, such as anxiety and migraines. My first clue something was amiss was in July of 2016.  The right corner of my mouth felt wet and cold, even though it wasn't.  The odd wet feeling came and went over the course of a week, then vanished.  I didn't see a doctor since it went away on its own. A month later, I was vacationing and enjoying some amazing coastal shellfish.  The right side of my tongue started going numb and I was convinced I developed a shellfi...